Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ((There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking))

He said: Is this a demonstrative noun referring to a place, or to a time? To a place, or a time, or to both? It is suitable for both time and place, but its original meaning is place, and it is used for time. Allah the Exalted said: [Ghafir: 85] Meaning, in that time the disbelievers lost. So here is suitable for both time and place; the lam indicates distance and the kaf is for address. They were tested. And who tested them? Allah the Mighty and Majestic tested them with what happened to them of this immense hardship that we cannot express in speech, and we cannot feel it except those who experienced it. We here are unable to conceive of that state or depict it, but the one who experienced it knows about it. He says: He says, they were tested so that the sincere would be distinguished from the others. They were shaken due to the intensity of the terror. Yes, a great trial and a great shaking they were subjected to. This shaking affected them; it was not an earthquake of the earth, but a shaking of the souls. The souls were shaken and something great happened to them, because in this expedition the gathering of the confederates from the Arabs, the breach of the treaty by Banu Qurayzah, hunger, fatigue, exhaustion, and cold all came together. How many? Five things... fatigue and exhaustion are one of them, and one of them is sufficient to shake the soul, so how when they all came together? The matters were difficult. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was in that place, binding stones to his stomach from hunger. Yes, how can you imagine the situation? In reality, a person cannot express it. Therefore, he said: Strongly, greatly, they shook their souls due to the gathering of these trials upon them, may Allah be pleased with them. Therefore, hypocrisy emerged and the hypocrites spoke, seeing in this an opportunity to speak, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was promising them victory even in that expedition. He promised them victory, and the story of the rock they were unable to break, the axes breaking, and their fatigue until they came to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and said "O Messenger of Allah, you planned for us" because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had drawn the trench for them in the place of the trench with his foot. So from the wisdom of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, the line came to this rock which they were unable to break. But due to their intense obedience, may Allah be pleased with them, they did not say, "Let us curve it to the right or left." Rather, they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him. So he descended from his platform which had been built for him on a hill there to overlook the people. He descended and took the pickaxe and struck it. Ibn Ishaq says, when he struck it once, it shone with a great light, as if we were in daylight, and it crumbled. Then he struck it and said Allahu Akbar over it, (peace and blessings be upon him).
The student: At night.

The Shaykh : And it was at night. So he said Allahu Akbar, then struck it the second time, and it shone, and he said Allahu Akbar, the takbir of victory, a great takbir. Then he struck it the third time and said Allahu Akbar. And they said, "O Messenger of Allah, why did you do this?" He said, And is this a good omen for the believers, or not? A good omen and strengthening. But the hypocrites, refuge with Allah, who do not trust in the promise of Allah and His Messenger, said, how is this? A person among us cannot even go to relieve himself. How can we possess the palaces of Kisra and Caesar and Tubba? This is not correct.