A lot of people think that followers of the True Religion are humiliated, subdued and always defeated, unlike those who follow other paths. So they do not have certainty in Allah's promise of victory for His religion and His servants. Rather, even if they don't say it, they think that this promise is either particular to a specific group, or to a specific time, or they link it to Allah's will (not related to any rules that Allah set in His creation).
This
(attitude and understanding) is due to absence of certainty in the
Promise of Allah, the Most High, and due to a poor understanding of His
Book.
1. Allah has explained in His Book that He is the Helper of believers in this world and the next. He said, the Most High:
"Indeed We will support
Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and
on the Day when the witnesses will stand." [40:51]
"And whoever is an ally
of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed - Indeed, the
party of Allah - they will be the predominant." [5:56]
"Indeed, the ones who
oppose Allah and His Messenger - those will be among the most humbled.
Allah has written [i.e. decreed], 'I will surely overcome, I and My
messengers.' Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might." [58:20-21]
There are many such verses in the Qur'an.
2.
Allah has also explained in the Qur'an that what befalls a servant from
calamity, or defeat, or other than that, is because of his sins. Allah
has explained both of these principles in His Book, so when you join
them, the reality of the matter will become clear to you, problems will
completely disappear, and you will be in no need of unnecessary,
burdening explanations, or far-fetched interpretations.
Allah has explained the first principle in different ways, including what has preceded (in the verses above). Likewise, He censured one who seeks help and honour from other than the believers, as in His saying:
"O you who have
believed do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in
fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you
then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the
wrongdoing people.
"So you see those in
whose hearts is disease [i.e. hypocrisy] hastening into [association
with] them, saying, 'We are afraid a misfortune may strike us.' But
perhaps Allah will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will
become, over what they have been concealing within themselves,
regretful.
"And those who believe
will say [i.e. about the hypocrites and their exposure], 'Are these the
ones who swore by Allah their strongest oaths that indeed they were with
you?' Their deeds have become worthless, and they have become losers.
"O you who have
believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will
bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love
Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the
disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the
blame of a critic. That is the favour of Allah; He bestows it upon whom
He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing and Knowing.
"Your
ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have
believed - those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in
worship].
"And whoever is an ally
of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed - indeed, the
party of Allah - they will be the predominant." [5:51-56]
So Allah rebuked those who seek help from other than His party and
informed that His party – they will be the predominant. In this regards,
He said,
"Give tidings to the
hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment. Those who take
disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them
honour [through power]? But indeed, honour belongs to Allah entirely. Being the source of all power and honour, Allah grants them to whom He wills." [4:138-139]
"They say, 'If we
return to Al-Madinah, the more honoured [for power] will surely expel
there from the more humble.' And to Allah belongs [all] honour, and to
His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know." [63:8]
"Whoever desires honour
[through power] - then to Allah belong all honour. To Him ascends good
speech, and righteous work raises it. For
acceptance by Allah, meaning that righteous deeds are confirmation and
proof of what is uttered by tongue." [35:10]
That is, whoever seeks honour, let him seek it by obedience to Allah through good speech and righteous work.
"It is He who has sent
His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it
over all religion, although they will associate others with Allah
dislike it." [9:33]
"O you who have
believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a
painful punishment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger
and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That
is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive for you your sins
and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant
dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great
attainment. And [you will obtain] another [favour] that you love -
victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to
the believers." [61:10-13]
That is, He will give them another [favour] besides forgiveness of their sins and entrance to the Paradise – help and victory:
"O you who have
believed, be supporters of Allah, as when Jesus, the son of Mary, said
to the disciples, 'Who are my supporters for Allah?' The disciples said,
'We are supporters of Allah.' And a faction of the Children of Israel
believed and a faction disbelieved. So We supported those who believed
against their enemy, and they became dominant." [61:14]
Allah said to Prophet Jesus, "Indeed
I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify [i.e. free] you from
those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to
Allah alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of
Resurrection." [3:55] So because the
Christians follow him, they are superior to the Jews until the Day of
Resurrection, and because Muslims follow him more than the Christians,
they are superior to them until the Day of Resurrection.
Allah said to the believers:
"And if these [Makkans]
who disbelieve were to fight you, they would certainly turn their backs
[in flight]. Then they would not find a protector or a helper.
"[This is] the established way of Allah which has occurred before. And you will never find in the way of Allah any change." [48:22-23] This is addressed to the believers who fulfilled both outward and inward realities of faith.
"Indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous." [11:49] And, "The [best] outcome is for [those of] righteousness." [20:132] The intended here is the outcome in this world before the next,
because He mentioned this after the story of Prophet Nuh, and his victory over
his people and patience with them. So He said, "This
is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad].
You knew it not, neither you nor your people, before this. So be
patient, indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous." [11:49]
That is, the outcome of help for you and those with you, as it was for
Prophet Nuh and those who believed with him. Likewise His saying:
"And enjoin prayer upon
your family [and people] and be steadfast therein. We ask you not for
provision; We provide for you and the [best] outcome is for [those of]
righteousness." [20:132]
"If good touches you,
it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if
you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all.
Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do." [3:120]
"Yes, if you remain
patient and conscious of Allah and they [i.e. the enemy] come upon you
[attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand
angels having marks [of distinction]." [3:125]
He said, relating the words of Prophet Yusuf that he was helped due to his Taqwa and his patience. So he said, "'I
am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favoured us.
Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not
allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.'" [12:90]
"O you who have
believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will
remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the
possessor of great bounty." [8:29]
The criterion is honour and help, and victory and light, which distinguish between the Truth and the falsehood.
"And whoever fears
Allah – He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from
where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is
sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has
already set for everything a [decreed] extent." [65:3-4]
Ibn Majah and Ibn Abi Dunya have related on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Prophet (saws) said: "If all people acted in accordance with this ayah, it would suffice them."
[Narrators of the hadith are trustworthy except that the chain is
disconnected, so the hadith is weak] This is related to the first
principle.
As for the second principle:
"Why [is it that] when a
[single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uhud], although you had
struck [the enemy in the Battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you
said, 'From where is this?' Say, 'It is from yourselves [i.e. due to
your sin].' And Allah, over all things, is competent." [3:165]
"Indeed, those of you
who turned back on the day the two armies met [at 'Uhud] - it was Satan
who caused them to slip because of some [blame] they had earned. But
Allah has already forgiven them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and
Forbearing." [3:155]
"And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much." [42:30]
"Corruption has
appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of
people have earned so He [i.e. Allah] may let them taste part of [the
consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [i.e.
refrain]." [30:41]
"But if they turn away -
then We have not sent you [O Muhammad], over them as a guardian; upon
you is only [the duty of] notification. And indeed, when We let man
taste mercy from Us, he rejoices in it; but if evil afflicts him for
what his hands have put forth, then indeed, man is ungrateful." [42:48]
"And when We let the
people taste mercy, they rejoice therein, but if evil afflicts them for
what their hands have put forth, immediately they despair." [30:36]
"Or He could destroy them for what they earned; but He pardons much." [42:34]
"What comes to you of
good is from Allah, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from
yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a
messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness." [4:79]
This is why Allah ordered His Messenger and
believers to follow what was sent to them, that is, to be obedient to
Him. This is the first principle. He also ordered them to wait for His
Promise, and this is the second principle. And He ordered them to seek
forgiveness and practice patience because the servant will certainly
have shortcomings and seeking forgiveness will clear those shortcomings.
Likewise, patience is required while waiting for the Promise. Obedience
is perfected and completed with seeking forgiveness, and certainty in
the Promise is perfected and completed with patience. Allah has joined the two in His saying, "So
be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask for
forgiveness of your sin and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in
the evening and the morning." [40:55]
Allah has mentioned in His book the stories of the
Prophets and their followers and how they saved themselves with
patience and obedience. Then He said, "There were certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding." [12:111]
[Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah - Ighathat al-Lahfan min Masa'id ash-Shaytan (2/229)]
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