The Believers — Verse 95

The Command to call on Allah when Calamity strikes, to repel Evil with that which is better, and to seek refuge with Allah Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to call on Him with this supplication when calamity strikes: رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّى مَا يُوعَدُونَ (My Lord! If You would show me that with which they are threatened.) meaning, `if You punish them while I am witnessing that, then do not cause me to be one of them.' As was said in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih: «وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ بِقَومٍ فِتْنَةً فَتَوفَّنِي إِلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مَفْتُون» (If You want to test people, then take me to You cause me to die without having to undergo the test.) وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَـدِرُونَ (And indeed We are able to show you that with which We have threatened them.) means, `if We willed, We could show you the punishment and test that We will send upon them.' Then Allah shows him the best way to behave when mixing with people, which is to treat kindly the one who treats him badly, so as to soften his heart and turn his enmity to friendship, and to turn his hatred to love. Allah says: ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ (Repel evil with that which is better. ) This is like the Ayah: ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌوَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ (Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient) 41:34-35. meaning, nobody will be helped or inspired to follow this advice or attain this quality, إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ (except those who are patient) meaning, those who patiently bear people's insults and bad treatment and deal with them in a good manner when they are on the receiving end of bad treatment from them. وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ (and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion) means, in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah says: وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ (And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin.") Allah commanded him to seek refuge with Him from the Shayatin, because no trick could help you against them and you cannot protect yourself by being kind to them. We have already stated, when discussing Isti`adhah (seeking refuge), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say, «أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِه» (I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from the accursed Shayatin, from his whisperings, evil suggestions and insinuations.) His saying: وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ ("And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me.") means, in any issue of my life. So we are commanded to mention Allah at the beginning of any undertaking, in order to ward off the Shayatin at the time of eating, intercourse, slaughtering animals for food, etc. Abu Dawud recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say: «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَمِنَ الْغَرَقِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَخَبَّطَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْت» (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from old age, I seek refuge with You from being crushed or drowned, and I seek refuge with you from being assaulted by the Shayatin at the time of death.)

And truly We are able to show you what We promise them.

وإننا لَقادرون على أن نريك ما نَعِدُهم من العذاب.

وقوله تعالى " وإنا على أن نريك ما نعدهم لقادرون " أي لو شئنا لأريناك ما نزل بهم من النقم والبلاء والمحن. ثم قال تعالى مرشدا له إلى الترياق النافع في مخالطة الناس وهو الإحسان إلى من يسيء إليه ليستجلب خاطره فتعود عداوته صداقة وبغضه محبة فقال تعالى " ادفع بالتي هي أحسن السيئة " وهذا كما قال في الآية الأخرى.

وقوله - سبحانه - ( وَإِنَّا على أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُونَ ) بيان لكمال قدرة الله تعالى التى لا يعجزها شىء .أى : نحن قادرون - يا محمد - على إطلاعك على العذاب الذى أعددناه لهم ولكن لحكمة نعلمها ، لم نطلعك عليه ، بل سنؤخره عنهم إلى الوقت الذى نريده ، قال تعالى : ( وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الذي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ البلاغ وَعَلَيْنَا الحساب ).

وقوله : ( وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَنْ نُرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: وإنا يا محمد على أن نريك في هؤلاء المشركين ما نعدهم من تعجيل العذاب لهم، لقادرون، فلا يحْزُنَنَّك تكذيبهم إياك بما نعدهم به، وإنما نؤخر ذلك ليبلغ الكتاب أجله.

( وإنا على أن نريك ما نعدهم ) من العذاب لهم ، ( لقادرون )

وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَنْ نُرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُونَ (95)وفي قوله : { أن نريك } إيماء إلى أنه في منجاة من أن يلحقه ما يوعدون به وأنه سيراه مرأى عين دون كون فيه . وقد يبدو أن هذا وعد غريب لأن المتعارف أن يكون العذاب سماوياً فإذا نجى الله منه بعض رسله مثل لوط فإنه يُبعده عن موضع العذاب ولكن كان عذاب هؤلاء غير سماوي فتحقق في مصرع صناديدهم يوم بدر بمرأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ووقف رسول الله على القليب قليب بدر وناداهم بأسمائهم واحداً واحداً وقال لهم « لقد وَجدنا ما وعدنا ربنا حقاً فهل وجدتم ما وعد ربكم حقاً » . وبهذا القصد يظهر موقع حرفي التأكيد ( إن ) واللام من إصابة محزّ الإعجاز .

، قال الله في تقريب عذابهم: { وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَنْ نُرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُونَ } ولكن إن أخرناه فلحكمة، وإلا، فقدرتنا صالحة لإيقاعه فيهم.

قوله تعالى : وإنا على أن نريك ما نعدهم لقادروننبه على أن خلاف المعلوم مقدور ، وقد أراه الله تعالى ذلك فيهم بالجوع والسيف ، ونجاه الله ومن آمن به من ذلك .

This prayer illustrates that a believer is always a God-fearing man. Even when God’s punishment is directed towards others, he starts trembling with fear. He starts addressing God in all humility, because he knows that, if he is to be saved, it will not be by any deed of his or by his own strength but by God’s mercy.

وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ أَن نُّرِ‌يَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَادِرُ‌ونَ And of course, We do have the power to show you what We threatened them with. (23:95) Some commentators say that even though Allah has promised, on account of His regard for the Holy Prophet ﷺ that He will not punish the entire community while he (Holy Prophet ﷺ) lives among them وَمَا كَانَ اللَّـهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ (And Allah is not to send punishment upon them while you are in their midst-- 8:33) yet the punishment of some selected persons in special circumstance does not negate the promise. The punishment of the infidels of Makkah through famine and through their defeat at the hands of the Muslims at the Battle of Badr had taken place in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، which is emphasized in this verse that "We have the power to show you what We threatened them with".

(And verily We are Able to show thee) O Muhammad (that which We have promised them) of torment on the Day of Badr.