Women — Verse 139

Characteristics of the Hypocrites and Their Destination Allah states that whoever embraces the faith, reverts from it, embraces it again, reverts from it and remains on disbelief and increases in it until death, then he will never have a chance to gain accepted repentance after death. Nor will Allah forgive him, or deliver him from his plight to the path of correct guidance. This is why Allah said, لَّمْ يَكُنْ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلاَ لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ سَبِيلاً (Allah will not forgive them, nor guide them on the (right) way). Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that his father said that Ahmad bin `Abdah related that Hafs bin Jami' said that Samak said that `Ikrimah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented; ثُمَّ ازْدَادُواْ كُفْراً (and go on increasing in disbelief), "They remain on disbelief until they die." Mujahid said similarly. Allah then said, بَشِّرِ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً (Give to the hypocrites the tidings that there is for them a painful torment.) Hence, the hypocrites have this characteristic, for they believe, then disbelieve, and this is why their hearts become sealed. Allah describes the hypocrites as taking the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, meaning they are the disbelievers' supporters in reality, for they give them their loyalty and friendship in secret. They also say to disbelievers when they are alone with them, "We are with you, we only mock the believers by pretending to follow their religion." Allah said, while chastising them for being friends with the disbelievers, أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ (do they seek honor, with them) Allah then states that honor, power and glory is for Him Alone without partners, and for those whom Allah grants such qualities to. Allah said, مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعاً (Whosoever desires honor, then to Allah belong all honor), and, وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَـكِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ (But honor belongs to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not). The statement that honor is Allah's Alone, is meant to encourage the servants to adhere to their servitude to Allah and to be among His faithful servants who will gain victory in this life and when the Witnesses stand up to testify on the Day of Resurection. Allah's statement, وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ يُكَفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَقْعُدُواْ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً مِّثْلُهُمْ (And it has already been revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in talk other than that; certainly in that case you would be like them.) The Ayah means, if you still commit this prohibition after being aware of its prohibition, sitting with them where Allah's Ayat are rejected, mocked at and denied, and you sanction such conduct, then you have participated with them in what they are doing. So Allah said, إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً مِّثْلُهُمْ ((But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them.) concerning the burden they will earn. What has already been revealed in the Book -- as the Ayah says -- is the Ayah in Surat Al-An`am 6, which was revealed in Makkah, وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِى ءَايَـتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ (And when you see those who engage in false conversation about Our verses (of the Qur'an) by mocking at them, stay away from them). Muqatil bin Hayyan said that this Ayah 4:140 abrogated the Ayah in Surat Al-An`am, referring to the part that says here, إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً مِّثْلُهُمْ ((But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them), and Allah's statement in Al-An`am, وَمَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍ وَلَـكِن ذِكْرَى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ (Those who fear Allah, keep their duty to Him and avoid evil, are not responsible for them (the disbelievers) in any case, but (their duty) is to remind them, that they may have Taqwa). Allah's statement, إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ وَالْكَـفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعاً (Surely, Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell.) means, just as the hypocrites participate in the Kufr of disbelievers, Allah will join them all together to reside in the Fire for eternity, dwelling in torment, punishment, enchained, restrained and in drinking boiling water.

Those who alladhīna is either a substitution for or an adjectival qualification of al-munāfiqīna ‘the hypocrites’ take disbelievers for friends instead of believers because they mistakenly believe them to be strong — do they desire do they seek power with them? an interrogative of disavowal that is to say they shall not find such power with them. Truly power belongs altogether to God in this world and the Hereafter and none but His friends shall attain it.

Those who take disbelievers for friends, by virtue of their correspondence to them in terms of being veiled, instead of believers, because of the lack of [their] generic compatibility [with believers] - do they desire, to assume power through them in this world and to draw strength from their assets and their statusḍ There is no possibility of that. Moreover they are mistaken, because power altogether is one of God's attributes, exalted be He, unassailable is He in His powers and might. His is the power to vanquish and to overwhelm all. Therefore power is actualised [for a person] in the measure that one is near to Him, receptive of His light and strength, and possessive of His attributes. So the people of faith are more deserving of this [power], while the people of the veil and disbelief are more deserving of making errors.

Those who take disbelievers for friends, by virtue of their correspondence to them in terms of being veiled, instead of believers, because of the lack of [their] generic compatibility [with believers] - do they desire, to assume power through them in this world and to draw strength from their assets and their statusḍ There is no possibility of that. Moreover they are mistaken, because power altogether is one of God's attributes, exalted be He, unassailable is He in His powers and might. His is the power to vanquish and to overwhelm all. Therefore power is actualised [for a person] in the measure that one is near to Him, receptive of His light and strength, and possessive of His attributes. So the people of faith are more deserving of this [power], while the people of the veil and disbelief are more deserving of making errors.

Those who take disbelievers for friends instead of believers-do they desire power with themḍ Truly power belongs altogether to God. It has been revealed to you in the Book that: �When you hear God's signs being disbelieved and mocked do not sit with them until they engage in some other talk for otherwise you would surely be like them.� God will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers all together into hell. Whoever clings to a created being has sought refuge with someone other than the One who protects. He relies on a place that will provide no shelter. He has fallen into the abyss of error whose depth is bottomless and ruse calamitous. Do they desire power with those who have themselves been humbled by [the command] to �Be�ḍ How can they have any power to determine the truthḍ How can those who have no power extend power to anyone elseḍ It is said that �We do not know what is more shameless in their condi- tion: seeking power while they are themselves humbled by the [divine] subjugation and held in the [divine] grasp or their thinking and imagining that [power] can be from anything other than God.� It is said that whoever seeks something from any direction other than Him-failure is the ultimate end of his effort fa-l-ikhfāqu ghāyatu jahdihi. Whoever desires wealth in regions of indigence-being reduced to poverty is the outcome of his toil fa-l-imlāqu quṣārā kaddihi. It is said that if they had been rightly guided to finding [the true source of] power their seeking would not have been diverted to those who pos- sess no authority. Truly power belongs altogether to God: The power is of two kinds: an eternal power which is an attribute of God and a contingent power which He ������ apportions to whomever He will. [Power] belongs to God most high as something that is His and is [also] a gift from Him [to human beings]. It has been revealed to you in the Book... Do not make neighbors of those alienated in feeling and affection for the darknesses of their souls extend to your hearts as you seek to inhale the fragrances they refuse to take in. One becomes partner to the state of those with whom one sits. The sit- ting companion of those in a state of intimacy becomes an intimate himself while the sitting companion of those in darkness is himself estranged.

Those who take disbelievers for friends instead of believers-do they desire power with themḍ Truly power belongs altogether to God. It has been revealed to you in the Book that: �When you hear God's signs being disbelieved and mocked do not sit with them until they engage in some other talk for otherwise you would surely be like them.� God will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers all together into hell. Whoever clings to a created being has sought refuge with someone other than the One who protects. He relies on a place that will provide no shelter. He has fallen into the abyss of error whose depth is bottomless and ruse calamitous. Do they desire power with those who have themselves been humbled by [the command] to �Be�ḍ How can they have any power to determine the truthḍ How can those who have no power extend power to anyone elseḍ It is said that �We do not know what is more shameless in their condi- tion: seeking power while they are themselves humbled by the [divine] subjugation and held in the [divine] grasp or their thinking and imagining that [power] can be from anything other than God.� It is said that whoever seeks something from any direction other than Him-failure is the ultimate end of his effort fa-l-ikhfāqu ghāyatu jahdihi. Whoever desires wealth in regions of indigence-being reduced to poverty is the outcome of his toil fa-l-imlāqu quṣārā kaddihi. It is said that if they had been rightly guided to finding [the true source of] power their seeking would not have been diverted to those who pos- sess no authority. Truly power belongs altogether to God: The power is of two kinds: an eternal power which is an attribute of God and a contingent power which He ������ apportions to whomever He will. [Power] belongs to God most high as something that is His and is [also] a gift from Him [to human beings]. It has been revealed to you in the Book... Do not make neighbors of those alienated in feeling and affection for the darknesses of their souls extend to your hearts as you seek to inhale the fragrances they refuse to take in. One becomes partner to the state of those with whom one sits. The sit- ting companion of those in a state of intimacy becomes an intimate himself while the sitting companion of those in darkness is himself estranged.

الذين يوالون الكافرين، ويتخذونهم أعوانًا لهم، ويتركون ولاية المؤمنين، ولا يرغبون في مودتهم. أيطلبون بذلك النصرة والمنعة عند الكافرين؟ إنهم لا يملكون ذلك، فالنصرة والعزة والقوة جميعها لله تعالى وحده.

فقال الله تعالى منكرا عليهم فيما سلكوه من موالاة الكافرين "أيبتغون عندهم العزة" ثم أخبر الله تعالى بأن العزة كلها لله وحده لا شريك له ولمن جعلها له كما قال تعالى في الآية الأخرى "من كان يريد العزة فلله العزة" جميعا وقال تعالى "ولله العزة ولرسوله وللمؤمنين ولكن المنافقين لا يعلمون" والمقصود من هذا التهييج على طلب العزة من جناب الله والإقبال على عبوديته والانتظام في جملة عباده المؤمنين الذين لهم النصرة في هذه الحياة الدنيا ويوم يقوم الأشهاد ويناسب هنا أن نذكر الحديث الذي رواه الإمام أحمد: حدثنا حسين بن محمد حدثنا أبو بكر بن عياش عن حميد الكندي عن عبادة بن نسي عن أبي ريحانه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " من انتسب إلى تسعة آباء كفار يريد بهم عزا وفخرا فهو عاشرهم في النار " تفرد به أحمد وأبو ريحانة هذا هو أزدي ويقال أنصاري واسمه شمعون بالمعجمة فيما قاله البخاري وقال غيره بالمهملة والله أعلم.

ثم كشف - سبحانه - عن جانب من طبيعتهم المنكوسة فقال : ( الذين يَتَّخِذُونَ الكافرين أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ المؤمنين ) .أى : أنذر هؤلاء المنافقين بالعذاب الأليم ، الذين من صفاتهم أنهم يتخذون الكافرين أولياء ونصراء لهم تاركين ولاية المؤمنين ونصرتهم . فهم سلم على الكافرين وحرب على المؤمنين .والمراد بالكافرين هنا : اليهود - على أرجح الأقوال - فقد حكى عن المنافقين أنهم كانوا يقولون : إن أمر محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم لن يتم فتولوا اليهود ، ولأن غالب سكان المدينة - من غير المسلمين - كان من اليهود .وقوله ( مِن دُونِ المؤمنين ) حال من فاعل يتخذون . أى : يتخذون الكفار أنصارا لهم حالة كونهم متجاوزين ولاية المؤمنين ونصرتهم .والاستفهام فى قوله : ( أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ العزة ) للإِنكار والتعجب من شأنهم ، والتهكم من سوء تصورهم .وقوله : ( فَإِنَّ العزة للَّهِ جَمِيعاً ) رد على تصوراتهم الباطلة ، ومداركهم الفاسدة ، وتثبيت للمؤمنين حتى يزدادوا قوة على قوتهم .أى : أن هؤلاء المنافقين قد تركوا ولاية المؤمنين إلى ولاية الكافرين فما الذى دفعهم إلى هذا الانتكاس؟ أيطلبون بلهفة ورغبة العزة والمنعة من عند الكافرين؟ إذا كان هذا حالهم فقد خابوا وخسروا ، فإن العزة والقوة والمنعة والنصرة له وحده . ومن اعتز بغير الله هان وذل .قال ابن كثير : والمقصود من هذا التهييج على طلب العزة من جانب الله - تعالى - والإِقبال على عبوديته ، والانتظام فى جملة عباده المؤمنين ، الذين لهم النصرة فى الحياة الدنيا ويوم يقوم الأشهاد . ويناسب هنا أن نذكر الحديث الذى رواه الإِمام أحمد عن أبى ريحانة أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " من انتسب إلى تسعة آباء كفار ، يريد بهم عزا وفخرا فهو عاشرهم فى النار " .وقال الإِمام الرازى : وأصل العزة فى اللغة الشدة . ومنه قيل للأرض الصلبة الشديدة : عزاز . ويقال : قد استعز المرض على المريض إذا اشتد ظهره به . وشاة عزوز التى يشتد حبلها ويصعب . والعزة : القوة منقولة منا لشدة لتقارب معنييهما . والعزيز القوى المنيع بخلاف الذليل .ثم قال : إذا عرفت هذا فنقول : إن المنافقين كانوا يطلبون العزة والقوة بسبب اتصالهم باليهود . ثم إنه - تعالى - أبطل عليهم هذا الرأى بقوله : ( فَإِنَّ العزة للَّهِ جَمِيعاً ) .فإن قيل : هذا كالمناقض لقوله : ( وَلِلَّهِ العزة وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) قلنا القدرة الكاملة لله . وكل من سواه فبالقداره صار قادرا . وبإعزازه صار عزيزا فالعزة الحاصلة للرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام وللمؤمنين لم تحصل إلا من الله - تعالى - فكأنه الأمر عند التحقيق أن العزة جميعا لله .قالوا : وقد دلت الآية الكريمة على وجوب موالاة المؤمنين ، والنهى عن موالاة الكافرين . قال - تعالى - ( لاَّ تَجِدُ قَوْماً يُؤْمِنُونَ بالله واليوم الآخر يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ الله وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كانوا آبَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ )

القول في تأويل قوله : الَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِنْدَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا (139)قال أبو جعفر: أما قوله جل ثناؤه: " الذين يتخذون الكافرين أولياء من دون المؤمنين "، فمن صفة المنافقين. يقول الله لنبيه: يا محمد، بشر المنافقين الذين يتخذون أهل الكفر بي والإلحاد في ديني" أولياء "= يعني: أنصارًا وأخِلاء (46) =" من دون المؤمنين "، يعني: من غير المؤمنين (47) =" أيبتغون عندهم العزة "، يقول: أيطلبون عندهم المنعة والقوة، (48) باتخاذهم إياهم أولياء من دون أهل الإيمان بي؟=" فإن العزة لله جميعًا "، يقول: فإن الذين اتخذوهم من الكافرين أولياء ابتغاءَ العزة عندهم، هم الأذلاء الأقِلاء، فهلا اتخذوا الأولياء من المؤمنين، فيلتمسوا العزَّة والمنعة والنصرة من عند الله الذي له العزة والمنعة، الذي يُعِزّ من يشاء ويذل من يشاء، فيعزُّهم ويمنعهم؟* * *وأصل " العزة "، الشدة. ومنه قيل للأرض الصلبة الشديدة،" عَزَاز ". وقيل: " قد استُعِزَّ على المريض "، (49) إذا اشتدَّ مرضه وكاد يُشفى. ويقال: " تعزز اللحمُ"، إذا اشتد. ومنه قيل: " عزّ عليّ أن يكون كذا وكذا "، بمعنى: اشتد عليَّ. (50)-------------------الهوامش :(46) انظر تفسير"الولي" فيما سلف ص: 247 ، تعليق: 5 ، والمراجع هناك.(47) انظر تفسير"من دون" فيما سلف ص: 247 ، تعليق: 3 ، والمراجع هناك.(48) انظر تفسير"الابتغاء" فيما سلف ص: 202 ، تعليق: 1 ، والمراجع هناك.(49) "استعز" بالبناء للمجهول ، وفي الحديث: "أنه استعز برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في مرضه الذي مات فيه" ، أي: اشتد به المرض وغلبه وأشرف على الموت.وقوله: "وكاد يشفى" ، أي: يشرف على الهلاك ، أشفى يشفى إشفاء.(50) انظر تفسير"العزة" و"عزيز" فيما سلف 3 : 88 / 4 : 244 / 6 : 168 ، 271 ، 476. هذا ، ولم يفسر أبو جعفر معنى"العزة" تفسيرًا مطولا إلا في هذا الموضع ، وهذا دليل آخر على طريقته في اختصار تفسيره هذا.

( الذين يتخذون الكافرين أولياء ) يعني : يتخذون اليهود أولياء وأنصارا أو بطانة ( من دون المؤمنين أيبتغون عندهم العزة ) أي : المعونة والظهور على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه : وقيل : أيطلبون عندهم القوة والغلبة ، ( فإن العزة ) أي : الغلبة والقوة والقدرة ، ( لله جميعا ) .

ومجيء صفتهم بطريقة الموصول لإفادة تعليل استحقاقهم العذاب الأليم ، أي لأنّهم اتّخذوا الكافرين أولياء من دون المؤمنين ، أي اتّخذوهم أولياء لأجل مضادّة المؤمنين . والمراد بالكافرين مشركو مكة ، أو أحْبار اليهود ، لأنّه لم يْبق بالمدينة مشركون صُرحاءَ في وقت نزول هذه السورة ، فليس إلاّ منافقون ويهود . وجملة { أيبتغون عندهم العزّة فإنّ العزّة لله } استئنافٌ بياني باعتبار المعطوف وهو { فإنّ العزّة لله } وقوله : { أيَبْتَغَون } هو منشأ الاستئناف ، وفي ذلك إيماء إلى أن المنافقين لم تكن موالاتهم للمشركين لأجل المماثلة في الدين والعقيدة ، لأنّ معظم المنافقين من اليهود ، بل اتّخذوهم ليعتزّوا بهم على المؤمنين ، وإيماء إلى أنّ المنافقين شعروا بالضعف فطلبوا الاعتزاز ، وفي ذلك نهاية التجهيل والذمّ . والاستفهامُ إنكار وتوبيخ ، ولذلك صحّ التفريع عنه بقوله : { فإنّ العزّة لله جميعاً } أي لا عزّة إلاّ به ، لأنّ الاعتزاز بغيره باطل . كما قيل : من اعتزّ بغير الله هَان . وإن كان المراد بالكافرين اليهود فالاستفهام تهكّم بالفريقين كقول المثل : كالمستغيث من الرمضاء بالنار . وهذا الكلام يفيد التحذير من مخالطتهم بطريق الكناية .

تفسير الايتين 138 و139 :ـ البشارة تستعمل في الخير، وتستعمل في الشر بقيد كما في هذه الآية. يقول تعالى: { بَشِّرِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ ْ} أي: الذين أظهروا الإسلام وأبطنوا الكفر، بأقبح بشارة وأسوئها، وهو العذاب الأليم، وذلك بسبب محبتهم الكفار وموالاتهم ونصرتهم، وتركهم لموالاة المؤمنين، فأي شيء حملهم على ذلك؟ أيبتغون عندهم العزة؟ وهذا هو الواقع من أحوال المنافقين، ساء ظنهم بالله وضعف يقينهم بنصر الله لعباده المؤمنين، ولحظوا بعض الأسباب التي عند الكافرين، وقصر نظرهم عمّا وراء ذلك، فاتخذوا الكافرين أولياء يتعززون بهم ويستنصرون. والحال أن العزة لله جميعا، فإن نواصي العباد بيده، ومشيئته نافذة فيهم. وقد تكفل بنصر دينه وعباده المؤمنين، ولو تخلل ذلك بعض الامتحان لعباده المؤمنين، وإدالة العدو عليهم إدالة غير مستمرة، فإن العاقبة والاستقرار للمؤمنين، وفي هذه الآية الترهيب العظيم من موالاة الكافرين؛ وترك موالاة المؤمنين، وأن ذلك من صفات المنافقين، وأن الإيمان يقتضي محبة المؤمنين وموالاتهم، وبغض الكافرين وعداوتهم.

قوله تعالى : الذين يتخذون الكافرين أولياء من دون المؤمنين أيبتغون عندهم العزة فإن العزة لله جميعاقوله تعالى : الذين يتخذون الكافرين أولياء من دون المؤمنين الذين نعت للمنافقين . وفي هذا دليل على أن من عمل معصية من الموحدين ليس بمنافق ؛ لأنه لا يتولى الكفار . وتضمنت المنع من موالاة الكافر ، وأن يتخذوا أعوانا على الأعمال المتعلقة بالدين . وفي الصحيح عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن رجلا من المشركين لحق بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقاتل معه ، فقال له : ارجع فإنا لا نستعين بمشرك . العزة أي : الغلبة ، عزه يعزه عزا إذا غلبه . فإن العزة لله جميعا أي الغلبة والقوة لله . قال ابن عباس : " يبتغون عندهم " يريد بني قينقاع ، فإن ابن أبي كان يواليهم .

This tussle between belief and unbelief continues through life. In dealing with any matter the human mind starts thinking along two lines: it tilts either to the demands of desires or of truth and justice. If on such occasions the thinking and feeling of a person take to the path of desires, this will amount to a denial of the faith he professes to believe in. On the other hand, if he makes his thinking and feelings subservient to the demands of truth and justice, this would amount to his becoming a true Muslim. Whenever any matter of truth is brought before people, it is met with two kinds of responses: one from a person, who adopts the attitude of modesty and acknowledges the truth, and the other from a person who is so proud and haughty that he denies the truth. The first response stems from iman and faith, while the other stems from faithlessness. One who is not a true believer loves worldly honour and prestige. He, therefore, feels attracted to like-minded people who—even if they be the deniers of the truth—will add to his honour and glory. One so enamoured of worldly affairs is not interested in those whose association does not add to his honour and prestige, even if they be true God-worshippers.

Seek Honour from Allah alone Close friendly relations with disbelievers and polytheists have been forbidden in the second verse (139). Warning has been served on those who do so. Right along, after giving the reason why people get involved with this disease, the practice has been declared ineffectual and absurd. The words of the text are: أَيَبْتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلَّـهِ جَمِيعًا (139) (Are they seeking honour in their company? But, indeed, all honour belongs to Allah). To explain, we can say that the urge to meet and be friendly with disbelievers and polytheists is generally prompted by the assumption that their outwardly visible influence, power and collective strength may give honour and power to those who have close relations with them. Almighty Allah has exposed the reality behind this absurd notion by saying: You want to acquire honour from those who them-selves have no honour. ` Izzah (عِزَّۃَ ) which means might and mastery, belongs to none but Allah and whenever some sort of might and mastery is given to any person, it is given by Allah. With the scheme of things being such, it would certainly be a gross lack of reason to go about acquiring honour by displeasing the owner and giver of real honour and stooping down to the level of scroungers for temporal honour through His enemies? The same subject has appeared in the Qur'anic Surah al-Munafiqun with one addition as follows: وَلِلَّـهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَ‌سُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ For Allah is all honour, and for His Messenger, and for believers - but, the hypocrites do not know. 63:8. By adding the messenger and the believers with Almighty Allah in this verse, it has been emphasized that Allah is the only owner-possessor of real honour and it is He Who bestows on whosoever He wills a certain part of that honour. Since the Messenger of Allah and those who believe in them are dear in the sight of Allah, therefore, honour and mastery are given to them. As for the disbelievers and the polytheists, they themselves do not have this kind of honour, then, what sort of honour can one get by acting in league with them? There-fore, Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ said: مَن اعتَزَّ بِالعبِیدِ اَذَلَّہُ اللہ Whoever seeks honour through human beings (His servants) is disgraced by Allah. (Jassas) As in Mustadrak al-Hakim, Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ said to Sayyidna Abu ` Ubaydah ؓ ، the Governor of Syria: کُنتم اَقَلَّ النَّاسِ وَ اَذَلَّ النَّاسِ فَکَثَّرَکُم بالاِسلام، وَ کُنتم اَذَلَّ النَّاسِ فَاَعَزَّکُمُ اللہُ بالاسلام مھما تطلُبُو العِزَّۃَ بغیرِ اللہِ یُذَلُّکُمُ اللہُ You were the lowest (in numbers) and the weakest (in strength) among the people (of the world), then Allah made you exceed in numbers and strength with (the grace of) Islam; and you were the meanest (in status) among the people (of the world), then Allah raised you in honour with (the grace of) Islam. So, understand this very clearly: If you seek honour from any source other than Allah, Allah will disgrace you. Explaining the meaning of this verse, the famous commentator, Abu Bakr al-Jassas has said in Ahkam al-Qur'an that the verse forbids the seeking of honour through friendship with disbelievers and sinners. However, the seeking of honour and power through Muslims is not forbidden because this verse of Su-rah al-Munafiqun has made it clear that Almighty Allah has blessed His messenger and the believers with honour. (Jassas, p. 352, v.2) If the ` Izzah or honour mentioned here means the everlasting honour of the life-to-come, the 'Akhirah, then, its applicability to Allah's messenger and the believers in the life of the present world is quite obvious, for the honour of the 'Akhirah can never become the lot of any disbeliever or polytheist. Conversely, if it is taken to mean honour in the present life of the world, then, barring transitional periods and accidental happenings, this honour and mastery is, ultimately, the right of Islam and Muslims alone. Until such time that Muslims remained Muslims in the true sense, the whole world witnessed the spectacle. Then, there shall be the later period when Muslims will reassemble around true Islam under the leadership of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) ascendancy will again be theirs. That Muslims appear to be weak during the interim period, because of their weakness of faith and involvement with sins does not go against it.

Allah then showed their traits, saying: (Those who choose disbelievers) the Jews (for their friends) when it comes to assistance and help (instead of believers!) instead of sincere believers. (Do they look for power) might and invincibility (at their hands) the hands of the Jews? (Lo! all power appertaineth to Allah).

�Do they desire power with them?...This refers to the hypocrites who were seeking power and protection from the Jews. Do you not [recall] the Prophet�s words , �Nothing descended from the heavens mightier than certainty�? That is, there is nothing more indomitable or formidable. His words: