Muhammad — Verse 7

O you who believe! If you help God that is to say His religion and His Messenger He will help you against your enemy and make your foothold firm He will make you stand firm while you fight on the battleground.

The Command to strike the Enemies' Necks, tighten Their Bonds, and then free Them either by an Act of Grace or for a Ransom Guiding the believers to what they should employ in their fights against the idolators, Allah says, فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ (So, when you meet those who disbelieve (in battle), smite their necks) which means, `when you fight against them, cut them down totally with your swords.' حَتَّى إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ (until you have fully defeated them,) meaning, `you have killed and utterly destroyed them.' فَشُدُّواْ الْوَثَاقَ (tighten their bonds.) `This is referring to the prisoners of war whom you have captured. Later on, after the war ends and the conflict has ceased, you have a choice in regard to the captives: You may either act graciously toward them by setting them free without charge, or free them for a ransom that you require from them.' It appears that this Ayah was revealed after the battle of Badr. At that time, Allah reproached the believers for sparing many of the enemy's soldiers, and holding too many captives in order to take ransom from them. So He said then: مَا كَانَ لِنَبِىٍّ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ أَسْرَى حَتَّى يُثْخِنَ فِي الاٌّرْضِ تُرِيدُونَ عَرَضَ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ - لَّوْلاَ كِتَـبٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ سَبَقَ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَآ أَخَذْتُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (It is not for a Prophet to have captives of war until he had made a great slaughter (among the enemies) in the land. You desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. Allah is Mighty and Wise. Were it not for a prior decree from Allah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took.) (8:67-68) Allah's saying, حَتَّى تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا (...until the war lays down its burden.) Mujahid said: "Until `Isa bin Maryam (peace be upon him) descends." It seems as if he derived this opinion from the Prophet's saying, «لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ حَتْى يُقَاتِلَ آخِرُهُمُ الدَّجَّال» (There will always be a group of my Ummah victorious upon the truth, until the last of them fight against Ad-Dajjal.) Imam Ahmad recorded from Jubayr bin Nufayr who reported from Salamah bin Nufayl that he went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "I have let my horse go, and thrown down my weapon, for the war has ended. There is no more fighting." Then the Prophet said to him, «الْانَ جَاءَ الْقِتَالُ، لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، يُزِيغُ اللهُ تَعَالَى قُلُوبَ أَقْوَام، فَيُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ وَيَرْزُقُهُمُ اللهُ مِنْهُمْ حَتْى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى ذلِكَ، أَلَا إِنَّ عُقْرَ دَارِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الشَّامُ، وَالْخَيْلُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِيهَا الْخَيْرُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَة» (Now the time of fighting has come. There will always be a group of my Ummah dominant over others. Allah will turn the hearts of some people away (from the truth), so they (that group) will fight against them, and Allah will bestow on them (war spoils) from them (the enemies) -- until Allah's command comes to pass while they are in that state. Verily, the center of the believers' abode is Ash-Sham. And goodness is tied around the horses' foreheads till the Day of Resurrection.) An-Nasa'i also recorded this narration. Allah then says, ذَلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ اللَّهُ لاَنْتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ (Thus, and had Allah so willed, He could have taken vengeance against them;) which means that had He so willed, He could have taken immediate vengeance against the disbelievers with a chastisement or exemplary punishment directly from Him. وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ (but (He lets you struggle) so as to test with one another.) meaning, He has ordered Jihad and fighting against the enemies in order to try you and test your affairs. Allah also expresses His wisdom by the legislation of Jihad in the following two Surahs, Al `Iman and At-Tawbah, in which He says, أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَـهَدُواْ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّـبِرِينَ (Or did you think that you would enter the Paradise before Allah had made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast) (3:142) قَـتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنْصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُّؤْمِنِينَ - وَيُذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (Fight them; Allah will then punish them by your hands, disgrace them, grant you victory over them, satisfy the breasts of a believing people, and remove the fury of their (the believers') hearts. Allah turns in forgiveness to whom He wills; Allah is Knowing and Wise.) ( 9:14-15) Merit of the Martyrs Since it is customary during wars that many of the believers die, Allah says: وَالَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ (But those who are killed in the way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost.) which means that He would not let their good deeds go to waste, but would rather multiply and increase them. Some of them will continue being rewarded for their good deeds for the entire length of their stay in Al-Barzakh. This has been mentioned in a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad on the authority of Kathir bin Murrah, who reported from Qays Al-Judhami, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, «يُعْطَى الشَّهِيدُ سِتَّ خِصَالٍ عِنْدَ أَوَّلِ قَطْرَةٍ مِنْ دَمِهِ: تُكَفَّرُ عَنْهُ كُلُّ خَطِيئَةٍ، وَيَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ، وَيُزَوَّجُ مِنَ الْحُورِ الْعِين، وَيَأْمَنُ مِنَ الْفَزَعِ الْأَكْبَرِ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَيُحَلَّى حُلَّةَ الْإِيمَان» (As the first drop of his blood gushes forth, a martyr is granted six merits: all of his sins are forgiven, he is shown his place in Paradise, he is married to wide-eyed Huris, he is secured from the great fear (on Judgement Day) and the torment of the grave, and he is adorned with the adornments of Iman.) Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith. Abu Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, «يُشَفَّعُ الشَّهِيدُ فِي سَبْعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِه» (A martyr is allowed to intercede for seventy members of his household. ) This was recorded by Abu Dawud, and there are numerous other Hadiths mentioning the merits of the martyrs. As for Allah's saying, سَيَهْدِيهِمْ (He will guide them) meaning, He will guide them to Jannah. This is similar to Allah's saying, إِنَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِإِيمَانِهِمْ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الاٌّنْهَـرُ فِي جَنَّـتِ النَّعِيمِ (Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous good deeds, their Lord will guide them because of their Faith: beneath them rivers will flow in the Gardens of Pleasure.) (10:9) Allah says, وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ (and amend their condition.) meaning, their situation and affairs. وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ عَرَّفَهَا لَهُمْ (And (He will) admit them to Paradise, which He has made known to them.) It means that He has acquainted them with Paradise and guided them to it. Mujahid said: "The people of Paradise will be guided to their houses and dwellings and whatever sections Allah has ordained for them in it. They will not make mistakes in this, nor will they ask anyone for directions to their dwellings -- as if they had dwelt in it from the time they were first created." Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, «إِذَا خَلَصَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ مِنَ النَّارِ حُبِسُوا بِقَنْطَرَةٍ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ، يَتَقَاصُّونَ مَظَالِمَ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا، حَتْى إذَا هُذِّبُوا وَنُقُّوا أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ بِمَنْزِلِهِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَهْدَى مِنْهُ بِمَنْزِلِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا» (After the believers securely pass the Fire (on the Day of Judgement), they will be held back upon a bridge between Paradise and the Fire. There, they will have any acts of injustice that they committed against one another in the life of this world rectified. After they are completely purified and cleansed (from injustice), they will be admitted into Paradise. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, each one of them will find his way to his dwelling in Paradise better than he found his way to his dwelling in the worldly life.) Support Allah's Cause, He will then support You Allah then says: يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِن تَنصُرُواْ اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ (O you who believe! If you support (the cause of) Allah, He will support you and make your foothold firm.) This is similar to His saying, وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ (Indeed, Allah will surely support those who support Him (His cause).) (22:40) That is because the reward is comparable to the type of deed that is performed. Thus, Allah says here, وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ (and make your foothold firm.) Allah then says, وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَتَعْساً لَّهُمْ (But as for those who disbelieve -- misery awaits them) This misery is the opposite of making firm the footholds of the believers who support the cause of Allah and His Messenger . It has been confirmed in a Hadith that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, «تَعِسَ عَبْدُالدِّينَارِ، تَعِسَ عَبْدُالدِّرْهَمِ، تَعِسَ عَبْدُالْقَطِيفَةِ، تَعِسَ وَانْتَكَسَ وَإِذَا شِيكَ فَلَا انْتَقَش» (Misery awaits the servant of the Dinar; misery awaits the servant of the Dirham; misery awaits the servant of velvet. Misery awaits him, and degeneracy; and if he is pricked by a thorn, may he not find anyone to pull it for him.) This means may Allah not cure him. Then Allah says, وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ (and (Allah) will make their deeds vain.) meaning, He will nullify them and make them fruitless. Thus, Allah says, ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ (That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down;) which means that they did not want or like what Allah revealed. فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ (so He made their deeds fruitless.)

يا أيها الذين صدَّقوا الله ورسوله وعملوا بشرعه، إن تنصروا دين الله بالجهاد في سبيله، والحكم بكتابه، وامتثال أوامره، واجتناب نواهيه، ينصركم الله على أعدائكم، ويثبت أقدامكم عند القتال.

" كقوله عز وجل "ولينصرن الله من ينصره" فإن الجزاء من جنس العمل ولهذا قال تعالى "يثبت أقدامكم" كما جاء في الحديث "من بلغ ذا سلطان حاجه من لا يستطيع إبلاغها ثبت الله تعالى قدميه على الصراط يوم القيامة".

ثم وجه - سبحانه - نداء إلى المؤمنين بشرهم بنصره متى نصروا دينه ، وتوعد الكافرين بالخيبة والخسران ، ووبخهم على عدم تدبرهم فى مصير الذين من قبهلم ، وسلى النبى - صلى الله عليه وسلم - عما أصابه من أعدائه ، فقال - تعالى - : ( ياأيها الذين آمنوا إِن تَنصُرُواْ . . . فَلاَ نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ ) .والمراد بنصر المؤمنين لله - تعالى - نصرهم لدينه ، بأن يستقيموا على أمره ويتبعوا الرسول - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فى كل ما أمرهم به أو نهاهم عنه .والمعنى : يا من آمنتم بالله - تعالى - حق الإِيمان ، إن تنصروا دين الله - عز وجل - وتتبعوا رسوله ، ( يَنصُرْكُمْ ) - سبحانه - على أعدائكم ( وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ ) عند قتالكم إياهم ويوفقكم بعد ذلك للثبات على دينه ، والشكر على نعمه .وفى معنى هذه الآية ، وردت آيات كثيرة ، منها قوله - تعالى - : ( وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ الله مَن يَنصُرُهُ إِنَّ الله لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ ) وقوله - سبحانه - : ( وَكَانَ حَقّاً عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ المؤمنين ) وقوله - عز وجل - : ( إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا والذين آمَنُواْ فِي الحياة الدنيا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الأشهاد ) .

وقوله ( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: يا أيها الذين صدّقوا الله ورسوله, إن تنصروا الله ينصركم بنصركم رسوله محمدا صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم على أعدائه من أهل الكفر به وجهادكم إياهم معه لتكون كلمته العُليا ينصركم عليهم, ويظفركم بهم, فإنه ناصر دينه وأولياءه.كما حدثنا بشر, قال: ثنا يزيد, قال: ثنا سعيد, عن قتادة, قوله ( إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ ) لأنه حقّ على الله أن يعطي من سأله, وينصر من نصره.وقوله ( وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ ) يقول: ويقوّكم عليهم, ويجرّئكم, حتى لا تولوا عنهم, وإن كثر عددهم, وقلّ عددكم.

( يا أيها الذين آمنوا إن تنصروا الله ) أي دينه ورسوله ( ينصركم ) على عدوكم ( ويثبت أقدامكم ) عند القتال .

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ (7(لما ذكر أنه لو شاء الله لانتصر منهم عُلم منه أن ما أمر به المسلمين من قتال الكفار إنما أراد منه نصرَ الدين بخضد شوكة أعدائه الذين يصدون الناس عنه ، أتبعه بالترغيب في نصر الله والوعد بتكفل الله لهم بالنصر إن نصروه ، وبأنه خاذل الذين كفروا بسبب كراهيتهم ما شرعه من الدين .فالجملة استئناف ابتدائي لهاته المناسبة . وافتتح الترغيب بندائهم بصلة الإيمان اهتماماً بالكلام وإيماء إلى أن الإيماء يقتضي منهم ذلك ، والمقصود تحريضهم على الجهاد في المستقبل بعد أن اجتنوا فائدته مشاهدة يوم بدر .ومعنى نصرهم الله : نصرُ دينه ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم لأن الله غني عن النصر في تنفيذ إرادته كما قال : { ولو يشاء الله لانتصر منهم } [ محمد : 4 ] . ولا حاجة إلى تقدير مضاف بين { تنصروا } واسم الجلالة تقديره : دين الله ، لأنه يقال : نصر فلان فلاناً ، إذا نصر ذويه وهو غير حَاضر . وجيء في الشرط بحرف { إنْ } الذي الأصل فيه عدم الجزم بوقوع الشرط للإشارة إلى مشقة الشرط وشدته ليُجعل المطلوبُ به كالذي يشك في وفائه به .وتثبيت الأقدام : تمثيل لليقين وعدم الوهن بحالة من ثبتت قدمه في الأرض فلم يَزِل ، فإن الزلل وهَن يسقط صاحبه ، ولذلك يمثَّل الانهزام والخيبة والخطأ بزلل القدم قال تعالى : { فتزل قدَم بعد ثبوتها } [ النحل : 94 ] .

هذا أمر منه تعالى للمؤمنين، أن ينصروا الله بالقيام بدينه، والدعوة إليه، وجهاد أعدائه، والقصد بذلك وجه الله، فإنهم إذا فعلوا ذلك، نصرهم الله وثبت أقدامهم، أي: يربط على قلوبهم بالصبر والطمأنينة والثبات، ويصبر أجسامهم على ذلك، ويعينهم على أعدائهم، فهذا وعد من كريم صادق الوعد، أن الذي ينصره بالأقوال والأفعال سينصره مولاه، وييسر له أسباب النصر، من الثبات وغيره.

قوله تعالى : ياأيها الذين آمنوا إن تنصروا الله ينصركم ويثبت أقدامكم .قوله تعالى : ياأيها الذين آمنوا إن تنصروا الله ينصركم أي إن تنصروا دين الله ينصركم على الكفار . نظيره : ولينصرن الله من ينصره وقد تقدم . وقال قطرب : إن تنصروا نبي الله ينصركم الله ، والمعنى واحد . ويثبت أقدامكم أي عند القتال . وقيل : على الإسلام . وقيل : على الصراط . وقيل : المراد تثبيت القلوب بالأمن ، فيكون تثبيت الأقدام عبارة عن النصر والمعونة في موطن الحرب . وقد مضى في ( الأنفال ) هذا المعنى . وقال هناك : إذ يوحي ربك إلى الملائكة أني معكم فثبتوا الذين آمنوا فأثبت هناك واسطة ونفاها هنا ، كقوله تعالى : قل يتوفاكم ملك الموت ثم نفاها بقوله : الله الذي خلقكم ثم رزقكم ثم يميتكم الذي خلق الموت والحياة ومثله كثير ، فلا فاعل إلا الله وحده .

The One who causes events to occur is God. But He does so through the chain of cause and effect. Such is the case with religion also. It is God’s desire that the force of falsehood should be destroyed and Truth should eternally prevail throughout the world. But in order that this should happen, Almighty God requires certain individuals to serve as the human medium for this Divine Action. This process is termed here as ‘assisting God’. When a group rises to assist God it simultaneously performs another task, i.e. it proves unbelievers to be such. The individuals assisting God with extreme seriousness and sincere well-wishing call the people towards God. Distancing themselves from such behaviour as is opposed to the Truth, they bear testimony to the truth of religion (din). They establish the Truth as such to the ultimate degree. In this way, the process of the conclusion of argument in missionary work is completed; this is required by Almighty God for His judgement in the Hereafter. The upholders of truth become dominant over the upholders of untruth, provided the former do dawah work which is a prerequisite for seeking divine support.

وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ عَرَّ‌فَهَا لَهُمْ (and will admit them to the Paradise He has identified for them. - 47:6). This is the third bounty of Allah. He will not only admit them into Paradise but will identify for them the gardens of bliss and will make them familiar with such bounties as houris and mansions in a way that it would seem to them that they have been living there since eternity. If such an acquaintance was not made, Paradise would have seemed a strange world. It would have taken them time to find their abode, to accustom themselves with the new environment, and they would not overcome the sense of unfamiliarity for a period of time. Abu Hurayrah ؓ reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "By Him who sent me with the religion of Truth! As you are closely familiar with your wives and homes in this world, so you will know your abode and your wives of Paradise - rather even better. Some reports of Hadith tell us that an angel will be appointed for every single inmate of Paradise who will introduce them to their abode and wives in Paradise. Allah knows best.

(O ye who believe) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an! (If ye help Allah, He will help you) if you help Allah's Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh) in fighting against the enemy, Allah will help you to conquer this enemy (and will make your foothold firm) in fighting so that you do not swerve.