سورة : Aal-Imran

This verse is specifically about money. Money is just a tool, and charity is proof of faith, so you prove your faith through spending, which includes zakat and charity. In the Qur’anic expression, charity includes alms (zakat) as well, the evidence is His (swt) saying:

إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاء وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

{alms expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} (At-Tawba: 60)

Alms here means the obligatory zakat.

وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ {And let not those who [greedily] withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty ever think that it is better for them}: We know that what is meant here is money because it is mentioned with greed.

Money is from the bounty of Allah (swt) and not from the bounty of the person who collects it. The stingy person thinks that it is good for him to collect and hoard money, but Allah (swt) says to him that it is evil; Because generosity, charitability, giving zakat and alms are among the signs of a believer.

سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُواْ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ {Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the Day of Resurrection.}: This money that they collected as a result of their miserliness and their lack of awareness of the need of the poor and needy, they will be held accountable for it on the Day of Resurrection.

وَاللّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ {And Allah, with what you do, is [fully] Acquainted.}: This truth shakes us to the core, for Allah (swt) is not only All-Knowing, but fully Acquainted, so no one deceives Him (swt), no one lies to Allah, and no one tries to outsmart Allah (swt); Because He is the expert in what we do.

مَّا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَآ أَنتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىَ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ{Allah would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good.}: Here is a purification for the believers, and here is a test for the hypocrites to uncover them. In Medina, a dangerous and incurable disease, which is the disease of hypocrisy, began to spread. Allah (swt) blessed the believers, for He would not have left the hypocrites hidden, so in the Battle of Uhud, they became clear.

حَتَّىَ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ {until He separates the evil from the good.}: The good is the believer, and the evil is the unbeliever.

وَمَا كَانَ اللّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ {Nor would Allah reveal to you the unseen.}: Not knowing the unseen, is one of the established way of Allah (swt). Some people go to astrologers to tell them about the future, sometimes the astrologer and fortune teller may say something and it happens as he tells, in this case you think he is honest but indeed he is a liar. The Prophet (saws) said:

“Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad”[1]

The unseen has several types:

1- The absolute unseen: it is the one which is known by Allah (swt) alone; no one is informed of it. If Allah (swt) made people aware of this unseen, no one would have lived because of grief; for example: If Allah (swt) showed you that you will live for twenty years, but after ten years yu will be affected by a serious illness but after that you would be blessed with many things beloved to you. When you hear about one sad event, all the joy will go away, and you will keep thinking about the sad one which may cause your death.

So, it is the kindness and mercy of Allah (swt) to his creation that He hide the knowledge of the unseen. Allah (swt) says:

وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا إِلاَّ هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا وَلاَ حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الأَرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

{And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.} (Al-An’am: 59)

2- Allah (swt) may give you a key by which you know the unseen, for example: there was no electricity, but no one knows about it, because it was not discovered, so Allah (swt) gives you a key which is the science, by which you know, so it was unseen, then it is no longer so.

3- There is an unseen that is absent from you but it is seen by others, for example: we do not know what is happening in Aleppo, whether it is raining or not, but it is known by the people there, so this is not called unseen.

وَلَكِنَّ اللّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِن رُّسُلِهِ مَن يَشَاء {But [instead], Allah chooses of His messengers whom He wills}: Allah (swt) may inform some of the Messengers of the unseen as the Prophet (saws) informed of many things that will happen and it did happened as the Prophet (saws) told about, and the clearest example about this is the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq), when all the parties and the Jews had all joined forces against the Prophet (saws), the Muslims were in a situation of indescribable hardship and there was a rock that they could not break, so the Prophet (saws) took the pick and struck it then said:

“Allah Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) Persia was conquered.” Then he struck another and said: “Allah Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), the Romans were conquered”[2]

Every word he (saws) said happened, and this is from Allah’s informing His Messenger of his unseen, and it is the description of this verse.

 

فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ {so believe in Allah and His messengers.}: Believe in Allah means believe in the details of faith. We believe in Allah (swt) but when something happens to us, this faith is somehow weakened if we think that the cause is the doer or the cause, while in the universe there is only one doer Who is Allah (swt):

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ

{Indeed, your Lord is an effecter of what He intends.} (Hud: 107).

No one is effecter of what he wants except Allah, you may think for a while that you are effecter of any matter, but the truth is that the only effecter of what he wants is Allah (swt),

فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ {so believe in Allah and His messengers.}: That is, believe in the requirements of faith, for it is not true to say: I believe in Allah (swt), but I do not believe in the Day of Judgement, neither I do believe that no one harms or benefits except Allah, we have to believe in {His messengers.} as well because belief in Allah (swt) came through Allah’s messengers, so in order for you to be a true believer you must believe in all of the messengers.

وَإِن تُؤْمِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ {And if you believe and fear Him, then for you is a great reward.}: This is a general law, which is if you believe, you must fear Allah (swt).

[1] Al-Mustadrak ‘ala-Al-Sahihayn: Vol:1, Page: 49, Hadith No.15.

[2] Musnad al-Harith-Zawaed al-Haithami: Book of battles, battle of Trench, Hadith No.692.

وَلاَ يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِّأَنفُسِهِمْ {And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them.}: Those who were not killed, and those who believe that they won in the Battle of Uhud are mistaken. This is to give rest to the Prophet (saws), and to the believers:

إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِثْمًا {We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin}: meaning that Allah (swt) extend it for them to increase in sin, and the result is they will have a humiliating torment. Of course, when Allah (swt) uses a different description of the torment, He says once: It is a great punishment, and another: It is a painful torment, or: a humiliating torment, they are not just expressions, rather they differ in their connotations, and what is meant here is that a person is tormented while he is in a state of humiliation in front of his followers, so every word has its intended meaning.

Those who exchanged the faith with disbelief, will not harm Allah (swt) by their disbelief and their apostasy from their belief in anything, rather they will harm themselves by that, for they will bring to themselves, through their disbelief, a punishment from Allah (swt) that they cannot bear.

Look at the greatness of the Prophet (saws), and his mercy and compassion for his nation, for he was sad because they did not believe.

وَاصْبِرْ وَمَا صَبْرُكَ إِلاَّ بِاللّهِ وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ تَكُ فِي ضَيْقٍ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ (128) إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ وَّالَّذِينَ هُم مُّحْسِنُونَ

{And be patient, [O Muhammad], and your patience is not but through Allah. And do not grieve over them and do not be in distress over what they conspire. Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good} (An-Nahl: 127-128).

The Prophet (saws) used to grieve for those who hasten to disbelief, so Allah (swt) wants to relief the Prophet (saws) so He (swt) moved the matter from the Prophet (saws) and his faithful followers to Him (swt), so says:

إِنَّهُمْ لَن يَضُرُّواْ اللّهَ شَيْئاً {Indeed, they will never harm Allah at all.}: That is, their enmity is with Allah (swt), not with the Prophet of Allah, this is a great supportive power that Allah (swt) gives to His Prophet (saws). Here we will explain more the words of Allah (swt):

﴿وَلاَ يَحْزُنكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ﴾ {And do not be grieved, [O Muhammad], by those who hasten into disbelief.}: The Prophet (saws), used to grieve when he saw a person whose heart was not open to religion; Because he settled himself in order to get the people out of polytheism and darkness, so his call (saws) was the call of truth, light and goodness, Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-‘Aas, (may Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Prophet (saws) recited the saying of Allah (swt) about Abraham (PBUH):

رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

{My Lord, indeed they have led astray many among the people. So whoever follows me – then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me – indeed, You are [yet] Forgiving and Merciful.} (Ibrahim: 36)

And Issa (PBUH) saying:

إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

{If You should punish them – indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them – indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} (Al-Maaida: 118)

Then he (saws) raised up his hands and said:

“O Allah! My Ummah, my Ummah,” and wept; Allah, the Exalted, said: “O Jibril (Gabriel)! Go to Muhammad (saws) and ask him: ‘What makes you weep?” So Jibril came to him and asked him (the reason of his weeping) and the Messenger of Allah informed him what he had said (though Allah knew it well). Upon this Allah said: “Jibril, go to Muhammad (saws) and say: ‘Verily, We will please you with regard to your Ummah and will never displease you”.[1]

[1] Sahih Muslim: Chapter of Faith, Hadith No. 202.

إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَاءهُ{That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters.}: Who is afraid? They are the supporters of Satan, and Satan cannot enter a person except through a loophole in him. Allah (swt) says:

إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانٌ إِلاَّ مَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

{Indeed, My servants – no authority will you have over them, except those who follow you of the deviators.} (Al-Hijr: 42)

But Satan (may Allah curse him), promised:

قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ % إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

{[Iblees] said, “By you might, I will surely mislead them all % Except, among them, Your chosen servants.”} (Saad: 83)

If a person is sincere to Allah (swt), Satan will not be able to enter him through any loophole; Because the person is immune, but the devil can just frighten, so whoever is afraid, he is the supporter of Satan, and whoever is not afraid and has increased in faith and said: “Sufficient for us is Allah and He is the best Disposer of affairs”, then Allah (swt) is his protector.

فَلاَ تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ {So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [indeed] believers.}: Allah (swt) confirms it for all generations and through all times. Man does not fear anything but Allah (swt); Because all matters are in His hand alone. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “One day I was riding behind the Prophet (saws), he said to me:

“O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”[1]

This is the faith, and who has faith, fears none but Allah swt.

[1] Jami’ at-Tirmidhi: Chapter: the virtues of the last day, tendering of hearts and the fear of Allah, Hadith No. 2453.

Favor includes thousands of favors, and the bounty is more than what is deserved, and when we say during the mentioning of Allah (Adh- dhikr) (Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs) we must invoke its meaning so that remembrance is transmitted to our hearts to achieve the steadfast and certain of Allah’s will, decree, victory and promise. The nicest of what has been reported of Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq (may Allah be pleased with him) is his saying:

“I wonder by one who is distressed does not remember the words of Allah (swt):

فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

{And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”.} (Al-Anbiyaa: 87)

for Allah (swt) says after it:

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَكَذَلِكَ نُنجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

{So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.} (Al-Anbiyaa: 88)

And I wonder by one who is afraid and does not remember the words of Allah (swt):

الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُواْ لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَاناً وَقَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

{“Those to whom hypocrites said, “Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.!”But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, “Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.”} (Ali-Imran: 173)

For Allah says right after that:

فَانقَلَبُواْ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُواْ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ

{So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.} (Ali-Imran: 174)

And I wonder that the one who finds himself being cornered does not remember the words of Allah (swt):

وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

{and I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants} (Ghafer: 44)

For Allah (swt) says right after that:

فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا

{So Allah protected him from the evils they plotted} (Ghafer: 45)

And I wonder that the one who wants to protect his property does not remember the words of Allah (swt):

مَا شَاء اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

{What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah‘?} (Alkahf: 39)

For Allah (swt) says right after that:

فَعَسَى رَبِّي أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ

{may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground,} (Alkahf: 40)

Indeed, the affliction increases on a person, the believer’s faith in Allah (swt) increases, and not the other way.

لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ {no harm having touched them}: They are unharmed; because they believed in Allah and His decree, and as long you make Allah (swt) your protector, no one can harm you.

وَاتَّبَعُواْ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ {And they pursued the pleasure of Allah}: There is a difference between just listening to and pursuing.

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

{Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”} (Ali-Imran: 31)

Sadly, we treat with the words of Allah (swt) and the sayings of the Prophet (saws) by just listening not by pursuing, while we have to follow the path that leads to Allah’s pleasure.

One may ask why does Allah (swt) refers to His commands by His pleasure? Because if you want to please Allah (swt), you must follow His commands.

وَاللّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ {and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.}:

Allah’s bounty over people is great, and his favors are countless. A person wakes up in the morning in good health, gets up, drinks, performs ablution and walks. How many favors does a person overlook at the moment he wakes up and thinks only of what he has in one aspect, and this is because the monotony of makes a person forgets the great bounty of Allah (swt) upon him, but if he looks closely, he would find thousands of blessings and that the bounty of Allah (swt) upon him is great.

الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ {Those to whom hypocrites said}: Those people from the Jews, the polytheists, and from some of the hypocrites, said:

إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُواْ لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ“Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.”}: They were trying to scare the Muslims by saying that Quraish gathered thousands to take revenge after the Battle of Uhud, but what was the reaction? The believer is not afraid of human machinations because humans can never do what is beyond Allah’s will:

فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَاناً {But it [merely] increased them in faith}: The increase of faith here is that they did not take into their account the enemy’s number and equipment, but rather made the Lord of people their protector by saying:

وَقَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ{and they said, “Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.”}: They entrusted Allah in defending them.

The reason of revelation:

When Abu Sufyan and the polytheists left Uhud and reached Al-Ruha’ place, they said: “You did not kill Muhammad, nor did you bring captured women, the evil of what you did.” When the Prophet (saws) was informed of that, he called the people to pursuit the returning Quraysh army, when they reached Hamra al-Asad or the well of Abu ‘yaynah, this verse was revealed:

There are two issues here: Doing good and (Ihsan) and fearing Allah (swt) (righteousness). Ihsan as defined by the Prophet (saws):

“To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.”[1]

And the righteous are defined by the Holy Qur’an by saying:

إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ (15) آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ

{Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs. (15) Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good.}   (Adh-Dhaariyat: 15-16)

This religion is great, and it is a religion of benevolence (Ihsan), as stated in these verses, which bear a response to everyone who accuses Islam of violence and terrorism.

[1] Sahih al-Bukhari: Chapter of Faith, Section: Question of Jibril about Iman, Islam, Ihsan and the the last day, Hadith No. 50.

They receive not only good tidings of favor from Allah (swt), but more than that which is the bounty.

وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

{And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} (An-Nahl: 18)

Although the word (favor) comes in singular form, it is mentioned as countable that is because one favor of Allah (swt) contains thousands of favors int it. For example, look at the favor of water, how many favors there are in it such as: watering plants and quenching thirst, as Allah (swt) says:

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاء كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ

{and made from water every living thing?} (Al-Anbiyaa: 30)

When Allah (swt) says:

وَأَنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ and [of the fact] that Allah does not allow the reward of believers to be lost.}: With Allah, no reward is lost, and the reward is according to deed, so when a one does a job, he gains a reward for it, so how if this deed is the sacrificing of oneself?!

{فَرِحِينَ} {Rejoicing}: Why does Allah (swt) mention the state of joy that surrounds them? Because the atmosphere of sadness surrounds the families of the martyrs who scarify by themselves, their blood and their souls, so Allah (swt) wants to reassure the families and beloved of the martyrs that: Their martyrs are happy, so why do their families grieve?

فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ{Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty}: He said: (of His bounty), not of his justice. Bounty is above justice; justice is to be awarded according to work, as Allah (swt) says:

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ

{And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, we will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant.} (Al-Anbiyaa: 47)

This is justice, as for bounty, is more than what a person deserves, so what honor is this for the one who offered himself, his soul, and his blood as a sacrifice for his country, his religion, his sanctities, his honor and his money. There is nothing other than this Qur’anic expression that comforts the hearts of the bereaved with their martyrs more than this saying:

فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ {Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty}

Not only this but He (swt) says:

وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُواْ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ {an d they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them}: Receiving good tidings in Arabic refers to joy, and it is taken (in Arabic) from the complexion because when a person is happy, his complexion shins.

أَلاَّ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ {there will be no fear concerning them}: Grief is for what has happened, for those who are after them from among the believers, are either afraid of this fate of being killed, or they are grieve for the loss of loved ones.

وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ{And never think of}: What is meant here is that human thoughts are not correct with regard to the martyrs who sacrifice themselves for the sake of Allah, for the sake of the homeland, and for the sake of religion, honor and sanctities.

وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا {And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead.}: Do not think that those who were killed in the cause of Allah (swt) are dead. Allah (swt) denied the status of death to the martyrs, while He said in many verses:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

{Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection.} (Aal-Imran: 185)

 

وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تَمُوتَ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ الله كِتَابًا مُّؤَجَّلاً

{And it is not [possible] for one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree determined.} (Aal-Imran: 145)

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ فَإِذَا جَاء أَجَلُهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

{And for every nation is a [specified] term. So when their time has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].} (Al-A’raaf: 34)

If you look at the martyr and the wounds on his body, you will think he is dead, but Allah (swt) states that he is alive, not only this but:

{عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ} {With their Lord,}: Hence, there is a difference between what is with you and what is (with your Lord). When talking about a worldly issue, the point of view would be a human prescribe, (with you) in terms of human view would be incomplete because this life is changeable, so you are alive now, but you will die, but when you are martyred, but when Allah (swt) says:

أَحْيَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ{they are alive with their Lord,}: That is, they will not die for they are in a unfinished life with their Lord.

يُرْزَقُونَ {receiving provision}: Provision is one of the means of life. Man needs sustenance during his life not after his death, but Allah (swt) wants to assure to all people and the families of the martyrs, for not to grieve, that the  martyrs are in the highest stage; because they will not pass through the after-death life, rather they move directly to life with Allah (swt).

Here the Holy Qur’an deals with one of the most dangerous issues, which is the issue of hypocrisy within the society.

الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا {Those who said about their brothers while sitting [at home], “If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed.}: The hypocrites incited the Muslims who returned from the Battle of Uhud and raised suspicions about the commands of Allah (swt) and His decree and everything that happened in the Battle of Uhud, saying, “If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed.” Whereas they sat down and left behind the Muslim army before they said that. Look at the divine response:

قُلْ فَادْرَؤُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ{Then prevent death from yourselves, if you should be truthful.”}: Meaning, The one who knows the way of safety from killing, let him show us the path of safety from death, for Allah (swt) challenges them that a person does not die except for his time, but the most honorable death is that when a person is killed as a martyr in the cause of Allah (swt).

Definitely Allah (swt) knows.

وَلْيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ {And that He might make evident those who are hypocrites.}: In the Battle of Uhud after the defeat and that some have let down with the hypocrites, and others did not respond to the Prophet (saws) while he was calling them, so Allah is making evident those who are hypocrites for He (swt) fully knows this matter beforehand, but He (swt) linked the results with the causes, and gave the orders while left the choice to man.

Allah (swt) knows beforehand what you will choose, for He is holding you accountable for your choice, not for His knowledge; because his knowledge is from his eternal existence and of His attributes that the human mind cannot encompass no matter how long the mind goes in discovering sciences, it will not be able to know the nature of Allah (swt)’s knowledge and His wisdom, except what Allah (swt) has told us about, remembering always the words of Allah (swt):

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ

{There is nothing like unto Him.} (Ash-Shura: 11)

وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ { For it was said to them, “Come, fight in the way of Allah or [at least] defend.”}: In the beginning, when Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul withdrew with a third of the army when it was said to them: Come, fight in the cause of Allah, or at least defend your homes in Medina, they said:

لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَاكُمْ {If we had known [there would be] fighting, we would have followed you.”}: But since Allah (swt) knows the secret and what is even more hidden, so He brought out what is in their souls and made it clear to us as if they had said it. That is why Allah (swt) says:

يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ {saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah is most Knowing of what they conceal}.

What happened to you on the day of Uhud is by Allah’s (swt) permission, so that no one would say that something under Allah’s sovereignty is taking place outside of His (swt) will, the answer is in the previous verse. So Allah (swt) clarifies that because you violated the commands of the Messenger (saws), consequently what happened was from yourselves, and it is by the command of Allah (swt); because nothing happens outside His will.

قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ{Say, “It is from yourselves.}: Islam linked the means with the causes, the archers violated the war plan and did not follow the means, so they, themselves, caused the loss.

إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ {Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.}:

He (swt) is able to help you after that, and He is able to give you a setback after which you will be victorious.

Allah (swt) has conferred favor upon us with six matters; first:

{إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً} {He sent among them a Messenger}: Allah (swt) conferred great favor upon us when He sent us the Messenger Muhammad (saws). This leads us to speak about his (saws) great position for us and reply those who forbid calling him by (Our Master), and those who refuse to ask Allah to confer blessing upon him after the call to prayer (Athan), ignoring that we have to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws). What is the definition of the call to prayer? It is a notification of the beginning of the prayer time, and it is a confirmed Sunnah of the Prophet (saws) and we adhere to it as was taught to our master Bilal. However, the Messenger (saws) was among the noble Companions and they used to ask Allah to confer blessing upon him whenever they saw him (saws), and Allah (swt) has commanded us as He commanded them:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

{Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.} (Al-Ahzaab: 56)

Hence, Allah (swt) did confer great favor upon the believers by sending among them a Messenger from themselves. Someone might say: Why did he say: (upon the believers), not upon humanity? Of course, the Prophet (saws) was sent to all the mankind, as Allah (swt) says:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

{And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.} (Al-Anbiyaa: 107)

But there is a part of them who do not believe in him (saws), so they do not take from him and did not benefit from his guidance. Second:

مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ {from themselves}: He (saws) was a human being so that they could follow him and imitate him. Third:

يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ{reciting to them His verses}: The Arabic word of (verses) may refer to two things: Either the universal signs, as Allah (swt) says:

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الألْبَابِ

{Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.} (Aal-Imran: 190)

Or the read verses:

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ

{These are the verses of the clear Book.} (Yusuf: 1)

Every verse in the Holy Qur’an is miraculous, and the recitation in Arabic is something that follows or follows something because the Prophet (saws) used to read the Qur’an and recite it word after word as it was revealed. So teaching people how to recite the Qur’an in itself is a blissing until Allah (swt) inherits the earth and those on it, The Prophet (saws) said:

“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter.”[1]

Consider how many good deeds are deposited in the scales who recite the Qur’an, therefore, we are interested in memorizing the Noble Qur’an and in its accurate reading as the Prophet (saws) recited it. The fourth:

وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ{and purify them}: So purify their souls with this Qur’an and his Sunnah as well, and raise their position. The fifth:

وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ {and teaching them the Book.}: Teaching the Book means interpreting and clarifying the meanings of the Holy Qur’an, Because Allah (swt) says:

وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

{And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.} (An-Nahl: 44)

The sixth:

وَالْحِكْمَةَ{the wisdom}: Allah (swt) says:

وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا

{And whatever the Messenger has given you – take; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty} (Al-Hashr: 7)

and He says:

مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ

{He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah} (An-Nisaa:8)

And the only human being authorized to legislate after Allah (swt) is the Messenger of Allah (saws).

(The Wisdom) is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws), his words, actions, approval and all what he brought, the evidence is Allah’s (swt) saying:

وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ

{And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Indeed, Allah is ever Subtle and Acquainted [with all things]. (Al-Ahzaab: 34)

وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُّبِينٍ{although they had been before in manifest error.}: All mankind and the Arabs before the Qur’an was revealed were in the darkness and ignorance, they were tribes killing each other for the sake of a silly reason as horse race.

[1] Sunan at-Timidhi: Chapter: The virtues of the Qur’an, Hadith No. 2910.

So there are degrees in Heaven and not just one.

After reproaching those who left the mountain and disobeyed the command of the Prophet (saws) for the spoils, Allah (swt) states a comparison, for a person has to walk in the path that pleases Allah (swt), however, pleasing Allah (swt) is the closest thing to man for a simple reason that man, by his instinct which is created in him, tends to be religious, with evidence that Allah (swt) says:

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ

{And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” [This] – lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were of this unaware.”} (Al-A’raaf: 172)

This covenant of instinct is embedded in every human being, Allah’s (swt) pleasure is to follow His commands, Allah (swt) has not assigned you what is difficult for you, even acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, Hajj and zakat are within your ability.

لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا

{Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} (Al-Baqara: 286)

But is Allah’s pleasure connected with the worship? Or with the dealings? Or with ethics? The answer is with them all. For we cannot separate the purposes from the rituals, how to justify that you fast, pray, perform Hajj and give zakat, and yet you lie!! So, Allah’s pleasure with you depends upon your doing of good and applying your duties towards His creation.

So the answer to this verse is definitely not; because whoever pursues the pleasure of Allah (swt), Allah (swt) will grant him success in this world, and his end will be to the gardens of bliss, whereas the one who brings upon himself the anger of Allah, his refuge is Hell and the wretched destination.

This is a lesson for those who left their places, in which the Prophet (saws) put them, when they saw their companions were taking the booty, although they knew that the Prophet (saws) was there at the head of the believers, so definitely there would be no unfaithfulness in regards of the booty. So there is not any reason for the archers to leave their places, while they fully knew that their share of the spoils was preserved. Consequently, they caused the defeat in that battle, and more than seventy of the Companions were martyred. Mentioning the Day of Resurrection is followed with His (swt) saying:

ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ {Then will every soul be [fully] compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged.}: So every person will be held accountable for what he has done:

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَى (39) وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَى (38) ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَاء الْأَوْفَى

{And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives- % And that his effort is going to be seen % Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense} (An-Najm: 39-41)

Hence, every soul shall be compensated for what it earned, and the person shall not be wronged at all.

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ

{And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, we will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant.} (Al-Anbiyaa: 47)