In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

Having established a permanent and universal qiblah for Islam, and having outlined the general features of the ‘middle’ Muslim community, distinguished by Islam and by its role of guardianship over the rest of mankind, the Qur’ān gives Muslims specific instructions to endure adversity with patience and to observe their prayers. These are the best help they may have in the fulfilment of their great role that requires great sacrifice.

These are the two most essential requisites for the Muslim ummah to be able to withstand the hardships and trials that were to come, and to fulfil its universal and historic role in this world. Lives would have to be sacrificed; poverty, death, famine and insecurity would have to be faced with courage and strength, for the ummah to establish and defend the Divine world order, make it a reality in human society on this earth, and assert God’s unrivalled sovereignty over all its affairs.

In return, the Muslim community shall receive God’s blessings, mercy and guidance, making it a most profitable bargain indeed, if only the Muslims would appreciate it.

“Believers, seek strength in patience and prayer. God is with those who are patient.” (Verse 153) Patience is mentioned frequently in the Qur’ān. God is aware that patience is an essential element in maintaining a steady and balanced pace in the face of the inevitable hardships and adversities of life. It is a prime requirement for the Muslim community in its universal responsibility for establishing God’s order on earth.

Patience is required on the personal level for observing one’s religious duties, for resisting temptation, misfortune, poverty, oppression and injustice, and for carrying out one’s responsibilities towards the establishment of the Islamic way of life in society. Patience and perseverance are required to remain always on the alert, ready to give whatever sacrifice may be needed. When those who are hostile to God’s cause seem to wield power, when falsehood seems too strong, when help seems to be endlessly delayed and the destination too far away patience and perseverance are the most important qualities to have. They are also needed to face those who are deviant, erring, harsh and persistent in their opposition to the truth.

When victory seems far away and the going gets really tough, people tend to lose heart and give up. To avoid that state of despair, God links patience with prayer, as an inexhaustible source of strength and energy. The two combine to infuse the heart with boundless confidence and fortitude and to impart to the believer total tranquillity, happiness and inner peace.

When man, weak as he is, faces a task that seems beyond his limited resources, when he faces the powers of evil, when he finds temptations and allurements very hard to resist, when tyranny and corruption are too powerful, seeking support from God Almighty is the only way forward. As the goals of one’s endeavour seem to recede and life becomes shorter and shorter, despair starts to creep into one’s heart and mind. As the twilight of one’s life approaches and all achievements seem trivial and meaningless, one realizes the value and significance of prayer. It is a spring that never ceases to flow with spiritual strength and tender compassion.

The value and role of prayer lie in its being the direct link between God and man.

It is the means by which man, an insignificant mortal, draws strength, reassurance and help from God’s infinite power and everlasting mercy. It is the source from which man, a frail creature, replenishes his energy and renews his power and strength to face and resist his own inner temptations and prejudices, as well as the temptations and pressures of the world around him. It is the key to the treasures of God’s grace, and the fountain of light which illuminates man’s heart with inner peace and tranquillity and leads him through the darkness of doubt and confusion to the certainty of faith and trust in God Almighty. It is an occasion for rest, serenity and peace of mind. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him) used to resort to prayer whenever things became difficult to cope with.

He used to ask Bilāl, his Companion, to make the call to prayer, saying: “Bring us its comfort.” Worship is the essence of the Islamic way of life, which revolves around its mysteries and hidden qualities. It is a source of sustenance in the long journey of life; it purifies the heart and gives the human spirit its inner powers. It goes hand in hand with responsibility and obligation, because it is the key to our appreciation of our responsibilities and obligations in life and to the satisfaction and benefits we draw from fulfilling them.

When God Almighty commissioned Muĥammad for his great and historic task, He said to him: “Stand up in prayer at night, all except for a small portion of it; or half the night or a little less, or a little more, and recite the Qur’ān in a calm and distinct manner. We are about to address you with words of surpassing gravity” (73: 2-5)

Prayer during the night and recitation of the Qur’ān were the essential means of preparing Muĥammad for the stupendous task of conveying God’s message to mankind. Prayer opens the human heart to hope and enlightenment, reinvigorates one’s relationship with God, mitigates the struggle for life, and provides one with inspiration and confidence.

For the believers in that small fledgling Muslim community, poised to embark on their momentous task, the sūrah reinforces that reassurance by saying: “God is with those who are patient.” God is always there to provide the believers with help and comfort, to lend them His support and replenish their sapping morale and fading enthusiasm. It is noteworthy that the verse starts by making its address exclusively to the believers, and concludes by reassuring them that patience ensures God’s help.

Numerous reports have been handed down that tell us how highly the Prophet himself viewed the qualities of patience and perseverance, and how deeply he had thought about them. Some of them are quite relevant to our discussion.

The Prophet’s Companion, Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt, said: “A group of us once appealed to God’s Messenger while he was resting in the shade of the Ka`bah. We said, ‘Would you please appeal to God to help us? Would you kindly pray for us?’ He replied, ‘In days gone by, believers like yourselves used to be put in ditches and have their heads sawed in halves, and have their flesh scraped off the bone with iron combs. They withstood all that torture, held on to their faith, and never wavered. I swear that God Almighty will establish this religion so that a man can travel from San ‘ā’ [in western Yemen] to Ĥadramawt [in eastern Yemen] fearing none but God, and the wolf for his sheep. But you are impatient!” [Related by al-Bukhārī, Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasā’ī] Another Companion of the Prophet, `Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd says: “I can almost see God’s Messenger in the same position as an earlier prophet who was beaten by his people until he bled. But even while he was wiping the blood off his face he said:

‘Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know the truth.’” [Related by al-Bukhārī and Muslim] The Prophet is also quoted as saying: “A Muslim who mixes with people and puts up with their maltreatment is better than one who neither mixes with people nor suffers their abuse.” [Related by al- Tirmidhī]

The Qur’ān continues with its spiritual mobilization of the pioneering Muslim community of Madinah, as the latter braces itself for the crucial and momentous task of leading mankind back to God. It outlines the major demands and consequences of its hard and long struggle, or jihād, with its attendant sacrifices. It identifies the proper and correct criteria for the evaluation and appraisal of its outcome: “Do not say of those who are killed in God’s cause ‘They are dead.’ They are alive, although you do not perceive that.” (Verse 154)

The sūrah tells the Muslims that, in the fight to uphold God’s universal truth, lives will have to be sacrificed. Those who risk their lives and go out to fight, and who are prepared to lay down their lives for the cause of God are honourable people, pure of heart and blessed of soul. But the great surprise is that those among them who are killed in the struggle must not be considered or described as dead. They continue to live, as God Himself clearly states.

To all intents and purposes, those people may very well appear lifeless, but life and death are not judged by superficial physical means alone. Life is chiefly characterized by activity, growth, and persistence, while death is a state of total loss of function, of complete inertia and lifelessness. But the death of those who are killed for the cause of God gives more impetus to the cause, which continues to thrive on their blood. Their influence on those they leave behind also grows and spreads. Thus, after their death they remain an active force in shaping the life of their community and giving it direction. It is in this sense that such people, having sacrificed their lives for the sake of God, retain their active existence in everyday life. They might, on the other hand, be alive in another level or mode of existence which we here cannot see or conceive of.

According to Islamic tradition, people who are killed “for the cause of God” are not washed or prepared for burial in the conventional way, but buried in the clothes they happen to be wearing, because they are considered clean and pure, and because in reality they are not dead.

Because they are alive, those who die for the cause of God should not be missed or grieved over by their relatives, friends and loved ones. There is no real sense of loss in their death, since they continue to live, enjoying the hospitality of their Lord, relishing His company and boundless rewards.

There are copious reports in the ĥadīth literature extolling the spirit of sacrifice and the status of martyrs. Muslim records a ĥadīth which says: “The souls of martyrs are carried in the bellies of green birds which fly at leisure in Paradise. They roost on lamps, placed near God’s Throne. God casts a glance at them and says, ‘What is your wish?’ They would reply, ‘Lord, what more can we wish for, when You have given us what You have not given any of Your creation.’ God would ask them again and again until they realize they have to make a request, and they would say, ‘We wish to be returned to live on earth so that we fight for Your cause and be killed a second time.’ They say this since they have seen how great God’s rewards are to those who attain martyrdom for God’s cause. But God says, ‘I have already decreed that people would not return to worldly life.” The Prophet’s Companion, Anas ibn Mālik, reports that the Prophet said: “No one enters Paradise and wishes to return to worldly life, even if he was given everything on earth, except a martyr. He wishes to return to life and be killed in the cause of God ten times over, for the honour and privilege he receives.” [Related by Mālik, al- Bukhārī and Muslim] But who are the living martyrs? They are those killed in God’s cause, and in God’s cause alone. It is they who lay down their lives in defence of God’s universal truth, rather than in the name of a king, nation or military honour. The sole objective of their struggle and sacrifice is to uphold God’s world order and establish it as a social reality. The Qur’ān and the ĥadīth lay strong emphasis on this point, so as to leave no doubt about its meaning.

The Prophet’s Companion, Abū Mūsā, reports that the Prophet was asked whether fighting out of bravery, or to support one’s own ethnic group, or in pursuit of fame and glory, might be considered as fighting “for the cause of God.” He replied: “Only the one who fights to keep God’s word supreme fights for God’s cause!” [Related by Mālik, al-Bukhārī and Muslim] Another Companion of the Prophet, Abū Hurayrah, reported that a man asked God’s Messenger three times about the fate of someone who fights ‘in the cause of God,’ but is also seeking worldly gain. Every time the Messenger replied: “He would receive no reward!” [Related by Abū Dāwūd] Abū Hurayrah reports that God’s Messenger said that God gives a guarantee to anyone who goes to battle for God’s cause: “If he has set out for no purpose other than to fight for My cause, totally motivated by faith in Me and to confirm the veracity of My messengers, then I guarantee that he will either enter Paradise or return safely home, enjoying whatever reward or booty he might have gained.” The Prophet continues this ĥadīth, saying: “By Him who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand, any wound he may have sustained in battle will look on the Day of Resurrection in the same way as on the day it happened, with the colour of blood, but with the smell of pure musk. By Him who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand, were it not for fear of making things too hard for Muslims I would have joined every single expedition going out in God’s cause. However, I do not have the means to give them transport, nor do they have such means to follow me. In addition, it is trying for them to stay behind. By Him who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand, I would love to have fought and been killed for God’s cause again and again.” [Related by Mālik, al-Bukhārī and Muslim] Martyrs, then, are those who set out to fight solely and purely for God’s cause, out of faith in Him and an unshakeable belief in His messengers.

The Prophet Muĥammad expressed disapproval when he heard a Persian youth extolling his ancestry in the battlefield. `Abd al-Raĥmān ibn Abī `Uqbah reported that his father, a Persian ‘ally’ of the Anşār, relates that he took part with the Prophet in the Battle of Uĥud. “As I struck an unbeliever, I shouted, ‘Take it from me; I, a Persian youth!’ The Prophet turned to me and said, ‘Would it not have been better for you to say, I, the Anşārī youth. The nephew and the ally of any group of people belong to them.’“ [Related by Abū Dāwūd] The Prophet disliked the fact that the young man had chosen to express pride in anything other than being a supporter of God’s Messenger and to fight under any banner other than that of the religion of Islam. That is the true meaning of jihād, for which men can give up their lives, earn martyrdom and ensure permanent life.

The sūrah continues to mobilize the believers for the hard, long struggle ahead and increase their understanding of things to come:

We shall certainly try you with a certain measure of fear and hunger, and with diminution of wealth, lives and crops. But give glad tidings to those who remain patient in adversity. Who, when a calamity befalls them, say, ‘To God we belong, and to Him we shall return.’ (Verses 155-156)

Trials are part of the process of education. The believers’ resolve to fight for the truth, and to bear in the process whatever they may have to face of fear, hardship, poverty, famine, and loss of life, must be rigorously tested. There is a price that believers have to pay in order to uphold their faith, and that price is their own lives.

Unless one’s faith becomes dearer to one than one’s own life, that faith has no chance of survival at the very first serious test. This love and dedication to one’s faith must be apparent to others on every occasion for them to appreciate its place and value in the believer’s heart. Such sacrifice and perseverance demonstrate the believer’s love for his faith, and inspire others to respect it, examine its merits and develop an interest in it. That can open the hearts and minds of many people to Islam.

Tests and trials bring out the best in people, renew their energies, reinforce their resolve, and unleash within them latent powers that they themselves knew nothing of. Moreover, such experiences refine one’s perception and sharpen one’s mental and emotional vision and judgement.

Underlying all this is the fact that, when subjected to pressure and the severe demands of the struggle, a believer will turn to no one else but God for help and solace, and will seek the support of no other power than God’s. This will be done in full acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and total control over everything in this world.

“Give glad tidings to those who remain patient in adversity’. Who, when a calamity befalls them, say, ‘To God we belong, and to Him we shall return.’” (Verses 155-156) God is the ultimate sovereign and final arbiter. To Him we turn for guidance on every matter.

This is the essence of true submission, which comes from full recognition of His control of our destiny and our fate.

Such are the true believers who show patience and endure with fortitude. God’s Messenger gives them the happy news of having earned their reward from God, the most bounteous. The blessings they receive are guaranteed by God. Himself: “On such people, blessings and mercy are bestowed by their Lord; such people will be rightly guided.” (Verse 157) It is indeed a noble and honourable reward that they will receive.

Indeed, they share in the same type of reward the Prophet himself receives. What is more is that they have a testimony by God making it clear that they are rightly guided. This, again, is an honourable status.

In the process of mobilizing the Muslims for their great struggle, or jihād, God Almighty makes it clear that the believers’ only reward for making the sort of sacrifice involved in struggle in God’s cause, which includes loss of life, property, hunger, worry, as well as depletion of numbers and resources, will be God’s mercy and blessings.

No material victory, power or wealth whatsoever is promised here — only God’s mercy and blessings. There is no promise of victory or having power in their own community. That pioneering Muslim community was being prepared for a role that is more valuable than the very life of its members. Members of that community had to be free of all personal ambitions and selfish desires, and the community’s aims and objectives had to be free of all worldly considerations, including victory for Islam through its own efforts.

The Qur’ān teaches the Muslims to seek nothing in return for their obedience, struggle and hard work but God’s pleasure, blessings and guidance. That is to be the ultimate goal of their endeavour, and these will be the sweet fruits of their labour. As and when the victory comes, it will not be a victory for them but for the religion and the way of life they represent and are striving to establish in society.

God’s mercy and blessings are ample reward for the believers’ perseverance and for the sacrifices they make. In fact, they are a better reward than any material or worldly gain they aspire to achieve.

The foregoing passage has given us a glimpse of God’s amazing but effective approach in educating the Muslim community and preparing its ranks for upholding His order and carrying it on to the rest of mankind.