In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

In this passage, verses 93 to 120, we witness the culmination of the debate with the people of earlier revelations. Although the concepts outlined here do not form part of the debate with the Najrān Christian delegation, they share a common theme and, thereby, complement and resonate with that debate. The passage addresses the Jews in particular, countering their intrigues and scheming against the Muslims of Madinah, and leads to a complete and total break between the two camps. Further on, it directs its attention fully to the Muslim community, pointing out their true identity, their way of life and their obligations, in a similar manner adopted by the Qur’ān in the previous sūrah, al-Baqarah, or The Cow. (Volume 1, pp. 99 ff)

This section opens by the affirmation that the Israelites were permitted to eat all types of food with the exception of what Israel (Jacob) had chosen to forbid himself and his people from eating before the Torah was revealed to Moses. This statement appears to come in reply to objections raised by the Israelites against the Qur’ān for making permissible certain foods that have been forbidden to them. The reality is, of course, that these were forbidden only to the Israelites as punishment for their transgressions.

It responds to their objection to the change of the direction faced by Muslims during prayer, the qiblah — a subject fully covered in sūrah al-Baqarah — pointing out that the Ka`bah is the House built by Abraham as the first place of worship ever established for mankind on earth. Since they claim to be descendants of Abraham, their attitude seems all the more objectionable! It goes on to condemn the people of earlier revelations for their denial of God’s revelations, for turning people away from God’s path, their refusal to comply with His commands, and for their propensity to deviation as a dominant feature of life when they are well aware of the truth.

It turns to address the people of earlier revelations as a whole, as it warns the Muslims not to comply with their false beliefs. That was all the more urgent as the Qur’ān was being revealed to them and God’s Messenger, Muĥammad, was teaching them and calling upon them to fear God and hold fast to Islam until they die and meet their Lord. It reminds them of God’s grace which had kept their hearts close together and united them under the singular banner of Islam when they were besieged with schisms and strife. Islam took them back from the brink and prepared them to be the nation that would uphold all that is good and prevent all that is indecent and harmful, as part of their obligation to establish God’s order on earth.

They are warned not to succumb to the machinations of the people of earlier revelations or to allow themselves to be divided as those people were. That would only bring them frustration and destruction both in this life and in the life to come.

Some reports indicate that this warning refers to certain hostilities instigated by the Jews between the two Arab tribes of Madinah, the Aws and the Khazraj.

Then God Almighty informs the Muslims regarding their rightful place in this world and the reality of their role in human society. He says: “You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God.” (Verse 110) He draws the attention of the Muslims to the profundity and uniqueness of their role and the true nature of their society.

This is further reinforced by demeaning their detractors who will never undermine their beliefs or completely prevail over them. Having to face such foes is part of the trials and tribulations of their mission. Victory shall be theirs so long as they hold fast to their way of life. Their enemies are condemned to disgrace and subjugation, and have earned God’s wrath for their sins and transgressions, and for slaying their prophets without justification. The sūrah makes a certain exception concerning those particular Jews and Christians who acknowledge the truth and profess true faith. They adopt the same way of life as the Muslims, advocating what is right and opposing evil and working for all that is proper and decent. As for those who reject Islam, the sūrah asserts that they shall receive the just rewards of their infidelity, and neither their wealth nor their offspring shall spare them a miserable end.

The passage closes with a warning to the Muslims not to take allies from among those who wish them evil and who are full of hatred towards them. It points out that the loathing they conceal within their hearts is far more intense. They rejoice when misfortune strikes the Muslims, but are offended when they are blessed with a happy prospect. God, the Omniscient, promises to afford the believers protection against the intrigue of their opponents, as long as they show patience in adversity and fear God.

This extended and rich exhortation reflects the trials and tribulations the Muslims of Madinah suffered as a result of the betrayal and duplicity of their Jewish neighbours. It is an indication of the insidious confusion and disruption they caused inside the Muslim camp. It also confirms the Muslims’ need for strong and firm instruction in order to be able to distinguish themselves, to set themselves apart and take a firm and resolute stand, severing all the ties that bound them to the dark days of Ignorance.

These profound instructions endure the test of time and continue to be valid for all Muslim generations who are required to be aware of Islam’s traditional age-old enemies. Their methods and practices may change, but they remain ever the same.

The Beginning of a Long Debate All food was lawful to the Children of Israel except what Israel forbade himself in the days before the Torah was bestowed from on high. Say: “Bring the Torah and recite it, if what you say is true.” Those who fabricate lies about God after this are indeed wrongdoers. (Verses 93-4)

The Jews used every trick and argument to try to raise suspicion concerning the truthfulness of the Prophet and his message. Their only chance to stop the tide of Islam was to create doubts in the minds of the Muslims and to spread confusion within the Muslim community. When the Qur’ān stated that it endorsed what was in the Torah, the Jews seized the opportunity to proceed with their campaign. They asked: “How is it possible in this case that the Qur’ān makes lawful certain types of food which have been forbidden to the Children of Israel?” Reports suggest that they specifically mentioned camel flesh and milk which were forbidden to the Jews. There are, however, other types of food forbidden in Judaism which God has made lawful to the Muslims.

The Qur’ān refers the Jews back to the historical fact which they chose to overlook because that served their purpose in creating doubts about the Qur’ān. The fact is that all types of food were lawful to the Children of Israel, with the exception of what Israel forbade himself long before the revelation of the Torah. Reports suggest that during a serious illness, Israel, or Jacob, pledged to God that if He were to restore his health for him, he would voluntarily abstain from eating camel flesh and drinking camel milk, his favourite food and drink. God accepted his pledge. It became a tradition with the Children of Israel to follow in their father’s footsteps and to forbid themselves what he had forbidden himself. Moreover, God forbade the Israelites certain types of food in punishment for certain sins they had committed. God refers to these types of forbidden food in verse 146 of sūrah 6, Al-An ’am, or Cattle: “And to those who followed the Jewish faith did We forbid all beasts that have claws; and we forbade them the fat of both oxen and sheep, excepting that which is in their backs or entrails or that which is within the bone. Thus did We punish them for their evil doing; for, We are indeed true to Our word.” Prior to this prohibition, all these types of food were lawful to the Israelites.

God refers them to this historical fact in order to explain that these types of food were originally lawful. They were forbidden them because of certain special circumstances relevant to them alone. If these types of food are made lawful to the Muslims, this only represents a return to the original status. Hence, it should raise no objection from anyone. Nor can it be used to raise doubts about the Qur’ān and the final Divine law it lays down.

The Qur’ān poses a challenge to the Jews to refer back to the Torah, to bring it forward and read it. They were certain to find in it an explanation that the prohibition was imposed on them alone. It is not a prohibition common to all people:

“Say: ’Bring the Torah and recite it, if what you say is true.’” (Verse 93)

This is followed by a threat to anyone who fabricates lies about God. Such a person is a wrongdoer who is unfair both to himself and to other people. He is, indeed, unfair to truth itself. The punishment of a wrongdoer is well known. It is sufficient, therefore, that they are described as wrongdoers to determine the type of punishment which awaits them. They certainly fabricate lies about God, and they certainly will return to Him.

The Jews also sought constantly to exploit the question of changing the direction of Muslim prayer which meant that the Muslims faced the Ka`bah in prayer instead of turning towards Jerusalem. The Prophet and his Companions faced Jerusalem in their prayer for 16 or 17 months after the Prophet’s emigration to Madinah. This topic has been discussed at length in the preceding sūrah. That discussion explained that to choose the Ka`bah as the qiblah (or direction in prayer) is to opt for the most natural and preferable alternative. When Jerusalem was chosen for a certain period, this was done for a specific reason explained by God. The Jews, nevertheless, continued to exploit this issue, trying to raise doubts and confusion and covering truth with falsehood, in the same way as the enemies of Islam do today. God, however, foils their schemes with a new explanation: “Say: ‘God speaks the truth.

Follow, then, the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false and was not one of those who associate partners with God.’ The first House [of worship! ever set up for mankind was indeed the one at Bakkah: rich in blessing; and a source of guidance to all the worlds, full of clear messages. It is the place whereon Abraham once stood; and whoever enters it finds inner peace. Pilgrimage to this House is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it. As for those who disbelieve, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds.” (Verses 95-7)

The first sentence here, “Say.: ‘God speaks the truth,’” refers to what has been stated previously. The Ka`bah was built by Abraham and Ishmael so that it may be a place of refuge and security for all people and to serve as a qiblah or focal point and a praying place for all those who believe in Abraham’s faith. Hence, the command to follow Abraham’s creed which is based on the belief in the absolute oneness of God, associating no partners with Him in any form or shape: “’Follow, then, the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false and was not one of those who associate partners with God.’” The Jews claimed that they were the descendants of Abraham.

Here, the Qur’ān tells them the true nature of Abraham’s faith, namely, the belief in the absolute Oneness of God. This is emphasised twice in succession: the first states that Abraham turned away from all that is false, and the second asserts that he was not one of those who associate partners with God. How can they, then, go as far as to ascribe partners to God?

Say: “God speaks the truth. Follow, then, the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false and was not one of those who associate partners with God. “The first House [of worship] ever set up for mankind was indeed the one at Bakkah: rich in blessing, and a source of guidance to all the worlds, full of clear messages. (Verses 95- 6)

This verse explains that to face the Ka`bah is the proper choice. The Ka`bah is the first House ever set up for the exclusive purpose of worship. God commanded Abraham to build it and to consecrate it for worshippers who either walk round it, spend periods of time worshipping in it and who bow and prostrate themselves there in total submission to God. God has blessed this House and made it like a beacon for mankind where they find guidance showing them the true faith acceptable to God, which is indeed the creed of Abraham himself. There are indeed clear signs in the Ka`bah which show that it is the place where Abraham stood in his worship. Some scholars suggest that the Arabic term, Maqām Ibrāhīm, which is used in this verse and rendered in our translation as “the spot where Abraham stood”, refers to the ancient stone on which Abraham stood when he built the Ka`bah. It used to be stuck to the wall of the Ka`bah, but the second Caliph, `Umar, moved it back so that people doing the ţawāf (i.e. walking round the Ka`bah) did not disturb those who prayed behind it. We are commanded by God to make that spot a place where we pray: “Establish the spot where Abraham stood as a place of worship.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 125)

One of the virtues of this House is highlighted here, namely, the sense of security it imparts to anyone who goes there. It is a refuge for anyone who is overtaken by fear, where he can find peace and security. In this particular aspect, this place is absolutely unique. It shares this quality with no other place on earth. It has remained so ever since it was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Even in the dark ages of Ignorance in Arabia, when the Arabs deviated far away from Abraham’s faith and no longer believed in the oneness of God, the sanctity of this House continued to be observed. Al-Ĥasan al-Başrī and other renowned scholars explain that in that period of Ignorance, a man might commit a murder and go into the sanctuary of the House, having put a piece of wool around his neck. He might be met there by the son of the man he murdered but he would not be disturbed there until he had left the House.

This is part of the honour and blessings God has given to this House of His, even when people around it lived in total ignorance. He reminds the Arabs of this great favour He has done them: ‘Are they not aware that We have set up a secure sanctuary while people are snatched away all around them?” (Al-`Ankabūt 29: 67) Its sanctity is even extended to animals. Hunting is forbidden in its vicinity and no animals are scared out of their abodes in order to be captured. It is also forbidden to cut down the trees in its vicinity. An authentic ĥadīth, related by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim on the authority of Ibn `Abbās, mentions that the Prophet (peace be upon him), said on the day when Makkah was liberated by the Muslims: “God has made this city a sacred one ever since the day He created the heavens and the earth. It remains, therefore, inviolable by virtue of the sanctity imparted to it by God till the Day of Resurrection.

Fighting in this city was never made lawful to anyone before me. It has only been made lawful to me for an hour of one day. It continues to be sanctified by God’s order till the Day of Resurrection. Its plants may not be cut, its game may not be scared. No one may pick up something dropped by other people unless he recognizes its owner, etc.” This is, then, the House God has chosen to be the qiblah, or direction of Prayer, for Muslims. It is God’s House which He has made so rich in blessings. It is the first House ever set up for men to worship in. Moreover, it is the House of Abraham, containing clear signs that it was Abraham himself who built it. Islam, or submission to God, is the creed of Abraham. Hence, the House he built is the one which deserves to serve as the direction of Prayer for Muslims. Moreover, it represents security and peace on earth. Since it is the focal point of Islam, it represents guidance for mankind.

The sūrah moves on to state that God has imposed a duty on mankind to make pilgrimage to this House once they are able to do so. Otherwise, they let themselves fall into disbelief which causes God no harm: “Pilgrimage to this House is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it. As for those who disbelieve, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds.” One thing which attracts our attention when we read this verse is the fact that the duty of pilgrimage is made in absolutely general terms: “... a duty owed to God by all people.” This suggests, first of all, that the duty of pilgrimage is also required of the Jews who disputed the validity of the Muslims turning to the Ka`bah in their Prayer.

Their argument fails completely when it is realised that they themselves are required to make the pilgrimage to this House, since it is the House built by their father, Abraham, and the first one ever to be set up for worship by mankind. In this light, the Jews appear to be the deviant and disobedient ones. We may also infer from the way this verse is phrased that all mankind are required to accept this faith, fulfil its duties, offer its worship, and make the journey of pilgrimage to the House to which the believers in God turn. Unless they do this, their stand is one of disbelief, no matter how strongly they may profess to be believers. God stands in no need of anything or anyone. He does not need people’s belief in Him, nor does He benefit by their pilgrimage. The benefit and prosperity are theirs when they accept the faith and offer the worship.

Pilgrimage is a personal obligation on every individual once in a lifetime, and it becomes due when the conditions of ability are fulfilled, including physical health, ability to travel and safe passage. There is, however, a difference of opinion among scholars with regard to the time when this duty was imposed. Relying on the report that the present passage was revealed in the ninth year of the Prophet’s settlement in Madinah, which is generally known in history books as “the year of delegations”, some scholars believe that pilgrimage was made an obligatory duty in that same year. They support their argument with the fact that the Prophet himself went on his pilgrimage after that date. When we discussed the question of changing the direction of the qiblah, in our commentary on the preceding sūrah, we made the point that the timing of the Prophet’s pilgrimage could not be taken as an argument in support of the view that the pilgrimage was made obligatory at a late stage in the Prophet’s life.

Several considerations might have contributed to that delay. One of these may have been the fact that the idolaters used to do the walking round the Ka`bah (ţawāf)

completely in the nude, and they continued to do so after the liberation of Makkah.

The Prophet did not like to join them in their ţawāf. The sūrah entitled “Repentance”, or “Al-Tawbah”, was revealed in the ninth year of the Islamic calendar, and idolaters were banned from ţawāf in the Ka`bah altogether. The Prophet offered his pilgrimage in the following year. Hence, the duty of offering the pilgrimage may have been legislated earlier, and this verse may have been revealed in the early part of the Prophet’s settlement in Madinah, probably around the time of the Battle of Uĥud which took place in the third year of the Islamic calendar.

Nonetheless, this statement imposes the obligation of pilgrimage, in the terms of a right which God demands from all people who are able to make the journey.

Pilgrimage is the Muslims’ annual general assembly which is held at the House from which their message was given to them for the first time, and which witnessed the birth of the pure faith of Abraham, their first father, and which was the first House God has set up on earth for His own worship. Pilgrimage is, therefore, an assembly of great significance. Its historical associations centre round the noble concept of faith, which highlights the link between man and his Creator. Faith means man’s spiritual response to God, a fact of great significance considering that only by the breathing of God’s spirit has man acquired his humanity. It is a worthy concept to form the basis for human unity. Hence, it is appropriate that people should assemble every year at the Sacred Place which witnessed the birth of this call to mankind to unite on pure faith.

Having provided this clarification, the sūrah instructs the Prophet to address the people of earlier revelations denouncing their attitude towards the truth of the Islamic message. They know this truth full well, yet they try to turn people away from it. They disbelieve in God’s revelations although they bear witness to them and they are certain that these revelations are true: “Say: ’People of earlier revelations, why do you disbelieve in God’s revelations, when God Himself is witness to all that you do?’ Say:

’People of earlier revelations, why do you try to turn those who have come to believe away from the path of God, seeking to make it appear crooked, when you yourselves bear witness [to its being straight’? God is not unaware of what you do.’” (Verses 98-9)

Similar denunciations are made in this sūrah as in many others. It is a highly effective denunciation because it does not mince words about the matter in question.

The attitude of the people of earlier revelations is truthfully described, and they are shown in their true colours, even though they try to appear as people who have faith when they are in reality unbelievers. They disbelieve in the Qur’ān, which is revealed by God. Anyone who disbelieves in any part of God’s book disbelieves in the whole of that book. Were they true believers in the part of God’s book which has been revealed to them, they would have believed in every messenger sent by God after their own messenger. The essence of Divine faith is the same. Anyone who knows it knows for certain that whatever is preached by subsequent messengers is also true.

He is bound to accept the prophets’ call to surrender himself to God in the way they teach. This fact should shake those people and make them fear the consequences of insisting on their erring ways.

Those in the Muslim community who are deceived by the fact that those people adhere to a Divine book can no longer be so deceived. As they listen to God’s words declaring the truth about those people, branding them as total unbelievers, all their doubts are bound to disappear. God issues them with warnings which strike fear in their hearts: “God Himself is witness to all that you do ... God is not unaware of what you do.” It is a fearful warning because it makes man feel that God watches him and sees exactly what he does, which is, in reality, nothing but disbelief, deception and corruption. Moreover, God makes it clear that they are aware of the truth which they deny and away from which they try to turn people: “... You yourselves bear witness [to its being straight’.” It is absolutely clear, then, that they were aware of the truth which they rejected. They knowingly tried to turn people away from what they realised to be a straight path. What wickedness! Anyone who adopts such a practice is not worthy of trust, but rather of contempt and denunciation.

We need to reflect on God’s description of those people in the following terms: “...

Why do you try to turn those who have come to believe away from the path of God, seeking to make it appear crooked?” (Verse 99) This is a statement of great significance. God’s path is straight, and every other way is crooked. When people are turned away from God’s path and believers are forcibly barred from following God’s constitution, nothing remains straight. Our standards become faulty and nothing remains on earth except crookedness which can never be set straight.

Corruption, thus, gains the upper hand. Human nature becomes corrupt as it deviates from the straight path, and life becomes corrupt as it follows a crooked line.

All this corruption is the result of turning people away from the path of God. Such corruption manifests itself in different ways: erroneous concepts, deviant conscience, crooked morality, wicked behaviour, unfair transactions and injustice in all relations within human society. Either people follow the path of God which is straight and which leads to everything that is good, or they deviate from it in any direction, and this inevitably leads to crookedness, evil and corruption. In man’s life, there is no third alternative.

Believers! If you pay heed to some of those who have been given revelations, they will cause you to renounce the truth after you have accepted the faith. But how can you sink into disbelief when God’s revelations are being recited to you and His messenger is in your midst? He who holds fast to God has already been guided along a straight path. (Verses 100-1)

Having answered all the arguments advanced by Christians and Jews against the message of Islam, the sūrah now makes this direct address to the Muslim community, which begins with a stern warning against paying heed to false claims made by followers of other religions, and outlines the essential characteristics of the Muslim community, its methods, beliefs and way of life.

The Muslim community implements a Divine system which makes it unique among all nations of the world. It owes its very existence to this system which, in turn, assigns to it a role which cannot be played by any other community. It has to establish this Divine system in practice so that it appears to all eyes as real and practical. Statements and clauses are thus translated into actions. They define moral standards, generate certain feelings and establish certain relations.

The Muslim community, however, cannot go along its proper way, realise the purpose of its existence and make the theory a reality unless it receives its instruction from God alone. Only through this can the Muslim community assume the leadership of mankind. This precludes them any possibility of following or paying heed to any human being. The choice before the Muslim community is either to follow this course dictated by its faith, or to sink into utter disbelief.

The Qur’ān emphasises this fact on several occasions. It tries to mould the feelings, thoughts and morality of the Muslim community on the basis of this principle at every possible opportunity. On this particular occasion, by answering the arguments of the people of earlier revelations and forestalling their schemes against the Muslim community in Madinah, this principle is re-emphasised. The fact that it is stated again here, within the context of a particular set of circumstances, does not detract from its permanent validity. It applies to all generations of the Muslim community because it is the basis of its very existence.

If the Muslim community is brought into existence in order to assume the leadership of mankind, how is it possible for that community to receive instructions from the very ignorance which it aims to eradicate? If the Muslim community is to abandon its role of leadership, what purpose has its existence? Its leadership is to provide correct concepts and beliefs for human life, generating perfect moral standards and a perfect social set-up. In such a healthy situation, the human intellect makes its constructive contribution as it tries to learn the secrets of the universe and manipulate its potentials. The leadership which permits and controls all that potential, using it for the benefit of mankind, not to threaten human life with destruction, nor to devote it to satisfy carnal desires, belongs to faith only. It is given to the Muslim community which seeks God’s guidance and does not allow itself to be dictated to by anyone of God’s servants.

These verses include a warning to the Muslim community against following other people. These are followed later by an explanation of how the Muslim community can create and maintain a proper set-up. The first warning is against following people of earlier revelations, the Christians and Jews, for they will inevitably lead the Muslim community back into disbelief: “Believers! If you pay heed to some of those who have been given revelations, they will cause you to renounce the truth after you have accepted the faith.” (Verse 100) In the first place, to follow the people of earlier revelations and to copy their methods and systems indicate an inner defeat and suggest that the Muslim community has abandoned its leadership role. It also suggests the existence of doubts in the minds of the Muslims about the adequacy of the Divine system to organise and elevate human life. These very doubts are the beginnings of creeping disbelief, even though in these earlier stages one may not sense the approaching danger.

The people of earlier revelations, on the other hand, are keen to turn the Muslim community away from its faith, which represents both its line of defence and its driving force. The enemies of Islam are well aware of this, as they have always been.

Hence, they spare no effort and resort to all manner of schemes and designs so as to divert the Muslim community from its proper way. When they realise that they cannot win an open war against the faith of Islam, they resort to evil. When they feel they cannot launch a war against it by themselves, they recruit hypocrites who pretend to be Muslims so that they work against Islam from within, advocating different systems and pledging their loyalty to different leaderships.

Were the people of earlier revelations to find some Muslims responsive to their arguments, they would lose no time in channelling that responsiveness to their paramount goal of leading those Muslims, and the Muslim community as a whole, to total disbelief and renunciation of the truth. Hence, the sternness of the Divine warning: “Believers! If you pay heed to some of those who have been given revelations, they will cause you to renounce the truth after you have accepted the faith.” (Verse 100)

At the time of the Prophet, no prospect was more daunting to any Muslim than to find himself sinking into disbelief after he had accepted the faith. That meant throwing himself back into the fire of hell after he had saved himself and opened his way to heaven. This applies to every true Muslim across generations. Hence, a warning in such terms is sufficient to alert his conscience and keep it wide awake.

The sūrah, therefore, continues the warning with a reminder to the Muslim community of God’s grace. How fearful is that prospect, of finding those who have accepted the faith allowing themselves to be led back into disbelief, when God’s revelations continue to be recited to them, and God’s Messenger remains in their midst. All the incentives to accept the faith are there, and the call to God continues to be made, and the parting of the ways of belief and disbelief is made absolutely clear:

“But how can you sink into disbelief when God’s revelations are being recited to you and His messenger is in your midst?” (Verse 101)

It is indeed a great calamity that a believer should sink into disbelief in circumstances which are conducive to strengthen his faith. If God’s Messenger has completed his term in this life, God’s revelations remain with us, and the guidance of His Messenger continues to show us the way. Today, we are addressed by the Qur’ān as the first generation of Muslims were addressed by it. The way to follow that guidance is clear and the banner of the truth continues to fly high: “He who holds fast to God has already been guided along a straight path.” (Verse 101) The only guarantee against slipping into renunciation of the truth is to hold fast to God. He is the eternal Master of all. He never dies.

The Prophet used to adopt a very strict attitude with his Companions in matters of faith and with regard to their way of life. At the same time, he allowed them to use their discretion in practical matters which rely on experience and knowledge.

Examples of these include military strategy, agriculture and all purely scientific matters which belong to a domain that has no bearing on faith, social system or the relationships which regulate man’s life. The way of life adopted by an individual or a certain society has nothing to do with pure or applied science.

The religion of Islam, which has been revealed to conduct human life according to a certain Divine method, makes its directive clear to man to seek knowledge and to benefit by every material discovery or scientific advance, provided that this is made within the context of implementing Islam’s own method of life.

Imām Ahmad relates, on the authority of `Abdullāh ibn Thābit, that `Umar came to the Prophet one day and said: “Messenger of God! I have asked a Jewish friend of mine from the tribe of Quraiżah to write me the basic teachings of the Torah. Shall I read them to you? The Prophet’s face changed colour when `Umar said that.” `Abdullāh ibn Thābit turned to `Umar and said: “Do you not see the expression on God’s messenger’s face?” `Umar said immediately: “I believe in God as my only Lord, accept Islam as my faith and Muĥammad as God’s messenger.” The Prophet’s face regained its normal colour and he said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, if Moses comes back to you tomorrow and you follow him and leave me you will go astray. You are my share of nations and I am your share of Prophets.” A ĥadīth reported by Jābir quotes the Prophet as saying: “Do not ask the people of the earlier revelations about anything, for they will not guide you aright when they have gone astray. You will have one of the two alternatives: either you will accept a falsehood, or you will reject a truth. Had Moses been living among you, the only course lawful to him would be to follow me.” The Prophet is also quoted as saying:

“Had Moses and Jesus been alive, they would have had to follow me.” This is the position of the people of earlier revelations. The Prophet makes our position abundantly clear when it comes to following their guidance in matters of faith, ideological concepts, law or way of life. However, Islam imposes no restriction whatsoever on its followers when it comes to benefiting by the advances of any group of people in any branch of science. We have only to relate these advances to our own approach to everything in the universe, knowing that God has enabled man to make use of everything on earth so as to achieve a higher and more secure standard of living. We should also be grateful to God for enabling us to make such discoveries and for facilitating our use of the resources and potentials He has placed in the universe. We express our gratitude to Him by worshipping Him alone and by making the right use of our advances.

When it comes to asking the followers of other religions about concepts of faith, the purpose of human life, its method, laws and regulations, its moral values and codes, we find the Prophet’s face changing colour at the slightest indication of such.

God gives the Muslim community a stern warning against being led by others in any such matter. The ultimate result of that is nothing but the total rejection of faith.

In the light of this directive from God and the guidance of His Messenger, where do we, who claim to be Muslims, stand today? I see us taking Orientalists and their disciples as our teachers when we study the Qur’ān and the ĥadīth of the Prophet. I also see us formulating our concepts of life and existence on the basis of what we learn from these Orientalists, as well as from Greek, Roman, European and American philosophers. We borrow our regulations and laws from these suspect sources. I also find us borrowing our manners, code of conduct, and morality from the stinking immorality into which the modern material civilisation has fallen. Yet we still claim to be Muslims! Such a claim is worse than open disbelief. For when we take such a stance, when our state of affairs is such, we testify to the failure of Islam. Such a testimony is not made even by non-Muslims.

Islam is a method with unique, distinctive characteristics in relation to its ideological philosophy, its laws regulating all spheres of life, and its moral code which governs all political, economic and social relations. It is a method designed to lead humanity as a whole. Hence, it is necessary that a certain community should implement this method in order to assume the leadership of mankind. As we stated earlier, it is contrary to the very nature of leadership that this community should receive directives from any source other than its own method of life.

It is for the good of mankind that this method was revealed by God. It is also for the good of mankind that the advocates of Islam call for the implementation of this method, now and in the future. Indeed, the urgency for its implementation today is that much greater, considering the terrible suffering of mankind under all other systems. There is simply no saviour except this Divine method which must retain all its distinctive characteristics in order for it to play its proper role and save mankind anew.

Man has made great advances in utilising the resources and potentials of the universe. His achievements in medicine and industry are miraculous when compared with his past. Fresh discoveries and triumphs still await us. But what is the effect of all this on human life? Has it given man happiness, security and peace?

The answer is in the negative. What humanity has found instead is misery, worry, fear, neurological and psychiatric disease, in addition to widespread perversion and crime. Moreover, it has made no progress whatsoever in the formulation of a sound concept dealing with the purpose of human existence. When this is compared with the Islamic concept, this civilisation appears to shrink into insignificance. It seems no more than a curse which belittles man’s own concept of himself and his position in the universe. It degrades him and limits his aspirations. The result is a heart consumed by a void and a soul writhing under the burden of confusion.

The simple reason is that humanity cannot find God because miserable circumstances have caused its course to deviate away from Him. Had scientific research followed the Divine method, it would have made every achievement accomplished by man a step drawing humanity nearer to God. Instead, it causes humanity to move further away from Him. Man is, therefore, deprived of the light which would have revealed for him the true purpose of his existence and which would have enabled him to work for that purpose equipped with the scientific progress God has enabled him to achieve. Furthermore, man is deprived of the method which would have established harmony between him and the universe. He is also deprived of the system which would have established a perfect equilibrium between individual and community, man’s potentials and resources, rights and duties, as well as the interests and concerns of this world and the life to come.

Certain groups of people even strive to deprive man of God’s method and guidance. It is they who describe man’s aspiration to implement this method as “reaction”. They dismiss it as a mere nostalgia for the historical past. Whether this be the result of their ignorance or their ill-will, they actually deprive humanity of the right to aspire to the only method which can lead it to perfect peace and happiness, as well as to progress and development. We, who believe in this method, know perfectly well what we call for. We see the misery of mankind and we see as well, over the horizon, the real possibility for mankind’s salvation. We are also aware that unless the leadership of mankind is given over to this method, then man will sink into even further deprivation.

The first step to salvation is that this method should remain pure. Its advocates must not listen to any directive given to them by the ignorance which has spread all around them. This ensures the purity of the system until God wills it to reassume the leadership of mankind. God is too kind to man to let him fall prey to his enemies who advocate ignorant ways. This is the lesson God delivered to the first Muslim community in His revelation and which the Prophet was keen to drive home to his followers by his sound teaching.

God warns the Muslim community that it cannot hope to implement the Islamic way of life or fulfil the great trust God has placed in it, unless it acquires the two basic qualities of faith and brotherhood. It must have a faith which keeps the fear of God ever present in its mind. It must also make brotherhood in Islam a reality. Only through this brotherhood can the Muslim community acquire its strength and be able to play its most important role in human life and history, namely, the role of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. In other words, it promotes every good thing in human life and purges it from every evil.

Believers! Fear God as you rightly should, and do not allow death to overtake you before you have surrendered yourselves truly to Him. Hold fast, all of you together, to the bond with God and do not be disunited. And remember the blessings God has bestowed on you: how, when you were enemies (to one another] He united your hearts and, by His grace, you have become brothers; and how, when you were on the brink of an abyss of fire, He saved you from it. Thus God makes clear His revelations to you, so that you may be rightly guided. (Verses 102-3)

Faith and brotherhood are the two pillars upon which the structure of the Muslim community is built. If either of them collapses, the very existence of the Muslim community is undermined, and its great role comes to nothing. The first pillar is that of having faith and fear of God. It is only through such fear that man can fulfil his duties towards God because it makes him always alert. He does not lose sight of his duty for a moment of day or night.

“Believers! Fear God as you rightly should.” This command is given in general terms so as to heighten its effect. It thus makes the believer keen to achieve this goal of fearing God as He should rightly be feared, according to man’s understanding and ability. This is a road which attracts man more and more as he walks further and further. The nearer he draws to God through fearing Him, the higher the goal he sets for himself. He will continuously strive to achieve a greater position, so as to make his heart always alert, never asleep.

“Do not allow death to overtake you before you have surrendered yourselves truly to Him.” The timing of death is beyond the reach of our knowledge. No man can be certain when death will overtake him. Hence, if anyone wants to die a Muslim, in the full sense of the word, he must surrender himself to God, right here and now. He must also abide by the requirements of this surrender at all times. The fact that Islam is mentioned after the command to have fear of God points to its wider implications:

total surrender and submission to God, complete obedience and implementation of His method, and making His book the final arbiter in all affairs. This is the meaning which pervades the whole sūrah.

This is the first pillar upon which the structure of the Muslim community is built.

Without it, no human grouping can be described as Islamic. No Divine method of life can come into operation in any community without it. In its absence, there are only ignorant methods and ignorant leadership.

The other pillar is the bond of brotherhood, based on the love of God and implementation of His method: “Hold fast, all of you together, to the bond with God and do not be disunited. And remember the blessings God has bestowed on you: how, when you were enemies [to one another] He united your hearts and, by His grace, you have become brothers.” (Verse 103) It is a brotherhood which has its roots in the fear of God and in surrendering to Him. In other words, it is derived from the first pillar. Its cornerstone is to hold fast to the bond with God, that is, the fulfilment of His commands and the implementation of His law. It cannot have any other basis, concept, goal or bond.

“Hold fast, all of you together, to the bond with God and do not be disunited.” This brotherhood which holds fast to a strong bond with God is a blessing with which God has favoured the first Muslim community. It is a blessing which God always grants to those of His servants whom He loves. He reminds the first Muslim community here of this blessing, recalling how enmity was rife among them in their pre- Islamic days. No enmity was fiercer than that which existed between the Aws and the Khazraj, the two Arab tribes in Yathrib, the city which came to be called Madinah. Alongside them lived the Jews who were always trying to perpetuate this hostility in order to weaken both tribes and destroy all ties between them. It was in such an atmosphere of hatred that the Jews worked and flourished. God, however, united the hearts of both Arab tribes with the tie of Islam. It is only through Islam that such mutually hostile hearts could be united. It was only through the bond of God, to which all can hold fast, that they could become, by God’s grace, brothers.

Historical grudges, vengeance killings, personal ambitions and racial ties are reduced to nothing when compared with the bond of brotherhood which unites all under the banner of God, the Almighty: “And remember the blessings God has bestowed on you:

how, when you were enemies [to one another] He united your hearts and, by His grace, you have become brothers.” (Verse 103)

He also reminds them of His grace in the form of saving them from the fire after they were about to fall in it. He saved them when He guided them to hold fast to His bond, the first pillar, and when He united their hearts so that they became brothers, the second pillar: “When you were on the brink of an abyss of fire, He saved you from it.” (Verse 103) We note here that the Qur’ān refers to man’s heart, which is the centre of his feelings and bonds. It does not say: “He united you.” Rather, it refers to man’s own deeply-seated feelings: “He united your hearts.” Men’s hearts are thus described as a solid group, united by God on the basis of His covenant. We also have here a vivid description of the Muslims’ earlier situation which touches their hearts: “... You were on the brink of an abyss of fire.” At the very moment when their fall into the abyss is expected, those hearts feel God’s hand as it reaches out and saves them. They feel God’s bond stretched out to them in order to protect them. We find them saved after exposure to a great danger. It is a very vivid, heart-touching scene which is raised before our eyes despite the lapse of many centuries.

In their biographies of the Prophet, Muĥammad ibn Isĥāq and others, report that this verse was revealed on the occasion of a Jewish leader from Madinah passing by a group of Muslims from both the Aws and the Khazraj. When he looked at them a sudden awareness overtook him. He realized that their past hostility had been replaced by genuine love and brotherhood. He was determined to spoil this healthy atmosphere. He sent a man with instructions to sit with those people and remind them of their past hostilities, and the fierce battles that had taken place between them, particularly the Battle of Bu`āth, in which both tribes suffered heavy casualties.

The man was successful in his mission and soon tempers were boiling among that group. In their anger, some of the tribesmen repeated their old slogans. Someone called for his sword. Others repeated the same call. Someone even suggested that they should meet for battle the following day outside Madinah. When the Prophet received intelligence of what was taking place between them, he went hurriedly to them and tried hard to cool their tempers. He said to them: “Do you resort to your ignorant ways when I am living in your midst?” He recited to them the Qur’ānic verse: “And remember the blessings God has bestowed on you: how, when you were enemies [to one another] He united your hearts and, by His grace, you have become brothers; and how, when you were on the brink of an abyss of fire, He saved you from it.” (Verse 103) They soon regained their senses and regretted what had happened. Peace prevailed anew among them and they hugged each other in genuine brotherly love. They had been rightly guided when God’s revelation was made clear to them. Hence, the concluding comment in that Qur’ānic verse is an apt description of their case: “Thus God makes clear His revelations to you, so that you may be rightly guided.” This is just one example of Jewish efforts to sever the bond which unites those who love God and follow the Divine method and make of them a model community, providing leadership for the rest of mankind. Every time a true Muslim community comes into existence, holding fast to the bond of God and implementing His constitution, the Jews start their scheming to create division among them. When that group of early Muslims heeded what they were bid by people of earlier revelations, they were about to sink back into disbelief, about to do battle with each other. Their bond with God which unites them in a genuine brotherhood was about to be severed.

This verse has much wider significance than just this particular incident. Taken with what precedes and follows it, the verse suggests that the Jews in Madinah were engaged in a continuous effort to create division and disunity among the Muslims.

Hence, the repeated Qur’ānic warnings to the Muslims not to pay heed to the people of earlier revelations and to make sure that they would not fall victim to their scheming. We detect here a feeling that the Muslim community was undergoing great troubles as a result of the plots of the Jews in Madinah. Those same tactics have been employed all the time against Muslims everywhere in the world.

The task of the Muslim community is to implement the Divine method in human society, and to help truth to triumph over falsehood, goodness over evil. This task is stated in the following verse: “Let there become of you a nation that invites to all that is good, enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong. Such are they who shall prosper.” (Verse 104)

It is imperative for this community to come into existence so as to invite all to that which is good, and to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. The Qur’ānic statement imparts that this must be done through a real authority which can invite, enjoin and forbid. Anyone may be able to invite to what is good, but no one can enjoin and forbid unless he is equipped with real authority.

This is the proper Islamic view of the matter. It is essential that there should be an authority to undertake the task of advocating what is good and removing what is evil. The units which constitute this authority must combine together, hold fast to their bond with God, and translate their brotherhood into a reality. The prerequisites enabling this authority to implement the Divine method in life are faith and brotherhood. The Divine method cannot be put into practice without “inviting” others to every good so that people realise the true nature of this Divine method. It also requires an active authority to “enjoin” what is right and “forbid” what is wrong. Such an authority must be obeyed. God says: “We have sent every messenger in order to be obeyed with God’s leave.” (Al-Nisā’ 4:64) Hence, God’s method is not merely preaching and verbal explanation. This is only one part of it. The other part is an active and sustained effort to promote every right thing in human life and to reduce to a minimum every wrong. In this way, the traditions of the good Muslim community will be protected against the whims of anyone who has the power to impose his own interests on the community. It also protects these traditions against all abuse or subservience to personal desire or interest.

The task of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is not an easy one, especially when we consider that it inevitably conflicts with people’s desires, interests and pride. There are in this world of ours tyrants who impose their authority by force, people who are interested only in carnal desires and who do not wish to be elevated to a nobler standard. There are also the lazy who hate to be asked to be serious, the unfair who hate justice, the deviant who do not for a moment contemplate a straightforward attitude, as well as those who think wrong of every right thing and consider every wrong thing to be right. No nation, let alone humanity as a whole, can prosper unless goodness prevails, right is upheld and wrong is thrown out. Hence, the need for an authority to promote goodness and right and to combat evil. What is more, this authority must be obeyed.

This leads us back to the point where we started: a community must be built on the two essential qualities of faith and brotherhood. It is only such a community that can undertake this difficult task, equipped with the power of faith and the seriousness it derives from fearing God as well as the strength of love and brotherhood. It is only through the fulfilment of this role that this community can prosper. Hence, God describes those who fulfil it as prosperous: “Such are they who shall prosper.” (Verse 104)

The existence of such a community is essential for the Divine method itself. It is indeed the environment in which it can breathe and become a practical reality. It is a good, healthy environment where people co-operate to promote goodness. In such a community, right is synonymous with goodness, virtue and justice, whereas wrong means evil, vice and injustice. To do good in such a community is easier than to do evil, virtue is simpler than vice, right stronger than wrong, justice more common and beneficial than injustice. A person who wants to do good will find help while the one who wants to do evil will meet resistance. It is this fact that gives this community its greatest value. It provides an environment where goodness and right can prosper without the need for any great effort, because everything in this environment lends them support. Wrong and evil can only grow with difficulty because of the all-round resistance which neglects it.

The concept Islam formulates of life, actions, events, values and people is essentially different from all other concepts. Hence, a special environment, which is totally different from that state of ignorance which prevails in unreligious communities, is needed to enable this unique concept, with all its unique values, to flourish. This environment must be conditioned by the Islamic concept of human life and must serve it so that it may live, breathe freely and grow in it, without encountering any internal hindrances to its development. Should it encounter any obstacles, then the essential qualities of the Muslim community, to advocate all that is good and to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, are certain to remove them. Should an oppressive force attempt to turn people away from God, then it will inevitably encounter those who are prepared to defend and protect the Divine method of life.

This environment is embodied in the Muslim community which is built on the twin pillars of faith and brotherhood. Its faith in God brings conformity to its concept of life, events, actions, values and people and gives it a single standard with which to evaluate everything in life. It conducts all its affairs according to the same Divine law and pledges all its loyalty to the leadership which takes upon itself the task of implementing God’s method in human life. The brotherhood of faith provides this community with bonds of love and mutual care. These ties ensure the absence of selfishness in the community and help its members care for one another without pressure or ill feeling.

The first Muslim community in Madinah was built on these two pillars: faith in God based on knowing Him and recognising His attributes, fearing Him and being constantly aware of what pleases Him; and genuine, flowing love, true friendship and mutual care. The first Muslim community achieved all this in practice, an ideal normally considered closer to dreams than reality. The brotherhood established between the Muhājirīn (Muslims who emigrated from Makkah) and the Anşār (the Muslims of Madinah) is a real story approximating absolute idealism. It is an event borrowed from the heavens, but which took place on this earth. It is on the basis of such strong faith and real brotherhood that God’s method of life can be implemented in every generation.

A fresh warning to the Muslim community against falling out with one another is added here. The example of those people of earlier revelations who were entrusted with the implementation of God’s method but who allowed division and conflict to creep into their ranks is given. Therefore, God deprived them of the leadership position and instead assigned that role to the Muslim community, which fosters its bond of brotherhood. Moreover, those who are not true to their task will be sternly punished on the day when faces will either shine or be blackened: “Do not follow the example of those who became divided and fell into conflict with one another after clear proof had come to them. For these there will be grievous suffering, on the day when some faces will shine with happiness and some faces will be blackened. Those whose faces are blackened [shall be told]: Did you disbelieve after having embraced the faith? Taste, then, this suffering for having sunk into disbelief’ Those with shining faces shall be in God’s grace; they abide there for even” (Verses 105-7)

A vivid scene, full of life, is drawn here in the inimitable style of the Qur’ān. The scene is one of horror, but the horror is not described in words or adjectives. It is represented in living human beings, in their faces and looks. We see bright, shining faces, full of joy and happiness, and others gloomy, dusty and blackened. Yet those people are still not left alone to suffer their fate. They have to put up with scourging comments: “‘Did you disbelieve after having embraced the faith? Taste, then, this suffering for having sunk into disbelief.’” The happy fortunes of the other group is also vividly described: “Those with shining faces shall be in God’s grace; they abide there for ever.” This description adds life, movement and dialogue to the scene, again in the Qur’ān’s inimitable style.

The scene helps the Muslim community fully appreciate the Qur’ānic warning against division and conflict. The grace God has bestowed on it through faith and unity is also fully appreciated. The Muslim community sees with its own eyes the end of those people of earlier revelations whom it has been warned not to obey. If it follows them, it will share their doom and suffering on the day when faces will either shine or be blackened.

When the destiny of each of the two groups has been clearly stated, a comment is added which is in harmony with the broad lines of the sūrah. It reasserts the truth of the Prophet’s message and revelation, the fact that reckoning and reward on the Day of Judgement are to be taken seriously, the fact that Divine justice in this world and in the hereafter is absolute, and the fact that all that is in heaven and on earth belong to God and to Him they shall all return: “These are revelations of God. We recite them to you in truth. God wills no injustice to His creatures. To God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; to Him shall all things return.” (Verses 108-9)

All these facts, all these scenes and destinies so described are revelations given by God to His servants. They are recited to His messenger in truth. They embody the truth in the principles and values they establish. They tell only the truth about the destinies of other nations. They are revealed in truth by the One Who is able to reveal them and Who alone has the right to determine values, rewards and destinies. God does not inflict any injustice on anyone of His creatures. He is the fairest of all arbiters. He controls the heavens and the earth, and to Him belong all that is in heaven and on earth, and to Him shall they all return. By making reward fit with action God only wants to establish right, administer justice and ensure that all matters are conducted seriously as befits His majesty. Absurd is the claim of the people of earlier revelations that they will only be scourged by the fire for only a few days.

You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God. Had the people of earlier revelations believed, it would have been for their own good. Few of them are believers, while most of them are evildoers. (Verse 110)

This verse describes the Muslim nation so that it becomes aware of its position, value and true nature. The first part of the verse imposes a very heavy duty on the Muslim community, while at the same time honouring and elevating it to a position which cannot be given to any other community: “You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God.” We note first that the reference to the Muslim community as one which “has been raised” is made in the passive voice. This suggests that a highly skilful hand has neatly moulded this community and brought it forth from behind the eternal curtain which covers things known only to God. The expression adopted here indicates a subtle and gentle movement which brings forth onto the stage of existence a whole nation which has a unique role to play and a special position to occupy.

“You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind.” The Muslim nation should understand this in order to know its position and its true nature. It should know that it has been raised specially for the purpose of assuming the leadership of mankind, since it is the best nation. God wants the leadership in this planet of ours to be assumed by the forces of goodness, not the forces of evil. It follows that it should never be in the recipient position, taking what other nations have to offer. It must be the one to offer to others whatever it has of sound ideology, philosophy, morality and knowledge, and of course its perfect system. This is the duty of the Muslim nation, imposed on it by its unique position and the purpose of its very existence. It is a duty on the Muslim nation to assume the leadership of mankind at all times. By assuming it, it also takes upon itself certain responsibilities. Leadership cannot be given to any nation which claims it, unless it proves that it is the worthy leader. By its ideology and social system, the Muslim community is worthy of this position.

What remains for it is to prove that in scientific advancement and in the fulfilment of man’s task of building the earth, it is also an able leader. It is clear then that the system which brings this nation into existence demands much from it and gives it the incentive to excel in every field, if only it would follow this system and appreciate its requirements and duties.

The first requirement is that the Muslim nation should work hard at protecting human life from evil. It must have the power to enable it to enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is, after all, the best nation ever raised for mankind. This position is not given to the Muslim community as the result of any favouritism, coincidence or random selection. Far be it from God to do that. Positions and duties are not given by God to different nations on the basis of any favouritism, as the people of earlier revelations were wont to believe, describing themselves as “God’s children and beloved people.” (Al-Mā’idah 5:18) The criterion which makes a certain community worthy of the position of leadership is its active work for the preservation of human life from evil and the promotion of what is right, in addition to its implementation of the faith which defines what is right and what is wrong: “You enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (Verse 110)

The position of leadership is thus earned through the active fulfilment of its tasks, heavy as they are, and through following the way defined for it, thorny as it may be.

In practical terms, it means standing up against evil, promoting every good and protecting society against all elements of corruption. All these are extremely hard tasks, but they are nevertheless necessary if a good human society is to be established and protected. There is no other way to bring about the type of society which God loves.

Belief in God is also necessary so that the community has a correct standard of values and a correct definition of what is right and what is wrong. What is socially agreed by a community is not enough. For it may happen that corruption becomes so widespread that standards are no longer correct or appropriate. Hence, reference must be made to a permanent concept of good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong. This concept should have as its basis something other than the social norms of any particular generation.

Belief in God provides all this, since it ensures a correct concept of the universe and the relationship between the Creator and His creation. It provides the correct concept of man, the purpose of his existence and his true position in the universe. It is from this general concept that moral values and principles should be derived. The desire to earn God’s pleasure and to avoid His displeasure motivates people to work for the implementation of these principles. They, in turn, are safeguarded by fear of God and by the authority of His law.

Belief in God is necessary for those who invite to all that is good, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, to proceed along their appointed course and bear all its difficulties and hardships. They have to face the tyranny of evil at its fiercest, the pressures of worldly desires at their strongest, as also complacency, weakness and narrow ambition. To do this, they have to be equipped with faith. It is their only weapon. Their support comes from God. Any other aid is exhaustible, any other weapon can be overpowered and any other support is liable to collapse.

Earlier in the sūrah, the Muslim community is described by God as having the necessary qualities to implement His Divine method. That community, however, does not come into existence by its own volition, but only when it possesses the essential qualities which distinguish it from the rest of mankind. It either invites to all that is good, enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong, in addition to believing in God; in this case it gives credence to its existence as a Muslim nation. Or, alternatively, it does not do any of this. In this case it is deemed not to have come into existence, and it loses its Islamic identity.

The Qur’ān stresses this in numerous places, each of which will be discussed in its appropriate context. The Sunnah also includes a number of such directives and commands by the Prophet, some of which may be quoted here:

Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī reports that he heard the Prophet saying: “Let any of you who sees something wrong put it right with his own hand. If he is unable to do so, let him change it by the word of his mouth. If he cannot do even that, then let him do it within himself. This is the weakest form of faith.” (Related by Muslim.)

Abū Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhī relate on the authority of Ibn Mas`ūd that the Prophet said: “When the children of Israel began to commit sins frequently, their scholars tried to dissuade them, but they persisted. Their scholars, nevertheless, continued to attend their social gatherings, and to eat and drink with them. God left them to stray and sealed their hearts. He also cursed them in the words of David, Solomon and Jesus, son of Mary.” The Prophet was saying this as he reclined, but at this point he sat up and said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, you must make them turn back to what is right.” Al-Tirmidhī relates on the authority of Ĥudhayfah that the Prophet said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, you will enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, or else, God will visit you with a punishment of His own. You will, then, pray to Him and He will not answer you.” God’s Messenger says: “When a sin is committed on earth, a person who witnesses it and denounces it is the same as one who has not seen it, and the one who has been absent and approves of it is considered like one who has taken part in it.” (Related by Abū Dāwūd.)

Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī quotes the Prophet as saying: “One of the highest forms of jihad is to confront a despotic ruler with the word of truth.” (Related by Abū Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhī.)

Jābir quotes the Prophet as saying: “The best of all martyrs is Ĥamzah and a man who stands up to a despotic ruler, enjoins him to do what is right and forbids him what is wrong, and is, therefore, killed by that ruler.” The Prophet stresses this quality of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong in many other hadīths, all of which establish beyond any shadow of doubt that it is a prerequisite for the Muslim community. The Sunnah contains a wealth of directives which provide the best education for the Muslim community.

Unfortunately, however, we tend not to give the Sunnah its true value.

They cannot harm you beyond causing you some trifling hurt; and if they fight against you, they will turn their backs upon you in flight. Then they will receive no help. Ignominy shall be pitched over them wherever they may be, save when they have a bond with God and a bond with men. They have incurred the wrath of God and humiliation shall overshadow them. That is because they persisted in denying God’s revelations and killing the Prophets against all right. That is because they persisted in their disobedience and transgression. (Verses 111-12)

Its unique qualities make the Muslim community the best nation ever to be raised for mankind. Having outlined these qualities of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing in God, the verse goes on to explain that to have faith is better for people: “Had the people of earlier revelations believed, it would have been for their own good. Few of them are believers, while most of them are evildoers.” (Verse 110)

This serves as an encouragement to the people of earlier revelations to accept the faith of Islam, because such acceptance works for their own good in this life and in the life to come. By accepting the faith they overcome their division over ideological concepts, which has robbed them of any chance to establish their own distinctive character. Their concepts cannot serve as the basis for a social system. Hence, their social systems have no firm foundation. This is indeed true of any social system which is not based on an ideology that provides an overall view of existence, of the purpose of human existence, as well as man’s position in the universe. To believe in God works for their own good in the life to come, since it is the only means to spare them the fate of the unbelievers.

The same verse describes their attitude, giving the good ones among them due credit: “Few of them are believers, while most of them are evildoers.“ A number of the people of earlier revelations accepted Islam at the time of the Prophet and became good Muslims. Among them were `Abdullāh ibn Sallām, Asad ibn `Ubayd, Tha`labah ibn Shu`bah and Ka`b ibn Mālik. This verse makes a general reference to them whilst a more detailed reference is given later. Most of them, however, chose the evil way of not fulfilling the covenant God made with all prophets, which stated that every one of them would believe in and support the prophet God sent after him.

They also chose evil when they refused to submit to His will that the last of His messengers would not be from among the Israelites. They rejected this messenger and declined to submit to God’s law embodied in His last message, which He has made applicable to all mankind.

Since some of the Muslims at that time retained various links with the Jews in Madinah, and since the Jews still possessed military and economic power which some Muslims felt to be considerable, the Qur’ān deliberately sets out to belittle those evildoers. The Qur’ān shows their true weakness which results from their disbelief, their repeated crimes and disobedience, their division, and the consequent ignominy and humiliation imposed on them by God. It also states God’s guarantee to the believers that they will be victorious over these enemies, provided that they themselves hold fast to their faith and believe in God.

They cannot harm you beyond causing you some trifling hurt: and if they fight against you they will turn their backs upon you in flight. Then they will receive no help. (Verse 111)

The harm they may inflict will never be enough to trouble the Islamic message. It will never affect the basic structure of the Muslim community or wipe it out. The most they can inflict on the Muslims is the sort of trifling hurt which is bound to happen in any open conflict. It is nothing more than a superficial pain which disappears with time. When they fight against the Muslims, defeat is their ultimate outcome. They can never be triumphant over the believers. Moreover, they will have no help against, nor protection from the believers. The reason is that ignominy has been imposed on them as their fate. They are humiliated everywhere in the world.

The only protection they have is that which they receive when they seek refuge with God and with the Muslims.

When they choose to come under the protection of the Muslims, their lives and their property become immune, except under the normal working of the law, and they enjoy peace and security. Since that time, the Jews have never enjoyed true security except when they have enjoyed the protection of the Muslims. Yet they themselves have shown their utmost hostility to the Muslims. “They have incurred the wrath of God,” as if they have returned from their journey burdened with this wrath.

“And humiliation shall overshadow them,” remaining forever in their hearts and feelings.

All this took place after this verse was sent down. Whenever a battle flared up between the Muslims and people of earlier revelations, victory was always achieved by the Muslims, provided that they held fast to their faith and implemented God’s law in their lives. Their enemies always suffered ignominy and humiliation except when they were able to establish a bond with the Muslims or when the Muslims abandoned their religion.

The Qur’ān states the reason for the fate so imposed on the Jews. It is a general reason, the effect of which may be applicable to every nation, no matter how strongly it professes to be religious. The simple reason is their disobedience and transgression:

“That is because they persisted in denying God’s revelations and killing the prophets against all right. That is because they persisted in their disobedience and transgression.” (Verse 112)

Denying God’s revelation, whether it is an attitude adopted outright or a refusal to implement it practically, the killing of prophets without any justification and the killing of people who enjoin fairness and justice (as mentioned in another verse of the sūrah), as well as disobedience and transgression, are all reasons for incurring God’s wrath and bringing about defeat, ignominy and humiliation upon oneself. These reasons are still present today among the lost offspring of the Muslims who call themselves, without justification, Muslims. They present these very qualifications to their Lord and they get their fair reward: they receive all that God has imposed on the Jews of defeat, ignominy and humiliation. Some of them may well ask: why do we suffer defeat when we are Muslims? Let those who pose such a question first reflect on what the true nature of Islam is, and who are the true Muslims?

They are not all alike. Of the people of earlier revelations there are some upright people who recite the revelations of God in the depth of the night, and prostrate themselves in worship. They believe in God and the Last Day and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong and vie with one another in doing good works. These belong to the righteous. Whatever good they do, they shall never be denied its reward. God knows those who fear Him. As for the unbelievers, neither their riches nor their children will avail them in any way against God. It is they who are destined for the fire, where they will abide. Whatever they spend in this present life is like a biting, icy wind which smites the tilth of people who have wronged themselves, laying it to waste.

It is not ‘God Who does them wrong; they wrong themselves. (Verses 113-17)

Here the sūrah reassures the good minority among the people of earlier revelations who take faith seriously. They are again singled out for praise. The passage begins with a statement that the people of earlier revelations are not all alike. Some of them are true believers. Their attitude to faith and to God is described as that of true believers. This merits them the same reward which God gives to His righteous servants.

It is a bright picture of the true believers among the people who received Divine revelations in the past. Their faith is genuine, profound, and complete. They have made their stand clear. They have joined the ranks of those who surrender themselves to God and defend this faith with all the power they possess. They believe in God and the Last Day. Moreover, they fulfil the duties required of them by their faith and give practical effect to the characteristics of the community which they have joined, the best community ever raised for mankind. They desire every good thing. They enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong. They have set themselves a goal and they compete with one another for its achievement. That goal is to do good works. Hence, they merit this testimony that is given from on high stating that they belong to the righteous. They also have the promise, which never fails, that they will not be denied their reward. The verse adds that God, Who is aware of all things and all people, knows that they belong to that special group of people who genuinely fear Him.

This picture is raised in front of the eyes of those who wish to have a similar testimony and a similar promise. They have only to follow the same line and adopt the same attitude. They will then find its light spreading over the limitless horizon of their lives.

On the other side stand the unbelievers who will not benefit by their possessions or by their children. Nothing they may spend in this life for what they may consider to be a good cause will be of any avail to them. No reward is given them for it in the hereafter because it has not originated from the straight, constant line of goodness.

Every good thing must have its foundation in belief in God which combines a clear concept, a well-defined goal, and a straight uninterrupted line. If it does not, it is reduced to a passing whim or an impulsive desire. It has no clear basis and it is not related to an overall way of life.

As for the unbelievers, neither their riches nor their children will avail them in any way against God. It is they who are destined for the fire, where they will abide.

Whatever they spend in this present life is like a biting, icy wind which smites the tilth of people who have wronged themselves, laying it to waste. It is not God Who does them wrong; they wrong themselves. (Verses 116-17)

This is a moving, vivid scene, full of life, and drawn in the fine Qur’ānic style.

Their riches and their children will never protect them against God. They cannot be offered in ransom so that they escape punishment. They are destined for the fire of hell which will become their permanent abode. Whatever they spend of their money, even on causes which they believe to be good, is wasted. Nothing which does not have its foundation in faith can be good. The Qur’ān does not express the ideas it wants to convey in the same way as we would. Instead, it paints a scene full of life.

When we look up, we find a field ready to yield its crops. It is described as a tilth.

But suddenly the wind blows. It is a biting, icy wind. Its strong bite devastates all the tilth. The Arabic word used here sounds like a missile thrown with violence. Its onomatopoeia adds to its meaning. In a single moment, all the crops of that field are destroyed, laid to waste.

It is only a moment which changes everything. All this devastation happens before one can even draw one’s breath. Nothing is left. This is the Qur’ānic way of describing what the unbelievers spend on what may seem to be good causes and what they count as their blessings of riches and children. All will be laid to waste giving them no enjoyment and no reward. “It is not God Who does them wrong; they wrong themselves.” It is they who have abandoned the way of life which groups together every single aspect of goodness and righteousness and makes of them a straight, consistent line with a recognised motive and a clear goal. Goodness does not stem from a momentary thought, a vague desire or a sudden impulse.

It is they who have chosen to be in error and to break loose from the protection offered by their bond with God. If all their actions are wasted, including what they may spend on seemingly good causes, and if their tilth is devastated and they can benefit nothing by wealth or children, this is not an injustice inflicted on them by God. It is they who are unjust to themselves by virtue of the choice they have made.

What we have here, then, is a clear statement that no reward is given for any donation to any cause and no value is attached to any work unless it is clearly linked to the way of life based on faith, and unless it is motivated by faith. It is God Who makes this statement. It cannot be contradicted, then, by any man. No one may argue with this statement except those who argue against God’s revelation.

We have examined a long passage of this sūrah, starting with verse 93, which aims at explaining the nature of deviation in the behaviour of the people of earlier revelations. It lays bare their twisted arguments and exposes the evil designs they forge in order to undermine the Muslim community. It also issues directives to the Muslim community to discharge its duties paying no heed to the transgressors and their deviant arguments. At the end of this passage, a warning is issued to the Muslim community against establishing an intimate relationship with its natural enemies, the unbelievers, revealing its secrets to them and trusting them with its interests. This warning is presented in the form of a detailed picture which may be seen in every age and in every community. Today, those who claim to be Muslims and to be the people of the Qur’ān have overlooked this Qur’ānic picture. This has rebounded on them; hence the evil and humiliation they suffer today.

Believers, do not take for your intimate friends men other than your own folk. They will spare no effort to corrupt you. They love to see you in distress. Their hatred has already become apparent by [what they say with] their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is even much worse. We have made revelations plain to you, if you will only use your reason. See for yourselves how it is you who love them and they do not love you. You believe in all revelations. When they meet you they say: “We, too, are believers.” But when they find themselves alone, they bite their fingertips with rage against you. Say: ‘Perish in your rage. God is fully aware of what is in the hearts [of people].” When good fortune comes your way, it grieves them; and if evil befalls you, they rejoice. If you persevere and fear God, their machinations cannot harm you in any way. God encompasses all that they do. (Verses 118-20)

The picture so drawn in these three verses vividly delineates, with full details, people’s innermost thoughts. It records inner feelings and apparent reactions. It captures every little movement. It is a picture of a certain type of person who can be seen in every age, in every society, professing friendship with the Muslims when the Muslims are strong and victorious. Their claims, however, are belied by their every thought, every feeling and every organ. Muslims may be deceived by them, placing their trust in them when they wish nothing but trouble and confusion for the Muslims and spare no effort to inflict hardships on them. They most determinedly seek to undermine the Muslims, whenever they have a chance to do so, at any moment of day or night.

This remarkable picture drawn by the Qur’ān applies, in the first place, to those followers of earlier religions who lived close to the Muslim community in Madinah.

It depicts their strong hatred of Islam and the Muslims, as well as their treachery and evil schemes against the new Muslim community. Nonetheless, some Muslims continued to think well of these enemies of God. Such Muslims were very friendly towards them and even passed them information which should have been treated as secret, belonging only to the Muslim community. They developed close friendships and intimacy with them, which meant that they grossly underestimated the consequences of their friendly gestures. The Qur’ān, therefore, issues this warning so as to open the eyes of the Muslim community to the reality of the matter and to make it aware of the machinations of its natural enemies. This warning is not limited to any particular period of history. It applies at all times. It deals with a situation which may exist at any time, as it does indeed in our present time.

The Muslims though remain heedless of their Lord’s directive not to develop any intimate friendship with anyone other than their own people. All other people are inferior to the Muslims in their way of life, methods and nature. God tells the Muslims not to make any such people their advisors and confidants. Yet the Muslims do not heed this directive. They continue to refer to such people in every matter and situation and look up to them for guidance in every system, method and philosophy.

The Muslims, even nowadays, maintain their friendship with people who reject God and His Messenger. They pay little heed to God’s words which apply to them in the same way as they applied to the first Muslim community: “They love to see you in distress. Their hatred has already become apparent by [what they say with] their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is even much worse.” (Verse 118)

God also says to the Muslims: “See for yourselves how it is you who love them and they do not love you. You believe in all revelations. When they meet you they say: ‘We, too, are believers.’ But when they find themselves alone, they bite their fingertips with rage against you.” (Verse 119) God also points out to the Muslim community the true feelings of such people: “When good fortune comes your way, it grieves them; and if evil befalls you, they rejoice.” (Verse 120)

Time after time we go through bitter experiences but none of these seem to wake us up. Time after time we discover the unbelievers’ evil intentions, cleverly masked, but we do not seem to learn our lesson. Yet they make many slips of the tongue which reveal their deep hatred of Islam. This which cannot be dispelled by any measure of friendliness shown to them by the Muslims or by the tolerance Muslims are taught by their faith. But we nevertheless open our hearts to them and treat them as close friends throughout life. Our courtesy, or indeed our spiritual defeat, reaches such proportions that we even avoid mentioning our faith in front of them. We refrain from taking Islam for our way of life and we distort our own history so as to avoid any mention of past conflicts between our forefathers and those enemies who work for our ruin. It is only to be expected then that we receive the punishment of those who disobey God. It is only natural that we find ourselves weak, defenceless and humiliated, suffering the distress which they love to see us in, and weakened by the corruption they spare no effort to spread among us.

God’s revelations teach us, as they taught the first Muslim community, how to forestall the plots of the unbelievers, repel the harm they try to cause us and avoid the evil intentions they harbour against us and which they betray by what they say:

“If you persevere and fear God, their machinations cannot harm you in any way. God encompasses all that they do.” (Verse 120) The message is clear. We have to equip ourselves with perseverance and resolve and stand up to their might if they are powerful, and to their machinations and designs if they try to deceive us and sow division in our ranks. It is such perseverance and resolve which will set us on the road to success. The other requirement is to fear God alone and to watch Him alone.

It is through this fear of God that our hearts will establish our bond with Him, seeking no other bond and making no ties with anyone except on the basis of God’s Divine method. When a heart establishes its bond with God, it will look down upon every power other than His.

This, then, is the way: perseverance and fear of God, coupled with steadfastness and maintenance of the bond with God. Throughout their history, the Muslims have always been able to raise their heads high, achieve victory, repel the machinations of their enemies and achieve supremacy only when they fostered their bond with God alone and implemented His method in their lives. Conversely when the Muslims revive their bonds with their natural enemies who try in public and in private to suppress their faith, and when the Muslims listen to their advice and take friends, assistants and advisors from among them, then they always bring upon themselves defeat and subjugation. The unbelievers gain the upper hand and the Muslims are left humiliated, feeling regret when regret is of no use. History testifies to the fact that God’s words remain always true and His law is always operative. Anyone who overlooks God’s law, will be made to experience only humiliation and defeat.

Thus this passage ends, bringing the first section of the sūrah to its conclusion. The lesson has been driven home. We stand at the point which separates the Muslims from their enemies; a separation which is total, complete and final.

As we bring our own commentary on this passage to an end, we should note that Islam meets all this hostility with tolerance. It simply commands the Muslims not to take such people as their intimate friends. It does not, however, encourage a policy of measure for measure with the unbelievers. It does not require them to return the unbelievers’ hate, grudges and evil schemes with similar feelings and attitudes. It seeks only to provide protection for the Muslim community. It simply warns the Muslims of the danger presented by other people.

A Muslim treats all people with the tolerance characteristic of Islam. He is motivated by his love to do good to all mankind. He tries to foil the evil schemes of others against him, but he does not scheme against anyone. He does not harbour grudges although he takes care not to fall victim to other people’s grudges. Only when a Muslim faces aggression which aims to turn him away from his faith and from following and implementing the method of life God has laid down, is he required to fight back and break down all barriers which prevent people from following Divine guidance and implementing the Divine law. His fight is a struggle for the cause of God. It is not a fight in pursuit of revenge. He fights because he loves what is good for mankind, not because he nurses a grudge against those who have caused him harm. He struggles in order to remove the barriers which prevent the goodness of Islam from reaching mankind, not to win power and dominion over others. His aim is to implement the perfect system under which all mankind enjoy justice and peace. He is not after raising any national banner or building any empire.

Many a statement in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah confirm this fact. Furthermore, the history of the first Muslim community proves this.

This method of life is absolutely good. Only the enemies of mankind try to turn them away from it. It is those enemies who must be chased and kicked out of every position of leadership they occupy. This is the duty God imposes on the Muslim community. It once fulfilled it as it should be fulfilled. It is called upon to fulfil it all the time. Struggle under this banner and for the cause of God will continue until the Day of Judgement.