“Alif. Lām. Mīm.” These are three of the separate Arabic letters that occur at the beginning of some Qur’ānic sūrahs. In our view, they are meant to alert the audience to the fact that such letters are the material from which the divine book given to the Prophet, i.e. the Qur’ān, is made. They are familiar to the Arabs who use them to compose whatever ideas they wish to express. Yet they cannot compose anything like this divine book, because it is of no man’s composition; its author is God.

Sūrahs that start with such separate letters always speak about the Qur’ān, either immediately following these letters or later on, as is the case in the present sūrah.

Hence, we read in its verses: “Recite what has been revealed to you of the book.” (Verse 45) “Thus it is that We have revealed this book to you.” (Verse 47) “Never have you been able to read a book before this, nor have you ever been able to transcribe one with your right hand.” (Verse 48) “Is it not enough for them that We have revealed to you this book which is being read out to them?” (Verse 51) The fact that references to the Qur’ān and its inimitable style are invariably made in these sūrahs confirms our view concerning these separate letters.

Immediately after the opening, the sūrah begins speaking about faith and the hard test believers are subjected to in order to make their belief a reality. It mentions that it is through such testing that true believers are distinguished from liars: “Do people think that once they say: ‘We are believers’, they will be left alone and will not be put to a test? We certainly tested those who lived before them; and so most certainly God knows those who speak the truth and most certainly He knows those who are liars.” (Verses 2-3)

This is the first strong note made in the sūrah, given in the form of a rhetorical question about people’s concept of faith. They often imagine that it is merely a word they utter: “Do people think that once they say: ‘We are believers’, they will be left alone?” Belief is not a mere word we say; it is a reality that imposes duties, a trust that carries requirements and a struggle that demands patience and perseverance. It is not enough that people should claim to believe.

When they make this claim they are not left alone. They are subjected to tests so as to prove their sincerity and true metal, just as gold is tested with fire so as to separate it from any cheap elements. The Arabic word used here for test derives from the root fitnah, which imparts exactly this sense of being subjected to a test with all that this implies.

Such tests to prove people’s belief is a general and long established rule: “We certainly tested those who lived before them; and so most certainly God knows those who speak the truth and most certainly He knows those who are liars.” (Verse 3) God certainly knows what people harbour in their hearts before any test, but the test reveals, in practice, what is known to God, yet hidden from human knowledge. He thus makes people accountable for what they actually do, not for what He knows of their reality.

The third note the sūrah strikes is that of reassuring those who hope to meet with God and strengthening their bond with Him: “Whoever looks forward with hope to meeting God [let him be ready for it]; for the end set by God is bound to come. He alone hears all and knows all.” (Verse 5) Those who dearly hope to meet God should rest assured.

They should wait confidently for the fulfilment of His promise. They can look forward to it provided they do so with certitude. This is an inspiring image: a person of faith cherishing hopes and looking forward to the fulfilment of God’s promise. His aspiration is answered with confirmation of its truth. This is followed by the reassurance that God is fully aware of all their hopes: “He alone hears all and knows all.” (Verse 5)

Then the sūrah states to those believers who strive to fulfil the duties of faith, enduring all manner of hardship, that they only strive for themselves and for their own good. By doing so they have set their affairs on the right course. As for God, He needs no one: “Whoever strives hard [for God’s cause] does so for his own good. For certain, God is in no need of anything in all the worlds.” (Verse 6)

It is true that God has tested the believers and required them to strive hard so that they could endure adversity with patience, but all this is for their own good. It has ensured their benefit both in this world and in the life to come. Striving, or jihād, reinforces a person’s good elements, expands his horizons, makes him ready to sacrifice his life and possessions, as also enhances his best qualities and abilities. It does all this for the individual who strives, before it brings further benefits to the community of believers, improving its situation, establishing the truth within it, and making goodness overcome evil in its ranks.

“Whoever strives hard [for God’s cause] does so for his own good.” Let no one, then, stop midway through this process. Let no one stop to demand a price from God, holding what he did as a favour and feeling that his prize is overdue. God benefits nothing by anyone’s striving. He is in no need of people’s efforts. After all, human beings are weak, barely significant. “God is in no need of anything in all the worlds.” (Verse 6) It is God who grants a favour to those who strive, helping them in their efforts and establishing them in a position of power on earth. Furthermore, He will reward them well in the life to come: “As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We shall most certainly erase their bad deeds, and shall most certainly reward them in accordance with the best that they ever did.” (Verse 7)

Believers should remain reassured of their great reward. Let them, then, remain patient in adversity, fulfilling the requirements of their test, and persevering in their jihād. A great future and a goodly reward await them. This is sufficient for any believer, even though he may not enjoy justice in this present life.

The sūrah then refers to a type of test which we have already mentioned: that of ties and bonds with family and loved ones. It gives clear and decisive guidance in such a difficult situation:

We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: yet should they endeavour to make you associate as partner with Me something of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. It is to Me that you shall all return, when I shall inform you about all that you were doing [in life]. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We shall most certainly admit them among the righteous. (Verses 8-9)

Parents are the closest of all relatives. They give much to their children. Hence, to be kind to one’s parents is a duty required of everyone. Indeed parents must be treated with love, respect, and care. Yet when it comes to one’s duty towards God, they cannot be obeyed in opposition to Him: “We have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: yet should they endeavour to make you associate as partner with Me something of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them.” (Verse 8) The paramount bond is that with God. Hence, if one’s parents are unbelievers, they should be treated with care and kindness, but must not be obeyed or followed. Once this present life is over, all return to God: “It is to Me that you shall all return, when I shall inform you about all that you were doing [in life].” (Verse 8)

When judgement is made between believers and unbelievers, the former find themselves to be a closely knit unit even though they may have no blood relationship: “As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We shall most certainly admit them among the righteous.” (Verse 9) Thus, those who maintain their bond with God will be together in one community, as they are in reality. The bonds created by blood and marriage relations are no longer valid; they end when this present life comes to an end. Such bonds are accidental and carry no real substance because they are not linked to the strongest and unseverable bond, faith.

In explaining this verse, al-Tirmidhī reports that it was revealed in connection with Sa`d ibn Abī Waqqāş and his mother Ĥamnah bint Abī Sufyān. Sa`d was a very dutiful son. She asked him: ‘What is this religion you have embraced? By God, I will not eat or drink until you revert to your original religion, or else I die. You will then be in disgrace for the rest of time as you will be identified as ‘his mother’s killer’.” She did not eat or drink anything for one whole day. Sa`d came to her and said:

“Mother! If you had 100 souls and they die one by one, I will not abandon my religion. So you can eat or refuse to eat, as you please.” When she despaired of his response, she resumed eating. God then revealed this verse, ordering Muslims to be kind to their parents and to treat them with respect but not to obey them in disbelief.

Thus faith overcame the test of close relations, but kindness and dutifulness remained intact. A believer may be subjected to such a test at any time. When and if this does occur, God’s directive and Sa`d’s action provide proper guidance.

The sūrah then gives us an image of people who yield abjectly when they face oppression and injustice. Yet, when the going is easy, they make boastful claims:

Among people, there are those who say: ‘We believe in God,’ yet when any of them is made to suffer in God’s cause, he thinks that oppression by man is as grievous as God’s punishment. However, should help from your Lord be forthcoming, he is sure to say: ‘We have always been with you!’ Is not God filly aware of what is in the hearts of all creatures? Most certainly God knows those who truly believe and most certainly He knows those who are hypocrites. (Verses 10-11)

Such people declare their belief when things look bright and the future rosy. They think that accepting God’s faith is easy and that it does not constitute more than making the briefest of declarations. Yet, “when any of them is made to suffer in God’s cause,” on account of the declaration they made when everything seemed easy “he thinks that oppression by man is as grievous as God’s punishment.” Thus, they panic and their standards and values become confused. Their very faith is shaken. They imagine that nothing could be worse than the oppression they are suffering, not even God’s punishment in the life to come. They wonder why they should endure such endless suffering when God’s punishment could not be any worse. Thus do they equate hardship caused by man with God’s punishment; yet the latter is something which no one can estimate.

Such is the attitude of this type of person to the test when it takes the form of physical suffering. Nevertheless, when the situation alters somewhat in their favour, their fickleness is revealed for all to see: “should help from your Lord be forthcoming, he is sure to say: We have always been with you!” They claim to have always been with the believers despite their earlier desertion, cowardly betrayal and wrong judgement.

When better prospects arrive, everyone can make such boastful claims. Yet they are only yesterday’s cowards speaking about false heroics, saying to those who remained steadfast throughout: “We have always been with you.” “Is not God fully aware of what is in the hearts of all creatures?” He certainly knows what everyone harbours in their hearts and their innermost thoughts. He knows who is a true believer and who is a hypocrite. Who can deceive God or project a false image to Him? “Most certainly God knows those who truly believe and most certainly He knows those who are hypocrites.” (Verse 11) He will certainly expose them. After all, the test aimed to separate true believers from hypocrites.

We need to reflect a little on the accurate Qur’ānic description of the error such people make. It says that: “he thinks that oppression by man is as grievous as God’s punishment.” (Verse 10) Such error is not that they weaken and find themselves unable to endure any more. True believers may indeed weaken at some point, because human endurance has its limits. They do not, however, lose sight of the great gulf that separates what their tormentors can inflict on them and God’s grievous punishment. They never confuse this transitory world with that of immortality, not even when the torture and hardship visited upon them exceeds human endurance. A believer never loses the sense that God overpowers everything in the universe, not even when he is under the greatest pressure. This is the point that separates true believers from hypocrites.