The Holy Quran Text. Translation & Commentary (volume One)

Don't Take the Strangers As Confidant (verse No. 118)

The argument continues with Muslim's relations with the other nations. Here by a fine hint, the verse warns Muslims that: ``O, you who believe! Do not take for intimate friends those who are not believers like yourselves, because such a friendship prevents them not to ruin and spoil you! They desire to see you in trouble and affliction. Hatred has already been revealed through their mouths, and what they have concealed in their hearts against you is far greater than that!'' VERSE NO. 119

``You Muslims do love them for different reasons, but they don't really love you. You do believe in the complete revelations, and in the whole of the BOOK OF GOD, but they only have a part of the revelations in their hands.'' Then in order to throw off their mask and show their real face and feature to Muslims, it says: ``When they meet you, they claim to be believers just as you are, but when they are alone, they bite their finger tips due to their wrath and rage!'' VERSE NO. 120

And through this verse, another sign of their hatred and enmity has been stated:

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``If something good, such as victory befalls you, it will grieve them, but, if a calamity or misfortune or anything bad befalls you they rejoice at it, and yet they pretend to be your intimate friends. But if you Muslim be patient and stand firm against their hostilities and fear God, they cannot hurt you for the least, because God encompasses whatever they do.''

وَإِذْ غَدَوْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ تُبَوِّىءُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَقَـاعِدَ لِلْقِتَالِ وَاللهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (( 121 )) 121- AND REMEMBER WHEN YOU LEFT YOUR HOUSEHOLD AT DAWN TO LODGE THE BELIEVERS TO THEIR BATTLEPOSTS, AND ALLAH IS ALL-HEARING, ALL-KNOWING

إذْ هَمَّت طَّآئفَتَانِ مِنكُمْ أَن تَفْشَلاَ وَاللهُ وَلِيُّهُمَا وَعَلَى اللهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ(( 122 )) 122- AND WHEN TWO PARTIES OF YOU BECAME FAINT- HEARTED (AND DECIDED TO LEAVE THE BATTLE - FIELD AND GO AWAY) AND ALLAH WAS THEIR GUARDIAN (AND HELPED THEM TO CHANGE THEIR MIND AND STAY FIRM) AND IN ALLAH, THE BELIEVERS PUT THEIR TRUSTS.

THE COMMENTARY VERSE NO. 121 & 122

These verses point at a very important incident of the history of Islam, which is the battle of OHUD. It was indeed a great testing event for the young Muslim's community. The prophet is addressed here: ``And remember when you left your family in the early morning, (OF 7th SHAWAL A.H.3 = JANUARY 625) in order to station the believers in their battle- posts, while Allah was hearing your arguments and knew your situation.'' It then states that two parties of the Muslims - most probably

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BANU SALAMA and BANU HARITHA - wavered and became faint-hearted, but they soon collected their vital power under the prophet's inspiration. They thought for a while to leave the field and go back to Medina. They might have been of those group who had the idea of staying in the town for defence; but the prophet had finally decided to go out and confront the enemy outside the town. So these two groups wavered for a while, but very soon they managed to control their weakness and wavering, and they stood firmly against the enemy in the battle field of OHUD.

وَلَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللهُ بِبَدْر وَأَنتُمْ أَذِلَّةٌ فَاتَّقُواْ اللهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (( 123 )) 123- AND ALLAH HELPED YOU AT BADR AND YOU WERE WEAK. (RELATIVE TO YOUR ENEMY) THEN BEWARE OF ALLAH THAT YOU MAY GIVE THANKS.

إِذْ تَقُولُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَلَن يَكْفِيَكُمْ أَن يُمِدَّكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِثَلَـثَةِ ءَالَـف مِّنَ الْمَلاَئكَةِ مُنزَلِينَ (( 124 )) 124- AND WHEN YOU SAID TO THE BELIEVERS: ``IS IT NOT ENOUGH THAT YOUR LORD SHALL ASSIST YOU WITH THREE THOUSANDS OF THE ANGELS SENT DOWN?

بَلَى إِن تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ وَيَأْتُوكُم مِّن فَوْرِهِمْ هَـذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِخَمْسَةِ ءَالَـف مِّن الْمَلاَئكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ (( 125 )) 125- YEA! (TO - DAY TOO) IF YOU REMAIN FIRM AND AVOID EVIL, AND IF THE FOE SHOULD SUDDENLY ATTACK YOU YOUR LORD WILL ASSIST YOU WITH FIVE THOUSANDS ANGELS WHO CARRY MARKS WITH THEM.

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ اللهُ إِلاَّ بُشْرَى لَكُمْ وَلِتَطْمَئنَّ قُلُوبُكُم بِهِ وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلاَّ مِنْ عِندِ اللهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ (( 126 )) [ 409 ]

126- AND ALLAH DID NOT THAT SAVE AS A GLAD TIDING FOR YOU, AND TO ASSURE YOUR HEARTS. AND THERE IS NO VICTORY EXCEPT FROM ALLAH, THE EXALTED, THE WISE. لِيَقْطَعَ طَرَفاً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْ يَكْبِتَهُمْ فَيَنقَلِبُواْ خَآئبِينَ(( 127 )) 127- THAT HE MAY CUT OFF THE FLANK OF THE UNBELIEVER OR ABASE THEM; SO THAT THEY RETURN IN DESPAIR.

THE COMMENTARY VERSE NO. 123

From here on, there are the verses to hearten and encourage, and to inspire hope to a people who have been defeated in a battle for their want of discipline and their disobedience: ``Allah helped you and gave you victory at BADR, when you were weaker in power, equipment, and man power, than your enemy. You were only 313 men, while your foe was more than a thousand. You were ill-equipped and your enemy was well-equipped.'' Had you learned true lesson from your victory at BADR, your archers here would not leave their appointed battle - posts, making way for the enemy to attack you from the rear: ``Then beware of Allah and do not repeat such disorder and disobedience.'' VERSE NO. 124

And also remember that angels were sent down to help you in the battle of Badr: ``When you said to the believers; Does it not suffice you that your Lord shall assist you with three thousands of the angels sent down?! VERSE NO. 125

Also in this battle of Ohud, if you be patient and stay firm, and avoid evil, Allah may sent down five thousands of the angels marked down to help you.

[ 410 ] VERSE NO. 126

Whatever happens, whether the fight is won by miracles and with the help of the angels, or else by natural means, medium, and equipments; all the helps proceeds from God: ``Allah did not send down the angels except for a glad-tiding and in order to assure your hearts, and preventing you from wavering. So, you should not think that your own power and resources have changed the field and situation. God will help those who help themselves through constancy, courage, and discipline.''

VERSE NO. 127

Here the result of the descent of the angels and their help is pointed to, saying: ``So that Allah may cut off a flank or a part of the unbelievers which probably may mean the chief of the Mecca idolaters, who had come so long a distance to annihilate the Muslim young community; and so savagely they and their women, with utmost cruelty mutilated by the Muslims corpse on the battle-field!'' As to the kind of help given by the angels we shall give detail when commenting S-8: 7-12