Surah Ale-Imran (The Family Of Imran ) 3 : 160
Translations
Pickthall
Yusuf Ali
Qur'an Dictionary
Click word/image to view Qur'an Dictionary | ||
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Word | Arabic word | |
(3:160:1) |
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(3:160:2) yanṣur'kumu helps you |
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(3:160:3) l-lahu Allah |
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(3:160:4) |
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(3:160:5) ghāliba (can) overcome |
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(3:160:6) |
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(3:160:7) |
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(3:160:8) yakhdhul'kum He forsakes you |
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(3:160:9) |
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(3:160:10) |
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(3:160:11) alladhī the one who |
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(3:160:12) yanṣurukum can help you |
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(3:160:13) |
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(3:160:14) baʿdihi after Him |
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(3:160:15) |
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(3:160:16) l-lahi Allah |
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(3:160:17) falyatawakkali let put (their) trust |
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(3:160:18) l-mu'minūna the believers |
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Explanatory Note
In order to explain what placing one’s trust in God means, the sūrah clearly states that the power which determines victory or defeat is God’s. It is from Him that support should be sought and through His help defeat is avoided. Once the believers have made their preparations and mobilised all the forces they can muster, they turn to God for help, rely fully on Him and recognise that they have no say in determining the consequences. It is God’s will that determines the outcome: “If God helps you, none can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, then who is it that can help you beside Him? It is in God that the believers should place their trust.”
The Islamic concept of life demonstrates the perfect balance between asserting that God’s will is absolute in shaping all events and that it comes into operation through man’s own actions. The Divine law of nature establishes a cause and effect relationship in all matters, but causes do not initiate effects. The operative force is that of God, Who determines effects on the basis of causes according to His will. He then requires man to work hard, fulfil his duties, and meet his obligations. It is in relation to how far man discharges his responsibility that God determines the results. This means that results and consequences will always be dependent on God’s will, for it is He alone who brings them into being whenever and however He wills. An equilibrium is thus established between the basic concept of a Muslim and his actions. He works as hard as he can and knows that the results of his actions depend on God’s will. To him, there is no inevitability in the cause and effect relationship, because he does not claim that anything which God does is inevitable.
In the particular case of a military battle and its two possible results, victory or defeat, the sūrah refers Muslims to God’s will and reminds them of His might. If God helps them, then they cannot be overcome by any force, and if His help is not forthcoming, then they will not be able to find anyone to bring them victory. This is the absolute truth: there is no ability, power or will other than those of God, Who determines all events. This basic truth, however, does not exempt Muslims from following God’s method, obeying His directives and fulfilling their obligations, exerting all efforts and relying, after all that, on God alone: “It is in God that the believers should put their trust.” Thus, a Muslim does not seek anything from any source other than God. He has a direct relationship with the operative power in the universe, which means that he is in no need of help or protection from any other source. He relies totally on God to bring about events and results according to His wisdom. As for him, he accepts what God determines with total reassurance. This is a perfect bliss which no human
being can experience except through Islam.
Lessons/Reflections
- تذكر أن طلب النصر من غير الله خذلان، والمنصور من نصره الله، والمخذول من خذله الله عز وجل، ﴿ إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِ [Be the first to translate this....]
3. Surah Overview
“This Surah consists of four discourses:
- The first discourse (v. 1-32) was probably revealed soon after the Battle of Badr.
- The second discourse (v. 33-63) was revealed in 9 A.H. (After Hijrah - migration from Makkah to Madinah) on the occasion of the visit of the deputation from the Christians of Najran.
- The third discourse (v. 64-120) appears to have been revealed immediately after the first one.
- The fourth discourse (v. 121-200) was revealed after the Battle of Uhud.” [Mawdudi]
1. The Believers had met with all sorts of trials and hardships about which they had been forewarned in Al-Baqarah. Though they had come out victorious in the Battle of Badr they were not out of danger yet. Their victory had aroused the enmity of all those powers in Arabia which were opposed to the islamic Movement. Signs of threatening storms had begun to appear on all sides and the Muslims were in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety. It looked as if the whole Arabian world around the tiny state of Madinah - which was no more than a village state at that time - was bent upon blotting out its very existence. This state of war was also adversely affecting its economy which had already been badly disturbed by the influx of the Muslim refugees from Makkah.
2. Then there was the disturbing problem of the Jewish clans who lived in the suburbs of Madinah. They were discarding the treaties of alliance they had made with the Prophet after his migration from Makkah. So much so that on the occasion of the Battle of Badr these people of the Book sympathized with the evil aims of the idolaters in spite of the fact that their fundamental articles of Faith - Monotheism, Prophethood and Life-after-death - were the same as those of the Muslims. After the Battle of Badr they openly began to incite the Quraysh and other Arab clans to wreak their vengeance on the Muslims. Thus those Jewish clans set aside their centuries-old friendly and neighbourly relations with the people of Madinah. At last when their mischievous actions and breaches of treaties became unbearable the Prophet attacked the Bani-Qaynuqah, the most mischievous of all the other Jewish clans who had conspired with the hypocrites of Madinah and the idolatrous Arab clans to encircle the Believers on all sides. The magnitude of the peril might be judged from the fact that even the life of the Prophet himself was always in danger. Therefore his Companions slept in their armours during that period and kept watch at night to guard against any sudden attack and whenever the Prophet happened to be out of sight even for a short while they would at once set out in search of him.
3. This incitement by the Jews added fuel to the fire which was burning in the hearts of the Quraysh and they began to make preparations to avenge the defeat they had suffered at Badr. A year after this an army of 3000 strong marched out of Makkah to invade Madinah and a battle took place at the foot of Mount Uhud. The Prophet came out of Madinah with one thousand men to meet the enemy. While they were marching to the battlefield three hundred hypocrites deserted the army and returned to Madinah but there still remained a small band of hypocrites among the seven hundred who accompanied the Prophet. They played their part and did their utmost to create mischief and chaos in the ranks of the Believers during the Battle. This was the first clear indication of the fact that within the fold of the Muslim Community there was quite a large number of saboteurs who were always ready to conspire with the external enemies to harm their own brethren.
4. Though the devices of the hypocrites had played a great part in the set-back at Uhud, the weaknesses of the Muslims themselves contributed no less to it. And it was but natural that the Muslims should show signs of moral weakness for they were a new community which had only recently been formed on a new ideology and had not as yet got a thorough moral training. Naturally in this second hard test of their physical and moral strength some weaknesses came to the surface. That is why a detailed review of the Battle of Uhud was needed to warn the Muslims of their shortcomings and to issue instructions for their reform. It should also be noted that this review of the Battle is quite different from the reviews that are usually made by generals on similar occasions.
10. Wiki Forum
11. Tafsir Zone
Overview (Verses 160 - 161) When God’s Help Is Withdrawn In order to explain what placing one’s trust in God means, the sūrah clearly states that the power which determines victory or defeat is God’s. It is from Him that support should be sought and through His help defeat is avoided. Once the believers have made their preparations and mobilised all the forces they can muster, they turn to God for help, rely fully on Him and recognise that they have no say in determining the consequences. It is God’s will that determines the outcome: “If God helps you, none can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, then who is it that can help you beside Him? It is in God that the believers should place their trust.” (Verse 160) The Islamic concept of life demonstrates the perfect balance between asserting that God’s will is absolute in shaping all events and that it comes into operation through man’s own actions. The Divine law of nature establishes a cause and effect relationship in all matters, but causes do not initiate effects. The operative force is that of God, Who determines effects on the basis of causes according to His will. He then requires man to work hard, fulfil his duties, and meet his obligations. It is in relation to how far man discharges his responsibility that God determines the results. This means that results and consequences will always be dependent on God’s will, for it is He alone who brings them into being whenever and however He wills. An equilibrium is thus established between the basic concept of a Muslim and his actions. He works as hard as he can and knows that the results of his actions depend on God’s will. To him, there is no inevitability in the cause and effect relationship, because he does not claim that anything which God does is inevitable. In the particular case of a military battle and its two possible results, victory or defeat, the sūrah refers Muslims to God’s will and reminds them of His might. If God helps them, then they cannot be overcome by any force, and if His help is not forthcoming, then they will not be able to find anyone to bring them victory. This is the absolute truth: there is no ability, power or will other than those of God, Who determines all events. This basic truth, however, does not exempt Muslims from following God’s method, obeying His directives and fulfilling their obligations, exerting all efforts and relying, after all that, on God alone: “It is in God that the believers should put their trust.” (Verse 160) Thus, a Muslim does not seek anything from any source other than God. He has a direct relationship with the operative power in the universe, which means that he is in no need of help or protection from any other source. He relies totally on God to bring about events and results according to His wisdom. As for him, he accepts what God determines with total reassurance. This is a perfect bliss which no human being can experience except through Islam. The sūrah refers again to the moral qualities associated with the Prophet, in order to stress the importance of honesty and to forbid deceit and cheating. It reminds people that they will have to account for their deeds and that everyone will be given his fair reward: “It does not behove a prophet to act dishonestly, for he who acts dishonestly shall be faced with his dishonesty on the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will then be paid in full what he has earned, and none shall be wronged.” (Verse 161) One of the reasons which tempted the archers in the Battle of Uĥud to abandon their positions on top of the hill, was that they feared that the Prophet might not give them a share of the spoils of war. Some of the hypocrites had earlier suggested that a portion of the spoils of war the Muslims collected at Badr had disappeared. They were so impudent as to even mention the Prophet by name in this connection. Here, the sūrah delivers a general statement which makes it clear that no prophet could ever act dishonestly. No prophet would take money, or a portion of the spoils for himself or his family, or give one section of the army more of the spoils than another, or commit any deceitful action whatsoever: “It does not behove a prophet to act dishonestly.” This is inconceivable. Dishonesty is against the very nature of prophethood; it is repugnant to all prophets. The use of the negative here does not mean that it is not lawful for a prophet to act dishonestly, but to make it plain that it is both inconceivable and impossible that a prophet would ever do so. A prophet is by nature honest, just and well-contented. Hence, to be dishonest is to act against his own nature. It is perhaps useful to add that according to the reading of Imām Al- Ĥasan al-Başrī of this verse, the passive voice is used here, which means that it is totally unlawful that a prophet should be deceived, or that his followers allow themselves to hide something from him. This interpretation fits perfectly with the rest of the verse. Those who are dishonest and try to take something which belongs to the public treasury, or keep for themselves what booty they may be able to lay their hands upon, are issued with this fearful warning: “He who acts dishonestly shall be faced with his dishonesty on the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will then be paid in full what he has earned, and none shall be wronged.” Imām Ahmad relates that God’s Messenger appointed a man called Ibn al- Lutaibah, from the tribe of Azd, to collect zakāt. When he had completed his mission, he came back and said: “This belongs to you, and this has been given to me as a gift.” God’s Messenger said from the pulpit: “How is it that a person whom we send to complete a certain assignment says: ‘This belongs to you and this I have been given as a gift?’ Let him stay in his parents’ home and find out whether any gift will be given to him? By Him Who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand, anyone of you who does this will come on the Day of Resurrection carrying that thing on his shoulders, even though it may be a camel, a cow or a lamb making its particular noise.” The Prophet then lifted his hands until his armpits were visible and said: “My Lord, have I conveyed Your message?” He repeated this three times. (Related by Al- Bukhārī and Muslim.) Abū Umayyah reports: God’s Messenger mentioned dishonesty as he was addressing us. He described how serious it was, and said: “Let me not see anyone of you on the Day of Resurrection carrying on his shoulder a camel making noise, and say: ‘Messenger of God, help me.’ I will then say to him: ‘I have no power to help you against God’s judgement. I have conveyed to you God’s orders.’ Let me not see any one of you come on the Day of Resurrection carrying a snorting horse on his shoulders, appealing to me: “Messenger of God, help me.’ I will say to him: ‘I cannot help you against God’s judgement. I have conveyed to you His orders.’ Let me not see anyone of you on the Day of Resurrection carrying a dumb load of gold and silver on his shoulders and appealing to me: ‘Messenger of God help me.’ I will say to him: ‘I cannot help you against God’s judgement. I have conveyed to you His orders.” (Related by Al-Bukhārī, Muslim and Ahmad.) The Prophet is reported to have said: “Anyone who does an assignment for us and conceals even a needle, or anything bigger, acts dishonestly. He will be faced with his dishonesty on the Day of Judgement.” A black man from the Anşār (whose name is, according to Mujāhid, Sa`d ibn `Ubādah) said: “Messenger of God, accept from me what you have assigned to me.” The Prophet said: “What do you mean?” He said: “I have heard what you have just said.” The Prophet said: “And I repeat it entirely: Whoever does an assignment for us, let him bring it all, big or small. Let him take what he is given and leave alone what he is not given.” (Related by Muslim, Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd.) This Qur’ānic verse, in conjunction with the Prophet’s hadīths, has worked wonders in the moulding of the Muslim community, and made it unique in the value it attaches to honesty and the repugnance with which it views deceit and cheating. An ordinary Muslim may, in war, lay his hand on something valuable when no one is watching him. If he does, he should take it to his commander, entertaining no thought of keeping it for himself, so that he does not expose himself to what this Qur’ānic verse says, and so that he does not meet the Prophet on the Day of Resurrection in such a shameful condition. To a Muslim, the hereafter is a reality. He cannot see himself coming face to face with the Prophet and standing in front of God, as the Prophet has described. Hence, he knows that this will not happen. This is the secret of his scrupulous nature. The hereafter is to him part of the reality he lives, not a remote promise or threat. He entertains no doubt that everyone will be rewarded for what he does, and that everyone will be paid in full what they earn. In his comprehensive book on history, Al-Ţabarī reports that when the Muslims conquered Al-Madā’in and collected the spoils of war, a man came with something to give to the one in charge of those spoils. He and his assistants said: “We have never seen anyone like this man. None of our people can be compared to him.” They asked him: “Have you taken any part of it for yourself?” The man answered: “By God, had it not been for my fear of God, I would not have given it to you.” They asked him his name, but he said: “I am not telling you or anyone else my name in order to be praised. I praise God and I am content with His reward.” When he left, they sent one of them to follow him until he arrived in his camp. He enquired about him and they learnt that he was called `Āmir ibn `Abd Qais. After the Battle of Qādisiyyah, the spoils of war were sent to `Umar in Madinah. Included in them was the crown of the Persian Emperor and his throne. They were priceless. `Umar looked at them happily and said: “Soldiers who tender this to their ruler are certainly honest.” This is how Islam moulded the Muslim community. When we hear such stories, we may think them legends. But the fact is that there is no legend in all this; it was the plain reality. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 160 - 161) When God’s Help Is Withdrawn In order to explain what placing one’s trust in God means, the sūrah clearly states that the power which determines victory or defeat is God’s. It is from Him that support should be sought and through His help defeat is avoided. Once the believers have made their preparations and mobilised all the forces they can muster, they turn to God for help, rely fully on Him and recognise that they have no say in determining the consequences. It is God’s will that determines the outcome: “If God helps you, none can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, then who is it that can help you beside Him? It is in God that the believers should place their trust.” (Verse 160) The Islamic concept of life demonstrates the perfect balance between asserting that God’s will is absolute in shaping all events and that it comes into operation through man’s own actions. The Divine law of nature establishes a cause and effect relationship in all matters, but causes do not initiate effects. The operative force is that of God, Who determines effects on the basis of causes according to His will. He then requires man to work hard, fulfil his duties, and meet his obligations. It is in relation to how far man discharges his responsibility that God determines the results. This means that results and consequences will always be dependent on God’s will, for it is He alone who brings them into being whenever and however He wills. An equilibrium is thus established between the basic concept of a Muslim and his actions. He works as hard as he can and knows that the results of his actions depend on God’s will. To him, there is no inevitability in the cause and effect relationship, because he does not claim that anything which God does is inevitable. In the particular case of a military battle and its two possible results, victory or defeat, the sūrah refers Muslims to God’s will and reminds them of His might. If God helps them, then they cannot be overcome by any force, and if His help is not forthcoming, then they will not be able to find anyone to bring them victory. This is the absolute truth: there is no ability, power or will other than those of God, Who determines all events. This basic truth, however, does not exempt Muslims from following God’s method, obeying His directives and fulfilling their obligations, exerting all efforts and relying, after all that, on God alone: “It is in God that the believers should put their trust.” (Verse 160) Thus, a Muslim does not seek anything from any source other than God. He has a direct relationship with the operative power in the universe, which means that he is in no need of help or protection from any other source. He relies totally on God to bring about events and results according to His wisdom. As for him, he accepts what God determines with total reassurance. This is a perfect bliss which no human being can experience except through Islam. The sūrah refers again to the moral qualities associated with the Prophet, in order to stress the importance of honesty and to forbid deceit and cheating. It reminds people that they will have to account for their deeds and that everyone will be given his fair reward: “It does not behove a prophet to act dishonestly, for he who acts dishonestly shall be faced with his dishonesty on the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will then be paid in full what he has earned, and none shall be wronged.” (Verse 161) One of the reasons which tempted the archers in the Battle of Uĥud to abandon their positions on top of the hill, was that they feared that the Prophet might not give them a share of the spoils of war. Some of the hypocrites had earlier suggested that a portion of the spoils of war the Muslims collected at Badr had disappeared. They were so impudent as to even mention the Prophet by name in this connection. Here, the sūrah delivers a general statement which makes it clear that no prophet could ever act dishonestly. No prophet would take money, or a portion of the spoils for himself or his family, or give one section of the army more of the spoils than another, or commit any deceitful action whatsoever: “It does not behove a prophet to act dishonestly.” This is inconceivable. Dishonesty is against the very nature of prophethood; it is repugnant to all prophets. The use of the negative here does not mean that it is not lawful for a prophet to act dishonestly, but to make it plain that it is both inconceivable and impossible that a prophet would ever do so. A prophet is by nature honest, just and well-contented. Hence, to be dishonest is to act against his own nature. It is perhaps useful to add that according to the reading of Imām Al- Ĥasan al-Başrī of this verse, the passive voice is used here, which means that it is totally unlawful that a prophet should be deceived, or that his followers allow themselves to hide something from him. This interpretation fits perfectly with the rest of the verse. Those who are dishonest and try to take something which belongs to the public treasury, or keep for themselves what booty they may be able to lay their hands upon, are issued with this fearful warning: “He who acts dishonestly shall be faced with his dishonesty on the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will then be paid in full what he has earned, and none shall be wronged.” Imām Ahmad relates that God’s Messenger appointed a man called Ibn al- Lutaibah, from the tribe of Azd, to collect zakāt. When he had completed his mission, he came back and said: “This belongs to you, and this has been given to me as a gift.” God’s Messenger said from the pulpit: “How is it that a person whom we send to complete a certain assignment says: ‘This belongs to you and this I have been given as a gift?’ Let him stay in his parents’ home and find out whether any gift will be given to him? By Him Who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand, anyone of you who does this will come on the Day of Resurrection carrying that thing on his shoulders, even though it may be a camel, a cow or a lamb making its particular noise.” The Prophet then lifted his hands until his armpits were visible and said: “My Lord, have I conveyed Your message?” He repeated this three times. (Related by Al- Bukhārī and Muslim.) Abū Umayyah reports: God’s Messenger mentioned dishonesty as he was addressing us. He described how serious it was, and said: “Let me not see anyone of you on the Day of Resurrection carrying on his shoulder a camel making noise, and say: ‘Messenger of God, help me.’ I will then say to him: ‘I have no power to help you against God’s judgement. I have conveyed to you God’s orders.’ Let me not see any one of you come on the Day of Resurrection carrying a snorting horse on his shoulders, appealing to me: “Messenger of God, help me.’ I will say to him: ‘I cannot help you against God’s judgement. I have conveyed to you His orders.’ Let me not see anyone of you on the Day of Resurrection carrying a dumb load of gold and silver on his shoulders and appealing to me: ‘Messenger of God help me.’ I will say to him: ‘I cannot help you against God’s judgement. I have conveyed to you His orders.” (Related by Al-Bukhārī, Muslim and Ahmad.) The Prophet is reported to have said: “Anyone who does an assignment for us and conceals even a needle, or anything bigger, acts dishonestly. He will be faced with his dishonesty on the Day of Judgement.” A black man from the Anşār (whose name is, according to Mujāhid, Sa`d ibn `Ubādah) said: “Messenger of God, accept from me what you have assigned to me.” The Prophet said: “What do you mean?” He said: “I have heard what you have just said.” The Prophet said: “And I repeat it entirely: Whoever does an assignment for us, let him bring it all, big or small. Let him take what he is given and leave alone what he is not given.” (Related by Muslim, Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd.) This Qur’ānic verse, in conjunction with the Prophet’s hadīths, has worked wonders in the moulding of the Muslim community, and made it unique in the value it attaches to honesty and the repugnance with which it views deceit and cheating. An ordinary Muslim may, in war, lay his hand on something valuable when no one is watching him. If he does, he should take it to his commander, entertaining no thought of keeping it for himself, so that he does not expose himself to what this Qur’ānic verse says, and so that he does not meet the Prophet on the Day of Resurrection in such a shameful condition. To a Muslim, the hereafter is a reality. He cannot see himself coming face to face with the Prophet and standing in front of God, as the Prophet has described. Hence, he knows that this will not happen. This is the secret of his scrupulous nature. The hereafter is to him part of the reality he lives, not a remote promise or threat. He entertains no doubt that everyone will be rewarded for what he does, and that everyone will be paid in full what they earn. In his comprehensive book on history, Al-Ţabarī reports that when the Muslims conquered Al-Madā’in and collected the spoils of war, a man came with something to give to the one in charge of those spoils. He and his assistants said: “We have never seen anyone like this man. None of our people can be compared to him.” They asked him: “Have you taken any part of it for yourself?” The man answered: “By God, had it not been for my fear of God, I would not have given it to you.” They asked him his name, but he said: “I am not telling you or anyone else my name in order to be praised. I praise God and I am content with His reward.” When he left, they sent one of them to follow him until he arrived in his camp. He enquired about him and they learnt that he was called `Āmir ibn `Abd Qais. After the Battle of Qādisiyyah, the spoils of war were sent to `Umar in Madinah. Included in them was the crown of the Persian Emperor and his throne. They were priceless. `Umar looked at them happily and said: “Soldiers who tender this to their ruler are certainly honest.” This is how Islam moulded the Muslim community. When we hear such stories, we may think them legends. But the fact is that there is no legend in all this; it was the plain reality. |