Overview (Verse 76)

Satan’s Feeble Cunning
 
Then follows another psychological touch to inspire enthusiasm and vigour, and to define the values and objectives for which each side is fighting. “Those who believe fight in the cause of God, and those who reject the faith fight in the cause of evil. Fight, then, against the friends of Satan. Feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.” (Verse 76)
 
In one stroke, people are set apart, lines are drawn and objectives are clearly identified, as mankind are divided into two distinct and separate camps. “Those who believe fight in the cause of God...” and “... those who reject the faith fight in the cause of evil.” (Verse 76)
 
Believers fight in order to uphold God’s order and establish His laws and justice “among people” in the name of God Almighty, rather than under any other banner. They acknowledge and attest that God alone is the Lord and, therefore, He is the Ruler.
 
Unbelievers, however, fight in the cause of evil, advocating various ideologies and legal systems, other than that of God Almighty. They uphold various values and standards that are different from those laid down by God. In this contest, the believers stand supported and protected by God. The unbelievers, with their various beliefs, ideologies, values, and methods, rely on Satan’s protection and support. Collectively, they are his followers and supporters.
 
God instructs the believers to confront Satan’s supporters and not be afraid of their power or cunning: “Fight, then, against the friends of Satan. Feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.” (Verse 76)
 
Thus, Muslims stand on solid ground with their backs well protected. They are confident that they are fighting God’s battle, from which they expect no personal, national, racial or ethnic gain or favour. It is a fight that is purely dedicated to God and His way of life. They are also convinced that they are facing enemies who are in the wrong and who are fighting to replace truth with falsehood. Enemies who are seeking to impose non-Islamic laws and systems — and all human systems are non- Islamic — instead of those of God Almighty. They advocate human injustice — and all human dominance is unjust — in place of God’s justice which they are instructed to establish in society.
 
Muslims go into battle with the confidence that God is supporting them and that their enemies are feeble because they are supported by Satan, and Satan’s powers are weak. Thus, the outcome of the battle becomes clear in the believer’s mind. Its conclusion is settled before it even starts. If, subsequently, a believer is martyred, he is happy with the outcome, or if he triumphs and lives to see victory with his own eyes, he is likewise assured of a great reward.
 
Such understanding of the reality of the situation, in both cases of victory or defeat, has been the source of many miraculous experiences on the battlefield both by the first Muslim generation and throughout Islam’s history. There is no need to cite any specific incidents here, for they are noted and well documented elsewhere. Nonetheless, such understanding was in part responsible for the Muslim successes over their enemies, already referred to in this volume, brought about by upholding the Divine order. The establishment of this concept represents some of the effort the Qur’ān devotes to the education and enlightenment of the early Muslims as it guides them through their confrontations with their more powerful enemies. Those possessed material and arms superiority but were weak and backward in their understanding and concepts, and so were overcome.
 
This task, as we can see, was not easy and was certainly not achieved by mere words. It was a persistent, relentless effort aimed at defeating selfishness and love of life, regardless of the price. Furthermore, it aimed at correcting people’s misconceptions of gain and loss.