Overview (Verses 71 - 72)

The Believers’ Dwelling Place

In contrast to the unbelievers and the hypocrites stand the true believers. They are characterized by their totally different nature, different behaviour and different destiny: “The believers, men and women, are friends to one another: they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; they attend to their prayers, and pay their zakāt, and obey God and His Messenger. It is on these that God will have mercy. Surely, God is Almighty, Wise. God has promised the believers, men and women, gardens through which running waters flow, where they will abide, and goodly dwellings in the garden of Eden. Yet God’s acceptance is the greatest blessing of all. This is indeed the supreme triumph.” (Verses 71-72)

While the hypocrites are all of a kind, having the same characteristics, the believers are by nature a community united in furthering every good thing and promoting what is right. Despite having the same qualities, the hypocrites cannot achieve a status of friends or community. That requires mutual solidarity which is alien to the nature of hypocrisy. Such solidarity cannot be achieved even within a group of hypocrites, who remain weak individuals, despite their identical qualities and behaviour. The Qur’ān points this out in describing both groups: “The hypocrites, both men and women, are all of a kind.” (Verse 67) “The believers, men and women, are friends to one another.” (Verse 71) An individual believer has the same qualities of the community, where the values of solidarity and mutual care are upheld to promote what is good and prevent what is wrong: “They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (Verse 71)

To achieve the goals of promoting what is good, enjoining what is right and fighting what is wrong and evil requires close ties within the community, mutual solidarity and true co-operation. Thus the community stands united allowing no divisive element to have any influence on it.

Whenever division appears within the community, it must be a signal pointing to the existence of a strange factor which is alien to its nature and its faith. There must be a purpose or an ailment which prevents the first characteristic of the Muslim community from taking root. That characteristic is described by God, the All- knowing who is aware of all details: “The believers, men and women, are friends to one another.” Their friendship motivates them to enjoin what is right and to censure and forbid what is wrong. Their aim is to make God’s word reign supreme, and to make their community fulfil its role in human life.

“They attend to their prayers,” for prayer gives them their bond with God. ‘And pay their zakāt,” for zakāt is the duty which cements the bonds within the Muslim community. It reflects the material and spiritual solidarity within this community. “And obey God and His Messenger.” (Verse 71) They have no desire other than to discharge God’s orders and obey Him and His Messenger. They have no law other than that revealed by God, and no constitution other than the faith revealed by God to His Messenger. When God and His Messenger determine something concerning their affairs, they accept it realizing that this is the choice they have. This gives them unity of goals, approaches and methods of action. They have a single course which they follow, paying no attention to other courses of action which may cause disunity in their ranks.

“It is on these that God will have mercy.” (Verse 71) Mercy is not bestowed only in the hereafter. It is first bestowed in this life, and it is granted first to the individual who fulfils his duties of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil, attends to his prayer and pays his zakāt. It is also granted to the community which is made up of individuals of such qualities. It is manifested in the reassurance felt by such people and in their bond with God who looks after them and spares them much strife and friction. God’s mercy is also seen in the unity and co-operation which are characteristic of such a community where every individual enjoys a contented life, and is reassured by God’s acceptance.

These four characteristics of the believers: enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, attending to prayer and paying zakāt are contrasted with four characteristics of the hypocrites, namely, enjoining what is wrong, forbidding what is right, forgetting God and tightening their fists. God’s mercy which He bestows on the believers is shown here in contrast to His rejection of the hypocrites and the unbelievers. It is for maintaining these characteristics that God has promised the believers victory and establishment in the land. Thus they will be able to put them into effect when they exercise their role as the leaders of mankind.

“Surely, God is Almighty, Wise.” (Verse 71) He is able to give power to the believers so that they can help one another to discharge their duties. His wisdom is also seen in granting victory to such a community which sets human life on the right footing, and ensures that God’s word reigns supreme.

As we have seen, suffering in hell is the destiny awaiting the hypocrites and unbelievers. They cannot escape God’s curse. The fact that He will forget them shows that they are of little importance, suffering deprivation. In contrast, the happiness of being in heaven is what awaits the believers: “God has promised the believers, men and women, gardens through which running waters flow, where they will abide, and goodly dwellings in the garden of Eden.” (Verse 72) That is then their dwelling place.

But there is something much greater that awaits them: “Yet God’s acceptance is the greatest blessing of all.” (Verse 72) Indeed, heaven and all the bliss and happiness that are assured for those who are admitted into it appear to be so small when compared to being accepted by God: “Yet God’s acceptance is the greatest blessing of all.’’ Indeed one moment of being in communion with God, contemplating His majesty; a moment of release from the restraints of a physical constitution, and the limitations of this earth and its petty concerns; a moment when a ray of that light which cannot be seen by our eyes lightens our hearts; a moment when the human soul is enlightened by a glimpse of God’s mercy; any moment of these which are experienced only by a small number of people when they have clear, undisturbed vision is far greater than all enjoyments and all aspirations. How do people feel when His acceptance overwhelms their souls and they receive it without interruption?

Hence these verses conclude with a highly appropriate comment: “This is indeed the supreme triumph.” (Verse 72)