“The believer who mixes with people and endures their injury is better than the person who does not mix with people nor endure their injury.” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]
Sayings of Early Muslims
“If a friend among your friends errs, make seventy excuses for them. If your hearts are unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own selves [ibid]” [Hamdun al-Qassar]
“If you find see something you don’t like in a brother, try to find 1-70 excuses for him. And if you can’t find an excuse, say ‘There might be an excuse, but I don’t know it.’ ” [Imam Jafar As-Sadiq]
Social Duties
We are social beings who live in social groups and have developed civilizations. Having an active social life is one of our fundamental human needs, even in the case of reserved and introverted individuals. We depend on each other to fulfill our needs, for trade and services, for personal matters, etc. When social expectations and duties are disregarded, the community breaks down and it becomes difficult to function with emotional, social, and physical fulfillment.
Islam lays great emphasis on protecting human dignity and individual rights, such as:
Protecting life: Wrongfully killing an individual is equal to killing all of humanity and likewise saving a life is equal to saving all of humanity.
Protecting freedom: All people are equal in the sight of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), the only distinguishing factor being their level of piety. Within reasonable boundaries, people have the right to freedom to make life choices independently and enjoy the fruits of their striving. Freedom also involves the right to form individual opinions based on study and exploration and the right to seek knowledge and guidance through credible sources.
Protecting honor: Attacks against honor and dignity are punishable. Islam takes a firm view against backbiting, slander, suspicion, and spying.
Protecting property: It is also forbidden to steal or usurp what belongs to others. Any community will have people of different degrees of wealth. What is earned by an individual belongs to them and cannot be taken without permission. In a fair society, each person is satisfied with what they have and do not violate the rights of others to fulfill their own desires.
Family Duties
The family is the foundational building block of society. Breakdown of the family unit has ramifications on the wider society. Therefore each member of the family must undertake responsibility to co-exist with the others in a healthy manner and also to be a source of support.
The husband has to treat his wife well. The wife who is treated well will, in turn, support her husband in maintaining the family honor and well-being as long as his decisions do not contradict divine injunctions.
The husband and wife together, acting in the role of parents, create an atmosphere of mutual respect and good moral values in the household so that the children imbibe those values naturally. Discipline is implemented by commanding respect rather than by demanding it. The children, in turn, reciprocate with obedience and loyalty to the parents as well as having a healthy relationship with their siblings.
The outcome of such a family is a healthy society where individual become beneficial contributors.
Maintaining Ties of Kinship
There is no doubt that a society whose members maintain family relations and treat each other mercifully forms an invincible fort and a fortified castle. It produces close-knit families and a solid social structure that provides the world with leaders, instructors, thinkers, teachers, callers and reformers, who carry the torch of guidance to their nation and to all of humanity.
Kinship ties refer to a person’s bond with his paternal and maternal relatives; and, maintaining them implies being good and kind to one’s relations in both words and deeds. This includes visiting them, asking after them, supporting the needy among them and helping them with their affairs.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He who desires ample provisions and his life be prolonged, should maintain good ties with his blood relations”. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Maintaining ties of kinship does not only mean visiting, helping or serving one’s relatives in return for similar deeds on their part. True upholding of family relations is to do so with those kith and kin who sever their bond with us. Thus, it refers to visiting relatives who do not visit us, and being good to those who wrong us.
Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The one who maintains ties of kinship is not the one who reciprocates. The one who maintains ties of kinship is the one who, when his relatives cut him off, maintains ties of kinship.” [Adab Al-Mufrad]
Abu Huraira reported that a person said, “Allah’s Messenger, I have relatives with whom I try, to have close relationship, but they sever (this relation). I treat them well, but they treat me ill. I am sweet to them but they are harsh towards me.” Upon this he (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)) said, “If it is so as you say, then you in fact throw hot ashes (upon their faces) and there would always remain with you on behalf of Allah (an angel to support you) who would keep you dominant over them so long as you adhere to this (path of righteousness).” [Sahih Muslim]
On the other hand, severing ties of kinship bears serious consequences.
“So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision.” [Quran; 47:22-23]
Narrated Jubair bin Mut’im that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, “The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter Paradise.” [Sahih Bukhari]
“It is not lawful for the Muslim to shun his brother for more than three (days); they come fare to fare and this one turns away, and that one turns away. The best of them is the one who initiates the salam.” [Tirmidhi]
The Harvard Study of Adult Development has spanned over 75 years to monitor the lives of selected candidates. One of the things observed in that study is the importance of good relationships for leading healthy and happy lives.
They found out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected. However, it’s not just the number of friends or whether or not you’re in a committed relationship, but it’s the quality of your close relationships that matters.
Tolerance
One must catch one’s self from falling into the trap of judging another person too soon. Even if we think we know someone well, we may not be aware of their intentions and, in fact, the other person could possibly be better than our own selves.
What we know of a person today may not hold true of them in the future.
“By the One, other than Whom there is no deity, verily one of you performs the actions of the people of Paradise until there is but an arms length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him, and so he acts with the actions of the people of the Hellfire and thus enters it; and verily one of you performs the actions of the people of the Hellfire, until there is but an arms length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he acts with the actions of the people of Paradise and thus he enters it.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
“Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” [Dale Carnegie]
Allah is the Best of Judges. He alone knows what goes on in every person’s mind and heart and He alone has full knowledge of each person’s past, present and future. It is therefore not appropriate for us to pass judgment on others, especially in a negative circumstance.
When dealing with people, one may encounter various types of trials and tribulations. At a personal level, some people are difficult to deal with due to their inclination to lose their temper or to make unreasonable demands, for example. Perhaps we have to bear the responsibility of attending to family members who are ill or dependent in some way. At a community level, we may encounter hatred or intolerance such as from Islamophobes or racists.
Tawheed refers to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) being one and without any partner. He knows everything and His knowledge is without limit. He created us and to Him we return and to Him is our ultimate accountability. Acknowledging and internalising these facts leads to taqwa (piety).
The attributes of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) that we know of and the realities of life after death can be presented even to a child. The meanings and gravity of these matters then begin to unfold gradually through knowledge, life experience and reflection.
As we traverse through life, guided by moral values dictated by Islam, our conviction in tawheed and our application of taqwa is poised to increase. This is aided through intimate study of the Qur’an, tafsir, hadith, and also by paying heed to the advice of pious elders, sitting in their company, and observing and learning from them.
Applying taqwa and the knowledge of tawheed is a lifetime’s mission; yet it can be renewed daily with saying the testification of faith (shahada) frequently and the following statement every morning and evening.
“Whoever says when he reaches the evening: ‘I am pleased with Allah as (my) Lord, with Islam as (my) religion, and with Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as (my) Prophet,’ it is a duty upon Allah to please him.” [Tirmidhi]
As Imam al-Ghazzali says in his Ihya, there is no salvation without meeting with Allah. The only means to meet Him is to die in love with Him. Love is fruit of constant remembrance of the beloved and to work with that end in view. One can get acquainted with Him by constantly thinking of Him, His attributes, and His wonderful creations. Whoever wishes to make his scale heavy with good deeds, let him spend most of his time doing good deeds.
“Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words. Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation. And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.”
[Qur’an; 73:6-8]
Living with tawheed and taqwa entails accepting that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) alone knows what is best for us in every situation. We supplicate to Him with the following words:
“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
[Qur’an; 2:201]
The good of this world is not simply about material well-being. With regard to this world, it is quite possible that something that we perceive as good could actually be bad in the grand scheme of things, while something that we perceive as inconvenience or bad can actually be good for us in this world and/or the next.
A few verses away from the above supplication in the Qur’an, we see:
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.”
[Qur’an; 2:216]
It is reported that Al-Hasan al-Basri said, “Do not resent the calamities that come and the disasters that occur, for perhaps in something that you dislike will be your salvation, and perhaps in something that you prefer will be your doom.”
Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise.” To count something means to know it by heart. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
“There is nothing (in the form of trouble) that comes to a believer even if it is the pricking of a thorn that there is decreed for him by Allah good or his sins are obliterated.” [Sahih Muslim]
It is reported that Ibn Taymiyyah said, “A calamity that makes you turn to Allah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allah.”
One must keep in mind that our Lord is Arham ar-Raahimeen (the Most Merciful of all that show mercy). He is All-Knowing and Most Wise. So it is essential to relegate our plans and desires over to Him and trust His way of execution, for Allah is the Best of Planners. This is made possible by the firm conviction that He wants the best for us and our duty is to ensure that we obey Him and avoid disobeying Him.
Blessings and trials come in different forms at different times in a person’s life. Just as blessings can come in the disguise of trials, so can trials come disguised in the form of blessings. Wisdom is to know how to manage everything that one encounters in a manner that is pleasing to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He).
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Indeed Allah Most High says, ‘I am as My slave thinks of Me, and I am with him when He calls upon Me.'” [Tirmidhi]
Therefore a firm believer has husn-ud-dhann billah (good opinion of Allah) and with that he remains at peace. One way of building up this automatic reaction of thinking well of Allah is to maintain a habit of constant gratitude. Coupled with this, one must develop humility in realising that our limited intellects cannot grasp the vast comprehensiveness of Allah’s plan.
It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, you would be given provision like the birds: They go out hungry in the morning and come back with full bellies in the evening.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
Super Rational
Allah’s (Glorified and Exalted be He) attributes are infinite. He has infinite power, infinite knowledge, etc. When we say “subhan-Allah“, often translated as “glory be to Allah”, what we are really declaring is that He is free from imperfection. The Quran tells us that everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him.
The principle of cause and effect is widely agreed upon. Nothing happens by itself. Everything has a cause. Even one who does not believe in Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) will accept that there has to be a cause.
A person may reflect on the sequence of creation. For instance he may ponder upon the paper in front of him–where the paper came from, where the trees came from, where the sunlight came from, and so on and so forth, until he reaches a point of infinity. That point of infinity is Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) — the Musabbabul Asbaab (cause of all causes) – the Omniscient.
Once a person reflects on the sequence of creation and accepts that there is an infinite entity that is beyond the comprehension of our limited intellect, he begins to understand that super-rationality exists and that miracles are possible. He accepts that miracles are not irrational or illogical, but rather that they are super-rational. They are rational but beyond our ability to explain them. The Arabic word for a miracle is “mu’jiza“. It indicates that it is something that humbles the human mind (makes it ajz).
We are not aware of the workings of infinity. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) can do what millions of people collaborating together cannot do. He can do things in millions of different ways. He can hear billions of people at the same time. He has no limitations.
Our minds, on the other hand, are finite. We can only see and grasp to a limited extent. We have limitations in every aspect of our lives and we tend to judge the whole universe based on those finite terms.
Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, then he is more worthy of it.” [Tirmidhi]
Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, then he is more worthy of it.” [Tirmidhi]
Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, then he is more worthy of it.” [Tirmidhi]
“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him – it is those who will be the successful. ” [Quran; 7:157]
Commentary
This is the description of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the Books of the Prophets. They delivered the good news of his advent to their nations and commanded them to follow him. His descriptions were still apparent in their Books, as the rabbis and the priests well know.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sakhr Al-Uqayli said that a bedouin man said to him, “I brought a milk-producing camel to Al-Madinah during the life time of Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). After I sold it, I said to myself, ‘I will meet that man (Muhammad) and hear from him.’ So I passed by him while he was walking between Abu Bakr and Umar, and I followed them until they went by a Jewish man, who was reading from an open copy of the Tawrah. He was mourning a son of his who was dying and who was one of the most handsome boys. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked him (the father), ‘I ask you by He Who has sent down the Tawrah, do you not find the description of me and my advent in your Book?’ He nodded his head in the negative. His son said, ‘Rather, yes, by He Who has sent down the Tawrah! We find the description of you and your advent in our Book. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said (to the Companions), ‘Stop the Jew (the father) from (taking care of) your brother (in Islam).’ The Prophet then personally took care of the son’s funeral and led the funeral prayer on him.'”
Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-Muthanna said that Ata’ bin Yasar said, “I met `Abdullah bin Amr and asked him, ‘Tell me about the description of Allah’s Messenger in the Tawrah.’ He said, ‘Yes, by Allah! He is described in the Tawrah, just as he is described in the Qur’an, ‘O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner.’ [Quran; 33:45] as a safe refuge for the unlettered ones. ‘You are My servant and Messenger. I have called you ‘Al-Mutawakkil’ (who trusts in Allah), not hard or harsh.’ Neither uttering foul speech in the markets nor returning evil deed with one in kind. Rather, he forgives and forgoes. Allah will not end his life until He straightens through him the crooked religion, so that they might proclaim, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.’ He will open through him sealed hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes.'”
Ata’ then said, “I also met Ka’b and asked him the same question, and his answer did not differ from Abdullah’s answer, even concerning one letter.”
“He commands them to do good; and forbids them from evil;” This is the description of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in previous Books. These were the true qualities of our Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as well for he only ordained good and forbade evil. We should mention here that Abdullah bin Mas’ud said, “When you hear Allah’s statement, ‘O you who believe!’ then pay it your full attention, for it is a good that you are being commanded, or an evil that you are being forbidden.”
And the most important and greatest of these commands and prohibitions, is that Allah has sent the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to order worshipping Him Alone without partners and forbid worshipping others besides Him.
This is the Message that Allah has sent all Messengers with before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), just as Allah said, “And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming, ‘Worship Allah, and avoid the Taghut (false deities)'” [Quran; 16:36]
Allah’s statement, “He makes lawful for them the good things, and forbids them from the evil things” meaning he makes the Bahirah, Sa’ibah, Wasilah and Ham, etc., lawful. They were prohibitions that they invented which were only hard for themselves. He also forbids them from evil things, such as the flesh of the pig, Riba, and foods that were treated as lawful although Allah the Exalted had forbidden them.
Allah’s statement, “He (Muhammad) releases them from their heavy burdens, and from the fetters that were upon them.” indicates that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came with leniency and an easy religion. As mentioned in the Hadith recorded from many routes that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I was sent with the easy way of Hanifiyyah.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to the two Commanders he appointed, Mu’adh and Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, when he sent them to Yemen, “Bring glad tidings and do not drive people away, make things easy and do not make them difficult, obey each other and do not differ among yourselves.”
Abu Barzah Al-Aslami, the Prophet’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) Companion, said, “I accompanied the Messenger of Allah and saw how easy he was. The nations that were before us had things made difficult for them in their laws. Allah made the law encompassing and easy for this Ummah.
Hence the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Allah has forgiven my Ummah for what occurs in themselves, as long as they do not utter it or act upon it.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “My Ummah was forgiven (by Allah) unintentional errors, forgetfulness and what they are forced to do.”
This is why Allah has guided this Ummah to proclaim, “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Patron, Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” [Quran; 2:286]
It is recorded in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that Allah the Exalted said after every one of these supplications, “I shall accept (your supplication).”
Allah’s statement, “So those who believe in him, honor him, help him” refers to respecting and honoring the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “and follow the light which has been sent down with him,” the Qur’an and the revelation (Sunnah) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered to mankind, “it is they who will be successful” in this life and the Hereafter.
“By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”
Commentary
This is one of the shortest chapters in the Quran but one that scholars have expounded on in great detail. It summarises the attributes of those who are not in loss, i.e. the successful. The surah addresses three dimensions of spirituality–metaphysical, physical, and personal.
3D Spirituality
At-Tabarani recorded from Abdullah bin Hisn Abi Madinah that he said, “Whenever two men from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah used to meet, they would not part until one of them had recited Surat Al-Asr in its entirety to the other, and one of them had given the greetings of peace to the other.”
Ash-Shafi’i said, “If the people were to ponder on this Surah, it would be sufficient for them.”
Al-Asr is the time in which the movements of the Children of Adam occur, whether good or evil.
Malik narrated from Zayd bin Aslam that he said, “It is the evening.” However, the first view is the popular opinion. Thus, Allah swears by this, that man is in Khusr, which means in loss and destruction.
“Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds.” So Allah makes an exception, among the species of man being in loss, for those who believe in their hearts and work righteous deeds with their limbs.
“And recommend one another to the truth.” This is to perform acts of obedience and avoid the forbidden things.
“And recommend one another to patience” meaning with the plots, the evils, and the harms of those who harm people due to their commanding them to do good and forbidding them from evil.
“SPEAK good or better remain silent” [Sahih Muslim]
W
“[WHAT is] lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between that are matters that are doubtful (not clear); many of the people do not know whether it is lawful or unlawful. So whoever leaves it to protect his religion and his honor, then he will be safe, and whoever falls into something from them, then he soon will have fallen into the unlawful.” [Tirmidhi]
A
“The reward of ACTIONS depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.” [Sahih Bukhari]
M
MIND your own business (“Indeed among the excellence of a person’s Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.”) [Tirmidhi])
“You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those – He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful.”
Commentary
Two things have been stated in this verse: first, a matter of principle, and the second, a statement of fact. The matter of principle is that faith in the true religion and love of the opponents of the religion are contradictory things, which cannot conceivably co-exist in one and the same place. It is absolutely impossible that love of the faith and love of the enemies of Allah and His Messenger should co-exist in one and the same heart, just as a person’s love for himself and his love for his enemy cannot co-exist in his heart simultaneously This is as if to say, “If you see a person who professes the faith as well as keeps relations of love with the opponents of Islam, you should never be involved in the misunderstanding that he might perhaps be true in his profession in spite of his this attitude and conduct.”
Likewise, the people who have established relations with Islam and the opponents of Islam simultaneously, should themselves also consider their position well and see what they actually are. Are they believers or hypocrites? And what actually they want to be – do they want to live as believers or as hypocrites? If they have any righteousness left in them. and any feeling that from the. moral viewpoint hypocrisy is the meanest and most abject attitude for man, they should give up their attempt to ride in two boats simultaneously. Faith wants them to be decisive. If they want to remain believers, they should sever and sacrifice all those connections that clash with their relationship with Islam; if they hold another relation dearer to themselves than the relationship with Islam, then they should better give up their false profession of Islam.
Here, Allah has not just stated the principle but has also presented the actual fact as a model before those who professed the Faith. The true believers had in actual fact severed all connections that clashed with their relationship with Allah’s Religion. This had been witnessed by entire Arabia in the’ battles of Badr and Uhud.
Do not befriend the deniers, even if they are among the closest relatives. Allah said, “Let not the believers take the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself.” [Quran; 3:28] and, “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are the rebellious.”[Quran; 9:24]
Sa`id bin `Abdul-`Aziz and others said that this verse, “You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day…” was revealed in the case of Abu `Ubaydah `Amir bin `Abdullah bin Al-Jarrah when he killed his disbelieving father, during the battle of Badr. This is why when `Umar bin Al-Khattab placed the matter of Khilafah in the consultation of six men after him, he said; “If Abu `Ubaydah were alive, I would have appointed him the Khalifah.’
It was also said that the verse, “even though they were their fathers” was revealed in the case of Abu `Ubaydah, when he killed his father during the battle of Badr, while the Ayah, “or their sons” was revealed in the case of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he intended to kill his (disbelieving) son, `Abdur-Rahman, (during Badr), while the verse, “or their brothers” was revealed about the case of Mus`ab bin `Umayr, who killed his brother, `Ubayd bin `Umayr, during Badr, and that the verse “or their kindred” was revealed about the case of `Umar, who killed one of his relatives during Badr, and also that this verse was revealed in the case of Hamzah, `Ali and Ubaydah bin Al-Harith. They killed their close relatives `Utbah, Shaybah and Al-Walid bin `Utbah that day. Allah knows best.
A similar matter is when Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) consulted with his Companions about what should be done with the captives of Badr. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq thought that they should accept ransom for them so the Muslims could use the money to strengthen themselves. He mentioned the fact that the captured were the cousins and the kindred, and that they might embrace Islam later on, by Allah’s help. `Umar said, “But I have a different opinion, O Allah’s Messenger! Let me kill so-and-so, my relative, and let `Ali kill `Aqil (`Ali’s brother), and so-and-so kill so-and-so. Let us make it known to Allah that we have no mercy in our hearts for the idolaters.’
Those who have the quality of not befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger , even if they are their fathers or brothers, are those whom Allah has decreed faith, meaning, happiness, in their hearts and made faith dear to their hearts and happiness reside therein.
As-Suddi said that the verse,”He has written faith in their hearts” means, “He has placed faith in their hearts.’
Ibn `Abbas said that,”and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself.) means, “He gave them strengths.”
Allah’s statement, “Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him.” contains a beautiful secret. When the believers became enraged against their relatives and kindred in Allah’s cause, He compensated them by being pleased with them and making them pleased with Him from what He has granted them of eternal delight, ultimate victory and encompassing favor.
Allah’s statement, “They are the party of Allah. Verily, the party of Allah will be the successful.” indicates that they are the party of Allah, meaning, His servants who are worthy of earning His honor.
Allah’s statement, “Verily, the party of Allah will be the successful.” asserts their success, happiness and triumph in this life and the Hereafter, in contrast to those, who are the party of the devil.
“And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful.”
Commentary
Those who were well-settled in Madinah and accepted Islam (i.e. the ansar) loved the emigrants came into Madinah from Makkah (i.e. the muhajirun) and did not feel any discomfort or rancour for whatever the muhajirun received (unlike the hypocrites, i.e. the munafiqun).
The ansar gave preference to the muhajirun over themselves, despite being of straitened circumstances themselves. Whoever is protected from the inherent stinginess of his soul has truly attained success.
When the muhajirun came from Makkah and other places to their city, they offered their gardens and oases to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with the request that he distribute them among their emigrant brethren-in-faith.
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Ansar said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Distribute the date palm trees between us and our emigrant brothers.” He replied, “No.” The Ansar said (to the emigrants), “Look after the trees (water and watch them) and share the fruits with us.” The emigrants said, “We listen and obey.” [Sahih Bukhari]
The muhajirun said, “Messenger of Allah! the ansar got the entire reward.” He said, “No, so long as you pray to Allah for them and praise them.” [Abu Dawud]
Then, when the territory of the Bani an-Nadir was taken, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made this proposal to the ansar, “Now one way of managing it is that your properties and the gardens and the oases left by the Jews be combined together and then the whole distributed among you and the muhajirun. The second way is that you take back your properties, and the lands vacated by the Jews be distributed among the muhajirun.” The ansar said, “Sir, you may please distribute these evacuee properties among the muhajirun and may give them of our properties also as you please.”
At this Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) cried out, “May Allah reward you, O assembly of the ansar, with the best of everything!” (Yahya bin Adam. Baladhuri).
Thus, with the willing consent of the Ansar the properties left by the Jews were distributed only among the muhajirun, and from among the ansar only Abu Dujanah, Sahl bin Hunaif and (according to some) Harith bin as-Simmah were given shares, for they were poor people. (Baladhuri. Ibn Hisham Ruh al-Ma ani)
The same self-sacrificing spirit was shown by the ansar when the territory of Bahrain was annexed to the Islamic State. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wished that the conquered lands of that territory be given to the ansar, but they submitted, “We would not take any share from it unless a similar share was given to our emigrant brothers.” (Yahya bin Adam). Allah has praised the ansar for this-very spirit of self-sacrifice.
The word used here means “are saved” and not “were safe”, for without Allah’s help and succor no one can attain to the wealth of the heart (liberal-mindedness) by his own power and effort. This is a blessing of God, which one can attain only by God’s bounty and grace The word shuhh is used for stinginess and miserliness in Arabic. But when this word is attributed to the self it becomes synonymous with narrow-mindedness, niggardliness, mean-spiritedness and small-heartedness, and not mere stinginess: it is rather the root cause of stinginess itself.
Because of this very quality, man avoids acknowledging even the good qualities of another, not to speak of recognizing his rights and discharging them. He wants that he alone should gather up everything in the world, and no one else should have anything of it. He never feels content with his own right, but usurps the rights of others, or at least wants to have for himself all that is good in the world and should not leave anything for others.
On this very basis, one’s being saved from this evil has been described in the Qur’an as a guarantee for success. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has counted it among the most evil qualities of man which are the root cause of corruption and mischief. Jabir bin Abdullah has reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and be on your guard against stinginess for stinginess destroyed those who were before you, as it incited them to shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them.” [Sahih Muslim]
The tradition of Abdullah bin Umar contains the following words, “It led them to commit wickedness and they committed it; it commanded them to commit sins and they committed sin; it urged them to break off all connections with the kindred and they broke off all connections with them. ” (Musnad Ahmad, Abu De ud Nasa i).
Abu Hurairah has reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said. “The dust in the cause of Allah and the smoke of Hell will never be combined in the lungs of a slave, and the stinginess and faith can never be combined in a slave’s heart.” [Sunan An-Nasa’i]
It is as a result of this very teaching of Islam that, apart from individuals, the Muslim people as a nation are still the most generous and liberal-minded people in the world. There are millions and millions of Muslims living side by side with those non-Muslim people from among whom they sprung who have become proverbial for their narrow-mindedness and miserliness. The clear distinction existing between the two peoples in respect of liberal-mindedness and miserliness cannot be explained in any other way than that it is the moral teaching of Islam that has made the Muslims so large-hearted and liberal-minded.
