What is Islam

MUHAMMAD or AL QITAL (The Fighting).

1 Those who reject Allah and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, their deeds will Allah render astray (from their mark).
2 But those who believe and work deeds of Righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to Muhammad for it is the Truth from their Lord, He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition.
3 This because those who reject Allah follow vanities, while those who believe follow the Truth from their Lord: thus does Allah set forth for men their lessons by similitudes.
4 Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight). Smite at their necks; at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bon firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost.
5 Soon will He guide them and improve their condition,
6 And admit them to the Garden which He has announced for them.
7 O ye who believe! If ye will aid (The cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly.
8 But those who reject (Allah), for them is destruction, and (Allah) will render their deeds astray (from their mark).
9 That is because they hate the Revelation of Allah; so He has made their deeds fruitless.
10 Do they not travel through the earth, and see what was the End of those before them (who did evil)? Allah brought utter destruction on them, and similar (fates await) those who reject Allah.
11 That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, but those who reject Allah have no protector.
12 Verily Allah will admit those who believe and do Righteous deeds, to Gardens Beneath which rivers flow; while those who reject Allah will enjoy (this world) and eat as cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode.
13 And how many cities, with more power than thy city which has driven thee out, have We destroyed (for their sins)? And there was none to aid them.
14 Is then one who is on a clear (Path) from his Lord, no better than one to whom the evil of his conduct seems pleasing, and such as follow their own lusts?
15 (Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell forever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)?
16 And among them are men who listen to thee, but in the end, when they go out from thee, they say to those who have received Knowledge, What is it he said just then? Such are men whose hearts Allah has sealed, and who follow their own lusts.
17 But to those who receive Guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint (from evil).
18 Do they then only wait for the Hour, that it should come on them of a sudden? But already have come some tokens thereof, and when it (actually) is on them, how can they benefit then by their admonition?
19 Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for thy fault, and for the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how ye move about and how ye dwell in your homes.
20 Those who believe say, Why is not a Surah sent down (for us)? But when a Surah of basic or categorical meaning is revealed, and fighting is mentioned therein, thou wilt see those in whose hearts is a disease looking at thee with a look of one in swoon at the approach of death. But more fitting for them.
21 Were it to obey and say what is just and when a matter is resolved on, it were best for them it they were true to Allah.
22 Then is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?
23 Such are the men whom Allah has cursed for He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.
24 Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Quran, or are their hearts locked up by them?
25 Those who turn back as apostates after Guidance was clearly shown to them, the Evil One has instigated them and buoyed them up with false hopes.
26 This, because they said to those who hate what Allah has revealed, We will obey you in part of (this) matter; but Allah knows their (inner) secrets.
27 But how (will it be) when the angels take their souls at death, and smite their faces and their backs?
28 This because they followed that which called forth the Wrath of Allah, and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no effect.
29 Or do those in whose hearts is a disease, think that Allah will not bring to light all their rancour?
30 Had We so willed, We could have shown them up to thee, and thou shouldst have known them by their marks: but surely thou wilt know them by the tone of their speech! And Allah knows all that ye do.
31 And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience; and We shall try your reported (mettle).
32 Those who reject Allah, hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, and resist the Messenger, after Guidance has been clearly shown to them, will not injure Allah in the least, but He will make their deeds of no effect.
33 O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and make not vain your deeds!
34 Those who reject Allah, and hinder (men) from the Path of Allah, then die rejecting Allah Allah will not forgive them.
35 Be not weary and faint hearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for your (good) deeds.
36 The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if ye believe and guard against evil, He will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions.
37 If He were to ask you for all of them, and press you, ye would covetously withhold, and He would bring out all your ill feeling.
38 Behold, ye are those invited to spend (of your substance) in the Way of Allah: but among you are some that are niggardly. But any who are niggardly are so at the expense of their own souls. But Allah is free of all wants, and it is ye that are needy. If ye turn back (from the Path), He will substitute in your stead another people; then they would not be like you!

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Explination of the Surah

Name The Surah derives its name from the sentence wa amanu bi-ma nuzzila ala Muhammad-in of verse 2, thereby implying that it is the Surah in which the holy name of Muhammad (upon wham be Allah's peace and blessings) has occurred. Besides, it has another well known name "al-Qital" also, which is derived from the sentence wa dhukira fi-hal-qital of verse 20. Period of Revelation The contents of this Surah testify that it was sent down after the hijrah at Madinah at the time when the fighting had been enjoined, though active fighting had not yet been undertaken. Detailed arguments in support of this view have been given in E. N. 8 below. Historical Background The conditions at the time when this Surah was sent down were such that the Muslims were being made the target of persecution and tyranny in Makkah in particular and in Arabia in general, and life had become miserable for them. Although the Muslims had emigrated to the haven of Madinah from every side, the disbelieving Quraish were not prepared to leave them alone and let them live in peace even there. Thus, the small settlement of Madinah was hemmed in by the enemy, who was bent upon exterminating it completely. The only alternative left with the Muslims were that either they should surrender to the forces of ignorance, giving up their mission of preaching the true Faith, or even following it in their private lives, or should rise to wage a war at the cost of their lives to settle finally and for ever whether Islam would stay in Arabia or the creed of ignorance. On this occasion Allah showed the Muslims the same way of resolution and will, which is the only way for the true believers. He first permitted them to fight in Surah Al Hajj 39 and then enjoined fighting in Al Baqarah 190. But at that time everyone knew fully well what it meant to wage a war in those conditions. There were only a handful of Muslims in Madinah, who could not muster even a thousand soldiers; yet they were being urged to take up the sword and clash against the pagan forces of the whole of Arabia. Then the kind of the weapons needed to equip its soldiers for war could hardly be afforded by the town in which hundreds of emigrants were still homeless and unsettled even by resort to starving its members at a time when it had been boycotted economically by the Arabs on all sides. Theme and Subject Matter Such were the conditions when this Surah was revealed. Its theme is to prepare the believers for war and to give them preliminary instructions in this regard. That is why it has also been entitled al-Qital. It deals with the following topics: At the outset it is said that of the two groups confronting each other at this time, one has refused to accept the Truth and has become an obstruction for others on the way of Allah, while the other group has accepted the Truth which had been sent down by Allah to His servant, Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings). Now, Allah's final decision is that He has rendered fruitless and vain all the works of the former group and set right the condition and affairs of the latter group. After this, the Muslims have been given the initial war instructions they have been reassured of Allah's help and guidance: they have been given hope for the best rewards on offering sacrifices in the cause of Allah and they have been assured that their struggle in the cause of the Truth will not go to waste, but they will be abundantly rewarded both in this world and in the Hereafter. Furthermore, about the disbelievers it has been said that they are deprived of Allah's support and guidance: none of their designs will succeed in their conflict with the believers, and they will meet a most evil fate both in this world and in the Hereafter. They thought they had achieved a great success by driving the Prophet of Allah out of Makkah, but in fact by this they had hastened their own doom. After this, the discourse turns to the hypocrites, who were posing to be sincere Muslims before the command to fight was sent down, but were confounded when this command actually came down, and began to conspire with the disbelievers in order to save themselves from the hazards of war. They have been plainly warned to the effect that no act and deed is acceptable to Allah of those who adopt hypocrisy with regard to Him and His Prophet. There, the basic issue against which all those who profess the Faith are being tried is whether one is on the side of the Truth or Falsehood, whether one's sympathies are with Islam and the Muslims or with disbelief and the disbelievers, whether one keeps one's own self and interests dearer or the Truth which one professes to believe in and follow. One who fails in this test is not at all a believer; his Prayer and his Fasting and his discharging of the zakat deserve no reward from Allah. Then the Muslims have been exhorted not to lose heart for being small in numbers and ill equipped as against the great strength of the disbelievers: they should not show weakness by offering peace to them, which might still further embolden them against Islam and the Muslims, but they should come out with trust in Allah and clash with the mighty forces of disbelief. Allah is with the Muslims: they alone shall triumph; and the might of disbelief will be humbled and vanquished. In conclusion, the Muslims have been invited to spend their wealth in the cause of Allah. Although at that time they were economically very weak, the problem that they confronted was the very survival of Islam and the Muslims. The importance and delicacy of the problem demanded that the Muslims should not only risk their lives for safeguarding themselves and their Faith from the dominance of disbelief and for exalting Allah's Religion but should also expend their economic resources as far as possible in the preparations for war. Therefore, they were clearly warned to the effect: Anyone who adopted a nigardly attitude at the time, would not, in fact, harm Allah at all, but would result in his own destruction, for Allah does not stand in need of help from men. If one group of men shirked offering sacrifices in the cause of His Religion, Allah would remove it and bring another group in its place.