“ The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers ـ and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error…..give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (2:285-286)
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, “When the following verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ,
“To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is able to do all things”
It was very hard for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah . The Companions came to the Messenger and fell to their knees saying, `O Messenger of Allah! We were asked to perform what we can bear of deeds: the prayer, the fast, Jihad and charity. However, this Ayah was revealed to you, and we cannot bear it.’
The Messenger of Allah said,
“Do you want to repeat what the People of the Two Scriptures before you said, that is, `We hear and we disobey’ Rather, say, `We hear and we obey, and we seek Your forgiveness, O our Lord, and the Return is to You.”
When the people accepted this statement and their tongues recited it, Allah sent down afterwards,
“The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do)the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers ـ and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).”
And they say, “We hear, and we obey” means, we heard Your statement, O our Lord, comprehended and implemented it, and adhered to its implications.
“(We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord” contains a plea and supplication for Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and kindness.
Allah said that the people with knowledge supplicate to their Lord,
“Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us.” meaning, do not deviate our hearts from the guidance after You allowed them to acquire it. Do not make us like those who have wickedness in their hearts, those who follow the Mutashabih in the Qur’an. Rather, make us remain firmly on Your straight path and true religion.”
“And grant us from Ladunka” meaning, from You,
“Mercy” with which You make our hearts firm, and increase in our Faith and certainty,
“Truly, You are the Bestower”
Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Salamah said that the Prophet Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam used to supplicate,
“O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.”
He then recited,
“Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.’’
“O Allah, Knower of the unseen and the evident, Maker of the heavens and the earth, Lord of everything and its Possessor, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul and from the evil of Satan and his helpers. (I seek refuge in You) from bringing evil upon my soul and from harming any Muslim.”
”My Lord, Creator of the heavens and the earth!You are my Protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.”
This is the invocation of Yusuf Alaihissalaam, the truthful one, to his Lord the Exalted and Most Honored. He invoked Allah after His favor was complete on him by being reunited with his parents and brothers, after He had bestowed on him prophethood and kingship. He begged his Lord, the Exalted and Ever High, that as He has perfected His bounty on him in this life, to continue it until the Hereafter. He begged Him that, when he dies, he dies as a Muslim, as Ad-Dahhak said, and to join him with the ranks of the righteous, with his brethren the Prophets and Messengers, may Allah’s peace and blessings be on them all. It is possible that Yusuf, peace be upon him, said this supplication while dying.
In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that `A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that while dying, the Messenger of Allah was raising his finger and said – thrice,
(O Allah to Ar-Rafiq Al-A`la ﴿the uppermost, highest company in heaven﴾.)
It is also possible that long before he died, Yusuf Alaihissalaam begged Allah to die as a Muslim and be joined with the ranks of the righteous.
(11. And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Fir`awn, when she said: “My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir`awn and his work, and save me from the people who are wrongdoers.)
Qatadah said, “Fir`awn was the most tyrannical among the people of the earth and the most disbelieving. By Allah! His wife was not affected by her husband’s disbelief, because she obeyed her Lord. Therefore, let it be known that Allah is the Just Judge Who will not punish anyone except for their own sins.” Ibn Jarir recorded that Sulayman said, “The wife of Fir`awn was tortured under the sun and when Fir`awn would finish the torture session, the angels would shade her with their wings. She was shown her house in Paradise.” Ibn Jarir said that Al-Qasim bin Abi Bazzah said, “Fir`awn’s wife used to ask, `Who prevailed’ When she was told, `Musa and Harun prevailed’, she said, `I believe in the Lord of Musa and Harun.’ Fir`awn sent his aides to her and said to them, `Find the biggest stone. If she insists on keeping her faith, throw the stone on her, otherwise she is my wife. When they came to her, she looked up to the sky and was able to see her house in Paradise. She persisted on the faith and her soul was then captured. The stone was thrown on her lifeless body.”
This is the meaning of her statement,
(My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir`awn and his work,) means, `deliver me from him, because I am innocent of his actions.
Her name was Asiyah bint Muzahim, may Allah be pleased with her.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, “The Messenger of Allah drew four lines on the ground and said,
(Do you know what these lines represent) They said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said,
(The best among the women of Paradise are Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint `Imran and Asiyah bint Muzahim, wife of Fir`awn.)
It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Many men have reached the level of perfection, but none among women have reached this level except Asiyah — Fir`awn’s wife, Maryam–the daughter of `Imran, and Khadijah–the daughter of Khuwaylid. And no doubt, the superiority of `A’ishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other meals.)
“Those who answered (the Call of) Allah and the Messenger after being wounded; for those of them who did good deeds and feared Allah, there is a great reward. Those to whom the people said, “Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.” But it (only) increased them in faith, and they said: “Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs.”. So they returned with grace and bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty. It is only Shaytan that suggests to you the fear of his friends; so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are indeed believers.” (3:172-175)
The Battle of Hamra’ Al-Asad
Allah said,
“Those who answered (the Call of) Allah and the Messenger after being wounded” (3:172)
This occurred on the day of Hamra’ Al-Asad. After the idolators defeated the Muslims (at Uhud), they started on their way back home, but soon they were concerned because they did not finish off the Muslims in Al-Madinah, so they set out to make that battle the final one. When the Messenger of Allah Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam got news of this, he commanded the Muslims to march to meet the disbelievers, to bring fear to their hearts and to demonstrate that the Muslims still had the strength to fight. The Prophet Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam only allowed those who were present during Uhud to accompany him, except for Jabir bin `Abdullah Al-Ansar.
The Muslims mobilized, even though they were still suffering from their injuries, in obedience to Allah and His Messenger Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam .
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ikrimah said, “When the idolators returned (towards Makkah) after Uhud, they said, `You neither killed Muhammad Peace be upon him) nor collected female captives. Woe to you for what you did. Let us go back.’ When the Messenger of Allah Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam heard this news, he mobilized the Muslim forces, and they marched until they reached Hamra Al-Asad. The idolators said, `Rather, we will meet next year’, and the Messenger of Allah Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam went back (to Al-Madinah), and this was considered a Ghazwah (battle).
Allah sent down,
Those who answered (the Call of) Allah and the Messenger said: “Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs.”
Some people threatened the Muslims, saying that the disbelievers had amassed against them, in order to instill fear in them, but this did not worry the Muslims, rather, they trusted in Allah and sought His help,
Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas Radi Allahu anhu said,
“Allah Alone is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.”
Ibrahim Alaihissalaam said it when he was thrown in fire.
Muhammad Sallal laahoo alahi wassallam said it when the people said, `Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.’ But it only increased them in faith, and they said this.
So they returned with grace and bounty from Allah. No harm touched them, for when they relied on Allah, Allah took care of their worries. He confounded the plots of their enemies, and the Muslims returned to their land, with grace and bounty from Allah, safe from the wicked plots of their enemies.
Allah then said,
“It is only Shaytan that suggests to you the fear of his friends” )3:175(
This means, Shaytan threatens you with his friends and tries to pretend they are powerful and fearsome.
Allah said next,
“So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are indeed believers.” meaning, if Shaytan brings these thoughts to you, then depend on Me and seek refuge with Me. Indeed, I shall suffice you and make you prevail over them.
Similarly, Allah said,
“Is not Allah Sufficient for His servant, yet they try to frighten you with those besides Him” (39: 36) until [Say: “Sufficient for me is Allah; in Him those who trust must put their trust.” (39:38)
O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.”
Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and Al-Hasan Al-Basri and other said, “This is the statement that the believers will say on the Day of Resurrection, when they witness the light of the hypocrites being extinguished.” Imam Ahmad recorded that a man from the tribe of Banu Kinanah said, “I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah during the year of the Conquest (of Makkah), and heard him say,
(O Allah! Please, do not disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection.)”
” (9. Do you think that the people of Al-Kahf and Ar-Raqim were a wonder among Our signs) (10. When the young men fled for refuge to Al-Kahf. They said: “Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!”) (11. Therefore, We covered up their hearing in Al-Kahf for a number of years.) (12. Then We raised them up, that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period they tarried.)
Al-Kahf refers to a cave in a mountain, which is where the young men sought refuge. With regard to the word Ar-Raqim, Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that it is a valley near Aylah.
Ad-Dahhak said: “As for Al-Kahf, it is a cave in the valley, and Ar-Raqim is the name of the valley.”
Here Allah tells us about those young men who fled from their people for the sake of their religion, fearing persecution. So they fled taking refuge in the cave of a mountain, where they hid from their people.
Allah states that they were boys or young men, and that they were more accepting of the truth and more guided than the elders who had become stubbornly set in their ways and clung to the religion of falsehood. For the same reason, most of those who responded to Allah and His Messenger were young people. As for the elders of Quraysh, most of them kept to their religion and only a few of them became Muslims. So Allah tells us that the people of the cave were young men.
It has been mentioned that they were followers of the religion of Al-Masih `Isa, `Isa bin Maryam, but Allah knows best. It seems that they lived before the time of Christianity altogether, because if they had been Christians, the Jewish rabbis would not have cared about perserving because of their differences. We have mentioned above the report from Ibn `Abbas that the Quraysh sent a message to the Jewish rabbis in Al-Madinah to ask them for things with which they could test the Messenger of Allah , and they told them to ask him about these young men, and about Dhul-Qarnayn (the man who traveled much) and about the Ruh. This indicates that this story was something recorded in the books of the People of the Book, and that it came before Christianity. And Allah knows best.
Allah says: `We gave them the patience to go against their people and their city, and to leave behind the life of luxury and ease that they had been living.’ Several of the earlier and later Tafsir scholars have mentioned that they were sons of the kings and leaders of Byzantium, and that they went out one day to one of the festivals of their people. They used to gather once a year outside the city, and they would worship idols and offer sacrifices to them. They had an arrogant, tyrannical king who was called Decianus, who commanded and encouraged the people to do that. When the people went out to attend this gathering, these young men went out with their fathers and their people, and when they saw their people’s actions with clear insight, they realized that the prostrations and sacrifices the people were offering to their idols should only be dedicated to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth. Each of them started to withdraw from his people and keep aloof from them. The first one of them to move away on his own went and sat in the shade of a tree, then another came and sat with him, then another came and sat with them, then four more followed suit one by one. None of them knew the others, but they were brought together by the One Who instilled faith in their hearts.
As it says in the Hadith recorded by Al-Bukhari with an incomplete chain of narrators from `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allah Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam said:
(Souls are like recruited soldiers. Those that recognize one another will come together, and those that do not recognize one another will turn away from each another). Muslim also recorded this in his Sahih from the Hadith of Suhayl from his father from Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allah Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam . People say that similar qualities or characteristics are what bring people together. So each of the young men was trying to conceal what he really believed from the others, out of fear of them, not knowing that they were like him. Then one of them said, “O people, you know by Allah that only one thing is making you leave your people and isolate yourselves from them, so let each one of you say what it is in his case.” Another said, “As for me, by Allah I saw what my people are doing and I realized that it was false, and that the only One Who deserves to be worshipped Alone with out partner or associate is Allah Who created everything, the heavens, the earth and everything in between.” Another said, “By Allah, the same thing happened to me.” The others said the same, and they all agreed and became brothers in faith. They adopted a particular location as a place of worship and began worshipping Allah there, but their people found out about them and told their king about them. The king ordered them to appear before him, and asked them about their beliefs. They told him the truth and called him to Allah
It was said that when they called their king to believe in Allah, he refused, and warned and threatened them. He commanded them to be stripped of their clothing bearing the adornments of their people, then he gave them some time to think about the situation, hoping that they would return to their former religion. This was a way that Allah showed kindness for them, because during that time they managed to escape from him and flee from persecution for the sake of their religion. This is what is prescribed in the Shari`ah during times of trial and persecution — a person who fears for his religion should flee from his persecutors
These young men were determined to flee from their people, and Allah decreed that for them.
So they left and fled to the cave where they sought refuge. Then their people noticed they were missing, and the king looked for them, and it was said when he could not find them that Allah concealed them from him so that he could not find any trace of them or any information about them, as Allah concealed His Prophet Muhammad and his Companion ﴿Abu Bakr﴾ As-Siddiq, when they sought refuge in the cave of Thawr.
When they entered the cave, they asked Allah to show mercy and kindness towards them,
(Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself,) meaning, `give us Your mercy and conceal us from our people.’
(and facilitate for us our affair in the right way.) means, direct our matter well, i.e., grant us a good end.
As was reported in the Hadith:
(Whatever You have decreed for us, make its consequences good).
Allah says in the Holy Quran:-
(Therefore, We covered up their hearing in the cave for a number of years.) meaning, `We caused them to sleep when they entered the cave, and they slept for many years.’
That is from the Ayat of Allah. He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no guardian to lead him.)
