Surat Al `Imran (111-120)

{لَنْ يَضُرُّوكُمْ إِلَّا أَذًى وَإِنْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ يُوَلُّوكُمُ الأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنْصَرُونَ} [آل عمران: 111]

111- The People of the Scriptures, especially the Jews, cannot harm you except for circumstantial slight harm. If fight took place between you and them, you shall be defeated severely, no one shall help them, and they will find no one to save them from your power.

That is what happened for sure. Allah humiliated the Jews and gave victory to Muslims over them. Likewise the Christians were defeated in the Levant and other territories and victory shall be the final destination of Muslims as long as they hold firm with the legislation of Allah and lifting the banner of Jihad in His Cause.

{ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَبَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللهِ وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ المَسْكَنَةُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآَيَاتِ اللهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَكَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ} [آل عمران: 112]

112- Allah sentenced them with humiliation and disgrace wherever they are. This became an attribute for them until it settled down in their feelings. They shall never find rest or settlement except by being subject to the will of Allah i.e., to be Dhimmi (non-Muslims who live under the Muslim State) in the Muslim State and pay tribute, by taking protection from the people, or by conventions between them and major countries to protect them.

They are connected themselves with the wrath of Allah and stayed therein, so they cannot leave it even for a moment. The reason of this humiliation and correlated wrath is that they used to refuse to follow the truth, no matter how clear and powerful it is. They also denied the proofs and the miracles although they see them clearly with their naked eyes. Moreover, they committed a crime that no one can do but the worst people which is killing the prophets; the purest people, those who had the best morals, and the greatest among people. They killed them without any justification and without right, thus their wicked souls and their evil hearts decorated that for them out of stubbornness, haughtiness, and envy. The motive for all these crimes was their continuous disobedience to the commands of Allah, their transgression, and oppression.

{لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً مِنْ أَهْلِ الكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آَيَاتِ اللهِ آَنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ} [آل عمران: 113]

113- They are not equal because some of them have believed, stayed firmly on the Straight Path, obeyed the legislation of Allah, followed His Prophet, recited the Ayahs of the Glorious Qur'an, stay up at night for voluntary night Salah, and supplicate Allah secretly in submission and reverence.

{يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الآَخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ المُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ} [آل عمران: 114]

114- They believe in Allah, the One and the Only, and believe in the Day of the Recompense. They also command the people with good, truth, and justice. They forbid evil, harm, and injustice, they compete with one another in good actions, and treat their believing brother kindly in cooperation, obedience, and piety. Those are the pious who did the good blessed actions after they had believed in Allah.

{وَمَا يَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَنْ يُكْفَرُوهُ وَاللهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالمُتَّقِينَ} [آل عمران: 115]

115- All the good actions, piety, and benevolence which they do, they shall be rewarded for. Verily, Allah shall reward them the best because He is All-Knowing with those who fear Him and ask His Pleasure; nothing of what they do is hidden from Him.

{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ مِنَ اللهِ شَيْئًا وَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ} [آل عمران: 116]

116- Indeed, those who disbelieved and denied that which Allah has revealed of truth, good, and guidance shall not benefit from the money which they accumulated and the palaces which they established. Their children and offspring cannot prevent the torment of Allah and their final destination shall be blazing Fire that comes to burn their faces and hearts on the Day of the Recompense; they will abide therein forever.

{مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِي هَذِهِ الحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللهُ وَلَكِنْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ} [آل عمران: 117]

117- The similitude of the disbelievers when they spend their monies for good and as human aid for a material benefit or others is like a severe cold wind that destroyed the garden of some people which is about to be ripe. The wind destroyed the fruits and plants because of the sins and oppression of their people. The property and the good of those disbelievers shall be ruined and destroyed. Their monies shall not benefit them except in the world, but in the Hereafter they shall have no share because they had enough of the worldly reward and did not save them to the Hereafter. They have oppressed themselves when they chose aberrance for themselves and sufficed with the worldly desires, so their monies and children shall not benefit them in the Hereafter because they destroyed their actions with their disbelief and aberrance.

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ البَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الآَيَاتِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ} [آل عمران: 118]

118- O you who believe, do not trust the disbelievers, the hypocrites, and the People of the Scriptures, do not take them as friends consulting them in your affairs, or give them your secrets because they are not of you. They exert efforts to disagree with you and harm you with all effort, mockery, and plot they have. They would like to embarrass you and put you in troubles in order to harm and take revenge of you. This is what they plan and this is what they say with their tongues. However, the hatred and enmity which they conceal in their hearts are much bigger than what they say publicly. This is a hard evidence for you in order no to take them as friends; do not establish intimate relations with them and do not open your hearts to them.

The Ayah was revealed concerning a group of Muslims who were establishing good relations with the Jews because they were their neighbors or allies in the Jahiliyyah (the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance), therefore, they were forbidden to establish these intimate relations with them for fear of sedition.

{هَا أَنْتُمْ أُولَاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِبُّونَكُمْ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالكِتَابِ كُلِّهِ وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُوا آَمَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوا عَلَيْكُمُ الأَنَامِلَ مِنَ الغَيْظِ قُلْ مُوتُوا بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ} [آل عمران: 119]

119- Here you are Muslims, you love the hypocrites because they show Islam publicly to you, however they do not like you. They hate you, try to plot against you all the time, and transmit your news to your enemies whom they like. You believe in the entire Book of Allah, whereas they are in doubt. Sometimes, they offer Salah in front of you, but if they were gathered, they would show their wrath, enmity, and hatred to you.

 Say to them: Show hatred to Muslims as you like and perish in your rage because Allah shall complete His Religion, shall support His Religion and His Believing ones, and shall let down their infidel and hypocrite enemies. He is All-Knowing of the envy and hatred which their hearts conceal against Muslims and He shall retribute them in the Hereafter with the severe torment.

{إِنْ تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِنْ تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُوا بِهَا وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ} [آل عمران: 120]

120- The matter which confirms the enmity of the hypocrites to you is when Allah (Glory be to Him) gives you sustenance, provide you victory, or triumph, you find them in distress and sorrow. However, when something you hate befalls upon you such as famine or defeat, you find them happy and cheerful. So, do not be sad for that, protect yourselves from their evil by observing patience, keeping to Allah's Obedience, and rely on Him. Thereby, you shall not be harmed by their plot because Allah is Ever encompasses His Servants, All-Knowing of what they do, and nothing in this universe shall be except that He wants with His Estimation and Will.