4. An-Nisaa

This world is a place of trial; hence everyone has freedom of action here. Even miscreants have the opportunity to oppress believers without any justification. Believers, however, pass the test of sincere faith by remaining steadfastly on the straight path, patiently bearing all persecution. They have to be ever vigilant against the enemies of God, organizing their defence both through peaceful policies as well as by strategic preparations, and guarding themselves from enemies both individually and collectively. Moreover, among the rank and file of Muslims, there may be persons, as was apparent during the battle of Uhud, who desire success in the Hereafter, without incurring any risk of loss in this world. They participate enthusiastically in activities which show the possibility of some worldly gain, but find some excuse or the other to justify their refusal to join a religious struggle which entails worldly loss. These Muslims have this mentality because they live on the same materialistic plane as before, despite having accepted Islam. They lack the conviction that it is the Hereafter that is of real importance and not the success or failure of this world. The true believer for the cause of God is one who aspires only to the Hereafter and sacrifices the benefits and conveniences of this world to make progress along the path of God. The real believer is not one who wants to be ranked among those who wish to be hailed as believers without enduring the slightest of injury or who have achieved fame and honour by eloquent lip service to religion. The real struggle is one which is purely for the cause of God.

This world is a place of trial; hence everyone has freedom of action here. Even miscreants have the opportunity to oppress believers without any justification. Believers, however, pass the test of sincere faith by remaining steadfastly on the straight path, patiently bearing all persecution. They have to be ever vigilant against the enemies of God, organizing their defence both through peaceful policies as well as by strategic preparations, and guarding themselves from enemies both individually and collectively. Moreover, among the rank and file of Muslims, there may be persons, as was apparent during the battle of Uhud, who desire success in the Hereafter, without incurring any risk of loss in this world. They participate enthusiastically in activities which show the possibility of some worldly gain, but find some excuse or the other to justify their refusal to join a religious struggle which entails worldly loss. These Muslims have this mentality because they live on the same materialistic plane as before, despite having accepted Islam. They lack the conviction that it is the Hereafter that is of real importance and not the success or failure of this world. The true believer for the cause of God is one who aspires only to the Hereafter and sacrifices the benefits and conveniences of this world to make progress along the path of God. The real believer is not one who wants to be ranked among those who wish to be hailed as believers without enduring the slightest of injury or who have achieved fame and honour by eloquent lip service to religion. The real struggle is one which is purely for the cause of God.

This world is a place of trial; hence everyone has freedom of action here. Even miscreants have the opportunity to oppress believers without any justification. Believers, however, pass the test of sincere faith by remaining steadfastly on the straight path, patiently bearing all persecution. They have to be ever vigilant against the enemies of God, organizing their defence both through peaceful policies as well as by strategic preparations, and guarding themselves from enemies both individually and collectively. Moreover, among the rank and file of Muslims, there may be persons, as was apparent during the battle of Uhud, who desire success in the Hereafter, without incurring any risk of loss in this world. They participate enthusiastically in activities which show the possibility of some worldly gain, but find some excuse or the other to justify their refusal to join a religious struggle which entails worldly loss. These Muslims have this mentality because they live on the same materialistic plane as before, despite having accepted Islam. They lack the conviction that it is the Hereafter that is of real importance and not the success or failure of this world. The true believer for the cause of God is one who aspires only to the Hereafter and sacrifices the benefits and conveniences of this world to make progress along the path of God. The real believer is not one who wants to be ranked among those who wish to be hailed as believers without enduring the slightest of injury or who have achieved fame and honour by eloquent lip service to religion. The real struggle is one which is purely for the cause of God.

See note to 2:191.

One who struggles, facing all difficulties and setbacks to warn people of the perils of Hell and guides them towards Paradise, refrains from picking quarrels with anyone on materialistic or political issues, but even then he is opposed and challenged by evil-doers. The followers of the path of Satan would fight with a servant of God for the simple reason that his utterances assail their egos, and with the spread of his message, they anticipate economic and political danger for themselves. They cannot find any valid argument to counter his arguments, so they resort to violence and aggression.

The opponents of Islam in Makkah used to persecute Muslims before the Migration. They resorted to all kinds of aggression and injustice against the Muslims, such as assault, destruction of their means of livelihood, stopping them from praying in the Kabah, not permitting them to spread the word of God, compelling them to leave their homes, etc. Whoever accepted Islam was subjected to all types of pressures to abandon his new faith and return to his ancestral religion. This unjust and aggressive stance of the opponents of Islam had, in principle, made it basically legitimate for the Muslims to take up arms against them; and therefore, the oppressed Muslims approached the Prophet repeatedly to seek his permission to fight. But the Prophet always restrained them, saying that he had not been given permission for armed confrontation. Instead, he advised the Muslims to be patient, say their prayers (salat) and pay the obligatory alms (zakat). The reason for this restraint was that premature and untimely action is not the way of Islam. The Muslims were not powerful enough in Makkah to take decisive action against their enemies. An armed confrontation at that time would have intensified their affliction. It would have amounted to giving the Makkans justification to declare open war against the Muslims, instead of there being just stray incidents of tyranny at the individual level. A practical step may be taken only when the necessary preparations have been made for it. Before reaching this stage, the faithful are required only to fulfil their personal obligations, which must be attended to under all circumstances. These obligations are to seek closeness with God, pay others their rightful dues and endure the difficulties encountered in the path of religion.

When the Quranic instructions pertaining to sacrifice were revealed, the opportunists found them to be disturbing to the pattern of their lives. They started pretentious talk to hide their own weakness. The debacle at Uhud, they said, was due to the poor strategy of the Prophet, and thus they tried to misguide people about his ability to lead. Whenever something favourable happened, they associated it with the grace of God, simply to exhibit their faith in Islam; but to escape from the practical demands of Islam, they tried to prove the Prophet wrong. It is possible for man to show faith in God and continue to follow the dictates of his desires; but once he accepts allegiance with the messenger of God, it becomes necessary to stand by the side of the dayee, which is indeed a most difficult proposition.

When the Quranic instructions pertaining to sacrifice were revealed, the opportunists found them to be disturbing to the pattern of their lives. They started pretentious talk to hide their own weakness. The debacle at Uhud, they said, was due to the poor strategy of the Prophet, and thus they tried to misguide people about his ability to lead. Whenever something favourable happened, they associated it with the grace of God, simply to exhibit their faith in Islam; but to escape from the practical demands of Islam, they tried to prove the Prophet wrong. It is possible for man to show faith in God and continue to follow the dictates of his desires; but once he accepts allegiance with the messenger of God, it becomes necessary to stand by the side of the dayee, which is indeed a most difficult proposition.

The acknowledgment of the dayee is to accept ‘a human being like oneself’. This is why people may accept God, but do not extend their acceptance to God’s dayee. The real test, however, is to acknowledge and accept the dayee and stand by his side. Unless one takes him to be truly a messenger of God, one cannot be serious towards him. Then is no point in agreeing to lend support to the dayee to his face, and then continue to go one’s own way afterwards, or going to the extent of spreading irresponsible rumours about him. Those who behave so carelessly towards him cannot expect to be exonerated in the Hereafter by pleading ignorance. The veracity of the dayee, if one ponders upon it, is self-evident in his utterances, which are God-inspired.