Sūrat Āl ʿImrān
Section 20 of 22 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Allah Is Sufficient for Us
Allah (swt) gives an immense promise, and Allah congratulates those who stood with the Prophet (peace be upon him). That is the substance of verse 172, where all of this is discussed. Allāhu akbar.
فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا۟ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ۞ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَصَابَهُمُ ٱلْقَرْحُ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
“happy with what Allah has given them of His grace; and they feel pleased with the good news, about those left behind them who could not join them, that there shall be no fear for them nor shall they grieve. They feel pleased with blessing from Allah, and grace, and with the fact that Allah would not let the reward of the believers be lost. Those who responded to the call of Allah and the Messenger, even after they had received the wound, for those of them who did good deeds and feared Allah there is a great reward” (3:170–172)
This is verse 172: those who responded to Allah and His Messenger after they had been wounded — those among them who do good, and who have taqwā, for them is an immense reward. Allah (swt) then gives:
ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَقَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ
“- (that is) those to whom people said, “The people have gathered against you; so, fear them.” It increased them in Faith and they said, “Allah is fully sufficient for us, and the best One in whom to trust.”” (3:173)
People tried to mislead and weaken them by saying: the people have gathered against you; you will be defeated. But that only increased them in īmān, because Allah had told them that they would suffer — that there would be suffering to be borne. And they said: ḥasbunā Allāhu wa-niʿma al-wakīl. This is one of the great duʿāʾs of the Qur'an, one of the most powerful: in any helpless state, in any despondency, one should recite ḥasbunā Allāh — Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best patron. In saying it one remembers Allah; one says: O Allah, everything is now in Your hands.
فَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوٓءٌ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ رِضْوَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ إِنَّمَا ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يُخَوِّفُ أَوْلِيَآءَهُۥ فَلَا تَخَافُوهُمْ وَخَافُونِ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
“So, they returned with bounty from Allah, and grace, with no evil having even touched them, and submitted to the pleasure of Allah. Allah is the Lord of great bounty. It is none but Satan who frightens (you) of his friends. So, do not fear them; but fear Me, if you are believers.” (3:174–175)
Fanqalabū bi-niʿmatin mina Allāh: so these people returned, and came back with bounty from Allah, wa-faḍl, and grace; lam yamsas-hum sūʾ; wattabaʿū riḍwāna Allāh, wallāhu dhū faḍlin ʿaẓīm. Innamā dhālikum al-shayṭānu yukhawwifu awliyāʾah: Shayṭān will try to instil fear; he will try to create fear. Fa-lā takhāfūhum wa-khāfūn — Allah says: fear Me alone; fear neither Shayṭān nor anyone else.
وَلَا يَحْزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يَضُرُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًٔا ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَلَّا يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظًّا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
“Those who hasten towards disbelief should not make you grieve. They cannot harm Allah at all. Allah intends not to spare for them any share in the Hereafter. For them there is a mighty punishment.” (3:176)
Let not those who would all but instil disbelief among you grieve you; they cannot harm Allah (swt) in the least. There follow many warnings and censures and the rest:
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا نُمْلِى لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِّأَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِى لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِثْمًا ۚ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ
“Those who disbelieve should not think that the respite We give them is good for them. In fact, We give them respite only that they may increase in sin, and for them there is a humiliating punishment.” (3:178)
That can, inshāʾAllāh, be read. A few other points remain to be noted before the end of the sūrah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is also told: do not grieve if people have not believed in you and have denied you. The same befell the prophets of the past. Full acceptance among people is never attained; there is always division. As Allah says in another place, had Allah willed, He could have made you all one ummah; He could have placed you all on one platform — la-jaʿalakum ummatan wāḥidah. He could have done so. But this is Allah's test: that whoever wins through, whoever does right, receives what is right, receives…