Sūrat al-Ḥajj
Section 14 of 18 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Why They Were Allowed to Fight
Allah then gives the reasoning behind the permission to fight. For fighting is not good in itself: in fighting, people are killed, and Allah had been prohibiting the killing of people and the spilling of blood. Why, then, is it now permitted? Allah says:
ٱلَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَٰمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَٰتٌ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ
“(They are) the ones who were expelled from their homes without any just reason, except that they say “Our Lord is Allah.” Had Allah not been repelling some people by means of some others, the monasteries, the churches, the synagogues and the mosques where Allah’s name is abundantly recited would have been demolished. Allah will definitely help those who help Him (by defending the religion prescribed by Him.) Surely Allah is Powerful, Mighty.” (22:40)
These people are permitted — they have been given permission — because they have been driven from their homes without any right, for no reason other than that they said rabbunā Allāh, our Lord is Allah. Consider what happened to the Rohingya; consider what is being attempted in the Indian subcontinent, in India.
Allah then supplies the wisdom of it: wa-lawlā dafʿu Allāhi al-nāsa baʿḍahum bi-baʿḍ — were Allah (swt) not to straighten the scale, so to speak, to right the balance, by allowing some people to repel others in this way, the evil would overcome everyone, and thereafter they would not let you worship Allah. This is why the verse says that the various places of worship — not Muslim places of worship alone, but ṣawāmiʿ, biyaʿ, ṣalawāt and masājid: monasteries, churches, synagogues and the rest — would be destroyed, for materialism and everything of its kind would take over. Places in which the name of Allah (swt) is mentioned: all of them would have been destroyed across the ages of the different prophets.
Allah (swt) will assist those who assist Him — that is, those who make the effort; them Allah will assist. Allah (swt) is powerful and mighty.
ٱلَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَمَرُوا۟ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا۟ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْأُمُورِ
“(The ones who help Allah are) those who, when We give them power in the land, establish Salāh, pay Zakāh, bid what is Fair and forbid what is Unfair. And with Allah lies the fate of all matters.” (22:41)
Allah again describes them as those who, if We give them a place in the earth, will establish prayer, give zakāh, and enjoin the good and forbid the evil; and to Allah belongs the end of all matters. All of this discussion is found here; and, as noted, this is the first time they were given permission to fight back properly.