3:120 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

{ إن تمسسكم حسنة } كالنصر على الأعداء وحصول الفتح والغنائم { تسؤهم } أي: تغمهم وتحزنهم { وإن تصبكم سيئة يفرحوا بها وإن تصبروا وتتقوا لا يضركم كيدهم شيئا إن الله بما يعملون محيط } فإذا أتيتم بالأسباب التي وعد الله عليها النصر - وهي الصبر والتقوى- لم يضركم مكرهم، بل يجعل الله مكرهم في نحورهم لأنه محيط بهم علمه وقدرته فلا منفذ لهم عن ذلك ولا يخفى عليهم منهم شيء.

قال تعالى "إن تمسسكم حسنة تسؤهم وإن تصبكم سيئة يفرحوا بها" وهذه الحال دالة على شدة العداوة منهم للمؤمنين وهو أنه إذا أصاب المؤمنين خصب ونصر وتأييد وكثروا وعز أنصارهم ساء ذلك المنافقين وإن أصاب المسلمين سنة أي جدب أو أديل عليهم الأعداء لما لله تعالى في ذلك من الحكمة كما جرى يوم أحد- فرح المنافقون بذلك قال الله تعالى مخاطبا المؤمنين: "وإن تصبروا وتتقوا لا يضركم كيدهم شيئا" الآية يرشدهم تعالى إلى السلامة من شر الأشرار وكيد الفجار باستعمال الصبر والتقوى والتوكل على الله الذي هو محيط بأعدائهم فلا حول ولا قوة لهم إلا به وهو الذي ما شاء كان وما لم يشأ لم يكن ولا يقع في الوجود شيء إلا بتقديره ومشيئته ومن توكل عليه كفاه. ثم شرع تعالى في ذكر قصة أحد وما كان فيها من الاختبار لعباده المؤمنين والتمييز بين المؤمنين والمنافقين وبيان الصابرين فقال تعالى.

Prohibition of Taking Allies From Disbelievers Who Ridicule Islam

Allah forbids His believing servants from taking the hypocrites as allies, so that the hypocrites do not have the opportunity to expose the secrets of the believers and their plans against their enemies. The hypocrites try their very best to confuse, oppose and harm the believers any way they can, and by using any wicked, evil means at their disposal. They wish the very worst and difficult conditions for the believers. Allah said,

لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ

(Take not as (your) Bitanah those other than your own) 3:118, in reference to taking followers of other religions as consultants and allies, for advisors of a certain person have access to his most secret affairs. Al-Bukhari and An-Nasa'i recorded that, Abu Sa`id said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَا بَعَثَ اللهُ مِنْ نَبِيَ وَلَا اسْتَخْلَفَ مِنْ خَلِيفَةٍ إِلَّا كَانَتْ لَهُ بِطَانَتَانِ: بِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالْخَيْرِ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَبِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالسُّوءِ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَالْمَعْصُومُ مَنْ عَصَمَ الله»

(Allah has not sent any Prophet nor was there any Khalifah but they have two types of allies, one that commands him with righteousness and advises it, and another that commands him with evil and advises him with it. Only those whom Allah gives immunity are immune.)

Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Ibn Abi Ad-Dahqanah said, "`Umar bin Al-Khattab was told, `There is young man here from the people of Hirah (in Iraq, who were Christians) who is a proficient scribe. Why do you not appoint him as a scribe' `Umar said, `I would then be taking advisors from among the disbelievers."' This Ayah and the story about `Umar testify to the fact that Muslims are not allowed to use Ahl Adh-Dhimmah to be scribes in matters that affect the affairs of Muslims and expose their secrets, for they might convey these secrets to combatant disbelievers. This is why Allah said,

لاَ يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالاً وَدُّواْ مَا عَنِتُّمْ

(since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely.)

Allah then said,

قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَآءُ مِنْ أَفْوَهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِى صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ

(Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse.) meaning, enmity appears on their faces and in what they sometimes utter, as well as, the enmity they have against Islam and its people in their hearts. Since this fact is apparent to every person who has sound comprehension, therefore,

قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الاٌّيَـتِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

(Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat if you understand.)

Allah said next,

هَآأَنتُمْ أُوْلاءِ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِبُّونَكُمْ

(O! You are the ones who love them but they love you not), meaning, O believers! You like the hypocrites because you think they are believers, for they pretend to be so, but they do not like you publicly or secretly.

وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتَـبِ كُلِّهِ

(And you believe in all the Scriptures) meaning, you have no doubt in any part of Allah's Book, while the hypocrites have deep doubts, confusion and reservations about it.

Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn `Abbas said that,

وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْكِتَـبِ كُلِّهِ

(and you believe in all the Scriptures,) means, you believe in your Book, their Book, and the previous Books, while the hypocrites disbelieve in your Book, and this is why they deserve that you dislike them instead of them disliking you. Ibn Jarir collected this statement.

وَإِذَا لَقُوكُمْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْاْ عَضُّواْ عَلَيْكُمُ الاٌّنَامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ

(And when they meet you, they say, "We believe." But when they are alone, they bite their Anamil at you in rage.)

The word Anamil, means the tips of the fingers, as Qatadah stated. This is the behavior of the hypocrites who pretend to be believers and kind when they are with the believers, all the while concealing the opposite in their hearts in every respect. This is the exact situation that Allah describes,

وَإِذَا خَلَوْاْ عَضُّواْ عَلَيْكُمُ الاٌّنَامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ

(But when they are alone, they bite their Anamil at you in rage) and rage is extreme anger and fury. Allah said to them,

قُلْ مُوتُواْ بِغَيْظِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(Say: "Perish in your rage. Certainly, Allah knows what is in the breasts (all the secrets).") for no matter how much you envy the believers and feel rage towards them, know that Allah shall perfect His favor on His believing servants, complete His religion, raise high His Word and give dominance to His religion. Therefore, O hypocrites, die in rage,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(Allah knows what is in the breasts.)

Allah has perfect knowledge of what you conceal in your hearts and chests and in the rage, envy and hatred you have against the believers. Allah will punish you for all this in this life, and they will have the good that you dislike for them. In the Hereafter, you will suffer severe torment in the Fire where you will remain for eternity.

Thereafter, Allah said,

إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ تَسُؤْهُمْ وَإِن تُصِبْكُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَفْرَحُواْ بِهَا

(If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it) 3:120. This only emphasizes the severity of the enmity that the hypocrites feel against the believers. If the believers enjoy fertile years, victories, support and their numbers and following increase, the hypocrites become displeased. When the Muslims suffer a drought or their enemies gain the upper hand against them, by Allah's decree, just as occurred during the battle of Uhud, the hypocrites become pleased. Allah said to His believing servants,

وَإِن تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ لاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئاً

(But if you remain patient and have Taqwa, not the least harm will their cunning do to you.)

Allah directs the believers to safety from the wickedness of evil people and the plots of the sinners, by recommending them to revert to patience and by having fear of Allah and trusting Him. Allah encompasses the enemies of the believers, all the while the believers have no power or strength except from Him. Whatever Allah wills, occurs, and whatever He does not will, does not occur. Nothing happens in His Kingdom except with His decision and according to His decrees. Verily, whoever relies on Allah, Allah shall suffice for him.

Allah then mentions the story of Uhud, the defeat that He tested the believers with, His distinguishing the believers from the hypocrites and their patience.

If good fortune a favour such as victory or booty befalls you it is evil for them it grieves them; but if evil such as defeat or drought befalls you they rejoice thereat the conditional statement here is semantically connected to the previous conditional and what comes in between is a parenthetical statement the meaning being that their enmity towards you is endless so why do you befriend them? Avoid them! Yet if you endure their harm and fear God by not befriending them and so on their guile will not hurt you read either lā yadirkum or lā yadurrukum at all; God encompasses what they do ya‘malūn or may be read ta‘malūn ‘what you do’ He has knowledge of it and will requite them for it.

The mentality of disbelievers has been further clarified by saying: إِن تَمْسَسْكُمْ حَسَنَةٌ in the first part of verse 120 which has been translated as, 'if something good happens to you, it annoys them and if something evil befalls you, they are delighted with it.'

How can Muslims remain protected against the aftermath of sinister moves of the hypocrites and the deadly hostility of opponents? For this, a simple and effective prescription was suggested in:

وَإِن تَصْبِرُ‌وا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّ‌كُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ ﴿120﴾

And if you keep patience and fear Allah, their cunning shall not harm you at all. Surely, Allah is All-Encompassing of what they do.

Sabr صبر and تقوی Taqwa: Panacea for Muslims

The Holy Qur'an has prescribed Sabr (patience, endurance) and Taqwa (fear of Allah) as an effective measure against all hardships. This elemental teaching has been conveyed to Muslims not only here but also at many other places in the Qur'an. For instance, in the section that follows immediately, it has been said:

بَلَىٰ ۚ إِن تَصْبِرُ‌وا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُم مِّن فَوْرِ‌هِمْ هَـٰذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَ‌بُّكُم بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ ﴿125﴾

Why not? If you stay patient and fear Allah and they come upon you in this heat of theirs, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand of the angels having distinct marks. (3:125)

Here, the promise of divine help has been made conditional upon Sabr and Taqwa-.

In Sarah Yusuf, it has been said:

إِنَّهُ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ‌

Whoever fears Allah and keeps patience ... (12:90)

Here too, prosperity and success have been tied with Sabr and Taqwa. Towards the end of this very Surah, Sabr is being proposed in the following words:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُ‌وا وَصَابِرُ‌وا وَرَ‌ابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿200﴾

O those who believe, be patient, be more patient than others, and guard your frontiers, and fear Allah so that you may be successful. (3:200)

Once again, prosperity and success have been made dependent on Sabr and Taqwa.

The two words, Sabr and Taqwa, though looking like a short title, are nevertheless very comprehensive. They contain within themselves a successful rule for all aspects of individual and collective life as well as public, government and military affairs.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said, as narrated by Sayyidna Abu Dharr ؓ

عن ابی ذر قال : قال رسول اللہ ﷺ انی لاعلم ایۃ لواخذ الناس بھا لکفتھم ۔ ومن یتق اللہ یجعل لہ مخرجا۔ الایہ (رواہ احمد)

I know a verse which, if people were to take to it, would suffice them. And that is: And whoever fears Allah, for him He shall make a way out (of the difficulties) - 65:2.