40:51 Ghafir (The Forgiver)

لما ذكر عقوبة آل فرعون في الدنيا، والبرزخ، ويوم القيامة، وذكر حالة أهل النار الفظيعة، الذين نابذوا رسله وحاربوهم، قال: { إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا } أي: بالحجة والبرهان والنصر، في الآخرة بالحكم لهم ولأتباعهم بالثواب، ولمن حاربهم بشدة العقاب.

قد أورد أبو جعفر ابن جرير رحمه الله تعالى عند قوله تعالى "إنا لننصر رسلنا والذين آمنوا في الحياة الدنيا" سؤالا فقال قد علم أن بعض الأنبياء عليهم الصلاة والسلام قتله قومه بالكلية كيحيى وزكريا وشعيا ومنهم من خرج من بين أظهرهم إما مهاجرا كإبراهيم وإما إلى السماء كعيسى فأين النصرة في الدنيا؟ ثم أجاب عن ذلك بجوابين "أحدهما" أن يكون الخبر خرج عاما والمراد به البعض قال وهذا سائغ في اللغة "الثاني" أن يكون المراد بالنصر الانتصار لهم ممن آذاهم وسواء كان ذلك بحضرتهم أو في غيبتهم أو بعد موتهم كما فعل بقتلة يحيى وزكريا وشعيا سلط عليهم من أعدائهم من أهانهم وسفك دماءهم وقد ذكر أن النمروذ أخذه الله تعالى أخذ عزيز مقتدر وأما الذين راموا صلب المسيح عليه السلام من اليهود فسلط الله تعالى عليهم الروم فأهانوهم وأذلوهم وأظهرهم الله تعالى عليهم ثم قبل يوم القيامة سينزل عيسى بن مريم عليه الصلاة والسلام إماما عادلا وحمكا مقسطا فيقتل المسيح الدجال وجنوده من اليهود ويقتل الخنزير ويكسر الصليب ويضع الجزية فلا يقبل إلا الإسلام وهذه نصرة عظيمة وهذه سنة الله تعالى في خلقه في قديم الدهر وحديثه أنه ينصر عباده المؤمنين في الدنيا ويقر أعينهم ممن آذاهم. ففي صحيح البخاري عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال "يقول الله تبارك وتعالى من عادى لى وليا فقد بارزني بالحرب". وفى الحديث الآخر "إني لأثأر لأوليائي كما يثأر الليث الحرب" ولهذا أهلك الله عز وجل قوم نوح وعاد وثمود وأصحاب الرس وقوم لوط وأهل مدين وأشباههم وأضرابهم ممن كذب الرسل وخالف الحق وأنجى الله تعالى من بينهم المؤمنين فلم يهلك منهم أحدا وعذب الكافرين فلم يفلت منهم أحدا قال السدي لم يبعث الله عز وجل رسولا قط إلى قوم فيقتلونه أو قوما من المؤمنين يدعون إلى الحق فيقتلون فيذهب ذلك القرن حتى يبعث الله تبارك وتعالى لهم من ينصرهم فيطلب بدمائهم ممن فعل ذلك بهم في الدنيا قال فكانت الأنبياء والمؤمنون يقتلون في الدنيا وهم منصورون فيها وهكذا نصر الله نبيه محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه على من خالفه وناوأه وكذبه وعاداه فجعل كلمته هي العليا ودينه هو الظاهر على سائر الأديان وأمره بالهجرة من بين ظهراني قومه إلى المدينة النبوية وجعل له فيها أنصارا وأعوانا ثم منحه أكتاف المشركين يوم بدر فنصره عليهم وخذلهم وقتل صناديدهم وأسر سراتهم فاستاقهم مقرنين في الأصفاد ثم من عليهم بأخذه الفداء منهم ثم بعد مدة قريبة فتح عليه مكة فقرت عينه ببلده وهو البلد المحرم الحرام المشرف المعظم فأنقذه الله تعالى به مما كان فيه من الكفر والشرك وفتح له اليمن ودانت له جزيرة العرب بكمالها ودخل الناس في دين الله أفواجا ثم قبضه الله تعالى إليه لما له عنده من الكرامة العظيمة فأقام الله تبارك وتعالى أصحابه خلفاء بعده فبلغوا عنه دين الله عز وجل ودعوا عباد الله تعالى إلى الله جل وعلا وفتحوا البلاد والرساتيق والأقاليم والمدائن والقرى والقلوب حتى انتشرت الدعوة المحمدية في مشارق الأرض ومغاربها ثم لا يزال هذا الدين قائما منصورا ظاهرا إلى قيام الساعة ولهذا قال تعالى "إنا لننصر رسلنا والذين آمنوا في الحياة الدنيا ويوم يقوم الأشهاد" أي يوم القيامة تكون النصرة أعظم وأكبر وأجل قال مجاهد: الأشهاد الملائكة.

The Victory of the Messengers and the Believers

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life). As-Suddi, "Allah never sends a Messenger to a people and they kill him or some of the believers who call them to the truth, then that generation passes away, but He then sends them someone who will support their call and will seek vengeance for their blood from those who did that to them in this world. So the Prophets and believers may be killed in this world, but their call will prevail in this world." Allah granted victory to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions over those who had opposed him, disbelieved in him and shown hostility towards him. He caused His Word and His religion to prevail over all other religions, commanded him to emigrate from his people to Al-Madinah, where He gave him supporters and helpers. Then He caused him to prevail over the idolators on the day of Badr, when He granted him victory over them and he humiliated them, killing their leaders and taking their elite prisoner, driving them before him in chains. Then he did them the favor of accepting ransom from them. Shortly after that, Allah enabled him to conquer Makkah, and he rejoiced in his return to his homeland, the sacred and holy land of Al-Haram. Through him, Allah saved it from its disbelief and Shirk. Then Allah enabled him to conquer the Yemen, and the entire Arabian Peninsula submitted to him, and the people entered the religion of Allah in crowds. Then Allah took him (in death), because of his high status and honor, and He established his Companions as his Khalifahs. They conveyed the religion of Allah from him, called mankind to Allah, they conquered many regions, countries and cities, and opened people's hearts, until the call of Muhammad ﷺ spread throughout the world, east and west. This religion will continue to prevail until the Hour begins. Allah says:

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُ

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in this world's life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection the victory will be greater and more complete. Mujahid said, "The witnesses are the angels."

يَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ

(The Day when their excuses will be of no profit to wrongdoers.) is referring to the same as;

وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُ

(...the Day when the witnesses will stand forth.) Others read it with that meaning;

وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الاٌّشْهَـدُيَوْمَ لاَ يَنفَعُ الظَّـلِمِينَ

(And the Day the witnesses will stand forth, is a Day when there will be no profit to wrongdoers.) and the wrongdoers are the idolators.

مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ

(their excuses) means, no excuse or ransom will be accepted from them.

وَلَهُمُ الْلَّعْنَةُ

(Theirs will be the curse,) means, they will be cast out far away from the mercy of Allah.

وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ

(and theirs will be the evil abode.) means, the Hell-fire, as As-Suddi said, a terrible abode and dwellingplace.

Indication that the Messenger and the Believers will prevail just as Musa and the Children of Israel prevailed

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْهُدَى

(And, indeed We gave Musa the guidance.) means, the guidance and light with which Allah sent him.

وَأَوْرَثْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَـبَ

(and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit the Scripture.) means, `We caused them to prevail in the end and they inherited the land and accumulated wealth of Fir`awn, because of their patience in obeying Allah and following His Messenger Musa.' The Scripture which they inherited, the Tawrah, was

هُدًى وَذِكْرَى لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ

(A guide and a reminder for men of understanding.) i.e. those of a sound and upright nature.

فَاصْبِرْ

(So be patient) means, `O Muhammad,'

إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

(Verily, the promise of Allah is true,) means, `We have promised that your word will prevail and that the ultimate victory will be for you and those who follow you, and Allah does not break His promises. What We have told you is true and there is no doubt in it whatsoever.'

وَاسْتَغْفِـرْ لِذَنبِكَ

(and ask forgiveness for your fault,) This encourages the Ummah to seek forgiveness.

وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِىِّ

(and glorify the praises of your Lord in the `Ashi) meaning, at the end of the day and the beginning of the night,

وَالابْكَارِ

(and in the Ibkar.) meaning, at the beginning of the day and the end of the night.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَـدِلُونَ فِى ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَـنٍ أَتَـهُمْ

(Verily, those who dispute about the Ayat of Allah, without any authority having come to them,) means, they try to refute the truth with falsehood, and to refute sound evidence with dubious arguments, having no proof or evidence from Allah.

إِن فِى صُدُورِهِمْ إِلاَّ كِبْرٌ مَّـا هُم بِبَـلِغِيهِ

(there is nothing else in their breasts except pride. They will never have it.) means, they are too proud to follow the truth and submit to the one who has brought it. But their attempts to suppress the truth and elevate falsehood will fail; the truth will prevail and their words and aspirations will be defeated.

فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ

(So seek refuge in Allah. ) means, from being like these people,

إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ

(Verily, it is He Who is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.) or seek refuge with Him from being like these people who dispute about the Ayat of Allah without any authority having come to them.

Truly We shall help Our messengers and those who believe in the life of this world and on the day when the witnesses rise up ashhād is the plural of shāhid — these are the angels who will testify in support of the messengers that they indeed delivered their Messages and against the disbelievers that they denied them;

Commentary

In the opening statement of verse 51, it was said: إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ‌ رُ‌سُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا (Surely, We do help Our messengers and those who believe in the worldly life, 40:51). This verse carries the promise of Allah Ta’ ala that He would keep helping His messengers and believers, both in the present world and in the Hereafter. It is obvious that this help is intended to be against adversaries and enemies. That it so happened in the case of most prophets (علیہم السلام) ، peace be on them all, is clear enough. But, there were prophets (علیہم السلام) such as, Sayyidna Yahya, Zakariyya and Shu'aib (علیہم السلام) ، who were either martyred by enemies or had to abandon their home country and migrate to some other place - as was the case with Sayyidna Ibrahim علیہ السلام and the last of the prophets, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ . There may be some doubt about that.

Ibn Kathir has, with reference to Ibn Jarir, answered this possible doubt by saying that, in this verse, نُصرَت (nusrah: help) means: اِنتِصار (intisar: victory) or subduing of the enemy in retaliation - whether it happens at their hands while they are alive, or after their death. This meaning applies to all prophets and believers without any exception. History bears witness as to how those who killed their prophets (علیہم السلام) were later on subjected to terrible punishments and the disgrace that followed. Upon those who killed Sayyidna Yahya, Zakariyya and Shu'aib (علیہم السلام) ، their enemies were set who showed no mercy while disgracing and killing them. As for Namrud (Nimrod), terrible was the punishment that overtook him. And Allah Ta’ ala set the power of Byzantine against the enemies of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) that defeated and disgraced them. And to him Allah Ta’ ala will give ascendancy over his enemies close to the last day of al-Qiyamah. As for the enemies of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، Allah Ta’ ala had them stand subdued at the hands of Muslims themselves. Their arrogant chiefs were killed. Some were taken prisoners. The rest were rounded up at the time of the conquest of Makkah, but the Holy Prophet ﷺ let them have their freedom. His message spread all over. The faith prevailed. The state of Islam stood established on the entire Arabian Peninsula within the lifetime of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

In the later part of verse 51, it was said: يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ (as well as on the day in which witnesses will stand [ to give their testimony ]. It means the day of Qiyamah (Doomsday). Once they are there, Divine help for prophets and believers will show itself specially.