5:55 Al-Maaida (The Table)

لما نهى عن ولاية الكفار من اليهود والنصارى وغيرهم، وذكر مآل توليهم أنه الخسران المبين، أخبر تعالى مَن يجب ويتعين توليه، وذكر فائدة ذلك ومصلحته فقال: { إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ْ} فولاية الله تدرك بالإيمان والتقوى. فكل من كان مؤمنا تقيا كان لله وليا، ومن كان وليا لله فهو ولي لرسوله، ومن تولى الله ورسوله كان تمام ذلك تولي من تولاه، وهم المؤمنون الذين قاموا بالإيمان ظاهرا وباطنا، وأخلصوا للمعبود، بإقامتهم الصلاة بشروطها وفروضها ومكملاتها، وأحسنوا للخلق، وبذلوا الزكاة من أموالهم لمستحقيها منهم. وقوله: { وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ ْ} أي: خاضعون لله ذليلون. فأداة الحصر في قوله { إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ْ} تدل على أنه يجب قصر الولاية على المذكورين، والتبري من ولاية غيرهم.

قوله تعالى" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا" أي ليس اليهود بأوليائكم بل ولايتكم راجعة إلى الله ورسوله والمؤمنين وقوله" الذين يقيمون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة" أي المؤمنون المتصفون بهذه الصفات من إقام الصلاة التي هي أكبر أركان الإسلام وهي عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له وإيتاء الزكاة التي هي حق المخلوقين ومساعدة للمحتاجين من الضعفاء والمساكين وأما قوله" وهم راكعون" فقد توهم بعض الناس أن هذه الجملة فى موضع الحال من قوله" ويؤتون الزكاة" أي في حال ركوعهم ولو كان هذا كذلك لكان دفع الزكاة في حال الركوع أفضل من غيره لأنه ممدوح وليس الأمر كذلك عند أحد من العلماء ممن نعلمه من أئمة الفتوى وحتى إن بعضهم ذكر في هذا أثرا عن علي بن أبي طالب أن هذه الآية نزلت فيه وذلك أنه مر به سائل في حال ركوعه فأعطاه خاتمه وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا الربيع بن سليمان المرادي حدثنا أيوب بن سويد عن عتبة بن أبي حكيم فى قوله" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا" قال هم المؤمنون وعلي بن أبي طالب. وحدثنا أبو سعيد الأشج حدثنا الفضل بن دكين أبو نعيم الأحول حدثنا موسى بن قيس الحضرمي عن سلمه بن كهيل قال تصدق علي بخاتمه وهو راكع فنزلت" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا الذين يقيون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة وهم راكعون" وقال ابن جرير حدثني الحارث حدثنا عبد العزيز حدثنا غالب بن عبد الله سمعت مجاهدا يقول في قوله" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله" الآية نزلت في على بن أبي طالب تصدق وهو راكع. وقال عبد الرزاق حدثنا عبد الوهاب بن مجاهد عن أبيه عن ابن عباس فى قوله "إنما وليكم الله ورسوله" الآية نزلت في علي بن أبي طالب عبد الوهاب بن مجاهد لا يحتج به. ورواه ابن مردويه عن طريق سفيان الثوري عن أبي سنان عن الضحاك عن ابن عباس قال كان على بن أبي طالب قائما يصلي فمر سائل وهو راكع فأعطاه خاتمه فنزلت" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله" الآية. الضحاك لم يلقى ابن عباس وروى ابن مردويه أيضا عن طريق محمد بن السائب الكلبي وهو متروك عن أبي صالح عن ابن عباس قال خرج رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم- إلى المسجد والناس يصلون بين رافع وساجد وقائم وقاعد وإذا مسكين يسأل فدخل رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم - فقال أعطاك أحد شيئا؟ قال نعم قال من؟ قال ذلك الرجل القائم قال" على" أي حال أعطاك ؟ قال وهو راكع قال وذلك على بن أبي طالب قال فكبر رسول الله عند ذلك وهو يقول من "يتول الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا فإن حزب الله هم الغالبون" وهذا إسناد لا يقدح به ثم رواه ابن مردوية من حديث علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه نفسه وعمار بن ياسر وأبي رافع وليس يصح شيء منها بالكلية لضعف أسانيدها وجهالة رجالها ثم روى بإسناده عن ميمون بن مهران عن ابن عباس بن في قوله" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله" نزلت في المؤمنين وعلي بن أبي طالب أولهم وقال ابن جرير حدثنا هناد حدثنا عبدة عن عبد الملك عن أبي جعفر قال سألته عن هذه الآية" إنما وليكم الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا الذين يقيمون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة وهم راكعون" قلنا من الذين آمنوا؟ قال الذين آمنوا قلنا بلغنا أنها نزلت في علي بن أبي طالب قال على من الذين آمنوا وقال أسباط عن السدي نزلت هذه الآية في جميع المؤمنين ولكن علي بن أبي طالب مر به سائل وهو راكع في المسجد فأعطاه خاتمه وقال علي بن أبي طلحة الوالبي عن ابن عباس عن أسلم فقد تولى الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا رواه ابن جرير وقد تقدم في الأحاديث التي أوردناها أن هذه الآيات كلها نزلت في عبادة بن الصامت - رضي الله عنه - حين تبرأ من حلف اليهود ورضي بولاية الله ورسوله والمؤمنين ولهذا قال تعالى بعد هذا كله" ومن يتول الله ورسوله والذين آمنوا فإن حزب الله هم الغالبون" كما قال تعالى" كتب الله لأغلبن أنا ورسلي إن الله قوي عزيز لا تجد قوما يؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر يوادون من حاد الله ورسوله ولو كانوا آباءهم أو أبناءهم أو إخوانهم أو عشيرتهم أولئك كتب في قلوبهم الإيمان وأيدهم بروح منه ويدخلهم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه أولئك حزب الله ألا إن حزب الله هم المفلحون".

Threatening to Replace the Believers With Another People if They Revert from Islam

Allah emphasizes His mighty ability and states that whoever reverts from supporting His religion and establishing His Law, then Allah will replace them with whomever is better, mightier and more righteous in Allah's religion and Law. Allah said in other Ayat,

الْفُقَرَآءُ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْاْ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُونُواْ

(And if you turn away, He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be your likes.) and,

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِالْحقِّ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ - وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ

(Do you not see that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth If He will, He can remove you and bring (in your place) a new creation! And for Allah that is not hard or difficult.)14:19-20. Verily this is not difficult or hard on Allah. Allah said here,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ

(O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion...) and turns back from the truth to falsehood, from now until the commencement of the Last Hour. Allah said next,

أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ

(humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers.) These are the qualities of perfect believers, as they are humble with their believing brothers and allies, stern with their enemies and adversaries. In another Ayah, Allah said,

مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ

(Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.) The Prophet is described as the smiling fighter, smiling to his allies and fighting his enemies. Allah's statement,

يُجَـهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ يَخَـفُونَ لَوْمَةَ لائِمٍ

(Fighting in the way of Allah, and never fearing the blame of the blamers.) Nothing prevents them from obeying Allah, establishing His Law, fighting His enemies, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. Certainly, nothing prevents them from taking this path, neither someone who seeks to hinder them, nor one who blames or chastises them. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said, "My Khalil (intimate friend, the Messenger) has commanded me to do seven deeds. He commanded me to love the poor and to be close to them. He commanded me to look at those who are less than me and not those who are above me. He commanded me to keep the relations of the womb, even if they cut it. He commanded me not to ask anyone for anything, to say the truth even if it was bitter, and to not fear the blame of anyone for the sake of Allah. He commanded me to often repeat, `La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no strength or power except from Allah)', for these words are from a treasure under the Throne (of Allah)." It is confirmed in the Sahih;

«مَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُؤْمِنِ أَنْ يُذِلَّ نَفْسَه»

(The believer is not required to humiliate himself.) He was asked; "How does one humiliate himself, O Messenger of Allah" So he replied;

«يَتَحَمَّلُ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ مَا لَا يُطِيق»

(He takes on tests that he cannot bear.)

ذلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ

(That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He wills.) meaning, those who have these qualities, acquired it by Allah's bounty and favor and because He granted them these qualities.

وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower,) His favor is ever extending, and He has perfect knowledge of those who deserve or do not deserve His favor and bounty. Allah's statement,

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(Verily, your Protector is Allah, His Messenger, and the believers...) means, the Jews are not your friends. Rather, your allegiance is to Allah, His Messenger and the faithful believers.

الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ

(those who perform the Salah, and give the Zakah...) referring to the believers who have these qualities and establish the prayer, which is one of the most important pillars of Islam, for it includes worshipping Allah alone without partners. They pay Zakah, which is the right of the creation and a type of help extended to the needy and the poor. As for Allah's statement,

وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

(and they bow down,) some people thought that they give the Zakah while bowing down. If this were the case, then paying the Zakah while bowing would be the best form of giving Zakah. No scholar from whom religious rulings are taken says this, as much as we know. Therefore,

وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

(and they bow down,) means, they attend the prayer in congregation in Allah's Masjids and spend by way of charity on the various needs of Muslims. Allah said;

وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ

(And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed, as protectors, then the party of Allah will be the victorious.) similarly Allah said;

كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لاّغْلِبَنَّ أَنَاْ وَرُسُلِى إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ - لاَّ تَجِدُ قَوْماً يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُواْ ءَابَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَنَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ أُوْلَـئِكَ كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الإِيمَـنَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

(Allah has decreed: "Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious." Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty. You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a Ruh (proof) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow to dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of Allah. Verily, it is the party of Allah that will be the successful.) Therefore, those who accept the allegiance of Allah - His Messenger and the faithful believers - will gain success in this life and the Hereafter. Hence Allah's statement here,

وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ

(And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed, as protectors, then the party of Allah will be the victorious.)

When ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Salām said ‘O Messenger of God our people have shunned us’ the following was revealed Your patron is God only and His Messenger and the believers who establish prayer and pay the alms bowing down humble or performing voluntary prayers.

Marks of True Muslims

In the previous four verses discussed so far, Muslims have been forbidden to maintain intimate friendship with disbelievers. A positive approach has been taken in the fifth verse (55) where those with whom Muslims can have intimate friendship and special camaraderie have been identified. Mentioned first is Allah and then, His blessed Prophet, for Allah is - and He alone can be - the real friend, guardian and guide of a true Muslim, all the time and under all conditions. Other than the relationship with Him, every relationship and every friendship is perishable. As for the bond of fidelity to the Holy Prophet ﷺ is concerned, that too is, in reality, connected with Allah - and not separated. In the last sentence of the verse, the sincere most friends and fellows of Muslims have been identified as those who are true Muslims - not simply Muslims in name. They have three qualities which mark them out. These are:

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَ‌اكِعُونَ

Those who establish Salah and pay Zakah and bow before Allah.

It means that they: (1) Fulfill the obligation of Salah punctually observing all etiquettes ('Adab) and conditions (Shara'it) which must be observed in it; (2) Pay Zakah out of their wealth; and (3) they are humble and modest and never become proud and arrogant over their good deeds.

The word, رکوع Ruku` in the concluding statement of this verse (55) : وَهُمْ رَ‌اكِعُونَ translated as ` those who bow before Allah' could be taken in more than one sense. Therefore, some of the leading commentators have said that Ruku` refers to the functional Ruku` (bowing position) at this place - which is a basic element (Rukn`: pillar) of Salah. And the sentence: وَهُمْ رَ‌اكِعُونَ (and those who bow before Allah) has been placed after: يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ ' (those who establish Salah) because the purpose is to distinguish the Salah of Muslims from the prayer offered by others. As for the essential prayer which Muslims call Salah is something the Jews and Christians also do, but it has no Ruku` in it. Ruku' is a distinctive element of the Islamic prayer known as Sarah. (Mazhari)

But, the majority of commentators says that Ruku` at this place does not mean the technical Ruku' of Sa1ah. Rather, it means to bow, to be modest and humble in the lexical sense. Abu Hayyan in Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit and Al-Zamakhshari in Tafsir al-Kashshaf have gone by this meaning. The same view has been adopted in Tafsir Mazhari and Tafsir Bay-an al-Qur'an. Thus, the meaning of this sentence comes to be that these people do not feel proud of their good deeds; their natural disposition is, rather, modesty and humility.

It appears in some narrations that this sentence has been revealed about Sayyidna Ali ؓ ، in the background of a particular event. It is said that Sayyidna Ali ؓ was busy making Salah on a certain day. When he bowed in Ruku`, someone needy turned up and asked for something. He, within that state of Ruku`, took out a ring from one of his fingers and tossed it towards him. He could have taken care of the need of this person after having finished his Salah, but he did not wish to make even that much of a delay in removing the need of a poor faqir. This act of ` racing towards good deeds' was pleasing in the sight of Almighty Allah and it was through this sentence that it was appreciated.

The Sanad or authority of this narration is a debated issue among Varna and Muhaddithin, but, should this narration be taken as correct or sound, it would essentially mean that deserving of the close friendship of Muslims are common Muslims who fulfill the obligations of Salah and Zakah particularly and regularly - and among them, Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ is specially more deserving of this friendship - as has been said by the Holy Prophet ﷺ in another authentic Hadith: مَن کُنت موَلاہُ فَعَلِیُّ مَولاہُ (To whomever I am a friend, then, ` Ali too is a friend of his) (narrated by Ahmad, as in Mazhari). In yet another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: اللَّھُمَّ وَالِ مَن وَالَاہُ وَ عَادِ مَن عَادَاہُ (0 Allah, befriend whoever befriends him and take as enemy whoever shows enmity to him).

Perhaps, Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ has been blessed with this honour because the Fitnah to appear in the future was unveiled before him and he knew that there will be people who will nurse enmity with him and will not hesitate in even rising in rebellion against him - as it did happen during the uprising of the Khawarij.

Anyway, the revelation of the present verse - even if it is related to this event - is worded in a general sense which includes all Companions ؓ of the Prophet ﷺ ، and all Muslims. This is not particular to any one individual under a specific command. Therefore, when someone asked Sayyidna Imam Baqar ؓ : "Do the words: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا (those who believe) in this verse mean Sayyidna Ali ؓ ?” He said: "He too, as included under ` believers', is within the purview of this verse."

People of Allah shall prevail ultimately

The next verse (56) gives the good news that such people will over-come the world as come forward in obedience to the Qur'anic injunctions given in this verse and stay away from forging close friendship with others by limiting themselves to taking Allah, His Messenger and those who have faith in them as their genuine friends. The words of the verse are:

Your friend is only God, and His Messenger. Abū Saʿīd Kharrāz said, " When God desires to take one of His servants as a friend, He opens for him the door to His remembrance. When he takes pleasure in the remembrance, He opens for him the door to proximity. Then He lifts him up to the sitting place of intimacy. Then He seats him on the throne of tawḤīd. Then He lifts the veils from him, puts him into the abode of solitariness, and unveils majesty and tremendousness to him. When his eyesight falls on majesty and tremendous- ness, he remains without himself. At this point he becomes a servant in annihilation, so he falls under His protection and is rid of the claims of his soul. " Abū Saʿīd is saying, " When God wants to choose a servant and make him His friend among His servants, the first caress that He places upon him is to keep him in His remembrance such that he turns away from his own work toward the Real's work and turns away from remember- ing himself to remembering the Real. He comes forth from love for himself to love for the Real. Once he is at rest in remembering and loving the Real, He brings him near to Himself. The mark of nearness is the sweetness of obedience, dislike of disobedience, retiring from the people, and pleasure in seclusion. Then He sits him in the sitting place of seclusion, on the carpet of inti- macy, on the throne of tawḤīd, free of creatures, happy with the Real, unsettled in passion, the veils lifted, brought into the playing field of solitariness, with majesty and tremendousness un- veiled. He is a stranger to himself, one with the Real, consumed within himself, having reached the Patron. " He keeps on saying, " With reports I went forth seeking certainty, fear my resource, hope my companion. The goal was hidden from me and I was striving in the religion. All at once the lightning of self-disclosure flashed from ambush. With thought they see days like that, with the Friend like this. " Listen with your spirit to these words spoken beautifully by the Pir of the Tariqah: " O most generous supervisor! O most merciful Fount of Bounty! O veiled by majesty and disclosed by generosity, apportioner before Tablet and Pen, displayer of the celebration of guidance after a thousand misfortunes! May I be delivered one day from the bother of Eve and Adam and be freed from the bonds of existence and nonexistence! May I remove this remorse and regret from my heart and take ease with the Beloved for a breath, the cup of happiness in hand again and again in the sitting place of intimacy! " How long talk of Adam's attributes and creation? How long debate about the world's time and eternity? How long ambushing the servants, how long not disowning the world and Adam?