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Ayah
Word by Word
وَٱسۡتَعِينُواْ
And seek help
بِٱلصَّبۡرِ
through patience
وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ
and the prayer
وَإِنَّهَا
and indeed it
لَكَبِيرَةٌ
(is) surely difficult
إِلَّا
except
عَلَى
on
ٱلۡخَٰشِعِينَ
the humble ones
وَٱسۡتَعِينُواْ
And seek help
بِٱلصَّبۡرِ
through patience
وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ
and the prayer
وَإِنَّهَا
and indeed it
لَكَبِيرَةٌ
(is) surely difficult
إِلَّا
except
عَلَى
on
ٱلۡخَٰشِعِينَ
the humble ones
Translation
Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit,-
Tafsir
Seek help, ask for assistance in your affairs, in patience, by restraining the soul in the face of that which it dislikes; and prayer. The singling out of this for mention is a way of emphasising its great importance; in one hadeeth, [it is stated], 'When something bothered the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, he would immediately resort to prayer'; it is said that the address here is to the Jews: when greed and desire for leadership became impediments to their faith, they were enjoined to forbearance, which constituted fasting and prayer, since, the former stems from lust and the latter yields humility and negates pride. For it, prayer, is grievous, burdensome, except to the humble, those that are at peace in obedience,
"Reminding the Children of Israel that They were preferred above the Other Nations
Allah says;
يَا بَنِي إِسۡرَايِيلَ اذۡكُرُواۡ نِعۡمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنۡعَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلۡتُكُمۡ عَلَى الۡعَالَمِينَ
O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the Alamin (nations).
Allah reminds the Children of Israel of the favors that He granted their fathers and grandfathers, how He showed preference to them by sending them Messengers from among them and revealing Books to them, more so than any of the other previous nations.
Similarly, Allah said,
وَلَقَدِ اخۡتَرۡنَـهُمۡ عَلَى عِلۡمٍ عَلَى الۡعَـلَمِينَ
And We chose them (the Children of Israel) over the Alamin, (nations) with knowledge. (44:32)
and,
وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوۡمِهِ يَـقَوۡمِ اذۡكُرُواۡ نِعۡمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ جَعَلَ فِيكُمۡ أَنۡبِيَأءَ وَجَعَلَكُمۡ مُّلُوكاً وَءَاتَـكُمۡ مَّا لَمۡ يُوۡتِ أَحَداً مِّن الۡعَـلَمِينَ
And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people:""O my people! Remember the favor of Allah to you:when He made Prophets among you, made you kings, honored you above the Alamin (nations)."" (5:20)
Abu Jafar Ar-Razi reported that Ar-Rabi bin Anas said that Abu Al-Aliyah said that Allah's statement,
وَأَنِّي فَضَّلۡتُكُمۡ عَلَى الۡعَالَمِينَ
(and that I preferred you over the Alamin) means,
""The kingship, Messengers and Books that were granted to them, instead of granting such to the other kingdoms that existed during their time, for every period there is a nation.""
It was also reported that Mujahid, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Qatadah and Ismail bin Abi Khalid said similarly.
The Ummah of Muhammad is Better than the Children of Israel
This is the only way the Ayah can be understood, because this Ummah is better than theirs, as Allah said;
كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ وَتُوۡمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوۡ ءَامَنَ أَهۡلُ الۡكِتَـبِ لَكَانَ خَيۡراً لَّهُمۡ
You are the best of people ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil, and you believe in Allah. And had the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them. (3:110)
Also, the Musnad and Sunan Collections of Hadith recorded that Muawiyah bin Haydah Al-Qushayri said that the Messenger of Allah said,
أَنۡتُمۡ تُوَفُّونَ سَبۡعِينَ أُمَّةً أَنۡتُمۡ خَيۡرُهَا وَأَكۡرَمُهَا عَلَى الله
You (Muslims) are the seventieth nation, but you are the best and most honored of them according to Allah.
There are many Hadiths on this subject, and they will be mentioned when we discuss Allah's statement,
كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ
(You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind), (3:110).
After Allah reminded the Children of Israel of the favors that He has granted them, He warned them about the duration of the torment which He will punish them with on the Day of Resurrection.
He said,
وَاتَّقُواۡ يَوۡماً
And fear a Day,
meaning, the Day of Resurrection.
لااَّ تَجۡزِي نَفۡسٌ عَن نَّفۡسٍ شَيۡياً
When a person shall not avail another,
meaning, on that Day, no person shall be of any help to another.
Similarly, Allah said,
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَى
And no bearer of burdens shall bear another's burden. (35:18)
لِكُلِّ امۡرِىءٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَيِذٍ شَأۡنٌ يُغۡنِيهِ
Every man that Day will have enough to make him careless of others. (80:37)
and,
يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواۡ رَبَّكُمۡ وَاخۡشَوۡاۡ يَوۡماً لاأَّ يَجۡزِى وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِ وَلاأَ مَوۡلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِ شَيۡياً
O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord (by keeping your duty to Him and avoiding all evil), and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. (31:33)
This indeed should serve as a great warning that both the father and the son will not be of help to each other on that Day.
Neither Intercession, Ransom, or Assistance will be accepted on behalf of the Disbelievers
Allah said,
وَلَا يُقۡبَلُ مِنۡهَا شَفَاعَةٌ
nor will intercession be accepted from him,
meaning, from the disbelievers.
Similarly, Allah said,
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَـعَةُ الشَّـفِعِينَ
So no intercession of intercessors will be of any use to them. (74:48)
and described the people of the Fire saying,
فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَـفِعِينَ
وَلَا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ
Now we have no intercessors. Nor a close friend (to help us). (26:100-101)
Allah's statement here, (2:48),
وَلَا يُوۡخَذُ مِنۡهَا عَدۡلٌ
nor will compensation be taken from him,
means, that Allah does not accept the disbelievers to ransom themselves.
Similarly, Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ وَمَاتُواۡ وَهُمۡ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقۡبَلَ مِنۡ أَحَدِهِم مِّلۡءُ الاٌّرۡضِ ذَهَبًا وَلَوِ افۡتَدَى بِهِ
Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them even if they offered it as a ransom. (3:91)
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَهُمۡ مَّا فِى الاٌّرۡضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثۡلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفۡتَدُواۡ بِهِ مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِ الۡقِيَـمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنۡهُمۡ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them, and theirs would be a painful torment. (5:36)
وَإِن تَعۡدِلۡ كُلَّ عَدۡلٍ لاَّ يُوۡخَذۡ مِنۡهَأ
And even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him. (6:70)
and,
فَالۡيَوۡمَ لَا يُوۡخَذُ مِنكُمۡ فِدۡيَةٌ وَلَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ مَأۡوَاكُمُ النَّارُ هِىَ مَوۡلَـكُمۡ
So this Day no ransom shall be taken from you (hypocrites), nor of those who disbelieved. Your abode is the Fire. That is your Mawla (friend ـ proper place). (57:15)
Allah stated that if the people do not believe in His Messenger and follow what He sent him with, then when they meet Him on the Day of Resurrection, after remaining on the path of disbelief, their family lineage and/or the intercession of their masters will not help them at all. It will not be accepted of them, even if they paid the earth's fill of gold as ransom.
Similarly, Allah said,
مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِىَ يَوۡمٌ لاَّ بَيۡعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٌ وَلَا شَفَـعَةٌ
Before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, nor friendship, nor intercession. (2:254)
and,
لااَّ بَيۡعٌ فِيهِ وَلَا خِلَـلٌ
On which there will be neither mutual bargaining nor befriending. (19:31)
Allah's statement next,
وَلَا هُمۡ يُنصَرُونَ
nor will they be helped.
means, ""no person shall get angry - or anxious - on their behalf and offer them any help, or try to save them from Allah's punishment.""
As stated earlier on that Day, neither the relative, nor persons of authority will feel pity for the disbelievers, nor will any ransom be accepted for them. Consequently, they will receive no help from others and they will be helpless themselves.
Allah said,
وَهُوَ يُجۡيِرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيۡهِ
While He (Allah) grants refuge (or protection), but none grants refuge from Him. (23:88)
فَيَوۡمَيِذٍ لاَّ يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُ أَحَدٌ
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُ أَحَدٌ
So on that Day none will punish as He will punish. And none will bind (the wicked, disbelievers and polytheists) as He will bind. (89:25-26)
مَا لَكُمۡ لَاا تَنَاصَرُونَ
بَلۡ هُمُ الۡيَوۡمَ مُسۡتَسۡلِمُونَ
""What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another (as you used to do in the world)!"" Nay, but that Day they shall surrender! (37:25-26)
and,
فَلَوۡلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواۡ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرۡبَاناً ءَالِهَةَ بَلۡ ضَلُّواۡ عَنۡهُمۡ
Then why did those whom they had taken for alihah (gods) besides Allah, as a way of approach (to Allah) not help them Nay, but they vanished completely from them) (46:28).
Also, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas said that Allah's statement,
مَا لَكُمۡ لَاا تَنَاصَرُونَ
(""What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another?""), (37:25) means,
""This Day, you shall not have a refuge from Us. Not this Day.""
Ibn Jarir said that Allah's statement,
وَلَا هُمۡ يُنصَرُونَ
(nor will they be helped),
meaning, on that Day, they shall neither be helped by any helper, nor shall anyone intercede on their behalf. No repeal or ransom will be accepted for them, all courtesy towards them will have ceased, along with any helpful intercession. No type of help or cooperation will be available for them on that Day. The judgment will, on that Day, be up to the Most Great, the Most Just, against whom no intercessor or helper can ever assist. He will then award the evil deed its kind and will multiply the good deeds.
This is similar to Allah's statement,
وَقِفُوهُمۡ إِنَّهُم مَّسۡيُولُونَ
مَا لَكُمۡ لَاا تَنَاصَرُونَ
بَلۡ هُمُ الۡيَوۡمَ مُسۡتَسۡلِمُونَ
But stop them, verily, they are to be questioned. ""What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another?"" Nay, but that Day they shall surrender. (37:24-26)"
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