Al-Hajj: (38–41) Indeed, Allah defends...

After Allah, the Exalted, clarified what is incumbent upon the Hajj pilgrimage, its rituals, and the benefits it holds in this world and the Hereafter—and we have previously mentioned that the disbelievers prevented [the Muslims]—He followed that by explaining what removes the obstruction and secures the ability to perform Hajj, saying: {Indeed, Allah defends those who have believed} (Al-Hajj: 38).

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Abu Ja'far, Shaybah, and Nafi' recited يُدَافِعُ (with an alif), similar to His saying $\text{{وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ}} (And if not for Allah’s defending). Ibn Kathir and Abu 'Amr recited it without the alif in both instances. Hamzah, Al-Kisai, and 'Asim recited \text{{إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ}} (with an alif) but \text{{وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ}}$ (without an alif).

For those who recite يُدَافِعُ (Yudāfiʿu), the meaning is that He exerts extreme effort in defending them. Al-Khalil said that it is said: "Dafa'a Allahu al-makruha 'anka daf'an" (Allah repelled the harm from you with a repulsion), and "Dāfa'a 'anka difā'an" (Allah defended against you with a defense), and Difā' (Dafā'a) is the more eloquent form.

Allah, the Exalted, mentioned: {Indeed, Allah defends those who have believed} but did not mention what He defends them from. This omission makes the statement grander, more significant, and more comprehensive, even though, in reality, He defends them against the might of the polytheists. This is why He immediately followed it with: {Indeed, Allah does not love any treacherous disbeliever} (Al-Hajj: 38), thereby indicating that He defends the believers against the schemes of those characterized by treachery and disbelief.

Muqatil said that Allah defends the disbelievers of Mecca against the believers residing in Mecca. This occurred when the believers were commanded to refrain from fighting the polytheists of Mecca before the Hijra, after they had been severely harmed. When the believers sought permission from the Prophet (PBUH) to fight them secretly, he forbade them.

This verse is glad tidings for the believers of their eventual triumph over the disbelievers and the cessation of their harm, similar to His saying: {They will not harm you except for [minor] annoyance} (Al 'Imran: 111), and {Indeed, We will certainly support Our messengers and those who have believed} (Ghafir: 51). He also said: {Indeed, they will be the victorious ones} (As-Saffat: 172) and {And another [victory] you love: the help from Allah and an imminent conquest} (As-Saff: 13).

As for His saying: {Indeed, Allah does not love any treacherous disbeliever} (Al-Hajj: 38), the meaning is that Allah made the reason for defending the believers that He does not love their obstruction, which is the characteristic of the treacherous disbeliever—one who is treacherous in fulfilling Allah's trust and ungrateful for His blessings. This is analogous to His saying: {O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts knowingly} (Al-Anfal: 27). Muqatil commented: They acknowledged the Creator yet worshipped others—what treachery is greater than this?

As for His saying: {Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought}, there are several issues:

The people of Medina, Basra, and 'Asim (in the narration of Hafs) recited أُذِنَ (with a dammah on the alif), meaning Allah gave them permission. The rest recited it with a fatḥah (أَذِنَ). The people of Medina and 'Asim recited يُقَاتِلُونَ (with a fatḥah on the tā’). Ibn Kathir, Hamzah, and Al-Kisai recited أَذِنَ (with a fatḥah on the alif) and وَيُقَاتِلُونَ (with a kasrah on the tā’).

Al-Farra' and Al-Zajjaj explained that those who recite يُقَاتِلُونَ (with a fatḥah on the tā’) mean: Allah permitted those who are eager to fight the polytheists in the future. For those who recite يُقَاتِلُونَ (with a kasrah on the tā’), the implication is: Permission is given to those who are fighting for fighting.

There is an omission in the verse. The meaning is: Permission has been given to those who fight for fighting, and the object of permission (fighting) is omitted because it is indicated by the verb يُقَاتِلُونَ (are being fought).

The phrase {are being fought because they were wronged} means they were permitted to fight due to the fact that they were oppressed. These were the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The polytheists of Mecca used to severely harm them. They would come to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), some beaten and some wounded, complaining of injustice. He would tell them, "Be patient, for I have not been commanded to fight." Then Allah revealed this verse, which was the first verse permitting fighting after seventy-odd verses had forbidden it. It is also said that it was revealed concerning a group who set out as emigrants, and the polytheists of Mecca intercepted them, so permission was given to fight them.

As for His saying: {And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory}, this is a promise from Allah to support them. It is like when a person says to another, "If you obey me, I am capable of rewarding you"—he does not mean merely the capacity, but rather that he will do it.

As for His saying: {those who were evicted from their homes without right}, know that when Allah clarified that they were permitted to fight because they were wronged, He then explained that injustice by saying: {those who were evicted from their homes without right except that they said, "Our Lord is Allah."}

Allah, the Exalted, clarified their oppression in two ways:

1. That they evicted them from their homes.
2. That they evicted them only because they said, {Our Lord is Allah}.

Each of these two points constitutes a grave injustice. If one asks: How is their saying, {Our Lord is Allah}, which is a truth, excepted as being "without right"? We reply: The intended meaning is that they were evicted without any valid cause except for monotheism, which should have been a cause for affirmation and security, not for expulsion and displacement. This is similar to: {Do you resent us except because we believed in Allah?}

Then, the Exalted clarified by saying: {And if it were not for Allah’s defending some people by others, there would have been demolished...} This shows that His established custom, Glorified and Exalted is He, is to preserve His religion through this action.

Nafi' recited لُهِدِّمَتْ (with takhfīf—lightening), while the rest recited it with tashdīd (doubling, لَهُدِّمَتْ). Here are some questions:

What is meant by this defense attributed to Himself? Answer: It is His permission for the followers of His religion to wage Jihad against the disbelievers. It is as if He is saying: If Allah did not defend the followers of the religions by the believers—by permitting them to fight their enemies and granting them victory over them—then the followers of polytheism would have overpowered the followers of religions and abolished the places of worship they built. However, He defended these [believers] by commanding the fighting of the enemies of the religion so that the followers of the religion could dedicate themselves to worship and building houses for it. This is why He mentioned monasteries (sawāmi') and churches (bī') and prayers (ṣalawāt), even though they belong to non-Muslims.

Explanations offered by commentators include:

1. Al-Kalbī: Allah defends the believers through the Prophets, and the fighters through those who refrain from fighting.
2. Abu Al-Jawzā' reported from Ibn 'Abbās (RA): Allah defends the good person on behalf of the evil person, the one who prays on behalf of the one who does not pray, the one who gives charity on behalf of the one who does not give charity, and the one who performs Hajj on behalf of the one who does not perform Hajj. It is also narrated from Ibn 'Umar (RA) from the Prophet (PBUH): "Indeed, Allah defends a hundred members of a righteous Muslim's household and neighbors through him," and then recited this verse.
3. Ad-Ḍaḥḥāk reported from Ibn 'Abbās (RA): Allah defends the people of Dhimma (protected status) through the religion of Islam and its adherents.
4. Mujāhid: Allah defends rights through witnesses and defends lives through retribution (qiṣāṣ).

There are differing views on this:

1. Al-Ḥasan: These places collectively refer to the places of worship of the believers, even if the terminology differs.
2. Al-Zajjāj: If Allah did not defend some people by others, then in the law of every Prophet, the place where they prayed would have been demolished. Thus, if not for that defense, the synagogues they prayed in during Moses' time, the monasteries during Jesus' time, and the mosques during the time of our Prophet (PBUH) would have been demolished. In this view, Allah defended them only when they were upon the truth, before distortion or abrogation.
3. The intent is that these monasteries would have been demolished during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) because, in any case, the remembrance of Allah occurs therein, so they are not equivalent to the worship of idols.

There are several views:

1. Abu Al-'Āliyah (RA): Ṣawāmiʿ (monasteries) are for Christians, Bīʿ (churches) are for Jews, Ṣalawāt (prayers/synagogues) are for the Ṣābi’ūn (Sabians), and Masājid (mosques) are for Muslims.
2. Al-Zajjāj: Ṣawāmiʿ are for Christians, which they build in the wilderness. Bīʿ are also for them, which they build in cities. Ṣalawāt are for the Jews; Al-Zajjāj said this word is ṣalūtā in Hebrew.
3. Qatādah: Ṣawāmiʿ are for the Ṣābi’ūn, Bīʿ for Christians, and Ṣalawāt for the Jews.
4. Al-Ḥasan: All of them are names for mosques. As for Ṣawāmiʿ, it is because Muslims sometimes adopt them. As for Bīʿ, the name is applied to mosques by way of analogy. As for Ṣalawāt, the meaning is that if not for that defense, the prayers would have ceased, and the mosques would have been ruined.

There are several interpretations:

1. Demolishing the prayer means invalidating it and destroying the one who performs it, similar to saying, "So-and-so demolished the good deed of so-and-so" if he responded with disbelief instead of gratitude.
2. Rather, it refers to the place of prayer, as that is what can physically be demolished, similar to {And ask the town} (Yusuf: 82), meaning its people.
3. Since the majority of what was mentioned can be demolished, it is permissible to include what cannot be demolished, similar to saying, "wearing a sword and a spear," even though a spear cannot be worn.

Al-Kalbī and Muqatil said it refers to all of them, because Allah's Name is mentioned much in all these places. The more likely view is that it is specific to mosques, to honor them by stating that the remembrance of Allah occurs frequently therein.

1. Because they existed earlier in time.
2. Or, they were mentioned last in the listing, similar to {And among them are those who are foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah} (Fāṭir: 32). This is because the beginning of thought is the end of action. Since the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) is the best of messengers and his Ummah is the best of nations, it is fitting that they come last. This is why the Prophet (PBUH) said: "We are the last [to come] but the first [to be judged]."

As for His saying: {And Allah will surely support whoever supports Him}, some said that "whoever supports Him" means whoever accepts the command of Jihad with acceptance, thereby supporting Allah's religion. Others said it means whoever upholds all of His religion. They said this because true support for Allah is impossible; rather, the meaning of supporting Allah is supporting His religion, just as it is said regarding Allah's guardianship (wilāyah) and enmity ('adāwah).

In His saying: {And Allah will surely support whoever supports Him}, there is a promise of victory for one in this state. Allah's support for the servant is that He strengthens him against his enemies so that he becomes the victor, establishing clear proofs and evidence, and assisting him in knowledge and obedience. This verse also encourages Jihad by promising victory.

Then, Allah, the Exalted, clarified that He is capable of this support He promised the believers, and that prevention is impossible for Him, which is the meaning of {Mighty} ('Azīz), for the Mighty is He who is not wronged nor prevented from what He wills.

Furthermore, He described those to whom He permitted fighting in the first verse: {Those whom, if We establish them in the land...} The meaning of this establishment (tamkīn) is sovereignty and the enforcement of command over creation, because what comes to mind from {establish them in the land} is nothing but this. If we interpreted it as mere power, then all creatures would possess it, and the four resulting matters mentioned as recompense would be nullified, as not everyone capable of action performs these things.

If this is established, then we say: This refers to the Emigrants (Muhājirūn), because the description {Those whom, if We establish them...} is an attribute of those previously mentioned, namely {those who were evicted from their homes}. The Helpers (Anṣār) were not evicted from their homes. Thus, the meaning of the verse is that Allah described the Emigrants: if He establishes them in the land and grants them sovereignty, they will perform the four actions: establishing the prayer, giving the Zakāh, enjoining good, and forbidding evil.

However, it is established that Allah, the Exalted, established the Four Imams in the land and granted them sovereignty over it. Therefore, it is necessary that they performed these four actions. If they are those who enjoin all good and forbid all evil, it must be that they are upon the Truth. From this perspective, this verse indicates the Imamate of the Four. It is not permissible to restrict the verse to 'Alī (AS) alone, because the verse indicates plurality.

In His saying: {And to Allah belongs the end of all matters}, there is evidence that the sovereignty and dominion mentioned previously will inevitably occur. Furthermore, all matters ultimately return to Allah, as His dominion never ceases, which further confirms what we have stated.