ﱛ ﱜ ﱝ ﱞ ﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ
Do you think that you will be left [as you are] while Allah has not yet made evident those among you who strive [for His cause] and do not take other than Allah, His Messenger and the believers as intimates? And Allah is Acquainted with what you do.
Tafsir
Verse range: 9:16
The preceding verses encouraged Jihad (striving/fighting). This verse aims for further emphasis on this encouragement. It contains several points:
Al-Farra' stated that the particle {أَمْ} here is used for a question inserted in the middle of a discourse. If it were intended to begin the discourse, it would have been preceded by Alif (i.e., أَأَمْ).
Abu 'Ubaydah stated that anything introduced into something it does not belong to is called ولِيجة (walījah). Its root is from al-wulūj (entering). Thus, the one who enters a group but is not truly one of them is a walījah. The term walījah is derived from walaja (to enter), similar to dakhīlah (an intruder) derived from dakhala (to enter). Al-Wāḥidī said that one says huwa walījatī (he is my walījah) and hum walījatī (they are my walījah) for both singular and plural.
The purpose of this verse is to clarify that the accountable person in this situation will not escape punishment unless two conditions are met:
First: That Allah knows those who strive (Jahadu) among you. The mention of "knowledge" here refers to the known (the ma'lūm). The intent is that the striving must actually occur from them. However, the existence of a thing necessitates that its existence is known to Allah. Thus, Allah's knowledge of its existence is used as a metaphor for its actual existence. Hishām ibn al-Ḥakam used this verse as proof that Allah does not know a thing until it actually exists.
**Note:** Although the apparent meaning of the verse might suggest what Hishām mentioned, the intended meaning is what we have explained (i.e., knowledge implies existence).
Second: {وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَا رَسُولِهِ وَلَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلِيجَةً} (And have not taken, besides Allah, His Messenger, or the believers, an intimate ally).
The purpose of mentioning this condition is that a fighter (Mujāhid) might fight but not be sincere; rather, he might be a hypocrite whose inner reality contradicts his outward appearance. This is the one who takes an intimate ally (walījah) besides Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.
Therefore, Allah clarifies that they will not be spared unless they perform Jihad along with sincerity, free from hypocrisy, showing off (riyā’), showing favor to the disbelievers, or concealing anything contrary to the religious path.
The ultimate goal is to show that the obligation of fighting is not merely the act of fighting itself. Rather, the goal is that it must be performed in obedience to Allah's command and His ruling, thereby demonstrating the willingness to sacrifice life and wealth in pursuit of Allah's pleasure. Only then is benefit achieved. Fighting for any other purpose yields no benefit whatsoever.
Then He said: {وَاللَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ} (And Allah is All-Aware of what you do). This means He is knowledgeable of their intentions and aims, fully aware of them, and nothing about them is hidden from Him. Therefore, a person must be extremely diligent regarding intention and guarding the heart.
Ibn 'Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Allah is not pleased when the inner self contradicts the outer appearance. Allah desires uprightness from His creation, just as He said: {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا} (Indeed, those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then remain steadfast...). He said: When fighting was mandated, the hypocrite became distinct from the sincere one, and those who ally with the believers became distinguished from those who are hostile to them.
{مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَنْ يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ * إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُولَئِكَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ}
(It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah while they testify against themselves with disbelief. Those are the ones whose deeds have become worthless, and they will abide in the Fire. Only he will maintain the mosques of Allah who believes in Allah and the Last Day, establishes prayer, gives Zakah, and fears none except Allah; then it is those who are expected to be of the guided ones.)
