Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

38. “Verily Allah will defend those who believe; verily Allah does not love any treacherous ingrate.”

The promise of Allah about His defending the believers is certain. Thus, the believers defend the limits of Allah and He defends the believers.

And, in view of the fact that resistance against the superstitions of polytheists, referred to in former holy verses, might lighten the fire of the wrath of this fanatic obstinate group, which can cause some conflicts, in this verse Allah (s.w.t.) encourages the believers to His succour; where the Qur’an says:

“Verily Allah will defend those who believe;…”

Let the Arab tribes, the Jews, the Christians, and the polytheists of Arabia altogether, and with the help of each other, try to put the believers under pressure in order to annihilate them, as they imagine; but Allah has promised to defend them, and it is a promise for the existence of Islam until the threshould of Resurrection.

This Divine promise is a commandment which goes on in all Ages and centuries. The magnificent thing is that we adapt to the meaning of, and as the expansion of, the Qur’anic phrase that says:

‘… those who believe…’,

after which the Divine defense is certain.

At the end of the verse, the Qur’an makes the position of the polytheists and the like clear before Allah by a single sentence, where it says:

“…verily Allah does not love any treacherous ingrate.”

These are those who associated partners with Allah, and even at the time of saying ‘labbayk’, declared the names of idols, therefore, they were involved in difficulties in this world and Hereafter.

But, as it was mentioned before, one of the promises and laws of Allah is the divine succour and defence for the believers, and He has enjoined this defence and support as a right upon Himself, when He says:

“…and helping the believers is ever incumbent on Us.”1

The fact concerning divine defence and help, of course, is not always a defence and help at once and in a short period, but it envelops a defence for a long time, too, because in some other verses of the Qur’an He says:

“…and the end is (best) for the pious ones.”2

Yes, it is possible that in a conflict or war the believers defeat apparently, but their doctrine and goal will surely be victorious.

Its example is that Ibn-i-Muljam killed Hadrat Ali (as), but whom did Allah support, Ibn-i-Muljam, or Ali (as)? Ali’s name (as); Ali’s offspring (as), Ali’s book (as), Ali’s supplication (as), Ali’s honour (as), Ali’s doctrine (as) and the followers (Shi‘ah) of Ali (as) finally won.

The Qur’anic words /xawwan/ and /kafur/ mean someone whose manner and way of life is blasphemy and treachery.