Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

40. “(They are) those who have been expelled from their homes without right, except that they say: ‘Our Lord is Allah’. And had Allah not repelled some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and the mosques in which Allah’s name is much mentioned; and verily Allah will help him who helps Him (His cause); for verily Allah is Strong, Mighty.”

Vagrancy from home is one of the clearest examples of being oppressed. Patriotism is the natural right of every human being, and expelling from one’s home is deprivation of this right and it is a cause for injustice.

This verse explains more about these oppressed ones who have been given the permission of defence, and it makes the logic of Islam more clear regarding this part of the Holy Struggle.

The verse says:

“(They are) those who have been expelled from their homes without right, except that they say: ‘Our Lord is Allah’.…”

It is quite evident that the confession to monotheism and Oneness of Allah is an honour, not a sin. This confession was not something that might let the polytheists consider a right for themselves to expel them from their home and to force them to migrate from Mecca to Medina, but this is a tender expression which is usually used for condemning the opposite party in such instances.

Imam Baqir (as) says:

“This verse has been revealed about the emigrants and it is also applied about the progeny of Muhammad (S), because they were expelled from their home, too, and were frightened.”1

Then, the Qur’an points to one of the philosophies of the religious aspect of Holy Struggle as follows:

“…And had Allah not repelled some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and the mosques in which Allah’s name is much mentioned;…”

Yet, if the faithful and zealous persons remain heedless and simply watch the destructive activities of the tyrants, despots and faithless cruel persons, so that they find the scene without any opponent, there will remain no effect from the temples and centers of Divine worship.

These places are the sites of awareness and sanctuaries are as battlefields, and a mosque works as a fortress against the self-interested ones. In principle, any invitation unto the theism is against the arrogant individuals who desire that people may worship them in the same manner that they worship Allah. That is why if they find an opportunity to act they may ruin all these centers of Divine worship.

This is one of the goals of the religious aspect of Holy Struggle and the leave for fight.

The Islamic commentators have stated differently about the difference between the meanings of the Qur’anic words: /sawami‘/ (cloisters), /biya‘/ (churches), /salawat/ (synagogues) and /masajid/ (mosques). But that which seems more correct is that the Arabic word /sawami‘/ is the plural form of /sauma‘ah/ which means a place usually built outside the cities and far from populations for hermits, nuns, monks, and worshippers. This is called /deyr/ in Persian.

The Arabic word /biya‘/ is the plural form of /biy‘ah/ which means a Christian temple. It is also called /kanisah/ (a synagogue) or /kelisa/ (a church).

The Arabic word /salawat/ is the plural form /salat/ which means the temple of the Jews. Some lexicologists believe that it is the Arabicized form of the word /salua/ which in Hebrew means oratory.

The Qur’anic word /masajid/ is the plural form /masjid/ in the sense of Muslims’ temple.

Therefore, the places of /sawami‘/ and /biya‘/ both belong to the Christians, yet one of these two is a public temple and the other is the name of the center of the hermits. Some of the philologists also believe that the word /biya‘/ is a common word used for both the temples of the Jews and the churches of the Christians.

By the way, the Qur’anic sentence which says:

“…in which Allah’s name is much mentioned…”

apparently is a qualification particular to mosques since, regarding the five times prayers which are kept up during the days of the entire year, the Muslims’ mosques are the most lively centers of worship in the world, while many other temples are used only one day in a week, or some days during the year.

At the end of the verse, the Holy Qur’an reiterates the divine help once again, where it says:

“…and verily Allah will help him who helps Him (His cause);…”

No doubt, this promise of Allah will be fulfilled, because He is strong, mighty and never fails.

The verse says:

“…for verily Allah is Strong, Mighty.”

Allah says this in order that the defenders of the line of Monotheism might not think that they are alone in the field of struggling right against wrong, and before the crowd of obstinate enemies.

It was under the light of this very Divine promise that the defenders in the cause of Allah, at the advent of Islam, frequently won the battle when they were fighting in the battle-fields against the enemies while, comparing them with the number of their enemies, they were in minority from the point of soldiers, equipments, and other means of fighting.

They were so victorious that it cannot be explained save that we say it was done through the way of Allah’s help and assistant.