An-Noor (The Light)

51. “The saying of the believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that he may judge between them, is no other than that they say: ‘We hear and we obey.’ And those are they that are the successful.”

52. “And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, and fears Allah, and is in awe of Him: so these are they who are the victorious.”

How hypocrites actually treated the judgment of the Prophet (S) was depicted in the previous four verses. In this holy verse, how the real believers treated him (S) is depicted so that people look at themselves and see, from the view point effacing the ordinance of Allah, to what group they belong.

In the previous holy verses we saw how dark-hearted hypocrites, who were in the dense darkness, reacted to the judgment of Allah and the Prophet (S), and how they refused the just judgment of the Prophet (S), as though they feared that Allah and the Prophet (S) might tread on their right.

But the concerned verses describe its opposite case, that is, the believers’ treatment with this Divine judgment.

At first, it says:

“The saying of the believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that he may judge between them, is no other than that they say: ‘We hear and we obey.’...”

What an interesting sentence,

“...We hear and we obey...”!

It is short and meaningful.

The Arabic word /’innama/ which is for limiting, indicates:

“...that they have nothing but this to say...”

They have only one word and verily the reality of Faith is this very meaning:

“...We hear and we obey...”

How can a person who knows Allah as the Omniscient, needing no one, the Compassionate, and the Merciful on all servants prefer others’ judgment to His judgment? Also, how can that person show any action but listening to and obeying His command and judgments? What a good means it is for the believers’ success and what great trial is for them!

Therefore in the end of the verse, it is added:

“...And those are they that are the successful.”

The one who yields to Allah, and considers Him as the judge, is undoubtedly victorious in every thing, whether in the worldly life or in the spiritual one.

The second verse talks about the same fact, but more generally.

It proclaims:

“And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, and fears Allah, and is in awe of Him: so these are they who are the victorious.”

In this holy verse, those who obey and those who fear Allah are described as ‘the victorious’; while in the previous verse those who yield to the judgment of Allah and the Prophet (S) were described as ‘the successful’.

As it is understood from the references of lexicon, the Arabic word /fauz/ and the word /falah/ both have almost one meaning. Raqib says in Mufradat:

“The word /fauz/ Means: ‘victory and achieving a good affair accompanied with safety’, and concerning the word /falah/ he says it means: ‘victory and achieving the purpose and aim’.”

(Of course, the word ‘Falah’ originally means: ‘to split’. Since victorious people surmount obstacles that are on their way and split their way for going forth and reaching their aim, the word ‘Falah’ has been used in the sense of victory.)

And since the last holy verse talks about obedience absolutely and the previous verse talks about the yielding to Allah’s judgment, one of them is general and the other one is particular, the result of both of them must be the same.

It is interesting that, in the last verse, three attributes are mentioned for those who are victorious: opeying Allah (s.w.t.) and the Prophet (S), fear of Allah, and piety.

Some commentators say that ‘obedience’ is a general meaning and its inward branch is ‘fear of Allah’ and ‘piety’ is its outward branch. Thus, at first obedience is generally talked about, and then its inward branch and, after that, its outward one.

It is necessary to mention that there is a narration by Imam Baqir (as) about the commentary of the Qur’anic sentence:

“…And those are they that are the successful”,

who said:

“The objective of this verse is Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as).”1

Undoubtedly, the most obvious extension of this verse is Imam Ali (as), and the purpose of the above tradition is this and it never rejects the commonness of its concept.