Surah As-Saf, Ayah 10

The Trade that saves One from the Painful Torment

We mentioned a Hadith from `Abdullah bin Salam in that the Companions wanted to ask the Prophet of Allah about the best actions with Allah the Exalted and Most Honored, so they could practice them. Allah the Exalted sent down this Surah, including this Ayah,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هَلْ أَدُلُّكمْ عَلَى تِجَـرَةٍ تُنجِيكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment) Allah then explained this great trade that will never fail, the trade that will earn one what he wishes and saves him from what he dislikes. Allah the Exalted said,

تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَـهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

(That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!) this is better than the trade of this life and striving hard for it and amassing it. Allah the Exalted said,

يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ

(He will forgive you your sins,) meaning, `if you fulfill what I commanded you and guided you to, then I will forgive your sins and admit you into the Gardens of Paradise. In them, you will have exalted residences and high postitions.' This is why Allah the Exalted said,

وَيُدْخِلْكُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ وَمَسَـكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّـتِ عَدْنٍ ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

(and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in `Adn (Eternal) Paradise; that is indeed the great success.) Allah said,

وَأُخْرَى تُحِبُّونَهَا

(And also another (blessing) which you love,) meaning, `I will grant you more favors that you like,'

نَصْرٌ مِّن اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ

(help from Allah and a near victory.) meaning, if you fight in Allah's cause and support His religion, He will grant you victory. Allah the Exalted said,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِن تَنصُرُواْ اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ

(O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.) (47:7), and,

وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ

(Verily, Allah will help those who help His (cause). Truly, Allah is All Strong, All-Wise.) (22:40) Allah's statement,

وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ

(and a near victory.) means, it will come sooner, and this is the increased favor that is earned in this life and continues, becoming the delight of the Hereafter. It is for those who obey Allah and His Messenger and support Allah and His religion. Allah said;

وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And give glad tidings to the believers.)

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْ‌صُوصٌ (Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in firm rows, as if they were a solid edifice...61:4) The main subject of this Surah for which it was revealed is to mention the dearest action in the sight of Allah. This verse states that it is jihad in Allah's way, and that the best row of battle in the sight of Allah is the one firmly established against Allah's enemies to make Allah's word prevail, and which, on account of the valor and unshaken determination of Mujahidin, looks like a strong structure cemented with molten lead.

In this verse ‘He may cause it to prevail over all religions’ means that in terms of intellectual supremacy, all non-monotheistic beliefs about God and religion in the world were to be demolished and monotheistic belief was to be promoted as the predominant belief. All other beliefs were to be intellectually overcome. This was a forecast made in the Quran under the most unfavourable conditions in the year 3 Hijrah. But it later turned out to be literally true.