هَاجَرُوا۟

8:75; 9:20.

Important Words:

ھاجروا (migrated) is derived from ھجر. They say ھجر الشیء i.e. (1) he cut it or he severed it; (2) he avoided it or kept away from it, or he gave it up. ھاجر means, he left one place to settle in another (Aqrab). The word is particularly used about one who leaves a place where religion is persecuted and goes to a place where there is no such persecution, especially to a place where there exists means of serving and supporting the faith. The early Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina were known as مھاجرین i.e. those who left Mecca and settled in Medina with the intention of helping the cause of Islam.

جاھدوا (strive hard) is derived from جھد which means, he strove or laboured hard, taking extraordinary pains. جھد فی الامرmeans, he used his utmost power in prosecuting the affair. جاھدالعدو means, he fought with the enemy exerting his utmost effort to repel him, his enemy doing the like. جھاد means, exerting one’s utmost power in contending with an object of disapprobation; and this is of three kinds, namely, (1) with a visible enemy (2) with Satan, and (3) with one’s self (Lane).

یرجون (who hope) is derived from رجا which gives twofold meaning. They say رجا الشیء meaning: (1) he hoped to get the thing; (2) he was afraid of the thing (Aqrab). When used in the sense of hoping, it is used on occasions when the thing hoped for is likely to afford pleasure (Mufradat).

Commentary:

The verse holds out the promise to Muslims, and they are indeed buoyed up with the hope, that though now they are beset with great difficulties and unusual hardships, the time is fast approaching when all difficulties would disappear and they would become heirs to God’s mercy both in this world and the next.

As the context shows, the words, those who believe, occurring in the verse refer to such of the believers as resided in Medina and had not been called upon to migrate. Thus the verse mentions two classes of believers who can hope to get Allah’s mercy; (1) believers resident in Medina, i.e. the Helpers, who engaged themselves in جھاد or holy war against the forces of Satan; and (2) Migrants from Mecca who were also engaged in such war. The words, Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful, have been added to point out that Allah will forgive the above-mentioned two classes of believers their sins and shortcomings which will not stand in the way of their winning God’s mercy, provided they remain sincere in their faith and continue striving hard in the cause of Allah, for, as the Quran elsewhere explains, the good works of a man drive away his evil ones (11:115).

4:125; 16:98; 20:113; 16:42.

22:59, 60.

See 2:26.

Commentary:

As this Surah mainly deals with Christian doctrines and ideals and their way of life, and as Christianity, in spite of its claims to the contrary, gives woman a status definitely inferior to that of man, the insistence on the equality of the status of woman with man in the spiritual sphere forms a fitting sequel to it. At several places in the Quran, believing men and believing women are addressed in the same language and are made equally subject to the same commandments and entitled to the same rights and privileges. Briefly, Islam recognizes the equality of the social and religious rights of man and woman. The words, you are from one another, are intended to emphasize the equality of status mentioned in the preceding part of the verse.

The verse also constitutes an effective refutation of the charges of the Shias against the Holy Prophet’s Companions whose failings and shortcomings, if any, were all forgiven by God in view of the good works they performed.

2:219; 4:101; 22:59.

Commentary:

In the previous verse we were told that when God wills a thing, it comes into being without fail. The verse under comment gives a proof of this Quranic claim. It says that the Faithful were a small and weak community. They had been so oppressed by disbelievers that they had to flee from their homes. But God willed, and He expressed His wish, that these persecuted people should be accorded an honourable position in the world, and so it came to pass. This proves that when God wills a thing, it comes into being without fail.

The expression فی اللّٰه (lit. in Allah) may have several interpretations: (1) It means, for the sake of Allah. The Faithful left their homes for the sake of Allah and for no material gains. (2) It may mean, فی دین اللّٰه i.e. for the sake of God’s religion—for the sake of the free and unfettered exercise of religion. The early Muslims left Mecca for a place where they could freely discharge their religious rites. (3) It may mean, in Allah. In this sense the expression would signify that early Muslims had become so completely lost in Allah that they gave up their homes and kith and kin for His sake. Their departure from Mecca was thus tantamount to the departure of God Himself from that city.

Muslims left their homes for the sake of God and God promised them a goodly abode wherever they went. History amply testifies to the truth of this statement. The great results which followed the flight of Muslims to Medina are too well known. Dwellers of the desert and drivers of camels came to rule over vast empires. But what they got in this world was not the full recompense of their noble deeds. They will get their full reward in the life after death. The fact that the first part of the prophecy met with a wonderful fulfilment constitutes an infallible proof of the fact that the second part would also be fulfilled, incidentally providing an irrefutable proof of the inevitability of Resurrection.

2:219.

Commentary:

Verses 108-110 referred to those who open their hearts to disbelief and are the avowed enemies of Islam. The verse under comment deals with those persons regarding whom judgement had been reserved in v. 107, viz. persons whose hearts are satisfied with truth, but who are forced to utter words which are apparently expressive of disbelief. The judgement given in their case is that if they migrate from their homes and strive in the cause of God and endure with patience any hardships that may befall them in the way of religion, then, and not till then, will God pardon their previous sins, for only then will it become established that they have made full amends for their past lapses. In v. 107, such persons were excepted from those who had opened their minds to disbelief. In the face of such hard conditions for securing Divine pardon, it is the height of injustice on the part of the critics of Islam to say that it condones the concealment of one’s faith or the denial of truth when one is confronted with trials and hardships. In fact, God demands a life-long sacrifice from such a person before admitting him again to His Grace and Mercy. The example of Tulaihah bin Khuwailad may be cited in this connection. When after having renegaded and laid claim to prophethood he became reconverted to Islam in the Caliphate of ‘Umar, the latter forgave him on condition that he would spend the remainder of his life in jihad.

3:196; 8:75; 9:20-22; 16:42.

Commentary:

In v. 57 above God had referred to the reward of believers in general. In this and the next verse the Quran particularly mentions the reward of those believers who left their hearths and homes, their belongings and their dear and near ones for the sake of God. To these "living" martyrs, the verse holds out a promise that they will be specially rewarded for their sacrifices. In fact those who leave their homes and all that is dear to them for the sake of God and spend their lives in serving His cause and then die in harness deserve to be classed with "the martyrs", for their sacrifice is as great as that of the actual martyrs, only, God in His infallible wisdom, spares their lives. This is the significance of the words, "or die". In fact there are two categories of martyrs—"the dead martyrs" and "the living martyrs". The "dead" martyrs are actually slain in the cause of God while the "living" martyrs live a life of perpetual sacrifice for His sake and then die a natural death. The verse under comment places both these classes of "martyrs" in the same category. Those who are slain, or those who die a natural death, serving the cause of God, will have the same reward—a goodly provision and a place with which they will be well-pleased.

Incidentally, the verse shows that it was revealed after the Hijrah, because it was after the Hijrah that fighting in self-defence was permitted and some of the Muslims were killed in the fighting. In fact, some parts of the Surah were revealed at Mecca and others at Medina. The Surah may thus be said to have been revealed both at Mecca and Medina.