Reflection on Juz’ 10 by Ishaq Majeed

It is so wonderful to have a God who cares, helps, and supports us, a Prophet ﷺ who is concerned for us and is an excellent guide and example, and a deen that is complete, balanced, practical, and easy. Allah has promised that He, His Messenger ﷺ, and his deen will be victorious, with or without the assistance of others. Those who choose to support it will share in that success in this life and the hereafter. The promise continues today. So we say Alhamdulillah!

The Prophet’s ﷺ arrival in Medinah was a true disruption of personal, religious, political norms, and minute and monumental financial levels. It affected familiar and tribal makeups and agreements. It changed established and planned power structures. As a result, those who stood to lose the most in terms of worldly benefit, at least in their minds’ mistaken worldview, tried to deceive Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, but they ended up only deceiving themselves. May Allah protect us from being amongst these people. In Surah al-Baqarah, verses 8–9, Allah says:

 

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَبِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

 

Juz’ 10 (8:41–9:92) includes the end of Surah al-Anfal (The Spoils) and the beginning of Surah Tauba (Repentance) – the only surah that does not begin with the basmallah. The juz recounts events at Badr, the first battle of the Muslims, and Tabuk, the last battle led by Rasulullah ﷺ, in addition to elements from other notable conflicts. Upon entering Medinah, Muslims made treaties and agreements with surrounding tribes and villages, however, hypocrisy, deception, and betrayal among the people remained evident. The status of the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims changed significantly, from being subjugated and humiliated in Mecca to being in positions of authority and power in Medinah.

In this time of changing landscapes, Allah advised the people to be sincere and take part in the support of His Messenger ﷺ and the religion, but if they didn’t, Allah would still help him ﷺ. In Surah Tauba verse 40, Allah says:

 

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا

تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ

وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

 

 

Allah is saying that even if people do not help the Prophet ﷺ, Allah helps the Prophet ﷺ and those with him ﷺ. Allah’s statement,  “…the second of the two; when they were both in the cave, he said to his companion: ‘Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allah is with us.’” The Prophet ﷺ said Allah is with “us”.  Therefore, the sakinah (tranquility) and the support of the forces that Allah sent down was intended for both the Prophet ﷺ and his companion (Abu Bakr). He ﷺ did not say Allah is with me, instead he said “us” emphasizing the inclusiveness of being a sincere supporter of the Prophet ﷺ.  As for those who say that Muslims should be inclusive of everyone, this is contrary to what Allah says. Inclusivity with the Messenger of Allah is for those who believe in and obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Inclusivity does not extend to those who actively disregard and disobey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and choose to follow their own desires. Allah says in Surah Tauba, verse 63:

 

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ مَن يُحَادِدِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَأَنَّ لَهُۥ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدًا فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْخِزْىُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

 

The benefit of supporting the Prophet ﷺ and this inclusive “us” is expanded to the improved character of those who believed in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ even if they were not physically with Him ﷺ. In the first verse of the juz’, Allah expands this inclusivity, the idea of “us”, to those who fought alongside the Prophet ﷺ. He says in Surah al-Anfal verse 41:

 

وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُم مِّن شَىْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُۥ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ

وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ إِن كُنتُمْ ءَامَنتُم بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا يَوْمَ ٱلْفُرْقَانِ يَوْمَ ٱلْتَقَى ٱلْجَمْعَانِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ

عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

 

This verse is as if Allah is saying, Yes you fought on the battlefield, but you fought with Us, Allah (the help of Allah) and His Messenger ﷺ and the believers. So the rewards (war booty) are for us, the propagation of the Deen, supporting the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and the believers. Allah helps us, we help others with what Allah gives. Allah reminds us of the Battle of Badr (Day of Criterion) when Allah sent down Angels to support the Muslims, similar to when the two were in the cave. Allah commanded that the spoils be given to the messenger of Allah ﷺ and he would be the one to divide and distribute them to all the believers and some to those who were close to being believers. Allah also reminds us that He can do all things.

Imagine working alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or giving him ﷺ money, building a masjid with him ﷺ, or taking our children to sit with him ﷺ to hear the newest revelation. Imagine that money leaving our hands and going into the beautiful hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Imagine receiving a brick from the Messenger of Allah to place on the wall of a new masjid. Imagine that every time we speak to our children about Islam that we are relaying the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When we take our children to a class, we are taking them to hear from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Imagine when we make salat, that we are worshiping Allah in the ranks behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Imagine everything we sincerely do mixing with the actions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Can you imagine it? 

Now know that sincerely believing, being with, and supporting Allah and His Messenger ﷺ has not ended. It continues today, in the intention of our work (whatever it may be), in the sadaqah that we give, in the dawah, in the dhikr that we make, in the guidance that we give our children, in the love that we show our spouses. In anything that we do, do it to please Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and with the intention that it benefits those who believe in, follow, love, and obey Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. So when we are tired at work, we should know that we are working for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. When someone asks for sadaqah, know that it reaches Allah before it reaches that person and so you give it to Allah first. When we give dawah, we are calling them to what pleases Allah; when we do dhikr it is to become closer to Allah; when we advise our children it is in hopes that they are pleasing to Allah; when our spouses upset us remember we are married and love them for the pleasure of Allah. And all of this is following the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. What an excellent example. Alhamdulillah

Allah says in Surah Tauba verse 62:

 

 وَٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَحَقُّ أَن يُرْضُوهُ إِن كَانُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ…

 

Shaykh Hassan Cisse (may Allah be pleased with him) said regarding this verse that the pleasure of the Prophet ﷺ is the same as the pleasure of Allah because in this verse Allah started with two (Allah and His Messenger ﷺ) and ended with one (the masculine singular pronoun, the object of the verb pleasure).

And we end with verse 72:

 

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى

جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ  

 

 

May Allah make us from among the people who support Allah and His Messenger and receive the reward of these people or one better! And the Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon the Prophet ﷺ.