Bismillah.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلاَ يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لآئِمٍ
O you who believe, whomsoever turns away from his religion, Allah will soon bring
a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble towards the believers, stern against rejectors, they strive in the way of Allah, and do not fear the scorn of any blamer.
(Sūrat al-Mā‘idah, Āyat 54)
The Holy Quran, as the final revelation from Allah ‘azza wajall to mankind, contains many predictions about the future. This verse contains one such prediction about those who will turn away from the religion after having believed. It is a general warning to all the Muslims that if any one of them turns away from his religion he does not harm Allah, His religion or the Muslim community because Allah will soon bring forth a group of people to support this religion.
Then the Quran explains the qualities of those who must undertake this great mission:
1. They love Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā and Allah also loves them. In other words, it is a mutual relationship. They obey all Allah’s commandments due to their love for Him and He loves them because they are His submissive servants.
2. They are humble and kind unto the believers. When it comes to their fellow believers, they treat them with compassion and are humble in their presence.
3. They are stern and forceful against the enemies and tyrants. Conversely, when it
comes to the enemies of Allah, they display their sternness and strength.
4. Striving in the way of Allah (swt): they constantly strive in the way of Allah, in all the various forms of striving whether it be in warfare or peace.
5. Finally, they do not fear any reproach or criticism. No matter who criticizes them, they continue doing that which is right and true, obeying only Allah and his Messenger, and ignoring what opposers might say.
Keeping in view the style of the Quran, the commandment of this verse is general. We should reflect on the second and third points mentioned in the verse, in particular.
Nowadays, we experience the opposite: some of the Muslim leaders are compassionate and soft towards their enemies, while being harsh and severe on their own populations.
This verse has a specific context of revelation which has been mentioned in the books of Hadith and Tafsir of all schools of thought. The Holy Prophet (s) said:
The resolute co-operation among the Quraysh will not dissipate unless Allah appoints over you a man whose heart Allah has tested through a severe trial of faith. He will strike your necks, and you will be as afraid of him as frightened sheep. Whereupon Abū Bakr inquired if he was that man and ‘Umar inquired if he was that man. The Holy Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam replied: No. But the person who is mending shoes inside the room is that man. And Imam Ali (a) turned up with shoes in his hand which he was repairing for the Holy Prophet (s). (Hakim in Mustadrak ‘alā al-Sahīhayn 2:478).
Allah shall bring forth a people refers to those who, during the apparent caliphate of Imam Amirul Mu’minīn (a) gathered under his banner of in the battles of Jamal, Siffīn and Nahrawān. (Tafsīr al-Burhān, Tafsir al-‘Ayyāshī). When Ammār ibn Yāsir was asked as to how he could fight against the people who professed Islam, he replied: We fight under the banner of Ali against those who are under the banner of Mu‘āwiyah, in keeping with the Quran. They professed Islam but concealed infidelity in their hearts and have now come out in their true colour of apostasy.
Let us reflect on the characteristics mentioned in this verse and try to emulate them in our own lives given the circumstances we are currently experiencing. We pray for all the believers worldwide, including the resilient people of Palestine, Lebanon
and others.
Sources: al-Sayyid Hāshim al-Bahrānī Al-Burhān fī tafsīr al-Qur’an; Muhammad b. Mas‘ūd al-‘Ayyāshī, Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, , Al-Hākīm al-Nishāpurī, Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn.