Bismillāh.
فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
When Jesus sensed their faithlessness, he said, ‘Who will be my helpers [on the path] toward Allah?’ The Disciples said, ‘We will be helpers of Allah. We have faith in Allah, and you be witness that we have submitted [to Him].
Sūrat Āl-i ‘Imrān, No 3, Āyat 52
The above verse quotes Prophet ‘Īsā ‘alayhis salām, towards the end of his blessed life. As the verse says initially, at this stage in his life ‘Īsā (a) realized that the majority of the Banū Isrā’īl were not going to accept his religion. The verb ahassa is not normally used for a matter of the heart like faithlessness (kufr). The fact that Allah has used it here indicates that their faithlessness was manifested in action. For example, they openly rejected his teachings and even threatened to kill him.
Faced with this dire situation, Prophet ‘Īsā (a) made a plan to ensure his message will remain after he is gone. He called out as is quoted in the verse, seeking a group of faithful helpers who would constitute the core group to protect and propagate his faith. These individuals would shoulder the difficult burden ahead. Such a core nucleus is needed in social phenomena such as ideologies and religions. A strong base from which the message will be spread. During the life of the Noble Messenger sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa ālih, the city of Madinah served as this base for the nascent religion of Islam. In modern times for example, the Soviet Union was the base of the communist ideology.
An interesting point regarding the Arabic of the above verse that ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī mentions is with regards to the particle ilā, meaning towards. Normally the word helper or the verb ‘to help’ doesn’t come with the particle ilā, so why is it used here? ‘Allāmah explains that like other verses that talk about giving a loan to Allah, such language is a way of encouraging those that Prophet ‘Īsā (a) is questioning. He wants them to realize they are helping on the path towards Allah, essentially that they are helpers ‘of Allah’ as they also mention in their response. The overall question of ‘Īsā (a) is in reality an encouragement, enjoining the listeners to become these elite helpers of Allah. Using this language of helping ‘towards Allah’ further emphasizes this encouragement.
In any case, this verse also reminds us that one of the important responsibilities Muslims have when living amongst non-Muslims is that of propagating faith. The lives of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) indicate that they always struggled to spread the correct understanding of Islam. For example, prior to battles that the Prophet (s) and Imam ‘Alī (a) engaged in, companions were sent to admonish the enemy and invite them to join the side of truth. In the Battle of Nahrawān, Ibn ‘Abbās’ admonishing the Khawārij resulted in approximately four thousand individuals leaving the enemy camp!
This is also a responsibility Muslims have today. The lack of God in people’s lives is the cause of their suffering, both in this world and the hereafter. Consider for example how faith in God and the hereafter gives purpose and in fact a sense of sweetness to the difficulties in life. A believer welcomes difficulties that are part and parcel of this world, recognizing their reality as being a providential test intended to allow him to ascend in his spiritual level. If a husband and wife have such a divine outlook in their marriage, could their relationship easily be jeopardized? Would they abuse their spouse, even when they are being mistreated themselves?
This is but one clear example of how religion is the cause of a stable family life and therefore a degree of happiness in this world. If Muslims today can help and guide non-Muslims in the countries they live in, this would be something great in the eyes of Allah. In one narration the Messenger of Allah (s) says to Imam ‘Alī (a): If Allah guides even one person through you, it is better for you than everything over which the sun rises.
We pray that Allah gives us the tawfīq to first live lives of piety and submission to Him and then to also be able to introduce Islam to others.
Sources: ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān; Rizwan Arastu, God’s Emissaries.