notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque
Dear teacher, in light of the verse
وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا
“God will never grant unbelievers a way to dominate the faithful.”
[Verse 141, Surah al-Nisa]
How should we understand this in the context of Gaza as the faithful and Israel as unbelievers?
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
The verse «ولن یجعل الله للکافرین علی المؤمنین سبیلا» means that God will never give unbelievers a way to dominate the faithful. This denial of any such way signifies the faithful’s ultimate ascendancy and authority over unbelievers. Although the faithful may appear to suffer oppression or even be martyred, ultimate and true victory belongs to them, and unbelievers will have no proof against them.
The denial of any path to domination means affirming the believers’ sovereignty, authority and standing as a proof against the unbelievers and hypocrites.
It means that although believers may be martyred and wronged, the unbelievers cannot ultimately triumph over them. In the end, victory belongs to the believers.
Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and his pure companions were martyred, yet Imam Husayn, his path, his principles and his faith will live forever.
The unbelievers’ and hypocrites’ apparent ascendancy over the believers does not mean that the believers have been defeated. In the end, true and lasting victory belongs to them.
No matter how hard the unbelievers strive, or how desperately they struggle, final and true victory will ultimately belong to the believers.
Sovereignty and honour belong to the believers. They are a proof against others, while others have no proof against them. The truth is with the believers.
Whoever submits to humiliation is not a believer. If a believer opens the way for the unbelievers to infiltrate and dominate him, the believers, or the community of believers, he leaves the fold of faith.
Believers must preserve their dignity and honour in the face of the unbelievers and close every avenue of economic, political, cultural and military infiltration. They must also avoid any form of dependence on the unbelievers.
And al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: الْإِسْلَامُ يَعْلُو وَ لَا يُعْلَى عَلَيْهِ وَ الْكُفَّارُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَوْتَى لَا يَحْجُبُونَ وَ لَا يَرِثُونَ.
Islam prevails, and nothing prevails over it. The unbelievers are like the dead: they neither bar others from inheritance nor inherit themselves.
Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 26, p. 125
Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: الْإِسْلَامُ يَزِيدُ وَ لَا يَنْقُص
Islam spreads and does not diminish.
Man la yahduruhu al-faqih, vol. 4, p. 334
And قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص الْإِسْلَامُ يَعْلُو وَ لَا يُعْلَى عَلَيْهِ نَحْنُ نَرِثُهُمْ وَ لَا يَرِثُونَّا
‘Awali al-la’ali al-‘aziziyya fi al-ahadith al-diniyya, vol. 3, p. 496
Islam prevails, and nothing prevails over it. We inherit from them, but they do not inherit from us.
ِّ عَنْ أَبِي الصَّلْتِ الْهَرَوِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلرِّضَا ع يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فِي سَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ قَوْماً يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ص لَمْ يَقَعْ عَلَيْهِ السَّهْوُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ الَّذِي لَا يَسْهُو هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَ فِيهِمْ قَوْماً يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ ع لَمْ يُقْتَلْ وَ أَنَّهُ أُلْقِيَ شِبْهُهُ عَلَى حَنْظَلَةَ بْنِ أَسْعَدَ الشَّامِيِّ وَ أَنَّهُ رُفِعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ كَمَا رُفِعَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع وَ يَحْتَجُّونَ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ وَ لَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا عَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبُ اللَّهِ وَ لَعْنَتُهُ وَ كَفَرُوا بِتَكْذِيبِهِمْ لِنَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ص فِي إِخْبَارِهِ بِأَنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ ع سَيُقْتَلُ وَ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ قُتِلَ الْحُسَيْنُ ع وَ قُتِلَ مَنْ كَانَ خَيْراً مِنَ الْحُسَيْنِ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ ع وَ مَا مِنَّا إِلَّا مَقْتُولٌ وَ إِنِّي وَ اللَّهِ لَمَقْتُولٌ بِالسَّمِّ بِاغْتِيَالِ مَنْ يَغْتَالُنِي أَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ بِعَهْدٍ مَعْهُودٍ إِلَيَّ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص أَخْبَرَهُ بِهِ جَبْرَئِيلُ عَنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ
وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا
فَإِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكَافِرٍ عَلَى مُؤْمِنٍ حُجَّةً وَ لَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَنْ كُفَّارٍ قَتَلُوا النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَ مَعَ قَتْلِهِمْ إِيَّاهُمْ لَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِ ع سَبِيلًا مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْحُجَّةِ.
ʿUyūn Akhbār al-Riḍā, vol. 2, p. 204
Imam al-Riḍā (peace be upon him)—Abū al-Ṣalt relates: I said to Imam al-Riḍā (peace be upon him), “O son of the Messenger of God! In the villages around Kufa, there are people who believe that Imam al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) was not martyred. Rather, a man named Ḥanẓala ibn Asʿad al-Shāmī, who resembled him, was killed, while Imam al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) was taken up to heaven, just as ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) was. They cite this verse as evidence: وَ لَنْ یَجْعَلَ اللهُ لِلْکافِرِینَ عَلَی المُؤْمِنِینَ سَبِیلًا”
The Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “They lie. May God’s wrath and curse be upon them! They are unbelievers because they have denied the Prophet’s (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family) foretelling from the unseen that al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (peace be upon him) would be martyred. By God, al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon him) was killed, as were those better than him—ʿAlī (peace be upon him) and al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī (peace be upon him). Indeed, none of us, the Ahl al-Bayt, dies without being killed. By God, I too will be assassinated with poison by someone who intends me harm. I know this from the Messenger of God (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his family), who learned it from Gabriel (peace be upon him), who had brought the news from God Most High. I have been told of it. This is the word of God: وَ لَنْ یَجْعَلَ اللهُ لِلْکافِرِینَ عَلَی المُؤْمِنِینَ سَبِیلًا—God will never give the unbelievers a means to prevail over the believers. God has also told in the Qur’an of those who wrongfully killed His prophets. Though the prophets were killed, God gave their killers no means, proof, or authority against them.”
عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ... فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَ لَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا قَالَ ع لِكَافِرٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ حُجَّةً.
Al-Jaʿfariyyāt (al-Ashʿathiyyāt), p. 178
Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him)—Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his forefathers: A man asked Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him), “O Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), explain this verse to me: وَ لَنْ یَجْعَلَ اللهُ لِلْکافِرِینَ عَلَی الْمُؤْمِنِینَ سَبِیلًا ” He replied, “It means that the unbelievers have no proof against the believers.”
Esteemed teacher, thank you very much for your kindness.