Quran Garden

Session 456

Chapter 3

Verses 123, 124 and 125

God had surely helped you to victory at Badr when you were an irrelevant small force.  So observe your duty to God in due reverence for Him, that you may be thankful.

(Chapter 3: Verse 123)

In this verse, we move from the disappointments and near defeat of Uhud to the victory of Badr.  Allah wants to remind all of us that the matter of victory belongs to Him.  The Muslim army had more fighters, preparations, and weapons in Uhud, yet victory eluded them.  Why?  Because they did not fulfill the mandates of faith.  Thus, it is essential to know that God's help only comes to those who have satisfied the conditions to receive it. 

Let me explain further. 

Keep in mind that there is a difference between an action and the receiver of such action.  For example, if you have a cup of coffee that is too hot, you blow on it to cool it.  Yet in the winter, when your hands feel cold, you blow on them to warm them up.  In both instances, blowing is the same, but the result is different based on the receiver.  In another example, let's consider the Quran, which is the word of God.  If it were revealed upon a mountain, it would have crumbled in reverence for Allah; yet some people hear the Quran and pay no heed.  God says:

Had We sent this Quran down to a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and split apart in awe of God: We offer people such illustrations so they may re?ect.  (59:21)

And in another chapter:

Some of these people listen to you, but once they leave your presence, they sneer at those who have been given knowledge, saying, "What was that he just said?" These are the ones whose hearts God has sealed, those who follow their own desires.  (47:16)

The action of revealing the Quran is one, but the response is different.  Likewise, God's aid is here, but the believers must fulfill the requirements of faith to receive it.  If you do not find divine help, we say to you, fix your receiver because you are like a broken television.  The transmission is continuous, but you are tuned to the wrong channel.  In the next two verses of Al-Imran, Allah explains how you can qualify for His aid.  He says:

Remember when you said to the believers, "Will you be satisfied if your Lord reinforces you by sending down three thousand angels?" Yes indeed!  If you are steadfast and mindful of God, and they come at you suddenly, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand swooping angels.  (Chapter 3: Verses 124 and 125)

Did you get the recipe?  Allah points out that patience and mindfulness of Him –also called Taqwa– are the key to His aid and victory.  The Muslims were victorious in Badr despite being far outnumbered and unprepared for war.  Here we ask, did the Muslims follow the right recipe in Uhud?  No, they did not.  The archers had no patience because they abandoned their positions to chase after the spoils of war.  They were also not mindful of God because they disobeyed His Messenger, who instructed them to stay put.   

In short, Allah always provides aid, but the patient and mindful of Him are the ones who receive it.  So do not be fooled by the number of soldiers or the weaponry you have.  Piety and patience are the key.  Listen to the following verse:

Prepare against them whatever military forces and cavalry you can muster to frighten off God's enemies and yours and others unknown to you but known to God.  Whatever you give in God's cause will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.  (8:60)

Did you notice that God instructs the Muslims to prepare what they can and not what is needed to overcome the enemy forces?  In other words, you do what is in your capacity until you exhaust the available means.  God will aid you to victory as long as you are patient and mindful of Him.  Isn't that what we do in our daily lives?  Say, for example, that you are a business owner and a large shipment of goods is arriving at the warehouse.  You gather your workers in preparation to receive the loaded truck, then you sit and watch as they unload the boxes.  You notice one of your best employees struggling to carry a package that is clearly too heavy for him.  As the owner, you rush to assist him without a second thought.  This worker has exhausted all his efforts and deserves your help.  On the other hand, if you see a worker lazily walking around and carrying very little, you would not get up to help him, and you would stop other employees from helping him. 

God Almighty puts various means at your disposal; your job is to use these means to the best of your ability.  You may exhaust the means while facing a situation bigger than you, but rest assured that nothing is greater than your Lord.