Why are the Muslims defeated and what are the means of Aid from Allah?

Benefit:

Concerning His statement;

قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ (12) قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ

“Say to those who disbelieve: “You will be defeated and gathered together to Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest. There has already been a sign for you (O Jews) in the two armies that met (in combat i.e. the battle of Badr): One was fighting in the Cause of Allāh, and as for the other (they) were disbelievers. They (the believers) saw them (the disbelievers) with their own eyes twice their number (although they were thrice their number). And Allāh supports with His Victory whom He pleases. Verily, in this is a lesson for those who understand.” [Āal-Imrān, 12-13]

Benefits surrounding the verse:

1- Clarifying the condition of the disbelievers and their lowliness.

2- The causes of the Muslims being defeated.

3- And from the means of assistance/aid and establishment for the believers.

The Shaykh may Allāh preserve him mentioned a number of causes of the weakness of the Muslims.

And the means of assistance/aid and establishment for the believers while explaining this verse.

These verses have in it a clarification of the condition of the disbelievers and their lowliness and Allāh promising the disbelievers that they will be overcome, so they are (going) from bad to worse, and from humiliation to humiliation, and that on the Day of Resurrection they will be punished as a disgrace to them in this life and the next, in Jahannam and what an evil abode, so Allāh informed that by their sins they will be defeated and humiliated.

The causes of the Muslims being defeated

And person could say verily we see the Muslims in a state of weakness and humiliation, and in the epitome of humiliation and weakness; their goods are taken, their belongings are transgressed, and their lands, and they are made to be workers, and they rush to the disbelievers, as Allāh said:

(يُسَٰرِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَىٰٓ أَن تُصِيبَنَا دَآئِرَةٌۚ)

“They hurry to their friendship, saying: “We fear lest some misfortune of a disaster may befall us.” [Al-Mā’idah, 52]

This (verse) even though it is in context of the hypocrites except that there some Muslims with these traits found in them.

Answer: Verily this is from what their own hands have earned

And in the Hadith of Thābit on the authority of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ that he said;

إذا تبايعتم بالعينة وأخذتم أذناب البقر ورضيتم بالزرع وتركتم الجهاد سلط الله عليكم ذلاً لا ينزعه حتى ترجعوا إلى دينكم

“If you conclude a transaction with Al-‘Ēnah (buying a product on credit, then selling it back to the one you purchased from for a lower price), take hold of the tails of cattle, become pleased with agriculture and give up Jihād – Allāh will descend upon you humiliation and will not remove it from you till you return to your religion.”

For indeed Allāh could cause to descend upon them humiliation, so whoever aids Allāh, Allāh aids them, and whoever forsakes the rememberance of Allāh humiliation will occur to him according to the level of forsaking of that.

So if they return to their religion Allāh will aid them, and this is the promise of Allāh which he doesn’t break.

What aids this is the Hadith of Thawbān may Allāh be pleased with him that Prophet said ﷺ;

يوشك أن تداعى عليكم الأمم كما تداعى الأكلة إلى قصعتها»، فقال قائل: أو مِن قلة نحن يومئذ؟ قال: «بل أنتم يومئذٍ كثير، ولكنكم غثاء كغثاء السيل، ولينزعن الله من صدور عدوكم المهابة منكم، وليقذفن في قلوبكم الوهن»، فقال قائل: يا رسول الله وما الوهن ؟ قال: «حب الدنيا، وكراهية الموت

“The people will soon summon one another against you as people when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone said: “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?” He replied: “No, you will be numerous at that time, but you will become like the throth of the torrent, and Allāh will remove the fear from the chests of your enemies and cast Al-Wahn into your hearts.” Someone said: “What is Al-Wahn O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ?”: He said: “Love of the Dunyā and disliking death.”

The Hadith applies to us for the Sahābah may Allāh be pleased with them used to be aided, the disbelievers used to flee from them if they declared war on a land of theirs.

And during the era of the Tatars a man used to come to a number of people without a weapon and say remain in your place, and he would go and come back with a weapon and slay them one by one, and they would not be able to repel him, until even the women of Tatar would enter the house and slay whoever was in it.

The means of assistance/aid are three ?

Firstly: Al-Ikhlās (Sincerity)

“Whoever fights in order for the Kalimah (word) of Allāh to be the highest then it is in the cause of Allāh.”

Second Condition: Al-Mutāba’ah (Following)

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever invents an affair into this affair of ours then it is rejected.”

So what happened on the Day of Uhud happened due to one opposition, there occured lack of following due to a misunderstanding, so how about if it is due to boldness and deliberation.

And from it is not splitting the ranks, this is East, this is West. Allāh said:

(وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَنَٰزَعُوا۟ فَتَفْشَلُوا۟ وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْۖ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّبِرِينَ)

“And obey Allāh and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allāh is with those who are As-Sābirīn (the patient ones, etc.).” [Al-Anfāl, 46]

And even if distinction occurs, no one should be left to infiltrate the ranks.

The Third Condition: Not committing sins and disobediences.
And in the Hadith;

اغزوا باسم الله في سبيل الله قاتلوا من كفر بالله.اغزوا ولا تَغُلُّوا، ولا تَغْدِروا، ولا تمثلوا، ولا تقتلوا وليدا

“Fight in the name of Allāh and in the path of Allāh, against those who disbelieves in Allāh, fight! and do not be extreme nor treacherous and do not steal from the war booty, and do not mutify and do not kill a child.”

Maintaining the obedience of Allāh.
No picture taking.
Not being negligent in Salāh.
Not wasting time.
Not spreading innovations and shirk.
Not seeking the Dunyā.

And in the Hadith which to two Shaikhs reported;

غزا نبي من الأنبياء ، فقال لقومه : لا يتبعْني رجل ملك بُضْعَ امرأة وهو يريد أن يبني بها ولما يبن بها ،ولا أحد بنى بيوتا ولم يرفع سقوفها ،ولا أحد اشترى غنما أو خَلِفاتٍ وهو ينتظر أولادها ،فغزا فدنا من القرية صلاةَ العصر أو قريبا من ذلك ، فقال للشمس : إنك مأمورة وأنا مأمور ،اللهم احبسها علينا ،فحُبِسَتْ حتى فتح الله عليه ، فجمع الغنائم ،فجاءت – يعني النار- لتأكلها فلم تطْعَمْها ،فقال : إن فيكم غُلولا ،فليبايعني من كل قبيلة رجل ،فلَزِقَتْ يد رجل بيده ،فقال : فيكم الغُلول ،فليُبَايِعْني قبيلتك ،فلَزِقَتْ يد رجلين أو ثلاثةٍ بيده ،فقال : فيكم الغُلُول ،فجاءوا برأسٍ مثل رأس بقرة من الذهب فوضعوها فجاءت النار فأكلتها ،ثم أحلَّ الله لنا الغنائم ، رأى ضعفنا وعجزنا فأحلها لنا

“A Prophet from amongst the Prophets went on an expedition, so he said to his people: “Anyone who has married a woman and wants to consummate the marriage, and has not consummated, should not accompany me; nor should a man who has built a house but has not completed its roof; nor a man who has sheep or she camels and is waiting for (the birth of) their young ones.” So, that Prophet went on the expedition and when he reached that town at the time or nearly at the time of the `Asr prayer, he said to the sun, “You are commanded and I am commanded, O Allāh! Hold it for us.’ So it was held till Allāh made him victorious. Then he collected the war booty and the fire came down (from the sky) to burn it, but it did not burn it. He said, “There is a Ghalūl (one who takes something from the war booty) amongst you. So let one man from every tribe give me a pledge of allegiance.” So the hand of a man stuck to his hand. So he said: “The Ghalūl is amongst your tribe.” So let your tribesmen give me the pledge of allegiance.” So the hands of two or three men got stuck to his hand, so he said, “Amongst you all is the Ghalūl.” So they brought a head like the head of a cow of gold and placed it there, and the fire came down and consumed the war booty. Then Allāh saw our weakness and disability, so he made the war booty legal for us.”

Look, if a man married a woman and did not consummate with her, where will his heart be? It will be with that woman no doubt, he will not be thinking or giving importance except to her.

And likewise the one who has camels near the time of giving birth, he will become occupied with them.

And the person who is building houses will become occupied, thinking about completing it.

Our Shaykh may Allāh preserve him said: “So how about one who is within the ranks, who doesn’t want except that thing, and other than it from the hopes, building a house or buying a car.. and so on and so forth.

So the means of assistance/aid are well known components promised in the Book of Allāh.

And that their actions are in agreement to the legislation of Allāh, for the obedience of Allāh is the most important thing.

And let a person be cautious of depending on his strength, for referring the blessing to Allāh is an important matter.

And it should not be out of arrogance, for the arrogant one is not loved by Allāh;

(وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍۭ بَطِرَتْ مَعِيشَتَهَاۖ فَتِلْكَ مَسَٰكِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًاۖ وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ)

“And how many a town (population) have We destroyed, which were thankless for its means of livelihood (disobeyed Allah, and His Messengers, by doing evil deeds and crimes)! And those are their dwellings, which have not been inhabited after them except a little. And verily! We have been the inheritors.” [Al-Qasas, 58]

And that aid/assistance is with the believers if they are steadfast, Allāh said;

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّلِحَٰتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا ٱسْتَخْلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى ٱرْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًاۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِى لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِى شَيْـًٔاۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُون

“Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” [An-Nūr, 55]

And from the benefits of this verse that the affair returns to the Mashi’ah (will) of Allāh.

And that the truth and falsehood are not the same.

And from the benefits of this verse is studying the authentic biography to look at what happened to the believers of assistance/aid, and what happened to the Mushrikīn of defeat.

And from the benefit is that assistance/aid is assistance which Allāh aids by it whom He wills from the believers, the truthful, the monotheists, and he establishes them with his legislation and decree.

Benefited from: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him.

Translated by: Abu ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi

Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/3298, https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/3299