Overview

(Verses 8 - 10)

Three Groups of Distinction

"[Such gains are for] the poor migrants who have been driven out of their homes and possessions, seeking God’s favour and His goodly acceptance, and who help God and His Messenger. These are the ones who are true." (Verse 8) This is a true picture highlighting the main features of the Muhajirin. They were certainly forced to flee their home town, Makkah, under much pressure and persecution by their own kinsfolk and tribesmen. They committed no offence other than believing in God alone. They abandoned their homes and possessions "seeking God's favour and His goodly acceptance." (Verse 8) They realized that they had no helper or protector other than Him. Although they were few in number, chased everywhere, they "help God and His Messenger," with their hearts and swords, even at the hardest and most critical of times. Hence, they have earned the good description given to them in the Qur'an: "These are the ones who are true." (Verse 8) They said the word indicating their belief and confirmed it with their actions. They were true to their claim that they had chosen Him above all else, and true to their pledge to God's
 
Messenger that they would follow him. They were true to the truth, making of themselves a living version of it.

"And to those who were already firmly established in the Home and in faith, those who love the ones that seek refuge with them and harbour no desire in their hearts for whatever the others may have been given. They give them preference over themselves, even though they are in want. Those who are saved from their own greed are truly successful." (Verse 9) This is again a bright, true picture showing the Ansar's main distinctive features. These were a unique group of people. They achieved, in practice, standards which most people would think too idealistic to be true and rose to levels that were too high even for our imaginations.

"And to those who were already firmly established in the Home and in faith." (Verse 9) The Home means the town, Yathrib, to which the Prophet and his followers in Makkah migrated. Thereafter, it has been known as Madinah, meaning The City, or the Prophet's own city. The Ansar were firmly settled there, long before the arrival of the Muhajirin. They were also firmly established in faith, as if faith had become a part of their own dwelling place. The image here has clear connotations, yet it is the closest description of the Ansar's attitude towards faith. It became their place of living where their hearts and souls settled in peace. They flocked to it like homing pigeons.

The Ansar "love the ones that seek refuge with them and harbour no desire in their hearts for whatever the others may have been given." (Verse 9) We do not find in human history an event similar to the reception given by the Ansar to the Muhajirin: it reflected genuine love and unparalleled generosity. The Ansar happily shared their possessions with their immigrant brethren, competing with each other in offering them their homes and shouldering the burden of hospitality. It is reported that in every case, lots were drawn to decide where each one of the Muhajirin would settle, because the numbers of the Ansar offering their homes were more than the numbers of the Muhajirin needing to be settled. They "harbour no desire in their hearts for whatever the others may have been given." (Verse 9) The Muhajirin are, at times, given an exceptionally high position, but the Ansar harbour no feeling of envy as a result. They may be given special treatment, as in the case of the gains made in this encounter. Again the Ansar accept this willingly.
 
We note that the verse does not say that they 'harbour no grudge', but rather it uses the word 'desire', which adds to the impression we have of the Ansar's pure hearts.

"They give them preference over themselves, even though they are in want." (Verse 9) To give preference to others when one is in need oneself is a high summit to reach, one which the Ansar scaled in a way unknown anywhere else in human history. This was their true description in every case. They always exceeded what is normal in people's lives.

"Those who are saved from their own greed are truly successful." (Verse 9) It is personal greed that hinders every good thing. Goodness means giving in one way or another: one gives away money, love, emotions, effort and indeed one gives one's life when necessary. A person with greed cannot do what is good, because he always wants to take and not give. Therefore, a person saved from his own greed is spared the need to overcome this obstacle. He moves on to give generously with a feeling of gratification. This is true success.

"Those who come after them pray: 'Our Lord! Forgive us and forgive our brethren who preceded us in faith. Leave no malice in our hearts towards those who believe. Lord, You are compassionate, ever merciful."' (Verse 10) This is the third bright picture that brings into sharp relief the features of the generation that was to follow, as well as the features of the Muslim community at all places and times.

When this surah was revealed, this group that was to follow on the heels of the Muhajirin and the Ansar had not yet come into existence. They were there in God's knowledge, which is free of restrictions of time and place. The main feature of this group is that they would appeal to God for forgiveness, not only for themselves but also for those believers who went ahead of them. They would also appeal to be free of all grudges against all believers, with whom they share the bond of faith. They recognized that God is most compassionate and merciful, so they would appeal to Him by these two qualities: "Lord, You are compassionate, ever merciful." (Verse 10)

The true nature and wonder of the Muslim community is clearly depicted in these verses. We recognize the strong bond that unites all generations of believers generating feelings of love and compassion between them, as well as a feeling of closeness that transcends time, place, race and family. It is a bond that takes precedence over all else, stirring pleasant feelings across generations. A believer remembers another who lived many centuries earlier, just like he remembers one who lives next door, and warms to him with love and honour. The present generation of believers takes into account the needs of future generations, and the ones still to come will follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. They all constitute one rank, in the same brigade, across generations, despite belonging to countries and times that may be very wide apart. They all march steadily, under God's banner, trying to achieve the high standards expected of them, looking up to their Lord, the Compassionate, the Ever Merciful.

It is a wonderful, amazing picture, yet it represents a reality as well as the best ideal cherished by noble hearts. The beauty and nobility of this picture of humanity can be best appreciated when compared to the image of malice and rancour that Communism glorifies in Mark's gospel.' That malice continues to perpetuate itself in an increasing grudge against social classes, past generations of humanity, contemporary communities that reject such social grudges, and against religion and believers of all faiths and communities.

The two situations are wide apart: they share no feature, colour or shade. One of them elevates humanity to the highest standards it can achieve, and the other takes it down to its lowest possible level. The first represents generations of humanity transcending barriers of time, place, race, country, tribe and family and promoting a bond of love and compassion, with pure hearts that are free of all grudges or selfishness, seeking only God's pleasure. The other shows humanity in conflict, with people always in strife, harbouring wicked feelings towards each other and resorting to deception, cheating and evil. It shows people doing so even when they are praying in their temples, because it looks at prayer as a trick and considers religion to be nothing but a trap set by capitalists for their workers.

"Our Lord.' Forgive us and forgive our brethren who preceded us in faith. Leave no malice in our hearts towards those who believe. Lord, You are compassionate, ever merciful." (Verse 10) Such is the prayer of the believers marching in the procession of faith. It is a noble prayer for a noble procession.