"Do you think that you will enter Paradise despite that there have not yet come upon you circumstances as of those who have passed away before you? They were afflicted by hardship and suffering and were so shaken down that the prophet, and those who believed with him, began to say: 'When the help of Allah (will come)'? Behold, the help of Allah is near." (2:214)

The previous verse has said how hostile the disbelievers have been to prophets and believers and, in a way, has comforted Muslims hurt by the mockery of disbelievers that there is nothing new about this antagonism. This has been there all the time. Further from this point, the present verse recounts the enormous amount of suffering faced by past prophets and believers at the hands of hostile disbelievers. This too is to console Muslims that they should be patient against the hostility of disbelievers as ideal happiness can only be achieved by getting ready and working hard for the Hereafter.

Commentary

There are two things worth serious attention in this verse:

1) Apparently, this verse seems to indicate that nobody shall enter Paradise unless he goes through hardships and sufferings, although, Qur'anic statements and sayings of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him prove that many sinners will enter Paradise simply because of the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Allah Almighty, and that they shall undergo no hardship either.

This is because hardship and suffering have different levels. The lowest degree is to resist against one's own desiring self and the Satan, or to strengthen the bases of one's beliefs by countering the forces working against the true Faith. This degree of achievement is within the grasp of every Muslim. Further on, there are the middle and the higher levels. The degree of one's strenuous effort shall be the degree of one's entry in to Paradise. Thus, nobody remains untried by effort and struggle and the resulting hardship and suffering.

In a hadith, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him has said: "The hardships faced by the prophets are the hardest faced by men, after that, by those closer to them."

2) The second point one must note here concerns the prophets and their followers. That they reached a point of suffering when they cried out as to when will the help of Allah come, was not because of any doubt since that would be against the dignity of their station. In fact, the call was made in the background of Allah's promised help for which the time and place was left undetermined. As such, using these words in a state of distress indicated the desire for early help. Making such a prayer is not against one's trust in Allah (tawakkul) or against the station of prophethood. On the contrary, the fact is that Allah Almighty favours the earnest supplication of his servants. Who else other than the prophets and the pious of the community would be more deserving of what Allah likes? (Ma'ariful Qur'an)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 10th July 2011

0 Comments