Chapter 3: Surat Aal-'Imran (The House 'Imran), verse 10-13
Translation:
As for the unbelievers, neither their riches nor their children will in the least save them from God's wrath. They shall become the fuel of the Fire. They are like Pharaoh's people and those before them; they denied Our revelations, and God smote them in their sin. God is stern in retribution. Say to the unbelievers: 'You shall be overthrown and driven into Hell - an evil resting-place!' Indeed, there was a sign for you in the two armies which met on the battlefield. One was fighting for the cause of God, the other being a host of unbelievers. The faithful saw with their very eyes that they were twice their own number. But God strengthens with His aid whom He will. Surely in that there was a lesson for the discerning. (10 - 13)
Commentary:
When the call of Truth is
given, it appears to people very insignificant. On the one hand there are all
resources of worldly comforts and grandeur, and on the other hand is the Caravan
of truth, having no foothold in the society, no worldly interests are attached
to it. In such situation joining the caravan of truth amounts to detachment from
the social circle and depriving oneself from all material interests. That is why
in order to safeguard one’s interest man does not believe in the truth. By
abandoning his friends and relatives, he is not ready to join a lone da'i. But
all the material things and considerations that appear important today will
cease to matter on the day of judgment. All their importance is only till the
time the matter is between man and man. The day veil of Qiyamah is rent asunder
and the matter becomes between man and God, all these things (worldly) will
become so insignificant as if they had never existed. Da'i in this world appears
to be powerless, but in reality it is he who is powerful, because God is at his
back. The denier/unbeliever appears to be powerful in this world but is totally
powerless because his power is nothing but a temporary delusion. The Badr event
in the fourteenth year of Prophethood, was a worldly example of what will happen
in the next world. The unbelievers exceeded the believers far more in number and
in power. The believers were far less in number and were powerless. In spite of
this the unbelievers were given a crushing defeat and the believers achieved a
decisive victory. This is a clear proof that God is always on the side of the
believers. In the face of such great difference in resources, extraordinary
victory cannot be achieved without God’s succor. This serves as a
demonstration from God that truth is not alone in this world. It is also an
apparent/clear argument for the unbelievers to see how (their position) they are
placed in this world. There are clear signs in the words and deeds of the Da'i
of Truth that this is from God. But the arrogants find a refuge of fine words to
refute it. They live in false explanations until finally they leave for the next
world only to learn that the words they had opted for their refuge were utterly
meaningless from the point of reality.