Overview (Verses 10 -13)

A Lesson for the Discerning

As for those who disbelieve, neither their riches nor their offspring will in the least avail them against God; it is they who shall be the fuel of the fire. Just like the cases of the people of Pharaoh and those before them: they disbelieved Our revelations; therefore, God took them to task for their sins. God’s retribution is severe indeed. Say to those who disbelieve: “You shall be overcome and gathered unto hell, an evil resting place. You have had a sign in the two armies which met in battle. One was fighting for God’s cause, the other an army of unbelievers. They saw with their very eyes that the others were twice their own number. But God strengthens with His succour whom He wills. In this there is surely a lesson for all who have eyes to see.” (Verses 10-13)

This passage follows the opening verses of the sūrah which outline the attitude of the believers towards God’s revelations, whether of the clear and precise type or of the type expressed in allegory. Here we have an explanation of the end which awaits the unbelievers, and the Divine Law which never fails to inflict punishment on them for their sins. A warning is also included to the unbelievers among the people of earlier revelations who stand in opposition to Islam. The Prophet is instructed to warn them, and to remind them of what they saw with their own eyes at the Battle of Badr when such a small group of believers achieved a great victory over a much larger force of unbelievers.

The context of this passage is an address to the Israelites warning them of a similar fate to that of the unbelievers who lived before them and who may live after them. It also reminds the Israelites of the doom which befell Pharaoh and his soldiers when God saved the Israelites themselves. That, however, does not give the Israelites any right to special treatment should they revert to disbelief and denial of the truth. There is nothing to prevent them from being branded as unbelievers should they err, and there is nothing to save them from doom either in this life or in the life to come, in the same way as doom befell Pharaoh and his army.

They are also reminded of the fate of the Quraysh army of unbelievers at the Battle of Badr. This drives it home to them that God’s law will never fail. Nothing will protect them from being overwhelmed by the same fate as the Quraysh. The cause of that fate was the Quraysh’s rejection of the faith. In essence they are being told that no one has a special position with God and no one will have any immunity except through true faith.

“As for those who disbelieve, neither their riches nor their offspring will in the least avail them against God; it is they who shall be the fuel of the fire.” (Verse 10) Wealth and children are normally thought of as two sources of protection. Neither, however, will be of any avail on that Day, about the arrival of which there is no doubt, because God never fails to keep His promise. On that Day, they will be “the fuel of the fire.” This metaphor deprives them of all the characteristics which distinguish man. They are grouped together with logs, wood and all manner of fuel.

Indeed, wealth and children cannot be of any avail in this life, even when they are coupled with power and authority: “Just like the cases of the people of Pharaoh and those before them: they disbelieved Our revelations; therefore, God took them to task for their sins. God’s retribution is severe indeed.” (Verse 11) This case has had frequent parallels throughout history. God relates it in detail in this book. It is a case which outlines God’s law, which applies to those who reject His revelations as lies. He implements this law as He wills. Hence, no one who rejects God’s revelations can have any immunity or safeguard.

This means that those who rejected the faith and dismissed Muĥammad’s call and the message contained in the book God has revealed to him with the truth, lay themselves open to the same fate in both this life and the life to come. The Prophet is instructed to warn them against the same fate in both lives. He is further instructed to give them the recent example of what happened to them in Badr, for they may have forgotten the example of Pharaoh and the unbelievers before him and how they were overwhelmed by God’s stern retribution. “Say to those who disbelieve: ‘You shall be overcome and gathered unto hell, an evil resting place. You have had a sign in the two armies which met in battle. One was fighting for God’s cause, the other an army of unbelievers. They saw with their very eyes that the others were twice their own number. But God strengthens with His succour whom He wills. In this there is surely a lesson for all who have eyes to see.’” (Verses 12-13)

The statement, “they saw with their very eyes that the others were twice their own number,” admits of two possible interpretations. The pronoun “they”, preceding the verb “saw” may be taken to refer to the unbelievers, whilst “the others,” in this case, refers to the Muslims. This means that despite their numerical superiority, the unbelievers imagined the much smaller group of Muslims to be “twice their own number”. This was by God’s own design. He led the unbelievers to perceive the Muslims as a very large force when they were indeed few in number, and this put fear into their hearts.
The same statement could be interpreted in the opposite fashion, which suggests that the Muslims saw the unbelievers as “twice their own number” when in actual fact they were three times as many. Nevertheless, the Muslims were steadfast and achieved victory.

The most important factor here is the attribution of victory to God’s aid and His planning. This, in itself, serves as a warning to the unbelievers and has a demoralising effect on them. At the same time, it strengthens the believers and decries their enemies, so much so that the believers have no fear. The particulars of the situation pertaining at Badr required both elements. In other words, the Qur’ān was working on both aspects.

God’s promise to defeat those unbelievers who swerve from the truth and who reject God’s constitution is valid for all time. Similarly, God’s promise to grant victory to the believers, even though they may be few in number, is also valid for all time. That victory depends, in the last resort, on God’s help, which He grants to whomever He wills. This fact also remains true for the present as for the future.

The believers need only to be certain that this is the truth and to be confident that God’s promise will be fulfilled. They must do all in their power and then be patient until God’s will is done. They must not precipitate events, nor should they despair if victory seems long coming. Everything is done in God’s own good time, according to His wisdom which determines the most suitable time for every event.

“In this there is surely a lesson for all who have eyes to see.” There must be eyes to see and hearts to understand and minds to reflect, so that the lesson is fully understood. Otherwise, lessons are given at every moment of the day and night, but few pay heed.