Surah Al Hajj Tafseer

الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ

Permission (to fight) is given to those fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is able to give them victory. Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly,

Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said;

"They were driven out of Makkah to Al-Madinah unjustly, i.e., Muhammad and his Companions."

إِلاَّ أَن يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ

only because they said:"Our Lord is Allah."

means, they had not done anything to their people or committed any wrongs against them, apart from the fact that they believed in the Oneness of Allah and they worshipped Him Alone, with no partner or associate. But for the idolators, this was the worst of sins, as Allah says:

يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّـكُمْ أَن تُوْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ

and have driven out the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord! (60:1)

Then Allah says:

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ

For had it not been that Allah checks one set of people by means of another,

meaning, were it not for the fact that He repels one people by means of another, and restrains the evil of people towards others by means of whatever circumstances He creates and decrees, the earth would have been corrupted and the strong would have destroyed the weak.

لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ

Sawami` surely have been pulled down,

means the small temples used by monks.

This was the view of Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Al-Aliyah, `krimah, Ad-Dahhak and others.

Qatadah said,

"This refers to the places of worship of the Sabians;"

according to another report, he said,

"The Sawami` of the Zoroastrians."

Muqatil bin Hayyan said,

"These are houses along the roads."

وَبِيَعٌ

Biya`,

These are larger than the Sawami` and accommodate more worshippers; the Christians also have these.

This was the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ibn Sakhr, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Khusayf and others.

Ibn Jubayr reported from Mujahid and others that;

this referred to the synagogues of the Jews which are known to them as Salut.

And Allah knows best.

وَصَلَوَاتٌ

Salawat,

Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"Salawat means churches."

Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah said that;

it referred to the synagogues of the Jews.

Abu Al-Aliyah and others said,

"Salawat refers to the places of worship of the Sabians."

Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid said,

"Salawat refers to places of worship of the People of the Book and of the people of Islam along the roads."

وَمَسَاجِدُ

and Masjids

Masjids belong to the Muslims.

يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا

wherein the Name of Allah is mentioned much,

It was said that the pronoun refers to Masjids, because this is the closest of the words mentioned.

Ad-Dahhak said,

"In all of them the Name of Allah is often mentioned."

Ibn Jarir said,

"The correct view is that the monasteries of the monks, the churches of the Christians, the synagogues of the Jews and the Masjids of the Muslims, in which the Name of Allah is mentioned much, would have been destroyed -- because this is the usual usage in Arabic."

Some of the scholars said,

"This is a sequence listing the smallest to the greatest, because the Masjids are more frequented by more worshippers who have the correct intention and way."

وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ

Verily, Allah will help those who help His (cause).

This is like the Ayah:

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِن تَنصُرُواْ اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَتَعْساً لَّهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ

O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm. But those who disbelieve, for them is destruction, and (Allah) will make their deeds vain. (47:7-8)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

Truly, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.

Allah describes Himself as being All-Strong and All-Mighty. By His strength He created everything and measured it exactly according to its due measurements; by His might nothing can overpower Him or overwhelm Him, rather everything is humbled before Him and is in need of Him. Whoever is supported by the All-Strong, the All-Mighty, is indeed supported and helped, and his enemy will be overpowered.

Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا الْمُرْسَلِينَ

إِنَّهُمْ لَهُمُ الْمَنصُورُونَ

وَإِنَّ جُندَنَا لَهُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ

And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers, that they verily, would be made triumphant, and that Our soldiers! They verily, would be the victors. (37:171-173)

كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لاّغْلِبَنَّ أَنَاْ وَرُسُلِى إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ

Allah has decreed:"Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious." Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty. (58:21