Fear of Fighting

If hardship touches you, know that others have faced hardship too. These days of triumph and trial rotate among people so that Allah may distinguish the believers, select martyrs from among you, and expose the wrongdoers.

Do you think you will enter Paradise without Allah testing who among you truly strives and remains steadfast?

You once wished for martyrdom before facing it, now you have seen it with your own eyes.

Muhammad is only a messenger. Many messengers came before him. If he were to die or be killed, would you turn back? Whoever turns away does not harm Allah, but Allah will reward the grateful.

No soul dies except by Allah’s decree, at a fixed time. Whoever seeks worldly gain will receive some of it, and whoever seeks the reward of the Hereafter will receive from it.

Many prophets fought alongside devoted believers. They did not falter in adversity, nor did they weaken or surrender.

Their only words were, ‘Our Lord, forgive our sins and excesses, make our steps firm, and grant us victory over the disbelievers.’

So, Allah granted them the rewards of this world and the best reward in the Hereafter.

Allah fulfilled His promise to you when, by His will, you were victorious. But when you faltered, disputed the command, and disobeyed after seeing what you desired, some of you sought worldly gain while others sought the Hereafter. Then He turned you away to test you, yet He forgave you.

Just as your Lord brought you out of your home for battle in truth, though some believers were reluctant.

They argued with you about the truth after it had been made clear, as if they were being driven toward death while they looked on.

What befell you on the day the two armies met was by Allah’s permission, so He could distinguish the true believers.

And so, He could expose the hypocrites, those who were told, ‘Come, fight in Allah’s cause or at least defend yourselves,’ but they replied, ‘If we knew there would be fighting, we would have joined you.’ They were closer to disbelief that day than to faith. They spoke with their mouths what was not in their hearts. Allah knows what they conceal.

Remember when Allah promised you victory over one of the two enemy groups, but you wished for the unarmed one. Yet Allah intended to establish the truth through His words and uproot the disbelievers.

To affirm the truth and nullify falsehood, even though the guilty disliked it.

If you fear danger, pray however you can, standing, sitting, or lying down. But when you are safe, remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know.

Remember when you fled without looking back, while the Messenger called to you from behind? Allah repaid you with distress upon distress so that you would not grieve over what you lost or what befell you.

Then, after hardship, He sent down tranquillity upon you, a drowsiness that overtook some of you, while others were anxious, thinking wrongly about Allah, like the thoughts of ignorance. They asked, ‘Do we have any say in the matter?’ Say, ‘All matters belong to Allah.’ They conceal within themselves what they do not reveal to you, saying, ‘If we had any say, we would not have been killed here.’ Say, ‘Even if you had stayed in your homes, those destined to die would have gone to their places of death. Allah tests what is within you and purifies what is in your hearts.

Indeed, those who turned away on the day the two armies met were made to slip by Satan due to their past deeds. But Allah has forgiven them.

Do not be like those who left their homes arrogantly, showing off to people and turning others away from Allah’s path.

And when Satan made their deeds seem fair to them, saying, “No one can defeat you today, and I am at your side.” But when the two forces met, he turned and fled, saying, “I have nothing to do with you! I see what you do not see, I fear Allah.”