Transliteration:( Falammaaa ahassa 'Eesaa minhumul kufra qaala man ansaaree ilal laahi qaalal Hawaariyyoona nahnu ansaarul laahi aamannaa billaahi washhad bi annaa muslimoon )
114. By found infidelity in them' is the intention to kill made by the Yahud.
From this we learn that even intent to cause harm to a Prophet, too, is an act of Kufr (apostasy).
To serve and honour them is part of Imaan (Faith).
115. From this, a few issues become apparent:
1. In times of affliction to seek the help of the pious servants of Allah is the way of the Prophets.
2. The assistance of a Prophet is, in reality, the assistance from Allah although as the disciplesrendered assistance to Hazrat Isa (On whom be peace) they were called 'helpers of the cause of Allah. Till this day, the followers of Hazrat Isa's (On whom be peace) religion are called 'helpers', just like one group of the Prophet's companions are called (?) 'Helpers'.
3. It is Sunnat to disclose one's faith, not to conceal it .
4. It is praiseworthy to make the Prophet a witness to one's faith.
52. Then when `Isa came to know of their disbelief, he said: “Who will be my helpers in Allah’s cause” Al-Hawariyyun said: “We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims.” 53. “Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger ﴿`Isa﴾; so write us down among those who bear witness.” 54. And they (disbelievers) plotted and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot
Allah said,
(Then when `Isa came to know), meaning, `Isa felt that they were adamant in disbelief and continuing in misguidance. He said to them,
(Who will be my helper in Allah’s cause) Mujahid commented, “Meaning, who would follow me to Allah” However, it appears that `Isa was asking, “Who would help me convey the Message of Allah”
The Prophet said during the Hajj season, before the Hijrah,
(Who will give me asylum so that I can convey the Speech of my Lord, for the Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Speech of my Lord.) until he found the Ansar. The Ansar helped the Prophet and gave him refuge. He later migrated to them, they comforted the Prophet and protected him from all his enemies, may Allah be pleased with them all. This is similar to what happened with `Isa, for some of the Children of Israel believed in him, gave him their aid and support and followed the light that was sent with him. This is why Allah said about them;
(Al-Hawariyyun said: “We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger; so write us down among those who bear witness.”) Hawari in Arabic – means `support’. The Two Sahihs recorded that when the Prophet encouraged the people to fight during the battle of Al-Ahzab, Az-Zubayr came forward, and again, when the Prophet asked for fighters a second time. The Prophet said,
(Every Prophet has a Hawari, and Az-Zubayr is my Hawari)
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about,
(so write us down among those who bear witness) “Meaning among the Ummah of Muhammad.” This Hadith has a good chain of narration.
Allah states that the Children of Israel tried to kill `Isa by conspiring to defame him and crucify him. They complained about him to the king who was a disbeliever. They claimed that `Isa was a man who misguided people, discouraged them from obeying the king, caused division, and separated between man and his own son. They also said other lies about `Isa, which they will carry on their necks, including accusing him of being an illegitimate son. The king became furious and sent his men to capture `Isa to torture and crucify him. When they surrounded `Isa’s home and he thought that they would surely capture him, Allah saved him from them, raising him up from the house to heaven. Allah put the image of `Isa on a man who was in the house; when the unjust people went in the house while it was still dark, they thought that he was `Isa. They captured that man, humiliated and crucified him. They also placed thorns on his head. However, Allah deceived these people. He saved and raised His Prophet from them, leaving them in disarray in the darkness of their transgression, thinking that they had successfully achieved their goal. Allah made their hearts hard, and defiant of the truth, disgracing them in such disgrace that it will remain with them until the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah said,
(And they plotted, and Allah planned too. And Allah is the Best of those who plot.)
(3:52) And when Jesus perceived their leaning towards unbelief, he asked: Who will be my helpers in the way of Allah?’ The disciples[49] said: We are the helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah,[50] and be our witness that we have submitted ourselves exclusively to Allah.
49. The word hawari means approximately the same as the word ansar in the Islamic tradition. In the Bible the usual terms are ‘apostles’ and ‘disciples’. Jesus’ chosen disciples were called apostles in the sense that they had been entrusted with a mission by him rather than in the sense of having been entrusted with a mission by God.
50. At various places the Qur’an characterizes man’s participation in the effort to establish the supremacy of Islam as ‘helping God’. This needs a little explanation. God has endowed man with the freedom of will and choice, with the result that He does not resort to His omnipotent will to compel man either to do certain things or to refrain from others. He rather leaves man free to adopt the course that pleases him – be it that of either belief or unbelief, of either obedience or disobedience. God prefers to instruct man by means of persuasive argument and admonition, so as to bring home to him that even though he is free to disbelieve, disobey and defy the Will of God, his own interest and well-being lie in serving and obeying his Creator.
Hence, directing people to the right path by persuasion and admonition is of concern to God, He regards those who contribute to this cause as His allies and helpers. This is, in fact, the most exalted position attainable by man. When a man performs Prayers, keeps his fast and worships God in other ways, he is merely on the level of service and subjection to God. But when a man strives to spread God’s true religion and to enthrone it in actual life, he is honoured with the status of God’s ally and helper, which is the zenith of man’s spiritual growth. ‘Literally, ‘and be our witness that we are Muslims’ – Ed.
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