The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 351
PT. 6 AL-MA'IDAH CH. 5 إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا Your friend is only Allah. 56 الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكُوةَ and His Messenger and the believers who observe Prayer "2:258; 3:69. means low, base, mean, paltry, humble or weak; easy and smooth; also gentle and merciful (Lane). (hard and firm) is the plural of brings in a number to take his place. If the followers of a religion are found to be steadily and perpetually decreasing with no arrangement for recovery, that religion must be dead and truth must have departed from it. عز which is verbal adjective from عزیز meaning, he was or became mighty, potent, powerful or strong, or high and elevated; he magnified or exalted himself; he resisted or withstood; he was indomitable and invincible; it (a thing) was or became rare, scarce, hard to find; or he or it was or became dear, highly esteemed and greatly valued; or it became difficult and hard. of which the plural is ; means, mighty and powerful; high and elevated; resisting and invincible; hard and difficult rough in manners; rare or scarce or highly esteemed (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:130. وسع (Bountiful) is derived from i. e. it (place, vessel, etc. ) was sufficient or sufficiently large or capacious or ample or abundant. J means, width or extent; ampleness or plentifulness; capacity or power. , means, possessing ample power or ability; powerful, bountiful; One Who gives to all; One Who encompasses all things (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: kind and اذلة على المؤمنين The words humble toward believers) mean that true believers whom God will bring in place of apostates will be susceptible to the influence of brother believers, will be lenient in their dealings with them, will connive at their shortcomings, will be ready to forgive and forget their faults and will love and be kind to them. And the expression (hard and firm toward disbelievers) means that they will not be afraid of disbelievers nor will they be susceptible to their baneful influence. In fact, the above are the two main characteristic qualities of a rising people who love God. The words, They will strive in the cause of Allah, mean that, unlike the weak of faith who are ever ready to turn back from their religion and stumble at every trial, the newcomers will be zealous Muslims, eager to bring others into the fold of Islam. We are further told in the verse that a true believer is never afraid of The verse lays down an infallible sign of a true and living religion which is that the number of its followers is never allowed to fall or decrease permanently. If one individual goes out of its pale, God nor the censure of the enemy. laying down his life in the cause of Allah. He does not fear the reproaches of fault-finders or scoffers. He fears neither the sword 791