seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 9:38. O you who believe! What is the matter with you, when it is said to you, “Mobilize in the cause of God,” you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the present life to the Hereafter? The enjoyment of the present life, compared to the Hereafter, is only a little.
39. Unless you mobilize, He will punish you most painfully, and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. God has power over all things.
40. If you do not help him, God has already helped him, when those who disbelieved expelled him, and he was the second of two in the cave. He said to his friend, “Do not worry, God is with us.” And God made His tranquility descend upon him, and supported him with forces you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the Word of God is the Highest. God is Mighty and Wise.
41. Mobilize, light or heavy, and strive with your possessions and your lives in the cause of God. That is better for you, if you only knew.
42. Had the gain been immediate, and the journey shorter, they would have followed you; but the distance seemed too long for them. Still they swear by God: “Had we been able, we would have marched out with you.” They damn their own souls, and God knows that they are lying.
43. May God pardon you! Why did you give them permission before it became clear to you who are the truthful ones, and who are the liars?
44. Those who believe in God and the Last Day do not ask you for exemption from striving with their possessions and their lives. God is fully aware of the righteous.
45. Only those who do not believe in God and the Last Day ask you for exemption. Their hearts are full of doubts, so they waver in their doubts.
46. Had they wanted to mobilize, they would have made preparations for it; but God disliked their participation, so he held them back, and it was said, “Stay behind with those who stay behind.”
47. Had they mobilized with you, they would have added only to your difficulties, and they would have spread rumors in your midst, trying to sow discord among you. Some of you are avid listeners to them. God is Aware of the wrongdoers.
48. They tried to cause conflict before, and they hatched plots against you, until the truth prevailed, and the command of God became evident—in spite of their dislike.
49. Among them is he who says, “Excuse me, and do not trouble me.” In fact, they sunk into trouble. In fact, Hell will engulf the disbelievers.
50. If something good happens to you, it upsets them; and if a calamity befalls you, they say, “We took our precautions in advance,” and they depart, happy.
51. Say, “Nothing will happen to us except what God has ordained for us; He is our Protector.” In God let the faithful put their trust.
Here's the commentary.The reference here is to the expedition of Tab∂k, which was undertaken in the middle of the ninth year of the Hijrah owing to the threatening attitude of the Roman Emperor. There were many hindrances to the raising of an army sufficient to meet the strong forces of the Roman Empire. The chief of these, as enumerated by Rz, are: (1) a great drought; (2) the length of the journey to the confines of Syria; (3) the ripening of the fruits, which were now ready to be gathered; (4) the intensity of the heat; and (5) the organization and power of the Roman army. In spite of all these difficulties 30,000 men gathered round the Prophet’s banner.
This refers to the Prophet’s flight from Makkah, when he was forced to hide himself in a cave called Thaur, about three miles from Makkah, with only one companion, Ab∂ Bakrd. The believers are told that Allåh save the Prophet from the hands of his enemies when he had but one companion amidst a whole nation of enemies, and that Allåh would help him now. Ab∂ Bakr’s devotion to the Holy Prophet was so great that the latter chose him to be his “sole companion”, the second of the two, in that most critical hour of his life. The following account from Muir will explain the reference: “He himself went straightway to the house of Ab∂ Bakr, and after a short consultation ventured the plan for immediate flight. Ab∂ Bakr shed tears of joy; the hour of emigration had at last arrived, and he was to be the companion of the Prophet’s journey ... They crept in the shade of the evening through a back window, and escaped unobserved from the southern suburb. Pursuing their way south, and clambering in the dark up the bare and rugged ascent, they reached at last the lofty peak of Mount Thaur, distant about an hour and a half from the city, and took refuge in a cavern near its summit ... The sole companion, or in Arabic phraseology the second of the two, became one of Ab∂ Bakr’s most honoured titles ... Muƒammad and his companion felt it no doubt to be a time of jeopardy. Glancing upwards at a crevice through which the morning light began to break, Ab∂ Bakr whispered: ‘What if one were to look through the chink and see us underneath his very feet!’ ‘Think not thus, Ab∂ Bakr!’ said the Prophet, ‘We are two, but God is in the midst a third.’ ”
Tab∂k was midway between Madßnah and Damascus. The Arabs were accustomed to fighting near home; hence, the distance was one of the chief considerations which held back those who were insincere.
These verses were revealed during the journey to Tab∂k, where most of the hypocrites themselves were not present. But a few had accompanied the expedition to inform others of their party of the happenings on the way.
When trying to hide.... it's not wise to gather a big crowd and shoot off fireworks. Apparently there were some who were not willing to go against the church and the government. Apparently there were a lot of excuses for not going to war. It was too hot... the crops were ready to harvest.... the fight was too far away... the Romans are trained killers.... chickens. Apparently there was one who was a real believer and he was the one guy Muhammed could rely on. In these verses, they made their escape from the city. They found a cave in the side of the mountain to hide out in. These two had each other's backs. These two weren't afraid because they had God with them too.When I had cancer devouring my daily schedule, I kept saying.... "what's the worst thing that can happen to me? I die? If I die... I get to go to Heaven... how bad is that?" Well, I didn't take "living" into consideration. Today I'm wondering if the worst thing that can happen to me is that I get stuck here on earth somehow. I've already been blinded by a doctor who says I'm blind by my own hand. It was a "complex" tear..... so it's my fault I'm blind. I could see when I met him. Well bummer.... I didn't plan on living being a problem.... but it is.
Ab∂ Bakrd was a best friend to Muhammed. He helped in the escape. He helped in prayer. He helped Muhammed get through the days. He trusted God just like Muhammed. They weren't alone in the cave.... God was with them.... because God made sure Muhammed had someone to talk to he could trust.
I just found out the stuff they injected in my eye... is not a permanent solution. It can emulsify. I have to go back to the retinal surgeons. I thought I was done. I thought I was just going to have to learn to deal with a dead eye. Well, according to the product information sheet, the silicone oil they stuck in my eye is only good for about a year. It hasn't been tested for long term use. A doctor, a guy I should have been able to trust, did this to me. I'm stuck with this stuff in my eye that was injected about a year ago.... by a guy I should have trusted. He's a doctor.
I'm glad I got God.... the Guy you can always trust...
