The Attitude of the Believers towards the Confederates
Then Allah tells us about His believing servants who believed Allah's promise to them and how He will make the consequences good for them in this world and in the Hereafter. He says:
﴿ وَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡأَحۡزَابَ قَالُواْ هَـٰذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۥ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۥۚ ﴾
(And when the believers saw the Confederates, they said: "This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us; and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth.'') Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Qatadah said: "They mean what Allah said in Surat Al-Baqarah:
﴿ أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۖ مَّسَّتۡہُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥ مَتَىٰ نَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ۬ ﴾
(Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, "When (will come) the help of Allah'' Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near!)(2:214) meaning, `this is the trial and test that Allah and His Messenger promised us would be followed by the help and victory of Allah that is near.' Allah says:
﴿ وَصَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ۥۚ ﴾
(and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth. )
﴿ وَمَا زَادَهُمۡ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا وَتَسۡلِيمً۬ا ﴾
(And it only added to their faith and to their submissiveness.) This indicates that faith can increase and strengthen in accordance with people's circumstances, as the majority of scholars stated: faith can increase and decrease. We have stated this at the beginning of our commentary on Al-Bukhari, praise be to Allah.
﴿ وَمَا زَادَهُمۡ ﴾
(And it only added) means, at that time of stress and difficulty
﴿ إِلَّآ إِيمَـٰنً۬ا ﴾
(to their faith) in Allah,
﴿ وَتَسۡلِيمً۬ا ﴾
(and to their submissiveness.) means their submission to His commands and their obedience to His Messenger .
﴿ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ۬ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَـٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُ ۥ وَمِنۡہُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلاً۬ • لِّيَجۡزِىَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ بِصِدۡقِهِمۡ وَيُعَذِّبَ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ إِن شَآءَ أَوۡ يَتُوبَ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا ﴾
(23. Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah; of them some have fulfilled their Nahbah; and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed in the least.) (24. That Allah may reward the men of truth for their truth, and punish the hypocrites, if He wills, or accept their repentance by turning to them. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)