يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿۱۵۳﴾ وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ وَلَكِنْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ ﴿۱۵۴﴾ وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿۱۵۵﴾
﴾153﴿ Yaaa ayyuhal laazeena aamanus ta'eenoo bissabri was Salaah; innal laaha ma'as-saabireen
﴾154﴿ Wa laa taqooloo limai yuqtalu fee sabeelil laahi amwaat; bal ahyaaa'unw wa laakil laa tash'uroon
﴾155﴿ Wa lanablu wannakum bishai'im minal khawfi waljoo'i wa naqsim minal amwaali wal anfusi was samaraat; wa bashshiris saabireen
﴾153﴿ O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.
﴾154﴿ And do not say about those who are killed in the path of Allah that they are dead. Rather, they are alive — their souls — but you do not perceive (their life).
﴾155﴿ And surely We will test you with a little of fear, hunger, and loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to the patient.
[153] In this verse, the fourth command is mentioned: seeking help through patience and prayer — which was explained earlier in verse (45). There, the address was to the Children of Israel, so the verse described it as a great burden for them. But here, the address is to the believers; therefore, Allah gave them comfort with the phrase “surely, Allah is with those who are patient.”
This ma‘iyyah (divine companionship) is a special type — meaning divine support and assistance.
And since prayer is included within the broader scope of patience, it says “with the patient” rather than “with those who pray.”
[154] This verse was revealed to refute those who said about the martyrs of Badr that these people had wasted their lives and worldly pleasures in vain. In this verse, the status of those who are so firm and patient for the religion that they give their lives for it is clarified — such people are called martyrs. The same meaning is affirmed in verse (129) of Surah Aal Imran.
In a noble hadith, the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) explained this verse by saying: the souls of martyrs are in the bodies of green birds that roam freely in Paradise. In another narration, it is said: “They are alive in Paradise.”
The meaning is that this verse proves the barzakh life (life of the grave) for martyrs — which is different from and higher than worldly life. This barzakh life is even more exalted for the prophets.
Disbelievers also have a form of barzakh life, but it is one of punishment, and thus it is not counted as true life. The barzakh life of believers, martyrs, and prophets is one of delight and enjoyment of Paradise, though it is not a real physical life, but rather a legal or metaphysical one.
The proof for this is in the phrase (but you do not perceive) — indicating that this life is not perceived by the senses or intellect but is established through revelation.
(Dead) — refers to death in the worldly sense, like ordinary people, or it may imply that their souls are lifeless or cut off from pleasure — but calling them “dead” is still permissible in a linguistic or legal sense.
(Rather, they are alive) — refers to a unique form of life called barzakh life, which is entirely different from worldly life and cannot be understood through senses or reason, but only through revelation.
Note: In this verse, the fifth point is mentioned — that one who is martyred for the religion of Allah should never be thought of as insignificant or wasted.
[155] Three types of trials are mentioned: fear, hunger, and loss, and the way to succeed in them is through patience. These tests are both legislative (shar‘i) and natural (takweeni) in nature:
– Shar‘i fear refers to striving in jihad and calling enemies to Islam.
– Shar‘i hunger includes avoiding unlawful wealth and observing fasting.
– (Loss of wealth) refers to staying away from haram business, interest (riba), bribery, etc., and fulfilling financial obligations like zakat.
– (Lives) includes giving one’s life in jihad.
– (Fruits) means spending income from trade and agriculture in lawful and proper ways.
As for natural (takweeni) trials:
– Fear from enemies and venomous creatures.
– Hunger due to poverty and lack of provision.
– Loss of wealth through the death or disappearance of livestock.
– Loss of lives through death.
– Loss of fruits through drought or the death of children.
These are the trials by natural decree.