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wa-law qātalakumu lladhīna kafarū la-wallawu l-ʾadbāra thumma lā yajidūna waliyyan wa-lā naṣīran
If the faithless fight you, they will turn their backs [to flee]. Then they will not find any protector or helper.
— Ali Quli Qarai
48Al-FatḥالفتحVerse 22 of 29
The Victory48. Al-Fatḥالفتح
al-Fatḥ
The Victory
MedinanVerse 22 of 29
Surah al-Fath - Verses 22-23
22. And if those who disbelieve fight against you [they fail to confront you and] they certainly will retreat and turn their backs. Then they will find neither a protector nor a helper.
23. That [your triumph and disbelievers’ fear of being defeated] has been the Way of Allah with those who passed away formerly and you will not find any alteration in the Way of Allah.
Weak Muslims attained to such might that their enemies could not stand against them. One who is not supported by God Almighty has no helper. In the prayer of ‘Arafa Imam Husayn (as) thus addresses God Almighty:
“One who has you [as a helper] has everything, but one who does not have you, has nothing.”
In this blessed Verse, God Almighty informs His Messenger (S) that if the disbelievers from Banu Asad and Qatafan intend to wage war with Muslims, He will cast fear into their heart so that they turn away from battle and flee. Disbelievers will be defeated, denigrated, and helpless at all times, since they have neither friend nor helper. It is an allusion to the truth that God Almighty is the only true friend and support. One who has not entered the stronghold of
“There is no god, but Allah”
has no refuge and may not achieve any success. Verse 23 is saying that it has always been the Way of Allah that Truth and the followers of Truth are triumphant at all times as it is reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:
“Indeed, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the triumphant” 2 .
It is evident that:
“Verily, falsehood is ever bound to vanish” 3 ,
since falsehood disappears before truth and things other than God Almighty and His Signs are false and nothing.
Footnotes