Divine Help Comes After Believers Move
After the Holy Prophet (PBUH) rejected the request of some Muslims to respond to the polytheists in Mecca because they were not permitted to wage jihad, Allah revealed Verse 39 of Surah Al-Hajj: “Permission is given to those who fight because they were wronged. Allah has power to grant them victory.”
Some commentators consider this verse to be the first verse that gave the Holy Prophet (PBUH) permission to wage jihad and armed warfare, because his work had several stages: 1- Calling and reforming the heart and building up the forces. 2- Forming and mobilizing the forces. 3- Defense or attack.
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In the previous verse, God Almighty had promised to defend the believers: “Indeed, Allah defends those who believe” (Verse 38 of Surah Al-Hajj), and in this verse, He gave permission for jihad; meaning, Muslims should not think that they can sit in their homes and wait for the help of God. The help of God comes after our awakening and movement.
Completing this permission with the promise of victory at the end of the verse, “Allah has power to grant them victory”, conveys that Muslims should use whatever means they have in this world and wait for Allah’s help when their strength runs out. This was the same plan that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) used in all his struggles and was victorious.
