The Qur'an

190	THE MADINA PERIOD

Opposition to God and opposition to the Prophet are placed together as deserving equal punishment:—

And whoso shall oppose God and His Apostle verily God will be severe in punishment. Sura Al-Anfal (viii) 13.

The faithful are called to the opposite course of conduct:—

Obey God and His Apostle, and turn not away from him¹ now that ye hear the truth.
When we have taken any booty know that a fifth part belongeth to God and His Apostle. Sura Al-Anfal (viii) 20, 42.

The believers often needed encouragement in war. They are bidden to stand firm before the enemy, but the condition of success is to:—

Obey God and His Apostle. Sura Al-Anfal (viii) 48.
Whoso obeyeth the Apostle in so doing obeyeth God. Sura An-Nisa' (iv) 82.

¹ The Arabic for 'turn not away from him' is وَ لاَ تَوَلَّوْا and it is not clear whether the term عَنْهُ 'from him' refers to God or to the Apostle.
Husain says the passage means:—

وبر مكرديد واعراض مكنيد از امر بطاعت يا از جهاد يا از فرسان خداى يا روى مكردانيد از رسول جة مراد از آيت امر ست بطاعت بيغمبر ونهى از مخالفت او ذكر طاعت حق تنبيه ست برانكة شما ميشنويد طاعت حق تعالىا در طاعت رسول او ست

'Do not turn from or object to the order to obedience; or to Jihad or to the order of God: do not turn from the Prophet. The meaning of the verse is, that the order is to obey the Prophet and it is forbidden to oppose him. The mention of the obedience to God is an admonition to this effect, that the obedience to the High God is in the obedience to His Prophet. Tafsir-i-Husaini, vol. i, p. 236.
Ibn 'Abbas says it means, عن امر الله ورسوله 'From the order of God and of His Prophet.'

GOD AND HIS APOSTLE

191

The unbelievers can do God no injury, for He will bring their deeds to nought, and so it is said:—

Believers! Obey God and His Apostle, and render not your works vain. Sura Muhammad (xlvii) 35.

The remembrance of Him to whom the heavens and the earth belong, who brings about the revolution of day and night, and knows the secrets of all hearts, should lead men to:—

Believe in God and His Apostle. Sura Al-Hadid (lvii) 7.

Men of truth are they, to whom a double portion of mercy will be shown, on whose path divine light shall shine, who have believed in God and His Apostle in such wise as that they now :

Fear God and believe in His Apostle. Sura Al-Hadid (lvii) 28.

When the faithful saw the men of Mecca besieging Madina and that they fought but little, they said:—

This is what God and His Apostle promised us, and God and His Apostle spoke truly. Sura Al-Ahzab (xxxiii) 22.

A great reward will be given in the future life to those who look on God and His Apostle:—

If ye desire God and His Apostle and a home in the next life, then truly God hath prepared for those of you who are virtuous a great reward. Sura Al-Ahzab (xxxiii) 29.¹

¹ These words apply to the wives of the Prophet who had demanded dresses and expenditure which he could not grant. On the authority of Muslim, 'it is recorded that Abu Bakr and 'Umar found the Prophet surrounded by his pure wives, demanding the means for expenditure. He was silent and vexed and said, "See how these
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