[وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ]
“And Allah will surely support those who support Him.” [Al-Hajj:40]
(Translated)

Allah Almighty has stipulated that victory will be achieved by supporting Him. Subhanah wa Ta’alah, said:

[يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ]

“O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.” [Muhammad:7].

It means that Allah Almighty has commanded the believers to support Him by supporting His Deen (religion), and He has promised them that if they do so, He will grant them victory and strengthen their foothold. It may be said here that the word "victory" and "steadfastness" imply success in war, and this is true, but that does not exclude their application to other situations because the emphasis here is on the general meaning of the term.
It is mentioned in the interpretation:

[يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللهَ] “O you who have believed, if you support Allah” that is, His Deen and His Messenger [يَنْصُرْكُمْ] “He will support you” against your enemy and grant you victory [وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ] “and plant firmly your feet.” in the locations of war or in spreading Islam." So, steadfastness can occur in war and also in the propagation of Islam.

Qatrab said: "If you support the Prophet of Allah, Allah will support you, and the meaning is the same.

[وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ] “and plant firmly your feet.” 'during combat.' It was also said, 'In Islam.' And it was said, 'On the path (of righteousness).' And it was said: What is meant is the steadfastness of the hearts in security..."

Today, as we long for the leader of the Muslims and suffer from the absence of the Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate) and the stagnation of Jihad, we must not say that this ayah (verse) does not concern us or that our reality is not subject to its ruling. On the contrary, it is entirely relevant to us, and we are the most in need of fulfilling the conditions of victory so that Allah may grant us success, change our situation, and relieve us of our afflictions. Supporting the Deen begins firstly by adhering to it, submitting to it, and prioritizing it over everything else. Secondly, it involves inviting others to it in obedience to the command of Allah. Thirdly, it requires earnest efforts to reintroduce its rulings into the arena of life as they were during the time of our noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he established a state governed by the Quran and the laws of Sharia.

Indeed, the mentioned Ayah and its counterparts in the Quran, such as Allah's saying,

[وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ] “And Allah will surely support those who support Him.” And

[وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ]“and incumbent upon Us was support of the believers.” [Ar-Rum:47] and

[إِنْ يَنصُرْكُمُ اللهُ فَلاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمْ]“If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you” [Aal-i-Imran:160] serve as glad tidings and reassurance from Allah Almighty to us. They assure us that if we fulfill our obligations, He will certainly respond and fulfill what He has promised us. Therefore, our duty is to focus on what falls within our sphere of influence and control.

Indeed, as we witness the plight of our brothers in Gaza and the severe challenges faced by many of our brethren in Syria, Sudan, India, and other Muslim lands, it is imperative for us to fully comprehend the essence of those noble ayat and the truthfulness of the promise of victory. We must strive diligently to fulfill its conditions so that Allah may hasten His relief upon the entire Muslim Ummah. The reward promised in the verses of victory corresponds to the nature of the effort.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to adhere to what Allah has commanded, focusing on what He has requested, until Allah permits His Decree and abstaining from preoccupation with anything else.

Allah Almighty says:

[وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ]

“Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.” [An-Nur:55].

Therefore, what is required is faith and righteous deeds. The intended faith is not merely belief and acceptance but rather unwavering conviction devoid of doubt. It is a faith that revolutionizes the soul, transforming it and making it active. Allah, the Most High, says:

[إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا وَجَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ]

“The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is those who are the truthful.” [Al-Hujurat:15].

True, firm faith resides in the heart, but it is authenticated by actions, making righteous deeds a natural consequence of it!

And then comes the second part of the condition: it is incumbent upon us to obey the commands and prohibitions of Allah and strive to attain His pleasure by being where He has commanded us to be and avoiding where He has forbidden us to be. Moreover, we should hasten to perform acts of goodness and voluntary deeds, and even abstain from permissible actions if we fear falling into what is prohibited. All of this is done to earn the pleasure of Allah and to be among His righteous servants.

Indeed, the current state of our Ummah cannot tolerate any more of our abandonment and failure to fulfill what Allah has enjoined upon us. Our sanctities are violated, our brothers and sisters in Gaza are being eradicated, our people in Sudan are suffering from hunger, and our brothers and sisters in Syria are enduring hardships. The tragedies of our Ummah continue to persist. Therefore, let us make this Ramadan a season of repentance and profound change befitting us as Muslims. Let us seek the assistance of Allah, cast away weakness and the love of worldly pleasures, and engage ourselves in uprooting the treacherous rulers. Let our voices resonate with enjoining good and forbidding evil, so that our Ummah may return to its righteousness.

My brothers and sisters, what are we waiting for? Is it not enough for us what we see and hear from Gaza every day? O Allah, restore the Islamic Ummah to its Ummah beautifully. O Allah, make us worthy of Your promise, O Most Merciful.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Mennah Taher