God's Promise And Help To Believers

As stated in the Qur'an, "...most of the people do not believe."(Surat ar-Ra'd: 1), meaning that disbelievers usually make up the majority of people on earth. They always outnumber the believers, which is why these ignorant people consider themselves to be on the right path. The material wealth and numbers deceive them into a false feeling of assurance. Being aware of only the appearance of things makes them erroneously assume themselves to be superior. Yet, there remains a fact of which they are entirely unaware; the promise and support of God to the believers:

God will not give the disbelievers any way against the believers. (Surat an-Nisa': 141)

As the verse above suggests, God creates everything in favour of believers and provides them help in various ways. In Surat al-Inshirah, God informs believers of the secret that, for a Muslim, with every difficulty there surely is relief. God, Who creates a cure for every disease, provides relief after every difficulty. This fact is revealed as follows:

For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease. (Surat ash-Sharh: 5-6)

Only believers are aware of this support and assistance granted by God. No matter what they encounter in life, they enjoy the comfort and peace of mind of awareness that God aids and guards them. God promised to His servants:

God knows best who your enemies are. God suffices as a Protector; God suffices as a Helper. (Surat an-Nisa': 45)

Disbelievers and hypocrites, on the other hand, harbour all sorts of fears. They feel constant concern for they have no faith in God, worship others beside Him, and believe events happen accidentally. This is, in actuality, a fear God instils into the hearts of those who fight against the believers:

And when your Lord revealed to the angels, "I am with you so make those who believe firm. I will cast dread into the hearts of those who disbelieve..." (Surat al-Anfal: 12)

The help and support God offers to believers lasts throughout their lives. Throughout history and in many ways has God provided his assistance to believers. In some cases, He granted miracles to His prophets, in others, He supported Muslims by invisible armies, angels or through natural events. Sometimes, even events that seemed unlikely to happen occurred. Some examples related in the Qur'an are as follows:

You who believe! Remember God's blessing to you when forces came against you and We sent a wind against them and other forces you could not see. God sees what you do. (Surat al-Ahzab: 9)

Remember when you called on your Lord for help and He responded to you: "I will reinforce you with a thousand angels riding rank after rank." (Surat al-Anfal: 9)

There was a sign for you in the two parties which met face to face, one party fighting in the Way of God and the other disbelievers. They saw them with their own eyes as twice the same [number] as themselves. God reinforces with His help whoever He wills. There is instruction in that for people of insight. (Surah Al 'Imran: 13)

All Plots Hatched against the Muslims are Doomed from the Outset

Disbelievers employ all types of devious methods in their struggle against the Muslims. One of the most commonly used methods is the establishment of alliances against them. Disbelievers, who believe that they will succeed because they are in the majority, and those who plot in secret, fail to remember that God sees them as they are plotting. They are entirely oblivious of the fact that God is nearer to man than his jugular vain. Nevertheless, whether keep it to themselves or divulge it, God knows "what is in their hearts." God knows every detail of every one of their thoughts, and every plot or plan they devise.

More importantly, God, the all-Knowing, informs us that He has thwarted the plots of disbelievers from the outset. No matter how secretive or devious these plans may be, all plots against believers are doomed from the moment they are conceived:

...God always confounds the schemes of the disbelievers. (Surat al-Anfal: 18)

They concocted their plots, but their plots were with God, even if they were such as to make the mountains vanish. (Surah Ibrahim: 46)

In addition, God informs us that such plots will not harm the believers, and that they will ultimately come back upon the plotters themselves:

...But evil plotting envelops only those who do it. Do they expect anything but the pattern of previous peoples? You will not find any changing in the pattern of God. You will not find any alteration in the pattern of God. (Surah Fatir: 43)

Believers put their trust in this divine promise (that God will thwart the plots of disbelievers). Aware of the fact that God's help is always with them, they live a life of tranquillity. As we have stressed thus far, thanks to this resignation, they can see the good and purpose in every event they encounter; and even if they fail to see it, they believe with certainty that every incident will ultimately turn out to be good for believers.

"It is the Party of God who are Victorious!"

The rewards of seeing good, even in seemingly evil events, and always putting one's trust in God, has always been plentiful:

Those to whom people said, "The people have gathered against you, so fear them." But that merely increased their faith and they said, "God is enough for us and the Best of Guardians." So they returned with blessings and bounty from God and no evil touched them. They pursued the pleasure of God. God's favour is indeed immense. (Surah Al 'Imran: 173-174)

Let us remind ourselves that disbelievers may from time to time seem to have the upper hand. However, it is merely a trial from God for believers. As we said earlier, it is part of a divine plan to distinguish the true believers from those who are weaker in faith. Believers who put their trust in God, show patience and see good in all that happens, show forth clearly their loyalty and trust in God. That is why, those who will earn God's pleasure, both in this world and in the life of the Hereafter, and who will ultimately triumph, are the believers:

As for those who make God their friend, and His Messenger and those who believe: it is the party of God who are victorious! (Surat al-Ma'ida: 56)