سُوْرَةُ الصَّفِّ
Surah As-Saff (61) — Ayah 14
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوٓا۟ أَنصَارَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّـۧنَ مَنْ أَنصَارِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَـَٔامَنَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ وَكَفَرَت طَّآئِفَةٌ ۖ فَأَيَّدْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا۟ ظَـٰهِرِينَ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Be you helpers (in the Cause) of Allâh as said ‘Îsâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), to the Hawâriyyûn (the disciples): "Who are my helpers (in the Cause) of Allâh?" The Hawâriyyûn (the disciples) said: "We are Allâh’s helpers" (i.e. we will strive in His Cause!). Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. So We gave power to those who believed against their enemies, and they became the victorious (uppermost).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
كُونُوٓا۟
kūnū
Be
أَنصَارَ
anṣāra
helpers
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
كَمَا
kamā
as
قَالَ
qāla
said
عِيسَى
ʿīsā
Isa
ٱبْنُ
ub'nu
son
مَرْيَمَ
maryama
(of) Maryam
لِلْحَوَارِيِّـۧنَ
lil'ḥawāriyyīna
to the disciples
مَنْ
man
Who
أَنصَارِىٓ
anṣārī
(are) my helpers
إِلَى
ilā
for
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
Allah
قَالَ
qāla
Said
ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ
l-ḥawāriyūna
the disciples
نَحْنُ
naḥnu
We
أَنصَارُ
anṣāru
(are) the helpers
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
فَـَٔامَنَت
faāmanat
Then believed
طَّآئِفَةٌۭ
ṭāifatun
a group
مِّنۢ
min
of
بَنِىٓ
banī
Children
إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
is'rāīla
(of) Israel
وَكَفَرَت
wakafarat
and disbelieved
طَّآئِفَةٌۭ ۖ
ṭāifatun
a group
فَأَيَّدْنَا
fa-ayyadnā
So We supported
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believed
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
against
عَدُوِّهِمْ
ʿaduwwihim
their enemy
فَأَصْبَحُوا۟
fa-aṣbaḥū
and they became
ظَـٰهِرِينَ
ẓāhirīna
dominant
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
14. 1 In all circumstances, through your words and actions as well as through your life and wealth. Whenever, at any time and in any situation, Allah and His Messenger call you for His religion, you should immediately respond to their call, just as the disciples responded to the call of Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام.
14. 2 That is, we are helpers in the propagation and preaching of this religion of yours ﷺ, which Allah has commanded you ﷺ to spread. Similarly, during the days of Hajj, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say, "Who will give me protection so that I may convey Allah's message to the people, for the Quraysh do not allow me to fulfill the duty of Prophethood?" Until the Aws and Khazraj of Madinah responded to his ﷺ call, pledged allegiance at your ﷺ hand, and promised to help him ﷺ. They also offered that if you ﷺ migrated to Madinah, then according to their promise, they would help him ﷺ and all your companions, until Allah and His Messenger named them the Ansar, and now this became their proper noun. رضي الله عنهم وارضاهم.
14. 3 These were the Jews who not only denied the Prophethood of Isa عليه السلام but also slandered him and his mother. Some say that this disagreement and division occurred when Isa عليه السلام was raised to the heavens. One said that in the form of Isa عليه السلام, Allah Himself appeared on earth, and now He has gone back to the heavens; this sect is called the Jacobites. The Nestorian sect said he was the son of Allah, and the Father has called the Son to the heavens. The third sect said he was Allah's servant and His Messenger; this sect was Sahih.
14. 4 That is, by sending the Prophet ﷺ, We helped this last group against the other false groups. Thus, this group with the correct belief brought faith in the Prophet ﷺ, and so We granted them dominance over all the disbelievers both in terms of arguments and in terms of power and authority. The final manifestation of this dominance will occur again when, near the Day of Judgment, Isa عليه السلام will descend again, as the explicit mention of this descent and dominance has been transmitted in Sahih ahadith with tawatur (continuous narration).
14. 2 That is, we are helpers in the propagation and preaching of this religion of yours ﷺ, which Allah has commanded you ﷺ to spread. Similarly, during the days of Hajj, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say, "Who will give me protection so that I may convey Allah's message to the people, for the Quraysh do not allow me to fulfill the duty of Prophethood?" Until the Aws and Khazraj of Madinah responded to his ﷺ call, pledged allegiance at your ﷺ hand, and promised to help him ﷺ. They also offered that if you ﷺ migrated to Madinah, then according to their promise, they would help him ﷺ and all your companions, until Allah and His Messenger named them the Ansar, and now this became their proper noun. رضي الله عنهم وارضاهم.
14. 3 These were the Jews who not only denied the Prophethood of Isa عليه السلام but also slandered him and his mother. Some say that this disagreement and division occurred when Isa عليه السلام was raised to the heavens. One said that in the form of Isa عليه السلام, Allah Himself appeared on earth, and now He has gone back to the heavens; this sect is called the Jacobites. The Nestorian sect said he was the son of Allah, and the Father has called the Son to the heavens. The third sect said he was Allah's servant and His Messenger; this sect was Sahih.
14. 4 That is, by sending the Prophet ﷺ, We helped this last group against the other false groups. Thus, this group with the correct belief brought faith in the Prophet ﷺ, and so We granted them dominance over all the disbelievers both in terms of arguments and in terms of power and authority. The final manifestation of this dominance will occur again when, near the Day of Judgment, Isa عليه السلام will descend again, as the explicit mention of this descent and dominance has been transmitted in Sahih ahadith with tawatur (continuous narration).
