Question 530 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 6

Ahmed al-Hasan Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them peace. ‘If you do not support him, Allah certainly supported him when those who disbelieved expelled him, the second of two, when they were in the cave, when he said to his companion, “Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us.” Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon him, supported him with soldiers you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah is the highest. Allah is Mighty, Wise’ (^[47]). This verse contains no praise for the person who accompanied the Prophet (s) in the cave. Rather, it contains clear condemnation of the Prophet’s companion. Tranquility in this event descended only upon the Messenger: ‘Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon him.’ The angels, Allah’s soldiers, descended to support the Messenger alone: ‘and supported him with soldiers you did not see.’ This means that the Messenger’s companion is excluded from the bond of faith, because tranquility descended upon some Muslims or believers in other situations in which many Muslims were with the Messenger (s), and it was not restricted to the Messenger. Through this we know that no one in the cave except the Messenger (s) deserved support through tranquility and the soldiers. These Quranic texts explain how tranquility descended upon the Messenger and the believers with him, and how the soldiers descended to support the Messenger and the believers with him, without being restricted to the Messenger (s): ‘Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers, sent down soldiers you did not see, and punished those who disbelieved. That is the recompense of the disbelievers’ (^[48]). ‘When those who disbelieved placed zealotry in their hearts-the zealotry of ignorance-Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers, bound them to the word of mindfulness, and they were most deserving and worthy of it. Allah has knowledge of all things’ (^[49]). Reflect carefully upon this matter: in these situations, when believers were with the Messenger of Allah (s)-some of those who were with him, not all of them-tranquility descended upon them because they deserved it. Had the person in the cave been a believer, tranquility necessarily would have descended upon him just as it descended upon the believers with the Messenger of Allah in other situations. If someone believes that the Messenger’s words to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us,’ constitute praise of the companion, this is an extreme statement. Consider the words of the Exalted: ‘Do you not see that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth? There is no private conversation among three except that He is their fourth, nor among five except that He is their sixth, nor fewer than that nor more except that He is with them wherever they may be. Then He will inform them on the Day of Resurrection of what they did. Indeed, Allah has knowledge of all things’ (^[50]). This explains that Allah is with everyone, whether they are attentive or inattentive: ‘nor fewer than that nor more except that He is with them.’ This is an established reality known by believing people of certainty. It therefore becomes clear that the person in the cave was inattentive, which is why the Messenger reminded him of this reality, perhaps so that he would comprehend it. But the completion of the verse explains that he did not comprehend this reality or emerge from his heedlessness. Therefore, tranquility did not descend upon him, but only upon the Messenger. Support by the soldiers was likewise restricted to the Messenger alone, clearly explaining that no believer was in the cave other than him (s). As for describing him as his companion, I do not think any rational person would consider this praise after all that has preceded. The Messenger is the companion of his people who disbelieved in him: ‘Have they not reflected? There is no madness in their companion; he is only a clear warner’ (^[51]). The Quran also describes a disbeliever in more than one place as the companion of the believer who advised him: ‘He had fruit and said to his companion while conversing with him, “I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in men”’ (^[52]). ‘His companion said to him while conversing with him, “Do you disbelieve in the One who created you from dust, then from a drop, then fashioned you as a man?”’ (^[53]). At best, if the advice in the cave-‘when he said to his companion, “Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us”’-was not like the advice in the preceding verses, given that both are advice to a companion, a reminder of Allah, and an attempt to extract him from his heedlessness, then it still cannot in any way be evidence of praise for the companion, much less a virtue for him, as some claim. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. Ahmed Alhasan Muharram al-Haram, 1432 AH