9. Surah At Tawbah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِلاَّ تَنفِرُواْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا...   

9: 39.  Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty,

C1301. Tanfiru: go forth, march onward, be ready to strive and suffer.

For this is the condition of all progress in the spiritual and moral, as well as in the physical, world. According to the homely English proverb, God helps those who help themselves.

Inactivity and lethargy are fatal. No one can rest on his oars. Man is not necessary to Allah, but Allah is necessary to man. If a nation receives favours and fails to deserve them, it will be replaced by another: as has so often happened in history. We may take this as a special warning to Islamic nations.

...وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلاَ تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْئًا...

and put others in your place;

but Him ye would not harm in the least.

...وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٣٩﴾  

For Allah hath power over all things.