And when they were informed about what they asked regarding one of the two qualities mentioned in the verse of the earthquake, that was the place of the question about the other. So they were answered by way of resumption with His saying: ﴿It has been prescribed﴾.

And al-Harali said: When the ruling of pilgrimage was intertwined with warfare, the verses of their sharing became intermingled. As previously established, the obligation of pilgrimage in the verse ﴿So whoever has made pilgrimage in them﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 197] was organized with the writings of fighting. The obligation of something is what is considered as a part of it, and the writings are what is woven with something, so it became like a connection in it. Just as He made fasting because in fasting there is striving of the soul, as there is in fighting striving against the enemy. Thus, the matter of defending is like the writings, and the matter of action and inclination is like the obligation. Both are intended meanings in the Book and the Sunnah, and it is important to understand them so that each comes from the heart in its place, and the intention is specified in each one according to its nature. And it was from the first position of the verses of fighting ﴿Permission is granted to those who are fought﴾ [Al-Hajj: 39]. So the first was permission for those whose matter is to defend the religion for a reason from themselves, similar to how prayer was before the obligation occurring from the first ones for their love of their Lord and their desire for Him in solitude with Him and the comfort of conversing with Him. So those whose prayer was out of love, the address to them regarding fighting was permission for their turning to Him in offering their souls for Allah. Those who had that love sought to fulfill it out of love for meeting their Lord in death, just as they loved meeting their Lord in prayer, "when they understood" and were certain that there is no rest for a believer except in meeting their Lord. Thus, their action was meeting their Lord in prayer in peace, and seeking His meeting through martyrdom "in war." When the matter of religion expanded and the Bedouins and followers entered, who were not driven by the sincerity of love for meeting Allah to hasten to jihad, His writings were revealed just as the obligation of prayer was revealed, as a correction. So He said: ﴿Fighting has been prescribed for you﴾, meaning, O community! And in meaning, it was referring to this group who ask about spending. By that meaning, the verse was organized with what preceded it, as if they were dull in spending, dull like the Israelites, and they were reluctant to engage in jihad, reluctant like the people of the wilderness among them who said: "Go you and your Lord and fight."

﴿And it is a dislike﴾, and it is what contradicts the desire and inclination of the soul. Perhaps it is because when it is good, He expressed it with the preposition in ﴿for you﴾, and this is considering the majority. It is as al-Harali said regarding those who love meeting Allah, that it is among the sweetest things that their souls can attain, to the extent that a man among them would struggle to stand and swear to the one who holds him to let him go and to martyrdom. Some of the Tabi'in said: We have encountered a people for whom (p-220) death was more beloved than life among you today. And this was because they ruined their worldly affairs and built their hereafter, so they loved the transition from ruin to construction.

And when this was disliked due to what it entails of burden on wealth, and of hardship on the self, and of danger to the spirit, since the nature is inclined towards what contains the promise of one of the two good things, from the perspective of the law, He indicated that with a present participle by saying: ﴿And perhaps you﴾. And it will come, if Allah, the Most High, wills, in the Surah of At-Tawbah, an explanation of the meanings of "perhaps" that clarifies that the meaning is: And your condition is deserving and worthy of covering the knowledge of the consequences from you by saying: ﴿You may dislike something﴾, meaning like fighting, (p-221) and you turn away from it due to your assumption that it is evil for you, ﴿while it is﴾ meaning, and while it is ﴿good for you﴾ due to what it contains of victory and spoils, or martyrdom and Paradise, for indeed you do not know. And the One who has commanded you that is All-Knowing of everything, not in need of anything, and He has not commanded you that except for your benefit.

Al-Harali said: So He testified for them when they did not witness the scene of the certain ones who witness the unseen of faith as they witness from the senses, as Thalabah said: "It is as if I see the people of Paradise in Paradise enjoying themselves, and I see the people of Hell in Hell being punished." And He did not make the testimony for them, but He expressed it with the word "perhaps" due to what He knew of the weakness of the acceptance of those He addressed with that. And in His informing there is an obligation to the descent of the Most High, lower in rank, due to what this address has revealed of the descent of the truth in addressing the creation to the extent of surpassing the one who is considerate in the address - it has ended.

And when He encouraged them, glorified and exalted is He, to strive in the way of Allah due to the goodness of their men in it, He warned them against refraining from it due to what is feared in it of evil.

Al-Harali said: So He indicated that the one who refrains has in his refraining afflictions and evil in this world and the Hereafter, not only that he does not attain the goodness of striving but also he attains the evil of refraining and neglecting - it has ended.

(p-222) So Allah, the Most High, said: ﴿And perhaps you love something﴾, meaning like refraining, and you turn towards it due to your assumption that it is good for you, ﴿while it is﴾ meaning, and while it is ﴿evil for you﴾ due to what it contains of humiliation, poverty, deprivation of spoils and reward. And there is no one among you except that he has experienced something similar to that repeatedly in the affairs of his world. So if that is true for an individual, then everything is likewise in the possibility of its goodness and evil, so it is necessary to abandon desires and return to the All-Knowing who is free from ulterior motives. And for this reason, He said, adding to what you estimate: So Allah has concealed from you the secret of the decree. ﴿And Allah﴾ meaning, the One who has complete knowledge ﴿knows﴾, meaning He has knowledge of everything, and He has informed you at the beginning of this matter that He is compassionate towards the servants, so He does not command you except with good.

And Al-Harali said: A testimony to the truth of knowledge is referred to when addressing the ignorant in the descent of the address - it has ended.

And the verse from the intertwining mentions good first, indicating its omission second, and mentions evil second, indicating its omission like it first. (p-223) And when He, glorified and exalted is He, affirmed the status of knowledge for Himself, He negated it from them, saying: ﴿And you do not know﴾ meaning you have no knowledge of yourselves, but rather that which has come to you is from what He taught you before. So trust in Him and hasten to all that He commands you, even if it is difficult.

And al-Harali said: So He negated knowledge from them with the word 'no,' which is for the present, so that it conveys the permanence of the negation. ﴿And you were not given of knowledge except a little﴾ [Al-Isra: 85] He said regarding the status of this type of people from the Bedouins and others. As for the believers, meaning the firm ones, Allah has taught them from His knowledge what they know, that fighting is better for them and that staying behind is evil for them - this has ended.

Until their knowledge has overflowed upon their tongues what brings forth tears and illuminates hearts, until "the Prophet ﷺ consulted them about heading to the Battle of Badr. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and spoke well. Then Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and spoke well. Then Al-Miqdad, may Allah be pleased with him, stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah! Go forth to what Allah has shown you, for we are with you. By Allah, we do not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Musa: ﴿Go you and your Lord and fight; indeed, we are here sitting﴾ [Al-Ma'idah: 24] (p-224) But rather, go you and your Lord and fight; indeed, we are with you fighting. By the One who sent you with the truth! If you were to advance to the land of Ghimad, we would fight alongside you until you reach it; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said good things to him and prayed for him. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Counsel me, O people! Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, the Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, said: By Allah, it is as if you want us, O Messenger of Allah? He said: Yes. He said: We have believed in you and confirmed you, and we bear witness that what you have brought is the truth, and we have given you our pledges and covenants for hearing and obeying. So go forth, O Messenger of Allah, to what you desire, for we are with you. By the One who sent you with the truth! If you were to plunge us into this sea, we would plunge in with you! Not a single man among us would stay behind, and we do not dislike to meet our enemy tomorrow! Indeed, we are patient in war, truthful in meeting. Perhaps Allah will show you from us what will please your eyes. So proceed with us with the blessing of Allah, glorified and exalted is He.