تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمْوَٰلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ 11
Translations
[It is that] you believe in Allāh and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allāh with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you only knew.
Transliteration
Tu'minuna billahi wa rasulih wa tujahiduna fi sabili illahi bi-amwalikum wa anfusikum. Dhalikum khayrun lakum in kuntum ta'lamun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah calls believers to have true faith in Allah and His Messenger while striving in the path of Allah (jihad) through sacrificing both their wealth and lives. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the ayah emphasizes that such comprehensive commitment—combining belief with material and personal sacrifice—is the highest good and most beneficial path for believers, contingent upon their knowledge and understanding of this truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah As-Saf, a Medinan chapter revealed during the period of active military struggle against the disbelievers of Makkah. The surah addresses the believers in Madinah, encouraging them to fulfill their covenant with Allah through earnest faith and active participation in defending Islam, reflecting the reality of the early Muslim community's trials.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best jihad is a word of justice spoken before a tyrannical ruler' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, 'The one who strives in the way of Allah is like the one who fasts and stands in prayer' (Sahih Bukhari), illustrating the comprehensive nature of jihad mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
True faith in Allah is not merely internal belief but must be demonstrated through concrete actions and sacrifices of both resources and effort in serving His cause. This ayah teaches believers that the integration of sincere belief with selfless dedication—whether through wealth, time, or personal struggle—constitutes the path to true success and Divine favor.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds - for them are the Gardens of Pleasure,
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ
Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
But they who believe and do righteous deeds - those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.