The Qur’ān (24: 51-52) says: “The response of believers, whenever they are summoned to Allah and His Messenger in order that he may judge between them, is none other than, ‘We have heard, and we obey.’ It is they that shall be successful. Those who obey Allah and His Messenger, stand in awe of Allah and remain truly Godfearing are the ones who shall certainly triumph.”
True believers have a different attitude that reflects their complete respect for Allah’s judgement. When they are summoned so that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ can arbitrate in their disputes, their reaction reflects the profound enlightenment of their hearts: “The response of believers, whenever they are summoned to Allah and His Messenger in order that he may judge between them, is none other than, ‘We have heard, and we obey.’ It is they that shall be successful.” (Ayah 51)
This is an attitude of complete obedience. There is no hesitation, argument, or dispute, because it is an obedience based on complete trust that Allah’s judgement is right and just, and whatever differs with it is based on personal prejudice. Such obedience testifies to complete submission to Allah, who gives life and conducts it as He wills. It demonstrates full trust that what Allah, the Exalted, chooses for us is infinitely better than what we choose for ourselves. Allah, the Creator, knows His creation better than they know themselves.
Since Allah, the Exalted conducts our affairs, organises our relations and judges between us based on His knowledge and justice, we must be in a far better position than those who rely, in all such matters, on other human beings who are similarly short of knowledge. Besides, the believers are successful because they follow a single straight path that allows no deviation. We must be confident of the soundness of our code of living, follow it without hesitation, which means that our energy, talents, and skills work in coherence. We should suffer no internal division based on conflicting desires. We must follow our own path, charted for us by Allah, the Exalted.
“Those who obey Allah and His Messenger, stand in awe of Allah and remain truly Godfearing are the ones who shall certainly triumph.” (Ayah 52) The previous ayah spoke of obedience and submission when judgement is made. This ayah speaks of complete obedience in all matters, implementing every order or prohibition. Such obedience must be coupled with God-consciousness (Taqwa) and standing in awe of Him. The latter is more pervasive because it entails watching Allah, the Exalted, and feeling His presence at every turn. This makes a person very uneasy about committing anything that Allah, the Exalted, has forbidden, for they are ashamed and fear His punishment.
Four conditions for success and victory are mentioned in this ayah: (1) Obedience to Allah, (2) Obedience to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, (3) Stand in awe of Allah, and (4) Remain God-fearing. It is declared that if we bind ourselves to follow these four things we are on the road to success and victory in this world and in the hereafter.
An incident of Umar is reported in Tafsir Qurtubi, which explains the difference between these four things and puts them in right perspective. It so happened that one-day Umar was standing in the Prophet’s mosque, when suddenly a Roman villager appeared and stood beside him. Umar inquired, ‘What is the matter?’ He replied, ‘I have accepted Islam for Allah’s sake’. Then Umar asked if there was any reason for that, to which he replied in the affirmative, and elaborated that he had read Torah, Injil, Zabur and several other books brought by past messengers. But lately he had heard an ayah of the Qur’ān recited by a Muslim prisoner and realised that in that small ayah all the older books have been condensed. So, he was convinced that it was Allah’s revelation.
Then Umar enquired from him about the ayah he was referring to, and he recited this very ayah. That Roman villager also gave a very astonishing commentary of the ayah, which goes like this: This maan yutiullah relates to the obligations toward Allah and wa-rasullahu refers to Prophet’s traditions, and yakhshallah alludes toward past life and yat-taquehi is purported for the remaining life. When someone acts upon these four things, he is given the good tiding of fa ulaika homul fa’izun (that such people are the victorious). And Faiz is that person who gets deliverance from Jahannam (hell) and earns a place in the Paradise.
After hearing this explanation Umar said the endorsement of this is available in the utterance of the Allah’s Messenger ﷺ who had said that “Allah has graced me with such comprehensive expressions in which words are few but the meanings are vast.” (Qurtubi)
Thus, “Those who obey Allah and His Messenger, stand in awe of Allah and remain truly Godfearing are the ones who shall certainly triumph.” (Ayah 52) means that they save themselves in this life and in the life to come. This is what Allah, the Exalted, has promised, and Allah is always true to His promise. They deserve to triumph, as they have practically taken the necessary measures to ensure such a triumph. Obedience to Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger requires diligent following of the right way Allah, the Exalted, in His wisdom has defined for mankind. Following this way automatically ensures success in this life and in the life to come. Moreover, standing in awe of Allah, the Exalted, and fearing Him ensure continuity in one’s conduct, helping one to ignore all temptations that lure believers away from their straight path.
Obeying Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger, coupled with fearing Allah, the Exalted, provide a high standard of propriety that reflects a person’s enlightenment and strong bond with Allah, the Exalted. It also reflects the dignity of believers. Obedience to anyone or any authority means humiliation unless it is based on obeying Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger. No honourable believer will accept such humiliation, for a true believer will never bow his head before anyone other than Allah Almighty.
There is only one true power and this belongs to Allah, the Exalted. Every other power is frail and flimsy. Whoever seeks support or protection from other than Allah is like a spider which clings to a frail home woven of silk that lacks strength. Both the spider and its web, or home, are without real support.