Ali 'Imran 160: If Allah helps you, there is no one who can defeat you. If Allah would leave you without help, who would help you thereafter? The mu’min shall trust only Allah.

In the verse Allah Almighty says: if Allah helps you, then there is no one who can overcome you. If Allah Almighty helps you, then there is no one who can overcome you. If He abandons you, who then will help you, it says. The believers should rely and trust only in Allah.

Now, if Allah helps you, then there is no one who can overcome you.

Allah Almighty is the owner of the worlds. He has the power to create from nothing; our Lord, who is absolutely sovereign and almighty over His creatures. But when He is with those people, there is no way anyone could oppose that person. No one can overcome the one who is with his Lord.

Whether it be matters of truth, or in terms of knowledge, those whom Allah has raised. Those Allah has raised — even if people had a lifespan of 1500-2000 years, even a longer life, what our Lord raises in (?) they could not raise in their whole lifetime. And there is no one who can overcome those whom Allah Almighty has raised. In fact, if Allah helps a person, there is no one who can overcome him either. Examples of this exist in the past. Let us read our commentary, sentence by sentence, and try to explain it to you. The only helper of Muslim people is Allah. Why is Allah the helper of Muslim people? Because Muslims rely and trust in Allah.

They know that even if in this worldly life a person were (?) between two millstones, in the end this hardship will end and he will return to his owner, the Creator. For this reason, without looking at the hardship of the world, they desire to attain the mercy of Allah Almighty. For this reason they rely and trust in Him. The Muslims. As for non-Muslims, those outside Islam — if they (?) Allah as Allah, they would not (?) Him in time and would not betray Him. That is, they would not associate partners with Him, would not ascribe partners, they would (?) obedience to Allah. So they cannot show obedience to Allah.

What does Allah Almighty say anyway? Because they do not trust Allah, they fight only from behind fortified castles, it says. From behind fortified castles. That is, with their cannons, their rifles, their inventions, behind weapons. Yes. The only helper of Muslim people is Allah.

For this reason a Muslim must not turn his face to anyone other than Allah and must not ask for help from anyone other than Allah. The Muslim.

If there is anyone to be (?), it is Allah Almighty; if there is anyone to be trusted, it is Allah Almighty. What does it say? How beautiful. How beautiful Allah Almighty is — how good a (?), how good a friend He is, it says. Yes. Of course, in the world, needing one another and having wishes and requests of one another is an exception. Those are for testing one another; but if there is anyone to rely and trust in, if there is anyone to ask of, it is Allah. One asks of Allah.

But the Muslim forgets his being a Muslim. He does not carry out what Allah has commanded. Unaware of the duty of servanthood, he does not recognize the Quran and the Prophet. When the enemies of Islam mock his own faith, he too joins them and agrees with them — then what of yours should Allah help?

Were we able to understand this part? Let us read it once more.

A moment ago we (?) a word. We said there are examples in history, examples in the past. That is, of Allah Almighty's help to people. His help at Badr in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), His help in other battles, in the most recent history, in the Cyprus operation, Allah Almighty's help to the Muslim units.

Because to remove oppression and spread the truth, Allah will continue His religion until the Day of Judgment. For this reason Allah Almighty helps those who rule with justice like this. Now let us read this part here once more.

Perhaps the Muslim forgets his being a Muslim. He says I am a Muslim, but he never does anything consistent with Islam either. Neither prayer nor supplication, neither fasting nor zakat nor Hajj. He mocks (?).

He does not carry out what Allah has commanded.

Unaware of the duty of servanthood. He does not recognize the Quran and the Prophet. When the enemies of Islam mock his own faith, he too joins them. If he agrees with them, what of yours should Allah help? Yes. So from such things we must protect ourselves. We must keep away from such things. That is, we must carry out what my Lord commanded us, so that when we are hard pressed, when we are in straits, Allah Almighty also helps us. Now an incident comes to my mind. I have told you, but there is benefit in telling it once more. Because new people are joining too. In a (?), a legend written by Ahmet İbni Can, one man goes on Hajj.

He clings to the ring of the Kaaba.

He begins saying to the ring: (?), be my witness. Look, I have come here, he says. I have circled my Lord's house. And he says these things weeping. Behind him a very old man is (?) going. He turns. The old man behind him says: why are you going, he says. Look, this is Allah's house, and I have come to Allah's house. Sir, I say it so that His creatures, Allah's creatures, may be my witness, he says. Well, my son, he says, what are Allah's creatures? From Allah, he says, from Allah. Say it to Allah, he says. Look, this is Allah's house, say it to Allah. Father, he says, who are you? Well, don't you know me?

he says. (?) Ask Allah about me, he says, ask Allah. Allah Allah. The man is astonished. He told him, let go of that ring and stop making the ring your witness. The one who went on Hajj is astonished. He turns to Allah. O my Lord, what kind of servant of Yours is this? He told me to ask You about him. A voice comes from the unseen. He is My (?) friend, hu hu hu, My friend he is, it says. Upon this: Father, he says, (?) let me be at your service, he says. (?) so that I may have done a service to a person Allah loves, he says. My son, he says, I have not drunk water for a long time; when those who died of thirst come to my mind, I draw a 'hu', he says, hu, hu — for the love of 'hu' I forget water; (?) bring me something so that I may drink my fill, he says. There is the Zamzam well right there, isn't there; he runs to the Zamzam well, brings the water, and sees that the man has died.

Allah Allah, he says to himself. What a (?) servant of Allah I am, he says, what a bad servant I am, that my Lord — in serving him too, he says, sir, (?). Upon this it at once comes to his mind: at least let me serve his body, he says. He runs at once and buys a shroud. He sees that the man is not in his place. Upon this, while again lamenting to himself, (?) a voice comes.

In his time of plenty and his time of hardship, it says, the one who constantly remembers Me, who remembers Me in his time of hardship, or remembers Me in his time of plenty — in his time of hardship, it says, would We leave him alone? What is the time of plenty? A person's life. If you remember your Lord in that time of plenty, if you make dhikr of Him, sir, if you say Allah, if within this life He has given you you do not leave your Lord's path, if on the straight path you stand upright and walk the road, will Allah leave you alone at the moment of death, which is your time of hardship? Don't people have times of hardship while living?

They do. A disaster befalls him. He goes into debt. Or even a very tight situation arises. These times of hardship. Except for those who are to become martyrs. Allah Almighty's help arrives.

As long as you say Allah in that time of yours. In your time of hardship Allah is behind you. Never fear. Indeed, who is truer to his word than Allah, it says.

So, in the verse Allah Almighty speaks of the one who is with Allah. Since He says no one can overcome the one who is with Allah, as long as you say Allah and be with what Allah says. Carry out what He says and leave the rest to Allah.

Yes.

All created beings are Allah's servants. All created beings — when we say servant, must we understand only humans, jinn, angels? All these created beings, mountains and stones, plants, whatever — they are Allah's servants. Because He is the Creator. Well, how are they servants? Look, according to this verse they are Allah's servants. What does it say? Now there are two verses, and I am thinking which one to say first.

Let me say the first, then I will say the other. The heavens and the earth and what is between them know the remembrance of your Lord. (?) if the atoms of all matter, living and non-living, magnetic or antimagnetic, their nuclei, their cores make dhikr of Allah, they are His servants, Allah's creatures; and at the other one, at the Judgment, He will also call the idols they worshipped. And they say, we were unaware of these. They too are Allah's servants, it says. Allah's servants. That is, since all that is created, living and non-living, make dhikr of our Lord, they are in the position of Allah's servants.

In that case, man will not ask of the created servants, but of the Creator, the owner of those servants. Yes, all created beings are Allah's servants. Allah does no injustice and unfairness among His servants. With His attribute Ar-Rahman, His mercy in the world is for everyone. Despite this, to people who enter Islam, who say the testimony of faith and rely on Allah, Allah also gives help. Against those who do not obey Him and those who rebel, making known people's states to people: whoever enters Islam, embraces Islam, makes no concession about Allah, relies on Allah, trusts and puts his trust in Him — I am with these people. (?) Well, now a question like this comes to our mind: wasn't He present and watching everywhere in the universe? Wasn't His mercy for everyone? Did He separate them from His Being? No, it is not so.

He is still present with everyone everywhere in the universe and watching; in such a situation, at the hard-pressed moments of Islam and the polytheist, or the idolater, the unbelievers, sir, or at their moments of hardship, of course Allah will be with those who remember Allah and will help him by way of inspiration or with strength.

Yes. They are never left alone. That is, those who are with Allah are not left, and no force can ever overcome the people who are with Me. (?) No force can overcome the one who is with Allah.

So too with those whom Allah has raised. Look, I am explaining His verses to you well. Raised by my Lord Himself. Now explaining this with outward knowledge, with the knowledge of Arabic, as far as one can understand, is something else; what does it say? The angels and the scholars bear witness to Allah's existence. With the people He speaks of, the people who enter through the door of that knowledge are in the state of ilm al-yaqin, people raised by their Lord; and 'the scholars of my community are like the prophets of the Children of Israel' — say that.

In the verse, those of whom He says 'the passing of your scholars to the Hereafter is like light going and darkness coming' — with the knowledge in which they were raised, no person, that is, no outwardly trained person, can become versed in his knowledge, in that knowledge of the Quran. (?) But he cannot surpass him in the knowledge of the Quran. Because Allah is with him — that (?), the one He raised; yes, the heirs of the prophets, people of knowledge. If He abandons you, then who will help you, it says. That is, O people, if you turn your backs on Allah, if you turn your backs, and with the world's attractive state, that world your nafs shows you in the state it shows it, Satan stripping you stark naked, it says — let Satan never strip you stark naked, it says, and make you as on the day you were born. Your nafs likes this state, and Allah's verses weigh heavy on your nafs; if you turn your back or move away from Him, yes, if He abandons you — if you are like that and He abandons you, then who will help you?

Let Him abandon me, so what? I have money, I have means, I have children and family, and I don't easily (?) in the world. These are enough for me. If I say that — you cannot be as rich as Korah. The verse says it. We sank him into the earth, it says. Let's say that didn't happen to me either. I really lived in that wealth, increasing my wealth many times over.

In the end, where will you go? Every soul shall taste death and finally your return is to Me — according to the verse that says this, the inheritance of the heavens and the earth and what is between them will remain to Allah. According to the verse. Since all of these are Allah's. On the Day of Judgment, having turned your back on Allah in the world, who will be your helper there? That is the end. That is where it will come to a full stop. Then who will help you? But if while in the world you say Allah, if you walk on Allah's path, if you carry out your prayer, your supplication, your fasting, your Hajj, if you respect people's rights and laws, if you heed haram and halal, tomorrow on that Day of Judgment your helper is Allah Himself.

Then have no fear at all.

If He abandons you, who then will help you? If the people who deny Allah move away from Allah, Allah has no need of such people. Well, does He need Muslims? Allah Almighty needs nothing. He created people so that His Being would be known, and those who know, know anyway. He knows for himself; if I know, I know for myself. Why? Tomorrow on the Day of Judgment there is punishment to suffer. All the acts of worship performed do not go to Allah. My obedience to Him goes to Him. My obedience, my acts of worship, sir. Otherwise He has no need of my worship. Allah has no need of acts of worship. Why had He created obedience to Him?

So that you know Me. So our knowing Him is for our own benefit. A Muslim's knowing Allah for his own benefit — by his matching the purpose for which Allah Almighty created him, with those people, He is enough. For those people, that Allah is enough. Yes.

If the people who deny Allah move away from Allah, Allah has no need of such people. And Allah too moves away from such people. Yes. Allah Almighty, as I said a moment ago, has no need of the Muslims' worship. Why? The worship a Muslim performs was for himself. But what does it say? Help the religion of Allah. That is, why had Allah created? He had created people so that His Being would be known. Since Allah will complete His light until the Day of Judgment, if you help their religion — that is, if you help the religion of Allah — since it is again in accordance with Allah's command, we save our own skin.

And we attain Allah's mercy in the Hereafter. In that case too, because we carried out our Lord's command, in His sight we (?). We become heirs to the Paradises He promised. Yes.

Whoever draws near to Allah, Allah draws near to him. Whoever moves away from Allah, Allah moves away from him. That is, this moving away does not mean not giving him his provision and so on, or not seeing and watching over him. All beings are under His view. He sees all beings and encompasses them. Grasps them, that is. All are under His rule. Since He is almighty over everything, He will give him his provision. He is the guarantor of his provision too. Sir. In that case, Allah Almighty's moving away from him: if a person remembers Allah, Allah too puts His light into his heart. If he does not remember Allah, moves away from Allah, (?) Allah's verses, leaves himself in darkness, their companions become the devils.

With the temptation Satan gives him, that person wrongs his own nafs. Yes.

In this case, when Allah moves away from people, people are deprived of Allah's help. They are deprived. Of Allah's help. As we said, when an Islamic force and an enemy force fight, Allah Almighty (?) their enemies here. He helps the one who says Allah.

Then, since a Muslim will not commit injustice on earth, since he will not shed blood unjustly, since he will not shed blood unjustly — which throughout history Islam has symbolized. Throughout history. For example, some people portray the Ottomans badly. Because it doesn't suit them. That is, those outside Islam make propaganda. And their ignorant ones in Islam think it is so. Whereas wherever it went, it brought justice. It did not shed blood on earth. It did not fight to take land. It went all the way there to stop the oppression of those suffering oppression there. (?) Tears would flow from the Ottomans' images of a time (?).

In that case, isn't our state in the same position again?

Against those who shed blood unjustly on earth, who commit oppression, who shed Muslim blood, our state, in proportion to its strength, stands against them. Against them. Isn't it that we all support the same thing, that we obey the same idea? According to what? If there is a Muslim at one end of the world and a Muslim at the other end, the two are brothers, it says. Brothers — and these are brothers who have been wronged; of course we will be beside them. As far as our strength allows.

Since Allah Almighty says, spread truth and justice on earth, in that case Allah Almighty will be beside His verse. To the one who does injustice, sir, to the one who sheds blood unjustly, to the one who takes lives unjustly, of course Allah Almighty will deliver the slap. He does not come down to earth and deliver the slap. He has you and me deliver the slap. Of course, if such people exist; if they don't, in their place, He says, We will bring new generations who will live Islam. How beautifully the verse says it. If you make concessions about Allah, He says, We are able to bring new peoples in your place, He says.

In that case, since Allah Almighty has programmed the worlds and will complete His light until the Day of Judgment, such people will come. By their enemies — they cannot escape suffering the oppression of people who watch every moment for their opportunity. For this reason Allah, by making these events happen in every age, shows people that His verses are a miracle.

Proving His existence with events, Allah Almighty makes known that people should turn to His Being. All the lives of the past, like history, Allah Almighty spreads before us. He recommends that we use our minds and learn from the past; in this situation, that He shows us who is right and who is wrong, and that we take our place beside the one who is right. Allah Almighty's showing us these events He spread before us like history — so it means that, since there is no god other than Allah, since salvation lies only in turning to Allah, we must take our place in our Lord's ranks. We must be ruled by the verses.

Proving His existence with events, Allah Almighty makes known that people should turn to His Being. We see that there is no god but Allah, and finally, in the return to Allah — no one has remained forever in the world. It is not everlasting. Since it is not everlasting in the world, since people, all living things, are mortal, since the inheritance of the heavens and the earth and what is between them is also Allah's — what a person does to himself, two living beings together could not do, they say. True. Because the human nafs embraces acting outside Allah's command. And because of the haughtiness of his own nafs, he cannot bring his pride to approach Allah's verses.

These are in fact the wretched people. Wretched people.

To such people I give an example like this. I say: a tree, there is a tree, we see the tree.

The sun has struck the tree, and its shadow is on the ground. People have left the tree and are busy with its shadow. They try to claim the shadow, take it, or belong to it. And once the sun has gone, the shadow will go too. And you will suffer loss. The tree is right beside you — turn to the tree, turn to the truth. So if Allah Almighty is the owner of the universe, if His creatures are a shadow, like the shadow of a tree, people who are with what He created and turn their backs on Allah, who wrong their nafs — people moving away from Allah's mercy. These will of course suffer loss. Loss. Tomorrow on the Day of Judgment they will be left alone.

Yes.

Who binds his covenant firmly? That is, the covenant, his pledge, his word — he is true to his word. Sir, if he puts his trust in Allah, it is for his own benefit. How beautiful. And whoever turns his face from Allah and moves away, that is against himself.

What does it say here now? Fa man ya'mal mithqala dharratin khayran yarah. Good — to himself. Wa man ya'mal mithqala dharratin sharran yarah. That too, in evil, to himself. Its reward or its punishment will, on the Day of Judgment, at the Supreme Court — a-laysa Allahu bi-ahkami'l-hakimin — by Allah Almighty, the judge of judges, be assessed, and even after we have been called to account in His presence we will be sent to the places we (?).

For this reason, if people, in the face of Allah's oneness, His power and His might, grasp that no created being can oppose Him, that it cannot make Allah Almighty helpless, and put their trust in Allah and rely on Him, those people reach success in their work.

When taking up a job, when beginning a job, what do we say? Bismillahirrahmanirrahim — in the name of Allah. We rely on Him and trust Him.

And in this case they also make themselves loved by Allah Almighty. In return for their doing their work relying on Him, trusting Him, and beginning the work remembering Him, of course Allah too will surely bring the work they do to success, and will reward such people. The believers should rely and trust only in Allah, says Allah Almighty in His verse. Believers — since there can be no deficiency in Allah Almighty's word, He says it that way. If we look at the verse: Fa'l-yatawakkali'l-mu'minun — they should put their trust, and believer in Allah. The believers should put their trust in Allah, it says.

That is, they should rely. Yes. They should trust and rely. Now here Allah Almighty uses the attribute of mu'min. Mu'min. He does not say Muslim. We said believers are those who have risen to nafs-i mutmainna. And at that station from which there is no return, they do not step outside what Allah says. That is why, when Allah Almighty says in His verse, let the believers put their trust in Allah, let them rely — had He said, let the Muslim put his trust in Allah, let him rely, then Muslims who do not put their trust, who step outside what Allah says, would have fallen into another kind of kufr, would have fallen into sin.

Here, by addressing the believer — since the believer will not step outside His word, since trust will be placed in Him — the address to the believer is also showing him to the Muslim as an example. You do the same, mind you, He says. Look, otherwise I will slap you too, I will punish you, He says. I will punish. That is, He will not give you a punishment other than whatever the unbeliever does. Because they too are their servants. He gives you the same punishment, but look, look, the believer relied on Me, He says. You too are a Muslim. Look, you knew Me as One, He says. You believed in Allah, the Book and the prophets.

Look, He relies on such believers. The believers, He says, put their trust in Allah. You too try to put your trust in them, He says. That is, mature your nafs and know that you cannot go into the presence of anyone but Allah. Know that one day you will be called to account in His presence, and do your work accordingly, He says. He warns us. Yes, the believers should rely and trust only in Allah. With this verse Allah Almighty declares that the believers' friend and helper is only the Divine Being, and for this reason that besides Allah no one can help those who are believers. What is it? Besides Allah no one can help the believers.

Only Allah helps. Why? Because they rely on Allah and trust Him.

Yes. There is a community of believers there. There is a community, a community of believers. The enemy has prevailed and is about to destroy them. Behind them came an Islamic force that was not of believers. It saved them. It saved them from disaster, (?), and they prevailed. Again it happened by Allah's decree. Again Allah was their helper. If we go further, as you have seen, as you know, the martyrs helped people in many battles too — what does the verse say? Do not call them dead. They are provided for from directions you do not know.

There are those who witnessed them, and there are those who witnessed those who witnessed. And I am one of those who witnessed those who witnessed. That is, such events come about. Allah helps.

Yes.

So for this reason He declares that besides Allah no one can help those who are believers. Because the believer asks of Allah, and Allah sends him His help as is needed. Either with the noble angels, or with the martyrs, or with some people He will place behind him, He sends His help. For this reason the believer does not turn his face to anyone other than Allah. He puts his trust only in Allah.

Believers are those who hold fast to Allah's commands and prohibitions. That is, they are people adorned with taqwa. Taqwa.

They do not step outside what Allah says. Because they fear. At every moment the fear of their Lord and the longing for Him are in their hearts. These righteous believers are those who grasp that this world is transient, that one day, when the decree of the Truth comes to pass, they will leave the world by death, that they will eat and drink from the world only as much as their provision, and that while acquiring these Allah Almighty will give them reward and sin.

People know this too. But because in their buying and selling, in their trade, profit is always looked to, perhaps they do not even remember Allah. So in the verse it says this: neither buying and selling nor trade keeps those servants of Mine, He says, from remembering Me. Indeed, in that trade and in buying and selling they always remember Allah. Well, while buying and selling, while talking with people, how does one remember Allah? Neither buying and selling nor trade keeps him from My remembrance, He says. Neither buying and selling nor trade keeps him from My remembrance. How does this work?

I am talking with you about this, I am selling this to you, I am buying and selling, I am trading — and how will I remember You? Let me see, how do you remember? While selling this to the people before me — am I taking only my due, I wonder? Would I deceive the person before me? Am I overpraising my goods to him? Or am I taking the value of these goods from him? This too is dhikr; you are always remembering Allah. Always remembering Allah. And what is the situation of the person before you? He needs this, but can't he afford to buy it? If I gave him this, if I helped, if I offered help, if I won his heart, would I attain my Lord's mercy too?

Look, all of these are dhikr. Buying and selling and trade. Always remembering Allah. So neither buying and selling nor trade keeps him from My remembrance. So the believers always remember Allah. The fire of love burns in their hearts. That love, the affection within that love, does not separate him from Him even for a moment. Except heedlessness. Except people's heedlessness. Yes.

What are we saying? For this reason the believer does not turn his face to anyone other than Allah. Believers are those who hold fast to Allah's command and prohibition. They do not step outside what Allah says. These righteous believers are those who grasp that this world is transient, that one day the decree of the Truth comes to pass and they will leave the world by death, that they will eat and drink from the world only as much as their provision, and that while acquiring these Allah Almighty will give them reward and sin — that is what they grasp. In the verse Allah Almighty says: make your world prosperous.

Make it prosperous. (?), your enemies fear you, you say at ease (?), or they (?) to you. They become Muslims, it says. In the verse: make your world prosperous. When He says this, it means working to make one's world prosperous for Allah, acquiring knowledge according to the verse 'Iqra', read', and reaching Allah's oneness through knowledge,

doing one's work for this world and the Hereafter and gaining the Hereafter, attaining the Paradise and perfection Allah promised.

So remembering my Lord while making my world prosperous, remembering my Lord in my buying and selling and trade, and this body He has given me, the children He gave me as a trust — raising them in the best way, taking on responsibility for them, raising them in (?) of responsibility toward Allah Almighty — this of course (?) a person in Allah's religion.

So when the verse says 'make your world prosperous', it means working to make one's world prosperous for Allah — you will work, you will make it prosperous, you will work, from what you earn you will secure the provision of your wife and children, and while taking it, while taking that matter, you will prove yourself — did you take it halal or did you take it haram.

And according to the first verse, acquiring knowledge — and what does the Prophet (peace be upon him) say? Knowledge is your lost property, he says. Wherever you find it, take it. And Allah Almighty says: if people could not find the truth with this knowledge, all the (?) they did has gone to waste. Yes, for knowledge leads a person to Allah. If it could not lead you, all the good things you do go to waste. Yes.

And reaching Allah's oneness through knowledge, doing one's work for this world and the Hereafter and gaining the Hereafter, is attaining the Paradise and beauty Allah promised. So Allah loves those who are in this state. And they love Allah. No one can overcome such people, and there is no one who will overcome them. Because you carried out your Lord's commands. You made your world prosperous. What did you do? You secured yourself with weapons, tanks, cannons, whatever. With the reason and knowledge Allah gave you, you also knew your Lord. You trusted your Lord and relied on Him. You began doing your work to protect truth and justice on earth.

(?) Allah too is behind you. Then have no fear. There is no one who will overcome you. Yes. So Allah Almighty is the friend and helper of these (?). It was not befitting Allah Almighty's glory to leave alone His servant who says Allah. It was not befitting His glory. He does not leave alone in the world even the one who does not say it. He does not leave alone in the world even the one who does not say Allah. Would He leave alone the one who says Allah? Allah, who is the owner of such justice.

Indeed, Allah Almighty's intention in creating people was for His Being to be known. In that case, believers are those who do not step outside Allah's commands and prohibitions. When these righteous servants of Allah are with Allah Almighty, Allah Almighty is with them.