Al-Hajj · Madani · ayah 78 of 78

Al-Hajj 22:78

وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّىٰكُمُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ ٱلْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ ٱلنَّصِيرُ

“And strive for Allāh with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. He [i.e., Allāh] named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakāh and hold fast to Allāh. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Strive for Allah with everything you have, on a road He made wide: He chose you, named you, and stands as your Protector and Helper.

A reflection

Three times the ayah says 'He'

Read the last ayah of Al-Hajj slowly and count one small word: huwa, He. He chose you. He named you Muslims. He is your Protector. Three times, the credit is moved away from the reader and placed where it belongs.

The verb for choosing is ijtabā. The lexicons state plainly that its root pictures water being gathered into a trough at a well. They add that ijtibāʾ is gathering by choosing out. Water does not climb into the trough. Another hand draws it there.

That is a hard picture for the ego. Much religious pride is a quiet story about ourselves. I found the truth. I kept my prayers. I stayed when others drifted. The ayah lets none of it stand. You were gathered in. Your name was given before you were born. Your safety is His work, not your vigilance.

One classical commentator draws the conclusion. Being given commands is itself an honour, because He singled you out to serve Him. What rank could be higher? So the striving at the start of the ayah answers a gift. It is not the price of one.

Then the ayah ends by praising Allah Himself: an excellent Protector, an excellent Helper. Is that vanity? Picture a boy of twelve with three foster homes behind him. On his first night, the new parents sit on the end of his bed. 'We chose you,' they say. 'Nobody moves you again.'

They are not boasting. They are saying the one thing a frightened child needs to hear. They say it about themselves because they are the ones who must keep it.

Allah gains nothing from His servants' praise. He tells them what He is so that they know where to stand. The humble reader closes Al-Hajj with no story about himself at all. Only this: He chose, He named, He protects.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.