“Indeed, the Help of Allah is Near”

To the wrongdoers who spread corruption in the land, oppress others, and act unjustly, Allah — Exalted be He — addresses them with the following warning: “And warn mankind of the Day when a severe punishment will overtake them. Then the wrongdoers will say, ‘Our Lord, grant us respite for a short while, and we will respond to Your call and follow the messengers.’ (But they will be told): ‘Did you not swear before that you would never face decline?’” (14:44).

It is these very wrongdoers who will make this plea — those who arrogantly transgressed upon the earth without right, shed blood, spread corruption and aggression, and destroyed crops and offspring. They are the same ones who once swore that nothing could bring about their downfall. But their hearts and eyes have been blinded, and their ears sealed. Thus, they neither reflect, nor are they able to hear or take admonition.

This warning of punishment serves as a source of comfort for the believer, reminding them that Allah (swt) is ever watchful: “Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful” (89:14). He observes and is never heedless: “And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them until a Day when eyes will stare in horror, rushing forward with their heads raised, their gaze not returning to them, and their hearts void” (14:42-43).

This belief — that “Allah prevails over His affairs” and that “indeed, your Lord is ever watchful” — is the wellspring of hope and the healing of hearts. It soothes the souls of the afflicted, the believers, and the patient. It also forms the foundation upon which a servant’s faith stands firm, preventing him/her from entertaining doubts about Allah's promise.

It is also Allah’s divine law that upon the wrongdoer descends the wrath of Allah, and whomever His wrath descends upon has truly fallen into ruin. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “And whoever My wrath befalls is certainly doomed” (20:81). Thus, punishment is inevitably destined for the wrongdoer, as Allah (swt) also says: “Nay! To those who disbelieved, their plotting is made fair seeming, and they have been averted from the way; and whom Allah sends astray, for him there is no guide. For them is punishment in this worldly life, but the punishment of the Hereafter is truly far worse. And none can shield them from Allah” (13:33-34).

To strengthen their hearts, heal their chests, renew their hope, and deepen their patience, believers must remind themselves of Allah’s words: “And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for them, and provide for them from sources they could never imagine. And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He ˹alone˺ is sufficient for them. Certainly, Allah achieves His Will. Allah has already set a destiny for everything” (65:2–3). And His saying: “Allah will perfect His light, even though the disbelievers detest it.” (61:8). And His saying “They devised their plots, but their plotting is known to Allah” (14:46). That is, Allah is fully aware of their schemes and encompasses them completely. 

By His wisdom and through the established laws of His creation, He makes clear that “Allah does not set right the deeds of the corrupters.” Even if “their plotting were such as to make the mountains vanish,” meaning that their scheming is vast and severe — so intense that it could shake the very mountains — it only reflects the enormity of their injustice and tyranny. As Allah said concerning the sorcerers of Pharaoh: “When they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, struck them with awe, and produced a tremendous feat of magic” (7:116). Yet Allah always upholds His divine laws: “The evil plot encompasses none but its own people.” He nullifies their schemes by turning their plotting against them, while they remain unaware.

Indeed, the wrongdoers plot in their arrogance, seeking to preserve their power and fortify their thrones — but Allah, in His supreme wisdom, devises against them, uprooting them from the earth and overturning their dominion. The people of Ṣaliḥ (peace be upon him) schemed to kill him, but while they plotted their plot, Allah planned His plan — and they were utterly unaware. As Allah, the Exalted, said: “So they devised a plan, and We too devised a plan, while they were unaware. Then see how was the end of their plot: We utterly destroyed them and their people all together” (27:50–51).

Similarly, they plotted against the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as Allah revealed: “And ˹remember, O Prophet,˺ when the disbelievers conspired against you to capture, kill, or expel you. They planned, but Allah also planned — and Allah is the best of planners” (8:30). Thus does Allah expose the inevitable end of those who plot against His will: “Those before them also plotted, but Allah struck at the very foundation of their structures, so the roof fell down upon them from above, and the punishment came upon them from where they did not perceive” (16:26). And He warns: “Can those who devise evil plots feel secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them, or that the punishment will not come upon them from where they least expect?” (16:45).

The causes that bring about Allah’s destruction of the oppressors arise from two directions:

First: from the believers — through steadfast patience grounded in piety. Their conviction remains firm: “Indeed, the help of Allah is near” (2:214). Allah, Exalted is He, addresses the believers: “O you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah, that you may be successful”(3:200).

Second: from the oppressors themselves — through their persistence in sin and transgression. As Allah says: “Allah does not intend to give them any share in the Hereafter, and for them is a great punishment” (3:176).

As their sins and arrogance multiply, so too does the disease within their hearts, which in turn fuels their tyranny, injustice, and pride. That very pride becomes the instrument of their downfall. Pharaoh, in his arrogance, proclaimed: “I am your lord, the most high!” (79:24). So, Allah seized him with a punishment that served as a warning for all: “So Allah seized him with an exemplary punishment in the last and the first. Indeed in that is a lesson [i.e., warning] for whoever would fear [Allah]” (79:25-26).

This disease, the disease of arrogance, is the very means by which Allah brings down the strongholds of the oppressors, causing the pillars of their power to crumble and their thrones to collapse. As Allah says “And when We intend to destroy a town, We command its affluent ones, but they defiantly disobey therein. So the word comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with utter destruction” (17:16).

And thus was fulfilled His word: “And We completed the good word of your Lord for the Children of Israel because of their patience, and We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people were making and what they were building” (7:137).

What would enable a person to remain steadfast, unwavering, and patient upon the path of righteousness, persevering with strength and without doubt?

The answer is certainty (Yaqin). Indeed, Allah — Exalted is He — has elucidated His signs for those who possess certainty. He said: “We have certainly made clear the signs for a people who are certain” (2:118). He also said: “This [Qur’an] is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who are certain [in faith]” (45:20). And He said — Exalted is He: “Do they seek the judgment of ignorance? But who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who are certain?” (5:50).

Hence, by adorning oneself with certainty, one’s feet are made firm, one’s resolve strengthened, and one's heart filled with confidence that Allah’s plan is supreme, and that He never fails in His promise to His messengers. Indeed, Allah is Almighty, Possessor of Retribution, as He said: “And never think that Allah will fail in His promise to His messengers. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might, Owner of Retribution” (14:47).

The secret of this certainty lies in certainty of the meeting with Allah. As Allah revealed in the story of Talut and his soldiers, when He tested them with the river, He said: “Whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, except the one who takes a handful with his hand” (2:249).

Then, after Talut and those who believed with him crossed the river, Allah said: “Those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, ‘How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient’” (2:249). And thereafter, He said: “So they defeated them by permission of Allah” (2:251).

Therefore, the servant must choose for themselves:

• Will one be among those who failed themselves — who drank from the river and turned back out of weakness, fragile faith, fear, and haste to seek safety from other than Allah?, or

• Will one be among those who doubted Allah’s promise — thinking He would not grant them victory because they saw no strength within themselves to face Jalut and his army, having forgotten that victory comes only from Allah?, or

• Will one be among the believers who were certain that they would meet Allah, knowing that Allah is with them and will surely grant them victory? These are the ones who endured, remained steadfast, and triumphed.

Thus, certainty takes root in the heart, bringing firmness, tranquility, and light. Its living expression appears through patience, perseverance, steadfastness, and continual supplication to Allah — repeating within one’s heart: “Indeed, the help of Allah is near” (2:214).