Victory does not come haphazardly or by chance. It has certain laws and principles that Almighty Allah has clarified in His Book in order that His believing servants understand and follow them.

– The First Law: Victory and Help Are Only From Almighty Allah

He whom Allah Almighty grants help will never be overcome even if the whole world conspires against him, and he whom Almighty Allah lets down will never get help even if he is influential and has extreme power in this world.

This is referred to clearly in the Qur’an as Almighty Allah says: [If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you? In Allah let believers put their trust.] (Al-`Imran 3:160)

He, the Almighty also says: [When ye sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): I will help you with a thousand of the angels, rank on rank. Allah appointed it only as good tidings, and that your hearts thereby might be at rest. Victory cometh only by the help of Allah. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise.] (Al-Anfal 8:9-10)

Moreover, Allah Almighty may help a small company against a huge army as it happened with Saul and his companions whom He, the Almighty helped against Goliath’s great army. He, the Almighty says in this respect: [And when Saul set out with the army, he said: Lo! Allah will try you by (the ordeal of) a river. Whosoever therefore drinketh thereof he is not of me, and whosoever tasteth it not he is of me, save him who taketh (thereof) in the hollow of his hand. But they drank thereof, all save a few of them. And after he had crossed (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: We have no power this day against Goliath and his hosts. But those who knew that they would meet their Lord exclaimed: How many a little company hath overcome a mighty host by Allah’s leave! Allah is with the steadfast.] (Al-Baqarah 2:249)

He, the Almighty may also help those who have no weapons against an armed and powerful people as was the case with Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) on the Hijrah when he (peace and blessings be upon him) hid in the cave with Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Allah Almighty says in this regard: [If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah’s word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.] (At-Tawbah 9:40)

– The Second Law: Victory and Help Is for True Believers

Allah Almighty does not help except he who helps Him. He Almighty says: [O ye who believe! If ye help Allah, He will help you and will make your foothold firm.] (Muhammad 47:7)

He Almighty also says: [Verily Allah helpeth one who helpeth Him. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.] (Al-Hajj 22:40)

Helping Allah here refers to supporting His cause and seeking to enforce His law among His creation. That is why Almighty Allah says following the previous quoted verse, describing those Who aided His cause: [Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the poor due and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity. And Allah’s is the sequel of events.] (Al-Hajj 22:41)

Almighty Allah asserts that it is true believers who seek to support His cause and thus they become members of His ‘host’. He, the Almighty says: [To help believers is incumbent upon Us.] (Ar-Rum 30:47) He, the Almighty describes those believers in another verse as ‘Our host’: [And that Our host, they verily would be the victors.] (As-Saffat 37:173)

– The Third law: Victory and Help Are Achieved by True Believers

As Allah’s victory and help are granted only to believers, they are also to be achieved by them. This is included in Almighty Allah’s words: [He it is Who supporteth thee with His help and with the believers. And (as for the believers) hath attuned their hearts. If thou hadst spent all that is in the earth thou couldst not have attuned their hearts, but Allah hath attuned them. Lo! He is Mighty, Wise.] (Al-Anfal 8:62-63)

Allah Almighty may help the believers by sending angels to fight at their side against their enemy as was the case in the Battles of Badr, Al-Khandaq, and Hunain. For instance, He, the Almighty says: [When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying:) I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger.] (Al-Anfal 8:12)

He Almighty also says: [O ye who believe Remember Allah’s favor unto you when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a great wind and hosts ye could not see. And Allah is ever Seer of what ye do.] (Al-Ahzab 33:9)

He Most High also says: [Then Allah sent His peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers, and sent down hosts ye could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such is the reward of disbelievers.] (At-Tawbah 9:26)

Allah Almighty may also cause natural phenomena to be in the aid of believers as He, the Almighty sent unto the believers rain as a kind of mercy in the Battle of Badr. He Almighty says about this: [When He made the slumber fall upon you as a reassurance from Him and sent down water from the sky upon you, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the fear of Satan, and make strong your hearts and firm (your) feet thereby.] (Al-Anfal 8:11)

He, the Almighty may also cause nature to send its afflictions upon the disbelievers. For example, He, the Almighty sent a raging wind against the disbelievers in the battle of Al-Ahzab which they had launched against the believers. He Almighty says in this respect: [Therefore We let loose on them a raging wind.] (Fussilat 41:16)

Allah Almighty may also help the believers against the disbelievers by means of casting terror in the latter’s hearts and undermining their morale as was the case with the Jews of Banu An-Nadhir. Allah Almighty says in this regard: [He it is Who hath caused those of the People of the Scripture who disbelieved to go forth from their homes unto the first exile. Ye deemed not that they would go forth, while they deemed that their strongholds would protect them from Allah. But Allah reached them from a place whereof they reckoned not, and cast terror in their hearts so that they ruined their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So learn a lesson, O ye who have eyes!] (Al-Hashr 59:2)

But there is something to be stressed here, that is, Almighty Allah would send these instruments of help to aid true ‘believers’. He, the Almighty sent the angels in the battle of Badr to [make those who believe stand firm] (Al-Anfal 8:12), and sent the ranging wind against the disbelievers in the battle of Al-Ahzab when the believers were sorely tried (Al-Ahzab33:11). In the battle of Hunain He, the Almighty also [sent His peace of reassurance down upon His messenger and upon the believers.] (At-Tawbah 9:26) In the Battle of Banu an-Nadhir, Allah Almighty caused the Jews to destroy [their dwellings by their own hands and the hands of the believers]. (Al-Hashr 59:2)

By Sheik Yusuf Al-Qaradawi