إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُم بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ
“Allah loves those who fight in His Way in ranks like well-built walls.”
(As-Saff, 61:4)
The meaning of this verse is that Allah سبحانه وتعالى loves those who are steadfast in His path and that they are required to be like a solid structure. It was said: what is intended is that they unite their word, straighten their intention and support each other as if they are one structure.
In reality both meanings are intended; their steadfastness in war is intended and their strength required that they are like one solid structure.
The meaning of صَفًّا – structure – is that they are united in their intention and objective as well as in their physical bodies. So if their intentions and objectives are disparate and their hearts are divided, then they will not be a structure even if they stand in a single row.
It was mentioned in the Tafseer Al Kashshaf:
“كَأَنَّهُمْ” فِي تَرَاصِّهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ فُرْجَةٍ وَلَا خَلَلٍ “بُنْيَانٌ” رُصَّ بَعْضُهُ إِلَى بَعْضٍ وَرُصِفَ. وَقِيلَ: يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُرِيدَ اسْتِوَاءَ نِيَّاتِهِمْ فِي الثَّبَاتِ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا فِي اجْتِمَاعِ الْكَلِمَةِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ الْمَرْصُوصِ
as if they كَأَنَّهُمْ – in their formation of a mass without any crack or gap, بُنْيَانٌ- some of them join others and become firmly joined. It was said: it also means that they straighten their intention until their word is united like a solid structure.
It was mentioned in the Tafseer Al Kabeer:
وَقَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ : أَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ يُحِبُّ مَنْ يَثْبُتُ فِي الْجِهَادِ وَيَلْزَمُ مَكَانَهُ كَثُبُوتِ الْبَنَّاءِ الْمَرْصُوصِ ، وَقَالَ : وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى أَنْ يَسْتَوِيَ شَأْنُهُمْ فِي حَرْبِ عَدُوِّهِمْ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا فِي اجْتِمَاعِ الْكَلِمَةِ ، وَمُوَالَاةِ بَعْضِهِمْ بَعْضًا كَالْبُنْيَانِ الْمَرْصُوصِ ، وَقِيلَ : ضَرَبَ هَذَا الْمَثَلَ لِلثَّبَاتِ ، يَعْنِي إِذَا اصْطَفُّوا ثَبَتُوا كَالْبُنْيَانِ الْمَرْصُوصِ الثَّابِتِ الْمُسْتَقِرِّ
Abu Ishaq said: Allah سبحانه وتعالى informed us that He سبحانه وتعالى loves those who are firm in jihad (legitimate war) and necessitates that their position be like a permanent solid structure. He said: and it is permitted for the meaning of straightening their affairs of war against their enemy so that they are united in their word and that they are allied to each other like a solid structure. It was said, this example was struck for firmness. It means when you stand in line, then stand firm like a solid and continuous structure.
The prepositional phrase فِي سَبِيلِهِ was brought before صَفًّا because the intention and the objective is necessary before entering into a solid structure. Therefore, the unification of the intention and objective is the reason for the unification of the structure, otherwise there is no benefit in fighting in the way of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
He described the بُنْيَانٌ (structure) being مَّرْصُوصٌ (solid) so He سبحانه وتعالى said: ‘as if they were a solid structure’ to indicate upon the strength of its cohesiveness and power.
This beautiful verse outlines the purpose and function of the Islamic army. This army is beloved to Allah سبحانه وتعالى as long as they fight for the SAKE of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in an ORGANISED manner. We must today create a powerful opinion that the role of the Muslim armies is to fight and struggle for the sake of Islam and Muslims and not to protect the thrones of the oppressors and tyrant rulers and not be a tool of the colonialist powers. Additionally, the Muslim armies must be united so that they become بُنْيَانٌ مَّرْصُوصٌ are a [single] structure joined firmly, and this is not possible without a determined Islamic leadership in the form of the Islamic Khilafah upon the method of the Prophethood.
Abdullah Hakim