وَما نَقَموا مِنهُم إِلّا أَن يُؤمِنوا بِاللَّهِ العَزيزِ الحَميدِ
They were vindictive towards them only because they had faith in Allah, the all-mighty, the all-laudable.
EXEGESIS
Naqamū (they were vindictive) is the plural of naqama which carries the meaning of harbouring resentment, seeking retribution, or expressing sharp disapproval, whether through words or actions. It conveys a sense of vindictiveness, where one’s hostility is not merely passive dislike but an active desire to punish or censure. This concept is vividly illustrated in the Quranic verse: Say: ‘O People of the Book! Are you vindictive (tanqimūna) toward us for any reason except that we have faith in Allah’ (5:59).
When applied to divine punishment (as in intiqām), it reflects God’s justice in retributing wrongdoing. Human intiqām is often driven by ego, hatred, or intolerance, whereas divine intiqām is purely a manifestation of His justice, free from arbitrariness.
EXPOSITION
The persecution of the victims of the Men of the Ditch was only based on misplaced religious fervour. Their only reason for killing them was that they disagreed with their faith. The choice of naqamū paints a stark portrait of the oppressors: their persecution was not just violent but spiteful, rooted in a deep-seated resentment toward faith.
The verse employs the present tense verb yuʾminū, which is inaccurately rendered here as they had faith. The verse does not use āmanū (past tense) or illā īmānahum (referring to prior faith), which would suggest they were persecuted due to a past difference in belief. Instead, yuʾminū conveys ongoing action, indicating that they were oppressed precisely because they persisted in their faith, refusing to abandon it. Indeed, true faith is not a one-time matter, but a commitment that needs to be ongoing, Indeed those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, they will have no fear, nor will they grieve (46:13). This will be discussed further in following verses.
As discussed before, history confirms that the oppressors were the Jewish Himyarites, whereas the oppressed were the Christians of Najrān. As such, both were monotheists believing in one God. The declaration of the verse hence takes on an even more emphatic tone. The Himyarites were not exacting their persecution on idolaters or polytheists, but on fellow monotheists. How could they do such a thing when the only crime of the people of Najrān was their faith in God? Did they stop to think of the absurdity of their actions? Indeed, viewed in this light the verse becomes a powerful reminder to all believers of the horror of religious and sectarian violence and how far it is from what God has demanded from them. It also highlights how such persecution is not based on rational opposition, but from an irrational hatred.
Accordingly, God underscores two of His divine attributes in this context: might and laudability. He is mighty in His retribution against oppressors who act with impunity, as if beyond reach. Yet He is also laudable, even as these very transgressors dare to praise Him and commit their atrocities in His name! How utterly transcendent is He above such vile misdeeds.
Another way to understand God’s attribute of the all-laudable in this context is as a pointed rebuke to their oppression: how could faith in God, the embodiment of all that is praiseworthy, ever be treated as a crime?
There is also an implicit praise in this for the believers, since the exception being made is not a flaw, but a merit. It is like someone saying: ‘So-and-so’s only flaw is that he is a good man.’ Being a good man is certainly not a flaw, so by saying this one has actually praised the individual, by claiming he is a good man who has no flaws.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From Jamīl ibn Darrāj, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘If people knew the virtue of knowing God – mighty and glorious – they would not cast their eyes toward the worldly pleasures and luxuries that God has granted to His enemies. The worldly life would become more insignificant to them than that which they trample beneath their feet. They would find true bliss in knowing God and would delight in it as if they were eternally dwelling in the gardens of paradise alongside God’s chosen ones. Indeed, knowing God – mighty and glorious – is solace in every loneliness, companionship in every isolation, light in every darkness, strength in every weakness, and healing for every ailment. There were people before you who were killed, burned, and hacked with saws. The vast earth became constricting for them, yet nothing could turn them away from their faith – not because they had committed any offence or harm, They were vindictive towards them only because they had faith in Allah, the all-mighty, the all-laudable. So, ask your Lord for their ranks and be patient with the trials of your time, so that you may attain their efforts.’
Note: The hadith confirms that indeed the central theme of this surah, and the history it makes reference to, is to give the believers determination in times of difficulty.
[1] Nemuneh, 26/335.
[2] Tabrisi, 10/709-710.
[3] See also Muhit, 10/445.
[4] Nemuneh, 26/336.
[5] See Sharawi, p. 6924.
[6] Kafi, 8/247-248. See also Nur, 5/547-548.