by His help and by the believers.”
He thus distinguished between sufficiency and strengthening: He alone suffices, whereas He grants strength through His help and through His servants.
Allah, glorified is He, praised those of His servants who affirm His oneness and rely upon Him for acknowledging Him alone as sufficient. He Most High said:
“Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you, so fear them,’ but this only increased them in faith, and they said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.’” (3:173)
They did not say, “Allah and His Messenger are sufficient for us.” If this was their declaration, and their Lord Most High praised them for it, how could He say to His Messenger, “Allah and your followers are sufficient for you,” when his followers acknowledged the Lord Most High alone as sufficient, without associating His Messenger with Him in this regard? How, then, could Allah associate them with Himself in sufficing His Messenger? This is utterly impossible and utterly false.
A similar example is His saying:
“If only they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger had given them, and had said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us. Allah will give us out of His bounty, and so will His Messenger. To Allah alone we direct our hopes.’” (9:59)
Consider how He attributed giving to both Allah and His Messenger, just as He Most High said:
“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it.” (59:7)
Yet He reserved sufficiency for Himself alone. He did not say, “And they said, ‘Allah and His Messenger are sufficient for us.’” Rather, He made it His exclusive right, just as He Most High said, “To Allah alone we direct our hopes,” without saying, “and to His Messenger.” Instead, He directed such longing to Himself alone, as He Most High said:
“So when you have finished, strive in worship, and direct your longing to your Lord.” (94:7–8)
Thus longing, reliance, turning in repentance, and sufficiency are for Allah alone, just as worship, reverent fear, and prostration are for Allah alone. Vows may be made only to Him, and oaths sworn only by Him—glorified and exalted is He.
A similar example is His saying:
“Is Allah not sufficient for His servant?” (39:36)
For the one who suffices is the one who meets one’s needs. He—glorified and exalted is He—thus declared that He alone suffices His servant. How, then, could his followers be placed alongside Allah in providing this sufficiency? The proofs demonstrating the invalidity of this corrupt interpretation are too numerous to mention here.
As for holding them back:
[Surah al-Tawbah (9): verse 46]
“Had they intended to go forth, they would have made preparations for it. But Allah disliked their setting out, so He held them back, and it was said, ‘Remain with those who stay behind.’” (46)