(102–103) “O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except in a state of submission to Him. Hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah, and do not become divided. Remember Allah’s favor upon you: you were enemies, but He brought your hearts together, and by His favor you became brothers. You were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make His signs clear to you, so that you may be guided.”
This is a command from Allah to His believing servants to fear Him as He should be feared, to persevere in doing so, and to remain steadfast and upright until death. For a person dies upon what he lived upon. Whoever, while healthy, vigorous, and able, consistently fears and obeys his Lord and continually turns to Him in repentance—Allah will keep him firm at the time of death and grant him a good end.
Fearing Allah as He should be feared is, as Ibn Masʿūd said, “That He be obeyed and never disobeyed, remembered and never forgotten, and thanked and never met with ingratitude.” This verse explains the measure of fear that Allah Most High deserves. As for what is required of the servant, it is as Allah Most High says: “So fear Allah as much as you are able.” The particulars of fearing Allah that pertain to the heart and the limbs are exceedingly numerous, but they are all summed up ⦗142⦘ in doing everything Allah has commanded and refraining from everything He has forbidden.
He then commanded them to do what would help them fear Him: to unite and hold fast to Allah’s religion, and for the believers to be united in their cause, harmonious rather than divided. When Muslims unite upon their religion and their hearts are brought together, both their religious and worldly affairs are set aright. Through unity they become capable of accomplishing every undertaking and attain innumerable benefits that depend upon concord, including cooperation in righteousness and the fear of Allah. Conversely, division and mutual hostility throw their order into disarray, sever their bonds, and cause each person to act and strive only to gratify his own desires, even if this results in harm to everyone.
Allah Most High then reminded them of His favor and commanded them to remember it, saying: “Remember Allah’s favor upon you: you were enemies”—killing one another and seizing one another’s wealth. Members of the same tribe were hostile to one another, and even the inhabitants of a single town would fall into hostility and fighting. They were in a state of tremendous evil. This was the condition of the Arabs before the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was sent. When Allah sent him, they believed in him, united upon Islam, and their hearts were joined together in faith. Through the harmony of their hearts and their loyalty to one another, they became like a single person.
Hence He said: “He brought your hearts together, and by His favor you became brothers. You were on the brink of a pit of Fire.” That is, you had deserved the Fire, and nothing remained between you and it except that you die and enter it. “Then He saved you from it” through the favor He bestowed upon you of faith in Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. “Thus does Allah make His signs clear to you”—that is, He clarifies and explains them to you and distinguishes truth from falsehood and guidance from misguidance—“so that you may be guided” by knowing the truth and acting upon it.
This verse indicates that Allah loves His servants to remember His favor in their hearts and upon their tongues, so that they may increase in gratitude and love for Him and so that He may grant them still more of His bounty and kindness. Among the greatest of His favors to be remembered are the favor of guidance to Islam, following the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the unity of the Muslims without division among them.