Quran Universe
9:40

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِي ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٖ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِيَ ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

Illa tansuroohu faqad nasarahu Allahu ith akhrajahu allatheena kafaroo thaniya ithnayni ith huma fee alghari ith yaqoolu lisahibihi la tahzan inna Allaha maAAana faanzala Allahu sakeenatahu AAalayhi waayyadahu bijunoodin lam tarawha wajaAAala kalimata allatheena kafaroo alssufla wakalimatu Allahi hiya alAAulya waAllahu AAazeezun hakeemun

If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us." And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah - that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

Word by word
  1. إِلَّاIf not
  2. تَنصُرُوهُyou help him
  3. فَقَدۡcertainly
  4. نَصَرَهُAllah helped him
  5. ٱللَّهُAllah helped him
  6. إِذۡwhen
  7. أَخۡرَجَهُdrove him out
  8. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  9. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  10. ثَانِيَthe second
  11. ٱثۡنَيۡنِ(of) the two
  12. إِذۡwhen
  13. هُمَاthey both
  14. فِي(were) in
  15. ٱلۡغَارِthe cave
  16. إِذۡwhen
  17. يَقُولُhe said
  18. لِصَٰحِبِهِۦto his companion
  19. لَا(Do) not
  20. تَحۡزَنۡgrieve
  21. إِنَّindeed
  22. ٱللَّهَAllah
  23. مَعَنَاۖ(is) with us
  24. فَأَنزَلَThen Allah sent down
  25. ٱللَّهُThen Allah sent down
  26. سَكِينَتَهُۥHis tranquility
  27. عَلَيۡهِupon him
  28. وَأَيَّدَهُۥand supported him
  29. بِجُنُودٖwith forces
  30. لَّمۡwhich you did not see
  31. تَرَوۡهَاwhich you did not see
  32. وَجَعَلَand made
  33. كَلِمَةَ(the) word
  34. ٱلَّذِينَ(of) those who
  35. كَفَرُواْdisbelieved
  36. ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗthe lowest
  37. وَكَلِمَةُwhile (the) Word
  38. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  39. هِيَit (is)
  40. ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗthe highest
  41. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  42. عَزِيزٌ(is) All-Mighty
  43. حَكِيمٌAll-Wise
At-Tawbah · 9:40Madinah

Do not grieve. Allah is with us.

Two in a cave, and Allah the third

The cave of Thawr
two menthe Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr
pursuers outsideat the cave's mouth
yet
Allah the thirdcalm sent down
How many were in the cave
2alone and hunted
Allah with themwhat do you think of two?

When Makkah drove him out, the Prophet ﷺ hid with Abu Bakr in the cave of Thawr for three days. Abu Bakr whispered that if one of the pursuers looked at his feet, he would see them. The Prophet ﷺ said: what do you think of two when Allah is their third? Do not grieve, Allah is with us.

The hospital corridor at 3am. The night before the court date. The message you are dreading to open. You are not two, or one. Allah is with you. Say the words the Prophet ﷺ said in that cave.

When I am cornered, I am on my own.

In the tightest place, Allah is with me, and that changes everything.

Try this

In your next frightening moment, say quietly: la tahzan, inna Allaha ma'ana.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

If you help him (Muhammad ﷺ) not (it does not matter), for Allah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they were both in the cave, he said to his companion: "Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allah is with us." Then Allah sent down His Sakinah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allah that became the uppermost; and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (40)

Allah supports His Prophet (ﷺ)

Allah said,

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ

(If you help him not), if you do not support His Prophet ﷺ, then it does not matter, for Allah will help, support, suffice and protect him, just as He did,

إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ

(when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two;)

During the year of the Hijrah, the idolators tried to kill, imprison or expel the Prophet ﷺ, who escaped with his friend and Companion, Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafah, to the cave of Thawr. They remained in the cave for three days so that the pagans who were sent in their pursuit, returned (to Makkah), and they proceed to Al-Madinah. While in the cave, Abu Bakr was afraid the pagans might discover them for fear that some harm might touch the Messenger ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ kept reassuring him and strengthening his resolve, saying,

يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، مَا ظَـنُّكَ بِاثْنَينِ اللهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا

(O Abu Bakr! What do you think about two, with Allah as their third)

Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas that Abu Bakr said to him, "I said to the Prophet when we were in the cave, 'If any of them looks down at his feet, he will see us.' He said,

يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، مَا ظَـنُّكَ بِاثْنَينِ اللهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا

(O Abu Bakr! What do you think about two with Allah as their third?)" This is recorded in the Two Sahihs. This is why Allah said,

فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ

(Then Allah sent down His Sakinah upon him) sent His aid and triumph to His Messenger ﷺ, or they say it refers to Abu Bakr,

وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا

(and strengthened him with forces which you saw not), the angels,

وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا

(and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allah that became the uppermost;)

Ibn 'Abbas commented, 'The word of those who disbelieved', is Shirk, while, 'The Word of Allah' is 'La ilaha illallah." It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about a man who fights because of courage, or out of rage for his honor, or to show off. Whom among them is in the cause of Allah?' The Prophet ﷺ said,

مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ

(He who fights so that Allah's Word is superior, then he fights in Allah's cause.)" Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ

(and Allah is All-Mighty), in His revenge and taking retribution, He is the Most Formidable and those who seek refuge with Him and take shelter by adhering to what He instructs are never made to suffer injustice,

حَكِيمٌ

(All-Wise), in His statements and actions.