In his biography of Fatimah bint Al-Hasan Umm Ahmad Al-`Ajaliyyah, Al-Hafiz bin `Asakir reported that she said: "One day the disbelievers defeated the Muslims in a battle. There was a good horse which belonged to a rich man who was also righteous. The horse just stood there, so its owner said, `What is the matter with you Woe to you! I was only preparing you for a day such as this.' The horse said to him: `How can you expect me not to perform badly, when you delegated my feeding to the grooms, and they mistreated me and only fed me a little' The man said, `I make you a promise before Allah that from this day on, only I will feed you from my own lap.' So the horse began to run, and his owner was saved, and after that he only ever fed the horse from his own lap. This story became well known among the people, and they started to come to him to hear the story from his own lips. News of this reached the king of Byzantium, and he said: `A city where this man is, will be kept safe from harm.' He wanted to bring the man to his own city, so he sent an apostate (a man who had left Islam) who was living in his city to go to him, and when he reached him, he pretended that his intentions towards Islam and its followers were good, so the Mujahid trusted him. One day they went out walking along the shore, but the apostate made a pact with another person, a follower of the Byzantine king, to come and help him take the Mujahid prisoner. When they made their move, he lifted his gaze to the sky and said, `O Allah! He has deceived me by swearing in Your Name, so protect me in whatever way You will.' Then two wild animals came out and seized them, and the Mujahid came back safe and sound. '' The Inheritance of the Earth

[وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ حُلَفَآءَ الاٌّرْضِ]

(and makes you inheritors of the earth,) means, each generation inherits from the generation that came before them, one after the other, as Allah says:

[إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِن بَعْدِكُم مَّا يَشَآءُ كَمَآ أَنشَأَكُمْ مِّن ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ]

(if He wills, He can destroy you, and in your place make whom He wills as your successors, as He raised you from the seed of other people) (6:133),

[وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَـئِفَ الاٌّرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَـتٍ]

(And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above others) (6:165),

[وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِى الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً]

(And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "Verily, I am going to place generations after generations on earth.'') (2:30) meaning, people who will come after one another, as we have already stated. Allah's saying:

[وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ حُلَفَآءَ الاٌّرْضِ]

(and makes you inheritors of the earth,) means, nation after nation, generation after generation, people after people. If He had willed, He could have created them all at one time, and not made some of them the offspring of others. If He had willed, He could have created them all together, as He created Adam from dust. If He had willed, He could have made some of them the offspring of others, but not caused any of them to die until they all died at one time; in this case the earth would have become constricted for them and it would be too difficult for them to live and earn a living, and they would have caused inconvenience and harm to one another. But His wisdom and decree ruled that they should be created from one soul, then their numbers should be greatly increased, so He created them on the earth and made them generation after generation, nation after nation, until their time will come to an end and there will be no one left on earth, as Allah has decreed and as He has completely counted out their numbers. Then the Resurrection will come to pass, and each person will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds. Allah says:

[أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ حُلَفَآءَ الاٌّرْضِ أَءِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ]

(Is not He Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations Is there any god with Allah) meaning, is there anyone else able to do that, or a god with Allah worth worshipping -- while you know that He is the only one who can do that, having no partners

[قَلِيلاً مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ]

(Little is that you remember!) meaning, how little they think about that which would guide them to the truth and show them the straight path.

[أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَن يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًاَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَءِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ]

(63. Is not He Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy Is there any god with Allah Exalted be Allah above all that they associate as partners!) Allah says,

[أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ]

(Is not He Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea,) meaning, by means of what He has created of heavenly and earthly signposts. This is like the Ayah,

[وَعَلامَـتٍ وَبِالنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ]

(And landmarks and by the stars, they guide themselves.) (16:16)

[وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُواْ بِهَا فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ]

(It is He Who has set the stars for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea...) (6:97)

[وَمَن يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًاَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ]

(and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy) meaning, ahead of the clouds which bring rain, by means of which Allah shows His mercy to His servants who are suffering drought and despair.

[أَءِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ]

(Is there any god with Allah Exalted be Allah above all that they associate as partners!)

[أَمَّن يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعيدُهُ وَمَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ والاٌّرْضِ أَءِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هَاتُواْ بُرْهَـنَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ]

(64. Is not He Who originates creation, and shall thereafter repeat it, and Who provides for you from heaven and earth Is there any god with Allah Say: "Bring forth your proofs, if you are truthful.'') He is the One Who, by His might and power, originates creation and then repeats it. This is like the Ayat:

[إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ - إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ ]

(Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful. Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats.) (85:12-13)

[وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ]

(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him.) (30:27)

[وَمَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ والاٌّرْضِ]

(and Who provides for you from heaven and earth) with the rain He sends down from the sky causing the blessings of the earth to grow, as He says elsewhere:

[وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ الرَّجْعِ - وَالاّرْضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ ]

(By the sky which gives rain, again and again. And the earth which splits.) (86:11-12)

[يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلْجُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا]

(He knows that which goes into the earth and that which comes forth from it, and that which descends from the heaven and that which ascends to it) (34:2). Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, sends down water from the sky as a blessing, and causes it to penetrate the earth, and then come forth as springs. After that, by means of the water He brings forth all kinds of crops, fruits and flowers, in all their different forms and colors.

[كُلُواْ وَارْعَوْا أَنْعَـمَكُمْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لأيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى النُّهَى ]

(Eat and pasture your cattle; verily, in this are signs for men of understanding) (20:54). Allah says:

[أَإِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ]

(Is there any god with Allah) meaning, who did this Or, according to another interpretation: after this (who could be worth worship)

[قُلْ هَاتُواْ بُرْهَـنَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ]

(Say: "Bring forth your proofs, if you are truthful.'') Produce the evidence of that. But it is known that they have no proof or evidence, as Allah says:

[وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ لاَ بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الْكَـفِرُونَ ]

(And whoever invokes besides Allah, any other god, of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, the disbelievers will not be successful.) (23:117)

[قُل لاَّ يَعْلَمُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوتِ والاٌّرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ - بَلِ ادَرَكَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهَا بَلْ هُم مِّنْهَا عَمُونَ ]

(65. Say: "None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected.'') (66. Nay, their knowledge will perceive that in the Hereafter. Nay, they are in doubt about it. Nay, they are in complete blindness about it.)