In verse 12 of Surah Al-Ma'idah, Allah states that He took a covenant from the Children of Israel and sent twelve leaders among them, promising that if they established prayer, gave zakat, believed in His messengers, supported them, and lent Allah a good loan, He would forgive their sins and admit them to gardens with rivers flowing beneath. However, those who disbelieve after this have gone astray.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Regarding the first question: The term 'عزر' (to support or protect) indicates prevention and defense. In Islamic jurisprudence, it is used to refer to the punishment that is less than a fixed penalty, aimed at preventing a person from repeating a wrongdoing. Thus, supporting the prophets means protecting them from anything that may harm or distress them, which is a form of honoring and respecting them.
As for the second question: The 'good loan' mentioned does not imply that Allah is in need of assistance. Rather, it refers to the good deeds performed by a servant, especially those that are not obligatory, such as charitable spending. Allah considers these acts as a loan to Himself to encourage such behavior, promising to multiply the reward for them. This expression is eloquent, using a metaphor to illustrate that when people lend to one another, they typically do so with gratitude or gifts to show appreciation. Similarly, Allah, who is the Most Generous, assures that those who do good seeking His pleasure will be rewarded beautifully, even though He does not need their good deeds, as the benefits of those deeds return to them.