Exegesis of the Noble Verse (And hold firmly to the Rope of Allah, all of you, and do not become divided)

Question:
The presenter: O brothers and sisters, viewers: Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Allah welcomes you to this new episode of your program, Fatawa, in which we are pleased to host our Shaykh, Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan, a member of the Committee of Senior Scholars and a member of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta. At the beginning of this episode, I welcome Shaykh Salih; may Allah welcome you, O honorable one. The Shaykh: May Allah welcome you and bless you. Question: We ask you, may Allah bless you and benefit Islam and the Muslims with you, to explain the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And hold firmly to the Rope of Allah, all of you, and do not become divided), the verse...

Answer:
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This is part of the verse in which Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) commanded the Muslims to unite on one word, which is the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and to adhere to the congregation of the Muslims and the Imam of the Muslims. By doing so, their affairs will be completed, their word will be united, and Allah will achieve for them security and stability, as happened in the early period of this Ummah (the Muslim community) when they held fast to this verse and its like. They dominated the entire world, and the area of Islam spread across the face of the earth, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) promised in His saying: (It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it dominant over all religion, even if the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) dislike it). The religion of Allah has appeared in the east and the west; this was achieved first by calling to Allah, and secondly by jihad (struggle in the path of Allah) in the path of Allah. Thus, the word of Islam became widespread, and the proof of Allah was established against His creation. By this, the Muslims achieved honor and empowerment in this earth, and they will achieve honor and empowerment in Paradise and in the Hereafter. This is the honor of the Muslims in this world and the next: that they hold fast to their religion, that they judge by the Book of their Lord, that they obey their ruler in what is right, and that they adhere to the congregation of the Muslims, the majority, and their Imam. By this, they will achieve honor in the near future and the distant future. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) has enjoined this in His saying: (And hold firmly) meaning: hold fast, (to the Rope of Allah). The Rope of Allah is the Qur'an, or it is said to be the Messenger, or it is said to be Islam, and all of these are true; the verse is interpreted by all these three meanings. Then He said: (And do not become divided). (And hold firmly to the Rope of Allah, all of you) not some of you, but all of you, so that you become one Ummah (community). (And do not become divided): When Allah commanded unity and holding fast to the Book and the Sunnah (the Prophet's way), He prohibited the opposite of that, so He said: (And do not become divided). (And remember the favor of Allah upon you when you were enemies) meaning: in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, before the sending of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). (So He united your hearts) through this Messenger and by means of this Noble Book. (When you were enemies, so He united your hearts, and by His grace you became brothers): instead of being enemies, Islam transformed them from being enemies to being brothers in religion and creed. (And by His grace you became brothers). (And you were) meaning: in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (on the brink of a pit of the Fire): if you had remained in that state, you would have fallen into the Fire. (On the brink of a pit of the Fire, so He saved you from it): He saved you from it through this Messenger, this Islam, this religion, and this Muslim community. (And you were on the brink of a pit of the Fire, so He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes clear to you His verses): (Thus Allah makes clear to you) such clarification. Allah makes clear to you His favor and grace upon you, and He also makes clear to you that you have no honor, no permanence, and no dominion except through this Islam which Allah chose for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and for his Ummah (community). (Thus Allah makes clear to you His verses so that you may be guided): meaning: with the hope that you will be guided to the truth and the right path, and that you will continue on this sound methodology and this straight religion. And success is from Allah. (Peace and blessings be upon him) upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.