Here the argument leaves the faithless Jews and the hypocrites among Muslims, and makes for the apostates, whom Quran foresees them.

      Although Islam is a reasonable religion of common sense, and a natural creed, it still seemed inevitable that there would be some apostates among Muslims, because man is a selfish and intemperate creature, who seeks to overpass the normal bounds and limits. Therefore through this verse, the Muslims body is warned that they should not repeat the characters of the Jews and the hypocrites, being so arrogant as to renounce the truth that they have received. That, if they do so, the loss will be theirs, and of course God is always able to guard and look after His own Message and religion. He may replace the selfish and arrogant nominal Muslims with another group of believers who are not so:- ``Allah will bring a people whom He loves them and they too, love God - a people who are humble towards the believers and mighty and hard against the unbelievers - who do not fear the reproach of any reproacher in their strive and fight for the cause of Allah.''

      God can always raise up people who will follow the true spirit of Islam. Such Godly and truthful people are defined to have the following characteristics and qualifications:-

      1- God loves them and they love God.

      2 and 3- They have the attitude of humility among the believers, but they are hardy and active against the unbelievers.

      4- They continually strive and fight for truth and right.

      5- They have no fear of any form in the way of God, and pay no attention to the reproach of any reproacher in their endeavour and strive for the cause of Allah.

      Such qualifications that they have are among the Graces of God given to them.

W HO ARE THEY?

      As to the question that who are they, who are loved by God, and who love God so tenderly? In many Shiite and Sonni traditions, they are of surety HAZRAT IMAM ALI (AS) and his lovers and followers, like the reverned SALMطN PARSI and his Persian mates and fellows. Various traditions have we got from opposite sects that the above verse revealed in the battle- field of KHAIBAR, when Imam Ali the commander of the believers, conquered the last two and the most important castle, among the seven strong holds - a detail of which, according to the version of the greatest of the writers and historians will be given below:-

(IMAM ALI AND THE CONQUEST OF KHAIBAR

      KHAIBAR was some sort of an Island in desert; about 150 Km. to the north of Medina. It consisted of seven important strong holds built on the top of hills, well watered and considered impregnable, for the castles being surrounded with moats and trenches, and then it became a central nest for those Jews who were expelled out of Medina. The inhabitants of KHAIBAR were very incentive to Mohammad S.A. They made lavish use of their wealth to induce the neighbouring Arabs to take arm against Muslims.

      Through their hostilities, the Jews in KHAIBAR made it inevitable for the prophet to get up and give an end to the intrigues of the Jews, once and for all. Therefore Muslim forces surrounded KHAIBAR suddenly and one of the famous and fearful wars of Islam started with Muslim's attack and severe defendings of the Jews, whose question was now to be or not to be. Here we only narrate a part of that long war story which is about the revelation of the above mentioned verse No..54:-

      In the battle of KHAIBAR the seven strong holds were conquered one after another, until Muslims forces reached the last two castles and the most important ones of the seven. Most of the Jewish warriors who had lost their strong holds, by now had joined to strengthen the defensive forces of VATIH the sixth castle wherein the chief commander was a veteran hero named MARHAB. He was the only cause for a long defensive resistance of the two last castles, which lengthened the siege for a long time.

      IBN SAAD in his famous history book which is named TABAGHطT - V2: 111 and AHMAD NOVARI in his NAHAYATULARB- V2: 226 and IBN- HESHطM in his famous SEEREH have written the conquest of the two last strongholds of KHAIBAR, namely VATIH and KATIBEH as follows:-

      The prophet, at first gave the commanding banner of the invasion to UMAR- IBN- KHATTAB, in order to open the remaining castle. The Jews defended vigorously, and Umar was forced to flee, and his men too, run away with him. When questioned by the prophet, UMAR accused his men of cowardice, and his men accused him of ignoble timidity, saying the commander threw the banner and fled in disorder.

      Next day ABUBEKR who was very intimate with UMAR took the commanding banner in order to revive the lost reputation of his nearest friend, but being not a warrior and relatively an old man, he could do nothing and returned with empty hand. The anxiety among Muslims was increased and then the prophet announced:-

      ``If God speeds me, tomorrow I shall give the commanding flag to a man whom God and His Messenger love him, and he too, loves God and his Messenger, and of a surety he will conquer the castles.''

      Some of the veterans among the prophet's companions thought of themselves to be the lucky commander of next day and some of them prayed to be that man who was loved by God and who loved God.

      Next morning when the prophet was passing review of the armed forces, saw that HAZRAT IMAM ALI was absent. It was said that he was suffering a severe pain in his eyes. The prophet sent for him to come at once. He came very soon, but his eyes were paining and dressed. The prophet blessed him, and moistened Ali's eye from his mouth and prayed to Allah to cure him instantly; and through a miracle he was immediately cured. The commander of the believers, Ali, later said to his companions that after the miracle, he never had any pain in the eyes.

      The prophet gave him the commanding banner and said to him:- ``Go you forth in the name of Allah and He will help you to win.''

      Hundreds of books and thousands of poems have been written and composed on that occasion, and about Ali's fight with MARAHAB and his fellow Jews who were defeated and their strong holds conquered.

      IBN- HESHطM whose history was written less than a century after the prophet has narrated:-

      ``When the two heroes of belief and unbelief grappled, in a fearful hand to hand fighting, HAZRAT ALI slew MARHAB and the Jews fled into their castles and closed the heavy big Iron gates behind the moats of water. But soon after, the commander of the believers, Ali jumped over the moat, and pulled strongly a leg of the gates out of their frame; with a loud cry of Yط ALLAH= MY LORD! he turned the gate round his head as if it was a light shield, and then he laid it over the moat to be used as a bridge on which Ali's forces passed over, entered the castles, and defeated the Jews!''

      IBN - HESHAM has written in his famous SEEREH:-

      ``When the war was over, and the Jews yielded; ABURطFEA, with a group of ten tried to move the Gate but they failed! So they asked Hazrat Ali, how did he do that amazing thing, and the commander of the believers answered:-

      ``I did not raise the gate with my own physical strength. I took it with the power of My Merciful Lord!''

      It was due to the above incident that the verse No. 54 revealed, and when the prophet was aksed; who are those mentioned here, who love God and God loves them?

      The prophet pointed at HAZRAT ALI and SALMطN FARSI and said:-

      Ali and his lovers and followers like Salman and his Persian followers: If knowledge clings to the ceiling of heavens, some of the Persians will pull it down.''   TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)