Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-'Imran -> The Disciples Give Their Support to `Isa

Allah said,

﴿فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَى﴾

(Then when `Isa came to know), meaning, `Isa felt that they were adamant in disbelief and continuing in misguidance. He said to them,

﴿مَنْ أَنصَارِى إِلَى اللَّهِ﴾

(Who will be my helper in Allah's cause) Mujahid commented, "Meaning, who would follow me to Allah'' However, it appears that `Isa was asking, "Who would help me convey the Message of Allah''

The Prophet said during the Hajj season, before the Hijrah,

«مَنْ رَجُلٌ يُؤْوِينِي حَتَّى أُبَلِّغَ كَلَامَ رَبِّي؟، فَإِنَّ قُرَيْشًا قَدْ مَنَعُونِي أَنْ أُبَلِّغَ كَلَامَ رَبِّي»

(Who will give me asylum so that I can convey the Speech of my Lord, for the Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Speech of my Lord.) until he found the Ansar. The Ansar helped the Prophet and gave him refuge. He later migrated to them, they comforted the Prophet and protected him from all his enemies, may Allah be pleased with them all. This is similar to what happened with `Isa, for some of the Children of Israel believed in him, gave him their aid and support and followed the light that was sent with him. This is why Allah said about them;

﴿فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِى إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ - رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلَتْ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّـهِدِينَ ﴾

(Al-Hawariyyun said: "We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger; so write us down among those who bear witness.'') Hawari in Arabic - means `support'. The Two Sahihs recorded that when the Prophet encouraged the people to fight during the battle of Al-Ahzab, Az-Zubayr came forward, and again, when the Prophet asked for fighters a second time. The Prophet said,

«إِنَّ لِكُلِّ نَبِيَ حَوَارِيًّا، وَحَوَارِيِّي الزُّبَيْر»

(Every Prophet has a Hawari, and Az-Zubayr is my Hawari)

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about,

﴿فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّـهِدِينَ﴾

(so write us down among those who bear witness) "Meaning among the Ummah of Muhammad.'' This Hadith has a good chain of narration.