O you who believe be helpers of God of His religion a variant reading of ansāran li’Llāhi has the genitive annexation ansāra’Llāhi just as said kamā qāla to the end of the statement means ‘just as the disciples were so’ as is indicated by what follows Jesus son of Mary to the disciples ‘Who will be my helpers unto God?’ that is to say who of you will be helpers alongside me turning to help God? The disciples said ‘We will be God’s helpers!’ These al-hawāriyyūn were the intimates of Jesus for they were the first to believe in him. They were twelve men of pure white complexion hawar; but it is also said that their epithet derives from the fact that they were bleachers qassārūn who bleached yuhawwirūna clothes. So a group of the Children of Israel believed in Jesus saying ‘He is indeed the servant of God who has been raised to heaven’ while a group disbelieved because they said that he was the son of God whom He had raised unto Himself. Thus the two groups waged war against one another. Then We strengthened those who believed of the two groups against their enemy the disbelieving groups and so they became the triumphant the victors.
