Verses 76–80
4. An-Nisaa · The Women
Madinan176 verses
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱلطَّٰغُوتِ فَقَٰتِلُوٓا۟ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ۖ إِنَّ كَيْدَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا
4:76Those who have faith fight in the way of Allah, and those who are faithless fight in the way of fake gods. So fight the friends of Satan; indeed the stratagems of Satan are always flimsy.1
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةًۭ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْقِتَالَ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ قَرِيبٍۢ ۗ قُلْ مَتَٰعُ ٱلدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌۭ وَٱلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا
4:77Have you not regarded those who were told, ‘Keep your hands off [from warfare], and maintain the prayer and give the zakat’? But when fighting was prescribed for them, behold, a part of them feared the people as if fearing Allah, or were even more afraid, and they said, ‘Our Lord! Why did You prescribe fighting for us? Why did You not respite us for a short time?!’ Say, ‘The enjoyments of this world are trifle and the Hereafter is better for the Godwary, and you will not be wronged so much as a single date-thread.
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍۢ مُّشَيَّدَةٍۢ ۗ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌۭ يَقُولُوا۟ هَٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌۭ يَقُولُوا۟ هَٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًۭا
4:78Wherever you may be death will overtake you, even if you were in fortified towers.’ If any good befalls them, they say, ‘This is from Allah;’ and when an ill befalls them, they say, ‘This is from you.’ Say, ‘All is from Allah.’ What is the matter with these people that they would not understand any matter?23
مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍۢ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍۢ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ ۚ وَأَرْسَلْنَٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًۭا ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًۭا
4:79Whatever good befalls you is from Allah; and whatever ill befalls you is from yourself. We sent you as an apostle to mankind, and Allah suffices as witness.
مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًۭا
4:80Whoever obeys the Apostle certainly obeys Allah; and as for those who turn their backs [on you]; We have not sent you to keep watch over them.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 77
1.This is an emotional restraint for Muslims of all times that seeing the hardship of Meccan Muslims they always asked permission for Jehad but when it was deemed obligatory in Medina, the same people put up a lame excuses as emotionally motivated people always prefer to work to the call of their own ideas and not by the Will of Allah. Islam is not only an emotional sacrifice it is the sacrifice of emotions. We should know that Allah prevented war in Mecca and ordered for prayer and Zakat so that Muslims understand that in times when Jehad is not obligatory, Prayer and Zakat are equal to Jehad. Prayer is the sacrifice of desires and Zakat is the sacrifice of wealth.
Verse 78
2.Evil-minded and faithless people do not care for anyone and also do not refrain from putting the blame on Prophet (s.a.). It is surprising that people of that time set Allah apart and blamed the Prophet (s.a.) for evil and today the educated Muslim people follow the belief of predestination and hold Allah responsible for all corruptions. As if the hypocrisy of early Islam has come out again in the garb of Islam.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
There is very nice term for both sections of people in the Holy Quran where neither the oppressors are considered strong nor the oppressed people considered weak. The oppressors are called Mustakbin (Those who try be big) and the oppressed ones are called Mustaghees. (Those who are made weak). This shall make both the categories aware of their position.
- 2
The Quran has described the plot of Shaitan to be weak and the plot of the women is described as ‘great’ in Surah Yusuf. Also, there is a difference between power and plot. Where there is more power there is less of plot and where there is less strength only the plot is made use of.
- 3
This ayat mentions Hasana and Sayya : the two conditions that are likeable and detestable in nature. It was the practice of the hypocrites that when they had favorable conditions they used to say it was the grace of the Almighty and when they faced droughts and hard times they used to blame it as the bad omen of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). (Allah forbid). The Almighty Allah has seriously denounced this say that everything is from Him alone. Do not say anything about My Prophet” As far as the cause is concerned - all the good is from Allah and all the evil is the consequence of your own handiwork. Hasana and Sayya are not related to good and bad deeds that it can be construed to prove the belief of compulsion. A good deed is something else and Hasana is different.