English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 4: Al-Nisa — Women (Revealed at Madinah: 24 sections, 176 verses)
Section 10 (Verses 4:71–4:76): Believers must Defend Themselves
Translation:
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا خُذُوۡا حِذۡرَکُمۡ فَانۡفِرُوۡا ثُبَاتٍ اَوِ انۡفِرُوۡا جَمِیۡعًا ﴿۷۱﴾
4:71 O you who believe, take your precautions, then go forth in detachments or go forth in a body.
وَ اِنَّ مِنۡکُمۡ لَمَنۡ لَّیُبَطِّئَنَّ ۚ فَاِنۡ اَصَابَتۡکُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ قَالَ قَدۡ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیَّ اِذۡ لَمۡ اَکُنۡ مَّعَہُمۡ شَہِیۡدًا ﴿۷۲﴾
4:72 And among you is he who would hang back. Then if a misfortune befalls you, he says: Allah indeed bestowed a favour on me as I was not present with them.
وَ لَئِنۡ اَصَابَکُمۡ فَضۡلٌ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ لَیَقُوۡلَنَّ کَاَنۡ لَّمۡ تَکُنۡۢ بَیۡنَکُمۡ وَ بَیۡنَہٗ مَوَدَّۃٌ یّٰلَیۡتَنِیۡ کُنۡتُ مَعَہُمۡ فَاَفُوۡزَ فَوۡزًا عَظِیۡمًا ﴿۷۳﴾
4:73 And if bounty from Allah comes to you, he would cry, as if there were no friendship between you and him: If only I had been with them, then I should have achieved a mighty success!
فَلۡیُقَاتِلۡ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ الَّذِیۡنَ یَشۡرُوۡنَ الۡحَیٰوۃَ الدُّنۡیَا بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یُّقَاتِلۡ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ فَیُقۡتَلۡ اَوۡ یَغۡلِبۡ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِیۡہِ اَجۡرًا عَظِیۡمًا ﴿۷۴﴾
4:74 So let those fight in the way of Allah who sell this world’s life for the Hereafter. And whoever fights in the way of Allah, whether he is killed or is victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward.
وَ مَا لَکُمۡ لَا تُقَاتِلُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ وَ الۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِیۡنَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَ النِّسَآءِ وَ الۡوِلۡدَانِ الَّذِیۡنَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ ہٰذِہِ الۡقَرۡیَۃِ الظَّالِمِ اَہۡلُہَا ۚ وَ اجۡعَلۡ لَّنَا مِنۡ لَّدُنۡکَ وَلِیًّا ۚۙ وَّ اجۡعَلۡ لَّنَا مِنۡ لَّدُنۡکَ نَصِیۡرًا ﴿ؕ۷۵﴾
4:75 And what reason have you not to fight in the way of Allah, and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, who say: Our Lord, take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and grant us from Yourself a friend, and grant us from Yourself a helper!1
اَلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا یُقَاتِلُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا یُقَاتِلُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ الطَّاغُوۡتِ فَقَاتِلُوۡۤا اَوۡلِیَآءَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ ۚ اِنَّ کَیۡدَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ کَانَ ضَعِیۡفًا ﴿٪۷۶﴾
4:76 Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the devil. So fight against the friends of the devil; surely the struggle of the devil is ever weak.
Commentary:
- This explains what is meant by fighting in the way of Allah. While most of the believers who had the means had escaped from Makkah, there remained those who were weak and unable to undertake a journey. These were still persecuted and oppressed at Makkah. Fighting to deliver them from the persecution of their oppressors was really fighting in the way of Allah. ↩