CHAPTER 4, VERSES 71 - 76
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ فَانفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ انفِرُوا جَمِيعًا ﴿٧١﴾ وَإِنَّ مِنكُمْ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ فَإِنْ أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُن مَّعَهُمْ شَهِيدًا ﴿٧٢﴾ وَلَئِنْ أَصَابَكُمْ فَضْلٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ لَيَقُولَنَّ كَأَن لَّمْ تَكُن بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ مَوَدَّةٌ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنتُ مَعَهُمْ فَأَفُوزَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٧٣﴾ فَلْيُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ الَّذِينَ يَشْرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِۚ
وَمَن يُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ فَيُقْتَلْ أَوْ يَغْلِبْ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٧٤﴾ وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا ﴿٧٥﴾ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِۖ
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ الطَّاغُوتِ فَقَاتِلُوا أَوْلِيَاءَ الشَّيْطَانِۖ
إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا ﴿٧٦﴾
O you who believe! take your precaution, then go forth in detachments or go forth in a body (71). And surely among you is he who would certainly hang back! If then a misfortune befalls you he says: ‘‘Surely Allāh conferred a benefit on me that I was not present with them’’ (72). And if grace from Allāh comes to you, he would certainly cry out, as if there had not been any friendship between you and him: ‘‘Would that I had been with them, then I should have attained a mighty good fortune’’ (73). Therefore let those fight in the way of Allāh, who sell this world’s life for the hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allāh, then be he victorious, We shall grant him a great reward (74). And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allāh and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: ‘‘Our Lord! take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and make for us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper’’ (75). Those who believe fight in the way of Allāh, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Satan. Fight therefore against the friends of the Satan; surely the strategy of the Satan is weak (76).
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COMMENTARY
The preceding verse, as you may see, had prepared the ground for the central theme contained in these verses which stimulate and exhort the believers to fight in the way of Allāh. The believers spent their days under very perilous circumstances, when these verses were revealed, probably during the second spring of the Prophet’s stay at Medina.
Arabs had risen against them from all around in order to extinguish the light of Allāh and demolish the slowly rising edifice of Islam. The Messenger of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) was busy in fighting the Meccan idol-worshippers and Qurayshite friends, sending precautionary expeditions to various directions and raising structure of religion in the society. But that society was honeycombed with groups of hypocrites, and those internal enemies enjoyed great power and influence. On the day of Uhud it was clearly seen that their number was not much less than half of the believers’ number.
Those hypocrites used to upset the plans of the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.w.a.), and waited for him to meet with some disaster. They hindered the believers from carrying out their duties, while some of the believers too were not free from spiritual disease, and who used to give various informations to their enemies. All around, Medina was ringed with Jewish tribes who deceived and misguided the believers. From old days, Arabs of Medina respected those Jews and accorded them honour. Taking its advantage, the Jews misled them with false statement and wrong advice, in order to weaken their will and nullify all their endeavours. On the other hand, they used to instigate the polytheists against the Muslims, and encourage the idol-worshippers in their struggle, telling them to remain firm in their denial and disbelief, and to harass and torture the believers who were still in Mecca.
The preceding verses aimed at nullifying the Jewish plots against the Muslims and to erase the effects of their malicious whisperings from the believers’ hearts. The comment, in these verses, about the hypocrites aims at completing the believers’ guidance and making them aware of the condition prevailing at that time, in order that they might have an insight into their actual position and be on guard against the hidden disease which had seeped into their society and infected a considerable population. It would also help in nullifying the conspiracies of their external enemies who had surrounded them; the light of religion would shine brightly illuminating the world, and Allāh is sure to complete His light even if polytheists and unbelievers disliked it.
QUR’ĀN:
O you who believe! take your precaution, then go forth in detachments or go forth in a body: ‘‘al-Hidhr" (اَلْحِذْر = instrument used for precaution, e.g., arms and ammunitions); it is also said that it is a masdar like al-hadhar (اَلْحَذَر = to be cautious). ‘‘an-Nafar’’ (اَلنَّفَر = to go forth, or proceed, towards intended destination); basically it means to be frightened; it is as though being frightened, one runs away from one place seeking refuge at the other. [The same word is used, with different prepositions, for both starting and finishing points.] ‘‘ath-Thubāt’’ (اَلثُّبَاتُ ) is plural of ath-thubbah (اَلثُّبَّةُ ) which means separate groups or bands; thubātan (ثُبَاتاً ) in the verse, therefore, means group after group; one group departs, then the other starts separately, and so on. This meaning is supported by parallellism of the clause, ‘‘go forth in detachments’’, and, ‘‘go forth in a body’’.
The order to go forth is based on the order to ‘‘take your precaution’’, as the conjunctive fa (فَ = then) shows. Apparently it strengthens the view that ‘precaution’ refers to means of precaution. That is, it alludes to fully-fledged preparation for jihād. The meaning: Take your arms, make full preparation and go forth to your enemy either in separate detachments (for minor expeditions) or all together (for major battles).
Understandably, preparation and equipments would differ from one operation to another, depending on number and power of enemy. The alternatives of going forth in detachments or all togher are not meant to give option or choice to the fighters; rather it looks at the strength and number of enemies - if they are few in number, go in small detachment, but if they are numerous, then go all together.
The verse, specially in the context of the next one, And surely among you is he who would certainly hang back, is a warning to the believers not to let down their arms, not to slacken their efforts and not to show any laxity in the conduct of jihād; otherwise, their morale will go down, their zeal for raising the standard of truth will be inflicted by inertia, holding back from fighting the enemies of Allāh. In this way, they will lose the opportunity to cleanse the earth from uncleanness of disbelief and polytheism.
QUR’ĀN:
And surely among you is he who would certainly hang back!: [The Arabic sentence is:wa inna minkum la-man la-yubatt’ianna
= وَ اِنَّ مِنْكُمْ لَمَنْ لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ ] It is said that the first la (لَ ) is for beginning as it is attached to the subject of inna (اِنَّ ); and the second one is for oath because it is attached to the predicate; it is a verbal clause, emphasized with nūn (ن ) which is intensified with doubling sign. ‘‘at-Tabtiah’’ and ‘‘al-ibtā’ ’’ (اَلتَّبْطِئَة،اَلْاِبْطَآءُ ) both have the same meaning: to be tardy, to be late in a work.
The words, ‘‘among you is he’’, show that those who would hang back were from among the believers who have been addressed with, O you who believe! This view is supported also by a coming verse, Have you not seen those to whom it was said: ‘‘Withhold your hands’’; obviously these also were from among the believers, as the next words show, but when fighting is prescribed for them, lo! a party of them fear men. Then the next verse also points to it: and if a benefit comes to them, they say: ‘‘This is from Allāh’’... Likewise the words, Therefore let those fight in the way of Allāh ..., and the following verse, And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allāh ..., as well as the verse, Those who believe fight in the way of Allāh ..., prove it; all these verses aim at exhorting and urging the believers to fight, and the group of hangers back is certainly included among them, as the interlocking of the verses shows.
Apart from that, there is nothing in these verses to suggest that those tardy people were from among the hypocrites who had not believed except by tongue. Moreover, some of their words quoted in these verses show that to a certain extent there was faith and belief in their hearts; for example, If then a misfortune befalls you he says: ‘‘Surely Allāh conferred a benefit on me’’ ...; and, ‘‘Our Lord! why hast Thou ordained fighting for us?’’.
Of course, some exegetes have written that the words, ‘‘among you is he’’, refers to hypocrites, and that they have been described as being ‘among’ the believers because they were generally counted among the believers’ group. Or because they were from the same family tree, so they were from among the believers’ clans or families. Or because they were joined with the believers in the laws of sharī‘ah, e.g., their lives were protected and they inherited from believers and other rules too applied to them as they had apparently uttered the two witnesses.
But you have seen that such an explanation goes against the apparent meaning of the Qur’ān without any valid reason.
However, let us see what was the reason which had compelled them to adopt this view. It was their inordinately good opinion of all the Muslims of the early days of Islam, i.e., anyone who saw the Prophet and believed in him. But if you make an indepth study of what history has recorded of their character and behaviour during the life-time of the Prophet and after him, this opinion would be completely shaken. This blind faith will lose its hold if you ponder on the cutting remarks the Qur’ān passes about them.
We have never heard till this day of any pure nation or group which was composed of hundered per cent pure members, all of whom were, without any exception, true believers, firmly standing on truth, never slipping even a little from the straight path (except the martyrs of Karbalā’, as reports say). The believers of the early days of Islam were no exception. They too, like other human groups had all types of people among them. There were hypocrites; there were those suffering from one or the other spiritual disease; there were some who followed their desire; and others whose weakness of character was open for all to see.
The distinction of the early Muslims rests on the fact that theirs was an excellent society headed by the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.w.a.); light of faith had enveloped it and rule of religion was enforced in it. This was the condition of the society, per se; although there were among them good as well as bad elements; and there was virtue as well as vice in their psychological make up, and the whole spectrum of mental traits and natural dispositions was found among them.
That is how the Qur’ān describes their condition and comments on their character. Allāh says: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, and those with him are severe against the unbelievers, compassionate among themselves, you will see them bowing down, prostrating themselves, seeking grace from Allāh and pleasure; their marks are in their faces because of the effect of prostration; that is their description in the Torah and their description in the Injīl; like as seed produce that puts forth its sprout, then strengthens it, so it becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem, delighting the sowers that He may enrage the unbelievers on account of them; Allāh has promised those among them who believe and do good, forgiveness and a great reward (48:29). Mark how the verse begins with description of their collective merits and virtues in general, without attaching any restriction or proviso; but when it comes in the end to individual members of the society, the forgiveness and reward is made conditional to their belief and good deeds.
QUR’ĀN:
If then a misfortune befalls you: i.e., if you are slain or wounded; he says: ‘‘Surely Allāh conferred a benefit on me that I was not present with them’’; otherwise, I too would have suffered as they did.
QUR’ĀN:
And if grace from Allāh comes to you: i.e., spoils or war, etc.; ‘grace’ refers to wealth and riches, and similar other things; he would certainly cry out, as if there had not been any friendship between you and him: ‘‘Would that I had been with them’’: The words portray their condition in dramatic style. After all, they are believers, and the Muslims are limbs of one body; they are joined together with the strongest band - belief in Allāh and His revelation - which controls all other relationships, be it family-tie, guardianship, pledge of allegience or friendship. But their faith is so weak that they do not feel there was any connection between them and the believers. That is why they express their wish to be present with the believers in jihād, as a stranger expresses his desire when he sees someone acquire some wealth: Would that I had been with them, then I should have attained a mighty great fortune. The weakness of their faith and belief is reflected in the high esteem they accord to spoils of war and in their counting the acquirement of worldly riches as ‘a mighty good fortune’; while they treat every trouble faced by the believers - being killed or wounded or undergoing other hardships - as ‘a misfortune’.
QUR’ĀN:
Therefore let those fight in the way of Allāh, who sell this world’s lift a great reward: ‘‘It is said, ‘‘sharaytu’’ (شَرَيْتُ ) i.e., I sold; and ishtarayatu (اِشْتَرَيْتُ ) i.e., I bought. The meaning will be as follows: They sell this world’s life in exchange for the hereafter.’’
(Majma‘u ’l-bayān)
The verse branches out from the preceding exhortation of jihād and condemnation of those who hold back from going forth for it. It urges them again to fight in the way of Allāh by reminding them that all of them were believers who had already sold their worldly life - by accepting the Islam - and bought the hereafter in exchange, as Allāh has said in another place: Surely Allāh has bought of the believers their persons and their properties for this, that they shall have the garden (9:111). Then it exponds the desirable benefit of that fighting, by showing that it brings in a great reward in any case: and whoever fights in the way of Allāh, then be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a great reward.
It makes it clear that the endeavours of a fighter in the way of Allāh are sure to bring in one of the two good results: either he will be killed in the way of Allāh or gain victory over the enemy of Allāh; and in either case he shall find a great reward from Allāh. It does not mention the third possibility, i.e., defeat and retreat; it is a hint that a fighter in the way of Allāh never retreats, never runs away.
The possibility of being slain is mentioned before that of victory, because martyrdom has much greater and more confirmed reward. A fighter who vanquishes an enemy of Allāh is certainly eligible for a great reward; but there is always a danger of forfeiture, if he committed some sins which would make his good deeds forfeit, or if he indulged in evil acts after that. But there is no such risk in martyrdom, as it is the end of this world’s life and beginning of that of the hereafter. A martyr therefore is sure to get his great reward in full, while the victorious fighter in the way of Allāh may only hope to get his full reward.
QUR’ĀN:
And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allāh and of the weak among the men and the women and the children ...: The word, ‘weak’, is in conjunction with the name of Allāh. The verse uses the style of questioning for spurring and invigorating the believers to fight. It reminds them that their fighting is in the way of Allāh (and the only goal of your blessed life is to attain His pleasure, and no felicity is more blissful than His nearness), and in the way of your weak men, women and children.
This verse, in fact, uses a very effective style to exhort, urge and incite the whole believing community to fight. As for the sincere pure-hearted believers, it should be enough for them that Allāh was calling them; they would stand up for truth, answer the call of their Lord and respond with all their might to the Messenger’s invitation. As for other believers, if that was not enough, they should realize that, apart from its being a jihād in the way of Allāh, it is also a fight in the way of their own men, women and children who are suffering at the hands of the unbelievers; let them have a zealous sense of honour and partisanship and fight for those weakened fellow-religionists.
Islam initially negates every relationship through blood relation or other causes except the relationship of faith. Once a person becomes Muslim, his/her other relationships are re-instated [in the framework of Islam]. Now it becomes incumbent on a Muslim to offer sacrifices to save his Muslim brother who is related to him through faith; also he must do so in case of his other relatives - men, women and children - if they are Muslims, as this sacrifice of wealth and life will actually be an offering in the way of Allāh [as it will be for safety of the Muslims].
Those weak ones who, being related to these believers, are a part of them, are true believers. See how they pray to Allāh, saying: ‘‘Our Lord! take us out of this town’’. Also they are humiliated, oppressed and tortured by the polytheists; they are crying out and asking for divine help; ‘‘Our Lord! take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors’’. The oppression mentioned here is general; also it does not say that those people were indulging in sins and were therefore unjust to themselves. The clear meaning is that the town’s people were oppressing and tormenting them with various kinds of torture - as the history confirms.
Their call for help was couched in a sublime style with excellent wordings. They did not say: ‘O our men!’, ‘O our leaders!’, ‘O our people!’ or ‘O our clan!’. Allāh says that they called their Lord and sought help from their True Master; they said: ‘‘Our Lord! take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors’’. Then they pointed to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and the brave believers who were with him, saying: and make for us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper. They wished that they should have a guardian and a helper, but they prayed to their Lord, the True Guardian and Helper, to give them human guardian and helper.
SENSE OF HONOUR VIS-A-VIS BIGOTRY
Look at the divine manner manifested by the Honoured Book; and compare it with our own natural instinct - you will see a wonderful reality. No doubt, there is an instinct ingrained in human nature which inspires man to stand for the defence of things he holds dear and considers them as inviolable, like children, women, dignity, national honour and things like that. It is a dictate of nature and is the mainspring of many human actions. But this defence is sometimes praiseworthy, if it is on right course and for right cause; at other times it is blameworthy and causes infelicity and disturbance in society, if it is unjustified and against the truth.
Islam accepts it in principle to the extent the nature demands, but it nullifies all its details. After erasing all traces of base instincts, it diverts it towards Allāh, turning it away from all worldly things. Reaching this stage, it allows it to function in many of the original situations, but moulding it in the matrix of monotheism. It urges man to have a zealous sense of honour for his men, women and children, in short for his every right - gearing it to Allāh’s pleasure. Thus Islam confirms the dictate of nature, but cleanses it of pulluted desires and unhealthy emotions; it purifies it and turns it into a safe highway which man proceeds on, helped by his nature. Islam takes it out from darkness of conflict to light of concord and peace. There is no contradiction or disharmony in various parts or aspects of the sense of honour which Islam encourages man to have, and regulates its application. All share the basic characteristics of being various aspects of monotheism, and manifestation of following the truth. Accordingly, all its relevant directives and rules have turned into broad-based, lasting and comprehensive principles, without any contradiction or discordance.
QUR’ĀN:
Those who believe fight in the way of Allāh Satan: It is a comparison between the believers and the unbelievers in their respective styles of fighting; or more precisely, in the two groups’ motives of fighting. This comparison clearly shows the excellence of the believers’ way over that of the unbelievers. The way of the believers leads to, and relies on Allāh, in sharp contrast to the unbelievers’ way. This provides another motivation for the believers to fight.
QUR’ĀN:
Fight therefore against the friends of the Satan; surely the strategy of the Satan is weak: The unbelievers by following the Satan’s way have gone out from the guardianship of Allāh. Now they have no guardian or friend except the Satan who is the friend of polytheists and of those who worship other than Allāh. So, he is their friend and they are his friends.
The strategy of the Satan is weak, because it is the way of tāghūt which is against the way of Allāh, and all power and strength belongs to Allāh alone. Now, nothing is left for the way of tāghūt, that is, for the strategy of the Satan, except weakness. Allāh by expositing the weakness of the unbelievers’ way, encourages the believers to fight against them. Obviously, the statement that the Satan’s strategy is weak vis-a-vis the power of Allāh, is not a denial of its hold on those who follow their desires.
TRADITIONS
[at-Tabrisī] has written under the verse, O you who believe! take your precaution ...: ‘‘Arms have been called ‘precaution’, because it is the instrument with which one guards oneself from danger.’’ He has further written that this meaning is narrated from Abū Ja‘far (a.s.). Again he writes: ‘‘It has been narrated from Abū Ja‘far (a.s.) that in detachments means (small) expeditions, and in a body refers to the army.’’ (Majma‘u ’l-bayān)
Sulaymān ibn Khālid has narrated from Abū ‘Abdillāh (a.s.) that he said: ‘‘O you who believe!; He has called them believers, but they were not believers, and it is no honour (for them).’’ (Then) he recited: O you who believe! take your precaution, ...then I should have attained a mighty good reward; then he said: ‘‘If (all) the inhabitants of the heaven and the earth had said, ‘Surely Allāh conferred a benefit on me that I was not with the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.w.a.)’, they would have become polytheists; and when a grace from Allāh comes to the believers, he says: ‘Would that I had been with them, then I would have fought in the way of Allāh.’ ’’ (at-Tafsīr, al-‘Ayyāshī)
The author says:
This theme has been narrated also by at-Tabrisī in Majma‘u ’l-bayān, and by al-Qummī in his at-Tafsīr, from the Imām (a.s.). The polytheism in this hadīth refers to the inner polytheism, nat to the open disbelief which deprives man from the protection of Islam - and we have explained it earlier.
Humrān has narrated that al-Bāqir (a.s.) said about the verse, and of the weak among the men ...: ‘‘We are those.’’ (ibid.)
The author says:
The same book has narrated the same meaning through Sumā‘ah from as-Sādiq (a.s.), and its wording is as follows:
‘‘And as for His word, and of the weak among the men ..., those are we.’’ These two traditions do not aim at giving the explanation of the verse; they fit it on an obviously very apt situation; it is a painful complaint against the rebellious oppressors of this ummah.
[as-Suyūtī writes:] It has been narrated by Abū Dāwūd (in his an-Nāsikh), Ibnu ’l-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Hātim and al-Bayhaqī (in his as-Sunan) through ‘Atā’ from Ibn ‘Abbās that he said about the (verse of the) chapter of ‘‘The Women’’: take your precaution, then go forth in detachments, or go forth in a body: ‘‘It was abrogated by (the verse), And it does not beseem the believers that they should go forth all together, [9:122].’’
The author says:
The two verses are not mutually contradictory, so that it could be said that the latter had abrogated the former, and this non-contradictoriness is quite obvious. Even if there were any contradictoriness, it would have amounted to particularization or restriction, not abrogation.
And all praise is for Allāh.
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Author: Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
