An-Nisa 4:71
The Women · Juz 5 · Page 89
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ خُذُواْ حِذۡرَكُمۡ فَٱنفِرُواْ ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ ٱنفِرُواْ جَمِيعٗا ٧١
O you who have believed, take your precaution and [either] go forth in companies or go forth all together.
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
Change
Commentary on 4:71
Before this, there was the command to obey Allah and His Messenger. Now, in the present verses, Jihad has been prescribed for the obedient and faithful so that they can vitalize their Faith and raise the word of Allah high and supreme. (Qurtubi)
Commentary
Important Notes
In the first part of the verse: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ اَلخ (0 those who believe, take your precautions ...), appears the command to ensure the supply of weapons, while the later part refers to the launching of Jihad action. This tells us two things right away. Firstly, as already clarified at several places, the act of getting together functional means to achieve a good purpose is not contrary to tawakkul or trust in God. Secondly, we see that the text limits. itself to the command to ensure the supply of weapons, but it does not promise that, because of this support, Muslims will have any guaranteed security against their enemies. By doing so, it has been indicated that the choice of using means is for nothing but a certain peace of mind, otherwise, the use of means as such does not carry any operational gain or loss. The Qur'an has said: قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا (0 Prophet) say: "Nothing will befall us except what Allah has prescribed for us." (9:51)
2. Let us look at the first verse again. It opens up with the command to get ready for Jihad followed by a- description of the marching plan; the later has been expressed in two sentences, that is, فَانفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ انفِرُوا جَمِيعًا (...and march in groups, or march off all together.) Here, the word, 'thubatin' is the plural form of 'thubatun' which means a small group and is used to denote a military company and was called a Sariyyah in the military campaigns of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . In that sense, it is being said here that Muslims, when they go out for Jihad, should not start off all alone. They should, rather, set out in the formation of small groups. The other alternative is to march as a large army: jami’ an' because, in fighting, going 'alone is very likely to hurt --- the enemy is not going to let this opportunity slip out of their hands.
No doubt, this instruction has been given to Muslims for the particular occasion of Jihad, but, even in normal circumstances, this is what the Shari’ ah teaches - do not travel alone. In a hadith, therefore, a lone traveler is called one satan and two of them two satans and three of them become a group or party. Similarly, there is another hadith which says:
خَیر الصحابہ اربعۃ، و خیرالسرایا أبعہ مایٔہ، وخیر اجیوش اربعۃ آلاف .
The best companions are four and the best military company is that of four hundred and the best army is that of four thousand.' (From Mishkat as reported by Al-Tabarani)
Page 89
4:66
وَلَوۡ أَنَّا كَتَبۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَنِ ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ أَوِ ٱخۡرُجُواْ مِن دِيَٰرِكُم مَّا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٞ مِّنۡهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ أَنَّهُمۡ فَعَلُواْ مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦ لَكَانَ خَيۡرٗا لَّهُمۡ وَأَشَدَّ تَثۡبِيتٗا ٦٦
And if We had decreed upon them, "Kill yourselves" or "Leave your homes," they would not have done it, except for a few of them. But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith].
4:67
وَإِذٗا لَّأٓتَيۡنَٰهُم مِّن لَّدُنَّآ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمٗا ٦٧
And then We would have given them from Us a great reward.
4:68
وَلَهَدَيۡنَٰهُمۡ صِرَٰطٗا مُّسۡتَقِيمٗا ٦٨
And We would have guided them to a straight path.
4:69
وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّٰلِحِينَۚ وَحَسُنَ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ رَفِيقٗا ٦٩
And whoever obeys Allāh and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allāh has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.
4:70
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ عَلِيمٗا ٧٠
That is the bounty from Allāh, and sufficient is Allāh as Knower.
4:71
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ خُذُواْ حِذۡرَكُمۡ فَٱنفِرُواْ ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ ٱنفِرُواْ جَمِيعٗا ٧١
O you who have believed, take your precaution and [either] go forth in companies or go forth all together.
4:72
وَإِنَّ مِنكُمۡ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ فَإِنۡ أَصَٰبَتۡكُم مُّصِيبَةٞ قَالَ قَدۡ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيَّ إِذۡ لَمۡ أَكُن مَّعَهُمۡ شَهِيدٗا ٧٢
And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, "Allāh has favored me in that I was not present with them."
4:73
وَلَئِنۡ أَصَٰبَكُمۡ فَضۡلٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَيَقُولَنَّ كَأَن لَّمۡ تَكُنۢ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُۥ مَوَدَّةٞ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي كُنتُ مَعَهُمۡ فَأَفُوزَ فَوۡزًا عَظِيمٗا ٧٣
But if bounty comes to you from Allāh, he will surely say, as if [i.e., showing that] there had never been between you and him any affection, "Oh, I wish I had been with them so I could have attained a great attainment."1
1 translator’s note
- The spoils of war. Although having pretended to befriend the believers in support of Allāh's religion, the hypocrite will not be willing to fight except for material gain. ↩
4:74
۞ فَلۡيُقَٰتِلۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشۡرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ وَمَن يُقَٰتِلۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَيُقۡتَلۡ أَوۡ يَغۡلِبۡ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمٗا ٧٤
So let those fight in the cause of Allāh who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. And he who fights in the cause of Allāh and is killed or achieves victory - We will bestow upon him a great reward.