An-Nisa 4:97
The Women · Juz 5 · Page 94
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ قَالُواْ فِيمَ كُنتُمۡۖ قَالُواْ كُنَّا مُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ أَرۡضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٗ فَتُهَاجِرُواْ فِيهَاۚ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ مَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا ٩٧
Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves1 - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land." They [the angels] will say, "Was not the earth of Allāh spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.
1 translator’s note
- By preferring to remain among the disbelievers, although they have the means to emigrate, in an environment where a Muslim is unable to practice his religion freely. ↩
Tafsir · in Arabic
Al-Baydawi
Change
Commentary on 4:97
﴿إنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفّاهُمُ المَلائِكَةُ﴾ يَحْتَمِلُ الماضِيَ والمُضارِعَ، وقُرِئَ «تَوَفَّتْهُمُ» و «تَوَفّاهُمُ» عَلى مُضارِعِ وفَيْتُ بِمَعْنى أنَّ اللَّهَ يُوَفِّي المَلائِكَةَ أنْفُسَهم فَيَتَوَفَّوْنَها أيْ يُمَكِّنُهم مِنِ اسْتِيفائِها فَيَسْتَوْفُونَها. ﴿ظالِمِي أنْفُسِهِمْ﴾ في حالِ ظُلْمِهِمْ أنْفُسَهم بِتَرْكِ الهِجْرَةِ ومُوافَقَةِ الكَفَرَةِ فَإنَّها نَزَلَتْ في أُناسٍ مِن مَكَّةَ أسْلَمُوا ولَمْ يُهاجِرُوا حِينَ كانَتِ الهِجْرَةُ واجِبَةً. ﴿قالُوا﴾ أيِ المَلائِكَةُ تَوْبِيخًا لَهم. ﴿فِيمَ كُنْتُمْ﴾ في أيِّ شَيْءٍ كُنْتُمْ مِن أمْرِ دِينِكم.
﴿قالُوا كُنّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ في الأرْضِ﴾ اعْتَذَرُوا مِمّا وُبِّخُوا بِهِ بِضَعْفِهِمْ وعَجْزِهِمْ عَنِ الهِجْرَةِ، أوْ عَنْ إظْهارِ الدِّينِ وإعْلاءِ كَلِمَةِ اللَّهِ. ﴿قالُوا﴾ أيِ المَلائِكَةُ تَكْذِيبًا لَهم أوْ تَبْكِيتًا. ﴿ألَمْ تَكُنْ أرْضُ اللَّهِ واسِعَةً فَتُهاجِرُوا فِيها﴾ إلى قُطْرٍ آخَرَ كَما فَعَلَ المُهاجِرُونَ إلى المَدِينَةِ والحَبَشَةِ. ﴿فَأُولَئِكَ مَأْواهم جَهَنَّمُ﴾ لِتَرْكِهِمُ الواجِبَ ومُساعَدَتِهِمُ الكُفّارَ. وهو خَبَرُ إنَّ والفاءُ فِيهِ لِتُضَمِّنَ الِاسْمَ مَعْنى الشَّرْطِ، وقالُوا فِيمَ كُنْتُمْ حالٌ مِنَ المَلائِكَةِ بِإضْمارِ قَدْ أوِ الخَبَرُ قالُوا والعائِدُ مَحْذُوفٌ أيْ قالُوا لَهُمْ، وهو جُمْلَةٌ مَعْطُوفَةٌ عَلى الجُمْلَةِ الَّتِي قَبْلَها مُسْتَنْتَجَةٌ مِنها.
﴿وَساءَتْ مَصِيرًا﴾ مَصِيرُهم أوْ جَهَنَّمُ، وفي الآيَةِ دَلِيلٌ عَلى وُجُوبِ الهِجْرَةِ مِن مَوْضِعٍ لا يَتَمَكَّنُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهِ مِن إقامَةِ دِينِهِ، وعَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: «مَن فَرَّ بِدِينِهِ مِن أرْضٍ إلى أرْضٍ وإنْ كانَ شِبْرًا مِنَ الأرْضِ اسْتَوْجَبَتْ لَهُ الجَنَّةُ، وكانَ رَفِيقَ أبِيهِ إبْراهِيمَ ونَبِيِّهِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِما الصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ» .
Page 94
4:95
لَّا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡقَٰعِدُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ غَيۡرُ أُوْلِي ٱلضَّرَرِ وَٱلۡمُجَٰهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡۚ فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُجَٰهِدِينَ بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡقَٰعِدِينَ دَرَجَةٗۚ وَكُلّٗا وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ وَفَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُجَٰهِدِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡقَٰعِدِينَ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمٗا ٩٥
Not equal are those believers remaining [at home] - other than the disabled - and the mujāhideen, [who strive and fight] in the cause of Allāh with their wealth and their lives. Allāh has preferred the mujāhideen through their wealth and their lives over those who remain [behind], by degrees. And to all [i.e., both] Allāh has promised the best [reward]. But Allāh has preferred the mujāhideen over those who remain [behind] with a great reward -
4:96
دَرَجَٰتٖ مِّنۡهُ وَمَغۡفِرَةٗ وَرَحۡمَةٗۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمًا ٩٦
Degrees [of high position] from Him and forgiveness and mercy. And Allāh is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
4:97
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ قَالُواْ فِيمَ كُنتُمۡۖ قَالُواْ كُنَّا مُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ أَرۡضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٗ فَتُهَاجِرُواْ فِيهَاۚ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ مَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا ٩٧
Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves1 - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land." They [the angels] will say, "Was not the earth of Allāh spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.
1 translator’s note
- By preferring to remain among the disbelievers, although they have the means to emigrate, in an environment where a Muslim is unable to practice his religion freely. ↩
4:98
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنِ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةٗ وَلَا يَهۡتَدُونَ سَبِيلٗا ٩٨
Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way1 -
1 translator’s note
- They are prevented by circumstances beyond their control. ↩
4:99
فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَعۡفُوَ عَنۡهُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورٗا ٩٩
For those it is expected that Allāh will pardon them, and Allāh is ever Pardoning1 and Forgiving.
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnote in 4:43. ↩
4:100
۞ وَمَن يُهَاجِرۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ يَجِدۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُرَٰغَمٗا كَثِيرٗا وَسَعَةٗۚ وَمَن يَخۡرُجۡ مِنۢ بَيۡتِهِۦ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ يُدۡرِكۡهُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ فَقَدۡ وَقَعَ أَجۡرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا ١٠٠
And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allāh will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allāh and His Messenger and then death overtakes him - his reward has already become incumbent upon Allāh. And Allāh is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
4:101
وَإِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَلَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقۡصُرُواْ مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ إِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ أَن يَفۡتِنَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ كَانُواْ لَكُمۡ عَدُوّٗا مُّبِينٗا ١٠١
And when you travel throughout the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer,1 [especially] if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you.2 Indeed, the disbelievers are ever to you a clear enemy.