4:72 An-Nisaa (The Women)

ثم أخبر عن ضعفاء الإيمان المتكاسلين عن الجهاد فقال: { وَإِنَّ مِنْكُمْ } أي: أيها المؤمنون { لَمَنْ لَيُبَطِّئَنَّ } أي: يتثاقل عن الجهاد في سبيل الله ضعفا وخورا وجبنا، هذا الصحيح. وقيل معناه: ليبطئن غيرَه أي: يزهده عن القتال، وهؤلاء هم المنافقون، ولكن الأول أَولى لوجهين: أحدهما: قوله { مِنْكُمْ } والخطاب للمؤمنين. والثاني: قوله في آخر الآية: { كَأَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ مَوَدَّةٌ } فإن الكفار من المشركين والمنافقين قد قطع الله بينهم وبين المؤمنين المودة. وأيضا فإن هذا هو الواقع، فإن المؤمنين على قسمين: صادقون في إيمانهم أوجب لهم ذلك كمال التصديق والجهاد. وضعفاء دخلوا في الإسلام فصار معهم إيمان ضعيف لا يقوى على الجهاد. كما قال تعالى: { قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا } إلى آخر الآيات. ثم ذكر غايات هؤلاء المتثاقلين ونهاية مقاصدهم، وأن معظم قصدهم الدنيا وحطامها فقال: { فَإِنْ أَصَابَتْكُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ } أي: هزيمة وقتل، وظفر الأعداء عليكم في بعض الأحوال لما لله في ذلك من الحكم. { قَالَ } ذلك المتخلف { قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُنْ مَعَهُمْ شَهِيدًا } رأى من ضعف عقله وإيمانه أن التقاعد عن الجهاد الذي فيه تلك المصيبة نعمة. ولم يدر أن النعمة الحقيقية هي التوفيق لهذه الطاعة الكبيرة، التي بها يقوى الإيمان، ويسلم بها العبد من العقوبة والخسران، ويحصل له فيها عظيم الثواب ورضا الكريم الوهاب. وأما القعود فإنه وإن استراح قليلاً، فإنه يعقبه تعب طويل وآلام عظيمة، ويفوته ما يحصل للمجاهدين.

وقوله تعالى "وإن منكم لمن ليبطئن" قال مجاهد وغير واحد نزلت في المنافقين وقال مقاتل بن حيان: "ليبطئن" أي ليتخلفن عن الجهاد ويحتمل أن يكون المراد أنه يتباطأ هو في نفسه ويبطئ غيره عن الجهاد كما كان عبدالله بن أبي سلول قبحه الله يفعل يتأخر عن الجهاد ويثبط الناس عن الخروج فيه وهذا قول ابن جريج وابن جرير ولهذا قال تعالى إخبارا عن المنافق أنه يقول إذا تأخر عن الجهاد "فإن أصابتكم مصيبة" أي قتل وشهادة وغلب العدو لكم لما لله في ذلك من الحكمة قال" قد أنعم الله علي إذ لم أكن معهم شهيدا" أي إذ لم أحضر معهم وقعة القتال بعد ذلك من نعم الله عليه ولم يدر ما فاته من الأجر في الصبر أو الشهادة إن قتل.

The Necessity of Taking Necessary Precautions Against the Enemy

Allah commands His faithful servants to take precautions against their enemies, by being prepared with the necessary weapons and supplies, and increasing the number of troops fighting in His cause.

ثُبَاتٍ

(in parties) means, group after group, party after party, and expedition after expedition. `Ali bin Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that,

فَانفِرُواْ ثُبَاتٍ

(and either go forth in parties) means, "In groups, expedition after expedition,

أَوِ انْفِرُواْ جَمِيعاً

(or go forth all together), means, all of you." Similar was reported from Mujahid, `Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, `Ata' Al-Khurrasani, Muqatil bin Hayyan and Khusayf Al-Jazari.

Refraining from Joining Jihad is a Sign of Hypocrites

Allah said,

وَإِنَّ مِنْكُمْ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ

(There is certainly among you he who would linger behind.) Mujahid and others said that this Ayah was revealed about the hypocrites. Muqatil bin Hayyan said that,

لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ

(linger behind) means, stays behind and does not join Jihad. It is also possible that this person himself lingers behind, while luring others away from joining Jihad. For instance, `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, may Allah curse him, used to linger behind and lure other people to do the same and refrain from joining Jihad, as Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Jarir stated. This is why Allah said about the hypocrite, that when he lingers behind from Jihad, then:

فَإِنْ أَصَـبَتْكُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ

(If a misfortune befalls you) death, martyrdom, or - by Allah's wisdom - being defeated by the enemy,

قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُنْ مَّعَهُمْ شَهِيداً

(he says, "Indeed Allah has favored me that I was not present among them.") meaning, since I did not join them in battle. Because he considers this one of Allah's favors on him, unaware of the reward that he might have gained from enduring war or martyrdom, if he was killed.

وَلَئِنْ أَصَـبَكُمْ فَضْلٌ مِنَ الله

(But if a bounty comes to you from Allah) such as victory, triumph and booty,

لَيَقُولَنَّ كَأَن لَّمْ تَكُنْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ مَوَدَّةٌ

(he would surely say - as if there had never been ties of affection between you and him,) meaning, as if he was not a follower of your religion,

يلَيتَنِى كُنتُ مَعَهُمْ فَأَفُوزَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً

("Oh! I wish I had been with them; then I would have achieved a great success.") by being assigned a share of the booty and taking possession of that share. This is his ultimate aim and objective.

The Encouragement to Participation in Jihad

Allah then said,

فَلْيُقَاتِلْ

(So fight) the believer with an aversion (to fighting),

فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يَشْرُونَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالاٌّخِرَةِ

(those who trade the life of this world with the Hereafter) referring to those sell their religion for the meager goods of the world, and they only do this because of their disbelief and lack of faith. Allah then said;

وَمَن يُقَـتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَيُقْتَلْ أَو يَغْلِبْ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

(And whoever fights in the cause of Allah, and is killed or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward.) meaning, whoever fights in the cause of Allah, whether he was killed or triumphant, he will earn an immense compensation and a great reward with Allah. The Two Sahihs recorded,

«وَتَكَفَّلَ اللهُ لِلْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِهِ، إِنْ تَوَفَّاهُ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ، أَوْ يَرْجِعَهُ إِلى مَسْكَنِهِ الَّذِي خَرَجَ مِنْهُ، بِمَا نَالَ مِنْ أَجْرٍ أَوْ غَنِيمَة»

(Allah has guaranteed the Mujahid in His cause that He will either bring death to him, admitting into Paradise; or, He will help him return safely to his home with whatever reward and booty he gained.)

Verily there are some of you who tarry who indeed hesitate to join the fighting such as ‘Abd Allāh b. Ubayy the hypocrite and his companions — counting him the one who tarries as one of them the Muslims is from the perspective of outward appearances — the lām in the verb la-yubatti’anna ‘verily … who tarry’ is for oaths; then if an affliction befalls you such as slaughter or defeat he says ‘God has been gracious to me for I was not a witness with them’ present at the fighting lest I should be hurt.

2. Seen outwardly, the words of the verse 72 (... وَإِنَّ مِنكُمْ ) seem to suggest that this too is addressed to the believers, although the characteristics described later on cannot be taken to be those of the believers. Therefore, al-Qurtubi says that they signify hypocrites. Since, they were the ones who used to claim being Muslims, at least outwardly. This is why they have been identified as a group from among the believers.