4:77 An-Nisaa (The Women)

كان المسلمون -إذ كانوا بمكة- مأمورين بالصلاة والزكاة أي: مواساة الفقراء، لا الزكاة المعروفة ذات النصب والشروط، فإنها لم تفرض إلا بالمدينة، ولم يؤمروا بجهاد الأعداء لعدة فوائد: منها: أن من حكمة الباري تعالى أن يشرع لعباده الشرائع على وجه لا يشق عليهم؛ ويبدأ بالأهم فالأهم، والأسهل فالأسهل. ومنها: أنه لو فرض عليهم القتال -مع قلة عَدَدِهِم وعُدَدِهِم وكثرة أعدائهم- لأدى ذلك إلى اضمحلال الإسلام، فروعي جانب المصلحة العظمى على ما دونها ولغير ذلك من الحِكَم. وكان بعض المؤمنين يودون أن لو فرض عليهم القتال في تلك الحال، غير اللائق فيها ذلك، وإنما اللائق فيها القيام بما أمروا به في ذلك الوقت من التوحيد والصلاة والزكاة ونحو ذلك كما قال تعالى: { وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا } فلما هاجروا إلى المدينة وقوي الإسلام، كُتب عليهم القتال في وقته المناسب لذلك، فقال فريق من الذين يستعجلون القتال قبل ذلك خوفا من الناس وضعفا وخورا: { رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ } ؟ وفي هذا تضجرهم واعتراضهم على الله، وكان الذي ينبغي لهم ضد هذه الحال، التسليم لأمر الله والصبر على أوامره، فعكسوا الأمر المطلوب منهم فقالوا: { لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ } أي: هلَّا أخرت فرض القتال مدة متأخرة عن الوقت الحاضر، وهذه الحال كثيرًا ما تعرض لمن هو غير رزين واستعجل في الأمور قبل وقتها، فالغالب عليه أنه لا يصبر عليها وقت حلولها ولا ينوء بحملها، بل يكون قليل الصبر. ثم إن الله وعظهم عن هذه الحال التي فيها التخلف عن القتال فقال: { قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى } أي: التمتع بلذات الدنيا وراحتها قليل، فتحمل الأثقال في طاعة الله في المدة القصيرة مما يسهل على النفوس ويخف عليها؛ لأنها إذا علمت أن المشقة التي تنالها لا يطول لبثها هان عليها ذلك، فكيف إذا وازنت بين الدنيا والآخرة، وأن الآخرة خير منها، في ذاتها، ولذاتها وزمانها، فذاتها -كما ذكر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في الحديث الثابت عنه- \"أن موضع سوط في الجنة خير من الدنيا وما فيها\" . ولذاتها صافية عن المكدرات، بل كل ما خطر بالبال أو دار في الفكر من تصور لذة، فلذة الجنة فوق ذلك كما قال تعالى: { فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُمْ مِنْ قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ } وقال الله على لسان نبيه: \"أعددت لعبادي الصالحين ما لا عين رأت، ولا أذن سمعت، ولا خطر على قلب بشر\" . وأما لذات الدنيا فإنها مشوبة بأنواع التنغيص الذي لو قوبل بين لذاتها وما يقترن بها من أنواع الآلام والهموم والغموم، لم يكن لذلك نسبة بوجه من الوجوه. وأما زمانها، فإن الدنيا منقضية، وعمر الإنسان بالنسبة إلى الدنيا شيء يسير، وأما الآخرة فإنها دائمة النعيم وأهلها خالدون فيها، فإذا فكّر العاقل في هاتين الدارين وتصور حقيقتهما حق التصور، عرف ما هو أحق بالإيثار، والسعي له والاجتهاد لطلبه، ولهذا قال: { وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى } أي: اتقى الشرك، وسائر المحرمات. { وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا } أي: فسعيكم للدار الآخرة ستجدونه كاملاً موفرًا غير منقوص منه شيئًا.

كان المؤمنون في ابتداء الإسلام وهم بمكة مأمورين بالصلاة والزكاة وإن لم تكن ذات النصب وكانوا مأمورين بمواساة الفقراء منهم وكانوا مأمورين بالصفح والعفو عن المشركين والصبر إلى حين وكانوا يتحرقون ويودون لو أمروا بالقتال ليشتفوا من أعدائهم ولم يكن الحال إذ ذاك مناسبا لأسباب كثيرة منها قلة عددهم بالنسبة إلى كثرة عدد عدوهم ومنها كونهم كانوا في بلدهم وهو بلد حرام وأشرف بقاع الأرض فلم يكن الأمر بالقتال فيه ابتداء كما يقال فلهذا لم يؤمر بالجهاد إلا بالمدينة لما صارت لهم دار ومنعة وأنصار ومع هذا لما أمروا بما كانوا يودونه جزع بعضهم منه وخافوا من مواجهة الناس خوفا شديدا وقالوا "ربنا لم كتبت علينا القتال لولا أخرتنا إلى أجل قريب" أي لولا أخرت فرضه إلى مدة أخرى فإن فيه سفك الدماء ويتم الأولاد وتأيم النساء وهذه الآية كقوله تعالى "ويقول الذين آمنوا لولا نزلت سورة فإذا أنزلت سورة محكمة وذكر فيها القتال" الآيات. قال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا علي بن الحسين حدثنا محمد بن عبدالعزيز عن أبي زرعة وعلى بن رمحة قالا: حدثنا على بن الحسن عن الحسين بن واقد عن عمرو بن دينار عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس أن عبدالرحمن بن عوف وأصحابه أتوا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بمكة فقالوا: يا نبي الله كنا في عزة ونحن مشركون فلما آمنا صرنا أذلة قال "إني أمرت بالعفو فلا تقاتلوا القوم" فلما حوله الله إلى المدينة أمره بالقتال فكفوا فأنزل الله "ألم تر إلى الذين قيل لهم كفوا أيديكم" الأية ورواه النسائي والحاكم وابن مردويه من حديث على بن الحسن بن شقيق به وقال أسباط عن السدي لم يكن عليهم إلا الصلاة والزكاة فسألوا الله أن يفرض عليهم القتال فلما فرض عليهم القتال "إذا فريق منهم يخشون الناس كخشية الله أو أشد خشية وقالوا ربنا لم كتبت علينا القتال لولا أخرتنا إلى أجل قريب" وهو الموت قال الله تعالى "قل متاع الدنيا قليل والآخرة خير لمن اتقى" وقال مجاهد إن هذه الآية نزلت في اليهود رواه ابن جرير وقوله قل متاع الدنيا قليل والآخرة خير لمن اتقى أي آخرة المتقي خير من دنياه "ولا تظلمون فتيلا" أي من أعمالكم بل توفونها أتم الجزاء وهذه تسلية لهم عن الدنيا وترغيب لهم في الآخرة وتحريض لهم على الجهاد. وقال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبي حدثنا يعقوب بن إبراهيم الدورقي حدثنا عبدالرحمن بن مهدي حدثنا حماد بن زيد عن هشام قال: قرأ الحسن "قل متاع الدنيا" قليل قال: رحم الله عبدا صحبها على حسب ذلك وما الدنيا كلها أولها وآخرها إلا كرجل نام نومة فرأى في منامه بعض ما يحب ثم انتبه. وقال ابن معين: كان أبو مصهر ينشد: ولا خير في الدنيا لمن لم يكن له من الله في دار المقام نصيب فإن تعجب الدنيا رجالا فإنهـــا مـتاع قليل والـزوال قـريـب

The Wish that the Order for Jihad be Delayed

In the beginning of Islam, Muslims in Makkah were commanded to perform the prayer and pay some charity, so as to comfort the poor among them. They were also commanded to be forgiving and forbearing with the idolators and to observe patience with them at the time. However, they were eager and anticipating the time when they would be allowed to fight, so that they could punish their enemies. The situation at that time did not permit armed conflict for many reasons. For instance, Muslims were few at the time, compared to their numerous enemies. The Muslims' city was a sacred one and the most honored area on the earth, and this is why the command to fight was not revealed in Makkah. Later on when the Muslims controlled a town of their own, Al-Madinah, and had strength, power and support, Jihad was then legislated. Yet, when the command to fight was revealed, just as Muslims wished, some of them became weary and were very fearful of facing the idolators in battle.

وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ

(They say: "Our Lord! Why have You ordained for us fighting Would that You had granted us respite for a short period") meaning, we wish that Jihad was delayed until a later time, because it means bloodshed, orphans and widows. In a similar Ayah, Allah said,

وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُّحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ

(Those who believe say: "Why is not a Surah sent down (for us) But when a decisive is sent down, and fighting is mentioned). Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that `Abdur-Rahman bin `Awf and several of his companions came to the Prophet while in Makkah and said, "O Allah's Prophet! We were mighty when we were pagans, but when we embraced the faith, we became weak." The Prophet said,

«إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ بِالْعَفْوِ فَلَا تُقَاتِلُوا الْقَوْم»

(I was commanded to pardon the people, so do not fight them.) When Allah transferred the Prophet to Al-Madinah, He commanded him to fight (the idolators), but they (some Muslims) held back. So, Allah revealed the Ayah;

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّواْ أَيْدِيَكُمْ

(Have you not seen those who were told to hold back their hands) This Hadith was collected by An-Nasa'i and Al-Hakim. Allah's statement,

قُلْ مَتَـعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَى

(Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears Allah,) means, the destination of the one who with Taqwa is better for him than this life.

وَلاَ تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً

(and you shall not be dealt with unjustly even equal to the Fatil.) for your good deeds. Rather, you will earn your full rewards for them. This promise directs the focus of believers away from this life and makes them eager for the Hereafter, all the while encouraging them to fight in Jihad.

There is No Escaping Death

Allah said,

أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُواْ يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ

(Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!) meaning, you shall certainly die and none of you shall ever escape death. Allah said,

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ

(Whatsooever is on it (the earth) will perish),

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ

(Everyone shall taste death), and,

وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ

(And We granted not to any human being immortality before you). Therefore, every soul shall taste death and nothing can save any person from it, whether he performed Jihad or not. Everyone has an appointed time, and a limited term of life. In the illness that preceded his death, Khalid bin Al-Walid said, while in his bed, "I participated in so and so number of battles, and every part of my body sustained an injury due to a stab or a shot. Yet here I am, I die in my bed! Let not the eyes of the cowards ever taste sleep." Allah's statement,

وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ

(even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!) means, entrenched, fortified, high and towering. No caution or fortification can ever avert death.

The Hypocrites Sense a Bad Omen Because of the Prophet !

Allah said,

وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ

(And if some good reaches them) meaning, fertile years and provision of fruits, produce, children, etc., as said by Ibn `Abbas, Abu Al-`Aliyah and As-Suddi.

يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ

(they say, "This is from Allah," but if some evil befalls them) drought, famine, shortages of fruits and produce, death that strikes their children or animals, and so forth, as Abu Al-`Aliyah and As-Suddi stated.

يَقُولُواْ هَـذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَ

(they say, "This is from you,") meaning, because of you and because we followed you and embraced your religion. Allah said about the people of Fir`awn,

فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ

(But whenever good came to them, they said: "Ours is this." And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Musa and those with him.) Allah said,

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ

(And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge (i. e. in doubt)). The same is the statement uttered by the hypocrites, who embraced Islam outwardly, but disliked it inwardly. This is why when a calamity befell them, they attributed it to following the Prophet . Consequently, Allah revealed,

قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ

Say: All things are from Allah, Allah's statement that all things are from Him means, everything occurs by the decision and decree of Allah, and His decision shall come to pass for both the righteous and the wicked, the faithful and the disbelievers. Allah then said while addressing His Messenger , but refering to mankind in general,

مَّآ أَصَـبَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ

(Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah,) meaning, of Allah's bounty, favor, kindness and mercy.

وَمَآ أَصَـبَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ

(But whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself.), meaning because of you and due to your actions. Similarly, Allah said,

وَمَآ أَصَـبَكُمْ مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُواْ عَن كَثِيرٍ

(And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.) As-Suddi, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Zayd said that,

فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ

(from yourself) means, because of your errors. Qatadah said that,

فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ

(From yourself) means, as punishment for you, O son of Adam, because of your sins. Allah said,

وَأَرْسَلْنَـكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاً

(And We have sent you as a Messenger to mankind,) so that you convey to them Allah's commandments, what He likes and is pleased with, and what He dislikes and refuses.

وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيداً

(and Allah is sufficient as a Witness.) that He has sent you. He is also Witness over you and them, having full knowledge in what you convey to them and the disbelief and rebellion with which they respond to the truth.

Have you not seen those to whom it was said ‘Restrain your hands from fighting the disbelievers when they desired it at Mecca because of the harm the disbelievers had inflicted upon them — and these were a group from among the Companions — and establish the prayer and pay the alms’? Then as soon as fighting was prescribed was made obligatory for them lo a party of them fear people the disbelievers that is they fear punishment at their hands through death as they would fear the punishment of God or with more fear than their fear of Him ashadda ‘more’ is in the accusative because it is a circumstantial qualifier; the response to the lammā ‘as soon as’ is indicated by idhā ‘lo’ and what follows in other words they are taken aback by fear and they said frightened of death ‘Our Lord why have You prescribed fighting for us? Why not lawlā is to be understood as hallā defer us to a near term?’ Say to them ‘The enjoyment of this world that which is enjoyed therein or enjoying it the world is trifling it will end up by perishing; and the Hereafter Paradise is better for him who fears God’s punishment by avoiding disobedience to Him; and you shall not be wronged lā tuzlamūna may also be read lā yuzlamūna ‘they shall not be wronged’ you shall not be diminished of your deeds a single date-thread as much as the peel on a date-stone so struggle in the way of God.

Commentary

The Background of Revelation

Verse 77 beginning with the words: أَلَمْ تَرَ‌ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ (Have you not seen those to whom it was said, "Hold your hands { from fighting)...) was revealed in a particular background. Before their migration from Makkah, Muslims were regularly persecuted by disbelievers. Harassed Muslims used to visit the Holy Prophet ﷺ complaining to him about the high-handed treatment meted out to them and asking for his permission to fight back in self-defence and put an end to the Kafir reign of terror. He advised patience holding them back from direct confrontation on the plea that he has not been commanded to fight, in fact, he told them, he has been commanded to stay patient, forgo and forgive. He also told them to continue observing the instructions of salah and zakah, already given to them, consistently and devotedly. He impressed upon them the virtues of the present pattern of their behaviour, even though the odds were against them, for the simple reason that, unless man is conditioned to fight against his own evil desires in obedience to the command of Allah and is also used to bearing physical pain and financial sacrifice, he finds joining Jihad and sacrificing his life very difficult a proposition. This was an advice Muslims had accepted. But when they migrated from Makkah to Madinah, and Jihad was enjoined upon them, they should have been pleased with it, as it was something that had answered their own prayers. But, there were some infirm Muslims around who started fearing the prospects of a fight against the disbelievers as one would fear the punishment of Allah, rather more than this. Caught in that peevish state of mind, they started pining for a little more respite, a possible postponement of the command to fight to some later day which may have given them more time to live and to enjoy. Thereupon, these verses were revealed. (Ruh al-Ma` ani)

Why did the Muslims wish for the postponement of Jihad

The wish for respite expressed by Muslims following the command to fight was not an objection to the command of Jihad. It was, rather, a benign and subtle complaint. The reason may lie in the usual pattern of human psyche in such situations. When hurt and harassed to the extreme, one is very likely to flare up and go for a revenge. But, once man is used to a life of physical comfort and peace, he does not feel like going out to fight. This is no more than a simple human reaction. So, these Muslims, while they were in Makkah, all fed up with pains inflicted on them by the disbelievers at that time, were naturally looking forward most eagerly for the command of Jihad to come. But, when they reached Madinah, they found peace and comfort which they had missed for long. Now the command to fight, when it came in that state of theirs, found them no more moved by their old fire, therefore, they simply wished that it would have been better if the call for Jihad was just not there at that point of time. Now, to take this 'wish' as an 'objection' and to attribute an act of sin to those Muslims is not correct. However, this explanation is limited to the assumption that they had pronounced this complaint verbally. But, if they said nothing verbally, and it was simply a thought which crossed their mind, then, thoughts in the mind and doubts in the heart are happenings which the Shari’ ah of Islam simply does not count as sins. Here, both probabilities exist. Then, the word, قَالُوا "Qalu" (They say) in the verse should not lead one to presume that they had said this verbally, for it may be taken to mean that they may have said it within their hearts. (Abridged from Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Thanavi). According to some commentators, in which case, no explanation is, called for. (Tafsir Kabir).

Self-correction should precede collective reform

In وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ (verse 77), Allah Almighty has first mentioned the command to establish the prescribed prayers and pay the fixed zakah which are the medium of self-correction. The command of Jihad comes after that, which is the medium of political and collective correction, that is, through it the forces of coercion and injustice are eliminated as a result of which peace prevails in the country. From here we learn that, well before worrying about correcting others, one should start correcting himself. So, seen from the angle of a relative degree of importance, the first command is an absolute individual obligation (fard al-'ayn) while the second is an obligation which, if performed by some, will absolve others (fard al-kifayah). This highlights the importance of self-correction and makes its precedence obvious enough (Mazhari).

The difference between the blessings of the present world and those of the Hereafter

In this verse, the blessings of the Hereafter have been declared to be more bountiful and certainly better as compared with the blessings of the present world of our experience. Some reasons why this is so are given below:

1. The blessings of the present world are few, while the blessings of the Hereafter are many.

2. The blessings of dunya (the present world) are perishable, while the blessings of Akhirah (Hereafter) are eternal.

3. The blessings of dunya are laced with all sorts of botherations, while the blessings of Akhirah are free of such impurities.

4. The acquisition of the blessings of dunya is not certain, while the blessings of Akhirah will most certainly reach everyone who is God fearing (Muttagi: the observer of Taqwa). (al-Tafslr al-Kablr)

و لا خیر فی الدُّنیا لِمَ لَم یَکُن لَّہ مِنَ اللہِ فی دَارِ المقَامِ نَصِیبُ

فَاِن تعجِبُ الدُّنیا رِجَالاً فَاِنَّا مَتَاعُ قلیلُ وَ الزَّوالُ قَرِیبُ

There is no gain in dunya for the one who has no share in the eternal abode from Allah. Still, if dunya does attract some people, then (beware) it is a short-lived enjoyment and its decline is near (that is, once eyes closes in death, the Akhirah is there to see).

(Hast thou not seen those unto whom it was said: Withhold your hands�) [4:77]. Said al-Kalbi: �This verse was revealed about some Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, among whom were �Abd al-Rahman ibn �Awf, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, Qudamah ibn Maz�un and Sa�d ibn Abi Waqqas. These Companions were subjected to a lot of harm from the idolaters. They used to say: �O Messenger of Allah, allow us to fight them�, but his answer was always: �Keep your hands off them, for I have not been commanded to fight them�. When the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, migrated to Medina and Allah, exalted is He, commanded them to fight the idolaters, some of them disliked fighting and found it very hard. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse�. Sa�id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-�Adl informed us> Abu �Amr Hamdan> al-Hasan ibn Sufyan> Muhammad ibn �Ali> his father> al-Husayn ibn Waqid> �Amr ibn Dinar> �Ikrimah> Ibn �Abbas who related that �Abd al-Rahman ibn �Awf and some of his fellow companions went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, in Mecca and said: �O Prophet of Allah, we were mighty when we were idolaters but now that we are believers we became humiliated�. He said to them: �I am commanded to pardon, do not fight these people�. But when Allah, exalted is He, made him move to Medina, He commanded him to fight, they withheld their hands, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Hast thou not seen those unto whom it was said: Withhold your hands�).