4. Sura an-Nisa
Medina 92 [Hijra 4]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أَلَمْ
تَرَ إِلَى
الَّذِينَ قِيلَ
لَهُمْ كُفُّواْ
أَيْدِيَكُمْ
...
4: 77. Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who were told to hold back their hands (form fight)
C595. Before the command for fighting was issued there were some who were impatient, and could scarcely be held back. They wanted fighting from human motives,- pugnacity, hatred against their enemies, the gaining of personal ends. Fighting from such motives is wrong at all times.
When the testing time came, and they had to fight, not for their own hand, but for a Sacred Cause, in which there was much suffering and little personal gain, the Hypocrites held back and were afraid.
... وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ...
but establish regular prayers and spend in regular charity?
... فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً...
When (at length) the order for fighting was issued to them, behold! a section of them feared men as, or even more than, they should have feared Allah:
... وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ...
they say: "Our Lord! why hast Thou ordered us to fight?
... لَوْلا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ ...
Wouldst Thou not grant us respite to our (natural) term, near (enough)?"
C596. "Our natural term of life," they would say, "is short enough; why should we jeopardize it by fighting in which there is no personal gain?"
The answer is begun in this verse and continued in the next. Briefly, the answer is:
1. in any case the pleasures of this world are short; this life is fleeting; the first thing for a righteous man to do is to emancipate himself from its obsessions;
2. to do your duty is to do right; therefore turn your attention mainly to duty;
3. when duty calls for self-sacrifice, be sure that Allah's call is never unjust, and never such as to exceed your capacity; and
4. if you fear death, you will not by fear escape death; it will find you out wherever you are; why not face it boldly when duty calls?
... قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدَّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ ...
Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world:
... وَالآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلاَ تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً ﴿٧٧﴾
the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!
وَإِذَا
حُيِّيْتُم
بِتَحِيَّةٍ
فَحَيُّواْ
بِأَحْسَنَ
مِنْهَا أَوْ
رُدُّوهَا...
4: 86. When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, (at least) of equal courtesy.
... إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا ﴿٨٦﴾
Allah takes careful account of all things.
C605. The necessary correlative to the command to fight in a good cause is the command to cultivate sweetness and cordiality in our manners at all times. For fighting is an exceptional necessity while the sweetness of daily human intercourse is a normal need.
Further, we give kindness and courtesy without asking, and return it if possible in even better terms than we received, or at least in equally courteous terms. For we are all creatures of One God, and shall be brought together before Him.
إِلاَّ
الَّذِينَ
يَصِلُونَ
إِلَىَ قَوْمٍ
بَيْنَكُمْ
وَبَيْنَهُم
مِّيثَاقٌ...
4: 90. Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty (of peace),
C608. Except: the exception refers to "seize them and slay them", the death penalty for repeated desertion.
Even after such desertion, exemption is granted in two cases.
- One is where the deserter took asylum with a tribe with whom there was a treaty of peace and amity.
Presumably such a tribe (even though outside the pale of Islam) might be trusted to keep the man from fighting against the forces of Islam -in the modern phrase, to disarm him and render him harmless.
- The second case for exemption is where the man from his own heart desires never to take up arms against Islam, though he does not wish to join the forces of Islam, to fight against a hostile tribe (perhaps his own) fighting against Islam.
But he must make a real approach, giving guarantees of his sincerity. In the modern phrase he would be "on parole".
But this provision is much milder than that in modern military codes, which grant the privilege only to enemy prisoners, not to those who have deserted from the army granting them parole.
The Hypocrites were in that position, but humanity as well as policy treated them with great leniency.
... أَوْ جَآؤُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ أَوْ يُقَاتِلُواْ قَوْمَهُمْ...
or those who approach you with hearts restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people.
C609. Approach or come: refers not to the physical act coming, but to the mental attitude; the heart is mentioned for sincerity.
When they sincerely promise not to fight against you, do not pursue them. remember that if they had fought against you, your difficulties would have been increased. their neutrality itself may be a great advantage to you.
So long as you are satisfied that they are sincere and their acts support their declarations of peace with you, you should not consider yourself justified in pursuing them and warning against them.
... وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوكُمْ...
If Allah had pleased, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you:
... فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْاْ إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلاً ﴿٩٠﴾
therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (guarantees of) peace, then Allah hath opened no way for you (to war against them).
4: 77
Asad Are you not aware of those who have been told, “Curb your hands [note 91] and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues”? But as soon as fighting [in God’s cause] is ordained for them, lo, some of them stand in awe of men as one should stand in awe of God – or in even greater awe – and say, “O our Sustainer! Why have you ordained fighting for us? If only you had granted us a delay for a little while!” Say: “Brief is the enjoyment of this world, whereas the life to come is the best for all who are conscious of God – since none of you shall be wronged by as much as a hair’s breadth.
Pickthall Hast thou not seen those unto whom it was said: Withhold your hands, establish worship and pay the poor due, but when fighting was prescribed for them behold, a party of them fear mankind even as their fear of Allah or with greater fear, and say: Our Lord! Why hast thou ordained fighting for us? If only Thou wouldst give us respite yet a while! Say (unto them, O Muhammad): The comfort of this world is scant; the Hereafter will be better for him who wardeth off (evil); and ye will not be wronged the down upon a date stone.
Alam tara ilal lazina qila lahum kuffu_ aidiyakum wa aqimus sala_ta wa a_tuz zaka_h(ta), falamma_ kutiba'alaihimul qita_lu iza_ fariqum minhum yakhsyaunan na_sa ka khasyyatilla_hi au asyadda khasyyah(ti), wa qa_lu_ rabbana_ lima katabta'alainal qita_l(a), lau la_ akhkhartana_ ila_ ajalin qarib(in), qul mata_'ud dunya_ qalil(un), wal a_khiratu khairul limanittaqa_, wa la_ tuzlamu_na fatila_(n).
[[ Asad’s note 91 – I.e., from unrighteous violence, to which man so often inclines. The fact that most people have to be told to refrain from violence in contrasted, in the next sentence, with the unwillingness on the part of many of them to expose themselves to physical danger in a righteous cause.]]
595 Before the command for fighting was issued there were some who were impatient, and could scarcely be held back. They wanted fighting from human motives,- pugnacity, hatred against their enemies, the gaining of personal ends. Fighting from such motives is wrong at all times. When the testing time came, and they had to fight, not for their own hand, but for a Sacred Cause, in which there was much suffering and little personal gain, the Hypocrites held back and were afraid. (4.77)
596 "Our natural term of life," they would say, "is short enough; why should we jeopardize it by fighting in which there is no personal gain?" The answer is begun in this verse and continued in the next. Briefly, the answer is: (1) in any case the pleasures of this world are short; this life is fleeting; the first thing for a righteous man to do is to emancipate himself from its obsessions; (2) to do your duty is to do right; therefore turn your attention mainly to duty; (3) when duty calls for self-sacrifice, be sure that Allah's call is never unjust, and never such as to exceed your capacity; and (4) if you fear death, you will not by fear escape death; it will find you out wherever you are; why not face it boldly when duty calls? (4.77)]]
4: 86
Pickthall When ye are greeted with a greeting, greet ye with a better than it or return it. Lo! Allah taketh count of all things.
Transliteration Wa iza_ huyyitum bi tahiyyatin fa hayyu_ bi ahsana minha_ au ruddu_ha_, innalla_ha 'ala_ kulli syai'in hasiba_]]
4: 90
Asad ………… 4: 90 ....Thus if they let you be, and do not make war on you, and offer you peace, God does not allow you to harm them. [note 111]
Pickthall Except those who seek refuge with a people between whom and you there is a covenant, or (those who) come unto you because their hearts forbid them to make war on you or make war on their own folk. Had Allah willed He could have given them power over you so that assuredly they would have fought you. So, if they hold aloof from you and wage not war against you and offer you peace, Allah alloweth you no way against them
llal lazina yasilu_na ila_ qaumim bainakum wa bainahum misa_qun au ja_'u_kum hasirat sudu_ruhum ay yuqa_tilu_kum au yuqa_tilu_ qaumahum, wa lau sya_'alla_hu lasallatahum'alaikum falaqa_talu_kum, fa ini'tazalu_kum falam yuqa_tilu_kum wa alqau ilaikumus salam(a), fama_ ja'alalla_hu lakum 'alaihim sabila_(n).
[[ Asad note 111 – Lit., “God has given you no way against them”: a reference to the ordinance laid down in verse 86 above.]]
n).