4. An-Nisaa

Knowing that they went out to fight in the way of Allah, Allah said: (O ye who believe) in Muhammad and the Qur'an! (Take your precautions) against your enemy and do not advance dispersed, (then advance the proven ones) then put forward the ones that are the best, (or advance all together) with your Prophet.

(Lo! among you) O group of believers (there is he who loitereth) there is him who cannot bring himself to go out in the way of Allah-meaning 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy-but rather waits to see what happens to you on your expedition; (and if) on your expedition (disaster) death, defeat or hardship (overtook you, he) 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy (would say: Allah hath been gracious unto me) by my staying back (since I was not present with them) on that expedition.

(And if) on that expedition (a bounty) conquest and booty (from Allah befell you, he) 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy (would surely cry, as if there had been no love between you and him:) a bond of Religion and acquaintance due to keeping each other's company between you (Oh, would that I had been with them!) on the expedition, (then should I have achieved a great success) I would have gained abundant booty and a great share.

Allah then commanded them to fight in the way of Allah, if they happened to be hypocrites, saying: (Let those fight in the way of Allah) in obedience of Allah (who sell the life of this world for the other) those who prefer this world over the next; it is also said that this verse was revealed about sincere believers, telling them: let those who prefer the Hereafter over this world fight in the way of Allah. Then Allah mentioned their reward, saying: (Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah) in obedience of Allah, (be he slain) martyred (or be he victorious) triumphant over the enemy, (on him We shall bestow) in both cases (a vast reward) an abundant reward in Paradise.

Allah then mentioned their dislike of fighting in the way of Allah, saying: (How should ye) O group of believers (not fight for the cause of Allah) in obedience of Allah against the people of Mecca (and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children who are crying) in Mecca: (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Bring us forth from out this town) i.e. Mecca (of which the people are oppressors!) whose people are idolaters (Oh, give us from Thy presence) from You (some protecting friend!) a protector, meaning: 'Itab Ibn Usayd. (Oh, give us from Thy presence) from You (some defender!) who would prevent us from suffering. Allah answered their prayers and made the Prophet (pbuh) their defender and 'Itab their protecting friend.

Then Allah mentioned their fighting in the way of Allah, saying: (Those who believe) Muhammad and his Companions (do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve) Abu Sufyan and his companions (do battle for the cause of idols) in obedience of Satan. (So fight the minions of the devil) the soldiers of the devil. (Lo! the devil's strategy) the devil's work and stratagem (is ever weak) in that he will let them down as he did on the Day of Badr.

Allah then mentioned their dislike of joining the Prophet on the lesser Badr, saying: (Hast thou not seen) have you not been informed, O Muhammad, about (those unto whom it was said) those to whom you said in Mecca, referring to 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Awf al-Zuhri, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri, Qudamah Ibn Maz'un al-Jumahi, Miqdad Ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi and Talhah Ibn 'Abdullah al-Tamimi: (Withhold your hands) from killing and beating, for I have not ordered the initiation of fighting, (establish worship) establish the five daily prayers in full with their bowings and prostrations and that which is obligated therein of their appointed times (and pay the poor-due) give the poor their due from your wealth, (but when fighting) jihad in the way of Allah (was prescribed) obligated (for them) in Medina (behold, a party of them) among them Talhah Ibn 'Abdullah (fear mankind) the people of Mecca (even as their fear of Allah or with greater fear, and say: Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Why hast Thou ordained fighting for us?) why have You obligated on us jihad in Your way? (If only Thou wouldst give us respite yet a while!) if only You would keep us safe for a short while before death. (Say) to them, O Muhammad: (The comfort of this world) the benefit of this world (is scant) in the Hereafter; (the Hereafter) the reward of the Hereafter (will be better for him who wardeth off (evil)) who ward off disbelief, idolatry and indecencies; (and ye will not be wronged the down upon a date stone) their good deeds will not be diminished even if it be as much as the down on a date stone.

(Wheresoever ye may be) O sincere believers, on land or on the sea, in settlement or travelling, (death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers) in fortified towers. Allah then mentioned the saying of the Jews and hypocrites: �since Muhammad and his Companions came to us, our harvests and fields have kept ever decreasing�, saying: (Yet if a happy thing) land fertility, lower prices and continuous rain throughout the year (befalleth them) the Jews and hypocrites (they say: This is from Allah) for He knew that we were good; (and if an evil thing) drought, dearth, hardship and high prices (befalleth them they say: This is of your doing) this is because of the ill-omen of Muhammad and his Companions. (Say (unto them)) unto the Jews and hypocrites, O Muhammad: (All) hardship and blessing (is from Allah. What is amiss with these people) the Jews and hypocrites (that they come not nigh to understand a happening?) that both hardship and bounty are from Allah.

When the verse (We sent no messenger save that he should be obeyed by Allah's leave) was revealed, 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy said: " Muhammad commands us to obey him instead of obeying Allah " , so Allah revealed the following: (Whoso obeyeth the messenger) in that which he commands (obeys Allah) because the Messenger never commands anything unless Allah has commanded it, (and whoso turneth away) from obeying the messenger: (We have not sent thee as a warder) a custodian (over them).