4. An-Nisaa

The Women · Medinan · 176 ayahs

سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ

Reading Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

Ayahs 91–100 of 176

سَتَجِدُونَ ءَاخَرِينَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَأْمَنُوكُمْ وَيَأْمَنُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْفِتْنَةِ أُرْكِسُوا۟ فِيهَا ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ يَعْتَزِلُوكُمْ وَيُلْقُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ وَيَكُفُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكُمْ جَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَٰنًۭا مُّبِينًۭا

You will find others who wish to obtain security from you and [to] obtain security from their people. Every time they are returned to [the influence of] disbelief, they fall back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you overtake them. And those - We have made for you against them a clear authorization.

You will find others desiring to have security from you by manifesting belief before you and security from their own people through unbelief when they return to them and these were the tribes of Asad and Ghatafān; yet whenever they are returned to sedition whenever they are summoned to idolatry they are overwhelmed by it falling into it in the worst of ways. So if they do not stay away from you by refraining from fighting you and do not offer you peace and do not restrain their hands from you then take them as captives and slay them wherever you come upon them wherever you find them; against them We have given you clear warrant a clear and manifest proof for you to slay them and capture them on account of their treachery.

An-Nisaa 4:91Listen in Qur'an →

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ أَن يَقْتُلَ مُؤْمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَـًۭٔا ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَـًۭٔا فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ وَدِيَةٌۭ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَصَّدَّقُوا۟ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ عَدُوٍّۢ لَّكُمْ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ ۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍۭ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَٰقٌۭ فَدِيَةٌۭ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ وَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا

And never is it for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased's family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity. But if the deceased was from a people at war with you and he was a believer - then [only] the freeing of a believing slave; and if he was from a people with whom you have a treaty - then a compensation payment presented to his family and the freeing of a believing slave. And whoever does not find [one or cannot afford to buy one] - then [instead], a fast for two months consecutively, [seeking] acceptance of repentance from Allah. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

It is not for a believer to slay a believer in other words no such slaying should result at his hands except by mistake killing him by mistake unintentionally. He who slays a believer by mistake when he meant to strike some other thing as in the case of hunting or shooting at trees but then happens to strike him with what in most cases would not kill then let him set free let him emancipate a believing slave raqaba denotes nasama ‘a person’ an obligation on him and blood-money is to be submitted to be paid to his family that is the slain person’s inheritors unless they remit it as a charity to him by waiving their claim to it. In the Sunna this blood-money is explained as being equivalent to one hundred camels twenty pregnant twenty female sucklings twenty male sucklings twenty mature ones and twenty young ones not more than five years old; and the Sunna stipulates that it is incumbent upon the killer’s clan namely his paternal relations and not other relatives. They share this burden of the blood-money over three years; the rich among them pays half a dinar while the one of moderate means pays a quarter of a dinar each year; if they still cannot meet this then it can be taken from the treasury and if this is not possible then from the killer himself. If he the slain belongs to a people at enmity at war with you and is a believer then the setting free of a believing slave is incumbent upon the slayer as a redemption but no bloodmoney is to be paid to his family since they are at war with you. If he the slain belongs to a people between whom and you there is a covenant a treaty as is the case with the Protected People ahl al-dhimma then the blood-money for him must be paid to his family and it constitutes a third of the blood-money for a believer if the slain be a Jew or a Christian and two thirds of a tenth of it if he be a Magian; and the setting free of a believing slave is incumbent upon the slayer. But if he has not the wherewithal for setting free a slave failing to find one or the means to obtain one then the fasting of two successive months is incumbent upon him as a redemption here God does not mention the transition to an alternative to fasting which is giving food to the needy as in the case of repudiating one’s wife by zihār something which al-Shāfi‘ī advocates in the more correct of two opinions of his; a relenting from God tawbatan ‘relenting’ is the verbal noun and is in the accusative because of the implied verb.

An-Nisaa 4:92Listen in Qur'an →

وَمَن يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًۭا مُّتَعَمِّدًۭا فَجَزَآؤُهُۥ جَهَنَّمُ خَٰلِدًۭا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُۥ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُۥ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًۭا

But whoever kills a believer intentionally - his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.

And whoever slays a believer deliberately intending to kill him with something that is lethal aware of the fact that he the slain is a believer his requital is Hell abiding therein and God is wroth with him and has cursed him He has removed him from His mercy and has prepared for him a mighty chastisement in the Fire this may be explained as referring to the person that deems such killing licit or as being his requital if he were to be requited but it would not be anything new if this threat of punishment were to be forgone because of what He says Other than that that is idolatry He forgives whomever He will Q. 448. It is reported from Ibn ‘Abbās that it the verse should be understood as it stands abrogating other verses of ‘forgiveness’. The verse in sūrat al-Baqara Q. 2178 clearly indicates that the one who kills deliberately should be killed in return or if he is pardoned then he has to pay the blood-money the value of which has already been mentioned. It is made clear in the Sunna that between the intentional and the unintentional there is a type of killing that is identified as being with quasi-deliberate intent shibh al-‘amd where the killer has slain with what in most cases is not a lethal implement. In such a case there is no right to retaliation and blood-money is paid instead so that it this type of killing is described as intentional but considered unintentional in that there applies the fixing of the period for payment and the sharing of the burden by the killer’s clan; in this case and that of intentional killing redemption is more urgent than in unintentional killing.

An-Nisaa 4:93Listen in Qur'an →

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُوا۟ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَنْ أَلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَٰمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًۭا تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا

O you who have believed, when you go forth [to fight] in the cause of Allah, investigate; and do not say to one who gives you [a greeting of] peace "You are not a believer," aspiring for the goods of worldly life; for with Allah are many acquisitions. You [yourselves] were like that before; then Allah conferred His favor upon you, so investigate. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.

The following was revealed when a group from among the Companions passed by a man from the Banū Sulaym driving his flock of sheep and he offered them a greeting of peace. But they said ‘He only greeted us dissimulating out of fear’. So they killed him and took away his flock O you who believe when you are going forth travelling in order to struggle in the way of God be discriminating fa-tabayyanū; a variant reading has fa-tathabbatū ‘ascertain’ here and further below; and do not say to him who offers you peace read al-salām or al-salam that is the greeting or offers you submission declaring the profession of faith shahāda which is an indication of being a Muslim ‘You are not a believer you are only saying this to dissimulate for fear of your life and property’ so that you then end up killing him desiring seeking by this the transient goods of the life of this world that is its enjoyment in the way of spoils. With God are plenteous spoils rendering you free of the need to kill such a person for his property. So you were formerly when your lives and property were protected simply upon your professing the faith; but God has been gracious to you making you known for your faith and uprightness. So be discriminating lest you kill a believer and treat those entering the religion as you were treated formerly. Surely God is ever Aware of what you do and will requite you for it.

An-Nisaa 4:94Listen in Qur'an →

لَّا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْقَٰعِدُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُو۟لِى ٱلضَّرَرِ وَٱلْمُجَٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُجَٰهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ عَلَى ٱلْقَٰعِدِينَ دَرَجَةًۭ ۚ وَكُلًّۭا وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَفَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُجَٰهِدِينَ عَلَى ٱلْقَٰعِدِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا

Not equal are those believers remaining [at home] - other than the disabled - and the mujahideen, [who strive and fight] in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred the mujahideen through their wealth and their lives over those who remain [behind], by degrees. And to both Allah has promised the best [reward]. But Allah has preferred the mujahideen over those who remain [behind] with a great reward -

The believers who sit at home away from the struggle other than those who have an injury such as a chronic illness or blindness or the like read in the nominative ghayru ūlī l-darar ‘other than those who have an injury’ as an adjectival clause; or in the accusative ghayra ūlī l-darar as an exceptive clause are not the equals of those who struggle in the way of God with their possessions and their lives. God has preferred those who struggle with their possessions and their lives over the ones who sit at home on account of some injury by a degree by a degree of merit since both have the same intention but the extra degree is given to those who have carried out the struggle; yet to each of the two groups God has promised the goodly reward Paradise and God has preferred those who struggle over the ones who sit at home without any injury with a great reward ajran ‘azīman is substituted by the following darajātin minhu

An-Nisaa 4:95Listen in Qur'an →

دَرَجَٰتٍۢ مِّنْهُ وَمَغْفِرَةًۭ وَرَحْمَةًۭ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًا

Degrees [of high position] from Him and forgiveness and mercy. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.

degrees that is stations one higher than the other in honour from Him and forgiveness and mercy maghfiratan and rahmatan are in the accusative because they constitute an object of the implied verb faddala ‘He has preferred’. Surely God is ever Forgiving to His friends Merciful to those that obey Him.

An-Nisaa 4:96Listen in Qur'an →

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةًۭ فَتُهَاجِرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۚ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًا

Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, "In what [condition] were you?" They will say, "We were oppressed in the land." The angels will say, "Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?" For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination.

The following was revealed regarding a group of people who submitted to Islam but did not emigrate and were then slain in the battle of Badr alongside the disbelievers And those whom the angels take in death while they are wronging their souls having remained among the disbelievers and neglected to emigrate the angels will say to them in rebuke ‘What was your predicament?’ in other words ‘in what circumstances were you with regard to your religion’. They will say giving excuses ‘We were oppressed unable to establish religion in the land’ the land of Mecca. The angels will say to them in rebuke ‘But was not God’s earth spacious that you might have emigrated therein?’ from the land of unbelief to another land as others did? God exalted be He says as for such their abode shall be Hell — an evil journey’s end it is!

An-Nisaa 4:97Listen in Qur'an →

إِلَّا ٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْوِلْدَٰنِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةًۭ وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلًۭا

Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way -

Except the oppressed among the men women and children who are unable to devise a plan having no strength to emigrate and no substance and are not guided to a way a means of going to the land of emigration.

An-Nisaa 4:98Listen in Qur'an →

فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًۭا

For those it is expected that Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.

As for such perhaps God will pardon them for God is ever Pardoning Forgiving.

An-Nisaa 4:99Listen in Qur'an →

100

۞ وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُرَٰغَمًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَسَعَةًۭ ۚ وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِنۢ بَيْتِهِۦ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا

And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him - his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.

Whoever emigrates in the way of God will find in the earth many refuges places of emigration and abundance of provision; whoever goes forth from his house as an emigrant to God and His Messenger and then death overtakes him along the way as occurred with Junda‘ or Jundab b. Damra al-Laythī his wage is then incumbent upon fixed with God; surely God is ever Forgiving Merciful.

An-Nisaa 4:100Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.