Skip to content
MyDeenTools

An-Nisa (The Women)

Verse 77of 176

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةًۭ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْقِتَالَ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍۢ قَرِيبٍۢ ۗ قُلْ مَتَٰعُ ٱلدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌۭ وَٱلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا﴿٧٧

Translation (Sahih International)

Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakah"? But then when fighting was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear Allah or with [even] greater fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had postponed [it for] us for a short time." Say, The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allah. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]."

Word-by-word meaning

أَلَمْalamHave not
تَرَtarayou seen
إِلَىilā[towards]
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
قِيلَqīla(when) it was said
لَهُمْlahumto them
كُفُّوٓا۟kuffūRestrain
أَيْدِيَكُمْaydiyakumyour hands
وَأَقِيمُوا۟wa-aqīmūand establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَl-ṣalatathe prayer
وَءَاتُوا۟waātūand give
ٱلزَّكَوٰةَl-zakatathe zakah
فَلَمَّاfalammāThen when
كُتِبَkutibawas ordained
عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimuon them
ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitāluthe fighting
إِذَاidhāthen
فَرِيقٌۭfarīquna group
مِّنْهُمْmin'humof them
يَخْشَوْنَyakhshawna[they] fear
ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsathe people
كَخَشْيَةِkakhashyatias (they) fear
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
أَوْawor
أَشَدَّashaddamore intense
خَشْيَةًۭ ۚkhashyatanfear
وَقَالُوا۟waqālūand they said
رَبَّنَاrabbanāOur Lord
لِمَlimawhy
كَتَبْتَkatabtahave You ordained
عَلَيْنَاʿalaynāupon us
ٱلْقِتَالَl-qitāla[the] fighting
لَوْلَآlawlāWhy not
أَخَّرْتَنَآakhartanāYou postpone (it for) us
إِلَىٰٓilāto
أَجَلٍۢajalina term
قَرِيبٍۢ ۗqarībinnear
قُلْqulSay
مَتَـٰعُmatāʿuEnjoyment
ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yā(of) the world
قَلِيلٌۭqalīlun(is) little
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُwal-ākhiratuand the Hereafter
خَيْرٌۭkhayrun(is) better
لِّمَنِlimanifor whoever
ٱتَّقَىٰittaqāfears (Allah)
وَلَاwalāand not
تُظْلَمُونَtuẓ'lamūnayou will be wronged
فَتِيلًاfatīlan(even as much as) a hair on a date-seed

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Wish that the Order for Jihad be DelayedIn 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

Share this verse with others

WhatsAppX

These tools are free because of generous Muslims.

$10/month keeps this platform free for 50,000 people. Every visit earns you reward — Sadaqah Jariyah.

Support this project