Surah An-Nisa — Verse 77
The Women · 4:77 · 77/176
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْقِتَالَ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ ۗ قُلْ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا
Alam tara ila allatheena qeelalahum kuffoo aydiyakum waaqeemoo assalatawaatoo azzakata falamma kutibaAAalayhimu alqitalu itha fareequn minhum yakhshawnaannasa kakhashyati Allahi aw ashaddakhashyatan waqaloo rabbana lima katabta AAalaynaalqitala lawla akhkhartana ila ajalinqareebin qul mataAAu addunya qaleelun wal-akhiratukhayrun limani ittaqa wala tuthlamoonafateela
Translations of this verse 7
Saheeh International
Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakāh"? But then when battle was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear Allāh 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 Allāh. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]."
M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
[Prophet], do you not see those who were told, ‘Restrain yourselves from fighting, perform the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms’? When fighting was ordained for them, some of them feared men as much as, or even more than, they feared God, saying, ‘Lord, why have You ordained fighting for us? If only You would give us just a little more time.’ Say to them, ‘Little is the enjoyment in this world, the Hereafter is far better for those who are mindful of God: you will not be wronged by as much as the fibre in a date stone.
Marmaduke Pickthall
Hast thou not seen those unto whom it was said: Withhold your hands, establish worship and pay the poordue, 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.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Hast thou not turned Thy vision to those who were told to hold back their hands (from fight) but establish regular prayers and spend in regular charity? 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: They said: "Our Lord! Why hast Thou ordered us to fight? Wouldst Thou not Grant us respite to our (natural) term, near (enough)?" Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world: the Hereafter is the best for those who do right: Never will ye be dealt with unjustly in the very least!
Mufti Taqi Usmani
Have you not seen those to whom it was said, “Hold your hands (from fighting) and be steadfast in Salāh and pay Zakāh.” However, when fighting is enjoined upon them, then surprisingly, a group from them starts fearing people, as one would fear Allah, or fearing even more.They say, “Our Lord, why have you enjoined fighting upon us? Would you have not spared us for a little more time?” Say, “The enjoyment of the world is but a little, and the Hereafter is far better for the one who fears Allah, and you shall not be wronged, even to the measure of a fiber.
Al-Hilali & Khan
Have you not seen those who were told to hold back their hands (from fighting) and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât but when the fighting was ordained for them, behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allâh or even more. They say: "Our Lord! Why have you ordained for us fighting? Would that You had granted us respite for a short period?" Say: "Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears Allâh, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly even equal to a scalish thread in the long slit of a date-stone.
Abul A'la Maududi (Tafhim)
Have you not seen those who were told: 'Restrain you hands, and establish the Prayer, and pay the Zakah'? But when fighting was enjoined upon them some of them feared men as one should fear Allah, or even more, and said: 'Our Lord, why have You ordained fighting for us? Why did You not grant us a little more respite?' Say to them: 'There is little enjoyment in this world. The World to Come is much better for the God-fearing. And you shall not be wronged even to the extent of the husk of a date-stone.
Reason for Revelation Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Arabic source: al-Wāḥidī / al-Suyūṭī, via Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies (CC BY 4.0)
قال تعالى: {أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا (77)} [النساء: 77].
121 - عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ -رضي الله عنهما-: أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ وَأَصْحَاباً لَهُ أَتَوْا النَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بِمَكَّةَ، فَقَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَا كُنَا فِي عِزٍّ وَنَحْنُ مُشْرِكُونَ، فَلَقَا آمَنَا صِرْنَا أَذِلَّةً، فَقَالَ: "إِني أُمِرْتُ بالْعَفْوِ، فَلاَ تُقَاتِلُوا"، فَلَمَّا حَوَّلَنَا اللّهُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ أَمَرَنَا بِالْقِتَالِ، فَكَفُّوا، فَأَنْزَلَ اللّهُ عَز وَجلَّ {أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ}. واللفظ للنسائي ¬أخرجه النَّسَائِيّ في الصغرى برقم: 3086، والكبرى برقم: 4293، 11112، والطبري في التفسير برقم: 9951، 5/ 170 - 171، والحاكم: 2/ 66، 307، والبيهقي: 9/ 11، والواحدي في أسباب النزول: ص 167 وصححه الحاكم ووافقه الذهبي. قلت: ورجاله رجال الصحيح. وزاد السيوطي عزوه في الدر: 2/ 184 لابن أبي حاتم. وقد جاء شبيهاً به عن قتادة مرسلاً: أخرجه ابن جرير: 5/ 171، وزاد الشوكاني عزوه دي فتح القدير: لعبد بن حميد وابن المنذر، وإسناده صحيح.¥.