Verse 4:73 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

69 وَمَن یُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِینَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَیۡهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِیِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّیقِینَ وَٱلشُّهَدَاۤءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِینَۚ وَحَسُنَ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ رَفِیقࣰا ۝٦٩ waman yuṭiʿi l-laha wal-rasūla fa-ulāika maʿa alladhīna anʿama l-lahu ʿalayhim mina l-nabiyīna wal-ṣidīqīna wal-shuhadāi wal-ṣāliḥīna waḥasuna ulāika rafīqa Whoever obeys God and the Messenger will be among those He has blessed: the messengers, the truthful, those who bear witness to the truth, and the righteous- what excellent companions these are 70 ذَ ٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ عَلِیمࣰا ۝٧٠ dhālika l-faḍlu mina l-lahi wakafā bil-lahi ʿalīma That is God’s favour. No one knows better than Him 71 یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ خُذُوا۟ حِذۡرَكُمۡ فَٱنفِرُوا۟ ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ ٱنفِرُوا۟ جَمِیعࣰا ۝٧١ yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū khudhū ḥidh'rakum fa-infirū thubātin awi infirū jamīʿa You who believe, be on your guard. March [to battle] in small groups or as one body 72 وَإِنَّ مِنكُمۡ لَمَن لَّیُبَطِّئَنَّ فَإِنۡ أَصَـٰبَتۡكُم مُّصِیبَةࣱ قَالَ قَدۡ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَیَّ إِذۡ لَمۡ أَكُن مَّعَهُمۡ شَهِیدࣰا ۝٧٢ wa-inna minkum laman layubaṭṭi-anna fa-in aṣābatkum muṣībatun qāla qad anʿama l-lahu ʿalayya idh lam akun maʿahum shahīda Among you there is the sort of person who is sure to lag behind: if a calamity befalls you, he says, ‘God has been gracious to me that I was not there with them,’

73 وَلَىِٕنۡ أَصَـٰبَكُمۡ فَضۡلࣱ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَیَقُولَنَّ كَأَن لَّمۡ تَكُنۢ بَیۡنَكُمۡ وَبَیۡنَهُۥ مَوَدَّةࣱ یَـٰلَیۡتَنِی كُنتُ مَعَهُمۡ فَأَفُوزَ فَوۡزًا عَظِیمࣰا ۝٧٣ wala-in aṣābakum faḍlun mina l-lahi layaqūlanna ka-an lam takun baynakum wabaynahu mawaddatun yālaytanī kuntu maʿahum fa-afūza fawzan ʿaẓīma yet he is sure to say, if you are favoured by God, ‘If only I had been with them, I could have made great gains,’ as if there had been no ties of affection between you and him

74 ۞ فَلۡیُقَـٰتِلۡ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِینَ یَشۡرُونَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡیَا بِٱلۡءَاخِرَةِۚ وَمَن یُقَـٰتِلۡ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ فَیُقۡتَلۡ أَوۡ یَغۡلِبۡ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِیهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِیمࣰا ۝٧٤ falyuqātil fī sabīli l-lahi alladhīna yashrūna l-ḥayata l-dun'yā bil-ākhirati waman yuqātil fī sabīli l-lahi fayuq'tal aw yaghlib fasawfa nu'tīhi ajran ʿaẓīma Let those of you who are willing to trade the life of this world for the life to come, fight in God’s way. To anyone who fights in God’s way, whether killed or victorious, We shall give a great reward 75 وَمَا لَكُمۡ لَا تُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِینَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَاۤءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَ ٰنِ ٱلَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَاۤ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡیَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهۡلُهَا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِیࣰّا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِیرًا ۝٧٥ wamā lakum lā tuqātilūna fī sabīli l-lahi wal-mus'taḍʿafīna mina l-rijāli wal-nisāi wal-wil'dāni alladhīna yaqūlūna rabbanā akhrij'nā min hādhihi l-qaryati l-ẓālimi ahluhā wa-ij'ʿal lanā min ladunka waliyyan wa-ij'ʿal lanā min ladunka naṣīra Why should you not fight in God’s cause and for those oppressed men, women, and children who cry out, ‘Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors! By Your grace, give us a protector and give us a helper!’ 76 ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ یُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ یُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ فَقَـٰتِلُوۤا۟ أَوۡلِیَاۤءَ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِۖ إِنَّ كَیۡدَ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِیفًا ۝٧٦ alladhīna āmanū yuqātilūna fī sabīli l-lahi wa-alladhīna kafarū yuqātilūna fī sabīli l-ṭāghūti faqātilū awliyāa l-shayṭāni inna kayda l-shayṭāni kāna ḍaʿīfa The believers fight for God’s cause, while those who reject faith fight for an unjust cause. Fight the allies of Satan: Satan’s strategies are truly weak 77 أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِینَ قِیلَ لَهُمۡ كُفُّوۤا۟ أَیۡدِیَكُمۡ وَأَقِیمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَیۡهِمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِیقࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ یَخۡشَوۡنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشۡیَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡ أَشَدَّ خَشۡیَةࣰۚ وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبۡتَ عَلَیۡنَا ٱلۡقِتَالَ لَوۡلَاۤ أَخَّرۡتَنَاۤ إِلَىٰۤ أَجَلࣲ قَرِیبࣲۗ قُلۡ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلدُّنۡیَا قَلِیلࣱ وَٱلۡءَاخِرَةُ خَیۡرࣱ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُونَ فَتِیلًا ۝٧٧ alam tara ilā alladhīna qīla lahum kuffū aydiyakum wa-aqīmū l-ṣalata waātū l-zakata falammā kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qitālu idhā farīqun min'hum yakhshawna l-nāsa kakhashyati l-lahi aw ashadda khashyatan waqālū rabbanā lima katabta ʿalaynā l-qitāla lawlā akhartanā ilā ajalin qarībin qul matāʿu l-dun'yā qalīlun wal-ākhiratu khayrun limani ittaqā walā tuẓ'lamūna fatīla [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