Verse 4:79 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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 78 أَیۡنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ یُدۡرِككُّمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ وَلَوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِی بُرُوجࣲ مُّشَیَّدَةࣲۗ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ حَسَنَةࣱ یَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَیِّئَةࣱ یَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِكَۚ قُلۡ كُلࣱّ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ لَا یَكَادُونَ یَفۡقَهُونَ حَدِیثࣰا ۝٧٨ aynamā takūnū yud'rikkumu l-mawtu walaw kuntum fī burūjin mushayyadatin wa-in tuṣib'hum ḥasanatun yaqūlū hādhihi min ʿindi l-lahi wa-in tuṣib'hum sayyi-atun yaqūlū hādhihi min ʿindika qul kullun min ʿindi l-lahi famāli hāulāi l-qawmi lā yakādūna yafqahūna ḥadītha Death will overtake you no matter where you may be, even inside high towers.’ When good fortune comes their way, they say, ‘This is from God,’ but when harm befalls them, they say, ‘This is from you [Prophet].’ Say to them, ‘Both come from God.’ What is the matter with these people that they can barely understand what they are told

79 مَّاۤ أَصَابَكَ مِنۡ حَسَنَةࣲ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِۖ وَمَاۤ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَیِّئَةࣲ فَمِن نَّفۡسِكَۚ وَأَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولࣰاۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِیدࣰا ۝٧٩ mā aṣābaka min ḥasanatin famina l-lahi wamā aṣābaka min sayyi-atin famin nafsika wa-arsalnāka lilnnāsi rasūlan wakafā bil-lahi shahīda Anything good that happens to you [Prophet] is from God; anything bad is [ultimately] from yourself. We have sent you as a messenger to people; God is sufficient witness

80 مَّن یُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدۡ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّهَۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَاۤ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ عَلَیۡهِمۡ حَفِیظࣰا ۝٨٠ man yuṭiʿi l-rasūla faqad aṭāʿa l-laha waman tawallā famā arsalnāka ʿalayhim ḥafīẓa Whoever obeys the Messenger obeys God. If some pay no heed, We have not sent you to be their keeper 81 وَیَقُولُونَ طَاعَةࣱ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا۟ مِنۡ عِندِكَ بَیَّتَ طَاۤىِٕفَةࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ غَیۡرَ ٱلَّذِی تَقُولُۖ وَٱللَّهُ یَكۡتُبُ مَا یُبَیِّتُونَۖ فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡهُمۡ وَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِیلًا ۝٨١ wayaqūlūna ṭāʿatun fa-idhā barazū min ʿindika bayyata ṭāifatun min'hum ghayra alladhī taqūlu wal-lahu yaktubu mā yubayyitūna fa-aʿriḍ ʿanhum watawakkal ʿalā l-lahi wakafā bil-lahi wakīla They say, ‘We obey you,’ but as soon as they leave your presence, some of them scheme by night to do other than what you said. God records what they scheme, so leave them alone, and put your trust in God: He is sufficient protector 82 أَفَلَا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَۚ وَلَوۡ كَانَ مِنۡ عِندِ غَیۡرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا۟ فِیهِ ٱخۡتِلَـٰفࣰا كَثِیرࣰا ۝٨٢ afalā yatadabbarūna l-qur'āna walaw kāna min ʿindi ghayri l-lahi lawajadū fīhi ikh'tilāfan kathīra Will they not think about this Quran? If it had been from anyone other than God, they would have found much inconsistency in it 83 وَإِذَا جَاۤءَهُمۡ أَمۡرࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡنِ أَوِ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ أَذَاعُوا۟ بِهِۦۖ وَلَوۡ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰۤ أُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنۡهُمۡ لَعَلِمَهُ ٱلَّذِینَ یَسۡتَنۢبِطُونَهُۥ مِنۡهُمۡۗ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ لَٱتَّبَعۡتُمُ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنَ إِلَّا قَلِیلࣰا ۝٨٣ wa-idhā jāahum amrun mina l-amni awi l-khawfi adhāʿū bihi walaw raddūhu ilā l-rasūli wa-ilā ulī l-amri min'hum laʿalimahu alladhīna yastanbiṭūnahu min'hum walawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu la-ittabaʿtumu l-shayṭāna illā qalīla Whenever news of any matter comes to them, whether concerning peace or war, they spread it about; if they referred it to the Messenger and those in authority among them, those seeking its meaning would have found it out from them. If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you, you would almost all have followed Satan