Verse 4:87 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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 84 فَقَـٰتِلۡ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُكَلَّفُ إِلَّا نَفۡسَكَۚ وَحَرِّضِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن یَكُفَّ بَأۡسَ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأۡسࣰا وَأَشَدُّ تَنكِیلࣰا ۝٨٤ faqātil fī sabīli l-lahi lā tukallafu illā nafsaka waḥarriḍi l-mu'minīna ʿasā l-lahu an yakuffa basa alladhīna kafarū wal-lahu ashaddu basan wa-ashaddu tankīla So [Prophet] fight in God’s way. You are accountable only for yourself. Urge the believers on. God may well curb the power of the disbelievers, for He is stronger in might and more terrible in punishment 85 مَّن یَشۡفَعۡ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةࣰ یَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِیبࣱ مِّنۡهَاۖ وَمَن یَشۡفَعۡ شَفَـٰعَةࣰ سَیِّئَةࣰ یَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفۡلࣱ مِّنۡهَاۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ مُّقِیتࣰا ۝٨٥ man yashfaʿ shafāʿatan ḥasanatan yakun lahu naṣībun min'hā waman yashfaʿ shafāʿatan sayyi-atan yakun lahu kif'lun min'hā wakāna l-lahu ʿalā kulli shayin muqīta Whoever speaks for a good cause will share in its benefits and whoever speaks for a bad cause will share in its burden: God controls everything 86 وَإِذَا حُیِّیتُم بِتَحِیَّةࣲ فَحَیُّوا۟ بِأَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَاۤ أَوۡ رُدُّوهَاۤۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءٍ حَسِیبًا ۝٨٦ wa-idhā ḥuyyītum bitaḥiyyatin faḥayyū bi-aḥsana min'hā aw ruddūhā inna l-laha kāna ʿalā kulli shayin ḥasība But [even in battle] when you [believers] are offered a greeting, respond with a better one, or at least return it: God keeps account of everything

87 ٱللَّهُ لَاۤ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ لَیَجۡمَعَنَّكُمۡ إِلَىٰ یَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِیَـٰمَةِ لَا رَیۡبَ فِیهِۗ وَمَنۡ أَصۡدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِیثࣰا ۝٨٧ al-lahu lā ilāha illā huwa layajmaʿannakum ilā yawmi l-qiyāmati lā rayba fīhi waman aṣdaqu mina l-lahi ḥadītha He is God: there is no god but Him. He will gather you all together on the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. Whose word can be truer than God’s

88 ۞ فَمَا لَكُمۡ فِی ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِینَ فِئَتَیۡنِ وَٱللَّهُ أَرۡكَسَهُم بِمَا كَسَبُوۤا۟ۚ أَتُرِیدُونَ أَن تَهۡدُوا۟ مَنۡ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُۖ وَمَن یُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ سَبِیلࣰا ۝٨٨ famā lakum fī l-munāfiqīna fi-atayni wal-lahu arkasahum bimā kasabū aturīdūna an tahdū man aḍalla l-lahu waman yuḍ'lili l-lahu falan tajida lahu sabīla [Believers], why are you divided in two about the hypocrites, when God Himself has rejected them because of what they have done? Do you want to guide those God has left to stray? If God leaves anyone to stray, you [Prophet] will never find the way for him 89 وَدُّوا۟ لَوۡ تَكۡفُرُونَ كَمَا كَفَرُوا۟ فَتَكُونُونَ سَوَاۤءࣰۖ فَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ مِنۡهُمۡ أَوۡلِیَاۤءَ حَتَّىٰ یُهَاجِرُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡا۟ فَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ حَیۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡۖ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ مِنۡهُمۡ وَلِیࣰّا وَلَا نَصِیرًا ۝٨٩ waddū law takfurūna kamā kafarū fatakūnūna sawāan falā tattakhidhū min'hum awliyāa ḥattā yuhājirū fī sabīli l-lahi fa-in tawallaw fakhudhūhum wa-uq'tulūhum ḥaythu wajadttumūhum walā tattakhidhū min'hum waliyyan walā naṣīra They would dearly like you to reject faith, as they themselves have done, to be like them. So do not take them as allies until they migrate [to Medina] for God’s cause. If they turn [on you], then seize and kill them wherever you encounter them. Take none of them as an ally or supporter 90 إِلَّا ٱلَّذِینَ یَصِلُونَ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِۭ بَیۡنَكُمۡ وَبَیۡنَهُم مِّیثَـٰقٌ أَوۡ جَاۤءُوكُمۡ حَصِرَتۡ صُدُورُهُمۡ أَن یُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ أَوۡ یُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ قَوۡمَهُمۡۚ وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمۡ عَلَیۡكُمۡ فَلَقَـٰتَلُوكُمۡۚ فَإِنِ ٱعۡتَزَلُوكُمۡ فَلَمۡ یُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ وَأَلۡقَوۡا۟ إِلَیۡكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ عَلَیۡهِمۡ سَبِیلࣰا ۝٩٠ illā alladhīna yaṣilūna ilā qawmin baynakum wabaynahum mīthāqun aw jāūkum ḥaṣirat ṣudūruhum an yuqātilūkum aw yuqātilū qawmahum walaw shāa l-lahu lasallaṭahum ʿalaykum falaqātalūkum fa-ini iʿ'tazalūkum falam yuqātilūkum wa-alqaw ilaykumu l-salama famā jaʿala l-lahu lakum ʿalayhim sabīla But as for those who seek refuge with people with whom you have a treaty, or who come over to you because their hearts shrink from fighting against you or against their own people, God could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they withdraw and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no way against them 91 سَتَجِدُونَ ءَاخَرِینَ یُرِیدُونَ أَن یَأۡمَنُوكُمۡ وَیَأۡمَنُوا۟ قَوۡمَهُمۡ كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوۤا۟ إِلَى ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ أُرۡكِسُوا۟ فِیهَاۚ فَإِن لَّمۡ یَعۡتَزِلُوكُمۡ وَیُلۡقُوۤا۟ إِلَیۡكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ وَیَكُفُّوۤا۟ أَیۡدِیَهُمۡ فَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ حَیۡثُ ثَقِفۡتُمُوهُمۡۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكُمۡ جَعَلۡنَا لَكُمۡ عَلَیۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَـٰنࣰا مُّبِینࣰا ۝٩١ satajidūna ākharīna yurīdūna an yamanūkum wayamanū qawmahum kulla mā ruddū ilā l-fit'nati ur'kisū fīhā fa-in lam yaʿtazilūkum wayul'qū ilaykumu l-salama wayakuffū aydiyahum fakhudhūhum wa-uq'tulūhum ḥaythu thaqif'tumūhum wa-ulāikum jaʿalnā lakum ʿalayhim sul'ṭānan mubīna You will find others who wish to be safe from you, and from their own people, but whenever they are back in a situation where they are tempted [to fight you], they succumb to it. So if they neither withdraw, nor offer you peace, nor restrain themselves from fighting you, seize and kill them wherever you encounter them: We give you clear authority against such people