The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 235
PT. 5 AN-NISA' CH. 4 عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ pay the Zakah? And when fighting has been prescribed for النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً them, behold! a section of them وَقَالُوْارَ بَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلَا fear men as they should fear Allah, or with still greater fear; أَخَرْتَنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ قُلْ مَتَاعُ and they say, “Our Lord, why hast الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا Thou prescribed fighting for us? bWouldst Thou not grant us respite yet a while?' Say, "The benefit of this world is little and the Hereafter will be better for him who fears God; and you shall not be wronged a whit. '546 "death will overtake you, even if you be in strongly built towers. they say, “This is from Allah;' أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِكُكُمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ Wheresoever you may be. 79 كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجِ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةً يَقُوْلُوْا هَذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ وَإِنْ ,And if some good befalls them تُصِبْهُمُ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَذِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ and if evil befalls them, they say, 'This is from thee. ' Say, قُلْ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ فَمَالِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ All is from Allah. What has لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًان happened to these people that a2:247; 4:67. 14:45; 63:11. º9:38; 57:21. d See 4:50. 62:9. 546. Commentary: This verse refers to a class of men who show eagerness to fight when they are told not to fight, but when the actual time for fighting arrives, they refuse to fight or try to avoid it by various pretexts, thus showing that their former eagerness for fighting was either insincere or was only due to a temporary excitement. The verse may also be regarded as 675 referring to (Helpers) of Medina who, before the advent of Islam to that city, were constantly at war among themselves. But when they accepted Islam, they were asked to cease fighting. When, however, they were called upon to take up arms to defend Islam, a section of them, who were always fighting among themselves before they embraced Islam, became afraid of fighting in the cause of God.