The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 246
CH. 4 AN-NISA' them and kill them, wherever you find them. Against these We have given authority 560 R. 13. you clear 93. It does not become believer to kill a believer unless 560. Important Words: a (fall headlong) is in the passive voice and the right translation of it would be, "are made to fall headlong", or "are overthrown" etc. but for the sake of clearness the word has been translated here in the active sayi. e. he turned the thing They. رکس is formed from اركسوا. voice ,means اركس الشيء. over or upside down he turned the thing to its former state; he turned or threw it over upon its head; he reversed it or turned it back; he made the first part of it to be the last. means, may God turn thine enemy upon his head; or may He overthrow him or change or reverse his condition (Lane & Aqrab). (hostility) generally meaning, (1) persecution, (2) mischief, (3) discord and dissension, (4) civil war, etc. , also means war, i. e. hostility (Lane). See also 2:192. authority) is the) سلطان noun- PT. 5 لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَنًا مُّبِينًان وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْ مِن أَنْ يَقْتُلَ مُؤْ مِنَّا إِلَّا perspicuous in speech, or eloquent and sharp in tongue. They say من سلطان. one i. e. I have given you the power or authority to take my dues from such a means, strength, might, force or power; predominance; power authority; the sovereign or ruling power; king or ruler; sharpness; hardness; proof or argument; evidence; plea (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: or The reference in this verse is to those people who had no alliance with Muslims or any tribe having an alliance with them. They were time- servers who awaited their opportunity. The difference between these people and those mentioned in the previous verse is that the latter had some sort of alliance with this or that party though they did not possess the strength to assert themselves, while the former only infinitive from which means, he sought security by deceitful means or it overcame, prevailed or predominated; he became firm or established in superior power; he possessed power or dominion or sovereignty; he was or became sharp; it was or became hard or strong; he was or became chaste or 686 and hastened to make common cause with the enemies of Islam whenever invited to do so. Fighting was enjoined against this class of people, unless they entered into a treaty of peace with Muslims and loyally observed its terms.