Surah 4. An-Nisa

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-14 [2], 15-22 [3], 23-25 [4], 26-33 [5], 34-42 [6], 43-50 [7], 51-56 [8], 57-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-87 [11], 88-91 [12], 92-96 [13], 97-100 [14], 101-104 [15], 105-112 [16], 113-115 [17], 116-126 [18], 127-134 [19], 135-141 [20], 142-152 [21], 153-162 [22], 163-171 [23], 172-176 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 97-100اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whomتَوَفّٰىهُمُtake them (in death)الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsظَالِمِیْۤ(while) they (were) wrongingاَنْفُسِهِمْthemselvesقَالُوْاthey sayفِیْمَIn what (condition)كُنْتُمْ ؕwere youقَالُوْاThey saidكُنَّاWe wereمُسْتَضْعَفِیْنَoppressedفِیinالْاَرْضِ ؕthe earthقَالُوْۤاThey saidاَلَمْNotتَكُنْwasاَرْضُ(the) earthاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَاسِعَةًspacious (enough)فَتُهَاجِرُوْاso that you (could) emigrateفِیْهَا ؕin itفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَThen thoseمَاْوٰىهُمْ(will have) their abodeجَهَنَّمُ ؕ(in) Hellوَ سَآءَتْand it is an evilمَصِیْرًاۙdestination اِلَّاExceptالْمُسْتَضْعَفِیْنَthe oppressedمِنَamongالرِّجَالِthe menوَ النِّسَآءِand the womenوَ الْوِلْدَانِand the childrenلَا(who) notیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَare able toحِیْلَةًplanوَّ لَاand notیَهْتَدُوْنَthey are directedسَبِیْلًاۙ(to) a way فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَThen thoseعَسَیmay beاللّٰهُAllahاَنْwillیَّعْفُوَpardonعَنْهُمْ ؕ[on] themوَ كَانَand isاللّٰهُAllahعَفُوًّاOft-Pardoningغَفُوْرًا Oft-Forgiving وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیُّهَاجِرْemigratesفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahیَجِدْwill findفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthمُرٰغَمًاplace(s) of refugeكَثِیْرًاmanyوَّسَعَةً ؕand abundanceوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّخْرُجْleavesمِنْۢfromبَیْتِهٖhis homeمُهَاجِرًا(as) an emigrantاِلَیtoاللّٰهِAllahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖand His Messengerثُمَّthenیُدْرِكْهُovertakes himالْمَوْتُ[the] deathفَقَدْthen certainlyوَ قَعَ(became) incumbentاَجْرُهٗhis rewardعَلَیonاللّٰهِ ؕAllahوَ كَانَAnd isاللّٰهُAllahغَفُوْرًاOft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمًا۠Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 97-100

97. When the angels take away the souls of those who had wronged themselves, and ask them: “In what plight were you?” They reply: ‘’We were quite weak in the land.” They say: “Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to migrate therein !” Such men will have their abode in Hell. And it is an evil abode.¹⁷⁷

98. Except those who are (really) weak among men, women and children who have no means of migration, nor a guidance to direct them away.

99. For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive; and Allah is ever Pardoning, Forgiving.

100. And he who migrates in the way of Allah, will find in the earth many a refuge and abundant resources¹⁷⁸, and who leaves his home to migrate towards Allah and His messenger and death overtakes him, his reward is due with Allah¹⁷⁹; and Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

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Commentary

177. After the migration of the Prophet to Madina, for the Muslims remaining in Macca migration had become a compulsory duty (Farz). This command of migration was for the following reasons :

(1) In Makka and the region surrounding it, where the idolaters were in power there was no freedom of creed and conscience

The people who were embracing Islam. leaving their polytheistic beliefs were being subjected to inhuman oppression and unbearable treatment, They were being forced to give up Islam and return to their old polytheistic belief. In such conditions, it amounted to risking one’s life if one stuck to one’s religion. The result was that those persons, who were not yet very firm in their faith, tended to hide their faith or to compromise with the polytheistic belief. In this way Faith and rejection of faith, Islam and polytheism were being brought together. It is obvious in the land where there was no freedom to follow one’s own faith, the obvious demand of faith was to leave such a land, even if it happened to be the holy land of Macca, because loyalty to faith and God takes precedence over all loyalties to land and blood.

(2) Hesitation to migrate after the migration of the Prophet meant their love of their family and home had a preference to their love of the Prophet, while the love of the Prophet demanded that whatever the Prophet has given up, the people of faith should also give up and should consider the company service and help of the Prophet a means of their good fortune; they should be prepared to sacrifice everything for their Prophet;

(3) There was a war between Islam and Kufr, and Allah’s messenger, with a handful of his companions, himself used to go to the battlefield to meet the challenge of the idolaters of Macca. The need of the moment was that the strength of Islam should be gathered at one centre and the enemies of Islam should be opposed under the leadership of the Prophet. When the Muslims had not migrated, their strength was added to the strength of the infidels instead of to the strength of the Prophet, so much so that some of the Muslims, being pressurized by the polytheists, were forced to join their army and thus used to find themselves arrayed against the Prophet and his men.

These were the conditions in which the Muslims in and around Macca were commanded to migrate to Madina. Disobeying this command meant that they agreed to endanger their faith but did not like to leave their homes and families. That is why in the verse, the act of disregarding the command of migration without a proper cause has been termed as wronging one’s soul, and such persons have been warned of grievous punishment.

The guiding principle can be derived from this verse : It is necessary to migrate, from the land in which the freedom of professing Islam is not given, and where one’s faith may be in danger, to a land where such freedam is available, and where at least the basic demands of Islam can be met. However in exceptional cases it may not be possible for some people.

And he who migrates in the way of Allah, will find in the earth many a refuge and abundant resources, and who leaves his home to migrate towards Allah and His messenger and death overtakes him, his reward is due with Allah; and Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Quran)

178. This promise of Quran came to be true, word for word. ‘The Muhajireen’ those who migrated, found a very good refuge in Madina, and gradually they became economically well off.

179. It throws light on the point that Allah gives importance to man’s intention and his desire to act on that intention. If a man dies before completing the act of which the man had the intention, then his reward would not go waste he would get his reward from Allah.