Surah 4. An-Nisaa, Ayah 94
| يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُوا وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ أَلْقَىٰ إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًا تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كُنْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا |
| Transliteration | : | yaa 'ayyuhaa 'alladhena 'aamano 'idhaa d.arabtum fe sabel 'allaah fa- tabayyano wa- laa taqolo li- man alqaa 'ilay -kum as- salaam lasta mu'min(an) tabtaghon carad. al- h.ayaah ad- dunyaa fa- cinda 'allaah maghaanim katherah ka- dhaalika kuntum min qablu fa- manna 'allaah calay -kum fa- tabayyano 'inna 'allaah kaana bi- maa tacmalon khaber(an) |
| Pickthall | : | O ye who believe! When ye go forth (to fight) in the way of Allah, be careful to discriminate, and say not unto one who offereth you peace: "Thou are not a believer;" seeking the chance profits of this life (so that ye may despoil him). With Allah are plenteous spoils. Even thus (as he now is) were ye before; but Allah hath since then been gracious unto you. Therefore take care to discriminate. Allah is ever informed of what ye do. |
| Asad | : | [Hence,] O you who have attained to faith, when you go forth [to war] in God's cause, use your discernment, and do not - out of a desire for the fleeting gains of this worldly life - say unto anyone who offers you the greeting of peace, "Thou art not a believer":119 for with God there are gains abundant. You, too, were once in the same condition120 - but God has been gracious unto you. Use, therefore, your discernment: verily, God is always aware of what you do. |
| Malik | : | O believers! When you struggle in the way of Allah, investigate carefully, and do not say to anyone who offers you a salutation: "You are not a believer" in order to seek worldly gain by this. Allah has abundant spoils for you. Remember that you yourselves were in the same condition before, Allah has conferred His favors on you. Therefore, make a thorough investigation before considering someone an unbeliever. Allah is well aware of all your actions. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | O ye who believe! when ye go abroad in the cause of Allah investigate carefully and say not to anyone who offers you a salutation: "Thou art none of a believer!" Coveting the perishable goods of this life: with Allah are profits and spoils abundant. Even thus were ye yourselves before till Allah conferred on you His favors: therefore carefully investigate for Allah is well aware of all that ye do. 613 |
Note - 119Sc., "and therefore one of the enemies". This verse
prohibits the treating of noncombatants as enemies and
using their supposed unbelief as a pretext for plundering
them. The injunction "use your discernment" (tabayyanu)
imposes on the believers the duty of making sure, in
every case, whether the persons concerned are actively
engaged in hostilities or not.
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Note - 120Lit., "thus have you [too] been aforetime". Since the
preceding injunction refers to the whole community, it
would seem that the above clause, too, bears the same
implication: namely, a reference to the time when the
Muslim community was, because of its weakness and
numerical insignificance, at the mercy of enemies endowed
with greater power. Thus, the believers are told, as it
were: "Remember your erstwhile weakness, and treat the
peacefully-minded among your enemies with the same
consideration with which you yourselves were once hoping
to be treated."
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Note - 613Go abroad: dharaba = to travel, to go for jihad, or for
honest trade or other service, which if done with pure
motives, counts as service in the cause of Allah. The
immediate occasion was in connection with jihad, but the
words are general, and can be applied to similar
circumstances. In war (or in peace) we are apt to catch
some worldly advantage by pluming ourselves on our
superiority in Faith. In war perhaps we want to gain
glory or booty by killing a supposed enemy. This is
wrong. The righteous man, if he is really out in Allah's
service, has more abundant and richer gifts to think of
in the Hereafter.
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Sc., "and therefore one of the enemies". This verse prohibits the treating of noncombatants as enemies and using their supposed unbelief as a pretext for plundering them. The injunction "use your discernment" (tabayyanu) imposes on the believers the duty of making sure, in every case, whether the persons concerned are actively engaged in hostilities or not. |
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Lit., "thus have you [too] been aforetime". Since the preceding injunction refers to the whole community, it would seem that the above clause, too, bears the same implication: namely, a reference to the time when the Muslim community was, because of its weakness and numerical insignificance, at the mercy of enemies endowed with greater power. Thus, the believers are told, as it were: "Remember your erstwhile weakness, and treat the peacefully-minded among your enemies with the same consideration with which you yourselves were once hoping to be treated." |
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Go abroad: dharaba = to travel, to go for jihad, or for honest trade or other service, which if done with pure motives, counts as service in the cause of Allah. The immediate occasion was in connection with jihad, but the words are general, and can be applied to similar circumstances. In war (or in peace) we are apt to catch some worldly advantage by pluming ourselves on our superiority in Faith. In war perhaps we want to gain glory or booty by killing a supposed enemy. This is wrong. The righteous man, if he is really out in Allah's service, has more abundant and richer gifts to think of in the Hereafter. |
