SURAH AN-NISA (AYAH 91 to 100)

سَتَجِدُونَ آخَرِينَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَأْمَنُوكُمْ وَيَأْمَنُوا قَوْمَهُمْ كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوا إِلَى الْفِتْنَةِ أُرْكِسُوا فِيهَا ۚ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْتَزِلُوكُمْ وَيُلْقُوا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ وَيَكُفُّوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكُمْ جَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانًا مُبِينًا {4:91}

[Q4:91] Satajidoona aakhareena yureedoona ai yaamanookum wa yaamanoo qawmahum kullamaa ruddooo ilal itnati urkisoo feehaa; fa il lam ya'tazilookum wa yulqooo ilai kumus salama wa yakuffooo aidiyahum fakhuzoohum waqtuloohum haisu saqif tumoohum; wa ulaaa'ikum ja'alnaa lakum 'alaihim sultaanam mubeenaa.
[Q4:91] You will find others who desire that they should be safe from you and secure from their own people; as often as they are sent back to the mischief they get thrown into it headlong; therefore if they do not withdraw from you, and (do not) offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and against these We have given you a clear authority.

[Q4:91] Kamu juga akan dapati golongan-golongan yang lain (yang pura-pura Islam) supaya mereka beroleh aman dari pihak kamu dan (sebaliknya mereka melahirkan kekufurannya) supaya mereka beroleh aman dari pihak kaumnya (yang masih kafir). Tiap-tiap kali mereka diajak kepada fitnah (pencerobohan), mereka segera terjerumus ke dalamnya. Oleh itu, jika mereka tidak membiarkan kamu (dan terus mengganggu atau berpihak kepada musuh) dan (tidak pula) menawarkan perdamaian kepada kamu dan juga (tidak) menahan tangan mereka (daripada memerangi kamu), maka hendaklah kamu bertindak menawan mereka dan membunuh mereka di mana sahaja kamu menemuinya; kerana merekalah orang-orang yang Kami jadikan bagi kamu alasan yang terang nyata untuk bertindak terhadapnya.  

(see commentary for verse 90)

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(4:91) You will also find others who wish to be secure from you, and secure from their people, but who, whenever they have any opportunity to cause mischief, plunge into it headlong. If such people neither leave you alone nor offer you peace nor restrain their hands from hurting you, then seize them and slay them wherever you come upon them. It is against these that We have granted you a clear sanction.

SECTION 13

Murder and its punishment

Murder of a believer unintentional and intentional---Treating one as an enemy---Not to say anyone who offers peace that he is not a believer.

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ أَنْ يَقْتُلَ مُؤْمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَأً ۚ وَمَنْ قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَأً فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ وَدِيَةٌ مُسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَصَّدَّقُوا ۚ فَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَدُوٍّ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ ۖ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ مِيثَاقٌ فَدِيَةٌ مُسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ وَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُؤْمِنَةٍ ۖ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا {4:92}

[Q4:92] Wa maa kaana limu'minin ai yaqtula mu'minan illaa khata'aa; waman qatala mu'minan khata'an fatabreeru raqabatim mu'minatinw wa diyatum mmusallamatun ilaaa ahliheee illaaa ai yassaddaqoo; fa in kaana min qawmin 'aduwwil lakum wa huwa mu'minun fatabreeru raqabatim mu'minah; wa in kaana min qawmim bainakum wa bainahum meesaaqun fadiyatum mmusallamatun ilaaa ahlihee wa tahreeru raqabatim mu'minatin famal lam yajid fa Siyaamu shahraini mutataabi'aini tawhatam minal laah; wa kaanal laahu 'Aleeman hakeemaa.

[Q4:92] And it does not behoove a believer to kill a believer except by mistake, and whoever kills a believer by mistake, he should free a believing slave, and blood-money should be paid to his people unless they remit it as alms; but if he be from a tribe hostile to you and he is a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (suffices), and if he is from a tribe between whom and you there is a convenant, the blood-money should be paid to his people along with the freeing of a believing slave; but he who cannot find (a slave) should fast for two months successively: a penance from ALLAH (SWT), and ALLAH (SWT) is Knowing, Wise.
[Q4:92] Dan tidak harus sama sekali bagi seseorang mukmin membunuh seorang mukmin yang lain, kecuali dengan tidak sengaja dan sesiapa yang membunuh seorang mukmin dengan tidak sengaja, maka (wajiblah dia membayar kaffarah) dengan memerdekakan seorang hamba yang beriman serta membayar "diat" (denda ganti nyawa) yang diserahkan kepada ahlinya (keluarga si mati), kecuali jika mereka sedekahkan (memaafkannya). Tetapi jika dia (yang terbunuh dengan tidak sengaja) dari kaum (kafir) yang memusuhi kamu, sedang dia sendiri beriman, maka (wajiblah si pembunuh membayar kaffarah sahaja dengan) memerdekakan seorang hamba yang beriman dan jika dia (orang yang terbunuh dengan tidak sengaja itu) dari kaum (kafir) yang ada ikatan perjanjian setia di antara kamu dengan mereka, maka wajiblah membayar "diat" (denda ganti nyawa) kepada keluarganya serta memerdekakan seorang hamba yang beriman. Dalam pada itu, sesiapa yang tidak dapat (mencari hamba yang akan dimerdekakannya), maka hendaklah dia berpuasa dua bulan berturut-turut; (hukum yang tersebut) datangnya dari ALLAH (SwT) untuk menerima taubat (membersihkan diri kamu) dan (ingatlah) ALLAH (SwT) Maha Mengetahui, lagi Maha Bijaksana.

If ma kana is translated as "unlawful" then the following exception (by mischance) is cut off, not included in its antecedent, THEREFORE, this clause has been translated as in verse 27:60 of al-Naml, BECAUSE the exception remains real; and the expression becomes more emphatic.

If a believer takes another believer's life by mistake or mischance, the ransom or redemption (money) to be paid, in different cases, have been mentioned in this verse.

§   Ayash bin Rabiyah, the step-brother of Abu Jahl and Harith, had become a Muslim before hijrat, BUT kept it a secret. One day, unnoticed, he left Makka to join the Muslims in Madina. His mother raised a hue and cry to bring back her son. Harith, at once, went after Ayash and caught him just on the outskirts of Madina. He convinced him that no one would harm him if he returned to Makka with him. When they came back, Ayash was flogged and was thrown on burning sand, his hands and legs tightly tied with a rope.

     To escape torture he renounced his faith in Islam but avowed to kill Harith. As soon as he got a chance, he slipped out and reached Madina as a Muslim. It so happened that Harith also became a Muslim and lived in Madina. Ayash was not aware of this fact, therefore, when he saw Harith in Madina, he killed him to take his revenge. When people told him that he had killed a believer, he immediately went to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and told him that he was ashamed of his act and pleaded for acceptance of his repentance. Then this verse was revealed (Minhajus Sadiqin, Umdatul Bayan).

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(4:92) It is not for a believer to slay another believer unless by mistake. *120 And he who has slain a believer by mistake, his atonement is to set free from bondage a believing person *121 and to pay blood-money to his heirs, *122 unless they forgo it by way of charity. And if the slain belonged to a hostile people, but was a believer, then the atonement is to set free from bondage a believing person.
And if the slain belonged to a (non-Muslim) people with whom you have a covenant, then the atonement is to pay the blood-money to his heirs, and to set free from bondage a believing person. *123 But he who cannot (free a slave) should fast for two consecutive months. *124 This is the penance ordained by Allah. *125 Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

*120. The hypocritical confessors of Islam mentioned here are distinct from those whom the Muslims may kill. The reference here is to Muslims who are either residents of the Domain of Islam (Dar al-Islam) or to those who live in the Domain of War or of Unbelief (Dar al-Harb or Dar al-Kufr) but against whom there is no proof of actual participation in the hostile activities with the enemies of Islam. In the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) there were many people who had embraced Islam and yet, because of genuine difficulties, were living among tribes hostile to Islam. It occasionally happened that, in attacking a hostile tribe, the Muslims inadvertently killed fellow Muslims living in its midst.
*121. Since the person killed was a believer, expiation of the sin required the emancipation of a Muslim slave.
*122. The Prophet (peace be on him) had fixed the blood-money at either 100 camels, 200 oxen or 2,000 head of cattle. If someone wished to pay this in another form the amount would be determined with reference to the market value of the articles mentioned above. For instance, for those who wished to pay blood-money in cash, the fixed amount in the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) was 800 dinars (8000 dirhams). In the time of Caliph 'Umar the amount of blood-money was fixed at 1000 golden dinars (12000 silver dirhams). It should be noted, however, that this amount relates to an unintentional rather than a deliberate homicide. (Regarding blood-money for unintentional homicide and injury see Abu Da'ud, 'Diyat', 14-17; Tirmidhi, 'Diyat', 1; Nasa'i, 'Qasamah', 34; Ibn Majah, 'Diyat', 6; Malik b. Anas, Muwatta', "Uqul', 4; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 1, pp. 384 and 450; vol. 2, pp. 178, 183, 186, 217, 224; vol. 4, p. 275. See also Ibn Rushd, Bidayat al-Mujtahid, vol. 2, pp. 401 ff. - Ed.) 
*123. The legal injunctions embodied in this verse are as follows: 
(1) If the victim was a resident of the Domain of Islam (Dar al-Islam) the killer is not only required to pay blood-money but also to emancipate a slave by way of expiation. 
(2) If the victim was a resident of the Domain of War (Dar al-Harb) the killer is only required to emancipate a slave. 
(3) If the victim was a resident of a non-Muslim country which had treaty relations with an Islamic state the killer is required to emancipate a slave and also to pay blood-money. The amount of the blood-money, however, depends on the terms stipulated in the treaty between the Muslims and the territory of the victim. (See Jassas, vol. 2, pp. 238 f f. and 240 ff. - Ed.) 
*124. This means that he should observe fasting uninterrupted for the entire period. If a man breaks his fast for just one day without a legally valid reason he will be required to resume fasting anew. 
*125. This shows that what has been prescribed is an act of repentance and expiation rather than a penalty inflicted on a criminal. Penalization is essentially devoid of the spirit of repentance and of the urge to self-reform. A penalty is suffered under duress, usually with resentment, and leaves behind repugnance and bitterness. On the contrary, what God wants is that the believer who has committed a sin should wash the stain of it from his soul by supererogatory worship, by acts of charity, and by a meticulous fulfilment of all the duties incumbent upon him. Such a person is required to turn to God in remorse and repentance so that his sin may be pardoned and his soul secured against the recurrence of similar errors.
The word kaffarah signifies that which either covers or hides something. To declare that certain acts of charity constitute kaffarah means that those acts overlay the sin and cover it up, just as stains on a wall are covered up when it is painted. 

وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا {4:93}

[Q4:93] Wa mai yaqtul mu'minammuta 'ammidan fajazaaa'uhoo Jahannamu khaalidan feehaa wa ghadibal laahu' alaihi wa la'anahoo wa a'adda lahoo 'azaaban 'azeemaa.
[Q4:93] And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and ALLAH (SWT) will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.

[Q4:93] Dan sesiapa yang membunuh seorang mukmin dengan sengaja, maka balasannya ialah Neraka Jahannam, kekal dia di dalamnya dan ALLAH (SwT) murka kepadanya dan melakanatkannya serta menyediakan baginya azab seksa yang besar.

This verse supports the meaning of wa ma kana li-muminin explained in the preceding verse- THE KILLER OF A BELIEVER CANNOT BE A MUMIN.

This verse contains the law for the killer of a believer. If the punishment for the murder of an ordinary believer is eternal damnation, what will be the fate of the killers of the Ahlul Bayt?

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(4:93) And he who slays a believer wilfully his reward is Hell, where he will abide. Allah's wrath is against him and He has cast His curse upon him, and has prepared for him a great chastisement.

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 {4:94}

[Q4:94] Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo izaa darabtum fee sabeelil laahi fatabaiyanoo wa laa taqooloo liman alqaaa ilaikumus salaama lasta mu'minan tabtaghoona 'aradal hayaatid dunyaa fa'indal laahi maghaanimu kaseerah; kazaalika kuntum min qablu famannnal laahu 'alaikum fatabaiyanoo; innallaaha kaana bimaa ta'maloona Khabeeraa.
[Q4:94] O you who believe! When you go to war in ALLAH (SWT)'s way, make investigation, and do not say to any one who offers you peace: You are not a believer. Do you seek goods of this world's life! But with ALLAH (SWT) there are abundant gains; you too were such before, then ALLAH (SWT) conferred a benefit on you; therefore make investigation; surely ALLAH (SWT) is aware of what you do.

[Q4:94] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, apabila kamu pergi (berperang) pada jalan ALLAH (SwT) (untuk membela Islam), maka hendaklah kamu menyelidik (apa jua perkara dengan sebaik-baiknya) dan janganlah kamu (terburu-buru) mengatakan kepada orang yang menunjukkan kepada kamu sikap damai (dengan memberi salam atau mengucap dua Kalimah Syahadat): Engkau bukan orang yang beriman (lalu kamu membunuhnya) dengan tujuan hendak (mendapat harta bendanya yang merupakan) harta benda kehidupan dunia (yang tidak kekal). (Janganlah kamu gelap mata kepada daki dunia itu) kerana di sisi ALLAH (SwT) ada disediakan limpah kurnia yang banyak. Demikianlah juga keadaan kamu dahulu (dapat diketahui oleh orang lain akan keislaman kamu dengan memberi salam atau mengucap kalimah Syahadat), lalu ALLAH (SwT) mengurniakan nikmatNya kepada kamu. Oleh itu selidikilah (apa-apa jua lebih dahulu dan janganlah bertindak dengan terburu-buru). Sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) sentiasa memerhati dengan mendalam akan segala yang kamu lakukan.

A contingent of the Muslim soldiers, appointed by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), was passing through a field in which a shepherd was tending his sheep. Being a new convert to Islam, as soon as he saw the soldiers, he said, "Assalamu alaykum" BUT Usman bin Zayd killed him and took possession of his herd. IN THIS VERSE ALLAH (SWT) WARNS THE MUSLIMS TO BE DISCREET AND CAREFUL WHEN A PERSON GREETS THEM IN PEACE (SAYS ASSALAMU ALAYKUM) AND NOT TO SAY: "YOU ARE NOT A BELIEVER', IN ORDER TO USURP THE GAINS OF EARTHLY LIFE.”

µ  Immediately after the departure of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) from this world, Khalid bin Walid, the commander of the Muslim army, mercilessly butchered a whole tribe of devout Muslims when he was sent to negotiate with Malik ibn Nuwayra. After killing Malik, Khalid bin Walid raped his widow and then killed her also. 

AFTER THAT IT BECAME A ROUTINE for the Muslim rulers and commanders to kill, loot and plunder the Muslim communities for worldly gains.

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(4:94) Believers! When you go forth in the way of Allah, discern (between friend and foe), and do not say to him who offers you the greeting of peace: 'You are not a believer.' *126 If you seek the good of this worldly life, there lies with Allah abundant gain. After all, you too were such before, and then Allah was gracious to you. *127 Discern, then, for Allah is well aware of what you do.

*126.In the early days of Islam the greeting as-salam 'alaykum ('peace be on you') was a distinguishing symbol of the Muslims. When a Muslim greeted another Muslim with this expression it signified that he was a member of the same community, that he was a friend and well-wisher, one who wished peace and security, from whom he need entertain no fear of hostility and towards whom, in return, he should not behave with hostility. The Islamic greeting occupied virtually the same position among Muslims as the passwords used by sentries to distinguish friend from foe. This was particularly important in those days because there were no distinctions in dress, language and so on by which Muslims could be conclusively marked off from their non-Muslim Arab compatriots.
The Muslims also encountered a strange problem on the battlefield. Whenever a Muslim was in danger of being harmed inadvertently by other Muslims during the fighting, he resorted to either the Islamic greeting (as-salam 'alaykum) or the Islamic creed There is no god save Allah' (laa ilaaha ila Allah) in order to indicate that he was their brother-in-faith. The Muslims, however, often suspected this to be merely a ruse of the enemy and therefore sometimes disregarded the utterance of the Islamic greeting or of the Islamic creed, and killed such people and seized their belongings as booty. Although whenever the Prophet (peace be on him) came to know of such incidents, he severely reproached the people concerned, it, nevertheless, continued to take place. In the end God solved the problem by revelation. The purport of the verse is that no one has the right summarily to judge those who profess to be Muslims, and assume them to be lying for fear of their lives. At least two possibilities exist: the claim may either be true or it may be false. The truth can only be ascertained by proper investigation. While it is impossible to investigate a person's case properly during fighting and this may enable him to save his life by lying, it is equally possible that an innocent, true believer might be put to death by mistake. The error of letting an unbeliever go unpunished is preferable to that of killing a true believer. 
*127.The Muslims are now told that there was a time when they were scattered among different tribes of unbelievers. They were, therefore, forced to conceal the fact of being Muslims since they feared that they would be subjected to persecution and hardship. In those days they had nothing else besides their verbal profession to testify to their faith. Later on, some time before these verses were revealed, God benevolently enabled the Muslims to develop a collective entity of their own and thus to raise the banner of Islam in the face of strong opposition from the unbelievers. That the Muslims should fail to appreciate the hardships which other Muslims were enduring, and which they themselves had endured until not long before, and not to treat them with consideration and forbearance, did not seem an adequate way of thanking God for His benevolence.

لَا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ ۚ فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً ۚ وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا {4:95}

[Q4:95] Laa yastawil qaa'idoona Minal mu'mineena ghairu ulid darari walmujaahidoona fee sabeelil laahi bi amwaalihim wa anfusihim; faddalal laahul mujaahideena bi amwaalihim wa anfusihim; faddalal laahul mujaahideena bi am waalihim wa anfusihim 'alalqaa'ideena darajab; wa kullanw wa'adal laahul husnaa; wa faddalal laahul mujaahideena 'alal qaa'ideena ajran 'azeemaa

[Q4:95] The holders back from among the believers, not having any injury, and those who strive hard in ALLAH (SWT)'s way with their property and their persons are not equal; ALLAH (SWT) has made the strivers with their property and their persons to excel the holders back a (high) degree, and to each (class) ALLAH (SWT) has promised good; and ALLAH (SWT) shall grant to the strivers above the holders back a mighty reward:
[Q4:95] Tidaklah sama keadaan orang-orang yang duduk (tidak turut berperang) dari kalangan orang-orang yang beriman selain daripada orang-orang yang ada keuzuran dengan orang-orang yang berjihad (berjuang) pada jalan ALLAH (SwT) (untuk membela Islam) dengan harta dan jiwanya. ALLAH (SwT) melebihkan orang-orang yang berjuang dengan harta benda dan jiwa mereka atas orang-orang yang tinggal duduk (tidak turut berperang kerana uzur) dengan kelebihan satu darjat dan tiap-tiap satu (dari dua golongan itu) ALLAH (SwT) menjanjikan dengan balasan yang baik (Syurga) dan ALLAH (SwT) melebihkan orang-orang yang berjuang atas orang-orang yang tinggal duduk (tidak turut berperang dan tidak ada sesuatu uzur) dengan pahala yang amat besar;

THIS VERSE WAS REVEALED when kab bin malik, rawah bin rabi, hilal bin umiyah and abdullah bin maktum, without reasonable cause, stayed at madina and did not join the defensive expedition of tabuk.

v  ALLAH (SWT) has exalted those in rank, who fight for the faith with their [*] wealth and [*] selves, OVER THOSE who sit idle (holding back). For the soldiers of ALLAH (SWT) there are higher ranks with Him.

Darajat is not a second object of faddalallah, BUT is in an adverbial position specifying the distinction in rank or degree, OTHERWISE it would not be consistent with the objective ajran azima in the end of verse 95 i.e. this verse.

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(4:95) Those believers who sit at home, unless they do so out of a disabling injury, are not the equals of those who strive in the way of Allah with their possessions and their lives. Allah has exalted in rank those who strive with their possessions and their lives over those who sit at home; and though to each Allah has promised some good reward, He has preferred those who strive (in the way of Allah) over those who sit at home for a mighty reward. *128

*128. "Those who sit at home' (i.e. remain passive) does not refer either to those who had been ordered to fight but tried to look for excuses not to fight or to those who were individually obliged to take part in fighting because of the general summons of Jihad (fight in the cause of God) and yet shirked this duty. The reference here is to those who remained engrossed in personal concerns at a time when Jihad had become a collective obligation (fard bi al-kifayah).* In the first case the person who fails to fight can only be a hypocrite, and God holds out no good promise for such a person unless there is good reason, for example, genuine disability. In the second case, however, what is required is the mobilization of a part rather than the entire military strength of the Islamic community. In such cases, if the recognized head (imam) of the Islamic community summons the people to come forward and undertake the expedition concerned, those who respond to that call are reckoned to be of superior merit to those who remain occupied with other pursuits however meritorious.
*Fard bi al-kifayah signifies a collective duty of the Muslim community so that if some people carry it out no Muslim is considered blameworthy; but if no one carries it out all incur a collective guilt - Ed. 

دَرَجَاتٍ مِنْهُ وَمَغْفِرَةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا {4:96}

[Q4:96] Darajaatim minhu wa maghfiratanw wa rahmah; wa kaanal laahu Ghafoorar Raheema.
[Q4:96] (High) degrees from Him and protection and mercy, and ALLAH (SWT) is Forgiving, Merciful.

[Q4:96] Iaitu beberapa darjat kelebihan daripadaNya dan keampunan serta rahmat belas kasihan dan (ingatlah) adalah ALLAH (SwT) Maha Pengampun, lagi Maha Mengasihani.  

 (see commentary for verse 95)

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(4:96) For them are ranks, forgiveness, and favours from Him. Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.

SECTION 14

Believers remaining with the enemy

            Too weak to fly to their homes---Those who fly to their homes not to fear straintness.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنْتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا ۚ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا {4:97}

[Q4:97] Innal lazeena tawaffaa humul malaaa'ikatu zaalimeee anfusihim qaaloo feema kuntum qaaloo kunnaa mustad'afeena fil-ard; qaalooo alam takun ardul laahi waasi'atan fatuhaajiroo feehaa; fa ulaaa'ika maawaahum Jahannamu wa saaa'at maseeraa.

[Q4:97] Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say: In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth. They shall say: Was not ALLAH (SWT)'s earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein? So these it is whose abode is hell, and it is an evil resort.
[Q4:97] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang diambil nyawanya oleh malaikat semasa mereka sedang menganiaya diri sendiri (kerana enggan berhijrah untuk membela Islam dan rela ditindas oleh kaum kafir musyrik), mereka ditanya oleh malaikat dengan berkata: Apakah yang kamu telah lakukan mengenai agama kamu? Mereka menjawab: Kami dahulu adalah orang-orang yang tertindas di bumi. Malaikat bertanya lagi: Tidakkah bumi ALLAH (SwT) itu luas, yang membolehkan kamu berhijrah dengan bebas padanya? Maka orang-orang yang sedemikian itu keadaannya, tempat akhir mereka ialah Neraka Jahannam dan Neraka Jahannam itu adalah seburuk-buruk tempat kembali.

Mustad-afin are those who neither let their disbelief lose its grip over them NOR try to find a way leading to the right path. Their abode is hell-an evil destination.

IF THE PROPER OBSERVATION OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE FAITH IS NOT POSSIBLE in the land of one's birth and dwelling, one can migrate to some other place on ALLAH (SWT)'s wide and spacious earth.

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(4:97) While taking the souls of those who were engaged in wronging themselves, *129 the angels asked: 'In what circumstances were you?' They replied: 'We were too weak and helpless in the land.' The angels said: 'Was not the earth of Allah wide enough for you to emigrate in it?' *130 For such men their refuge is Hell - an evil destination indeed;

*129. The reference here is to those who stay behind along with the unbelievers, despite no genuine disability. They are satisfied with a life made up of a blend of Islamic and un-Islamic elements, even though they have had the chance to migrate to the Dar al-Islam and thus enjoy a full Islamic life. This is the wrong that they committed against themselves. What kept them satisfied with the mixture of Islamic and un-Islamic elements in their life was not any genuine disability but their love of ease and comfort, their excessive attachment to their kith and kin and to their properties and worldly interests. These concerns had exceeded reasonable limits and had even taken precedence over their concern for their religion (see also n. 116 above). 
*130. Those people who had willingly acquiesced to living under an un-Islamic order would be called to account by God and would be asked: If a certain territory was under the dominance of rebels against God, so that it had become impossible to follow His Law, why did you continue to live there? Why did you not migrate to a land where it was possible to follow the law of God? 

إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلًا {4:98}

[Q4:98] Illal mustad 'afeena minar rijaali wannisaaa'i walwildaani laa yastatee'oona heelatanw wa laa yahtadoona sabeela.

[Q4:98] Except the weak from among the men and the children who have not in their power the means nor can they find a way (to escape);
[Q4:98] Kecuali orang-orang yang lemah (lagi uzur) dari kaum lelaki dan perempuan serta kanak-kanak, yang tidak berdaya upaya mencari helah (untuk melepaskan diri) dan tidak pula mengetahui sesuatu jalan (untuk berhijrah).

Those who are [1] helpless (on account of physical weakness), AND can neither [2] contrive a plan [3] nor do they know the way, have been promised mercy and forgiveness.

v  THE HOLY IMAMS OF THE AHLUL BAYT HAVE POINTED OUT that this principle is also applicable to the followers of other religions whose mental capacity, by nature, is too weak to grasp the truth of islam, or unfavourable circumstances, beyond their control, keep them in darkness, PROVIDED THEY DO GOOD AND DO NOT WILFULLY MAKE MISCHIEF IN THE LAND.

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(4:98) except the men, women, and children who were indeed too feeble to be able to seek the means of escape and did not know where to go.-

فَأُولَٰئِكَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا {4:99}

[Q4:99] Fa ulaaa'ika 'asal laahu ai ya'fuwa 'anhum; wa kaanal laahu 'Afuwwan Ghafoora.
[Q4:99] So these, it may be, ALLAH (SWT) will pardon them, and ALLAH (SWT) is Pardoning, Forgiving. 

[Q4:99] Maka mereka (yang demikian sifatnya), mudah-mudahan ALLAH (SwT) maafkan mereka dan (ingatlah), ALLAH (SwT) Maha Pemaaf, lagi Maha Pengampun. 

(see commentary for verse 98)

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(4:99) maybe Allah shall pardon these, for Allah is All-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.

وَمَنْ يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُرَاغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً ۚ وَمَنْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا {4:100}

[Q4:100] Wa mai yuhaajir fee sabeelil laahi yajid fil ardi mmuraaghaman kaseeranw wa sa'ah; wa mai yakhruj mim baitihee muhaajiran ilal laahi wa Rasoolihee summa yudrikhul mawtu faqad waqa'a ajruhoo 'alal laah; wa kaanal laahu Ghafoorar Raheemaa.

[Q4:100]  And whoever flies in ALLAH (SWT)'s way, he will find in the earth many a place of refuge and abundant resources, and whoever goes forth from his house flying to ALLAH (SWT) and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his reward is indeed with ALLAH (SWT) and ALLAH (SWT) is Forgiving, Merciful.

[Q4:100] Dan sesiapa yang berhijrah pada jalan ALLAH (SwT) (untuk membela dan menegakkan Islam), nescaya dia akan dapati di muka bumi ini tempat berhijrah yang banyak dan rezeki yang makmur dan sesiapa yang keluar dari rumahnya dengan tujuan berhijrah kepada ALLAH (SwT) dan RasulNya, kemudian dia mati (dalam perjalanan), maka sesungguhnya telah tetap pahala hijrahnya di sisi ALLAH (SwT) dan (ingatlah) ALLAH (SwT) Maha Pengampun, lagi Maha Mengasihani.

ACCORDING TO THE HOLY IMAMS OF THE AHLUL BAYT verses 95 to 100 (pertaining to hijrat) [1] not only deal with physical migration BUT also signify [2] the spiritual stride one takes to reject the cognitive self (I or ego) so as to absorb oneself into the universal self, like the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his Ahlul Bayt, who alone can guide such a journey.

WHETHER THERE IS GAIN OR NOT IN THIS ACT BUT ATTACHMENT WITH THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS TO FOLLOW INTO THEIR FOOTSTEPS, FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH (SWT), BRINGS COMPLETE PEACE OF MIND TO THE "EMIGRE" AND MAKES THE MATERIAL LOSS INSIGNIFICANT.

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(4:100) He who emigrates in the way of Allah will find in the earth enough room for refuge and plentiful resources. And he who goes forth from his house as a migrant in the way of Allah and His Messenger, and whom death overtakes, his reward becomes incumbent on Allah. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate. *131

*131. It should be understood clearly that it is only permissible for a person who believes in the true religion enjoined by God to live under the dominance of an un-Islamic system on one of the following conditions. First, that the believer struggles to put an end to the hegemony of the un-Islamic system and to have it replaced by the Islamic system of life, as the Prophets and their early followers had done. Second, that he lacks the means to get out of his homeland and thus stays there, but does so with utmost disinclination and unhappiness.
If neither of these conditions exist, a believer who continues to live in a land where an un-Islamic order prevails, commits an act of continuous sin. To say that one has no Islamic state to go to does not hold water. For if no Islamic state exists, are there no mountains or forests from where one could eke out a living by eating leaves and drinking the milk of goats and sheep, and thus avoid living in a state of submission to unbelief.
Some people have misunderstood the tradition which says: 'There is no hijrah after the conquest of Makka' (Bukhari, 'Sayd', 10; 'Jihad', 1, 27, 194; Tirmidhi, 'Siyar', 33; Nasa'i, 'Bay'ah', 15, etc. - Ed.) This tradition is specifically related to the people of Arabia of that time and does not embody a permanent injunction. At the time when the greater part of Arabia constituted the Domain of Unbelief (Dar al-Kufr) or the Domain of War (Dar al-Harb), and Islamic laws were being enforced only in Madina and its outskirts, the Muslims were emphatically directed to join and keep together. But when unbelief lost its strength and elan after the conquest of Makka, and almost the entire peninsula came under the dominance of Islam, the Prophet (peace be on him) declared that migration was no longer needed. This does not mean, however, that the duty to migrate was abolished for Muslims all over the world for all time to come regardless of the circumstances in which they lived.