Be Careful to Discriminate in War

Lesson # 541 From Holy Qur’an

Be Careful to Discriminate in War

Surah Nisaaa’ (Women) – Chapter – 4)

Verses – 94 of 176, Section – 13/24 (Part – 5)

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 art 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. Surely Allah is Aware of what ye do.

Yaaa-‘ayyu-hallaziina  ‘aa-manuuu  ‘izaa  zarab-tum  fii  SabiiLillaahi  fata-bayyanuu  wa  laa  taquuluu  liman  ‘alqaaa  ‘ilay-kumus-salaama  lasta  Mu’-minaa.  Tab-taguuna  ‘arazal-hayaa-tiddunyaa  fa-‘indAllaahi  magaanimu  kasiirah.  Kazaalika  kuntum-min-  qablu  faman-nAllaahu  ‘alaykum  fata-bayyanuu.  ‘InnAllaaha  kaana  bimaa  ta’-maluuna  Khabiiraa.

                                                       

      

Lesson

Zarab-tum – (you go forth), this word is from zaraba, one meaning of which is ‘to beat’, and it has also other meanings which are ‘to move, to travel’. In this verse, it aims these (second) meanings. 

‘Alqaaa – (offering), it means ‘to put an offer, to say about any matter before someone for his conciliation or making him to understand, to throw anything towards any person’.

‘Araza – (chance profits, wealth and goods), here it signifies towards common necessities of life.  

Magaanimun  - (spoils), having the mastery over the things without labour, the wealth acquired for nothing and possession of those things, which have been snatched/taken over from the enemy in war (Maali ganiimat).  

Fata-bayyanuu – (Discriminate, inquire, investigate), it has been derived from bayaan. Here it means ‘to set up a judgment after necessary investigation and understanding thoroughly.

It is commanded that ‘when you come out from your houses for fighting, then you should do nothing without attention and investigation, and whosoever discloses that he is a Muslim, you should not say him that he is not Muslim considering that he is pretending only to save his life. And you should not slay him to get his possessing. What would you do after possession of this a little wealth? Allaah Almighty will cause to give you the wealth and equipment of your enemies in huge quantity. There is no deficiency with Him. Stop your hand from the person at once, who declares with any method that he is a believer. Before Islam, you used to slay without any hesitation for getting very little things. Now you have embraced Islam. You should be careful in each matter. None should be slain from your hands in the greed of wealth. You have no right to kill that person who has disclosed himself as Muslim, blaming him that he said himself a Muslim to save his life only. Allaah Almighty knows the deeds of all of you very well and only He can decide that who is true and who is liar. Therefore, you should kill only that person, about whom you are ordered doing so. You cannot understand that whether he embraced Islam to save his life or really he is a Believer.

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English  by Muhammad Sharif).