سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 102
وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا۟ فَلْيَكُونُوا۟ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا۟ فَلْيُصَلُّوا۟ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۗ وَدَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَٰحِدَةً ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَن تَضَعُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۖ وَخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا ﴿102﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
When you (O Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are among them, and lead them in As-Salât (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salât (prayer)] with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which have not yet prayed, and let them pray with you taking all the precautions and bearing arms. Those who disbelieve wish, if you were negligent of your arms and your baggage, to attack you in a single rush, but there is no sin on you if you put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill, but take every precaution for yourselves. Verily, Allâh has prepared a humiliating torment for the disbelievers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
كُنتَ
kunta
you are
فِيهِمْ
fīhim
among them
فَأَقَمْتَ
fa-aqamta
and you lead
لَهُمُ
lahumu
for them
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
فَلْتَقُمْ
faltaqum
then let stand
طَآئِفَةٌۭ
ṭāifatun
a group
مِّنْهُم
min'hum
of them
مَّعَكَ
maʿaka
with you
وَلْيَأْخُذُوٓا۟
walyakhudhū
and let them take
أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ
asliḥatahum
their arms
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
Then when
سَجَدُوا۟
sajadū
they have prostrated
فَلْيَكُونُوا۟
falyakūnū
then let them be
مِن
min
from
وَرَآئِكُمْ
warāikum
behind you
وَلْتَأْتِ
waltati
and let come (forward)
طَآئِفَةٌ
ṭāifatun
a group
أُخْرَىٰ
ukh'rā
other
لَمْ
lam
(which has) not
يُصَلُّوا۟
yuṣallū
prayed
فَلْيُصَلُّوا۟
falyuṣallū
and let them pray
مَعَكَ
maʿaka
with you
وَلْيَأْخُذُوا۟
walyakhudhū
and let them take
حِذْرَهُمْ
ḥidh'rahum
their precautions
وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۗ
wa-asliḥatahum
and their arms
وَدَّ
wadda
Wished
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
لَوْ
law
if
تَغْفُلُونَ
taghfulūna
you neglect
عَنْ
ʿan
[about]
أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ
asliḥatikum
your arms
وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ
wa-amtiʿatikum
and your baggage
فَيَمِيلُونَ
fayamīlūna
so (that) they (can) assault
عَلَيْكُم
ʿalaykum
[upon] you
مَّيْلَةًۭ
maylatan
(in) an attack
وَٰحِدَةًۭ ۚ
wāḥidatan
single
وَلَا
walā
But (there is) no
جُنَاحَ
junāḥa
blame
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
إِن
in
if
كَانَ
kāna
was
بِكُمْ
bikum
with you
أَذًۭى
adhan
any trouble
مِّن
min
(because) of
مَّطَرٍ
maṭarin
rain
أَوْ
aw
or
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مَّرْضَىٰٓ
marḍā
sick
أَن
an
that
تَضَعُوٓا۟
taḍaʿū
you lay down
أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۖ
asliḥatakum
your arms
وَخُذُوا۟
wakhudhū
but take
حِذْرَكُمْ ۗ
ḥidh'rakum
your precautions
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
أَعَدَّ
aʿadda
has prepared
لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
lil'kāfirīna
for the disbelievers
عَذَابًۭا
ʿadhāban
a punishment
مُّهِينًۭا
muhīnan
humiliating
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
12. 1. In this verse, permission, rather the command, for Salat al-Khawf is being given. Salat al-Khawf means the prayer of fear; it is legislated when the armies of Muslims and disbelievers are standing ready to fight each other, so even a moment's negligence can prove dangerous for the Muslims. In such circumstances, if the time for prayer arrives, the command is to perform Salat al-Khawf, the various forms of which have been described in hadith. For example, the army is divided into two groups: one group stands facing the enemy so that the disbelievers do not dare to attack, and the other group comes and prays behind the Prophet ﷺ. When this group finishes the prayer, it takes the place of the first group at the front, and the first group comes for prayer. In some narrations, it is mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ led both groups in one rak‘ah each, thus the Prophet ﷺ performed two rak‘ahs and the rest of the soldiers performed one rak‘ah each. In some narrations, it is mentioned that he led them in two rak‘ahs each, thus the Prophet ﷺ performed four rak‘ahs and the soldiers performed two rak‘ahs each. In some narrations, it is mentioned that after performing one rak‘ah, he sat as in at-tahiyyat, and the soldiers stood up and completed another rak‘ah on their own, thus completing two rak‘ahs, and then went and stood firm in front of the enemy. The second group then came and prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ; he led them in one rak‘ah and sat in at-tahiyyat, and remained seated until the soldiers completed their second rak‘ah. Then he said salam with them, thus the Prophet ﷺ also performed two rak‘ahs and both groups of the army also performed two rak‘ahs each. (See books of hadith)
