سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 90
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍۭ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَـٰقٌ أَوْ جَآءُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ أَوْ يُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَـٰتَلُوكُمْ ۚ فَإِنِ ٱعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلًا ﴿90﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Except those who join a group, between you and whom there is a treaty (of peace), or those who approach you with their breasts restraining from fighting you as well as fighting their own people. Had Allâh willed, indeed He would have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they withdraw from you, and fight not against you, and offer you peace, then Allâh has opened no way for you against them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِلَّا
illā
Except
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
يَصِلُونَ
yaṣilūna
join
إِلَىٰ
ilā
[to]
قَوْمٍۭ
qawmin
a group
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
وَبَيْنَهُم
wabaynahum
and between them
مِّيثَـٰقٌ
mīthāqun
(is) a treaty
أَوْ
aw
or
جَآءُوكُمْ
jāūkum
those who come to you
حَصِرَتْ
ḥaṣirat
restraining
صُدُورُهُمْ
ṣudūruhum
their hearts
أَن
an
that
يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ
yuqātilūkum
they fight you
أَوْ
aw
or
يُقَـٰتِلُوا۟
yuqātilū
they fight
قَوْمَهُمْ ۚ
qawmahum
their people
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
شَآءَ
shāa
(had) willed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَسَلَّطَهُمْ
lasallaṭahum
surely He (would have) given them power
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
over you
فَلَقَـٰتَلُوكُمْ ۚ
falaqātalūkum
and surely they (would have) fought you
فَإِنِ
fa-ini
So if
ٱعْتَزَلُوكُمْ
iʿ'tazalūkum
they withdraw from you
فَلَمْ
falam
and (do) not
يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ
yuqātilūkum
fight against you
وَأَلْقَوْا۟
wa-alqaw
and offer
إِلَيْكُمُ
ilaykumu
to you
ٱلسَّلَمَ
l-salama
[the] peace
فَمَا
famā
then not
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
(has) made
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
against them
سَبِيلًۭا
sabīlan
a way
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.
90. 1 That is, those who are being given the command to fight. Two types of people are exempted from this. First, those who have a connection and relationship with a people—that is, they are individuals of a people or under the protection of a people with whom you have a treaty. Second, those who come to you in such a state that their hearts are constrained from joining their people to fight you, or joining you to fight their people—that is, they do not wish to fight in your support nor in your opposition.
90. 2 That is, this is Allah’s favor that He separated them from fighting, otherwise, if Allah had put in their hearts the thought of fighting in support of their people, then surely they too would have fought you. Therefore, if these people truly remain aloof from war, then you too should not take any action against them.
90. 3 If they remain aloof, do not fight, and extend a message of peace towards you, all have the same meaning. Three phrases have been used for emphasis and clarification, so that Muslims may be careful concerning them, because those who have already separated themselves from war and fighting, and this separation is also in the interest of the Muslims, that is why Allah has mentioned it as a favor. Therefore, as long as they remain in the aforementioned state, do not fight them! An example of this is also the group that was related to Banu Hashim; on the day of Badr, they came to the battlefield with the polytheists of Makkah, but they did not like to fight the Muslims along with them, such as Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Messenger ﷺ, etc., who had not yet become Muslim, and so they were outwardly in the camp of the disbelievers. That is why the Prophet ﷺ forbade the killing of Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and was content with only taking him as a prisoner. "Silm" here means "musalamah," that is, peace.
90. 2 That is, this is Allah’s favor that He separated them from fighting, otherwise, if Allah had put in their hearts the thought of fighting in support of their people, then surely they too would have fought you. Therefore, if these people truly remain aloof from war, then you too should not take any action against them.
90. 3 If they remain aloof, do not fight, and extend a message of peace towards you, all have the same meaning. Three phrases have been used for emphasis and clarification, so that Muslims may be careful concerning them, because those who have already separated themselves from war and fighting, and this separation is also in the interest of the Muslims, that is why Allah has mentioned it as a favor. Therefore, as long as they remain in the aforementioned state, do not fight them! An example of this is also the group that was related to Banu Hashim; on the day of Badr, they came to the battlefield with the polytheists of Makkah, but they did not like to fight the Muslims along with them, such as Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Messenger ﷺ, etc., who had not yet become Muslim, and so they were outwardly in the camp of the disbelievers. That is why the Prophet ﷺ forbade the killing of Hazrat Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and was content with only taking him as a prisoner. "Silm" here means "musalamah," that is, peace.
