سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 97
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۚ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًا ﴿97﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on the earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allâh spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those whom
تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ
tawaffāhumu
take them (in death)
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ
l-malāikatu
the Angels
ظَالِمِىٓ
ẓālimī
(while) they (were) wronging
أَنفُسِهِمْ
anfusihim
themselves
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they say
فِيمَ
fīma
In what (condition)
كُنتُمْ ۖ
kuntum
were you
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
كُنَّا
kunnā
We were
مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ
mus'taḍʿafīna
oppressed
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ
l-arḍi
the earth
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
They said
أَلَمْ
alam
Not
تَكُنْ
takun
was
أَرْضُ
arḍu
(the) earth
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَٰسِعَةًۭ
wāsiʿatan
spacious (enough)
فَتُهَاجِرُوا۟
fatuhājirū
so that you (could) emigrate
فِيهَا ۚ
fīhā
in it
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
fa-ulāika
Then those
مَأْوَىٰهُمْ
mawāhum
(will have) their abode
جَهَنَّمُ ۖ
jahannamu
(in) Hell
وَسَآءَتْ
wasāat
and it is an evil
مَصِيرًا
maṣīran
destination
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.
97. 1. This verse was revealed about those people who had become Muslims in Mecca and its surrounding areas but avoided migrating by leaving their ancestral land and families. Since Muslims had already been given a very emphatic command to migrate in order to consolidate the strength of the Muslims in one place, those who did not act upon the command of migration have been called wrongdoers here. Their abode has been described as Hell, from which it is understood, firstly, that according to circumstances, some commands of Islam become equivalent to disbelief or Islam itself, as in this case migration was considered equivalent to Islam and avoiding it was considered equivalent to disbelief. Secondly, it is understood that it is obligatory to migrate from such a land of disbelief where practicing the teachings of Islam is difficult and living there encourages disbelief and its people.
97. 2. Here, by "land" (ارض), in terms of the context of revelation, is meant Mecca and its surroundings, and further ahead, by "Allah's land" (ارض اللہ) is meant Medina. But in terms of the ruling, it is general, i.e., the first place refers to the land of the disbelievers where practicing Islam is difficult, and "Allah's land" refers to any place where a person migrates for the purpose of practicing Allah's religion.
97. 2. Here, by "land" (ارض), in terms of the context of revelation, is meant Mecca and its surroundings, and further ahead, by "Allah's land" (ارض اللہ) is meant Medina. But in terms of the ruling, it is general, i.e., the first place refers to the land of the disbelievers where practicing Islam is difficult, and "Allah's land" refers to any place where a person migrates for the purpose of practicing Allah's religion.
