سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 141
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ وَإِن كَانَ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ وَلَن يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا ﴿141﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those (hypocrites) who wait and watch about you; if you gain a victory from Allâh, they say: "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers?" Allâh will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection. And never will Allâh grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
Those who
يَتَرَبَّصُونَ
yatarabbaṣūna
are waiting
بِكُمْ
bikum
for you
فَإِن
fa-in
Then if
كَانَ
kāna
was
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
فَتْحٌۭ
fatḥun
a victory
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
they say
أَلَمْ
alam
Were not
نَكُن
nakun
we
مَّعَكُمْ
maʿakum
with you
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
كَانَ
kāna
(there) was
لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
lil'kāfirīna
for the disbelievers
نَصِيبٌۭ
naṣībun
a chance
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
they said
أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
نَسْتَحْوِذْ
nastaḥwidh
we have advantage
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
over you
وَنَمْنَعْكُم
wanamnaʿkum
and we protected you
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚ
l-mu'minīna
the believers
فَٱللَّهُ
fal-lahu
And Allah
يَحْكُمُ
yaḥkumu
will judge
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ
l-qiyāmati
(of) the Resurrection
وَلَن
walan
and never
يَجْعَلَ
yajʿala
will make
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
lil'kāfirīna
for the disbelievers
عَلَى
ʿalā
over
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
l-mu'minīna
the believers
سَبِيلًا
sabīlan
a way
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 141) ➊ { الَّذِيْنَ يَتَرَبَّصُوْنَ بِكُمْ … : } That is, these hypocrites are always watching and waiting for you; if you gain victory from Allah, they say, "Were we not with you?" meaning, "We also have a share in this victory." And if at any time the disbelievers get a share, they say to them, "Did we not prevail over you? Then it was our doing that we adopted such means by which the morale of the Muslims was weakened, and we saved you from the Muslims." That is, the hypocrites kept claiming favor on both sides.
➋ { فَاللّٰهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ:} That is, in this world, these hypocrites apparently saved themselves by reciting the kalimah, but in the Hereafter, their reality will be exposed and it will become clear who was a believer and who was a hypocrite.
➌ {وَ لَنْ يَّجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ … :} If someone says that Allah has promised that He will never make a way for the disbelievers over the believers, but at this time the matter is the opposite, then the answer is that history bears witness that the disbelievers never gained dominance over those believers who are mentioned here. Now, if the believers themselves do not remain true believers and abandon jihad, then how can Allah's promise be at fault for that?
➋ { فَاللّٰهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ:} That is, in this world, these hypocrites apparently saved themselves by reciting the kalimah, but in the Hereafter, their reality will be exposed and it will become clear who was a believer and who was a hypocrite.
➌ {وَ لَنْ يَّجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ … :} If someone says that Allah has promised that He will never make a way for the disbelievers over the believers, but at this time the matter is the opposite, then the answer is that history bears witness that the disbelievers never gained dominance over those believers who are mentioned here. Now, if the believers themselves do not remain true believers and abandon jihad, then how can Allah's promise be at fault for that?
