سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 78
أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا۟ يُدْرِككُّمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِى بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ ۗ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنْ عِندِكَ ۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا ﴿78﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!" And if some good reaches them, they say, "This is from Allâh," but if some evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)." Say: "All things are from Allâh," so what is wrong with these people that they fail to understand any word?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَيْنَمَا
aynamā
Wherever
تَكُونُوا۟
takūnū
you be
يُدْرِككُّمُ
yud'rikkumu
will overtake you
ٱلْمَوْتُ
l-mawtu
[the] death
وَلَوْ
walaw
even if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you are
فِى
fī
in
بُرُوجٍۢ
burūjin
towers
مُّشَيَّدَةٍۢ ۗ
mushayyadatin
lofty
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تُصِبْهُمْ
tuṣib'hum
befalls them
حَسَنَةٌۭ
ḥasanatun
any good
يَقُولُوا۟
yaqūlū
they say
هَـٰذِهِۦ
hādhihi
This
مِنْ
min
(is)
عِندِ
ʿindi
from
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
Allah
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تُصِبْهُمْ
tuṣib'hum
befalls them
سَيِّئَةٌۭ
sayyi-atun
any evil
يَقُولُوا۟
yaqūlū
they say
هَـٰذِهِۦ
hādhihi
This
مِنْ
min
(is)
عِندِكَ ۚ
ʿindika
(from) you
قُلْ
qul
Say
كُلٌّۭ
kullun
All
مِّنْ
min
(is)
عِندِ
ʿindi
from
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
Allah
فَمَالِ
famāli
So what (is wrong)
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ
hāulāi
(with) these
ٱلْقَوْمِ
l-qawmi
[the] people
لَا
lā
not
يَكَادُونَ
yakādūna
do they seem
يَفْقَهُونَ
yafqahūna
(to) understand
حَدِيثًۭا
ḥadīthan
any statement
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 78) ➊ {اَيْنَ مَا تَكُوْنُوْا يُدْرِكْكُّمُ الْمَوْتُ: ”بُرُوْجٍ“ } is the plural of {’’بُرْجٌ‘‘}, meaning a strong building, a fortress. { ”مُشَيَّدَةٍ“ } which are made of {’’ اَلشِّيْدُ ‘‘}, that is, made of lime. This is another point to encourage striving in Allah’s cause: when you cannot escape death in any situation, then why do you hesitate to strive in Allah’s way? There are many verses in the Noble Qur’an with this meaning, as He said: «{ قُلْ لَّنْ يَّنْفَعَكُمُ الْفِرَارُ اِنْ فَرَرْتُمْ مِّنَ الْمَوْتِ اَوِ الْقَتْلِ }» [ الأحزاب : ۱۶ ] “Say, fleeing will never benefit you if you flee from death or killing.” And He said: «{ قُلْ اِنَّ الْمَوْتَ الَّذِيْ تَفِرُّوْنَ مِنْهُ فَاِنَّهٗ مُلٰقِيْكُمْ }» [الجمعۃ : ۸ ] “Say, indeed the death from which you flee, it will surely meet you.” And He said: «{ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآىِٕقَةُ الْمَوْتِ }» [آل عمران : ۱۸۵ ] “Every soul will taste death.”
➋ {وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ … :} Above, two blameworthy traits of the hypocrites were mentioned: one, shirking from striving, and the other, fearing death. Now here, another blameworthy trait of theirs is mentioned, which is worse than the first two: attributing misfortune to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Here, {”حَسَنَةٌ“} (good) means victory, help, dominance, prosperity, etc., and {’’ سَيِّئَةٌ ‘‘} means loss in battle, calamity, killing, and defeat, etc.
➌ {قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ:} This is the answer to their statement: both evil and good are from Him and by His command; He alone is the Creator of everything. To declare calamity and misfortune as someone’s bad luck is absolutely wrong and the way of the previous disbelievers, as the people of Thamud said: «{ قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَ بِمَنْ مَّعَكَ }» [ النمل : ۴۷ ] “They said, we consider you and those with you a bad omen.” And in Surah Ya-Sin: «{ اِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ }» [ یٰسٓ : ۱۸ ] “Indeed, we consider you a bad omen.” And about the people of Pharaoh: «{ وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّطَّيَّرُوْا بِمُوْسٰى وَ مَنْ مَّعَهٗ }» [ الأعراف : ۱۳۱ ] “And if any harm befell them, they considered it a bad omen due to Moses and those with him.”
Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “This is about the hypocrites: if the war strategy succeeded and victory and spoils were gained, they would say it was from Allah, meaning it happened by chance. They did not acknowledge the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) strategy. And if it failed, they would blame the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) strategy. Allah the Exalted said that everything is from Allah, meaning the Prophet’s strategy is Allah’s inspiration, it is not wrong, and if it failed, do not consider it a failure; Allah is correcting you for your shortcomings. The next verse explains this clearly.” (Mawduh)
➍ {فَمَالِ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ الْقَوْمِ …:} That is, it is astonishing that even a reality that can be understood without any reflection or thought does not enter their understanding. (Razi)
➋ {وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ … :} Above, two blameworthy traits of the hypocrites were mentioned: one, shirking from striving, and the other, fearing death. Now here, another blameworthy trait of theirs is mentioned, which is worse than the first two: attributing misfortune to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Here, {”حَسَنَةٌ“} (good) means victory, help, dominance, prosperity, etc., and {’’ سَيِّئَةٌ ‘‘} means loss in battle, calamity, killing, and defeat, etc.
➌ {قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ:} This is the answer to their statement: both evil and good are from Him and by His command; He alone is the Creator of everything. To declare calamity and misfortune as someone’s bad luck is absolutely wrong and the way of the previous disbelievers, as the people of Thamud said: «{ قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَ بِمَنْ مَّعَكَ }» [ النمل : ۴۷ ] “They said, we consider you and those with you a bad omen.” And in Surah Ya-Sin: «{ اِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ }» [ یٰسٓ : ۱۸ ] “Indeed, we consider you a bad omen.” And about the people of Pharaoh: «{ وَ اِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَّطَّيَّرُوْا بِمُوْسٰى وَ مَنْ مَّعَهٗ }» [ الأعراف : ۱۳۱ ] “And if any harm befell them, they considered it a bad omen due to Moses and those with him.”
Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “This is about the hypocrites: if the war strategy succeeded and victory and spoils were gained, they would say it was from Allah, meaning it happened by chance. They did not acknowledge the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) strategy. And if it failed, they would blame the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) strategy. Allah the Exalted said that everything is from Allah, meaning the Prophet’s strategy is Allah’s inspiration, it is not wrong, and if it failed, do not consider it a failure; Allah is correcting you for your shortcomings. The next verse explains this clearly.” (Mawduh)
➍ {فَمَالِ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ الْقَوْمِ …:} That is, it is astonishing that even a reality that can be understood without any reflection or thought does not enter their understanding. (Razi)
