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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
78. Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you are in fortified towers. [108] And if any good befalls them, they say, "This is from Allah." But if a misfortune befalls them, they say, "This is because of you." [109] Say, "All is from Allah." So what is the matter with these people that they hardly understand any statement?
[108] Death will come only at its appointed time, and it will certainly come: This is a reality that neither a Muslim nor a disbeliever denies. The purpose of mentioning this reality here is that if these faint-hearted Muslims keep this fact in mind at all times, then there is no reason to fear fighting, because both the time and place of death are fixed. Therefore, if it has already been decreed for you, then it will certainly come to you even at home, and if your life is still remaining, then even on the battlefield, death will certainly not come. And according to some commentators, this address is to the hypocrites who, upon seeing defeat in the Battle of Uhud, used to say to their brethren that if you had listened to us, your loved ones would not have been killed in this battle. And this opinion seems correct in that, in the same verse ahead, the address is indeed to the hypocrites.
[109]
Those Who Attribute Calamity to the Messenger:
This address is to the hypocrites, in which their Jewish allies are also included. If they experienced any comfort or moments of ease and happiness, such as the abundance of grain or the acquisition of war booty, they would attribute it to Allah and say that this is Allah's grace and mercy. But if any pain or calamity befell them, then they would blame the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and say that this is the result of your poor planning or wrong strategy, as happened at the time of the defeat in the Battle of Uhud. And they would declare themselves completely free of any blame. If the hypocrites had understood that if victory occurs, it is also due to your good planning, through you, and by your blessing, then even this would have been somewhat correct. But the reality is that whether benefit or harm, everything is from Allah alone, and this is an important part of the Muslims' creed, and the clear proof of this is this very verse. It is also stated:
﴿وَاللّٰهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ﴾ [37: 96]
Allah has created you and also those deeds which you do, meaning that even if benefit or harm is considered to be the result of actions, since the Creator of your actions is Allah Almighty, therefore, benefit and harm are also from Allah alone.
[108] Death will come only at its appointed time, and it will certainly come: This is a reality that neither a Muslim nor a disbeliever denies. The purpose of mentioning this reality here is that if these faint-hearted Muslims keep this fact in mind at all times, then there is no reason to fear fighting, because both the time and place of death are fixed. Therefore, if it has already been decreed for you, then it will certainly come to you even at home, and if your life is still remaining, then even on the battlefield, death will certainly not come. And according to some commentators, this address is to the hypocrites who, upon seeing defeat in the Battle of Uhud, used to say to their brethren that if you had listened to us, your loved ones would not have been killed in this battle. And this opinion seems correct in that, in the same verse ahead, the address is indeed to the hypocrites.
[109]
Those Who Attribute Calamity to the Messenger:
This address is to the hypocrites, in which their Jewish allies are also included. If they experienced any comfort or moments of ease and happiness, such as the abundance of grain or the acquisition of war booty, they would attribute it to Allah and say that this is Allah's grace and mercy. But if any pain or calamity befell them, then they would blame the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and say that this is the result of your poor planning or wrong strategy, as happened at the time of the defeat in the Battle of Uhud. And they would declare themselves completely free of any blame. If the hypocrites had understood that if victory occurs, it is also due to your good planning, through you, and by your blessing, then even this would have been somewhat correct. But the reality is that whether benefit or harm, everything is from Allah alone, and this is an important part of the Muslims' creed, and the clear proof of this is this very verse. It is also stated:
﴿وَاللّٰهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ﴾ [37: 96]
Allah has created you and also those deeds which you do, meaning that even if benefit or harm is considered to be the result of actions, since the Creator of your actions is Allah Almighty, therefore, benefit and harm are also from Allah alone.
