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 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.
97. Indeed, those who wronged themselves [134], when the angels take their souls, they will ask: "What was your condition?" They will reply, "We were oppressed and helpless in the land." The angels will say, "Was not Allah’s earth spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such people will have their abode in Hell—what an evil destination!
[134]
Jihad is Not a Condition for Entering Paradise:
This verse concerns those Muslims who, despite being able to migrate, did not do so and hesitated to leave their homes and go to the land of migration (Madinah). And this was their wrongdoing against themselves. Their wrongdoing against the Muslims was that, at the time of battle, they had to side with the polytheists, and the polytheists would use the trick of placing such Muslims at the front of their ranks so that they would serve as a shield and defense for them. Now, this became a great dilemma for the Muslim army: if they fought, shot arrows, or wielded swords, their own Muslim brothers would be killed, and if they held back, they themselves would suffer harm. Thus, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says regarding the reason for the revelation of this verse: “Among the (Meccan) Muslims, there were some who sided with the polytheists and increased their numbers at the time of confrontation. Then, if an arrow from the Muslims struck them or someone was hit by a sword, they would be wounded or killed. It was about such people that Allah revealed this verse.” [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
The Loss of Not Migrating:
From the warning given in this verse for such Muslims, it is also incidentally understood that such weak faith is not acceptable to Allah. Therefore, if the polytheists use them as shields, for the collective interest of the Muslims, they should be killed without hesitation, and Allah has not accepted the excuse of their weakness, because this was not weakness but rather love for home and greed for wealth and property, due to which they did not migrate, or else it will be considered cowardice.
[134]
Jihad is Not a Condition for Entering Paradise:
This verse concerns those Muslims who, despite being able to migrate, did not do so and hesitated to leave their homes and go to the land of migration (Madinah). And this was their wrongdoing against themselves. Their wrongdoing against the Muslims was that, at the time of battle, they had to side with the polytheists, and the polytheists would use the trick of placing such Muslims at the front of their ranks so that they would serve as a shield and defense for them. Now, this became a great dilemma for the Muslim army: if they fought, shot arrows, or wielded swords, their own Muslim brothers would be killed, and if they held back, they themselves would suffer harm. Thus, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says regarding the reason for the revelation of this verse: “Among the (Meccan) Muslims, there were some who sided with the polytheists and increased their numbers at the time of confrontation. Then, if an arrow from the Muslims struck them or someone was hit by a sword, they would be wounded or killed. It was about such people that Allah revealed this verse.” [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
The Loss of Not Migrating:
From the warning given in this verse for such Muslims, it is also incidentally understood that such weak faith is not acceptable to Allah. Therefore, if the polytheists use them as shields, for the collective interest of the Muslims, they should be killed without hesitation, and Allah has not accepted the excuse of their weakness, because this was not weakness but rather love for home and greed for wealth and property, due to which they did not migrate, or else it will be considered cowardice.
