Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:77

This was revealed, as al-Kalbi stated, regarding Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf al-Zuhri, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi, Qudamah ibn Maz'un al-Jumahi, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. While in Makkah before the Hijrah, they were suffering severe harm from the polytheists. They complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), saying, "Permit us, O Messenger of Allah, to fight these people, for they have harmed us." The Prophet (ﷺ) would reply, "Restrain your hands and refrain from fighting, for I have not been commanded to do that." In another narration, "For I have been commanded to forgive."

Busy yourselves with what you have been commanded. Perhaps they were commanded to establish prayer and give zakah as an indication that the struggle against the self is paramount. Unless a Muslim is capable of submitting to the command of Allah Most High by sacrificing wealth, it is unlikely they will be able to sacrifice their life; and sacrificing life is the ultimate form of sacrifice. The passive voice for the verb ("it was said") is used, even though the speaker is the Prophet (ﷺ), because the intention and the focus of the astonishment indicated at the beginning of the discourse is the perfection of their desire for combat, and their reaching a state where they required a prohibition against it. The command to "restrain your hands" was mentioned in the relative clause to verify and depict it by way of metonymy; thus, the specific identity of the commander is not the point of the discourse. It is also said that it was to signify that this was by the command of Allah Most High.

And they were commanded to it after having migrated with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to Madinah—

Meaning, the disbelievers, lest they kill them. This is something rooted in human nature: the fear of destruction.

Meaning, just as they fear that Allah Most High might visit His punishment upon them. The fa (in falaamma) is conjunctive, and what follows is linked to "It was said to them: 'Restrain your hands'" according to its metonymical meaning; for at that point, the contrast between the meanings of the two conjuncts is realized, and upon this the matter of astonishment revolves. It is as if it were said: "Have you not seen those who were eager for fighting? Yet when it was prescribed for them, a group among them disliked it—as is the way of humanity." Directing the astonishment at the whole, despite the dislike originating from only a portion, serves to indicate that it was not fitting for any of them to manifest what contradicts their initial state.

Idha (when/behold) is for suddenness; it is a locative noun of place, though it is also said to be of time—neither of which is significant here. It emphasizes the note of astonishment. Fariq (a party) is the subject (mubtada'), minhum (among them) is its attribute, and yakhshawn (they fear) is its predicate. It is also permissible for yakhshawn to be an attribute or a state (hal), with the predicate being idha.

Ka-khashyatillah (as the fear of Allah) is in the position of a verbal noun (masdar), meaning: "a fear like the fear of Allah." It is also permissible for it to be a state (hal) from the doer of yakhshawn, with an implied genitive, meaning: "in the state of being like the people who fear Allah Most High," i.e., resembling those who fear Him. It is also said—though this is remote—that it is a state from an implied pronoun of the verbal noun, meaning: "they fear the people like the fear of Allah."

"Or even more intense in fear" is a conjunction added to it if you consider the previous phrase a state (hal), meaning that they are "more intense in fear" than the people who fear Allah—in the sense that their fear of the people is more intense than their fear of Him. If it is not taken as a verbal noun, based on the view that khashyatan (fear) is accusative as a specifier (tamyiz), and that the specifier relates to the agency, then the noun governed by min (the comparative) is set against the noun described by the superlative (af'al al-tafdil). The meaning would then be that their fear is more intense than the fear of others. This leads to the conclusion that the "fear of their fear" is more intense, which is not correct—unless it is according to the methodology of "its intensity has intensified" (jadda judduhu), as held by Abu Ali and Ibn Jinni, like saying "Zayd is very diligent" (Zaydun jadda jiddan), with jiddan as a specifier. But this is far-fetched. Rather, it is a conjunction to the Majestic Name (Allah), so it is genitive with a fathah (due to it being diptote). The meaning is: "They fear the people with a fear like the fear of Allah, or a fear like a fear more intense than Him"—but only by way of hypothesis, for there is no fear more intense to the believers than that of Allah. This leads to prioritizing their fear of the people over all other fears, if analyzed individually.

Ibn al-Hajib mentioned that it is permissible for this conjunction to be a conjunction of sentences: "they fear the people like the fear of people, or they fear with a more intense fear," provided the first is a verbal noun and the second is a state. It was argued against this that omitting the genitive is easier than omitting the sentence, and is more fulfilling of the requirements of contrast and proper correspondence. It is also permissible for khashyatan to be accusative as a verbal noun, and ashaddu (more intense) to be an attribute of what preceded it, thus becoming accusative as a state. Some have mentioned that the specifier (tamyiz) after a superlative can be the same as that from which it is derived, such as "Allah is the best as a protector," for the Protector is Allah Himself, as if you said: "Allah is the best protector" (bi-al-jarr). In that case, there is no prohibition against the "fear" being the same as the "described," and it does not necessitate that the fear has its own fear. The view that this is only permissible if the specifier is the same as the described in concept and wording is a matter of debate, as the unity of the wording while omitting the first does not contain much... [text damaged]. This is a strong objection to what was said, and Ibn al-Munir has narrated from al-Kitab (Sibawayh) that which supports it, so contemplate this.

Aw (or) is for diversification, or for ambiguity to the listener, or for notification, or in the sense of wa (and), or in the sense of bal (nay/rather).

This is a conjunction to the answer of "When" (i.e., When fighting was prescribed for them, some of them suddenly responded with their tongues or their hearts). Allah Most High narrated this from them by way of wishing for ease, not by way of objecting to His command or denying its obligation; hence, they were not reprimanded for it. "Our Lord, why have You prescribed fighting for us" at this time?

This is the destined term, and it is described as "near" to seek compassion, meaning it is a small amount that does not prevent one from reaching it. The sentence acts as an explanation for what preceded it, and that is why it was not conjoined to it. It is also said that it was not conjoined to signify that these are two independent statements from them: at one time they said the first sentence, and at another time, the second. If it had been conjoined, it would be assumed they said the total of both utterances.

Meaning, to discourage them from what they hope for by sitting out of the fight and delaying until the destined term—which is but vanishing enjoyment—and to encourage them toward the everlasting bliss they obtain through fighting.

Meaning, its reward, which is contingent upon deeds—among which is fighting—is better for you than that small enjoyment due to its abundance, its lack of cessation, and its purity from impurities. There is an unmistakable difference in the style here. Allah Most High specifically said, "for the one who fears Allah," to incite them and encourage them toward piety and against failing in the requirements of the obligation. It is also said the meaning is that the Hereafter itself is better, but only for the God-fearing, because for the disbeliever and the sinner there are fires and horrors there. Thus, it is said: "The world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the disbeliever." It is clear that the first interpretation is more appropriate to the context.

This is a conjunction to an implied element, meaning: "You will be rewarded in it and you will not be defrauded of this small amount, let alone more than that, of the reward for your deeds." So do not turn away from fighting, which is among the adornments of this world. Ibn Kathir and others read it with a ya (yuzlamun), referring the pronoun back to its explicit form.