An-Nisa: (95) "Those who remain behind are not equal..."
"Those who remain behind are not equal..." This is the beginning of an exhortation to Jihad, intended to make the believers feel disdain for avoiding it and to make them desire that which avoids causing any deficiency in it. The intended meaning of "those who remain behind" is those who were permitted to stay back from Jihad, as their participation was considered sufficient by the presence of others. Al-Bukhari narrates from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with both of them—that they are those who stayed behind from Badr; this is the apparent meaning and aligns with history, as has been said. Abu Hamzah said: They are those who missed the expedition to Tabuk. It is reported that the verse was revealed concerning Ka’b ibn Malik of the Banu Salama, Murarah ibn al-Rabi’ of the Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, and Hilal ibn Umayyah of the Banu Waqif, when they lagged behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in that expedition.
"...of the believers..." This is a circumstantial qualifier (hal) for "those who remain behind." It is also possible that it qualifies the implicit pronoun within that phrase. The benefit of this is to signal from the very beginning that remaining behind from Jihad does not cause them to remain behind in faith, and to provide an indication of the reason for their worthiness of the "goodly reward" that will be mentioned later. That is: those who remain behind from Jihad—while being believers—are not equal...
"...excluding those who have an excuse [lit. not possessors of harm]..." This is in the nominative case (raf’) as an adjective for "those who remain behind." Even though the latter is definite and "non" (ghayr) does not become definite in such a position, the intent here is not specific individuals but the genus; thus, it resembles the genus, and qualifying it with "non" becomes valid. ‘Isam al-Din claimed that ghayr here is a definite noun, meaning "those who have no harm," and cited al-Radi; however, there is weakness in the aforementioned view. The noun defined by the article al (the) referring to a genus, even if it is in the status of an indefinite noun, is not described in the way an indefinite noun is; rather, it is required that its descriptor be a verbal sentence whose verb is in the present tense (mudari’), as in the poet’s saying: "I pass by the mean man who insults me, and I remain silent, then I say that which does not concern me." Some have deemed it appropriate to make it a substitute (badal) for "those who remain behind," because the al in the latter is a relative pronoun. However, it is well-known that the intent in nouns defined by the article al is the genus, and there is a difference between the two. Al-Zajjaj permitted the nominative case as an exception (istithna’), and al-Wahidi followed him in this. Nafi’, Ibn ‘Amir, and al-Kisa’i read it in the accusative case (nasb) as a circumstantial qualifier, considering it an indefinite noun rather than a definite one, or as an exception; the inflection of what follows it appears upon it. It was also read in the genitive case (jarr) as an adjective for "the believers" or a substitute for it. The rule that an indefinite noun is not substituted for a definite one unless it is qualified is the more common, not the absolute, rule.
"Harm" (al-darar) refers to illness and infirmities for which there is no way to perform Jihad, or things similar in meaning; included within this is the inability to afford the necessary provisions. The verse was originally revealed without "excluding those who have an excuse," and then it was revealed afterwards. Malik narrates from al-Zuhri, from Kharijah ibn Zayd, who said: Zayd ibn Thabit said: "I was writing in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) on a shoulder blade: 'Those who remain behind from the believers and the Mujahideen are not equal.' Ibn Umm Maktum was with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, Allah the Exalted has revealed what He has revealed regarding the virtue of Jihad, and I am a blind man, do I have an exemption?' The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied: 'I do not know.' Zayd said: 'My pen was still wet, not yet dry, when the revelation came upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). His thigh fell upon mine, until it nearly crushed it due to the weight of the revelation. Then it was lifted from him, and he said to me: "Write, O Zayd: 'excluding those who have an excuse.'""
"...and the Mujahideen [strugglers] in the way of Allah..."—that is, in the path of His religion—"...with their wealth..."—spending it in a way that weakens the plot of the enemies—"...and their souls..."—committing them to combat upon the encounter. Both prepositional phrases are linked to "the Mujahideen." They were presented with this title rather than the title of "the ones who go forth," which corresponds to the description of those they are being compared against. It is qualified with what it is qualified with as a praise for them and as an indication of the reason for their worthiness of high status, along with the beauty of the placement of "the path" (al-sabil) in opposition to "remaining behind" (al-qu’ud). It is said: They were presented under the title of "Jihad" to signal that the "remaining behind" was from it, but the explicit statement was avoided there out of consideration for them in a general sense.
"Those who remain behind" was placed before "the Mujahideen" and not delayed behind them, so that the explicit statement of their preference could be connected to them. It is also said: This is to indicate from the start that the deficiency implied by the lack of equality is from the side of those who remain behind, not from the side of their counterparts. For the concept of inequality between two differing things—in increase and decrease—even if it is permissible to consider it according to the increase of the one who has more, what is commonly perceived is its consideration according to the deficiency of the one who has less; witness the saying of the Exalted: "Are the blind and the seeing equal? Or are the darkness and the light equal?" And so on. As for His saying: "Are those who know and those who do not know equal?"—perhaps the virtuous one is mentioned first there because his object (knowledge) is a faculty that precedes the object of the other. You know that there is no competition in subtle meanings, and that a single thing may have an aspect of precedence and an aspect of postponement, so this is considered at one time, and that at another.
The Exalted has placed the mention of wealth before the soul here, while reversing it in His saying: "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their souls and their wealth." This is because the soul is more noble than wealth, so the purchase of the soul was mentioned first to indicate that the desire for it is greater; and the seller was mentioned last to indicate that the reluctance in parting with it is greater, so one is not pleased to sacrifice it except for a benefit. On that pattern came His saying: "Allah has favored the Mujahideen in His way with their wealth and their souls over those who remain behind from the believers, excluding those who have an excuse, with a degree..."—a degree whose magnitude cannot be estimated and whose essence cannot be reached. This is an explicit statement of what the negation of equality implied, for it necessitates preference. Furthermore, He was not content with what was understood, out of care for it, and so that it would be established as firmly as possible. Because this sentence is foundational and clarifies what preceded it, it was not joined by a conjunction. It is also permitted that it be an answer to a question toward which the discourse flows; as if it were said: "How did that preference occur?" And so it was said: "Allah has favored..." The al in the two collectives (the Mujahideen and the القاعدين) is for reference, and the fact that what it enters upon is a description does not prevent this, as is said, for the al in such cases often comes for definition, as grammarians have stated.
"A degree" (darajat) is in the accusative case as a verbal noun (masdar) because it implies preference, for it refers to status and rank, and this occurs in ascension and excellence. Thus, it occupied the place of the verbal noun, as if it were said: "He favored them a favoring" (faddalahum fadlatan). This is like their saying: "I struck him a whipping," meaning a strike. It is said: it is a circumstantial qualifier, i.e., "possessing a degree." It is also said: it is for discrimination (tamyiz). It is said: it is on the assumption of an omitted preposition, i.e., "with a degree." It is said: it is in the position of an adverb of place, i.e., "in a degree and status."
His saying: "And to each..."—the first object of what follows it—was placed before it to imply restriction, as an affirmation of the promise. It is a substitute for the genitive construction, meaning "each one of the two parties, the Mujahideen and those who remain behind..." "...Allah has promised..."—the reward—"...the goodly [reward]..."—which is Paradise, as Qatadah and others said—not just one of the two. Al-Hasan read "Each" (kullun) in the nominative case as an initial subject (mubtada’), so the first object—which is the pronoun returning in the predicate sentence—is omitted, meaning "He has promised it." It seems that the adherence to the accusative in the canonical readings is because a verbal sentence precedes it, and in that, it differs from what is in [Surah] Al-Hadid. "The goodly [reward]" in both readings is the second object. The sentence is an interjection brought to remedy what the preference of one party over the other might imply regarding the deprivation of the one less favored.
His saying: "And Allah has favored the Mujahideen over those who remain behind..."—this is a conjunction to what preceded it. The article al sufficed to mention what was omitted by way of gradual progression of restrictions. The reason why the progression was not considered in omitting what was mentioned with "those who remain behind" first—by omitting it from "the believers" only, mentioning "excluding those who have an excuse" in the first verse, and omitting both in the second verse—but rather omitting them all at once when the first intention of gradualism was meant: it is said that the restriction "excluding those who have an excuse" came after the question, as the reason for revelation indicates. In some reports, it is said that when the verse was revealed, Ibn Umm Maktum began to say: "O my Lord, where is my excuse? O my Lord, where is my excuse?" Then this was revealed, and the door of necessity for it was closed, and the questioner was satisfied with its mention once. Thus, the omitted [portions] were dropped along with what was with them for that purpose all at once. This is not the case for what was mentioned with the Mujahideen, for bringing it was out of pure grace and favor without a preceding question. When the door of omission was opened, the progression was considered in it as a distinction between the two situations.
His saying: "…a great reward." This is a verbal noun emphasizing "favored." Even if it is in the sense of "giving favor," it is more general than "reward," because "reward" is what is in return for a matter; but the more specific meaning is intended here because it is in return for Jihad. It is also permissible for it to remain in its general meaning, and "a reward" to be the direct object. Because it implies the meaning of giving, it takes the object in the accusative case; meaning: He gave them, in addition to those who remain behind, a great reward. It is said: it is in the accusative case due to the removal of the preposition, i.e., "He favored them with a reward." It is also said: it is an adjective for His saying...
