Al-Nisa (The Women): (100) And whoever migrates in...

Verse 100

And know that the impediment [to Hijra] consists of two matters:

The First: That a person has a certain comfort and well-being in his homeland. He thinks: If I leave my homeland, I will fall into hardship, affliction, and a narrow livelihood.

Allah’s Answer: He responded to this by saying: {And whoever migrates in the cause of Allah, he will find on earth many refuges and abundance.}

• The term murāgham (refuge/place of spite) is derived from ragham, which means dust. It is said: Rāghamtu al-rajul (I did what that man dislikes). The root is related to the expression raghima anfuhu (his nose was brought low), meaning something he dislikes has reached him. This is because the nose is a highly honored organ, while dust is utterly lowly. Thus, they made the phrase raghima anfuhu a metaphor for humiliation.

Interpretation of Murāgham:

1. The Common View: This murāgham (refuge/spite) is achieved because they left and departed from their homes.
2. My Alternative View: The meaning is that whoever migrates in the cause of Allah to another land will find in the land of that destination such goodness and blessing that it becomes a cause for the spite/humiliation of his enemies who were in his original town. This is because if a person leaves and goes to a foreign land, and his affairs become established there, and that news reaches the people of his town, they become ashamed of their ill-treatment of him, and their noses are brought low because of it. This interpretation is closer to the literal meaning of the word, and Allah knows best.

The Summary: It is as if the address is: O human, you were only reluctant to leave your homeland fearing that you would fall into hardship and tribulation during the journey. Do not fear, for Allah Almighty will grant you such great blessings and high ranks in your migration that it will become a cause for the humiliation of your enemies, and a cause for the abundance of your livelihood.

Allah mentioned the humiliation of the enemies before the abundance of livelihood because the joy a person experiences from his state of triumph (due to the severe oppression he fled) is greater than his joy from the abundance of livelihood itself.

The Second Impediment: A person says: If I leave my country seeking this goal, perhaps I will reach it, and perhaps I will not. It is better not to waste the present comfort while seeking something I might or might not attain.

Allah’s Answer: Allah Almighty responded to this by saying: {And whoever leaves his home, migrating to Allah and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his reward has already fallen upon Allah.} The meaning is clear, and there are several issues concerning this verse.

Some scholars said: The intended meaning is that whoever intends an act of obedience to Allah but is unable to complete it, Allah records for him the reward for the complete act. This is like a sick person who is unable to perform the acts of obedience he used to do while healthy; the reward for that work is recorded for him. This is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

Others said: He is confirmed to have the reward for his intention and the reward for the portion of the act he completed. As for the reward for completing the act, that is impossible.

The Preferred View: The first view is superior because Allah mentioned this verse here in the context of encouraging Jihad (striving/struggle). Whoever sets out on a journey desiring to migrate has already secured the reward of migration. Encouragement is only achieved through this meaning. If the meaning were that he receives the reward only for the portion of the act performed, it would not serve as encouragement, as it is already known that whoever performs a part of an act receives the reward corresponding to that part (as indicated by the saying, "Indeed, for every man is what he intended," and the story of Jundub ibn Damrah).

The Mutazilites argued that this verse proves that action necessitates a reward from Allah, because Allah said: {his reward has already fallen upon Allah}. They supported their view with three points:

1. The mention of the word waqaʿa (fallen/occurred). The reality of obligation (wujūb) is occurrence and falling due (as in: Fa-idhā wajabat junūbuhā [And when their flanks have fallen], meaning they have occurred and dropped).
2. The mention of the word ajr (wage/reward). Ajr refers to a deserved benefit. That which is not deserved is called a gift (hibah), not a wage.
3. The phrase {upon Allah}. The preposition ʿalā (upon) here signifies obligation, as in: {And for Allah [is due] from the people the Hajj to the House} (Aal Imran: 97).

The Response: We do not dispute the concept of obligation, but it is an obligation based on Promise, Knowledge, Favor, and Generosity, not based on a right (istiḥqāq) such that if Allah did not fulfill it, He would cease to be divine. We have detailed the evidence for this previously.

Some people used this verse as evidence that if a warrior dies on the way, his share of the spoils of war (ghanimah) becomes obligatory, just as his reward becomes obligatory.

This is weak because the wording of the verse is specific to the reward (ajr). Furthermore, the entitlement to a share of the spoils is tied to its actual capture, as spoils only exist after they have been seized, as Allah says: {And know that whatever you take as spoils of war...} (Al-Anfal: 41). And Allah knows best.

Conclusion of the Verse: {And Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful.} This means He forgives what occurred from him (i.e., staying behind until he set out) and shows mercy to him by completing the reward for his striving.

Verse 101

{And when you go forth [to fight] in the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayers, if you fear that the disbelievers may harass you. Indeed, the disbelievers are to you an open enemy.}