An-Nisa (The Women): (74) So let him fight in the cause of Allah...

There are two interpretations among the commentators regarding His saying: {They sell the life of this world}:

1. The first is that {يشرون} (yashrūna) means "they sell." Al-Mufarrigh said:

   And I sold my cloak, oh, if only after the cloak I had been a hawk. He said: The cloak (bard) refers to his slave boy, and sharaytu (I sold) means baya‘tu (I sold). He wished for death after selling him. Thus, the meaning of the verse is: Let those who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the cause of Allah. This is like His saying: {Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties} up to His saying: {then rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted}.

2. The second view is that the meaning of {يشرون} is "they prefer" or "they choose" (yashtarūna). They said that the addressees of this command are the hypocrites who held back from the Battle of Uhud. The structure of the statement is: Let those who prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter fight. Under this interpretation, there must be an implied preceding statement: "Believe, then fight," because it is impossible for the commands of Islam to be fulfilled before embracing Islam itself.

I have other possibilities concerning the verse:

• One: When a person intends to spend this worldly life in the cause of Allah, his soul becomes stingy with it. Therefore, he "buys" it back from himself with the happiness of the Hereafter so that he can spend it in the cause of Allah with a willing heart.
• Two: The Almighty commanded fighting, coupled with an explanation of the corruption behind abandoning it. For whoever abandons fighting does so out of desire for the life of this world, which necessitates missing the happiness of the Hereafter. It is as if he is told: Engage in fighting and abandon preferring the transient over the everlasting.
• Three: It is as if He is saying: Those who prefer the life of this world over the Hereafter only prefer it when it is accompanied by happiness, delight, and honor. If that is the case, then let them fight, for by fighting they attain delight and honor in this world, as they conquer their enemies and gain wealth through fighting.

These are the views that came to mind, and Allah knows best His intent.

Then the Almighty said: {And whoever fights in the cause of Allah, and is then killed or is victorious, We will surely grant him a great reward.}

The meaning is: Whoever fights in the cause of Allah, whether he is killed by the disbelievers or becomes victorious over them, We will surely grant him a great reward—which is the pure, everlasting benefit accompanied by glorification. It is known that there is no state between these two conditions (being killed or being victorious). Since the reward is guaranteed in both scenarios, no deed is more noble than Jihad.

This indicates that the Mujahid must prepare himself for one of two outcomes: either the enemy kills him, or he overcomes and conquers the enemy. If he resolves upon this, he will not flee from the opponent nor hesitate in fighting. But if he enters the battle without this resolve, how quickly he falls into flight! This is the meaning of what Allah the Almighty mentioned regarding the division in His saying: {and is then killed or is victorious}.

{And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and grant us from Yourself a protector and grant us from Yourself a helper"?}