ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ
So fight, [O Muhammad], in the cause of Allah; you are not held responsible except for yourself. And encourage the believers [to join you] that perhaps Allah will restrain the [military] might of those who disbelieve. And Allah is greater in might and stronger in [exemplary] punishment.
Tafsir
Verse range: 4:84
The Almighty, having strongly commanded and encouraged Jihad in the preceding verses, and having mentioned the lack of enthusiasm for it among the hypocrites—indeed, mentioning their intense efforts to dissuade the Muslims from fighting—now returns in this verse to command Jihad, saying: {So fight in the way of Allah}.
There are several issues concerning this verse:
There are several interpretations:
This verse indicates that Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) to fight even if he were alone, prior to summoning the people for the minor Battle of Badr. When Abū Sufyān had promised to meet the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) there, some people were reluctant to go out. This verse was then revealed, and he went out with only seventy men, paying no heed to those who stayed behind. Had no one followed him, he would have gone out alone.
This verse indicates that the Prophet (PBUH) was the most courageous of creation and the most knowledgeable about the manner of fighting, because Allah would not command him to do so unless he was characterized by these attributes. Abū Bakr (RA) emulated him when he attempted to go out alone to fight those who withheld Zakāh. For one who knows that all matters are in Allah's hand and that nothing is achieved except by Allah's decree, this matter becomes easy.
Then Allah Almighty says: {You are not tasked except with yourself}. Concerning this, there are several issues:
The author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned that {لا تُكَلَّف} (You are not tasked) was read with jazm (jussive mood) as a prohibition. And {لا نُكَلِّف} (We do not task) was read with the nūn (we) and a kasra on the lām, meaning: "We do not task except yourself alone."
Al-Wāḥidī, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that the accusative case of {نَفْسَكَ} is because it is the object of an implied verb (the passive voice).
This verse indicates that even if no one else assisted him in fighting, it was not permissible for him to abstain from Jihad whatsoever. The meaning is: You are only held accountable for your own actions, not the actions of others. If you fulfill your obligation, you are not tasked with the obligation of another.
It should be noted that Jihad, concerning anyone other than the Prophet (PBUH), is a collective obligation (farḍ al-kifāyāt). Thus, it is not obligatory unless one strongly believes it will be beneficial. This is unlike the Prophet (PBUH), who was assured of victory and triumph, as evidenced by the verse: {And Allah will protect you from the people} (Al-Mā’idah: 67), and by His statement here: {Perhaps Allah will restrain the might of those who disbelieve}. The word ʿasā (perhaps/may) from Allah implies certainty (jazm). Therefore, Jihad was incumbent upon him even if he were alone.
Then Allah Almighty says: {And incite the believers}. The meaning is that the obligation upon the Prophet (PBUH) is only to fight and to incite the people to fight. If he fulfills these two matters, he has discharged his responsibility, and he is not accountable for others abandoning Jihad.
Then He says: {Perhaps Allah will restrain the might of those who disbelieve}. Concerning this, there are several issues:
ʿAsā is a particle of approximation, implying hope or expectation. This is impossible to attribute to Allah.
The response is that ʿasā here means to inspire hope, and in inspiring hope, there is no inherent doubt or certainty. Some scholars said: The hope expressed by the Generous One is a binding promise (ījāb).
Kaff means prevention. Ba’s originally means something disliked. It is said: "This matter holds no ba’s for you," meaning no dislike. It is also said: "This thing is bi’s" when described as bad. And {with a grievous punishment} (bi-ʿadhābin ba’īs) (Al-Aʿrāf: 165) means a grievous punishment. Punishment (ʿadhāb) is sometimes called ba’s because it is disliked. Allah says: {Who will save us from the might of Allah?} (Ghāfir: 9), and {But when they felt Our might...} (Al-Anbiyā’: 12).
The commentators stated that when Allah said, {Perhaps Allah will restrain the might of those who disbelieve}, He did restrain their might. Abū Sufyān changed his mind and said this was a year of severe drought, and they only had sawīq (barley meal) with them, so he abandoned the plan to fight the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
Then Allah Almighty says: {And Allah is mightier in might and mightier in inflicting punishment}.
It is said: Nakkaltu fulānan (I punished so-and-so) if you chastise him with a punishment that deters others from committing the like. This comes from the saying: Nakala ar-rajulu ‘ani ash-shay’ (The man refrained from the thing) if he became timid and abstained. Allah says: {And We made it a deterrent for what was before it and what came after it} (Al-Baqarah: 66). Regarding theft, He says: {as a deterrent from Allah} (Al-Mā’idah: 38). It is also said: Nakala fulānun ‘ani al-yamīn (So-and-so feared taking the oath) if he feared it and did not proceed.
Once this is understood, we say: The verse indicates that the punishment and deterrence of Allah are more severe than the punishment and deterrence of others. The most accepted way to explain this difference is:
