Al-Nisa (The Women): Verses 97–99

إن الذين توفاهم الملائكة... (Indeed, those whom the angels take in death...)

After mentioning the reward for those who undertake Jihad, the Almighty follows it up with the punishment for those who refrain from it and are content to remain in the abode of disbelief. There are several issues concerning this verse:

Al-Farra’ stated: If you wish, you can treat تَوَفَّاهُمْ as a past tense verb without doubling the tā’ (i.e., تُوفُوا), similar to His saying: $\text{{إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا}} (The cows have become confusing to us) (Al-Baqarah: 70). Under this interpretation, the verse is a report about specific groups of people who have already passed away. If you wish, you can treat it as future tense, meaning: "Indeed, those whom the angels will take in death." Under this interpretation, the verse is general, applying to everyone possessing this characteristic.

There are two opinions regarding this taking:

1. The Majority Opinion: It means the angels seize their souls at the time of death.
   • Objection: How can this be reconciled with verses like \text{{اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا}} (Allah takes the souls at the time of their death) (Az-Zumar: 42), \text{{الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ}} (He Who created death and life) (Al-Mulk: 2), and \text{{كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ}} (How do you disbelieve in Allah while you were dead and He gave you life? Then He causes you to die, then He brings you to life) (Al-Baqarah: 28), alongside \text{{قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ}} (Say, "The angel of death put in charge of you will take your souls...") (As-Sajdah: 11)?
   • Answer: The Creator of death is Allah Almighty. The principal agent entrusted with this task is the Angel of Death, and the other angels are his assistants.

2. The Second Opinion (Al-Hasan's view): تَوَفَّاهُمْ means the angels gather them (i.e., drive them) toward the Fire.

There are several possibilities for the predicate of the particle إِنَّ:

1. It is the statement they will give: \text{{فِيمَ كُنتُمْ}} (In what state were you?). The phrase \text{{قَالُوا لَهُمْ}} (They will say to them) is omitted, as implied by the context.
2. The predicate is \text{{فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ}} (Then their refuge will be Hell). In this case, \text{{قَالُوا لَهُمْ}} is in the position of \text{{ظَالِمِي أَنفُسِهِمْ}} (wrongdoers to themselves), as it is indefinite (nakirah).
3. The predicate is omitted, meaning "they perished" (هَلَكُوا), and this perishing is then explained by their saying: \text{{قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنتُمْ}}.

Regarding \text{{ظَالِمِي أَنفُسِهِمْ}} (Wrongdoers to themselves)

There are two sub-issues here:

It is in the accusative case (نَصْب) as a circumstantial adverb (حَال). The meaning is: The angels take their souls while they are in the state of wronging themselves. Although it is an idāfah (possessive construction) to a definite noun (أَنفُسِهِمْ), it is inherently indefinite (نَكِرَة) in meaning because the relationship is one of separation, as if it were said: \text{{ظَالِمِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ}} (wronging their own selves), but the nūn was dropped for brevity. The active participle (اسم الفاعل), whether intended for the present or future, can be semantically separated even if grammatically connected, like in \text{{هَٰذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا}} (This is a cloud bringing us rain) (Al-Ahqaf: 24), \text{{هَدْيًا بَالِغَ الْكَعْبَةِ}} (as a gift reaching the Ka'bah) (Al-Ma'idah: 95), and \text{{ثَانِي عِطْفِهِ}} (turning away his side) (Al-Hajj: 9). The idāfah in all these instances is merely grammatical (لَفْظِيَّة) and not one of true meaning (مَعْنَوِيَّة).

Wrongdoing can refer to disbelief, as in \text{{إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ}} (Indeed, association with Allah is a great injustice) (Luqman: 13), or it can refer to sin, as in \text{{فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ}} (And among them are those who wrong themselves) (Fatir: 32).

Regarding the intended meaning of "wrongdoing" here, there are two opinions:

1. It refers to those who embraced Islam while in the abode of disbelief but remained there, not migrating to the abode of Islam.
2. It was revealed concerning hypocrites who outwardly showed faith to the believers out of fear, but when they returned to their own people, they displayed disbelief and did not migrate to Medina. Allah Almighty clarifies through this verse that they are wronging themselves through their hypocrisy, disbelief, and abandonment of the Hijra (migration).

Regarding \text{{قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنتُمْ}} (They will say, "In what state were you?")

There are several interpretations:

1. In what state were you regarding the affairs of your religion?
2. In what state were you concerning the war against Muhammad or the war against his enemies?
3. Why did you abandon Jihad and become content with remaining in the lands of the disbelievers?

The Response and Rebuttal

Allah Almighty then states their response: \text{{قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ}} (They will say, "We were oppressed in the land"). This is an answer to \text{{فِيمَ كُنتُمْ}}.

The proper response, had they been truly unable to act, would have been to state what they were doing, or that they were doing nothing.

The Rebuttal: The meaning of \text{{فِيمَ كُنتُمْ}} here is a reprimand, implying they were not engaged in anything religious, given that they were capable of migrating but did not. They offered their excuse (\text{{كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ}}) as a justification for the reprimand, claiming they were not capable of migrating.

However, the angels did not accept this excuse and rejected it, saying: \text{{أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا}} (Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to migrate therein?). They meant that you were capable of leaving Mecca for some other land where you would not be prevented from openly practicing your religion. You remained among the disbelievers not due to inability to leave them, but despite the ability to do so. Consequently, Allah Almighty mentioned their severe warning: \text{{فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا}} (Then their refuge will be Hell, and wretched it is as a destination).

The Exception: \text{{إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ}} (Except the oppressed)

Allah Almighty then makes an exception: \text{{إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً}} (Except for the oppressed among men, women, and children who are unable to devise a plan).

This is analogous to the poet's saying:

"And indeed, I passed by the ignoble man who insulted me..."

It is also possible that \text{{لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ}} (are unable) is in the circumstantial case (حَال), meaning they are unable to devise a plan or afford provisions (نَفَقَة), or they were ill, or they were under the control of an overpowering tyrant preventing their migration.

Then He says: \text{{وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلًا}} (nor can they find a way). This means they do not know the road nor can they find someone to guide them to the way.

It is narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) sent this verse to the Muslims in Mecca. Junnub ibn Damrah said to his sons: "Carry me, for I am not among the oppressed, nor am I someone who cannot find the way. By Allah, I will not spend tonight in Mecca." So they carried him on a bier heading toward Medina, and he was an old man, and he died on the way.

Objection: Why are children (الْوِلْدَان) included in the exception from the threat, since the exception is only appropriate if they deserved the threat in some respect?

Answer: The removal of the threat occurs due to inability (الْعَجْز). Inability sometimes results from a lack of means (الْأُهْبَة), and sometimes from childhood (الصِّبَا). Thus, it is appropriate to include them if "children" refers to infants. If it refers to adolescents whose intellects have matured, they are subject to accountability between themselves and Allah. If it refers to adult male and female slaves, there is no issue.

Regarding \text{{عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ}} (Perhaps Allah will pardon them)

There is a question here: Since these people were incapable of migrating, and one incapable of an act is not obligated to perform it, there should be no punishment for abandoning it. So why did Allah say: \text{{عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ}} (Perhaps Allah will pardon them)? Pardon (الْعَفْو) is only conceivable in the presence of a sin, and the word عَسَى (perhaps/hope) implies uncertainty regarding the attainment of pardon.

Answer to the First Part (Necessity of Sin): An oppressed person might be capable of migration with some difficulty, and the boundary distinguishing weakness that permits exemption from weakness that does not is often obscure and confusing. A person might think they are incapable of migrating when they are not, especially since leaving one's homeland is hard on the soul. Due to the intensity of aversion (النَّفْرَة), a person might assume inability when they are not truly incapable. For this reason, the need for pardon is strong in this context.

Answer to the Second Part (The use of عَسَى): What is the benefit of using the word عَسَى here? The benefit is to indicate that abandoning the Hijra is a restricted matter with no leniency, such that even one who is clearly compelled (الْمُضْطَرُّ الْبَيِّنُ اضْطِرَارُهُ) has the right to say, "Perhaps Allah will pardon me." How much more so for others! This is what the author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned in response to this question. However, the preceding answer is more appropriate: due to the intensity of aversion to leaving one's homeland, a person might imagine themselves incapable when they are not truly so. For this reason, pardon is mentioned with the word عَسَى and not with a word indicating certainty.

Regarding \text{{وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا}} (And Allah has ever been Forgiving and Merciful)

Al-Zajjaj mentioned three interpretations for the use of كَانَ (was):

1. He was described with these attributes before He created creation.
2. He said كَانَ even though all creatures possess this characteristic, to indicate that this is Allah's established practice (عَادَة) enacted upon His creation.
3. If He had said \text{{إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ}} (Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful), it would only be a report of His current state. But by saying كَانَ (He has been), the report confirms that the reality reported corresponds exactly to the fact, making it a stronger indication of His truthfulness, reality, and freedom from breaking promises or lying.

Our scholars used this verse as evidence that Allah Almighty may pardon sin even before repentance, because if no sin had occurred here, pardon and forgiveness would be meaningless. Since He informed us of pardon and forgiveness, it indicates the occurrence of sin. Furthermore, since Allah promised pardon absolutely, without conditioning it upon repentance, it indicates what we have mentioned (i.e., pardon without prior repentance is possible).

Verse 99: \text{{وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ... }} (And whoever migrates for the cause of Allah...)

\text{{وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَاغِمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِن بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا}}$

(And whoever migrates for the cause of Allah, he will find throughout the earth many refuges and abundance. And whoever leaves his home, migrating to Allah and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his reward has already become due from Allah. And Allah has ever been Forgiving and Merciful.)