Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:95-96

"Except those who have a disability" It is read with all three vowel markings (grammatical cases):

• Nominative (Raf‘): An adjective describing "those who sit."
• Accusative (Nasb): An exception from them, or a state (hal) describing them.
• Genitive (Jarr): An adjective describing "the believers."
• "Disability" (al-darar): Illness or physical impairment, such as blindness, lameness, chronic disease, or the like.

From Zayd ibn Thabit: "I was beside the Messenger of God (ﷺ) when the Sakina (divine tranquility) descended upon him. His thigh fell upon my thigh until I feared it would crush it. Then it lifted from him, and he said, 'Write.' I wrote on a shoulder blade: 'Not equal are those who sit among the believers and the Mujahideen.' Ibn Umm Maktum, who was blind, said, 'O Messenger of God, what about those among the believers who cannot perform Jihad?' The Sakina descended upon him again, then he said, 'Read, O Zayd.' I read: 'Not equal are those who sit among the believers...' He then added, 'Except those who have a disability.' Zayd said: God revealed it alone, so I attached it. By Him in whose hand is my soul, I can still see where I attached it at a crack in the shoulder blade." (Sahih)

From Ibn Abbas: Those who sit back from Badr and those who go out to it. From Muqatil: Those who sit back from Tabuk.

If you ask: It is known that one who sits without an excuse and the Mujahid are not equal, so what is the benefit of negating their equality? I say: The meaning is to draw attention to the immense disparity and vast distance between them, so that the one sitting may feel disdain and elevate himself above the lowliness of his status, thereby being stirred toward Jihad, desiring it and the elevation of his rank. Similar to this is: "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" (Az-Zumar: 9). It is intended to provoke the ignorance of the ignorant and his sense of pride, so that he may be driven to learn and rise from the state of ignorance to the honor of knowledge.

"God has preferred the Mujahideen..." This sentence clarifies what was negated regarding the equality of those who sit and the Mujahideen. It is as if it were asked, "Why are they not equal?" and this was the answer. The meaning applies to those who sit (except those with a disability), as this sentence is an explanation of the first sentence containing that description.

"And to each..." Meaning: To each group, both those who sit and the Mujahideen.

"God has promised the best" Meaning: The best reward, which is Paradise. Even if the Mujahideen are preferred over those who sit by a degree. From the Prophet (ﷺ): "You have left behind in Medina people who did not travel a distance nor cross a valley except that they were with you." (Sahih) These are those whose intentions were sound, whose hearts were sincere, and whose souls longed for Jihad, but were prevented from traveling by disability or other reasons.

If you ask: God mentioned those preferred by "a degree" and those preferred by "degrees," so who are they? I say: Those preferred by one degree are those preferred over the disabled who sit. Those preferred by degrees are those preferred over the able-bodied who sit, who were permitted to stay behind because others were sufficient, as fighting is a communal obligation (fard kifaya).

If you ask: Why are "degree," "reward," and "degrees" in the accusative case? I say: "Degree" is accusative because it occupies the place of a single instance of preference; it is as if it were said: "He preferred them one preference." Its parallel is saying, "He struck him a strike" (darabahu sawtan). As for "reward," it is accusative because of "preferred," as it is in the meaning of "He rewarded them a reward." "Degrees," "forgiveness," and "mercy" are substitutes for "reward." It is also possible that "degrees" is accusative like "degree," as in saying "He struck him strikes" (darabahu aswatan), meaning "He preferred them multiple preferences."

"A great reward" It is accusative as a state (hal) from the indefinite noun "degrees," preceding it. "Forgiveness" and "mercy" are accusative due to an implied verb, meaning: "And He forgave them and had mercy on them with forgiveness and mercy."