وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَنَـٰزَعُوا۟ فَتَفْشَلُوا۟ وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ ۖ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ 46
Translations
And obey Allāh and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allāh is with the patient.
Transliteration
Wa-ati'u Allaha wa rasulahu wa la tanaza'u fatafshalu wa tadhhabu rihukum wa-isbiru inna Allaha ma'a al-sabirin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands obedience to Allah and His Messenger while forbidding discord and disputes among the believers, warning that internal division leads to failure and loss of strength (rih/spirit and momentum). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse was revealed in the context of the Battle of Badr, where unity and obedience were crucial to victory, and they note that 'your wind going away' (tadhhabu rihukum) refers to the loss of divine support and morale that results from disunity.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period during the early Islamic state, specifically in the context of Surah Al-Anfal which discusses the Battle of Badr (2 AH). The verse addresses the believers directly before and during military engagement, emphasizing that their success depends not on numbers or equipment but on unity, obedience, and patience in following Allah's command and the Prophet's leadership.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The example of believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body; when any limb aches, the whole body aches with sleeplessness and fever' (Sahih Muslim). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized unity by stating: 'Whoever leaves obedience [to the leader] and separates from the community and dies, dies a death of ignorance' (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that external strength and victory are meaningless without internal unity and adherence to divine guidance; divisions within the Muslim community weaken it spiritually and materially, while obedience and patience invite Allah's support and victory. For modern readers, this emphasizes that personal and collective progress depends more on moral cohesion and submission to righteous leadership than on material resources alone.
Related Ayahs
تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
These are the limits [set by] Allāh, and whoever obeys Allāh and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment.
وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
And obey Allāh and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon Our Messenger is only [the duty of] clear notification.
فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا۟ فَأْذَنُوا۟ بِحَرْبٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۖ وَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَٰلِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ
And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allāh and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong, nor are you wronged.
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًا مُّبِينًا
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allāh and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.