وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْوِلْدَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَٱجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَٱجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا 75
Translations
And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allāh and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper"?
Transliteration
Wa maa lakum laa tuqaatiloon fee sabeelis-laahi wal-mustadh'afeena minar-rijaali wan-nisaa wal-wildaan allazeena yaqooloon rabbana akhrijnaa min hadhihil-qaryatiz-zaalimi ahluhaa waj'al lanaa min ladunka waliyyan waj'al lanaa min ladunka naasira
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the believers for their hesitation in fighting in the cause of Allah to defend the oppressed—men, women, and children—who cry out to their Lord for deliverance from their oppressive city. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this verse was revealed regarding the Muslims in Mecca who were persecuted and called upon Allah for aid, establishing the obligation to defend the weak and vulnerable from tyranny. The ayah emphasizes that struggling against injustice is not merely permissible but a duty when the oppressed seek help, and that reliance on Allah (waliyy) and His support (naasir) is essential in such endeavors.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period and addresses the early Muslims' obligation to defend the persecuted believers left behind in Mecca who suffered under Quraysh persecution. The broader context of Surah An-Nisa discusses the rights and protections of vulnerable groups, making this verse a call to action rooted in the principle of protecting the weak from oppression.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best jihad is a word of truth spoken in front of a tyrant' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the hadith on the obligation to prevent oppression: 'Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart' (Sahih Muslim).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that defending the oppressed—whether through direct action, advocacy, or support—is a fundamental Islamic duty and not merely an act of charity. For modern readers, it underscores the moral imperative to stand against injustice wherever it exists and to trust in Allah's ultimate justice while taking concrete action to help those who cannot help themselves.
Related Ayahs
وَمَن يَكْسِبْ خَطِيٓـَٔةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِۦ بَرِيٓـًٔا فَقَدِ ٱحْتَمَلَ بُهْتَـٰنًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا
But whoever earns an offense or a sin and then blames it on an innocent [person] has taken upon himself a slander and manifest sin.
وَمَاذَا عَلَيْهِمْ لَوْ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِمْ عَلِيمًا
And what [harm would come] upon them if they believed in Allāh and the Last Day and spent out of what Allāh provided for them? And Allāh is ever, about them, Knowing.
وَلَئِنْ أَصَـٰبَكُمْ فَضْلٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَيَقُولَنَّ كَأَن لَّمْ تَكُنۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُۥ مَوَدَّةٌ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى كُنتُ مَعَهُمْ فَأَفُوزَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
But if bounty comes to you from Allāh, he will surely say, as if [i.e., showing that] there had never been between you and him any affection, "Oh, I wish I had been with them so I could have attained a great attainment."
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًۢا بَلِيغًا
Those are the ones of whom Allāh knows what is in their hearts, so turn away from them but admonish them and speak to them a far-reaching [i.e., effective] word.