Surah An-Nisa 4:90 — translation and meaning
النساء · Verse 90 / 176 · Page 92
ۚ ۚ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَاقٌ أَوْ جَاءُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ أَوْ يُقَاتِلُوا قَوْمَهُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوكُمْ فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلًا
Word by Word
Transliteration
Illal lazeena yasiloona ilaa qawmim binakum wa bainahum meesaaqun aw jaaa'ookum hasirat sudooruhum ai yuqaatilookum aw yuqaatiloo qawmahum, wa law shaaa'al laahu lasallatahum 'alaikum falaqaatalookum; fa ini' tazalookum falam yuqaatilookum wa alqaw ilaikumus salama famaa ja'alal laahu lakum 'alaihim sabeelaa
Translation
Except for those who take refuge with a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty or those who come to you, their hearts strained at [the prospect of] fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause [for fighting] against them.
Verse interpretation (Tafsir)
But you cannot act like this with those of them who join a people with whom you have a peace treaty or those who come to you reluctant to fight against you or their own people. If Allah willed to give them power over you, He would have done so and they would have fought you. Therefore, accept the safety that Allah has given you and do not interfere with them by killing or taking any one of them as captives. If they stay away without fighting you and they come to you to make peace, then Allah has not given you any authority to fight them or take any of them as prisoners.
Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.
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