Quran 4:77 — An-Nisaa, verse 77
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
[Prophet], do you not see those who were told, ‘Restrain yourselves from fighting, perform the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms’? When fighting was ordained for them, some of them feared men as much as, or even more than, they feared God, saying, ‘Lord, why have You ordained fighting for us? If only You would give us just a little more time.’ Say to them, ‘Little is the enjoyment in this world, the Hereafter is far better for those who are mindful of God: you will not be wronged by as much as the fibre in a date stone.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً ۚ وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ ۗ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا
alam tara ilā alladhīna qīla lahum kuffū aydiyakum wa-aqīmū l-ṣalata waātū l-zakata falammā kutiba ʿalayhimu l-qitālu idhā farīqun min'hum yakhshawna l-nāsa kakhashyati l-lahi aw ashadda khashyatan waqālū rabbanā lima katabta ʿalaynā l-qitāla lawlā akhartanā ilā ajalin qarībin qul matāʿu l-dun'yā qalīlun wal-ākhiratu khayrun limani ittaqā walā tuẓ'lamūna fatīlan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Hast thou not regarded those to whom it was said, 'Restrain your hands, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms'? Then, as soon as fighting is prescribed for them, there is a party of them fearing the people as they would fear God, or with a greater fear, and they say, 'Our Lord, why hast thou prescribed fighting for us? Why not defer us to a near term?' Say: 'The enjoyment of this world is little; the world to come is better for him who fears God; you shall not be wronged a single date-thread.'
- Muhammad Asad
- ART THOU NOT aware of those who have been told, "Curb your hands, and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues"? But as soon as fighting [in God's cause] is ordained for them, lo, some of them stand in awe of men as one should stand in awe of God - or in even greater awe - and say, "O our Sustainer! Why hast Thou ordained fighting for us? If only Thou hadst granted us a delay for a little while!" Say: "Brief is the enjoyment of this world, whereas the life to come is the best for all who are conscious of God - since none of you shall be wronged by as much as a hair's breadth.
- Sahih International
- Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakāh"? But then when battle was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear Allāh or with [even] greater fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had postponed [it for] us for a short time." Say, "The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allāh. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | أَلَمْalam | Have not | — |
| 2 | تَرَtara | you seen | رأي |
| 3 | إِلَىilā | [towards] | — |
| 4 | ٱلَّذِينَalladhīna | those who | — |
| 5 | قِيلَqīla | (when) it was said | قول |
| 6 | لَهُمْlahum | to them | — |
| 7 | كُفُّوٓا۟kuffū | Restrain | كفف |
| 8 | أَيْدِيَكُمْaydiyakum | your hands | يدي |
| 9 | وَأَقِيمُوا۟wa-aqīmū | and establish | قوم |
| 10 | ٱلصَّلَوٰةَl-ṣalata | the prayer | صلو |
| 11 | وَءَاتُوا۟waātū | and give | أتي |
| 12 | ٱلزَّكَوٰةَl-zakata | the zakah | زكو |
| 13 | فَلَمَّاfalammā | Then when | — |
| 14 | كُتِبَkutiba | was ordained | كتب |
| 15 | عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimu | on them | — |
| 16 | ٱلْقِتَالُl-qitālu | the fighting | قتل |
| 17 | إِذَاidhā | then | — |
| 18 | فَرِيقٌۭfarīqun | a group | فرق |
| 19 | مِّنْهُمْmin'hum | of them | — |
| 20 | يَخْشَوْنَyakhshawna | [they] fear | خشي |
| 21 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | the people | نوس |
| 22 | كَخَشْيَةِkakhashyati | as (they) fear | خشي |
| 23 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 24 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 25 | أَشَدَّashadda | more intense | شدد |
| 26 | خَشْيَةًۭ ۚkhashyatan | fear | خشي |
| 27 | وَقَالُوا۟waqālū | and they said | قول |
| 28 | رَبَّنَاrabbanā | Our Lord | ربب |
| 29 | لِمَlima | why | — |
| 30 | كَتَبْتَkatabta | have You ordained | كتب |
| 31 | عَلَيْنَاʿalaynā | upon us | — |
| 32 | ٱلْقِتَالَl-qitāla | [the] fighting | قتل |
| 33 | لَوْلَآlawlā | Why not | — |
| 34 | أَخَّرْتَنَآakhartanā | You postpone (it for) us | أخر |
| 35 | إِلَىٰٓilā | to | — |
| 36 | أَجَلٍۢajalin | a term | أجل |
| 37 | قَرِيبٍۢ ۗqarībin | near | قرب |
| 38 | قُلْqul | Say | قول |
| 39 | مَتَـٰعُmatāʿu | Enjoyment | متع |
| 40 | ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yā | (of) the world | دنو |
| 41 | قَلِيلٌۭqalīlun | (is) little | قلل |
| 42 | وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُwal-ākhiratu | and the Hereafter | أخر |
| 43 | خَيْرٌۭkhayrun | (is) better | خير |
| 44 | لِّمَنِlimani | for whoever | — |
| 45 | ٱتَّقَىٰittaqā | fears (Allah) | وقي |
| 46 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 47 | تُظْلَمُونَtuẓ'lamūna | you will be wronged | ظلم |
| 48 | فَتِيلًاfatīlan | (even as much as) a hair on a date-seed | فتل |