Tafsir

Legitimate Excuses for staying away from Jihad

Allah mentions here the valid excuses that permit one to stay away from fighting. He first mentions the excuses that remain with a person, the weakness in the body that disallows one from Jihad, such as blindness, limping, and so forth. He then mentions the excuses that are not permanent, such as an illness that would prevent one from fighting in the cause of Allah, or poverty that prevents preparing for Jihad. There is no sin in these cases if they remain behind, providing that when they remain behind, they do not spread malice or try to discourage Muslims from fighting, but all the while observing good behavior in this state, just as Allah said,مَا عَلَى الْمُحْسِنِينَ مِن سَبِيلٍ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ(No means (of complaint) can there be against the doers of good. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) Al-Awza`i said, "The people went out for the Istisqa' (rain) prayer. Bilal bin Sa`d stood up, praised Allah and thanked Him then said, `O those who are present! Do you concur that wrong has been done' They said, `Yes, by Allah!' He said, `O Allah!

We hear your statement,مَا عَلَى الْمُحْسِنِينَ مِن سَبِيلٍ(No means (of complaint) can there be against the doers of good.) O Allah! We admit our errors, so forgive us and give us mercy and rain.' He then raised his hands and the people also raised their hands, and rain was sent down on them." Mujahid said about Allah's statement,وَلاَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ(Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts) Mujahid said; "It was revealed about Bani Muqarrin from the tribe of Muzaynah.

" Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Hasan said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«لَقَدْ خَلَّفْتُمْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ أَقْوَامًا مَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ نَفَقَةٍ وَلَا قَطَعْتُمْ وَادِيًا وَلَا نِلْتُمْ مِنْ عَدُوَ نَيْلًا إِلَّا وَقَدْ شَرَكُوكُمْ فِي الْأَجْر»(Some people have remained behind you in Al-Madinah; and you never spent anything, crossed a valley, or afflicted hardship on an enemy, but they were sharing the reward with you.) He then recited the Ayah,وَلاَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ إِذَا مَآ أَتَوْكَ لِتَحْمِلَهُمْ قُلْتَ لاَ أَجِدُ مَآ أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ(Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, when you said: "I can find no mounts for you.") This Hadith has a basis in the Two Sahihs from Anas, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«إِنَّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ أَقْوَامًا مَا قَطَعْتُمْ وَادِيًا وَلَا سِرْتُمْ سَيْرًا إِلَّا وَهُمْ مَعَكُم»(Some people have remained behind in Al-Madinah and you never crossed a valley or marched forth, but they were with you.) They said, "While they are still at Al-Madinah" He said,«نَعَمْ حَبَسَهُمُ الْعُذْر»(Yes, as they have been held back by a (legal) excuse.) Then, Allah criticized those who seek permission to remain behind while they are rich, admonishing them for wanting to stay behind with women who remained in their homes,وَطَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ(and Allah has sealed up their hearts, so that they know not (what they are losing).)

Commentary

Previous verses mentioned people who were not really excusable from participation in Jihad but sat it out because of laziness. Then, there were hypocrites who had taken permission from the Holy Prophet ﷺ under false pretexts because of their disbelief and hypocrisy. And then there were the arrogant ones who did not bother about excuses and permissions and just sat back. They were told there that they were not excusable and that there was a painful punishment waiting for those of them who practiced disbelief and hypocrisy.

The present verses mention sincere Muslims who were deprived of participation in Jihad because they were genuinely incapable of doing so. Some of them were blind, or sick, or handicapped. Their excuse was all too evident. Then, there were some of those who were ready to take part in Jihad, in fact, were ` dying' to go into the Jihad, but they could not make the trip because they did not have an animal to ride on. The journey was long and the weather was very hot. They told the Holy Prophet ﷺ how eager they were to participate in the Jihad but how unfortunate that they had nothing to ride on. They requested him to see if they could have some mounts.

There are many events of this nature recorded in books of Exegesis and History. So, different things happened. To some of them who came initially, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had no choice but to say that they had no arrangements to provide mounts to warriors. But, these people returned from him weeping and when they kept weeping in despair, Allah Ta` ala took care of them in His own way. Six camels arrived before the Holy Prophet ﷺ right at that time. He let them have these. (Mazhari) Then, Sayyidna ` Uthman ؓ arranged mounts for three of them, although he had already made similar ar-rangements for many more of them earlier.

ليس على أهل الأعذار مِن الضعفاء والمرضى والفقراء الذين لا يملكون من المال ما يتجهزون به للخروج إثم في القعود إذا أخلصوا لله ورسوله، وعملوا بشرعه، ما على مَن أحسن ممن منعه العذر عن الجهاد مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهو ناصح لله ولرسوله من طريق يعاقب مِن قِبَلِه ويؤاخذ عليه. والله غفور للمحسنين، رحيم بهم.

م بين تعالى الأعذار التي لا حرج على من قعد فيها عن القتال ، فذكر منها ما هو لازم للشخص لا ينفك عنه ، وهو الضعف في التركيب الذي لا يستطيع معه الجلاد في الجهاد ، ومنه العمى والعرج ونحوهما ، ولهذا بدأ به . ما هو عارض بسبب مرض عن له في بدنه ، شغله عن الخروج في سبيل الله ، أو بسبب فقره لا يقدر على التجهز للحرب ، فليس على هؤلاء حرج إذا قعدوا ونصحوا في حال قعودهم ، ولم يرجفوا بالناس ، ولم يثبطوهم ، وهم محسنون في حالهم هذا ؛ ولهذا قال : ( ما على المحسنين من سبيل والله غفور رحيم )وقال سفيان الثوري ، عن عبد العزيز بن رفيع ، عن أبي ثمامة - رضي الله عنه - قال : قال الحواريون : يا روح الله ، أخبرنا عن الناصح لله ؟ قال : الذي يؤثر حق الله على حق الناس ، وإذا حدث له أمران - أو : بدا له أمر الدنيا وأمر الآخرة - بدأ بالذي للآخرة ثم تفرغ للذي للدنيا .وقال الأوزاعي : خرج الناس إلى الاستسقاء ، فقام فيهم بلال بن سعد ، فحمد الله وأثنى عليه ، ثم قال : يا معشر من حضر : ألستم مقرين بالإساءة ؟ قالوا : اللهم نعم . فقال : اللهم ، إنا نسمعك تقول : ( ما على المحسنين من سبيل ) اللهم وقد أقررنا بالإساءة فاغفر لنا وارحمنا واسقنا .

ورفع يديه ورفعوا أيديهم فسقوا .وقال قتادة : نزلت هذه الآية في عائذ بن عمرو المزني .وقال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أبي ، حدثنا هشام بن عبيد الله الرازي ، حدثنا ابن جابر ، عن ابن فروة ، عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي ليلى ، عن زيد بن ثابت قال : كنت أكتب لرسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فكنت أكتب " براءة " فإني لواضع القلم على أذني إذ أمرنا بالقتال ، فجعل رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ينظر ما ينزل عليه ، إذ جاء أعمى فقال : كيف بي يا رسول الله وأنا أعمى ؟ فأنزل الله ( ليس على الضعفاء ولا على المرضى ) الآية .وقال العوفي ، عن ابن عباس في هذه الآية : وذلك أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - أمر الناس أن ينبعثوا غازين معه ، فجاءته عصابة من أصحابه ، فيهم عبد الله بن مغفل المزني فقالوا : يا رسول الله ، احملنا ، فقال لهم : والله لا أجد ما أحملكم عليه . فتولوا ولهم بكاء ، وعز عليهم أن يجلسوا عن الجهاد ، ولا يجدون نفقة ولا محملا ، فلما رأى الله حرصهم على محبته ومحبة رسوله أنزل عذرهم في كتابه ، فقال : ( ليس على الضعفاء ولا على المرضى ولا على الذين لا يجدون ما ينفقون حرج ) إلى قوله تعالى : ( فهم لا يعلمون ) .