The faithful who sit idle, other than those who are disabled, are not equal to those who fight in the way of God with their wealth and lives. God has exalted those in rank who fight for the faith with their wealth and souls over those who sit idle. Though God's promise of good is for all, He has granted His favour of the highest reward to those who struggle in preference to those who sit at home.
95
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : allah then explained the reward of those who fight in the way of allah, saying: (those of the believers who sit still) although they do not suffer from any disabling hurt, and do not participate in jihad, (other than those who have a (disabling) hurt) if they were to participate in jihad, i.e. either they are weak in their bodies or have lost their sight, as with 'abdullah ibn umm maktum and 'abdullah ibn jahsh al-asdi, (are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of allah with their wealth) by spending their money (and lives. allah hath conferred on those who strive with their wealth and lives a rank) a merit (above the sedentary) who do not have any disabling hurt. (unto each) those who engage in jihad and those who do not (allah hath promised good) paradise due to their faith, (but he hath bestowed on those who strive) those who engage in jihad in his way (a great reward) an abundant reward in paradise (above the sedentary) who do not have any disabling hurt;
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : the believers who sit at home, away from the struggle, other than those who have an injury, such as a chronic illness or blindness or the like (read in the nominative, ghayru ūlī l-darar, ‘other than those who have an injury’, as an adjectival clause; or in the accusative, ghayra ūlī l-darar, as an exceptive clause) are not the equals of those who struggle in the way of god with their possessions and their lives. god has preferred those who struggle with their possessions and their lives over the ones who sit at home, on account of some injury, by a degree, by [a degree of] merit, since both have the same intention, but the extra degree is given to those who have carried out the struggle; yet to each, of the two groups, god has promised the goodly reward, paradise, and god has preferred those who struggle over the ones who sit at home, without any injury, with a great reward (ajran ‘azīman, is substituted by [the following, darajātin minhu]),
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of allah…) [4:95].
abu ‘uthman sa‘id ibn muhammad al-‘adl informed us> his grandfather> muhammad ibn ishaq al-sarraj> muhammad ibn humayd al-razi> salamah ibn al-fadl> muhammad ibn ishaq> al-zuhri> sahl ibn sa‘d> marwan ibn al-hakam> zayd ibn thabit who said: “i was with the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, when the verse (those of the believers who sit still are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of allah) and did not mention (other than those who have a (disabling) hurt). ibn umm maktum said: ‘how is this so when i am blind and unable to see?’ the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, was overwhelmed with revelation in this assembly and he leaned on my thigh. by him in whose hand is my soul, his weight grew so much on my thigh that i feared he would crush it. then he was relieved, upon which he said: ‘write: (those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of allah)’, and i wrote it down”. this was narrated by bukhari> isma‘il ibn ‘abd allah> ibrahim ibn sa‘d> salih> al-zuhri.
muhammad ibn ibrahim ibn muhammad ibn yahya informed us> muhammad ibn ja‘far ibn matar> abu khalifah> abu’l-walid> shu‘bah> abu ishaq> al-bara’ who said: “when the verse (those of the believers who sit still are not on an equality…), the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, called zayd who went to him with a shoulder blade and wrote on it this verse. but ibn umm maktum complained about the fact that he is blind, and so the verse (those of the believers who sit still, other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, are not on an equality with those who strive in the way of allah) was revealed”. this was narrated by bukhari from abu’l-walid and by muslim from bundar from ghundar, and both abu’l-walid and ghundar related it from shu‘bah.
isma'il ibn abi al-qasim al-nasrabadhi informed us> isma'il ibn najid> muhammad ibn 'abdus> 'ali ibn al-ja'd> zuhayr> abu ishaq> al-bara' that the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said: “call zayd for me and ask him to bring with him a shoulder blade and an inkwell”, or he said: “a slate”. when he came, he said to him: “write for me (those of the believers who sit still are not on an equality)” i think he said: (with those who strive in the way of allah). ibn umm maktum said: “o messenger of allah, but i have hurt in my eyes, and before he left it was revealed (other than those who have a (disabling) hurt)”. this was narrated by bukhari> muhammad ibn yusuf> isra'il> abu ishaq.
