Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:76
Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement: الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ الطَّاغُوتِ فَقَاتِلُوا أَوْلِيَاءَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا (76) ("Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the false deity (ṭāghūt). So fight against the allies of Satan; verily, the cunning of Satan is weak." (4:76))
Abū Jaʿfar said: By this He means, exalted is His mention: those who held Allah and His Messenger to be true, and had certainty about what Allah has promised to the people of faith in Him = "they fight in the way of Allah," He says: in obedience to Allah and upon the way of His religion and His law (sharīʿa) which He has prescribed for His servants = "and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the false deity," He says: and those who denied the oneness of Allah and rejected His Messenger, and that which he brought them from their Lord = "they fight in the way of the false deity (ṭāghūt)," that is to say: in obedience to Satan and upon his path and upon the way which he has prescribed for his allies among the people of disbelief in Allah. Allah says, while strengthening the firm resolve of those who believe in Him among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and urging them on against His enemies and the enemies of His religion among the people who associate partners with Him: "So fight," O believers, = "against the allies of Satan," by which He means: those who take him as an ally and obey his command, in opposition to obedience to Allah, and in denial of Him, and those who support him = "verily, the cunning of Satan is weak," by which He means, with his cunning: that with which he schemed against the believers, by rallying his allies among those who disbelieve in Allah into factions against His Messenger and His allies, the people of faith in Him. He says: So do not fear the allies of Satan, for they are merely his party and his helpers, and the party of Satan is a people of weakness and feebleness.
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And He, exalted is His praise, described them only with weakness because they do not fight in hope of reward, nor do they refrain from fighting out of fear of punishment, but they fight only out of bigotry or out of envy toward the believers for that which Allah has given them of His bounty. As for the believers: the one among them who fights, fights in hope of the immense reward of Allah, and he refrains from fighting — if he refrains — out of fear of Allah's threat for refraining from it. He thus fights with insight into what is in store for him with Allah if he is killed, and into what is in store for him of war booty (ghanīma) and victory if he is preserved. The disbeliever fights out of dread of death, and out of despair concerning a return (to Allah); he is therefore one of weakness and fear.
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Footnotes:
(9) See the explanation of "the way of Allah" (sabīl Allāh) in what has preceded, in the linguistic registers, under the entry (s-b-l).
(10) See the explanation of "al-ṭāghūt" (the false deity) in what has preceded 3: 416-420 / 8: 461-465, 507-513.
(11) See the explanation of "walī" (ally) in what has preceded, in the linguistic registers.
(12) See the explanation of "al-kayd" (the cunning) in what has preceded 7: 156.
