Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:98
Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way -
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.
Then He, exalted be His praise, made an exception for the weak who were oppressed by the polytheists (mushrikīn) — "among the men, the women, and the children" — and these are those who were unable to emigrate because of poverty, because of lack of means, and because of poor eyesight and unfamiliarity with the way, to depart from their land — the land of shirk — to the land of Islam; they are among the people concerning whom He, exalted be His praise, mentioned that their abode is Hell (jahannam). That is to say, that Hell would be their abode is [lifted] on account of the pardonable excuse in which they find themselves, in accordance with what He, exalted be His remembrance, has expounded.
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And "the weak" (al-mustaḍʿafīn) is in the accusative on account of the exception relative to the "hā" and the "mīm" [i.e. the pronominal suffix "hum"] in His words: "those — their abode is Hell."
