An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 102 of 176

An-Nisa 4:102

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا۟ فَلْيَكُونُوا۟ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا۟ فَلْيُصَلُّوا۟ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۗ وَدَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَٰحِدَةً ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَن تَضَعُوٓا۟ أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۖ وَخُذُوا۟ حِذْرَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا

“And when you [i.e., the commander of an army] are among them and lead them in prayer,[217] let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you and let them carry their arms. And when they have prostrated, let them be [in position] behind you and have the other group come forward which has not [yet] prayed and let them pray with you, taking precaution and carrying their arms. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage so they could come down upon you in one [single] attack. But there is no blame upon you, if you are troubled by rain or are ill, for putting down your arms, but take precaution. Indeed, Allāh has prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Even under threat the prayer is kept, in turns, with watchfulness; and even then Allah makes room for rain and sickness.

A reflection

They noticed how much the prayer mattered

Sunan Abi Dawud preserves the moment behind this passage, in a narration graded ṣaḥīḥ. A Companion named Abu ʿAyyash al-Zuraqi recalled being with the Prophet ﷺ at ʿUsfan, with the idolaters' force facing them. The believers prayed the midday prayer.

The other side watched. Afterwards they said to one another: we found them off guard. We found them unaware. If only we had charged while they were praying.

Then, between the midday prayer and the afternoon prayer, this passage was revealed. When the afternoon prayer came, the believers prayed again, in rows, some keeping watch while others prostrated.

Notice what the opposing side had seen. They saw a moment when these people were so absorbed in their prayer that, to an outsider, it looked like weakness. Something mattered to them more than their own safety. There is a quiet honour in that. The watchers had looked for a weakness, and what they had actually seen was devotion.

The answer from Allah was not: stop praying when it is dangerous. It was: keep praying, and organise yourselves so the prayer can continue. The prayer stayed. Only its shape changed.

Wa-idhā kunta fīhim: and when you are among them. The Prophet ﷺ was not watching from a safe distance. He was among them, leading their prayer in the very place of danger.

What do the people around you notice that you will not give up? Is your prayer one of the things they would name?

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.