An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 175 of 176

An-Nisa 4:175

فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱعْتَصَمُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِى رَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَٰطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

“So those who believe in Allāh and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him are brought into His mercy and bounty, and guided along a straight road to Himself.

A reflection

Holding fast, and being held

Fa-ammā alladhīna āmanū billāhi wa-iʿtaṣamū bihi: as for those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him.

The root of iʿtaṣama is all about things that will not let go. The lexicons name the wrist miʿṣam, because it keeps the bracelet on. They speak of a cord threaded through a waterskin's eyelets, pulling it shut. And they picture a frightened sailor keeping both hands on the rudder-pole in a storm.

One classical commentator explains what holding fast means here. These are people who joined two stations: worship, and reliance on Allah in all their affairs. Another says they protected themselves by Him from the pull of Satan's deviation. One early authority read 'hold fast to it' as holding fast to the Quran, the light of the previous ayah.

Notice what the ayah promises in return. It does not promise a calm sea. It promises mercy, bounty and guidance to those who keep their grip.

Picture a ferry crossing in a winter storm. A seasick fifteen-year-old grips the handrail with both hands, murmuring the only duʿāʾ she knows by heart. Her grandmother stands beside her, holding the same rail, saying the same words, calm. The boat is pitching just as hard for both. The difference is how long the grandmother has been holding on.

Why does Allah ask us to hold fast to Him? Not because He needs our grip. He is the Free of need (35:15), and whoever strives, strives for himself (29:6). We hold on because, in a world that pitches, we need something that does not move. Hearts find rest in His remembrance (13:28).

Many people today hold on to things that move with the boat: a job, a reputation, a relationship, a feed. When they lurch, everything lurches.

So find your handrail this week. One prayer kept on time, whatever the weather. One page of the Quran before your phone. Hold it every day, until holding it becomes who you are.

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.