Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 141 (4:141)

ٱلنِّسَاء

ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ …

Quran 4:141 is ayah 141 of Surah An-Nisa (“The Women”), a Medinan surah of 176 ayahs. It is in Juz 5, on page 101 of the Madani Mushaf.

4:141
ٱلَّذِينَيَتَرَبَّصُونَبِكُمْفَإِنكَانَلَكُمْفَتْحٌمِّنَٱللَّهِقَالُوٓا۟أَلَمْنَكُنمَّعَكُمْوَإِنكَانَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَنَصِيبٌقَالُوٓا۟أَلَمْنَسْتَحْوِذْعَلَيْكُمْوَنَمْنَعْكُممِّنَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚفَٱللَّهُيَحْكُمُبَيْنَكُمْيَوْمَٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۗوَلَنيَجْعَلَٱللَّهُلِلْكَٰفِرِينَعَلَىٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَسَبِيلًا١٤١
alladhīna yatarabbaṣūna bikum fa-in kāna lakum fatḥun mina l-lahi qālū alam nakun maʿakum wa-in kāna lil'kāfirīna naṣībun qālū alam nastaḥwidh ʿalaykum wanamnaʿkum mina l-mu'minīna fal-lahu yaḥkumu baynakum yawma l-qiyāmati walan yajʿala l-lahu lil'kāfirīna ʿalā l-mu'minīna sabīlan

Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allāh, they say, "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers have a success, they say [to them], "Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?" Allāh will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allāh give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].(141)

Word by word

  1. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnaThose who
  2. يَتَرَبَّصُونَyatarabbaṣūnaare waiting
  3. بِكُمْbikumfor you
  4. فَإِنfa-inThen if
  5. كَانَkānawas
  6. لَكُمْlakumfor you
  7. فَتْحٌfatḥuna victory
  8. مِّنَminafrom
  9. ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
  10. قَالُوٓا۟qālūthey say
  11. أَلَمْalamWere not
  12. نَكُنnakunwe
  13. مَّعَكُمْmaʿakumwith you
  14. وَإِنwa-inBut if
  15. كَانَkāna(there) was
  16. لِلْكَٰفِرِينَlil'kāfirīnafor the disbelievers
  17. نَصِيبٌnaṣībuna chance
  18. قَالُوٓا۟qālūthey said
  19. أَلَمْalamDid not
  20. نَسْتَحْوِذْnastaḥwidhwe have advantage
  21. عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumover you
  22. وَنَمْنَعْكُمwanamnaʿkumand we protected you
  23. مِّنَminafrom
  24. ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۚl-mu'minīnathe believers
  25. فَٱللَّهُfal-lahuAnd Allah
  26. يَحْكُمُyaḥkumuwill judge
  27. بَيْنَكُمْbaynakumbetween you
  28. يَوْمَyawma(on the) Day
  29. ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۗl-qiyāmati(of) the Resurrection
  30. وَلَنwalanand never
  31. يَجْعَلَyajʿalawill make
  32. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
  33. لِلْكَٰفِرِينَlil'kāfirīnafor the disbelievers
  34. عَلَىʿalāover
  35. ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَl-mu'minīnathe believers
  36. سَبِيلًاsabīlana way

Tafsir (commentary) of 4:141

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English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Hypocrites Wait and Watch what Happens to Muslims

Allah states that the hypocrites watch and await the harm that occurs to the believers, awaiting the time when the Muslim circumstances and religion are dissolved and the state of Kufr takes over.

فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(if you gain a victory from Allah) triumph, aid and booty,

قَالُواْ أَلَمْ نَكُنْ مَّعَكُمْ

(they say, "Were we not with you") trying to come closer to the believers with this statement. However,

وَإِن كَانَ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ

(But if the disbelievers gain a success,) by gaining victory over the believers sometimes, just as occurred during Uhud, for surely, the Messengers are tested, but the final victory is theirs.

قَالُواْ أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُمْ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(they say (to them), "Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers") meaning, did we not help you in secret and try our best to confuse the believers and weaken their resolve, until you gained victory over them This statement of the hypocrites is an attempt to strengthen relations with the disbelievers, because they pretend to be friends with both parties so that they will be safe from their harm, due to their weak faith and lack of certainty. Allah said,

فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ

(Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection) meaning, by what He knows about you, O hypocrites. Therefore, do not be deceived by being shaded under the protection of Islamic Law in this life, which is such only out of Allah's wisdom. Surely, on the Day of Resurrection, your pretending shall not benefit you, because on that Day, the secrets of the souls will be disclosed and the contents of the hearts will be collected. Allah said,

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً

(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers). `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Yasi` Al-Kindi said, "A man came to `Ali bin Abi Talib and said, `What about this Ayah,

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً

(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.) `Ali said, `Come closer, come closer. Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection, and He will not grant victory for the disbelievers over the believers.' " Ibn Jurayj recorded that `Ata' Al-Khurasani said that Ibn `Abbas said that,

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً

(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.) "Will occur on the Day of Resurrection." As-Suddi recorded that Abu Malik Al-Ashja`i said that it occurs on the Day of Resurrection. As-Suddi said that "way" means, proof. It is possible that the meaning of, `and never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers', is in this life by being unable to exterminate the believers completely, although they sometimes gain victory over some Muslims. However, the Final Triumph will be for the believers in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said,

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in the worldly life) This provides a rebuttal to the wishes of the hypocrites for the destruction of the believers, and their loyalty to the disbelievers, fearing for themselves if they are victorious. In another Ayah, Allah said,

فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِيهِمْ

(And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy), they hurry to their friendship), until,

نَـدِمِينَ

(Regretful)

Read the full Surah An-Nisa