Skip to main content

اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ يَصِلُوْنَ اِلٰى قَوْمٍۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ مِّيْثَاقٌ اَوْ جَاۤءُوْكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُوْرُهُمْ اَنْ يُّقَاتِلُوْكُمْ اَوْ يُقَاتِلُوْا قَوْمَهُمْ ۗ وَلَوْ شَاۤءَ اللّٰهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوْكُمْ ۚ فَاِنِ اعْتَزَلُوْكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوْكُمْ وَاَلْقَوْا اِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ ۙ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيْلًا   ( النساء: ٩٠ )

illā
إِلَّا
Except
alladhīna
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
yaṣilūna
يَصِلُونَ
join
ilā
إِلَىٰ
[to]
qawmin
قَوْمٍۭ
a group
baynakum
بَيْنَكُمْ
between you
wabaynahum
وَبَيْنَهُم
and between them
mīthāqun
مِّيثَٰقٌ
(is) a treaty
aw
أَوْ
or
jāūkum
جَآءُوكُمْ
those who come to you
ḥaṣirat
حَصِرَتْ
restraining
ṣudūruhum
صُدُورُهُمْ
their hearts
an
أَن
that
yuqātilūkum
يُقَٰتِلُوكُمْ
they fight you
aw
أَوْ
or
yuqātilū
يُقَٰتِلُوا۟
they fight
qawmahum
قَوْمَهُمْۚ
their people
walaw
وَلَوْ
And if
shāa
شَآءَ
(had) willed
l-lahu
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
lasallaṭahum
لَسَلَّطَهُمْ
surely He (would have) given them power
ʿalaykum
عَلَيْكُمْ
over you
falaqātalūkum
فَلَقَٰتَلُوكُمْۚ
and surely they (would have) fought you
fa-ini
فَإِنِ
So if
iʿ'tazalūkum
ٱعْتَزَلُوكُمْ
they withdraw from you
falam
فَلَمْ
and (do) not
yuqātilūkum
يُقَٰتِلُوكُمْ
fight against you
wa-alqaw
وَأَلْقَوْا۟
and offer
ilaykumu
إِلَيْكُمُ
to you
l-salama
ٱلسَّلَمَ
[the] peace
famā
فَمَا
then not
jaʿala
جَعَلَ
(has) made
l-lahu
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
lakum
لَكُمْ
for you
ʿalayhim
عَلَيْهِمْ
against them
sabīlan
سَبِيلًا
a way

Illal lazeena yasiloona ilaa qawmim binakum wa bainahum meesaaqun aw jaaa'ookum hasirat sudooruhum ai yuqaatilookum aw yuqaatiloo qawmahum, wa law shaaa'al laahu lasallatahum 'alaikum falaqaatalookum; fa ini' tazalookum falam yuqaatilookum wa alqaw ilaikumus salama famaa ja'alal laahu lakum 'alaihim sabeelaa (an-Nisāʾ 4:90)

Sahih International:

Except for those who take refuge with a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty or those who come to you, their hearts strained at [the prospect of] fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause [for fighting] against them. (An-Nisa [4] : 90)

1 Mufti Taqi Usmani

Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty, or who come to you with their hearts feeling discomfort in fighting either against you or against their own people. If Allah had so willed, He would have given them power over you, then they would have fought you - so, if they stay away from you, and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you any authority against them.