Surat An-Nisa' (101-110)

{وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقْصُرُواْ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَن يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَانُواْ لَكُمْ عَدُوّاً مُّبِيناً} [النساء: 101]

101- If you travel outside the country, there is no harm on you to decrease the number of Rak`ahs by shortening the four-Rak`ah Salah to two if you fear that the infidels would harm you because they are manifest enemies for you and they seek the chance to betray you.

Shortening the Salah is permissible according to the consensus of scholars even if there is no fear. It is a concession from Allah (Exalted be He) for His Servants as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “It is an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept His charity.” [Reported by Muslims in his Sahih (a book of authentic Hadiths)].

{وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُواْ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلْيَكُونُواْ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّواْ فَلْيُصَلُّواْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُواْ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَن تَضَعُواْ أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ وَخُذُواْ حِذْرَكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَاباً مُّهِيناً} [النساء: 102]

102- This is the explanation of the Fear Salah. O Prophet (the address is for all), if you are among your Companions and wants to offer Salah with them as an Imam, make them two groups: a group to offer Salah with you and the other is holding their weapon into the direction of the enemy. When the group which offers the Salah with you prostrates and completes the first Rak`ah, let them leave for guarding. When the people who offer Salah with you prostrate and complete the first Rak`ah, let them go to the place where they guard and the guarding group should replace them in Salah. They will come and offer their first Rak`ah with you (which is your second Rak`ah) and the other group take weapons and the positions for guarding. That means each group has offered one Rak`ah with you and they shall offer the second Rak`ah by themselves. However, the Fear Salah was reported with other forms.

The infidels wish that you neglect your weapons and provisions to attack you during your Salah and kill you.

There is no harm on you if rain befell on you or you were sick to put down your weapons on the floor, but with taking full caution and full preparation for fear of that the enemy might attack you at sudden.

Verily, Allah has prepared a humiliating torment for the disbelievers, therefore, take care of your own business and take the reasons of caution so that Allah would provide you victory and torture them by your hands.

{فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَاذْكُرُواْ اللّهَ قِيَاماً وَقُعُوداً وَعَلَى جُنُوبِكُمْ فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَاباً مَّوْقُوتاً} [النساء: 103]

103- If you finished the Fear Salah, mention Allah frequently and keep to that in all your conditions: standing, sitting, and laying down because mentioning Allah is required in these conditions as it is permissible and desirable.

If you feel secure and your are settled down, perform Salah in its due time and fulfill its pillars and conditions because Salah is obligatory on the believers and fixed with certain times that cannot be changed and it is obligatory to establish them whether in villages as well as in cities and in Fear time.

{وَلاَ تَهِنُواْ فِي ابْتِغَاء الْقَوْمِ إِن تَكُونُواْ تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللّهِ مَا لاَ يَرْجُونَ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلِيماً حَكِيماً} [النساء: 104]

104- Do not be cowered to encounter your enemies in battlefield and do not lag in fighting them. If you feel pain —because of the injuries and pains that hit you—, it is the same with them, so why do not you observe patience while you are most entitled to be patient. You seek the great reward from Allah in the Hereafter or victory of Islam over all other religions, whereas they do not seek that, therefore, you are more entitled with Jihad and patience than them. Verily, Allah is All Acquainted with your actions and intentions and He is All Wise in His Commands, Prohibition, and destiny.

{إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللّهُ وَلاَ تَكُن لِّلْخَآئِنِينَ خَصِيماً} [النساء: 105]

105- We sent down the Qur’an to you with the truth, therefore, it is truthful in its news, narrations, and rulings in order to judge between people with that He revealed to you. Do not argue about those people whom you are sure of their betrayal, such as those who claim what it does not belong to them or denied something of the religion.

There is a lengthy explanation in this Ayah and the reason of its revelation.

{وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً} [النساء: 106]

106- Seek the forgiveness from Allah for your intention that you were about to pass a verdict on something that you were not sure of. Verily, Allah forgives you because He is Oft-Forgiving and full of mercy.

{وَلاَ تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ خَوَّاناً أَثِيماً} [النساء: 107]

107- Do not argue about those who betrayed themselves as well as others by oppressing them because Allah does not like the sinful betrayers who disobey Allah and harm others.

{يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلاَ يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لاَ يَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطاً} [النساء: 108]

108- They are the hypocrites who hide their sins and their low and disgraced actions from the people so that they will not be defamed by them. However, they do them publically before Allah, their Creator, Who is more entitled to be feared of His Punishment. He is present with them while they are plotting their bad actions that are contrary to the integrity and justice. He (Glory be to Him) is All Knowing of their manifest and hidden actions because nothing is hidden from Him.

{هَاأَنتُمْ هَـؤُلاء جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فَمَن يُجَادِلُ اللّهَ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَم مَّن يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلاً} [النساء: 109]

109- Suppose you exerted a lot of efforts to argue about them in this worldly life and they got their purpose, who will argue with Allah about them on the Day of the Recompense while He knows the hidden matters. Who will defend them and take over their affairs on that day?

{وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللّهَ يَجِدِ اللّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً} [النساء: 110]

110- Whoever commits a fault, whether major or minor, by harming others, such as stealing, or oppressing oneself by false lie, then repents of it, comes back to the truth, and seeks the forgiveness of his Lord, Allah shall accept his repentance, forgive him, and show mercy to him.