Surah An-Nisa, Verse 71 and 72

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*Surah An-Nisa, Verse 71:*

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ فَانفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ انفِرُوا جَمِيعًا

O you who believe! Take your precautions, and either go forth (on an expedition) in parties, or go forth all together.

*COMMENTARY*

No fight should be undertaken without due preparation and precautions. When these are taken, we must go boldly forward. "Go forth" is therefore repeated for emphasis. But we must go forth in a collective spirit, and not in a selfish spirit - either in small parties or all together, as our Leader determines. We must not tarry like the doubter in the next two verses.

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*Surah An-Nisa, Verse 72:*

وَإِنَّ مِنكُمْ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ فَإِنْ أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُن مَّعَهُمْ شَهِيدًا

There is certainly among you he who would linger behind (from fighting in Allah's Cause). If a misfortune befalls you, he says, "Indeed Allah has favoured me in that I was not present among them."

*COMMENTARY*

The doubter detaches himself in thought and action from the community. If the general body has a reverse, he blesses Allāh that he was not among them, instead of being ashamed of himself for desertion. If the general body wins a success, he does not rejoice for the common cause, but only regrets for himself that he was not there to share in the glory and the gains!