Transliteration:( Satajidoona aakhareena yureedoona ai ya'manookum wa ya'manoo qawmahum kullamaa ruddooo ilal fitnati urkisoo feehaa; fa il lam ya'tazilookum wa yulqooo ilai kumus salama wa yakuffooo aidiyahum fakhuzoohum waqtuloohum haisu saqif tumoohum; wa ulaaa'ikum ja'alnaa lakum 'alaihim sultaanam mubeenaa )
“Now you will find others who wish to be safe from you and safe [287] from their own people. Whenever they are called back to mischief [288], they fall headlong into it. If they do not withdraw from you, nor offer you peace, nor restrain their hands, then seize them and kill [290] them wherever you find them. We have given you clear authority [291] against such people.”
This refers to those who wish to remain safe from the Muslims and also safe from their own disbelieving people. Their aim is not sincere neutrality or allegiance, but to avoid confrontation on both sides—playing both ends to serve their own interests.
It does not mean they intend to stay away from Muslims in order to support the disbelievers.
Rather, their duplicity is exposed in the next part of the verse.
Whenever they are called back to mischief—meaning, when the disbelievers summon them to treachery or war,
they plunge into it without hesitation.
This reveals their hypocrisy and lack of integrity, showing that their peaceful posture is deceptive.
If such people:
Do not withdraw from hostility,
Do not offer peace,
Do not restrain from harming Muslims—
Then the command is:
“Seize them and kill them wherever you find them.”
From this, we learn:
This verse abrogates earlier verses that encouraged gentleness with the disbelievers.
It also abrogates the prohibition of warfare during the sacred months (Rajab, Shawwal, Zil-Qadah, Zil-Hajj).
Now, Muslim warriors are permitted to fight Confederate disbelievers at any time or place.
This verse is final and decisive, and cannot be abrogated until the Day of Judgment.
Anyone who regards Jihad as abrogated—such as the Qadiyanis—is outside the fold of Islam.
This verse lays down a clear authority by categorizing disbelievers:
Non-Muslim citizens living under Muslim rule – not to be harmed.
Refugees seeking safety in Muslim lands – must be protected.
Temporary confederates with peace accords – cannot be harmed until they break the treaty.
Hostile confederates with no peace accord – permissible to fight them at all times.
This guidance establishes a balanced and structured framework for engagement in warfare, strictly under Islamic legal principles.
The tafsir of Surah Nisa verse 91 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Nisa ayat 88 which provides the complete commentary from verse 88 through 91.
(4:91) You will also find others who wish to be secure from you, and secure from their people, but who, whenever they have any opportunity to cause mischief, plunge into it headlong. If such people neither leave you alone nor offer you peace nor restrain their hands from hurting you, then seize them and slay them wherever you come upon them. It is against these that We have granted you a clear sanction.
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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