Transliteration:( Laa yastawil qaa'idoona Minal mu'mineena ghairu uliddarari walmujaahidoona fee sabeelil laahi bi amwaalihim wa anfusihim; faddalal laahul mujaahideena bi amwaalihim wa anfusihim 'alalqaa'ideena darajah; wa kullanw wa'adal laahul husnaa; wa faddalal laahul mujaahideena 'alal qaa'ideena ajran 'azeemaa )
“Those of the believers who stay back from fighting [305] without any valid excuse, and those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives [306] are not equal. Allah has elevated in rank [307] those who strive with their wealth and lives over those who remain behind. Yet, Allah has promised good to all [308], and He has preferred those who strive over those who remain aloof, with a great reward [309].”
“To sit aloof” means staying behind from the battlefield when Jihad is not an absolute obligation.
In cases where Holy War becomes obligatory, remaining behind without a valid excuse is a grave sin.
However, if one is genuinely unable to participate—due to illness, disability, or other valid reasons—such a person is excused in Shari‘ah and is not blameworthy.
From this we learn that striving in the path of Allah includes:
Wealth (donations, resources)
Life (actual participation in combat)
Additionally, Jihad can also include:
Pen and speech—fighting through knowledge, words, and advocacy, when appropriate.
The type of Jihad to be performed depends on the situation at hand.
When the first part of the verse was revealed, Hazrat Abdullah bin Maktoom (Radiallahu Anhu)—who was blind—asked:
“O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, how can someone like me participate in Jihad?”
In response, Allah revealed the phrase: “without any valid excuse”, thereby exempting the disabled.
This shows Allah’s mercy and fairness in legislation.
From this verse, we learn that:
All the Companions (Sahabah) are just, and none is a transgressor (Faasiq).
Why?
Because Paradise has been promised to them, and
Paradise is not promised to transgressors.
If any historical claim appears to accuse a Companion of sin, such reports are false—because the Qur’an affirms their righteousness.
As reported in Hadith:
Allah will grant a Mujahid (Muslim warrior) one hundred ranks in Paradise,
and the distance between each rank will be as vast as the distance between the heavens and the earth.
Thus, those who strive sincerely in the path of Allah are greatly elevated, not just in this world but in eternal reward.
95. Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled, and those who strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home). Unto each, Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home), by a huge reward. 96. Degrees of (higher) grades from Him, and forgiveness and mercy. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara’ said, “When the Ayah,
(Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home),) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah called Zayd and commanded him to write it. Then, Ibn Umm Maktum came and mentioned that he was blind. Allah revealed,
(except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame)).” Al-Bukhari recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`di said, “I saw Marwan bin Al-Hakam sitting in the Masjid. I came and sat by his side. He told us that Zayd bin Thabit told him that Allah’s Messenger dictated this Ayah to him,
(Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled, and those who strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah) Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet as he was dictating that very Ayah to me. Ibn Umm Maktum said, `O Allah’s Messenger! By Allah, if I had power, I would surely take part in Jihad.’ He was a blind man. So Allah sent down revelation to His Messenger while his thigh was on mine and it became so heavy for me that I feared that my thigh would be broken. That ended after Allah revealed,
(except those who are disabled).” This was recorded by Al-Bukhari. At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ibn `Abbas said,
(Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled), refers to those who did not go to the battle of Badr and those who went to Badr. When the battle of Badr was about to occur, Abu Ahmad bin Jahsh and Ibn Umm Maktum said, `We are blind, O Messenger of Allah! Do we have an excuse’ The Ayah,
(Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled) was revealed. Allah made those who fight, above those who sit in their homes not hindered by disability.
(but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home), by a huge reward. Degrees of (higher) grades from Him), above the believers who sit at home without a disability hindering them.” This is the wording recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who said, “Hasan Gharib. Allah’s statement,
(Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home),) this is general. Soon after, the revelation came down with,
(except those who are disabled). So whoever has a disability, such as blindness, a limp, or an illness that prevents them from joining Jihad, they were not compared to the Mujahidin who strive in Allah’s cause with their selves and wealth, as those who are not disabled and did not join the Jihad were. In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,
قالوا: وهم بالمدينة يا رسول الله؟ (There are people who remained in Al-Madinah, who were with you in every march you marched and every valley you crossed.) They said, “While they are still in Al-Madinah, O Messenger of Allah” He said,
(Yes. Only their disability hindered them (from joining you).) Allah said,
(Unto each, Allah has promised good) meaning, Paradise and tremendous rewards. This Ayah indicates that Jihad is not Fard on each and every individual, but it is Fard Kifayah (which is a collective duty). Allah then said,
(but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home), by a huge reward). Allah mentions what He has given them rooms in Paradise, along with His forgiveness and the descent of mercy and blessing on them, as a favor and honor from Him. So He said;
(Degrees of (higher) grades from Him, and forgiveness and mercy. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.). In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(There are a hundred grades in Paradise that Allah has prepared for the Mujahidin in His cause, between each two grades is the distance between heaven and Earth.)
(4:95) Those believers who sit at home, unless they do so out of a disabling injury, are not the equals of those who strive in the way of Allah with their possessions and their lives. Allah has exalted in rank those who strive with their possessions and their lives over those who sit at home; and though to each Allah has promised some good reward, He has preferred those who strive (in the way of Allah) over those who sit at home for a mighty reward.[128]
128. “Those who sit at home’ (i.e. remain passive) does not refer either to those who had been ordered to fight but tried to look for excuses not to fight or to those who were individually obliged to take part in fighting because of the general summons of Jihad (fight in the cause of God) and yet shirked this duty. The reference here is to those who remained engrossed in personal concerns at a time when Jihad had become a collective obligation (fard bi al-kifayah). In the first case the person who fails to fight can only be a hypocrite, and God holds out no good promise for such a person unless there is good reason, for example, genuine disability. In the second case, however, what is required is the mobilization of a part rather than the entire military strength of the Islamic community. In such cases, if the recognized head (imam) of the Islamic community summons the people to come forward and undertake the expedition concerned, those who respond to that call are reckoned to be of superior merit to those who remain occupied with other pursuits however meritorious.
Fard bi al-kifayah signifies a collective duty of the Muslim community so that if some people carry it out no Muslim is considered blameworthy; but if no one carries it out all incur a collective guilt – Ed.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics