Transliteration:( Laisa 'alad du'aafaaa'i wa laa 'alal mardaa wa laa 'alal lazeena laa yajidoona maa yunfiqoona harajun izaa nasahoo lillaahi wa Rasoolih; maa 'alal muhsineena min sabeel; wallaahu Ghafoorur Raheem )
“There is no fault [246] on the weak, on the sick, nor on those who are not capable [247] to spend, when they are sincere [248] to Allah and His Messenger. There is no accountability on the doers of good. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”
This verse addresses the genuinely disabled individuals who were unable to join the battle. They fall into three categories: the old, the sick, and those who lacked the necessary military equipment. It tells us that the journey of battle was not obligatory for these three groups, as their physical or material limitations prevented them from participating in the jihad.
Some helpless companions, who lacked riding animals, made a request to the Holy Prophet ﷺ to provide them with transportation so they could participate in the Jihad. However, due to a lack of extra animals, their request was declined, which left them in tears. This verse was revealed to address their situation.
From this, several important points emerge:
It is permissible to seek assistance to fulfill religious needs. Just as the companions sought help to participate in the battle, a helpless student can ask for assistance to fulfill their religious needs. Seeking religious education is also considered an act of worship, just like participating in holy war.
One should give charity from wealth saved in excess. The companions had riding animals only for their own needs. They were unable to provide them to others in need, showing that those with excess wealth or resources should share them with the less fortunate.
Jihad that necessitates travel becomes obligatory only if one has the means to undertake the journey. This is similar to Hajj, which is obligatory for non-residents of Makkah only if they possess the means to travel. Thus, the poor are not obligated to participate in such actions.
This verse emphasizes that being sincere to the Holy Prophet ﷺ is equivalent to being sincere to Allah Almighty. Furthermore, if someone is unable to perform a good deed due to their circumstances but is wholeheartedly sincere to the pious, they will be considered among the pious, if Allah Almighty wills. The object of the verse is to show that helpless Muslims who were unable to participate in battle should remain in Madina Munawwarah, serving the children of the Muslim soldiers to demonstrate their sincerity to Allah and His Prophet ﷺ.
91. There is no blame on those who are weak or ill or who find no resources to spend, if they are sincere and true (in duty) to Allah and His Messenger. No means (of complaint) can there be against the doers of good. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 92. Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, when you said: “I can find no mounts for you,” they turned back, with their eyes overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend. 93. The means (of complaint) is only against those who are rich, and yet ask exemption. They are content to be with (the women) who sit behind (at home) and Allah has sealed up their hearts so that they know not (what they are losing).
Allah mentions here the valid excuses that permit one to stay away from fighting. He first mentions the excuses that remain with a person, the weakness in the body that disallows one from Jihad, such as blindness, limping, and so forth. He then mentions the excuses that are not permanent, such as an illness that would prevent one from fighting in the cause of Allah, or poverty that prevents preparing for Jihad. There is no sin in these cases if they remain behind, providing that when they remain behind, they do not spread malice or try to discourage Muslims from fighting, but all the while observing good behavior in this state, just as Allah said,
(No means (of complaint) can there be against the doers of good. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) Al-Awza`i said, “The people went out for the Istisqa’ (rain) prayer. Bilal bin Sa`d stood up, praised Allah and thanked Him then said, `O those who are present! Do you concur that wrong has been done’ They said, `Yes, by Allah!’ He said, `O Allah! We hear your statement,
(No means (of complaint) can there be against the doers of good.) O Allah! We admit our errors, so forgive us and give us mercy and rain.’ He then raised his hands and the people also raised their hands, and rain was sent down on them.” Mujahid said about Allah’s statement,
(Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts) Mujahid said; “It was revealed about Bani Muqarrin from the tribe of Muzaynah. ” Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-Hasan said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Some people have remained behind you in Al-Madinah; and you never spent anything, crossed a valley, or afflicted hardship on an enemy, but they were sharing the reward with you.) He then recited the Ayah,
(Nor (is there blame) on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, when you said: “I can find no mounts for you.”) This Hadith has a basis in the Two Sahihs from Anas, the Messenger of Allah said,
(Some people have remained behind in Al-Madinah and you never crossed a valley or marched forth, but they were with you.) They said, “While they are still at Al-Madinah” He said,
(Yes, as they have been held back by a (legal) excuse.) Then, Allah criticized those who seek permission to remain behind while they are rich, admonishing them for wanting to stay behind with women who remained in their homes,
(and Allah has sealed up their hearts, so that they know not (what they are losing).)
(9:91) There is no blame on the weak nor on the sick nor on those who have nothing to enable them to join (the struggle in the Way of Allah) if they stay behind provided that they are sincere to Allah and to His Messenger.[92] There is no cause for reproach against those who do good. Allah is All-Forgiving, Ever Merciful.
92. This implies that even those people who are otherwise excusable because of disability, sickness or indigence will be pardoned only if they are sincerely and truly faithful to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Without this fidelity, no one shall be pardoned merely because he was sick or indigent at the time when he was called upon to go forth for Jihad. For Allah does not judge merely by appearances, and treats alike, and forgives all those who present medical certificates of their disability because of sickness, old age or some other physical defect. On the Day of Judgment, He will examine minutely the heart of each and everyone, and take into account his whole conduct, open and hidden, and will consider whether his excuse was of a faithful servant or of a traitor and rebel. It is obvious that each and every case, in spite of apparent similarity, requires a separate and different judgment. For instance, let us take the case of two men who suddenly fell ill on the eve of Jihad. One of them thanked his lucky stars for the timely disease, as if to say, “How lucky it is that I have fallen ill on the opportune moment! Otherwise, this calamity of Jihad could not have been avoided and I would have had to suffer it anyhow.” On the contrary, the other man was filled with sorrow at his illness, and he cried in anguish, “Ah, what a bad luck! I have been attacked by this sudden disease at the time when I ought to have been in the battlefield instead of lying down here in bed.” One of them made his illness not only an excuse for exemption from Jihad but also tried to dissuade others from it. On the contrary, the other one, though lying in the bed, went on urging his own dear relatives, friends, and others to go forth to Jihad; nay, he entreated even those who were attending him, saying, “Leave me in the care of the real Master, and go forth to Jihad. I am sure that the arrangements for my nursing will be made somehow. Therefore, you should not waste your precious chance for my sake but go forth and serve the right way.” But the other, who stayed at home, spent all this time in spreading discontent and bad news and in damaging war efforts and in disrupting the affairs of the families of the fighters. The other man in similar circumstances did his very best to make the home front as strong as he could. Though these two men had similar excuses for exemption, they cannot be considered as equal in the sight of Allah: the second one only may expect Allah’s pardon, and not the first man who was a traitor and rebel against Allah, though he might have had a genuine excuse for exemption.
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