Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nisa Verse 97

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those whose souls the angels take while they had wronged themselves, the angels say (to them), “In what business were you (involved)?” They say, “We were oppressed in the earth.” They say, “Was not the earth of Allah wide enough for you to emigrate to it?” Those people are such that their refuge is Jahannam . It is an evil place to return;

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When the angels seize the souls of those who have wronged themselves[[ This verse refers to some of those who had accepted Islam secretly in Mecca but refused to emigrate to Medina along with the rest of the believers. Some of them were killed in the Battle of Badr when they were rallied by the Meccans to fight against the Muslims. The verse also applies to any Muslim who accepts abuse and refuses to move to another place where they can live with dignity and practice their faith freely.]]—scolding them, “What do you think you were doing?” they will reply, “We were oppressed in the land.” The angels will respond, “Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate?” It is they who will have Hell as their home—what an evil destination!

Ruwwad Translation Center

When the angels take the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they will say, “What was the matter with you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” They will say, “Was not Allah’s earth spacious enough for you to migrate?” They are those whose refuge will be Hell – what a terrible destination!

A. J. Arberry

And those the angels take, while still they are wronging themselves -- the angels will say, 'In what circumstances were you?' They will say, 'We were abased in the earth.' The angels will say, 'But was not God's earth wide, so that you might have emigrated in it?' Such men, their refuge shall be Gehenna -- an evil homecoming! --

Abdul Haleem

When the angels take the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they ask them, ‘What circumstances were you in?’ They reply, ‘We were oppressed in this land,’ and the angels say, ‘But was God’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place?’ These people will have Hell as their refuge, an evil destination,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Verily unto those whom the angels carry off in death, while they are yet oppressors of their souls, they will say: what were ye in? They will say: Weakened were we in the land. They Will say: was not Allah's land wide so that ye could migrate thereto. These: their resort is hell an evil retreat! -

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say; "In what (plight) Were ye?" They reply; "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." They say; "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! -

Abul Ala Maududi

While taking the souls of those who were engaged in wronging themselves, the angels asked: 'In what circumstances were you?' They replied: 'We were too weak and helpless in the land.' The angels said: 'Was not the earth of Allah wide enough for you to emigrate in it?' For such men their refuge is Hell - an evil destination indeed;

Ahmed Ali

As for those whose souls are taken by the angels (at death) while in a state of unbelief, they will be asked by the angels: "What (state) were you in?" They will answer: "We were oppressed in the land." And the angels will say: "Was not God's earth large enough for you to migrate?" Their abode will be Hell, and what an evil destination!

Ahmed Raza Khan

The angels ask the people whose souls they remove while they were wronging themselves, “What were you engaged in?” They reply, “We were powerless in the land”; the angels say, “Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to have migrated in it?” The destination for such is hell; and a very wretched place to return.

Ali Quli Qarai

Indeed, those whom the angels take away while they are wronging themselves, they ask, ‘What state were you in?’ They reply, ‘We were oppressed in the land.’ They say, ‘Was not Allah’s earth vast enough so that you might migrate in it?’ The refuge of such shall be hell, and it is an evil destination.

Ali Ünal

As to those whose souls the angels (charged with taking the souls of people) take in the state of wronging themselves (by continuing to live in unbelief without suffering to emigrate to a land where they would be able to attain faith): They (the angels) ask them: "What situation were you in (so that you were not with the believers)?" They say: "We were under such oppression in this land that we could not find way to faith." They (the angels) say: "Was God’s earth not wide enough for you to emigrate in it?" Such are those whose refuge is Hell: how evil a destination to arrive at!

Amatul Rahman Omar

Surely, the angels will ask those whom they cause to die while they were acting unjustly towards themselves (by prolonging their stay in the land of the disbelievers and thus transgressing against their own souls), `What circumstances were you in (that you did not avow Islâm openly)?´ They will reply, `We were treated as weak in the country (to express our belief).´ They (- the angels) will say, `Was not Allâh´s earth spacious enough for you to have emigrated therein?´ It is these whose abode shall be Gehenna and an evil destination it is!

English Literal

That those the angels make them die, unjust (to) themselves, they said: "In what you were/have been?" They said: "We were weakened in the Earth/land." They said: "Was not God`s Earth/land wide/spacious so you emigrate in it." So those, their shelter/refuge (is) Hell, and it was a bad/evil end/destination.

Faridul Haque

The angels ask the people whose souls they remove while they were wronging themselves, "What were you engaged in?" They reply, "We were powerless in the land"; the angels say, "Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to have migrated in it?" The destination for such is hell; and a very wretched place to return.

Hamid S. Aziz

These it may be Allah will pardon, for Allah is Clement and Forgiving.

Hilali & Khan

Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination!

Maulana Mohammad Ali

(High) degrees from Him and protection and mercy. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Surely (as for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to their souls, they shall say: In what state were you? They shall say: We were weak in the earth. They shall say: Was not Allah's earth spacious, so that you should have migrated therein? So these it is whose abode is hell, and it is an evil resort

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they wrong themselves, (the angels) will ask: In what were ye engaged? They will say: We were oppressed in the land. (The angels) will say: Was not Allah's earth spacious that ye could have migrated therein? As for such, their habitation will be hell, an evil journey's end;

Muhammad Sarwar

When the angels take away from their bodies the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they will ask them, "How did you live?" They will reply, "We lived on earth in weakness and oppression." The angels will say, "Was not God's land vast enough for you to go wherever you could live in peace?" The dwelling of these people will be hell fire, a terrible destination.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And the angels who take those who wronged themselves will say: 'In what condition were you' They will reply 'We were oppressed in the land' They (the angels) will say: 'Was not the earth of Allah wide enough for you in order that you migrate in it' Those, their shelter will be Gehenna (Hell), an evil arrival.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves, they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on the earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein" Such men will find their abode in Hell - what an evil destination!

Wahiduddin Khan

When the angels take the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they will ask, "What was wrong with you?" They will answer, "We were too weak on earth." The angels will say, "Was God's earth not spacious enough for you to have migrated to some other place?" These are the ones whose abode shall be Hell, an evil destination --

Talal Itani

While the angels are removing the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they will say, “What was the matter with you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” They will say, “Was God’s earth not vast enough for you to emigrate in it?” These—their refuge is Hell. What a wretched retreat!

Tafsir jalalayn

The following was revealed regarding a group of people who submitted to Islam but did not emigrate and were then slain in the battle of Badr alongside the disbelievers; And those whom the angels take [in death], while they are wronging their souls, having remained among the disbelievers and neglected to emigrate, the angels will say, to them in rebuke; `What was your predicament?', in other words, `in what circumstances were you with regard to your religion'. They will say, giving excuses, `We were oppressed, unable to establish religion, in the land', the land of Mecca. The angels will say, to them in rebuke; `But was not God's earth spacious that you might have emigrated therein?', from the land of unbelief to another land, as others did? God, exalted be He, says; as for such, their abode shall be Hell -- an evil journey's end, it is!

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Prohibition of Residing Among the Disbelievers While Able to Emigrate

Allah says;

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَليِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ

Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves,

Al-Bukhari recorded that Muhammad bin Abdur-Rahman, Abu Al-Aswad, said,

"The people of Al-Madinah were forced to prepare an army (to fight against the people of Ash-Sham during the Khilafah of Abdullah bin Az-Zubayir at Makkah), and I was enlisted in it.

Then I met Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn Abbas, and informed him (about it), and he forbade me strongly from doing so (i.e., to enlist in that army), and then he said to me,

`Ibn Abbas told me that some Muslims used to go out with the idolators increasing the size of their army against the Messenger of Allah. Then, an arrow would hit one of them and kill him, or he would be struck on his neck (with a sword) and killed, and Allah sent down the Ayah,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَليِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ
(Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves)."'

Ad-Dahhak stated that;

this Ayah was revealed about some hypocrites who did not join the Messenger of Allah but remained in Makkah and went out with the idolators for the battle of Badr.

They were killed among those who were killed. Thus, this honorable Ayah was revealed about those who reside among the idolators, while able to perform Hijrah and unable to practice the faith.

Such people will be committing injustice against themselves and falling into a prohibition according to the consensus and also according to this Ayah,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَليِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ
(Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves), by refraining from Hijrah.

قَالُواْ فِيمَ كُنتُمْ

They (angels) say (to them);"In what (condition) were you!"

meaning, why did you remain here and not perform Hijrah!

قَالُواْ كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الَارْضِ

They reply;"We were weak and oppressed on the earth."

meaning, we are unable to leave the land or move about in the earth.

قَالْوَاْ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُواْ فِيهَا

They (angels) say;"Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein!"

فَأُوْلَـيِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَسَاءتْ مَصِيرًا



Such men will find their abode in Hell - what an evil destination!

Abu Dawud recorded that;

Samurah bin Jundub said that the Messenger of Allah said,

مَنْ جَامَعَ الْمُشْرِكَ وَسَكَنَ مَعَهُ فَإِنَّهُ مِثْلُه

Whoever mingles with the idolator and resides with him, he is just like him.

Allah's statement,

إِلاَّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاء وَالْوِلْدَانِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلً