Regulations for Salat in Times of War and Hardship

An-Nisa — Verses 101–104 | Explore this Quran theme on Muallim

وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَن يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ إِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَانُوا لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا ١٠١

And when you (Muslims) travel in the land, there is no sin on you if you shorten your Salat (prayer) if you fear that the disbelievers may attack you, verily, the disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies.

وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ
And when you (Muslims) travel in the land,
فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ
there is no sin on you
أَن تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ
if you shorten your Salat (prayer),
إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَن يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ
if you fear that the disbelievers may attack you,
إِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَانُوا لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُّبِينًا
verily, the disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies.

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِن وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۗ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ أَن تَضَعُوا أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۖ وَخُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا ١٠٢

When you (O Messenger Muhammad SAW) are among them, and lead them in As-Salat (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salat (prayer)] with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which has not yet prayed, and let them pray with you taking all the precautions and bearing arms. Those who disbelieve wish, if you were negligent of your arms and your baggage, to attack you in a single rush, but there is no sin on you if you put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill, but take every precaution for yourselves. Verily, Allah has prepared a humiliating torment for the disbelievers.

وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ
When you (O Messenger Muhammad SAW) are among them, and lead them in As-Salat (the prayer),
فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ
let one party of them stand up [in Salat (prayer)] with you
وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ
taking their arms with them;
فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِن وَرَائِكُمْ
when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear
وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا
and let the other party come up which has not yet prayed,
فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ
and let them pray with you
وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۗ
taking all the precautions and bearing arms.
وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ
Those who disbelieve wish, if you were negligent of your arms and your baggage,
فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً ۚ
to attack you in a single rush,
وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰ
but there is no sin on you if you put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill,
أَن تَضَعُوا أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۖ
but take every precaution for yourselves.
وَخُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ ۗ
Verily, Allah has prepared a humiliating torment for the disbelievers.

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ ۚ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا ١٠٣

When you have finished As-Salat (the prayer - congregational), remember Allah standing, sitting down, and lying down on your sides, but when you are free from danger, perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as- Salat). Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ
When you have finished As-Salat (the prayer - congregational)
فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ
remember Allah standing, sitting down, and lying down on your sides
فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ
but when you are free from danger
فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ ۚ
perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat)
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours

وَلَا تَهِنُوا فِي ابْتِغَاءِ الْقَوْمِ ۖ إِن تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ ۖ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرْجُونَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ١٠٤

And don't be weak in the pursuit of the enemy; if you are suffering (hardships) then surely, they (too) are suffering (hardships) as you are suffering, but you have a hope from Allah (for the reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not, and Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.

وَلَا تَهِنُوا فِي ابْتِغَاءِ الْقَوْمِ ۖ
And don't be weak in the pursuit of the enemy;
إِن تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ
if you are suffering (hardships)
فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ ۖ
then surely, they (too) are suffering (hardships) as you are suffering,
وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرْجُونَ ۗ
but you have a hope from Allah (for the reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not,
وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
and Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.