4:104

وَلَا تَهِنُواْ فِي ٱبۡتِغَآءِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِۖ إِن تَكُونُواْ تَأۡلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمۡ يَأۡلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأۡلَمُونَۖ وَتَرۡجُونَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرۡجُونَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

Wala tahinoo fee ibtighai alqawmi in takoonoo talamoona fainnahum yalamoona kama talamoona watarjoona mina Allahi ma la yarjoona wakana Allahu AAaleeman hakeeman

And do not weaken in pursuit of the enemy. If you should be suffering - so are they suffering as you are suffering, but you expect from Allah that which they expect not. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  2. تَهِنُواْbe weak
  3. فِيin
  4. ٱبۡتِغَآءِpursuit
  5. ٱلۡقَوۡمِۖ(of) the people
  6. إِنIf
  7. تَكُونُواْyou are
  8. تَأۡلَمُونَsuffering
  9. فَإِنَّهُمۡthen indeed,they
  10. يَأۡلَمُونَare (also) suffering
  11. كَمَاlike what
  12. تَأۡلَمُونَۖyou are suffering
  13. وَتَرۡجُونَwhile you (have) hope
  14. مِنَfrom
  15. ٱللَّهِAllah
  16. مَاwhat
  17. لَاnot
  18. يَرۡجُونَۗthey hope
  19. وَكَانَAnd is
  20. ٱللَّهُAllah
  21. عَلِيمًاAll-Knowing
  22. حَكِيمًاAll-Wise
An-Nisa · 4:104Madinah

They hurt like you hurt. But you have hope.

Same pain, different horizon


Side by side
you sufferwounds, loss, fatigue
they sufferjust the same
but
your hopefrom Allah, which they lack
What makes the difference
the painit is equal
the hopeit is yours alone

After battle the believers were wounded and tired. Allah told them not to weaken: they suffer as you suffer. Ibn Kathir notes the difference is that you hope from Allah for reward and help, while they do not.

You are worn out from a long illness, a hard degree, a marriage you are working to save. Everyone struggles; you are not uniquely weak. What you carry that others may not is hope in Allah. Let that be the thing that keeps you going.

I am struggling more than anyone, so maybe I should give up.

Everyone hurts, but I have hope in Allah, and that is reason enough to keep going.

Try this

When you feel like quitting today, say one dua that names what you are hoping Allah will give.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 4:103)

When you have finished the Salah, remember Allah standing, sitting down, and on your sides, but when you are free from danger, perform the Salah. Verily, Salah is kitaban on the believers at fixed hours (103)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 (104)

The Order for Ample Remembrance After the Fear Prayer

Allah commands Dhikr after finishing the Fear prayer, in particular, even though such Dhikr is encouraged after finishing other types of prayer in general. In the case of Fear prayer, Dhikr is encouraged even more because the pillars of the prayer are diminished since they move about while performing it, etc., unlike other prayers. Allah said about the Sacred Months,

فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ

(so wrong not yourselves therein)[9:36], even though injustice is prohibited all year long. However, injustice is particularly outlawed during the Sacred Months due to their sanctity and honor. So Allah's statement,

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ

(When you have finished Salah, remember Allah standing, sitting down, and on your sides,) means, in all conditions,

 فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ

(But when you are free from danger perform the Salah.) when you are safe, tranquil and fear subsides,

فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ

(perform the Salah) by performing it as you were commanded; fulfilling its obligations, with humbleness, completing the bowing and prostration positions etc. Allah's statement,

إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا

(Verily, the Salah is Kitaban on the believers at fixed hours.) means, enjoined, as Ibn 'Abbas stated. Ibn 'Abbas also said, "The prayer has a fixed time, just as the case with Hajj." Similar is reported from Mujahid, Salim bin 'Abdullah, 'Ali bin Al-Husayn, Muhammad bin 'Ali, Al-Hasan, Muqatil. As-Suddi and 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi.

The Encouragement to Pursue the Enemy Despite Injuries

Allah's statement,

وَلَا تَهِنُوا فِي ابْتِغَاءِ الْقَوْمِ

(And don't be weak in the pursuit of the enemy;) means, do not weaken your resolve in pursuit of your enemy. Rather, pursue them vigorously, fight them and be wary of them.

 إِن تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ

(if you are suffering then surely they are suffering as you are suffering,) meaning, just as you suffer from injuries and death, the same happens to the enemy. In another Ayah, Allah said,

إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ

(If you suffer a harm, be sure a similar harm has struck the others). [3:140] Allah then said,

وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرْجُونَ

(but you have a hope from Allah that for which they hope not;) meaning, you and they are equal regarding the injuries and pain that you suffer from. However, you hope for Allah's reward, victory and aid, just as He has promised you in His Book and by the words of his Messenger ﷺ. Surely, Allah's promise is true. On the other hand, your enemies do not have hope for any of this. So, it is you, not they, who should be eager to fight so that you establish the Word of Allah and raise it high.

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

(And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.) means, He is most knowledgeable and wise in all what He decides, decrees, wills and acts on concerning various worldly and religious ordainments, and He is worthy of praise in all conditions.