Quran Universe
4:141

ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمۡ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمۡ فَتۡحٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ نَكُن مَّعَكُمۡ وَإِن كَانَ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ نَصِيبٞ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ نَسۡتَحۡوِذۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَنَمۡنَعۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ وَلَن يَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا

Allatheena yatarabbasoona bikum fain kana lakum fathun mina Allahi qaloo alam nakun maAAakum wain kana lilkafireena naseebun qaloo alam nastahwith AAalaykum wanamnaAAkum mina almumineena faAllahu yahkumu baynakum yawma alqiyamati walan yajAAala Allahu lilkafireena AAala almumineena sabeelan

Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from Allah, they say, "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers have a success, they say [to them], "Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?" Allah will judge between [all of] you on the Day of Resurrection, and never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].

Word by word
  1. ٱلَّذِينَThose who
  2. يَتَرَبَّصُونَare waiting
  3. بِكُمۡfor you
  4. فَإِنThen if
  5. كَانَwas
  6. لَكُمۡfor you
  7. فَتۡحٞa victory
  8. مِّنَfrom
  9. ٱللَّهِAllah
  10. قَالُوٓاْthey say
  11. أَلَمۡWere not
  12. نَكُنwe
  13. مَّعَكُمۡwith you
  14. وَإِنBut if
  15. كَانَ(there) was
  16. لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَfor the disbelievers
  17. نَصِيبٞa chance
  18. قَالُوٓاْthey said
  19. أَلَمۡDid not
  20. نَسۡتَحۡوِذۡwe have advantage
  21. عَلَيۡكُمۡover you
  22. وَنَمۡنَعۡكُمand we protected you
  23. مِّنَfrom
  24. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۚthe believers
  25. فَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  26. يَحۡكُمُwill judge
  27. بَيۡنَكُمۡbetween you
  28. يَوۡمَ(on the) Day
  29. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ(of) the Resurrection
  30. وَلَنand never
  31. يَجۡعَلَwill make
  32. ٱللَّهُAllah
  33. لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَfor the disbelievers
  34. عَلَىover
  35. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believers
  36. سَبِيلًاa way
An-Nisa · 4:141Madinah

Friends only when you are winning are watching, not standing with you.

The fence-sitter who switches sides with the score

Waiting to see who wins
believers winwere we not with you
the watchersone foot each side
the other side winswe protected you
Where it ends
safe with bothI can play both sides
Allah judgeshearts laid open on the Day

Ibn Kathir says the hypocrites watched and waited to see what would happen to the believers. When the believers won, they claimed to be with them. When the other side had a success, as at Uhud, they claimed credit there. The verse says Allah will judge between them on the Day, when the secrets of hearts come out.

At work there is a dispute between two managers. You agree with whoever is in the room. You wait to see who wins before saying what you believe. It feels smart and safe. The verse says one Judge sees which side you were really on.

Staying neutral until I know who wins is just being careful.

Allah sees whether I stand for the truth or just for the winner.

Try this

Say one honest thing today you have been holding back until you knew which way the wind blew.

Related40:515:52
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Those who wait and watch about you; if you gain a victory from Allah, they say: "Were we not with you?" But if the disbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers" Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection. And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers (141)

Hypocrites Wait and Watch what Happens to Muslims

Allah states that the hypocrites watch and await the harm that occurs to the believers, awaiting the time when the Muslim circumstances and religion are dissolved and the state of Kufr takes over.

فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(if you gain a victory from Allah) triumph, aid and booty,

 قَالُوا أَلَمْ نَكُن مَّعَكُمْ

(they say, "Were we not with you?") trying to come closer to the believers with this statement. However,

وَإِن كَانَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ

(But if the disbelievers gain a success,) by gaining victory over the believers sometimes, just as occurred during Uhud, for surely, the Messengers are tested, but the final victory is theirs.

قَالُوا أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُم مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(they say (to them), "Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers?") meaning, did we not help you in secret and try our best to confuse the believers and weaken their resolve, until you gained victory over them? This statement of the hypocrites is an attempt to strengthen relations with the disbelievers, because they pretend to be friends with both parties so that they will be safe from their harm, due to their weak faith and lack of certainty. Allah said,

فَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

(Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection) meaning, by what He knows about you, O hypocrites. Therefore, do not be deceived by being shaded under the protection of Islamic Law in this life, which is such only out of Allah's wisdom. Surely, on the Day of Resurrection, your pretending shall not benefit you, because on that Day, the secrets of the souls will be disclosed and the contents of the hearts will be collected. Allah said,

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا

(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers).

'Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Yasi' Al-Kindi said, "A man came to 'Ali bin Abi Talib and said, 'What about this Ayah,

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا

(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.)

'Ali said, 'Come closer, come closer. Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection, and He will not grant victory for the disbelievers over the believers.'" Ibn Jurayj recorded that 'Ata' Al-Khurasani said that Ibn 'Abbas said that,

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا

(And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.)

"Will occur on the Day of Resurrection." As-Suddi recorded that Abu Malik Al-Ashja'i said that it occurs on the Day of Resurrection. As-Suddi said that "way" means, proof. It is possible that the meaning of, 'and never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers', is in this life by being unable to exterminate the believers completely, although they sometimes gain victory over some Muslims. However, the Final Triumph will be for the believers in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said,

إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا

(Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe in the worldly life)[40:51]

This provides a rebuttal to the wishes of the hypocrites for the destruction of the believers, and their loyalty to the disbelievers, fearing for themselves if they are victorious. In another Ayah, Allah said,

فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يُسَارِعُونَ فِيهِمْ

(And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy), they hurry to their friendship)[5:52], until,

نَادِمِينَ

(Regretful)[5:52]