Quran Universe
4:75

وَمَا لَكُمۡ لَا تُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهۡلُهَا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيّٗا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا

Wama lakum la tuqatiloona fee sabeeli Allahi waalmustadAAafeena mina alrrijali waalnnisai waalwildani allatheena yaqooloona rabbana akhrijna min hathihi alqaryati alththalimi ahluha waijAAal lana min ladunka waliyyan waijAAal lana min ladunka naseeran

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?"

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd what
  2. لَكُمۡfor you
  3. لَا(that) not
  4. تُقَٰتِلُونَyou fight
  5. فِيin
  6. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  7. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  8. وَٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَand (for) those who are weak
  9. مِنَamong
  10. ٱلرِّجَالِthe men
  11. وَٱلنِّسَآءِand the women
  12. وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنِand the children
  13. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  14. يَقُولُونَsay
  15. رَبَّنَآOur Lord
  16. أَخۡرِجۡنَاtake us out
  17. مِنۡof
  18. هَٰذِهِthis
  19. ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ[the] town
  20. ٱلظَّالِمِ[the] oppressor (s)
  21. أَهۡلُهَا(are) its people
  22. وَٱجۡعَلand appoint
  23. لَّنَاfor us
  24. مِنfrom
  25. لَّدُنكَYourself
  26. وَلِيّٗاa protector
  27. وَٱجۡعَلand appoint
  28. لَّنَاfor us
  29. مِنfrom
  30. لَّدُنكَYourself
  31. نَصِيرًاa helper
An-Nisa · 4:75Madinah

What is wrong with you, while the weak are crying out?

The prayer of those who had no helper

Left behind in Makkah
men, women, childrenweak and mistreated
pray
Our Lord, take us outsend us a protectorsend us a helper
The question turned on the listener
not my problemthey are far away
what is wrong with youtheir cry is your concern

Some believers, men, women and children, were trapped in Makkah and could not leave. Ibn Kathir notes Ibn Abbas said, I and my mother were among the oppressed. They prayed for Allah to send them a protector and a helper. The verse asks the believers in Madinah why they were holding back.

The elderly neighbor no one checks on. The classmate everyone picks on. The relative stuck in a home where she is treated badly. They are praying for a helper. The verse asks you directly: what is stopping you from being part of the answer?

Someone else will step in for people who are struggling.

The cry of the weak is addressed to me too, and I can be part of the answer.

Try this

Think of one person near you who has no one in their corner. Do one thing for them today.

Related47:13
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help. (75)Those who believe, fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of the Taghut. So fight against the friends of Shaytan; ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytan (76)

Encouraging Jihad to Defend the Oppressed

Allah encouraged His believing servants to perform Jihad in His cause and to strive hard to save the oppressed Muslims in Makkah, men, women and children who were restless because of having to remain there. This is why Allah said,

الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ

(whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town), referring to Makkah. In a similar Ayah, Allah said,

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَتْكَ 

(And many a town, stronger than your town which has driven you out)[47:13] Allah then describes this town,

الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا

(whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help) meaning, send protectors and helpers for us. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said, "I and my mother were from the oppressed (in Makkah)." Allah then said,

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ الطَّاغُوتِ

(Those who believe, fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve, fight in the cause of the Taghut.)

Therefore, the believers fight in obedience to Allah and to gain His pleasure, while the disbelievers fight in obedience to Shaytan. Allah then encourages the believers to fight His enemies,

فَقَاتِلُوا أَوْلِيَاءَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا

(So fight against the friends of Shaytan; ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytan).