Quran Universe
4:76

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ فَقَٰتِلُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۖ إِنَّ كَيۡدَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا

Allatheena amanoo yuqatiloona fee sabeeli Allahi waallatheena kafaroo yuqatiloona fee sabeeli alttaghooti faqatiloo awliyaa alshshaytani inna kayda alshshaytani kana daAAeefan

Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak.

Word by word
  1. ٱلَّذِينَThose who
  2. ءَامَنُواْbelieve
  3. يُقَٰتِلُونَthey fight
  4. فِيin
  5. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  6. ٱللَّهِۖ(of) Allah
  7. وَٱلَّذِينَand those
  8. كَفَرُواْwho disbelieve
  9. يُقَٰتِلُونَthey fight
  10. فِيin
  11. سَبِيلِ(the) way
  12. ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ(of) the false deities
  13. فَقَٰتِلُوٓاْSo fight (against)
  14. أَوۡلِيَآءَ(the) friends
  15. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۖ(of) the Shaitaan
  16. إِنَّIndeed
  17. كَيۡدَ(the) strategy
  18. ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ(of) the Shaitaan
  19. كَانَis
  20. ضَعِيفًاweak
An-Nisa · 4:76Madinah

Shaytan's plot always looks bigger than it is.

Whose cause you are really serving

Two causes
cause of Allahobedience, His pleasure
cause of Taghutobedience to Shaytan
and his plot is
weakever feeble
How strong it really is
I cannot resistit is too strong for me
feeble plotAllah's own description

Ibn Kathir explains that believers strive in obedience to Allah and to gain His pleasure, while others act in obedience to Shaytan. The verse encouraged the believers of Madinah and ended with a reassurance: the plot of Shaytan has always been weak.

It is late and the phone is in your hand. The urge says you will never beat this habit, so why try. That is the plot talking. Allah calls it feeble. One honest prayer and putting the phone in another room is often all it takes.

Some of my temptations are just too strong for me.

Shaytan's pull feels huge, but Allah says it is weak against someone who turns to Him.

Try this

Name the temptation that feels strongest, say a'udhu billah, and change rooms the next time it comes.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 4:75)

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).