Who are the people who answer the question of the angels "In what (plight) Were ye?" as "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth" mentioned in verse 97 of the chapter of an-Nisa?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Reading the relevant verses together will enable us to understand the issue better:

"When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: "In what (plight) Were ye?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! - Except those who are (really) weak and oppressed - men, women, and children - who have no means in their power, nor (a guide-post) to their way. For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive: For Allah doth blot out (sins) and forgive again and again." (an-Nisa, 97-99)

The people who die "in sin against their souls" are those who did not migrate from Makkah to Madinah though they could have done it, who continued living among Makkan polytheists and hence became unbelievers again or risked their religions. Ibn Abbas made the following explanation regarding that verse: A group of Muslims was together with the polytheists; they increased the number of the polytheists against the Messenger of Allah in battles. Meanwhile, some of them were wounded or killed by the arrows or swords. Thereupon, the verse "…who die in sin against their souls..." was sent down. (Bukhari, "Tafsir", 4/19)

Those who continued living among the polytheists wrong their own souls whether they return to polytheism due to this togetherness or pressure or they do not return to polytheism but live in risk; what they need to do is to join the Muslims and live with them.

The word "mustad'afin" translated as "weak (and oppressed)" means the people who are regarded as weak and unimportant by the dominant group, whose demands are not heeded, who are disparaged and who are too weak to get their due. As in the case of those who could have migrated to Madinah but who preferred to live in Makkah in contempt and weakness, if a person becomes mustad’af due to his own mistake, he will be held responsible. This state cannot be an excuse for being without knowledge, deed and belief. (see Kur’an Yolu, Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı Yayınları: II/95)

The angels will take the souls of most of those people who did not migrate and who wronged their souls in the world or catch them in the hereafter and drag them to the Gathering Place. The angels will ask them about what their state was and what they did about their religion by scolding them. They will say, " Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." That is, they will make excuses stating that they could not do anything due to the oppression and power of others and due to being weak. The angels will answer them as follows: " Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)? For instance, why did you not migrate like those who saved themselves by migrating to Madinah and Abyssinia?" They will not accept their excuses. Thus, those who did not do what they could in order to leave the place where they were under oppression and domination of oppressors though they were not fully weak and they had some power will be regarded to have helped unbelief and oppression; therefore, their abode will be Hell. What a bad way it is or what an evil refuge Hell is.

Accordingly, not to migrate though migration was wajib and to act in accordance with unbelievers might not be unbelief but it is definitely a sin and wronging one’s own soul. According to the explanations of tafsir scholars, the verse above indicates that it is necessary for a person who cannot practice his religion in a place to migrate from that place.

The following is stated in a sound hadith of the Prophet (pbuh):

"If a person escapes from a place for the sake of his religion, he deserves to enter Paradise even if the place he covered is a very small distance. He becomes a companion of his father Ibrahim and his prophet Muhammad." (Qurtubi, al-Jami li Ahkamil-Quran, 4/347)

According to a narration, when this verse was sent down, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent it to the Muslims in Makkah. Jundub b. Damra said to his sons, "Mount me on something. For, I am neither among the weak nor those who do not know the way. By Allah, I will not sleep in Makkah tonight." His sons placed him on a stretcher and carried him in order to take him to Madinah. He was a very old man and died on the way.

So, migration is a kind of jihad when it is necessary. To remain under the oppression of unbelievers and not to be able to serve Islam to spread it will bring about a bad transformation; it means oppressing one’s own soul not to avoid it though one has some power to do it.

However, Allah states that He will forgive those who were in prison or under captivity, very ill or invalid, who lacked material and spiritual means to migrate and hence could not leave the unbelievers and had to live as mustad’afin among the polytheists and risked their religious lives. In addition, the weak and desperate men, women and children who could do nothing and could not find any means or ways of migrating were exempted. For, He does not place a burden on anybody than he can bear. (al-Baqara, 2/233, 286)

There can be lessons for Muslims living in all ages to take from that verse and similar ones. In addition, it is necessary to consider it as not only a migration from one place to another but also as migration from denial to unbelief, from disobedience to obedience and from sins to thawabs, that is, leaving all evil deeds and migrating to good deeds. The excuse of "helplessness" can be used as an excuse in the world but it is not valid in the hereafter. Allah knows everything truly. Therefore, Allah will not treat equally those who are really helpless and those who use it as an excuse.

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