Transliteration:( Laisa 'alal a'maa harajunw wa laa 'alal a'raji harajunw wa laa 'alal mareedi haraj' wa many yutil'il laaha wa Rasoolahoo yudkhilhu jannaatin tajree min tahtihal anhaaru wa many yatawalla yu'azzibhu 'azaaban aleemaa (section 2) )
"There is no binding on the blind [47], and no binding on the lame, and nor is there binding on the sick [48]. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, Allah will admit them into Paradise, underneath which streams flow [49]. But whosoever will turn away, he will suffer a painful doom [50]."
When the previous verse about battle was revealed, the disabled believers humbly asked the Prophet ﷺ, "O Prophet of Allah, what is the ruling for us, since we are physically unable to take part in war?"
This verse was revealed in response, clarifying that there is no blame upon the physically disabled, such as the blind, lame, or severely ill.
The illness referred to here is one that genuinely incapacitates a person from fighting—either by preventing them from attacking the enemy or protecting themselves during combat. Thus, the exception is based on true inability, not mere excuse.
Even those who remain behind due to valid reasons must maintain sincere obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. If they do, Allah will grant them Paradise, with rivers flowing beneath—a reminder that intention and obedience matter just as much as physical participation. Staying behind with sincerity means they should support the cause from home, especially by helping the families of those who have gone to war.
Those who turn away from obedience, not due to valid excuse but out of rebellion, disbelief, or hatred for Muslims, will face a painful punishment. The verse clearly distinguishes between those excused out of weakness and those condemned due to arrogance and rejection.
The tafsir of Surah Fath verse 17 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Fath ayat 16 which provides the complete commentary from verse 16 through 17.
(48:17) There is no blame on the blind, nor on the lame, nor on the sick (if they do not go forth to fight).[31] Allah will admit those who obey Allah and His Messenger to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow and will inflict a grievous chastisement on those who turn away.
31. That is, the one who has a genuine excuse for not joining jihad is not accountable, but if the able-bodied, strong people make excuses for not joining it, they cannot be regarded as sincere with regard to Allah and His religion, and they cannot be given the opportunity to take advantage of the gains as members of the Muslim community, but when time comes for making sacrifices for Islam, they should lag behind and seek the safety of their lives and properties.
Here, one should know that two kinds of the people have been exempted from jihad duty by the Shariah:
(1) Those who are not physically fit for jihad, e.g. young boys, women, the insane, the blind and such patients as cannot perform military duties, and such disabled people as cannot take part in war.
(2) Those for whom it may be difficult to join jihad for other sound reasons, e.g. the slaves, or those persons who may be ready for jihad but may not afford weapons of war and other necessary equipment, or such debtors who may have to pay their debts at the earliest opportunity and the creditors may not be willing to allow them more time, or such people whose parents (or a parent) might be alive, who stand in need of the children’s help.
In this regard, it should also be known that the children should not join jihad without the permission of their parents if they are Muslims, but if they (the parents) are non-Muslims, it is not permissible for a person to stay away from jihad in case they refuse permission.
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