4:1. O humankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide. Fear Allah, in Whose name you demand your mutual [rights], and be mindful of your ties of kinship, for Allah is always watching you.

This soorah begins with the command to fear Allah and worship Him, and to uphold ties of kinship. We are urged to do these things, and in this soorah Allah explains the reason for all of that, and why we should fear Him.

﴾your Lord, Who created you﴿, provided for you and bestowed great blessings upon you, which includes His creation of you ﴾from a single soul, and from it created its mate﴿ so that there would be compatibility between them and that he may find comfort in her, thus the blessing will be completed and joy will be attained.

There is also another reason to fear Him, which is that you demand your mutual rights in His name, and venerate Him by doing so, in that when you want your needs to be met and your goals fulfilled, you try to get it by asking for it in the name of Allah. So the one who wants that says to another person: I ask you by Allah to do such and such. That is because he knows what the other person has in his heart of veneration towards Allah, which will make him not reject anyone who asks him by Allah. So just as you venerate Him by doing that, you should also venerate Him by worshipping Him and fearing Him.

Similarly, Allah tells us that He is always watching; in other words. He can see his slaves in all that they do, in secret and in public, for He is always watching them. This should prompt us to remember that He is always watching, and thus feel shy before Him, by constantly fearing Him.

By telling us that He created them from a single soul and that He spread them throughout the earth, even though they have one origin, this should make them compassionate and kind towards one another. Alongside the command to fear Him comes the command to be mindful of ties of kinship and the prohibition on severing these ties. This serves to affirm the importance of upholding ties of kinship: just as it is obligatory to fulfil duties towards Allah, it is also essential to fulfil duties towards other people, especially relatives. In fact doing one’s duty towards them is part of doing one’s duty to Allah, that Allah has enjoined.

Think about how this soorah begins with the command to fear Allah and be mindful of ties of kinship and spouses in general. Then after that, these factors are explained fully, in detail, from thebeginning of the soorah to the end. It is as if the entire soorah focuses on these issues, as it goes on to explain in detail and clarify what is mentioned in brief here.

The words ﴾and from it created its mate﴿ emphasise paying attention to the rights of husbands and wives, and fulfilling them, because wives are created from husbands, so the closest connections, ties and relationships exist between them.

4:2. Give orphans their property, and do not exchange the bad for the good, nor consume their wealth by mixing it with your own, for this is indeed a great sin.

This is the first issue with regard to the rights of people in this soorah. This refers to orphans who have lost their fathers, who had been taking care of them, when they are still small and vulnerable, unable to take care of themselves. So the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful enjoined His slaves to treat orphans well and not to come near their wealth except in the best manner, and to give their wealth back to them when they reach adulthood and become mature.

Also, He instructed them not to ﴾jexchange the bad﴿, which refers to consuming the orphan’s wealth unlawfully ﴾for the good﴿, which refers to that which is permissible and with which there is nothing wrong

﴾nor consume their wealth by mixing it with your own﴿.

This verse highlights the abhorrent nature of consuming their wealth in this case, when the provision that Allah has granted himshould mean that there is no need to take their wealth. Whoever transgresses the limits in this case has committed ﴾a great sin﴿ that is, a grievous sin. Another type of exchanging bad for good is when the guardian takes what is precious from the orphan’s wealth and replaces it with what is inferior of his own wealth. This verse proves the validity of guardianship over orphans, because the implication of giving orphans their wealth is that the one who gives them their property is their guardian. It also instructs guardians to take proper care of orphans’ property, because giving him his wealth properly requires taking care of it and doing that which will keep it safe and make it grow, and not exposing it to danger.

(t-r

4:3. If you fear that you will not be able to deal fairly with orphan girls, you may marry other women who seem good to you, two or three or four; but if you fear that you will not be equitable, then marry only one, or any slave-girls you may own. That is more likely to keep you from committing an injustice.

4:4. And give the women [on marriage] their dowry graciously; but if they, of their own accord, choose to give up to you a part of it, you may enjoy it with a clear conscience.

That is, if you fear that you will not be fair or just to female orphans who are under your guardianship and care, and you fear that you will not fulfil their rights because you do not feel attractedto them, then choose from among other women, and marry pother women who seem good to you﴿ that is, those whom you choose of women who are religiously committed, wealthy, beautiful, of good lineage or good social standing, and other qualities that make them desirable for marriage, so choose as you see fit.

Out of all these qualities, the best you can choose is the quality of religious commitment, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«Women may be married for four things: their wealth, their lineage, their beauty and their religious commitment. Choose the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust (that is, may you prosper).» (Bukhari and Muslim)

This verse indicates that the man should find out about the woman he wants to marry; indeed it is permissible for him to look at the one he wants to marry, so that he will choose one he thinks is suitable for him and he will be certain that he likes her.

Then Allah states the number of women whom it is permissible to marry: ﴾two or three or four﴿ that is, whoever wants to take two wives may do so, and if he wants to take three or four, he may do so, but no more than that, according to scholarly consensus.

That is because a man’s desire may not be satisfied with just one wife, so it is permitted for him to take one after another, until he reaches four, because four is enough for anyone, except in rare cases. However, that is only permitted on condition that he is certain that he will be able to avoid injustice and mistreatment and he is confident that he will be able to give them their rights.

But if he fears that he will not be able to be fair and just in any way, then he must limit it to one, or to slave women, because he is not obliged to give equal shares to slave women.

﴾That﴿ namely limiting it to one wife or to slave women ﴾is more likely to keep you from committing an injustice﴿ that is, being unfair to any of them.

This indicates that for a person to put himself in a situation in which he fears that he may be unjust or unfair, or not carry out his duties - even if it is permissible in principle - is not appropriate; rather he must err on the side of caution and protect his religious commitment, because keeping his religious commitment intact is for the best.

Because many men mistreat women and deny them their rights - especially the mahr or dowry, which is usually a large amount that is paid in one go, therefore the husband may find it difficult to give it to the wife - here Allah commands and urges men to give wives ﴾their dowry﴿ or mahr ﴾graciously﴿ that is, with goodwill and with peace of mind, and not to delay it or deduct anything from it. This indicates that the mahr is to be given to the woman if she has reached the age of accountability, and that it becomes her property as soon as a marriage contract is done, because it is described as belonging to the woman (﴾their [that is, women’s] dowry)?), which implies that it is their property.

﴾but if they, of their own accord, choose to give up to you a part of it﴿ that is, of the dowry. What is meant is: if they give it up to you willingly and by their own choice, by waiving part of it, or accepting delays or substitutions

﴾you may enjoy it with a clear conscience﴿ that is, there is no blame on you for that, and there are no consequences.

This indicates that the woman has the right to dispose of her wealth, even by giving it freely, if she is mature. If she is not mature, then her giving it is not valid. We also learn that her guardian is not entitled to any part of her dowry, unless she gives it willingly.

The words ﴾you may marry other women, who seem good to you﴿ indicate that marriage to bad women is not enjoined; in fact it is forbidden, such as polytheist women or immoral women, as Allah says elsewhere:﴾Do not marry the polytheist women until they believe.. .﴿ (al-Baqarah 2: 221)

﴾.. .and a woman who fornicates may only marry a man who fornicates or who is a polytheist... p (an-Noor 24: 3)

4:5. Do not entrust your property to the feeble-minded, which Allah has made a means of support for you, but feed and clothe them from it, and speak to them with kind words.

The word translated here as ﴾feeble-minded﴿ refers to one who does not dispose of wealth in the proper manner either because he is lacking in mental capacity, such as one who is insane or has an intellectual disability, or because he is not mature, such as minors and those who are reckless. Allah forbids the guardians to give them their wealth, lest they spoil it or waste it, because Allah has made wealth a means of support for His slaves, to serve their religious and worldly interests, but these people cannot look after it properly or protect it.

So He instructs guardians not to give it to them; rather they should feed and clothe them from it and spend from it on their necessities and things they need for their spiritual and physical well-being, and they should speak kind words to them by promising them - if they ask for it - that they will give it to them after they reach the age of maturity and the like. And they should speak kindly to them so that they will feel reassured.

The fact that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) attributes the wealth to the guardians (f(your property))) indicates that they must handle the property of thesefeeble-minded or immature ones as they handle their own property, by protecting it, disposing of it properly and not exposing it to danger.

This verse indicates that expenses for the maintenance of the insane, minors and the feeble-minded should come from their own wealth, if they have any wealth, because Allah says: ﴾but feed and clothe them from itp. This indicates that the word of the guardian is acceptable in whatever claims he makes of having spent on their maintenance and clothing, if it sounds plausible, because Allah has entrusted him with their wealth, and the word of the trustee must be accepted.

4:6. Test the orphans until they reach a marriageable age. Then, if you find that they have sound judgement, hand over their property to them. Do not consume it unlawfully or hastily before they come of age [and demand it]. If the guardian is well-off, let him abstain entirely [from the orphan’s property], but if he is poor, let him consume thereof according to what is reasonable. When you hand over their property to them, call in witnesses. And Allah is sufficient in taking account.

Testing is done by giving the orphan who is approaching maturity and is expected to be of sound judgement a small amount of his wealth, to see if he handles it properly as befits his situation; thus it will become clear whether he is of sound judgement or foolish. If hecontinues to mishandle it, then his wealth is not to be handed over to him even if he grows very old, because he is persisting in foolishness.

If it becomes clear that he is of sound judgement and fit to handle his own wealth, and he has reached a marriageable age, ﴾hand over their property to them﴿ in full.

﴾Do not consume it unlawfully﴿ that is, by overstepping the mark of what is permissible, namely what Allah has permitted to you of your own wealth, and transgressing upon that which Allah has forbidden to you of their wealth.

﴾or hastily before they come of age [and demand it]﴿ that is, do not consume it when they are small and unable to take it from you or prevent you from consuming it, rushing to do that before they grow up and become able to take it from you or keep you away from it. This is something that actually happens a great deal on the part of guardians who do not fear Allah and do not have any compassion or love for the orphans under their care; they regard this situation as an opportunity, so they take advantage of it and hasten to do that which Allah has forbidden to them. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forbids such actions in this particular case.

4:7. Men have a share in what parents and relatives leave behind, and women have a share in what parents and relatives leave behind, whether it be little or much; this is ordained [by Allah].

During the jahiliyah, because of their cruelty and hardheartedness, the Arabs did not permit the weak, such as women and children, to inherit and they made inheritance for strong men only, becausesuch men - according to their way of thinking - were people of war and fighting who could plunder and seize booty. But the Most Wise, Most Merciful Lord wanted to ordain laws for His slaves in which men and women, strong and weak, would be equal. As a precursor to that, He revealed general principles so that they could get used to the idea, then the details came after the general principle had become established, people were prepared to receive it and they would feel no resentment such as might have stemmed from these abhorrent customs. Hence Allah said:

﴾Men have a shared that is, a portion

﴾in what parents﴿ that is, mothers and fathers ﴾and relatives﴿ in general Cleave behind, and women have a share in what parents and relatives leave behind﴿.

It is as if there was a question: is this share to be based on custom and tradition, and may they give them whatever they want to give, or is it something of a specified amount? Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said: ﴾this is ordained [by Allah]﴿ that is, the All-Knowing, Most Wise has ordained it, and we will discuss the size of the portions below, in sha’Allah.

Moreover, there may be another misconception, which is that women and children have no share except in cases where the wealth is abundant, so Allah dispelled that notion by saying: ﴾whether it be little or much﴿. Blessed be Allah, the best prescriber of laws.

4:8. But if at the time of division [other] relatives, or orphans or those in need, are present, give them something from it, and speak to them with kind words.

This is a beautiful and sublime teaching, and a kind gesture. Allah says: ﴾But if at the time of division﴿ that is, division of the estate ﴾f[other] relatives﴿ who are not designated heirs ﴾or orphans or those in need﴿ that is, deserving cases among the poor ﴾are present, give them something from it﴿ that is, give them something that you can afford from this wealth that has come to you without any effort or trouble on your part, for they are eager to have something of it, so give them something, as a kind gesture, in such a way that will not affect you yet will benefit them.

From this we leam that if anyone shows interest or hopes for some of that which you have in front of you, you should give him something of it, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«If the servant of one of you brings him his food, let him make him sit with him, and if he does not make him sit with him, then let him give him a morsel or two.» (Bukhari)

When the first fruits of their trees appeared, the Companions would bring it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for him to pray for blessing for it; he would look for the youngest child present, and give it to him, knowing that he was most eager to have it. All of this applies if it is possible to give something; if that is not possible, because there are others who are more deserving of it, then let them say to them ﴾kind words﴿ and turn them away gently, by saying something kind, not insulting or offensive.

fit*- fyiijj O?﴾

4:9. And let those be careful who, if they were to leave behind vulnerable children, would be concerned for them; let them fear Allah and say what is appropriate.

4:10. Verily, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly take nothing into their bellies but fire. Soon they will bum in a raging fire.

It was said that this is addressed to those who are present when a person is dying; if he shows some unfairness in his bequests, they should tell him to be just and fair in his bequests, based on the words: ﴾let [them],..say what is appropriate﴿ that is, what is in accordance with fairness and what is right. So they should advise the one who wants to make a bequest to minimise it out of compassion for his own children (so that there will be more wealth left for them); their advice should be based on what they would want for their own children after they are gone.

According to other commentators, this is addressed to the guardians of those who are feeble-minded, such as the insane, minors and those who are poor in judgement; they should treat them with regard to their religious and worldly affairs in the way they would like those who come after them to treat their own vulnerable children, ﴾let them fear Allah in their guardianship of others; in other words, let them treat them in a manner that reflects fear of Allah, without humiliating them, and let them take care of them and raise them to fear Allah.

When He enjoined that upon them, He warned them not to devour the wealth of orphans, and promised a severe punishment for doing so: 4Verily, those who devour the property of orphans unjustlythat is, unlawfully; this excludes what is mentioned above, about it being permissible for one who is poor to consume it in accordance with what is reasonable, and its being permissible to mix their food with the orphans’ food.

But those who devour it unjustly ﴾take nothing into their bellies but fire﴿ that is, what they are devouring is fire that is raging inside them, and they are the ones who put it in their own bellies.

﴾Soon they will bum in a raging fire﴿ that is, a fire that is stoked and burning fiercely. This is the most severe warning that is mentioned concerning sins, which is indicative of how abhorrent and terrible devouring orphans’ wealth is, and that it deserves admittance to hell. This indicates that it is one of the worst of major sins. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.

.&*$$$&

4:11. Allah instructs you concerning [the inheritance of] your children: to the male, a portion equal to that of two females; if there are only daughters, more than two, their share is two-thirds of the estate; if there is only one [daughter], her share is a half. For parents, a sixth share of the estate goes to each, if the deceased left children; if [he left] no children, and the parents are the [only] heirs, the mother has a third, but if the deceased left siblings, the mother has a sixth. [The distribution in all cases is] after the payment of bequests and debts. With regard to your parents and your children, you do not know which of them is going to benefit you more. [These fixed shares] are ordained by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

4:12. Your share of your wives’ estate is a half, if they leave no child; but if they leave a child, you have a fourth, after payment of bequests and debts. Their share of your estate is a fourth, if you leave no child; but if you leave a child, they have an eighth of the estate, after payment of bequests and debts. If a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two has a sixth; but if they are more than two, they share in a third, after payment of bequests and debts, without prejudice to the rights of the heirs. This is an instruction from Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.

These verses, and the verse at the end of the soorah, are the verses that discuss the division of the estate. They - along with the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas that is proven in Saheeh al-Bukhari:

«Give the fixed shares (of inheritance) to those who are entitled to them, and whatever is left over goes to the closest male relative (on the father’s side).» (Bukhari and Muslim)

- include most of the rulings on the fixed shares of inheritance, if not all of them, as we shall see below, apart from the shares of grandmothers, which are not mentioned in these texts.

But it is proven in as-Sunan from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah and Muhammad ibn Maslamah that the Prophet (ﷺ) gave the grandmother one-sixth and, moreover, there is scholarly consensus on this point.

﴾Allah instructs you concerning [the inheritance of] your children﴿ that is, your children - O parents - are entrusted to you and Allah has instructed you to look after them, take care of their affairs both spiritual and worldly, teach them, discipline them, restrain them from committing evil, and enjoin them to obey Allah and to fear Him at all times, as He says elsewhere:

﴾0 you who believe, guard yourselves and your families against a fire whose fuel is men and stones...﴿ (at-Tahreem 66. 6)

So children are entrusted to the care of their parents, who either fulfil the obligations of this trust, in which case they will have a great reward, or they neglect it, in which case they deserve warning and punishment. This indicates that Allah Ofe) is more merciful to His slaves than parents, as He instructed parents - even though they are compassionate towards their children - to take care of them.

Then Allah describes the manner in which they inherit, as He says: ﴾to the male, a portion equal to that of two females﴿. This refers to the deceased’s own children, and the children of his son; the son has a portion or share equal to that of two females, if there is no other heir who is entitled to a fixed share; whatever is left after giving to others who are entitled to a fixed share is also given to the children and divided in the same manner.

The scholars are unanimously agreed on that, and that if the deceased has children, the inheritance goes to them, and the children of a son do not get anything when there are children of the deceased, male or female; this applies when there are both males and females. There are also two other scenarios: when there are only males, which we will discuss below, and when there are only females, which is mentioned here:

﴾if there are only daughters, more than two﴿ that is, daughters of the deceased or daughters of his son, three or more ﴾their share is two-thirds of the estate; if there is only one [daughter]﴿ that is, a daughter or the daughter of a son ﴾her share is a half﴿. There is scholarly consensus on this point.

But it remains to be asked: Where do we get the ruling that if there are two daughters, they may take two-thirds, as there is consensus on this point?

The answer is that we learn it from the words if there is only one [daughter], her share is a half﴿. This implies that if there is more than one daughter, the fixed share will change from one half, and there is nothing more than one half except two-thirds.

Moreover, the words ﴾to the male, a portion equal to that of two females'﴿ mean that if he leaves behind a son and a daughter, then the son gets the two-thirds. Allah has told us that he gets the share of two females, which indicates that two daughters get two-thirds. Moreover, if the daughter takes one-third alongside her brother, when he affects her share more than her sister, then her taking it (one-third), when her sister is with her, is more appropriate or more expected. Furthermore, the words of Allah concerning two sisters: ﴾If there are two sisters [or more], they will have two-thirds of the estate [between them]﴿ (4: 176) is a statement about two sisters. If two sisters - even though they are not as closely related as daughters - take two-thirds, then it is more appropriate that two daughters - who are more closely related - should take two-thirds. The Prophet (ﷺ) gave two-thirds to the two daughters of Sa‘d, as it says in as-Saheeh.

It remains to be asked: What is the point of the phrase ﴾more than two!??

The answer is that the point - and Allah knows best - is so that it may be known that the fixed share, which is two-thirds, does not increase if the number of daughters is greater than two; rather it is fixed for two or more daughters.

The verse indicates that if there is one daughter and a daughter of a son or daughters of a son, then the daughter gets half; what is then left of the two-thirds ordained by Allah for daughters or son’s daughters is one-sixth, which is to be given to the son’s daughter or daughters. Hence this one-sixth is called the completion of the two-thirds. A similar scenario is applicable to one daughter of a son with granddaughters of a son, who are more distantly related to the deceased.

This verse also indicates that once a daughter or son’s daughter has taken the two-thirds of the estate, those who are further down the line of descent of the son’s daughters (or granddaughters) do not get anything, because Allah only allocated two-thirds to them and it has been taken already. If they were not excluded from inheritance, that would mean that this group would take more than two-thirds, which is contrary to the text. There is consensus among the scholars on all of these rulings, praise be to Allah.

The words ﴾of the estate﴿ (lit. of what he leaves behind) indicate that the heirs inherit everything that the deceased left behind of property, furniture, gold, silver, and so on, including even the diyah that only becomes due after his death and even debts that are owed to him.

Then Allah mentions the parents’ share of inheritance: ﴾For parents﴿ that is, his father and mother

﴾a sixth share of the estate goes to each, if the deceased left children﴿ - this refers to his own children or his son’s children, whether they are male or female, one or several. The mother gets no more than one-sixth if there are any children. In the case of the father, if there are male children, he cannot take more than one-sixth; if the children are female, one or more, and there is nothing left after dividing the estate according to fixed shares - such as those of parents and two daughters - there will be nothing left to be given to the closest male relative. But if there is anything left after the fixed shares of thedaughter or daughters have been given, then the father will receive his fixed share of one-sixth, and what is left over also goes to the father, because he is the closest male relative; we have given the fixed shares to all those who are entitled to them, so what is left goes to the closest male relative, and the father is closer than a brother or paternal uncle and the like.

﴾if [he left] no children, and the parents are the [only] heirs, the mother has a third﴿ that is, and the remainder goes to the father, because the only heirs are the parents, and the mother’s share is stated (as one-third), which implies that the remainder goes to the father.

Hence it is known that if there are no children, the father has no fixed share; rather, on the basis of being the closest male relative, he inherits all the wealth, or whatever is left after the fixed shares have been allocated. But if there is a spouse as well as parents, then the husband or wife takes his or her fixed share, the mother takes one-third of what is left, and the rest goes to the father.

This is indicated by the words of Allah: tf...and the parents are the [only] heirs, the mother has a third﴿ that is, one-third of what the parents inherit. This occurs in the following two scenarios: either one-sixth if there is a husband, mother and father; or one-fourth if there is a wife, mother and father. The verse does not indicate that the mother inherits one-third of the entire estate when there are no children, so there is no need to say that these two scenarios are an exception.

This may be explained by noting that the share taken by the husband or wife is similar to that which is taken by creditors, thus it should come from the entire estate (before it is divided), and what is left is to be shared between the parents.

Moreover, if we give the mother one-third of the wealth (before giving the fixed share to the spouse) that will lead to her taking more than the father if it is the husband (of the deceased) who is still alive, or the father would take more than half of the one-sixth of themother, if it is the wife (of the deceased) who is still alive. But there is no reference to this type of scenario, because the regular scenario is either that the mother takes a share equal to that of the father, or the father takes double what the mother takes.

﴾if the deceased left siblings, the mother has a sixth﴿. This refers to full siblings or siblings through the father or through the mother, whether they are male or female, heirs (with a fixed share) or blocked (from inheriting) by the presence of the father or grandfather. But it may be said that it does not appear from the phrase ﴾if the deceased left siblings﴿ that this includes those who have no rights to a fixed share of inheritance. Therefore the presence of the siblings should not reduce the mother’s share (from one-third to one-sixth) unless the siblings have the right to a fixed share. This is supported by the argument that they would reduce her share from one-third (to one-sixth), so that there will be some wealth available for them. And Allah knows best.

However, this applies provided that they are two or more. But some may find that problematic, on the basis that the word ikhwah (siblings) is used, which is the plural form. The response to that is that what is meant is having more than one.

Based on that, if he leaves behind a mother, a father and siblings, the mother receives one-sixth and the rest goes to the father. Thus the siblings reduce the mother’s share from one-third (to one-sixth), despite the fact that the father blocks them from having any share (except in the other possible interpretation, in which the mother receives one-third and the rest goes to the father).

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾[The distribution in all cases is] after the payment of bequests and debts﴿. That is, these fixed shares of inheritance become due and are to be distributed after paying off any debts that the deceased owed to Allah (such as zakah) or to other people, and after fulfilling any bequests that the deceased had made before he died. After that, whatever is left is the estate to which the heirs are entitled.

The bequest comes first, even though it is not as important as debt, in order to highlight its importance, because fulfilling bequests may be difficult for the heirs; otherwise, debts take precedence over bequests and must be paid from the estate (before the fixed shares are allocated).

The bequest is only valid with regard to one-third or less of the estate, if it is given to a non-relative who is not an heir. Otherwise, if it is more than that, the bequest cannot be executed except with approval from all the heirs.

﴾With regard to your parents and your children, you do not know which of them is going to benefit you more﴿. If dividing the estate were left to be worked out according to your reasoning and choice, it would result in harm, of which only Allah knows the extent, because people are lacking in reason and do not know what is best and more appropriate at any time or in any place. No person knows which, out of their children and their parents, will be more beneficial to them and more helpful in attaining their aims, both religious and worldly.

﴾[These fixed shares] are ordained by Allah; and Allah is All- Knowing, Most Wise﴿ that is, they have been enjoined by Allah, Whose knowledge encompasses all things. Whose prescription of laws and regulations is precise and perfect, and whatever He decrees. He decrees it in the best way, and human minds cannot produce anything close to His sound rulings and regulations that are suitable for all times, places and situations.

﴾Your share﴿, O husbands, ﴾fof your wives’ estate is a half, if they leave no child; but if they leave a child, you have a fourth, after payment of bequests and debts. Their share of your estate is a fourth, if you leave no child; but if you leave a child, they have an eighth of the estate, after payment of bequests and debts﴿ included under the same heading as a son or child, whose presence or absence affects the ruling, are her (the deceased wife’s) own children or the children, whether male or female, one or more, of her son fromthis husband or from a previous husband. The children of daughters are excluded from this, according to scholarly consensus.

﴾lf a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister﴿ that is, through the mother, as it appears in some modes of recitation. The scholars are unanimously agreed that what is meant by siblings here is siblings through the mother. If the deceased left neither ascendants nor descendants, that is he left no parent or child, no father or grandfather, no son, no son’s son, no daughter, no son’s daughter, no matter how far the line of descent reaches, this is called kalalah (the case in which the deceased leaves neither ascendants nor descendants). This is how it was explained by Abu Bakr a§-Ṣiddeeq (hjife), and there is scholarly agreement on this point, praise be to Allah.

﴾each one of the two﴿ that is, of the brother and sister ﴾has a sixth﴿.

﴾but if they are more than two, they share in a third﴿ that is, they do not get any more than one-third, even if they are more than two. The words ﴾they share in a third﴿ indicate that both male and females get equal shares in this case, because the word translated here as ﴾)share﴿ indicates equal shares.

The word kalalah, paraphrased here as ^[leaving] neither ascendants nor descendants﴿ refers to descendants, no matter how far the line of descent extends, and male ascendants, no matter how far the line of ascent extends. They cancel the share of siblings through the mother, because Allah did not give the latter a share of inheritance except in the case of kalalah; were it not for kalalah, they would not inherit anything at all, according to scholarly consensus.

The words ﴾they share in a third﴿ indicate that full siblings have no allocated share in the case where there is a husband, mother, siblings through the mother and full siblings. The husband receives half, the mother receives one-sixth, and the siblings through the mother receive (the remaining) third; in this case the full siblings do not receiveanything, because Allah allocated one-third to the siblings through the mother. If the full siblings had a share, that would include something that Allah did not include in His ruling. Moreover, the siblings through the mother have a fixed share, whereas full siblings would inherit (what is left after distribution of the fixed shares) on the basis of being male relatives through the father.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«Give the fixed shares to those to whom they are due, and whatever is left should go to the closest male relative.» (Bukhari and Muslim)

Those to whom fixed shares are due are those whose shares were allocated by Allah, and in this case (mentioned above - kalalah), there is nothing left after the fixed shares have been distributed. Therefore the full siblings do not receive anything. This is the correct view concerning this matter.

With regard to the inheritance of siblings, full sisters or sisters through the father, that is mentioned in the verse in which Allah says: ﴾They ask you for a ruling. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning those who die leaving neither ascendants nor descendants﴿ (4:176).

If there is (only) one sister, whether she is a full sister or a sister through the father, she receives half of the estate; if there are (only) two sisters, they receive two-thirds. If there is one full sister with a sister or sisters through the father, she (the full sister) receives half and the rest of the two-thirds goes to the sister or sisters through the father. This is the one-sixth that completes the two-thirds. If the full sisters took all of the two-thirds, then the sisters through the father do not receive anything, as was stated above in the case of daughters and son’s daughters. If the siblings are both men and women, then the males each receive a portion or share equal to that of two females.

If it is asked: Can we work out from the Qur’an the ruling on the inheritance of a killer, a slave, a relative who follows a different religion, a partially manumitted slave, a hermaphrodite, a grandfatherin the presence of siblings from a different mother, al-'awl (where the sum of fixed shares exceeds one hundred per cent and there is a shortfall), ar-radd (where the sum of fixed shares is less than one hundred per cent and there is something left over), dhuwil arham (distant relatives), other relatives, sisters from a different mother in the presence of daughters or son’s daughter, or not?

The answer is: Yes, all of the cases mentioned are referred to in an implicit and subtle manner, which may be difficult to understand except for the one who examines the matter thoroughly. In the case of the killer and a relative who follows a different religion, it is known that they do not inherit, because Allah has already explained that the distribution of wealth to the heirs is based on the closeness of blood ties and how beneficial they are in religious and worldly terms.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) refers to this wisdom in the words: ﴾you do not know which of them is going to benefit you more﴿ (4: II). It is known that the killer has caused the greatest harm to the one from whom he would have inherited, so the reason for him to inherit cannot be compared to the harm caused by killing, which is opposite to the benefit which is the reason for inheritance. Thus it is known that killing is the greatest impediment to inheritance and it is a severing of the ties of kinship of which Allah says:

e(...And kindred by blood are nearer to one another [regarding inheritance], according to the decree ordained by Allah.. .﴿ (al-Ahzab 33: 6)

Although this is an established principle of Sharia, the one who tries to expedite something before its time is punished by being deprived of it.

Similarly, we may conclude that the one who is of a different religion to the deceased does not inherit from him, because there is an impediment to the reason for inheritance. Ties of blood dictate inheritance, but the impediment of the difference in religion dictates that all ties that would strengthen this impediment be severed. Thusthe reason for inheritance, namely blood ties, is rendered invalid because of this impediment. This is explained by the fact that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has ordained that the rights of Muslims take priority over the worldly rights of relatives who are disbelievers. If a Muslim dies, his wealth is transferred to those who are closest to him and most entitled to it. The words of Allah, ﴾And kindred by blood are nearer to one another [regarding inheritance], according to the decree ordained by Allah﴿, are applicable if they have the same religion, but if they are of different religions, then the brotherhood of faith takes precedence over the brotherhood of blood.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in Jala al-Afhcim'.

Think about this meaning of the verse of inheritance, in which Allah made mutual inheritance conditional upon the word wife [zawjah], not woman [imra 'ah, which may also mean wife], as He said: ﴾Your share of your wives’ estate is a half﴿ (4. 12), to indicate that this mutual inheritance is only because of being spouses, which is indicative of similarities and of one being part of the other. But there is no similarity between the believer and the disbeliever, and the one cannot be part of the other. Therefore there is no inheritance between them. The subtle meanings of the words and phrases of the Qur’an are above the comprehension of humankind.

In the case of the slave, he does not inherit and he cannot be inherited from. With regard to his not being inherited from, this is clear, because he does not own anything that could be inherited from him; rather everything he owns belongs to his master. With regard to his not inheriting, that is because he cannot own anything; all that he owns belongs to his master, and he is not related to the deceased. Thus we conclude that the words of Allah, ﴾to the male, a portion equal to that of two females﴿, ﴾Your share of your wives’ estate is a half﴿, ﴾each one of the two has a sixth﴿ and so on, apply only to those who may own property. The slave, however, cannot own anything, thus it is known that he cannot inherit anything.

As for the slave who is partially manumitted, the rulings concerning him are applied partially; to the extent that he is free, he is entitled to what Allah has allocated to him of inheritance, because he may own property commensurate with the degree to which he has been manumitted, whilst the proportion that is still enslaved does not come under that ruling. So the partially manumitted slave may inherit or be inherited from, and his presence may block others from inheriting, commensurate with the extent to which he is free.

With regard to the hermaphrodite, he must be either clearly masculine or feminine, or ambiguous. If he is clearly of one gender or the other, then the matter is clear.

If male, then he comes under the same ruling as males and the text that speaks of males applies to him. If female, then she comes under the same rulings as females, and the text that speaks of females applies to her.

If ambiguous, then in cases where there is no difference in inheritance between males and females - as in the case of siblings through the mother - then the matter is clear.

In cases where the share of inheritance differs according to gender, and we have no way of knowing that, we cannot give him the higher share, because of the possibility that that may lead to injustice to the other heirs, but we cannot give him the lower share either, because of the possibility that that may lead to injustice to him. So we must follow a middle path between the two, and do what is most just, because Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾f... Be just; that is nearer to true piety...﴿ (al-Ma’idah 5: 8)

- and there is no way we can be just in this case except by following what is suggested above, which is to adopt a middle path.

﴾Allah does not place on any soul a burden greater than it can bear...﴿

﴾So fear Allah as best you can...b (at-Taghabun 64:16)

With regard to the inheritance of the grandfather when there are also full siblings or siblings through the father, do they inherit as well as him or not? The Book of Allah supports the opinion of Abu Bakr as-Ṣiddeeq (رضي الله عنه), that the grandfather blocks the full siblings or siblings through the father or mother, just as the father does.

The reason for that is that the grandfather is referred to as a father in many places in the Qur’an, such as the following:

﴾Or were you present when death came to Ya’qoob? He said to his sons: What will you worship after I am gone? They said: We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, of Ibraheem, Isma’eel and Is-haq...p (al-Baqarah 2: 133)

Yoosuf said:

﴾fl follow the religion of my fathers, of Ibraheem, ls-haq and

Thus we see that Allah described the grandfather and the father’s grandfather as a father, which indicates that the grandfather is of the same status as the father; he inherits what the father inherits and he blocks those whom the father blocks.

As the scholars are unanimously agreed that the grandfather comes under the same rulings as the father when the father is not alive, and takes his share of inheritance alongside the children and others, such as the children of siblings (nephews and nieces), paternal uncles and their children, and other rulings of inheritance, he should also come under the same rulings with regard to blocking siblings from a different mother.

As the son’s son is of the same status as the deceased’s own son, why should the grandfather not be of the same status as the father? If there is a grandfather of the father as well as the son of a brother, then the scholars are unanimously agreed that the grandfather blocks the nephew, so why should the grandfather of the deceased not block his brother? Those scholars who allocate a share of inheritance tosiblings when the grandfather is present have no text to support their view, and no indication, hint or sound analogy.

With regard to the issue of al-‘awl (where the sum of fixed shares exceeds one hundred per cent and there is a shortfall), the ruling is referred to in the Qur’an. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has allocated fixed shares to those who are entitled to inherit, which leads to one of two scenarios: either some of them block others, or they do not.

If some of them block others, those who are blocked are dismissed and are not entitled to anything. If they do not block one another, then either the fixed shares will not use up all of the estate (and there will be something left over), or they will use it all up without anything being left over or any shortfall, or the sum of the fixed shares will be greater than the estate. In the first two cases, each heir will be able to take his fixed share in full, but in the last case - in which the sum of the fixed shares is greater than the estate - there will be two possible solutions:

In the first possible solution, some of the fixed shares that have been ordained by Allah will be reduced, whilst others receive their shares in full, which is an action for which there is no evidence, and it is not appropriate to give some less than their fixed share but not others. Therefore there is only the second option, which is to give each one as close to his allocated share as possible, and we must work out a way of making the loss of each heir commensurate with his or her share of the inheritance, as is done with debts owed to lenders, if the total debt is greater than the debtor’s wealth. There is no way to do that except through al-‘awl; thus it is known that Allah has explained al-‘awl in the fixed shares of inheritance in His Book.

The exact opposite of this scenario is called ar-radd (where the sum of fixed shares is less than one hundred per cent and there is something left over). If the fixed shares do not use up the entire estate, and there is something left over to which no relatives on the father’s side, whether closely or distantly related, are entitled, thereis no evidence to support giving it to one of the heirs, and giving it to someone else who is not related to the deceased is unjust and unfair, and is contrary to the words of Allah:

﴾f...But kindred by blood are nearer to one another [regarding inheritance] according to the decree ordained by Allah...﴿ (al-Anfal

8: 75)

Therefore the only option is to share out the surplus among the heirs who are entitled to fixed shares, commensurate with the share of each one.

Therefore, because the relationship between the spouses is not one of blood ties, they are not entitled to the extra portion commensurate with their fixed share. This is according to those scholars who say that spouses do not inherit from anything that is left over after the fixed shares of inheritance have been distributed; they are the majority of those who say that what is left over is to be divided among the heirs (ar-radd). Based on that, the guideline for dividing the surplus is that the one who is entitled to a fixed share is a relative. According to the other view, spouses are like others who are entitled to fixed shares, thus they have the right to a portion of what is left over of the estate. As their share is decreased when there is a shortfall (al-‘awl), it should be increased when there is a surplus, like that of others. The reason, according to this view, is that (the spouse) is an heir who is entitled to a fixed share, (therefore he is also entitled to a share of the surplus). This is the correct view as indicated by the Qur’an and Sunnah, and by sound analogy. And Allah knows best.

Similarly, we also learn about the inheritance of dhawil-arham (distant relatives). If the deceased did not leave behind anyone who is entitled to a fixed share, or any relatives on his father’s side, then either his wealth will go to the bayt al-mal (treasury of the Islamic state), to the benefit of non-relatives, or his wealth will go to those relatives who are connected to those who would have been entitledto fixed shares if they were still alive. This is indicated by the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾...But kindred by blood are nearer to one another [regarding inheritance] according to the decree ordained by Allah...﴿ (al-Anfal

Giving it to people other than them in this case is depriving those who are more entitled than others; thus we learn that dhawil-arham may inherit.

Even though it is known that they may inherit, we know that they have no fixed share that is allocated to them in the Book of Allah, and that there are intermediaries between them and the deceased, because of whom they become relatives; hence they take the place of those through whom they are connected to the deceased. And Allah knows best.

With regard to giving what is left to relatives on the father’s side, such as sons, brothers and their sons, and paternal uncles and their sons, and so on, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«Give the fixed shares to those who are entitled to them, and whatever is left over goes to the closest male relatives.)) (Bukhari and Muslim)

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: *(We have appointed heirs for everything that parents and close relatives leave behind﴿ (4: 33).

So if we have given the fixed shares to those who are entitled to them, and there is nothing left, the relatives on the father’s side are not entitled to anything; if there is anything left, then it goes to the closest relatives on the father’s side, depending on the type and level of relationship.

There are five types of connection on the father’s side: sons, then fathers (including grandfathers), then brothers and their sons, then paternal uncles and their sons, then freed slaves (of the deceased). Priority should be given to the most closely related. If they are all ofthe same degree, then it goes to the one with the strongest connection, which is the full brother. If they are all equal in that regard, then they share it. And Allah knows best.

As far as sisters from a different mother are concerned, alongside daughters (of the deceased) or daughters of the son (of the deceased), with regard to the fact that they may be treated like male relatives on the father’s side and may take what is left after the fixed shares are distributed, that is because there is nothing in the Qur’an to indicate that sisters should be blocked by the presence of daughters.

As that is the case, if there is anything left after the daughters have taken their fixed shares, then what is left is to be given to the sisters, and should not be given to any relatives on the father’s side who are more distantly related than them, such as a brother’s son or paternal uncle, or anyone who is even more distantly related than that. And Allah knows best.

4:13. These are the limits [set by] Allah. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, [Allah] will admit him to gardens through which rivers flow, to abide therein forever, and that will be the supreme triumph.

4:14. But whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, [Allah] will admit him to a fire, to abide therein forever. And his will be a humiliating punishment.

The details that have been mentioned concerning inheritance are the limits of Allah that must be adhered to; we must not transgress them or fall short of them. This indicates that bequests to heirs are abrogated, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has decreed the fixed shares of the heirs.

﴾These are the limits [set by] Allah﴿. Therefore bequeathing to an heir more than he is entitled to comes under the heading of this transgression. Moreover, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«There is no bequest to an heir.» (Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah; according to Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi, the hadith is reliable)

Then mention is made of obedience versus disobedience to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) in general terms, which includes adhering to and falling short of the limits set by Allah with regard to the fixed shares of inheritance.

﴾Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger﴿ by obeying their commands, the most important of which has to do with affirming the oneness of Allah (tawheed), then other commands of various types, and heeding their prohibitions, the most important of which has to do with associating others with Allah (shirk), then other sins of various types e﴾[Allah] will admit him to gardens through which rivers flow, to abide therein forever﴿.

So whoever carries out the commands and heeds the prohibitions will inevitably be admitted to paradise and saved from hell. t-(and that will be the supreme triumph﴿ by which he will attain salvation from His wrath and punishment, and will attain His reward and pleasure, and eternal bliss that cannot be described.

﴾But whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, [Allah] will admit him to a fire, to abide therein forever. And his will be a humiliating punishment﴿. Disobedience includes disbelief and other, lesser sins. Therefore understanding this leaves noroom for the specious argument of the Kharijites, who say that sinners become disbelievers (by virtue of their sin). Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has made admittance to paradise conditional upon obedience to Him and to His Messenger (ﷺ), and He has made admittance to hell conditional upon disobedience to Him and His Messenger (ﷺ). Whoever obeys Him completely will enter paradise without being punished, and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) completely, which includes association of others with Him and other, lesser sins, will enter hell and abide therein forever. The one who combines disobedience and obedience will be subject to reward and punishment commensurate with the extent of his obedience and disobedience. The mutawatir texts indicate that those who are obedient with regard to belief in the oneness of Allah will not abide forever in hell, because what they have of belief in His oneness will prevent them abiding therein forever.

4:15. If any of your women are guilty of immoral conduct, take the evidence of four [reliable] witnesses from amongst you against them, and if they testify, confine them in their homes until death takes them, or Allah ordains for them some [other] way.

4:16. If two among you are guilty of [immoral conduct], punish them both. Then if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone, for Allah is ever Accepting of repentance. Most Merciful.

This refers to women who ﴾are guilty of immoral conduct﴿, namely fornication, which is described as immoral conduct because of its abhorrent nature.

﴾take the evidence of four [reliable] witnesses from amongst you against them﴿ that is, believing men of good character ﴾and if they testify, confine them in their homes﴿ and prevent them from that type of going out which leads to suspicion; this confinement is also a kind of punishment

﴾until death takes them﴿ which would be the end of their confinement or detention

﴾or Allah ordains for them some [other] way﴿ that is, a way other than confinement in their houses. This verse has not been abrogated; rather this was a temporary solution. This is how it was at the beginning of Islam, until Allah ordained another way for them, which is stoning for one who was previously married and flogging for one who was not previously married.

Similarly, ﴾If two among you﴿ men or women, ﴾are guilty of [immoral conduct], punish them both﴿, with harsh words, rebuke, shaming and beating, as a deterrent from such immoral conduct. Based on that, if men are guilty of immoral conduct, they are to be punished, and women who do that are to be confined and punished.

Confinement will end with death, and punishment will end with repentance and mending one’s ways. Hence Allah says: ﴾Then if they repent﴿ that is, give up the sins they have committed, regret it and resolve not to do it again

﴾and mend their ways﴿ by doing things that are indicative of sincere repentance

Cleave them alone﴿ and do not punish them ﴾for Allah is ever Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful﴿ that is, He always accepts the repentance of sinners, and He is extremely merciful and kind; by His kindness He helps them to repent, accepts it from them, and pardons them for what they have done.

From these two verses we understand that proof of fornication must be given by four believing men, and it is more appropriate that they should be of good character, because Allah has ordained strict conditions for proving this immoral action, so as to protect the dignity of His slaves. Hence the testimony of women on their own, or of both men and women, or of less than four men, is not acceptable.

It is also essential that the testimony be delivered clearly, as indicated by the Ṣaheeh hadiths and as referred to in this verse, where Allah says: ﴾take the evidence of four [reliable] witnesses from amongst you against them]-﴿. But He did not stop there; rather He said ﴾and if they testify﴿ that is, there must be clear testimony on the part of eyewitnesses, and it should be spoken bluntly, without hints or metaphors.

From these two verses we understand that punishment in the form of harsh words and actions, and confinement, is prescribed by Allah as a disciplinary punishment because of the nature of the sin, so that this punishment may serve as a deterrent.

il 4l36i.pt j&a pi fyyi olipit S4PP/A)

4:17. Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy, for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

4:18. But of no avail is the repentance of those who continue to do evil until, when death approaches any one of them, he says: Now I repent, nor [the repentance] of those who die as disbelievers; for them have We prepared a painful punishment.

Allah’s mercy to His slaves includes guidance to repent and acceptance thereof after the individual repents. Here He tells us that the repentance that Allah has promised to accept, which is a promise that He took upon Himself out of kindness and generosity on His part, is the repentance of the one who does evil, that is he commits sin ﴾fin ignorance﴿, because he is ignorant of the consequences and does not know that it will incur the wrath and punishment of Allah; he is also unaware that Allah is constantly watching him, and he does not know what it leads to of diminishing or erasing faith. Everyone who disobeys Allah is ignorant in this sense, even if he is aware of the prohibition of that sin; in fact awareness of the prohibition is a condition of an action being a sin and punishable.

dand repent soon afterwards﴿. This may be understood as meaning: then they repent before death comes to them, for Allah will definitely accept the repentance of His slave if he repents before he sees death and the punishment. However, after death comes, no repentance will be accepted from the sinners and no acknowledgement of the truth will be accepted from the disbelievers, as Allah says: t﴾...until, when he [Pharaoh] was about to drown, he said: I believe that there is no god but He in Whom the Children of Israel believe...

﴾But when they saw Our punishment, they said: We believe in Allah alone, and we reject that which we used to associate with Him. But their believing after they had seen Our punishment could not benefit them at all. Such has always been the way of Allah in dealing with His slaves... P (Ghafir 40: 84-85)

Here, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾But of no avail is the repentance of those who continue to do evil﴿ that is, sins that are of a lesser degree than disbelief.

?funtil, when death approaches any one of them, he says: Now I repent; nor [the repentance] of those who die as disbelievers; for them have We prepared a painful punishment﴿. That is because, in this case, repentance is due to compulsion, and will not benefit the one who repents. Repentance only benefits the one who repents by choice.

Or it may be that what is meant by the words ﴾and repent soon afterwards﴿ is: soon after committing the sin for which repentance is required. In this case what is meant is: the one who hastens to give up sin as soon as he has committed it, and turns to Allah in repentance, regretting what he has done, Allah will accept his repentance, unlike the one who persists in his sins until sinfulness becomes entrenched in him, then it becomes difficult for him to fulfil the conditions required for complete repentance. Such a person is not usually guided or inspired to repent, and the means that lead to repentance are not usually made available to him, such as the one who does evil despite full and certain knowledge that it is wrong, but he is heedless and does not care that Allah is watching him; in that case he has barred the way of mercy for himself.

Yes, Allah may guide one who persists in committing the sin deliberately, with full awareness of what he is doing, in such a manner that his repentance is acceptable, by means of which Allah will erase his previous sins and offences, but mercy and guidance to repent are more likely in the former case. Hence the first verse ends with the phrase ﴾for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise﴿; part of His knowledge is knowing who is sincere and who is not, and He will requite each of them in the manner he deserves, according to His wisdom. His wisdom also dictates that He should guide those who His wisdom and mercy dictate should be guided to repent, and that He should forsake thosewho His mercy and justice dictate should not be guided (to repent). And Allah knows best.

4:19. O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor to hinder them from marrying others, in order to take away some of what you have given them, unless they are guilty of brazenly immoral conduct; but live with them in kindness. If you take a dislike to them it may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good.

4:20. But if you decide to replace one wife with another, even if you had given one of them a heap of gold, do not take the least bit of it back. Would you take it wrongfully and sinfully?

4:21. And how could you take it when you have been intimate with one another, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?

During the jahiliyah, if a man died and left his wife behind, his relative, such as his brother or cousin and so on, thought that he had more right to claim her than anyone else, and he would keep her away from everyone else whether she liked that or not. If he liked her, hewould marry her for a dowry of whatever amount he wanted, without consulting her, and if he did not like her, he would hinder her from marrying anyone else, and she would not be able to marry anyone except someone whom he chose; he might even refuse to let her get married until she gave him some of his (deceased) relative’s estate or some of her (original) dowry. A man would also hinder his wife, if he disliked her, so that he could take back some of that which he had given her. Hence Allah forbade the believers to do any of these things, except in two cases: if she agreed and chose to marry her first husband’s relative, as we understand from the phrase ﴾against her will﴿; or if she was guilty of brazenly immoral conduct, such as fornication, obscene speech or harming her husband. In this case it is permissible for him to hinder her, as a punishment to her for her action, so that she may ransom herself from him if his hindering was justifiable.

﴾but live with them in kindness﴿. This includes interactions in word and deed. The husband is obliged to live with his wife in kindness, which includes keeping her company in a good manner, not annoying or harming her, and showing kindness and treating her with respect. That also includes maintenance, clothing and so on. The husband is obliged to treat his wife in the manner that is expected of a man of his calibre towards a woman of her calibre, in that particular time and place; this differs from one situation to another.

﴾flf you take a dislike to them it may be that you dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good﴿ that is, you - O husbands - should keep your wives even if you dislike them, for there is a great deal of good in that, such as obedience to the command of Allah and accepting His advice, which leads to happiness in this world and the hereafter.

So the husband should force himself- even if he does not love her - to strive to develop a good attitude so that he can treat her kindly; perhaps his dislike of her will disappear, to be replaced by love, asusually happens; or perhaps Allah will bless him with a righteous child from her, who will benefit his (or her) parents in this world and the hereafter. All of that applies if it is possible to keep her without transgressing the limits. Then if there is no option but to separate, and there is no way he can keep her, in that case keeping her is not a must, rather ﴾fif you decide to replace one wife with another﴿, that is by divorcing one wife and marrying another, there is no sin and no blame on you for doing that. But even if ﴾you had given one of them﴿ that is, the one you are leaving or the one you are marrying ﴾a heap of gold﴿ that is, a great deal of wealth, ﴾do not take the least bit of it back﴿; rather give it in full and do not delay payment.

This verse indicates that it is not prohibited to give a large mahr (dowry), even though it is better and more appropriate to follow the example of the Prophet (ﷺ) in giving a moderate dowry. This may be understood as meaning that Allah is referring to something that people do, without denouncing it, which indicates that it is not prohibited.

But giving a large amount may be disallowed, if it leads to mischief and undermining some religious principles, without serving any significant interest.

﴾)And how could you take it when you have been intimate with one another, and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?﴿ What this means is: before the marriage contract, the wife was forbidden to the husband, and she would not accept becoming permissible for him except by means of this dowry that he pays to her. Then once he has consummated the marriage with her, been intimate with her and touched her in a manner that was previously forbidden and which she would not have accepted without that compensation, he has taken his part of the deal, and the mahr (dowry) is now due from him. So how can he take his part of the deal, then after that take her part of it (namely the dowry). This is the worst kind of injustice. Moreover, Allah took a solemn covenant from husbands by means of the marriage contract, that they should fulfil their duties towards their wives.

4:22. Do not marry women whom your fathers married, except what is already past: It was shameful and odious, an abominable custom indeed.

That is, do not marry women whom your fathers or forefathers married ﴾lt was shameful;﴿ that is, it was extremely abhorrent c-jand odious﴿ that is, hateful to Allah and to people; indeed because of that, a son may hate a father and a father may hate a son, at the time when the son is enjoined to be kind to his father.

﴾an abominable custom indeed﴿ that is because this is one of the customs ol the jahiliyah (time of ignorance) which Islam came to disavow.

or-i^

4:23. Prohibited to you [for marriage] are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters; your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts; your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters; your foster mothers, your foster sisters; your wives’ mothers; your stepdaughters under your guardianship, bom of your wives with whom you have consummated the marriage - and there will be no blame on you [if you marry the daughters] of [ex-wives] with whom you did not consummate the marriage; [those who have been] wives of your sons who are from your own loins; and two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what is past, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful;

4:24. Also [prohibited are] women already married, except any slave-girls you may own. This is Allah’s ordinance, binding upon you. All women other than these are lawful for you, so that you may seek them with your wealth in honest wedlock, not fornication. When you consummate your marriage with them, give the dowries due to them. There is no sin on you in what you mutually agree upon [of changes] after the [initial] agreement. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

These verses include those who are mahram (prohibited for marriage) through blood ties, through breastfeeding (from a foster-mother) and through marriage, as well as combinations of relatives to whom marriage at the same time is prohibited. They also describe which women are permissible for marriage.

v. 24 is actually the first verse of Juz’ 5, but as the author treated vv. 23-24 as a single passage, we included it in Juz’ 4. (Translator)

Those who are prohibited for marriage through blood ties are seven whom Allah mentions here: the mother, which includes anyone who is connected to you through having given birth, no matter how far the line extends: the daughter, which includes anyone who has been bom from you; sisters, which includes full sisters and half-sisters through either the father or mother; paternal aunts, which includes any sister of your father or grandfather, no matter how far the line of ascent extends; maternal aunts, which includes any sister of your mother or grandmother, no matter how far the line of ascent extends, whether she is an heir or not; daughters of brothers and daughters of sisters, no matter how far the line of descent extends.

These are the mahrams or women to whom marriage is prohibited because of blood ties, according to scholarly consensus, as stated in this verse. All others, apart from these, are included in the words: ﴾A1I women other than these are lawful for you﴿ (4: 24), such as daughters of paternal aunts and uncles, and daughters of maternal aunts and uncles.

Those who are prohibited through breastfeeding by a foster mother, whom Allah mentions here, are the (foster) mother and (foster) sister. This indicates that the foster mother is prohibited for marriage even though the milk does not belong to her; rather it belongs to her husband (the father of the child whose birth is the cause of the milk supply being available). Pointing this out indicates that the owner of the milk (that is, the husband of the foster mother) is a father to the infant who is nursed by the foster mother. Once it is established that the foster mother is a mother to the infant and her husband is a father to him, anyone connected to them is also proven to be a mahram or prohibited for marriage to the person who is breastfed by that foster mother, such as their siblings and their ascendants and descendants.

The Prophet ((ﷺ) said:

«What becomes mahram (forbidden for marriage) through breastfeeding is that which becomes mahram through blood ties.» (Recorded by Abu Dawood; al-Albani graded it as sound)

Thus the prohibition will spread from the foster mother and from the owner of the milk to their relatives; however it only affects the offspring of the individual who was breastfed. That is on condition that five full breastfeedings occur during the first two years of life, as explained in the Sunnah.

Those who are prohibited through ties of marriage are four: the wives of one’s father or grandfather, no matter how far the line of ascent extends; the wives of one’s sons or grandsons, no matter how far the line of descent extends, whether they are heirs or blocked from inheriting; the mother or grandmothers of one’s wife, no matter how far the line of ascent extends - these three become mahrams as soon as a marriage contract is done.

The fourth is the stepdaughter, that is the daughter or granddaughter of one’s wife, no matter how far the line of descent extends. She does not become a mahram until he consummates the marriage with his wife, as Allah says here: ﴾your stepdaughters under your guardianship, bom of your wives with whom you have consummated the marriage﴿.

The majority of scholars say that the words funder your guardianship﴿ refer to what is usually the case, and is not to be regarded as a condition of the stepdaughter becoming a mahram. The stepdaughter becomes a mahram even if she is not under his guardianship, but there are two benefits of mentioning this description:

1 - It highlights the wisdom behind prohibiting the stepdaughter for marriage, which is that she is like a daughter, so it is abhorrent to permit marriage to her;

2- It indicates that it is permissible to be alone with a stepdaughter, and she is like others who are under his care, such as his own daughter and so on. And Allah knows best.

With regard to combinations of relatives to whom marriage at the same time is prohibited, Allah mentioned being married to two sisters at the same time, and forbade it. The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade being married to a woman and her paternal aunt, or maternal aunt, at thesame time. Any two women between whom are ties of kinship, and if one of them was male and the other female, she would be prohibited for marriage to him, it is prohibited to be married to both of them at the same time. That is because this may be a cause of severing ties of kinship.

Also prohibited for marriage are ﴾women already married﴿, that is those who have husbands. It is prohibited to marry them so long as they are still married, unless they are divorced and have completed the ‘iddah.

﴾except any slave-girls you may own﴿ that is, those who have been captured in war. If a disbelieving woman who is married is captured in war, she becomes permissible for the Muslims after one menstrual cycle has passed (which serves to establish that she is not pregnant). But if a married slave woman is sold or given, her marriage is not invalidated because the second owner is in the same position as the previous owner, and because of the story of Bareerah,^{1The story of Bareerah, when she was set free and she chose to annul her marriage to her husband, who was still a slave. Her husband loved her, and he was walking behind her on the streets of Madinah with tears flowing down his cheeks, pleading with her to come back to him, and she refused. «The Prophet (^) interceded for him and said to her: O Bareerah, fear Allah, for he is your husband and the father of your child. She said: O Messenger of Allah, are you commanding me to do that? He said: No, I am just interceding. She said: I have no need of him.» (Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 2231; also recorded by an-Nasa’i and authenticated by al-Albani)} when the Prophet (ﷺ) gave her the choice.

﴾This is Allah’s ordinance, binding upon you﴿ that is, you must adhere to following its guidance, because in it is healing and light, and the explanation of what is permitted and what is prohibited.

﴾A11 women other than these are lawful for you﴿ - this refers to all of those who are not mentioned in this verse; they are permissible and good. Thus what is prohibited is limited, but there is no limit to orrestriction on that which is permitted. This is the kindness and mercy of Allah, and is intended to make things easy for people.

﴾so that you may seek them with your wealth﴿ that is, so that you may seek those whom you have seen and chosen from among those whom Allah has permitted to you, provided that your aim is ﴾honest wedlock﴿ that is, provided that you are seeking chastity, avoiding fornication and seeking to help your women remain chaste too.

﴾not fornication﴿. The one who commits fornication is not keeping his wife chaste, because he is fulfilling his desires in a prohibited manner, so his desire for permissible sex is weakened, and thus he is failing to keep his wife chaste. This indicates that no one should marry a person who is not chaste, because Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾A man who fornicates may only marry a woman who fornicates or who is a polytheist, and a woman who fornicates may only marry a man who fornicates or who is a polytheist. Such marriages are forbidden to the believers.(an-Noor 24: 3)

﴾When you consummate your marriage with them, give the dowries due to them﴿ that is, in return for intimacy. Hence when the husband consummates the marriage with his wife, the dowry becomes due.

﴾due to them﴿ that is, giving the dowry to them is a duty enjoined by Allah upon you; it is not something optional that if the man wishes he may give it and if he wishes he may withhold it. Or it may be that what is meant by the words ﴾due to them﴿ is: the sum that you agreed to, therefore it becomes binding upon you, so do not detract anything from it.

﴾There is no sin on you in what you mutually agree upon [of changes] after the [initial] agreement﴿ that is, anything extra that is given by the husband, or anything that the wife waives willingly. This is the view of many of the commentators. Many of them said: this verse was revealed concerning temporary marriage (mut ‘ah) with women, which was permissible at the beginning of Islam, then theProphet (ﷺ) forbade it; the verse states that one should set a time limit (for the temporary marriage) and agree on payment, then once the time has ended, if they mutually agree to increase or decrease the amount of payment, there is no blame on them. And Allah knows best.

And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise﴿ that is. He has perfect and vast knowledge, and perfect wisdom. By His knowledge and wisdom He has decreed these laws for you and set these limits that separate what is permissible from what is forbidden.

4:25. If any of you does not have the means to marry free believing women, he may marry believing women from among the slave women whom you own and Allah knows best about your faith; you belong to one another. Marry them with the permission of their masters, and give them their dowries, according to what is reasonable. They should be chaste, not given to committing fornication or having illicit relationships. When they are married, if they commit adultery, their punishment shall be half that of free women. This is for those of you who fear that you will sin; but if you practise self-restraint, that is better for you. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Juz’ 5 actually begins with v. 24, but as the author treated vv. 23-24 as a single passage, we included it in Juz’ 4. (Translator)

That is, if anyone cannot afford the mahr to marry free believing women, and fears that he may fall into sin, namely fornication, or suffer a great deal of hardship, then it is permissible for him to marry believing slave women. These women are to be judged according to what appears to be the case, and Allah knows best who is a sincere believer and who is not. Worldly matters are to be judged on the basis of outward appearance, and in the hereafter matters will be judged on the basis of what is hidden in people’s hearts.

﴾Marry them﴿, namely (believing) slave women ﴾with the permission of their masters﴿, whether the slave woman has one master or several.

﴾and give them their dowries, according to what is reasonable﴿ that is, even if they are slave women, just as it is obligatory to give the mahr to a free woman, it is also obligatory to give it to a slave woman.

But it is not permissible to marry slave women unless they are ﴾chaste﴿ that is, they refrain from immoral behaviour; ﴾not given to committing fornication﴿ openly ﴾or having illicit relationships﴿ that is, taking lovers in secret.

The point is that it is not permissible for a free Muslim man to marry a slave woman, unless four conditions, as stipulated by Allah, are met: they should be believers; they should be chaste in a real sense and sincerely; the man should not be able to afford to marry a free woman; and he should be afraid of falling into sin or suffering extreme hardship. If these conditions are met, then it is permissible for him to marry a slave woman.

Nevertheless, refraining from marrying them is better, because it will expose his children to slavery and it is not a dignified option. This applies if it is possible to restrain oneself; if a person cannot restrain himself from committing haram actions except by marrying slave women, then it becomes a must. Hence Allah says: ﴾but if you practise self-restraint, that is better for you. And Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿.

﴾When they are married﴿ that is, if they - namely slave women - get married, ﴾their punishment shall be half that of free women﴿. This applies to that which may be halved, namely flogging. So they are to be given fifty lashes. With regard to stoning, there is no stoning for slave women, because it cannot be halved. Therefore if they are not married (and they commit fornication), there is no hadd punishment for them, according to some scholars; rather they are to be given a disciplinary punishment (ta'zeer), in order to deter them from immoral conduct. However, according to other scholars, if non- Muslim slave women commit immoral actions, they should also be given a disciplinary punishment.

This verse ends with these two names of Allah: Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, because these rulings are a mercy and kindness to people. These rulings do not place constraints on them; rather they make things very easy. Mentioning forgiveness after mention of the hadd punishment indicates that the hadd punishment is expiation, by means of which Allah forgives the sins of His slaves, as it states in the hadith. The ruling on a male slave with regard to the hadd punishment mentioned is the same as the ruling on a female slave, because there is no difference between them.

x'>\

4:26. Allah wants to make things clear to you and to guide you to the [righteous] ways of those who came before you; and [He wants to] turn to you in mercy; and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

4:27. Allah wants to turn to you in mercy, but those who follow their lusts want you to drift far away from the right path.

4:28. Allah wants to lighten your burdens, for man was created weak.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us of His great blessing and gift, and He highlights His care for His believing slaves and how easy His religion is.

﴾Allah wants to make things clear to you﴿ that is, everything you need to know about truth and falsehood, halal and haram.

﴾and to guide you to the [righteous] ways of those who came before you﴿ that is, those whom Allah blessed of the Prophets and their followers, in their praiseworthy conduct, righteous deeds, perfect characteristics and guided ways. Therefore He did what He wanted and explained to you what He explained to those who came before you, and He guided you to the right path in knowledge and in deeds.

﴾and [He wants to] turn to you in mercy p that is. He shows mercy to you in all your situations and in all that He prescribes for you, so that you will be aware of the limits of Allah and be content with what He has permitted; then your sins will be reduced because of what Allah has made easy for you. This is by His mercy towards His slaves. By His mercy towards them, if they commit sin, He opens the gates of mercy to them and makes their hearts incline towards repentance to Him, so that they stand in humility before Him, then He turns in mercy towards them and accepts what He enabled them to do. To Him be praise and thanks for that.

﴾and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise﴿ that is, His knowledge is perfect and all-encompassing, and His wisdom is perfect. By His knowledge, He taught you that which you did not know, including these things and limits. By His wisdom. He accepts the repentance of those who His mercy and wisdom dictate that their repentance should be accepted, and He forsakes those who His wisdom and justice dictate should not be fit for repentance.

﴾Allah wants to turn to you in mercy﴿ that is, by means of repentance that helps you to start anew, fills your hearts with peace and brings you closer to Allah.

﴾but those who follow their lusts﴿ that is, those who go along with their whims and desires wherever they lead them, and give precedence to that over that which pleases Allah; they worship their whims and desires. (This refers to) all types of disbelievers, sinners and those who give precedence to their whims and desires over obedience to their Lord.

These people ﴾want you to drift far away from the right path﴿ that is, they want you to deviate from the straight path and follow the path of those with whom Allah is angry and those who have gone astray. They want to divert you from obedience to the Most Merciful to obedience to the Shaytan, from adherence to the guidelines that lead to happiness by obeying His commands to following the one whose way leads to utter misery.

Once you realise that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enjoins upon you that which is in your best interests and will lead to success and happiness, and that those who follow their whims and desires are enjoining upon you that which will lead to the utmost loss and misery, then choose for yourselves the better of the two callers and choose the better of the two paths.

﴾Allah wants to lighten your burdens﴿ that is, by making what is enjoined upon you easy and making it easy to refrain from what He has forbidden. Then when there is some difficulty in adhering to some of the laws that He prescribes. He permits to you that which is dictated by your deeds, such as eating dead meat, blood and the like, for the one who is in desperate need (and has no other option), or marrying slave women, for a free man, if he meets the conditions mentioned above. That is by His perfect mercy and kindness, and His wisdom and knowledge of man’s weakness in all aspects, physical weakness, weakness of will and resolve, weakness of faith and lackof patience. Because of all of that, Allah reduces for him that which he is too weak to bear and that which his faith, patience and strength are unable to cope with.

4:29. O you who believe, do not consume one another’s property by unjust means, unless it is trade conducted with your mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another], for verily Allah has been Most Merciful to you.

4:30. Whoever does that maliciously and wrongfully. We will cast him into fire; and that is easy for Allah.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forbids His believing slaves to consume one another’s wealth unlawfully. This includes taking it by force, stealing, taking it by means of gambling, or by other evil means. Indeed it may also include consuming one’s own wealth in vanity and extravagance, because that is also unlawful and is not right.

Moreover, when Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forbids consuming it unlawfully, He permits them to consume it by means of trade and other ways of earning that are free of anything objectionable and that fulfil the conditions of mutual consent and so on.

ffAnd do not kill yourselves [or one another]﴿ that is, do not kill one another, and no one should kill himself. This includes throwing oneself into risky activities or dangers that may lead to harm or death.

﴾for verily Allah has been Most Merciful to you﴿ and by His mercy He protects you and your wealth, forbids you to waste it or destroy it, and He has ordained consequences for that in the form of hudood punishments.

﴾do not consume one another’s property... And do not kill yourselves [or one another] ﴿. In the original Arabic, it refers to “you” in the plural. This eloquently and concisely conveys the idea that it is not permissible to consume your own wealth or that of others, or to kill oneself or others.

Moreover, saying “your wealth” and “your property”, to the believers as a whole, indicates that all believers, in their mutual love, compassion, mercy and interests are like one body, as faith unites them to achieve their religious and worldly interests.

When Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forbade consuming wealth unlawfully, which will result in the greatest harm for the one who consumes it and the one whose wealth was consumed, He permitted that which serves their interests of different ways of earning a livelihood, such as trade, crafts, professions and rentals:

﴾unless it is trade conducted with your mutual consent﴿, in which case it is permissible for you.

Mutual consent is stipulated - even though it is a trade - in order to highlight that it is essential that the contract should not be usurious, because usury is not trade; rather it is contrary to the aims of trade. It is essential that each party give consent and enter into it willingly. Part of fulfilling the condition of mutual consent is that the item that is the subject of the transaction should be clearly known, because if it is not known, it is impossible to give consent. It should also be possible to deliver it, because if it is not possible to deliver an item, then it is akin to gambling. There can be no consent in any types of ambiguous transactions, therefore such transactions are invalid.

This verse also indicates that transactions are done by words or deeds indicative of consent, because Allah stipulated that there be mutual consent. Therefore in whatever way consent is indicated, the transaction becomes valid thereby.

Then Allah concludes the verse with the words: ﴾for verily Allah has been Most Merciful to you﴿. By His mercy, He protected your lives and your wealth, and He forbade any transgression against them.

﴾Whoever does that﴿ namely consumes wealth unlawfully and kills people,

﴾maliciously and wrongfully﴿ that is, not out of ignorance or by mistake

﴾We will cast him into fire﴿ that is, a huge fire; in the original Arabic, this word appears in the indefinite, which indicates that it is huge, ﴾and that is easy for Allah

4:31. If you abstain from the major [sins] out of what you have been forbidden to do. We will erase your [minor] sins for you and admit you to a place of honour [paradise].

This is by the grace and kindness of Allah to His believing slaves; He promises them that if they avoid major sins. He will forgive all their (minor) sins or bad deeds, and He will admit them to a place of honour, a place of much good, namely paradise in which there is that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has never entered the mind of man.

Avoiding major sins includes doing the obligatory duties, omission of which constitutes a major sin, such as the five daily prayers, Jumu'ah (Friday prayer) and fasting Ramadan. As the Prophet (ﷺ) said: «The five (daily) prayers, one Jumu'ah to another, and one Ramadan to another, expiate whatever (sins) come in between them, so long as major sins are avoided.)) (Muslim)

The best definition I have found for major sins is that the major sin is that for which there is prescription of a hadd punishment in this world or warning of punishment in the hereafter, or it is described as being contrary to faith, resulting in being cursed or incurring divine wrath.

4:32. Do not covet the bounties which Allah has bestowed more abundantly on some of you than on others. Men will have the reward for what they earn, and women will have the reward for what they earn. Ask Allah of His bounty. Verily Allah has knowledge of all things.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructs the believers that no one should covet that which Allah has given more of to others, whether that is things that it is possible for them to acquire or things that it is not possible for them to acquire. Hence women should not covet the characteristics of men, by means of which men have an advantage over women; the one who is poor or has some imperfections or shortcomings should not merely wish to be like one who is rich or perfect, because that isthe very essence of envy, which is to wish for the blessing that Allah bestowed upon someone else to be taken from him and given to you.

Moreover, such wishes are indicative of displeasure with the decree of Allah and being content with laziness and wishful thinking, unaccompanied by any effort or earning. Rather what is praiseworthy is two things: to strive to the best of one’s ability and to do that which will benefit one’s religious and worldly interests, asking Allah for His bounty, and not relying on oneself or anyone other than one’s Lord. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾Men will have the reward for what they earn﴿ that is, of their deeds that will lead to the desired results.

﴾fand women will have the reward for what they eam’p - so each of them will not attain anything but that which he or she has earned and worked hard for.

﴾Ask Allah of His bounty;-) that is, for everything that has to do with your religious or worldly affairs. Doing so is a sign of wisdom and of being blessed, in contrast to the one who fails to strive or relies on himself, not acknowledging his need of his Lord; or those who do both, in which case they are forsaken and are losers.

e(Veri!y Allah has knowledge of all things;), therefore He gives to the one who He knows deserves it, and He withholds it from the one who He knows does not deserve it.

(g)

(rr

4:33. We have made for everyone helpers and supporters of those whom parents and close relatives leave behind. As for thosewith whom you have made a solemn covenant, give them their dues. Verily Allah is witness to all things.

﴾We have made for everyone﴿ that is, for all people ﴾helpers and supporters﴿ who support him and help him, and cooperate with him in different issues ﴾of those whom parents and close relatives leave behind﴿. This includes all relatives, ascendants and descendants, siblings and their children. These are helpers and supporters among one’s relatives.

Then Allah mentions another type of helpers: ﴾(As for those with whom you have made a solemn covenant﴿ that is, those with whom you have entered into an agreement to help and support one another, to share wealth, and so on. All of that is the blessing that Allah bestows upon His slaves, so that helpers and supporters cooperate in matters that some of them could not do alone.

﴾give them their dues﴿ that is, give helpers and supporters their dues that you are obliged to give of your help and support in whatever does not involve disobedience towards Allah, and give what is due of shares of inheritance to the relatives who are described as helpers and supporters.

﴾Verily Allah is witness to all things﴿ that is, He sees everything, by means of His knowledge of all things; He sees the movements of His slaves and hears all their voices.

4:34. Men are in charge of women, because Allah has made one of them excel the other, and because they spend of their wealth [on them]. Therefore the righteous women are obedient, and guard in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. As for those women on whose part you fear defiant disobedience, [first] admonish them, [next] refuse to share their beds, [and last] hit them [lightly]. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. Verily Allah is Most High, Great.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that: ﴾Men are in charge of women﴿ that is, they are in charge with regard to making sure that they are doing their duties towards Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), by keeping up with obligatory duties and restraining them from committing evil; men are obliged to make sure that they (women) adhere to that. They are also in charge of them in terms of spending on them, clothing them, and providing accommodation to them.

Then He states the reason why men are in charge of women: ﴾because Allah has made one of them excel the other, and because they spend of their wealth [on them]﴿ that is, because of the superiority of men over women; men are superior to women in many ways; for example, positions of political authority are only for men, as is prophethood and messengerhood. Moreover, men are singled out, to the exclusion of women, for many acts of worship, such as jihad and Eid and Jumu'ah prayers.

It is also because of what Allah has bestowed exclusively on them of wisdom, mature thinking, patience and perseverance, the like of which women do not have. Men also have the exclusive obligation of spending on their wives; moreover, there are many types of spendingthat are demanded exclusively of men, by which they are distinct from women.

Perhaps this is the reason why Allah says ?[and because they spend of their wealth [on them]﴿. No mention is made of those on whom they are to spend, so as to indicate spending in a general sense. Thus it is known that a man is like a guardian and a master to his wife, and she is like a prisoner and servant to him. Therefore his role is to do his duty towards that which Allah has put him in charge of.

The woman's role is to obey her Lord and obey her husband. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: (-[Therefore the righteous women are obedient﴿ to Allah

﴾and guard in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard﴿ that is, they obey their husbands even in their absence; the wife guards her husband with regard to herself and his wealth. That is because Allah has enjoined upon them to guard themselves, and He has guided them to that; they could not do it without His help, because the human soul is inclined to evil. But whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him and take care of everything that worries him of his religious and worldly aff airs.

﴾As for those women on whose part you fear defiant disobedience﴿ that is, their refusal to obey their husbands, such as disobeying them in word and deed. In that case a husband may discipline his wife, starting with the mildest of measures.

(-[[first] admonish them﴿ that is, explain the ruling of Allah with regard to obedience and disobedience to the husband, encourage them to be obedient, and warn them against being disobedient. If the wife stops, then that is the desired result. Otherwise, the husband should refuse to share her bed, and not sleep with her or have intimate relations with her, to the extent that will achieve the desired aim. If that does not succeed, then he may hit her in a manner that does not cause pain.

If one of these means is successful and they (wives) obey you (husbands), ﴾take no further action against them﴿ that is, you have got what you wanted, so stop rebuking her for what happened in the past, and stop looking for faults, because that will cause harm and stir up dispute.

f( Verily Allah is Most High, Great﴿ that is. He is absolutely exalted in all aspects, in His essence, in status and in might; He is great and nothing is greater than Him or more majestic or more mighty; He is great in His essence and attributes.

4:35. If you fear a breach between them, appoint an arbitrator from his family and another from hers; if they both want to put things right, Allah will bring about reconciliation between them. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

That is, if you fear a breach between the spouses, and that they will keep away from one another,

﴾appoint an arbitrator from his family and another from hers﴿ that is, two men who are accountable, Muslims, of good character and wise, who are both aware of the problem. All of these qualities may be understood from the word hakam (translated here as ﴾arbitrator﴿); no one is fit to be an arbitrator except one who possesses these attributes. They should examine the objection of each spouse against the other, then tell each one what he or she must do. Then if one of them is not able to adhere to that, they should advise the other spouse to be content with whatever is available of provision and accept whatever is the attitude of the other spouse.

Whenever it is possible to bring about reconciliation and set things straight, they should not turn to the other option.

If the matter reaches a point where it is not possible to keep them together and set things straight between them, except in a way of enmity, hostility and disobedience to Allah, and they realise that separation is better for them, the arbitrators may decide to separate them. In that case the consent of the husband is not essential, as is indicated here, because Allah called them hakam (translated here as ﴾arbitrators)﴿), which implies having the authority to issue a ruling or verdict which must be accepted, even if the one against whom it is issued is not happy with it.

Hence Allah says: ﴾fif they both want to put things right, Allah will bring about reconciliation between them﴿ that is, by means of sound advice and gentle words that soften the hearts and bring about harmony between the spouses.

﴾Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware﴿ that is, He knows all that is visible and hidden and is aware of subtleties and secrets. By means of His knowledge and awareness. He prescribes these sublime rulings and guidelines for you.

4:36. Worship Allah, and do not ascribe any partner to Him. Be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, those in need, neighbours who are related to you and neighbours who are not related to you, the companion by your side, the wayfarer, and what you own of slaves. For Allah does not love those who are arrogant and boastful,

4:37. Those who are stingy, and exhort people to stinginess, and conceal what Allah has bestowed on them of His bounty - for We have prepared for disbelievers a humiliating punishment -

4:38. And those who spend their wealth to show off to people, but do not believe in Allah and the Last Day. If anyone has the Shaytan as a companion, what an evil companion he is!

Here Allah commands His slaves to worship Him alone and not associate anything with Him. This means declaring complete servitude to Him, submitting to His commands and prohibitions out of love, humility and sincerity towards Him, in all acts of worship, both apparent and hidden. He forbids the association of anything with Him, whether that is in a major or minor sense, and whether the so-called partner is an angel, a Prophet, a “saint” (wali), or any other created beings that have no power to bring benefit or ward off harm from themselves, to cause death or give life or resurrect. Rather what is obligatory is to direct one’s worship sincerely to the One Who has absolute perfection in all ways and Who has absolute control which no one shares with Him or helps him in the control He has. Then after enjoining worship of Him alone and fulfilment of His rights, He enjoins fulfilling duties towards other people, the closest then the next closest:

﴾Be kind to parents﴿ that is, treat them kindly and speak decent words to them, addressing them gently, doing good deeds for them, obeying their instructions, avoiding what they forbid you to do, spending on them, honouring anyone who has a connection to them,and upholding ties of kinship, for you have no ties of kinship except through them.

Kindness has two opposites, bad treatment and failure to show kindness. Both are forbidden.

﴾relatives﴿ - we should also show kindness to relatives. This includes all relatives, close or distant. We should treat them well in word and deed and not sever ties of kinship in word or deed.

﴾orphans﴿ that is, those who have lost their fathers when they are small. They have rights over the Muslims, whether they are relatives or not, who should sponsor them, be kind to them, console them, discipline them and give them a good upbringing, and take care of their religious and worldly affairs.

﴾those in need﴿ - they are the ones who are not able to earn enough to meet their needs or the needs of those they are in charge of. Therefore Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has enjoined showing kindness to them by meeting their needs and helping them to ward off poverty, and encouraging others to do so, and doing that as much as one can.

﴾neighbours who are related to you﴿ that is, the neighbour who is related to you has two rights: the rights of a neighbour and the rights of a relative. He has the right that his neighbour should treat him kindly, in line with what is customarily regarded as kindness, ﴾and﴿ likewise ﴾neighbours who are not related to you﴿. The closer the neighbour’s door is to yours, the greater his rights over you. So we should take care of neighbours by giving them gifts and charity, inviting them over, being kind in word and deed, and not annoying them in word or deed.

﴾the companion by your side﴿ - it was said that this refers to a travelling companion, a wife or companions in general, which is most likely to be the correct meaning, because it includes companions at home and when travelling, and it also includes the wife.

A person’s companion has rights over him more than the rights dictated by the fact that he is a Muslim with regard to helping him in his religious and worldly affairs, and being sincere and honest with him in good times and bad, and regardless of whether one feels energetic or reluctant. He should love for him what he loves for himself and hate for him what he hates for himself. The longer the companionship lasts, the more the mutual rights are confirmed and emphasised.

﴾the wayfarer﴿ - this refers to a stranger who is in need in a foreign land, or even if he is not in need. He has rights over the Muslims because of his need and because of the fact that he is in a strange land; they should help him to reach his destination or help him partway, and they should honour him and offer him comfort.

fjand what you own of slaves﴿ - this phrase (lit. “what your right hands possess”) may also include livestock and beasts of burden; kindness to them includes making sure that they have enough, not overburdening them, helping them with whatever tasks they are assigned, and disciplining them in a way that is in their best interests. The one who does these things as enjoined is the one who is truly submitting to his Lord, showing humility towards the slaves of Allah and adhering to the commands and laws of Allah. This is the one who deserves the great reward and praise. The one who does not do that is a person who is turning away from his Lord, failing to submit to His commands and is not showing humility towards other people; rather his attitude is one of arrogance towards the slaves of Allah, and he is filled with self-admiration and boasting about what he says. Hence Allah Ofc) says: ﴾For Allah does not love those who are arrogant﴿ that is, those who are filled with self-pride and who look down upon people, ﴾and boastful﴿ that is, they praise themselves by way of pride and vanity towards the slaves of Allah.

Their arrogance and vanity prevent them from carrying out their duties; hence Allah criticises them for that, as He says:﴾Those who are stingy﴿ that is, they refuse to spend as they are obliged to

﴾and exhort people to stinginess﴿ by their words and deeds.

﴾and conceal what Allah has bestowed on them of His bounty﴿ that is, of knowledge by means of which those who have gone astray and the ignorant could be guided. They conceal it from them and teach them falsehood that prevents them from learning the truth. Thus they combine stinginess with regard to wealth and stinginess with regard to knowledge with striving for their own perdition and the doom of others. This is the quality of the disbelievers, hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: tffor We have prepared for disbelievers a humiliating punishment﴿ that is, as they were arrogant towards the slaves of Allah and withheld the rights of Allah and caused others to also withhold what they owed to Allah, as a result of being stingy and not being guided, Allah will humiliate them with a painful punishment and eternal disgrace. We seek refuge with You, O Allah, from all evil.

Then Allah tells us about the spending that is motivated by the desire to show off and gain a reputation, and is not based on faith:

﴾f And those who spend their wealth to show off to people﴿ that is, so that they will see them, praise them and respect them.

﴾but do not believe in Allah and the Last Day﴿ that is, their spending is not motivated by sincerity and faith in Allah, and the hope of His reward; therefore this comes under the heading of the footsteps of the Shaytan and his works, to which he calls his followers, so that they will be inhabitants of hell. They do these deeds because they are his companions and he is pushing them in that direction. Hence Allah says:

﴾If anyone has the Shaytan as a companion, what an evil companion he is!﴿ That is, what an evil companion is the one who seeks the doom of his companion and strives hard to achieve that.

Just as the one who withholds what Allah has bestowed upon him and conceals the knowledge with which Allah has blessed him is asinner and offender who is in opposition to his Lord, the one who is motivated by something other than seeking the pleasure of Allah in his spending and worship is also a sinner who is disobeying his Lord, and thus deserves punishment, because Allah only enjoined obedience to Him and adherence to His commands to be done in a sincere manner, as He says:

﴾Although they were enjoined only to worship Allah with sincere devotion to Him, being true in faith to Him alone, and to establish prayer and give zakah, and that is the true religion... p (al-Bayinah 98:5)

This is the type of acceptable deeds for which a person deserves to be praised and this is what Allah encourages people to base their deeds on, as He says:

4:39. What harm would it do them to believe in Allah and in the Last Day, and to spend out of what Allah has bestowed upon them? For Allah has full knowledge of them.

That is, what harm would it do them, and what trouble or hardship would befall them, if they had faith in Allah that is based on sincerity and they spent from the wealth that Allah has bestowed upon them and with which He has blessed them, thus combining sincerity and spending (for His sake)?

Because sincerity is something secret between a person and his Lord, and no one sees it except Allah, He states that He has knowledge of all their situations: ﴾For Allah has full knowledge of them﴿.,'r' »y.

4:40. Verily, Allah does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust. And if there is a good deed Allah will multiply it, and give an immense reward of His own.

4:41. How will it be when We bring a witness from every nation and bring you [O Muhammad] as a witness against them?

4:42. On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth could be levelled over them. But they will not be able to conceal anything from Allah.

Here Allah (is) tells us of the perfect nature of His justice and grace, and that He is above the opposites of that, such as injustice great or small.

﴾Verily, Allah does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust﴿) that is. He does not detract from a person’s good deeds or increase his bad deeds in the slightest, as He says elsewhere: ﴾So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.p (a:-Zal:alah 99. 7-8)

﴾And if there is a good deed Allah will multiply itp that is, He will multiply it tenfold or more, according to the nature of the deed and how beneficial it was, and according to the situation of the doer in terms of sincerity, love and righteousness.

﴾and give an immense reward of His own﴿) that is, in addition to the reward for the deed itself, such as enabling him to do more righteous deeds, or to give more charity, or to show more kindness.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾How will it be when We bring a witness from every nation and bring you [O Muhammad] as a witness against them?﴿ That is, how will it be, how will the great judgement be, when the judgement in which the One Who will judge has perfect knowledge, perfect justice and perfect wisdom is combined with the testimony of the best of humankind, namely the Messengers who will testify against their nations, along with the confession of those against whom judgement is passed? This, by Allah, is the most comprehensive judgement, the most just and the greatest.

Then those against whom judgement will be passed will confirm the perfect grace and justice of Allah, and will utter words of praise. At that point, some people will be blessed with triumph, success and honour, and others will be doomed to disgrace, shame and the humiliating punishment.

Hence Allah says: ﴾On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger﴿ that is, those who combine disbelief in Allah and His Messenger with disobedience towards the Messenger ﴾will wish that the earth could be levelled over them﴿ that is, that it would swallow them and they would become dust and become nothing, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that they will say:

^...and the disbeliever will say: Would that I were mere dust!﴿ (an-

﴾But they will not be able to conceal anything from Allah﴿ that is, rather they will admit to Him what they did, and their own tongues, hands and feet will testify against them, speaking of what they used to do. On that day, Allah will give them in full their due recompense and they will know that Allah is indeed the Truth Who makes manifest (the true nature of all things) (cf. 24: 25).

With regard to what was narrated about how the disbelievers will conceal their disbelief and deny their evil deeds, that will happen atsome stages of the Day of Resurrection, when they think that their denial will avail them against the punishment of Allah. Then when they realise the true nature of their situation and their faculties testify against them, at that point things will become clear and there will be no reason to conceal anything, and there will be no benefit in doing so.

4:43. O you who believe, do not approach the prayer when you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of major impurity \jandbah] - except while passing through - until you have washed yourselves completely [ghus/]. If you are ill, or on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or you have touched women, and cannot find water, then find some clean earth, and wipe your faces and hands with it [tayammum], For Allah is Ever-Pardoning, Forgiving.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forbids His believing slaves to come near prayer when they are intoxicated, until they know what they are saying. This includes coming near places of prayer, such as the mosque, which the one who is intoxicated should not be allowed to enter, as well as the prayer itself. It is not permissible for one who is intoxicated to pray or do any act of worship, because his mind is confused and he does not know what he is saying. Hence Allah defined the times when such a person may pray and told him to postpone it until he knows what he is saying. This verse was abrogated by the complete prohibitionof intoxicants. In the beginning intoxicants were not prohibited, then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) hinted to His slaves that they would be prohibited, as He said:

﴾They ask you about intoxicants and gambling. Say: In them is great sin, and some benefit for people; but the sin is greater than the benefit... p (al-Baqarah 2: 219)

Then He forbade being intoxicated when attending prayers, as in this verse. Then He forbade intoxicants altogether, at all times, as He said:

﴾fO you who believe, intoxicants, gambling, idols and divining arrows are an abomination, of Shaytan’s handiwork; therefore avoid such [abomination]...﴿ (al-Maidah 5: 90)

Moreover, that becomes more emphatically prohibited at the time of attending the prayer, because of what it leads to of this evil situation, which is not being able to achieve the purpose of prayer, that which is its soul and essence, namely proper focus and presence of mind, because intoxicants befog the mind and prevent one from remembering Allah and from focusing on prayer. We may also understand from the meaning of the verse that it is not allowed to start praying when one is extremely drowsy, to the point that he is not aware of what he is saying and doing. Indeed it may indicate that the one who wants to pray should deal with anything that is distracting him, such as resisting the urge to urinate or defecate, or when one wants to eat, and so on, as is mentioned in the saheeh hadiths.

Then Allah says: ﴾nor in a state of major impurity [janabah] - except while passing through﴿ that is, do not come near prayer when one of you is in a siate ofjanabah (impurity following sexual activity), except in this case, which is when one is passing through the mosque and not staying in it.

﴾until you have washed yourselves completely [ghusl]﴿ that is, when you have done ghusl and removed the reason why it was disallowedto approach the prayer, then it becomes permissible to approach the prayer. But it is permissible for the one who is in a state ofjanabah to pass through the mosque only.

(﴾lf you are ill, or on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or you have touched women, and cannot find water, then find some clean earth, and wipe your faces and hands with it [tayammum]﴿. Tayammum (“dry ablution”) is permissible for the one who is sick in general terms, whether water is available or not; the reason for that is sickness that makes it difficult to use water. The same ruling applies when travelling, because that is when water may be scarce. So if a traveller has no water, but he only has enough to meet his needs for drinking and so on, it is permissible for him to do tayammum.

The same applies if a person invalidates his wudoo' by urinating or defecating, or touching women. It is permissible for him to do tayammum if he cannot find water, whether he is travelling or not, as is indicated by the general meaning of the verse.

In conclusion, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has permitted tayammum in two cases: when there is no water, which applies whether one is travelling or not, and when it is too difficult to use water, because of sickness and the like.

The commentators differed concerning the meaning of the words ﴾jor you have touched women )?: does this refer to intercourse, in which case the meaning of the verse is that it is permissible for one who is in a state ofjanabah to do tayammum, and there are many §aheef) hadiths to support this view, or does it mean simply touching with the hand; this applies if there is the possibility oi'madhy being produced, which refers to touching with desire - thus this verse indicates that wudoo’ is invalidated in this case?

The fuqaha’ quoted the words ﴾and cannot find water﴿ as supporting the view that it is obligatory to look for water when the time for prayer begins. They said: That is because we cannot say.“he did not find water” if he did not look for it; rather we can only say that after looking for it. They also quoted that as evidence for the view that it is permissible to use water that has been changed by any pure substance; in fact one must use it to purify oneself, because that is included in the phrase ﴾t(and cannot find water﴿, because this is still water. Others disagreed with that.

This verse prescribes this great ruling with which Allah has blessed this Ummah, namely the prescription of tayammum, and all scholars are agreed on that, praise be to Allah.

Tayammum must be done with clean earth, which refers to anything that protrudes from the surface of the earth, whether it has dust on it or not. It may refer specifically to that which has dust, because Allah says: ﴾fand wipe your faces and hands with it﴿, and one cannot wipe with that which does not have any dust on it.

﴾fand wipe your faces and hands with it﴿ - these are the places to be wiped in tayammum: the entire face and the arms up to the elbows, as is indicated by the saheeh hadiths. It is recommended to strike the clean dust once, as is indicated by the hadith of ‘Ammar, which indicates that tayammum in the case of janabah is the same as tayammum in other cases, namely wiping the face and arms.

It should be noted that the main aims of medicine focus on three principles: protecting health from what may harm it, getting rid of harmful things and prescribing an appropriate diet. Allah has referred to all of them in His Book.

With regard to protecting health from that which may harm it, He has instructed us to eat and drink but not to go to excess in doing so; He has permitted the traveller and the one who is sick to refrain from fasting, so as to protect their health, by using that which will help the body to keep going in a reasonable manner; and protecting the sick person from that which may harm him.

With regard to getting rid of harmful things, Allah (M) has permitted the pilgrim in ihram who has an ailment in his scalp to shave his head. This may indicate that one should get rid of that which is more serious than that, such as urine, stools, vomit, mcmiy (semen), blood and other things, as pointed out by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him).

This verse indicates that it is obligatory to wipe the entire face and arms, and that it is permissible to do tayammum even if the time left for prayer is not short; the individual is not to seek water except when there is a reason to do so. And Allah knows best.

Then the verse ends with the words: ﴾For Allah is Ever-Pardoning, Forgiving)﴿ that is. Fie pardons a great deal and forgives His believing slaves by making things very easy for them, as it is not difficult for a person to obey His commands, so that he will not go through hardship.

By His pardon and forgiveness, He had mercy on this Ummah and prescribed purification with dust instead of water, when it is not possible to use water.

By His pardon and forgiveness. He has opened the gate of repentance to the sinners, and He invites them to turn to Him, and He promises forgiveness of sins.

By His pardon and forgiveness, if the believer brought an earthful of sins, then was to meet Him not associating anything with Him, He will grant him forgiveness as great as it.

4:44. Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the scripture? They purchase misguidance and want you to lose your way.

4:45. But Allah knows best who your enemies are. Allah is sufficient as a protector, and Allah is sufficient as a helper.

4:46. Among the Jews are some who distort the meaning of [revealed] words, and say: We hear and we disobey, and: Listen, may you not hear, and: Ra'ina, with a twist of their tongues so as to disparage religion. If only they had said: We hear and we obey, and: Listen, and: Undhnrna, it would have been better for them, and more proper. But Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, and only a few of them will believe.

This is a criticism of ﴾those who were given a portion of the scripture﴿ and implies a warning not to be deceived by them or fall into their traps. Here Allah tells us that they ﴾purchase misguidance﴿ that is, they love it a great deal and give it precedence like one who spends a great deal of money to get what he loves. Thus they prefer misguidance to guidance, disbelief to faith, and wretchedness to happiness, yet despite that they also ﴾want you to lose your way﴿.

Thus they are very keen that you should be misguided and they are trying their utmost to achieve that, but as Allah has been protecting His believing slaves and helping them. He explains to them how these s Ra'ina means “Listen to us": undhuma (mentioned later in the verse) means “Look at us”. Both words convey the meaning of “Pay attention to us”, but with a slight twist in pronunciation, the former had an offensive meaning in Hebrew, which the Jews took advantage of to mock the Prophet Hence the believers were instructed to use a word that could not be twisted in this manner.people are misguided and how they are misguiding others. Hence He says: ﴾Allah is sufficient as a protector﴿ that is. He takes charge of His slaves’ affairs and bestows His grace upon them in all their affairs, and guides them to that which will lead them to happiness and prosperity.

﴾and Allah is sufficient as a helper﴿; He helps them against their enemies and explains to them what they should be cautious of with regard to the enemy, and what could help them against them. His protection leads to good and His help keeps them away from evil.

Then Allah explains the extent of their misguidance and stubbornness, and how they prefer falsehood to truth:

﴾Among the Jews﴿ that is, some of the Jews, namely the misguided scholars among them

﴾are some who distort the meaning of [revealed] words]j either by changing the words or the meaning, or both. An example of their distortion is how they distorted the description given in their Books, that could not be truly applicable to anyone but Muhammad (ﷺ); they suggested that it referred to someone else and that he was not the one who was meant, and they concealed it.

This is how they dealt with knowledge, in the worst manner, by turning ideas upside down and applying the true description to someone else falsely, thus denying that truth. With regard to how they act in terms of deeds and submission, ﴾[they] say: We hear and we disobey﴿ that is, we hear what you say and we disobey your command. This is the utmost disbelief, stubbornness and turning away from submission.

Likewise, they addressed the Messenger in the most offensive and impolite manner, by saying ﴾Listen, may you not hear﴿ meaning: listen to us, and you will not hear what you like; rather you will hear what you dislike.

﴾and: Rd'ina﴿) what they meant by this word was something offensive. They thought that because this word could be understoodas meaning something other than what they meant, they would be able to trick Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ). By using this word, with a twist of the tongue, their intention was to disparage the religion and cast aspersions upon the Messenger (ﷺ), and they stated that intention clearly to one another when they were alone. Hence Allah says: ﴾with a twist of their tongues so as to disparage religion﴿.

Then He guided them to something that would be better for them than that, by saying: ﴾if only they had said: We hear and we obey, and: Listen, and: Undhurna, it would have been better for them, and more proper﴿. That is because these words sound better and they reflect a sublime etiquette when addressing the Messenger (ﷺ), show obedience to Allah and submission to His command, and demonstrate the use of kind words when seeking knowledge, so that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would listen to their questions and pay attention to them.

This is how their behaviour and attitude should have been, but because their nature was not good, they turned away from that and Allah cast them away from His mercy because of their disbelief and stubbornness. Hence He said: ﴾But Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, and only a few of them will believe﴿.

4:47. O you who have been given the scripture, believe in what We have revealed [to Muhammad], confirming what is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them backwards, or curse them as We cursed those who broke the Sabbath. Allah’s will is always done.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructs the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians, to believe in His Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) and in what Allah has revealed to him of the Holy Qur’an, which determines what is true in the previous Books that it confirmed because the previous Books foretold his coming, so when what was foretold came to pass, that was a confirmation of that foretelling.

Moreover, if they disbelieve in this Qur’an, that would mean that they disbelieved their own Books, because the Books of Allah confirm one another and are in harmony with one another. Hence the claim to believe in some of them but not others is a false claim that cannot be true.

﴾believe in what We have revealed [to Muhammad], confirming what is with you﴿. This is encouraging them and informing them that they, of all people, should be the first to hasten to believe in the Qur’an, because of the knowledge with which Allah has blessed them and the Book which dictates that their responsibility is greater than that of others. Hence He warned them against failing to believe, ﴾before We obliterate faces and turn them backwards﴿. This is a requital that is in accordance with their deeds, because they abandoned the truth and preferred falsehood, and turned the facts upside down, regarding falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood. Therefore their requital would be along similar lines: their faces would be obliterated as they had obliterated the truth, and their faces were to be turned backwards, so that their faces would be on the back of their heads, and this is the worst punishment.

﴾or curse them as We cursed those who broke the Sabbath﴿, by casting them far away from His mercy and punishing them by turning them into apes, as was done to their brethren who transgressed the Sabbath:

﴾...whereupon We said to them: Be apes, despised and rejected.﴿ (al-Baqarah 2: 65)

﴾Allah’s will is always done﴿. This is like the verse in which He says:

﴾His way, when He decrees a matter, is merely to say to it, ‘Be!’ and

4:48. Allah does not forgive the ascription of partners to Him, but He forgives any lesser sin to whomever He wills. Whoever ascribes partners to Allah has indeed devised a heinous sin.

Here Allah tells us that He will not forgive the sins of one who ascribes partners to Him, but He will forgive lesser sins, whether minor or major, according to His will, if forgiveness is dictated by His wisdom.

For sins that are less grave than ascribing partners to Him, Allah has ordained many means of attaining forgiveness, such as good deeds that erase sin and suffering calamities and pain that expiate for sin, in this world, in al-barzakh and on the Day of Resurrection; He has also ordained other ways, such as the supplication of the believers for one another, the intercession of those who will intercede and, over and above all that, His mercy of which those who believe and affirm His oneness are the most deserving.

In direct contrast to that is the ascription of partners to Him (shirk), for the one who ascribes partners to Him has closed to himself the gates of forgiveness and has barred the gates of mercy. So no act of worship and obedience will be of any benefit to him if it is lacking affirmation of Allah’s oneness, and no calamity will benefit him at all, and on the Day of Resurrection he will have:﴾...no one to intercede for us and no caring friend.﴿ (ash-Shu'ara'26:

Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾Whoever ascribes partners to Allah has indeed devised a heinous sin﴿ that is, he has committed a serious offense. What transgression can be greater than that of one who makes one who was created from dust, is lacking in all aspects and inherently dependent in all aspects, and has no power to benefit or harm himself - let alone the one who worships him - and no power to cause death, grant life or resurrect, equal with the Creator of all things, Who is perfect in all aspects and independent in and of Himself, with no need for any of His creation, in Whose Hand is the power to benefit or harm, give or withhold, and no blessing comes to His creation but it is from Him. Is there any worse transgression than that?

Hence He has made it inevitable that the one who commits this transgression will be punished eternally and deprived of reward.

﴾...Whoever ascribes partners to Allah, then Allah has forbidden paradise for him, and the fire will be his abode. ..p (al-Maidah 5. 72) This applies to the one who does not repent.

But for the one who repents, his ascription of partners to Al lah, as well as his lesser sins, will be forgiven as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Say [Allah says]: O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning greatly], do not despair of the mercy of Allah, for verily Allah forgives all sins...﴿ (az-Zumar 39: 53)

That is, for the one who repents to Him.

4:49. Have you not seen those who claim purity for themselves? Nay, Allah purifies whomever He wills. They will never be wronged even by as much as the thread in the groove of a date stone.

4:50. Look how they fabricate lies against Allah! This in itself is a flagrant sin.

Here Allah expresses amazement concerning His slaves and rebukes those among the Jews and Christians who claim purity for themselves and others of their ilk, saying that they are good and pure, praising themselves for something that is not true. That is because the Jews and Christians say:

﴾...We are children of Allah, and His beloved ones...﴿ (al-Md’idah 5: 18)

-and:

﴾f...No one will enter paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian...﴿

But this is a mere claim for which there is no proof; rather proof is what the Qur’an says:

﴾Nay, whoever submits himself [completely] to Allah and is a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord; they will have no fear, nor will they grieve.﴿ (al-Baqarah 2: 112)

These are the ones whom Allah praises; hence He says here: c-(Nay, Allah purifies whomever He wills﴿ that is, for their faith and righteous deeds, and for their ridding themselves of bad attitudes and acquiring good attitudes.

As for those people (the Jews, Christians and others) - even if they praise themselves by claiming that they are pure and that they are following something good, and that the reward will be theirs alone - they are lying; they have no share of the attributes of the pure because of their wrongdoing and disbelief, not because of any injustice on Allah’s part. Hence He says: (-[They will never be wronged evenby as much as the thread in the groove of a date stone﴿. This is in general terms; that is, they will not be wronged at all, and not even by as much as the thread in the groove of a date stone.

﴾Look how they fabricate lies against Allah﴿ that is, by praising themselves and saying that they are pure. This is one of the greatest kinds of fabricating lies against Allah, because the implication of their self-praise is the idea that Allah has made what they are following true and what the believing Muslims are following false, and this is one of the worst kinds of lie, which turns facts upside down bv regarding truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth. Hence Allah says; ﴾This in itself is a flagrant sin﴿ that is, it is blatant and obvious, and it deserves a far-reaching and painful punishment.

[pc@

(av-a\

4:51. Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the scripture? They believe in jibt and taghoot, and they say to the disbelievers that they are more rightly guided than the believers as to the way.

4:52. Those are the ones whom Allah has cursed, and whomever Allah curses, you will not find any helper for him.

4:53. Or do they have a share in dominion? Even if [that were so], they would not give people as much as the speck on a date stone.

4:54. Or do they envy [other] people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But We gave the family of Ibraheem the scripture and wisdom, and gave them a great kingdom.

4:55. Some of them believed in him [Muhammad], and some of them turned away from him. [For the latter] hell will suffice as a raging fire.

4:56. [As for] those who reject Our revelations. We will cast them into fire; as often as their skins are burnt through, We will replace them with fresh skins, so that they may continue to taste the punishment. Verily, Allah is Almighty, Most Wise.

4:57. But [as for] those who believe and do righteous deeds. We will admit them to gardens through which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. There they will have pure spouses, and We shall admit them to cool refreshing shade.

This passage refers to some of the bad attitudes of the Jews and their envy of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the believers. The bad attitude and evil inclinations prompted them to give up belief in Allah and His Messenger and replace it with belief in jibt and taghoot, which refers to believing in worship of anything other than Allah or ruling according to a system other than Islamic Sharia.

That includes magic, sorcery, worship of anything other than Allah, and obedience to the Shaytan. All of that comes under the heading of jibt and taghoot. Similarly, their disbelief and envy prompted them to prefer the way of those who disbelieve in Allah - the idol worshippers - to the path of the believers.

﴾and they say to the disbelievers﴿ that is, to appease them and Hatter them, and out of hatred towards faith

﴾that they are more rightly guided than the believers as to the way﴿ that is, as to the path they follow. How foolish and stubborn they are, and how lacking in reason!

How could they follow this blameworthy path?

Do they think that this will be acceptable to any wise person or even that it would convince any ignorant person?

How could anyone prefer a religion based on idol worship and on the prohibition of good things and the allowing of evil and prohibited things, a religion that spreads injustice among people, regards the Creator as equal to created beings, and promotes disbelief in Allah and His messages and Books, over a religion that is based on worship of the Most Merciful and sincerity towards Allah in private and in public; rejection of anything that is worshipped besides Him, such as idols, rivals and liars; upholding ties of kinship; showing kindness to all of creation, including animals; establishing equity and fairness among people; prohibition of everything that is evil and unjust; and being honest in all words and deeds? Can this be anything but sheer insanity?

The one who has this preference is either one of the most ignorant of people and the most lacking in reason, or he is one of the most rebellious and stubborn in rejection of the truth.

These are the facts of the matter; hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says concerning them: (-﴾Those are the ones whom Allah has cursed﴿ that is. He has expelled them from His mercy and sent His punishment upon them.﴾and whomever Allah curses, you will not find any helper for him﴿ that is, anyone to take care of him, be in charge of his affairs and protect him from harm. This is the utmost loss.

﴾Or do they have a share in dominion?﴿ Such that they could give precedence to some over others, as they wish, on the basis of mere whims and desires. In that case they would be partners with Allah in running the affairs of His dominion. If they were like that, they would be miserly and stingy in the worst manner. Hence Allah says: ﴾Even if [that were so], they would not give people as much as the speck on a date stone﴿ that is, they would not give them anything, not even a little. This is a description of their extreme miserliness, assuming that they had a share in the dominion of Allah. This is said by way of a question to which the answer is clear, as it is well established in everyone’s mind that they have no such share.

f(Or do they envy [other] people for what Allah has given them of His bounty?﴿ Is the motive for saying what they say their belief that they are partners with Allah and thus they give preference to whomever they will? Or is their motive envy of the Messenger (ﷺ) and the believers for what Allah has given them of His bounty, although His bestowal of that bounty is nothing out of the ordinary? ﴾But We gave the family of Ibraheem the scripture and wisdom, and gave them a great kingdom﴿. This refers to what Allah bestowed upon Ibraheem and his descendants of prophethood, scripture and kingship that He bestowed upon some of His Prophets, such as Dawood and Sulayman, and His blessing is still bestowed upon His believing slaves. So how could they resent His bestowal of prophethood, support and power upon Muhammad (ﷺ), the best of creation, the greatest, the one who knew Allah the most and feared Him the most?

﴾Some of them believed in him﴿ that is, in Muhammad (ﷺ), and thus attained happiness in this world and success in the hereafter﴾and some of them turned away from him﴿ out of stubbornness, resentment and envy; thus they were afflicted with suffering and calamities in this world, as a result of some of their sins.

﴾[For (them)] hell will suffice as a raging fire﴿ - it will rage around the one who disbelieves in Allah and denies the prophethood of His Prophets, be they Jews, Christians or other disbelievers.

Hence Allah says: ﴾[As for] those who reject Our revelations, We will cast them into fire﴿ which bums intensely and is extremely hot. f(as often as their skins are burnt through, We will replace them with fresh skins, so that they may continue to taste the punishment﴿ that is in order to make their pain and suffering reach a high level; as their disbelief and stubbornness occurred repeatedly until they became second nature to them, the punishment will be repeated accordingly, as a fair recompense. Hence Allah says: ﴾Verily, Allah is Almighty, Most Wise﴿ that is, He has great power and wisdom in His creation and command, reward and punishment.

﴾But [as for] those who believe﴿ in Allah, and in what they are obliged to believe

﴾and do righteous deeds﴿ both obligatory and encouraged (mustahabb) ﴾We will admit them to gardens through which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. There they will have pure spouses﴿ that is, they are free of bad attitudes and bad conduct and whatever may be found in the women of this world of impurity and defects ffand We shall admit them to cool refreshing shade﴿.

4:58. Verily Allah commands you to render back trusts to those to whom they are due, and when you judge between people, to judge with justice. How excellent is the exhortation Allah gives you! Verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

4:59. O you who believe, obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those of you who are in authority. If you are in dispute over any matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you [truly] believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and more seemly in the end.

What is meant by ﴾trusts﴿ is anything with which a person is entrusted and enjoined to take care of it. Allah instructs His slaves to render back those trusts, that is, to fulfil them completely and faithfully, and not to detract from them in any way or delay their return. These trusts include positions of authority, wealth and property, secrets, and matters which no one sees except Allah.

The fuqaha’ have stated that whoever is entrusted with something is obliged to protect it by keeping it in a place where such things are usually kept. They said that this is because it is not possible to fulfil that trust and return that thing when required except by keeping it safe; hence doing so is obligatory.

The phrase ﴾to those to whom they are due﴿ indicates that the thing entrusted should not be given to anyone other than the one who entrusted it to him, and his appointed deputy is of the same standing as him. If he gives it to someone other than its rightful owner then he is not being honest with regard to that with which he was entrusted. ﴾fand when you judge between people, to judge with justice﴿ - this includes judging between them in cases of blood (murder or injury), wealth or property, and honour, whether the matter is great or small.and whether the people involved are relatives or otherwise, righteous or evil, friends or enemies. What is meant by the justice with which Allah enjoins us to judge is that which He has prescribed on the lips of His Messenger of limits and rulings. This requires knowledge of the principles of justice in order to judge thereby. Because these are good and just commands, Allah says: ﴾How excellent is the exhortation Allah gives you! Verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing﴿. Here Allah is praising His commands and prohibitions, because they bring benefits and ward off harm, both in this world and in the hereafter, for the One Who prescribed them is the All-Hearing, All- Seeing, from Whom nothing is hidden, and He knows what is in the best interests of His slaves better than they do.

Then Allah instructs us to obey Him and to obey His Messenger (ﷺ). by doing that which they command, doing what is obligatory and encouraged, and avoiding that which they prohibit. He also instructs us to obey those in authority, such as rulers, governors and scholars, because people’s religious and worldly affairs cannot be put in order except by obeying those who are in authority, in obedience to Allah and seeking that which is with Him. But that is on condition that they do not enjoin disobedience to Allah; if they do so, then there should not be any obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator. Perhaps this is the reason why the verb (‘obey’) is not repeated with regard to those who are in authority, but it is mentioned with regard to the Messenger (ﷺ). That is because the Messenger (ﷺ) only enjoins obedience to Allah, and whoever obeys him has obeyed Allah; but when it comes to those who are in authority, the command to obey them is stipulated on condition that it does not involve any sin.

Then Allah instructs us to refer anything concerning which people dispute, of major or minor matters of religion, to Allah and to His Messenger (ﷺ); in other words, to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ), for in them are final, decisive answers to allmatters of dispute, either in a clear and specific text, or on the basis of the general meaning of the text, or on the basis of a hint or indication, or of a concept or a general principle to which analogy may be made for similar cases. That is because the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger form the basis of the religion and faith cannot be sound unless it is based on both. Hence referring to both is a condition of faith, and this is why Allah says f(if you [truly] believe in Allah and the Last Day﴿. This indicates that whoever does not refer to them concerning controversial matters is not really a believer; rather he is a believer in taghoot, as mentioned in the following verse.

﴾that﴿, namely referring to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) ﴾is better and more seemly in the end﴿, because the ruling of Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) is the best and most just of rulings, and is in the best interests of people in their religious and worldly affairs and in the hereafter.

4:60. Have you not seen those who claim to believe in the Revelation sent down to you [O Muhammad], and in that which was sent down before your time, yet they want to refer for judgementto taghoot,^{1In this context, taghoot refers to any set of laws or legislation other than Islamic Sharia.} even though they were commanded to reject it? Shaytan wants to lead them far astray.

4:61. When it is said to them: Come to the Revelation that Allah has sent down, and to the Messenger, - you see the hypocrites turn away from you with aversion.

4:62. How will it be, if calamity befalls them because of the deeds which their own hands have sent forth? Then they will come to you, swearing by Allah: We only wanted to do good and bring about reconciliation!

4:63. Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts; so turn away from them, but admonish them, and speak to them a word to reach their very souls.

Here Allah tells His slaves how strange the situation of the hypocrites is, ﴾those who claim﴿ to believe in that which the Messenger has brought and what came before it, yet despite that, ﴾they want to refer for judgement to taghoot﴿. This word refers to anyone who judges by something other than that which Allah has revealed. This is at the time when ﴾they were commanded to reject it﴿, so how can this be reconciled with faith? For faith requires submission to the laws of Allah and acceptance of His ruling in all affairs. Hence the one who claims to be a believer, but chooses the ruling of taghoot over the ruling of Allah, is lying. This is one of the ways in which the Shaytan misguides them; hence Allah says: ﴾Shaytan wants to lead them far astray﴿ from the truth.

﴾How)﴿ will the situation of these misguided ones be ﴾if calamity befalls them because of the deeds which their own hands have sent forth﴿, namely their sins, which include referring for judgement to taghoot?﴾Then they will come to you﴿ apologising for what they have done, saying: 4fWe only wanted to do good and bring about reconciliation!﴿ that is, our only intention in doing that was to be kind to both disputing parties and bring about reconciliation between them. But they are lying, because the best of good deeds is to refer to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) for judgement.

﴾...But who could be better in judgement than Allah, for a people who are certain in faith?﴿ (al-Ma’idah 5: 50)

Hence Allah says: ﴾Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts﴿ of hypocrisy and bad intentions ﴾so turn away from them﴿ that is, do not worry about them and do not react to anything that they do or say

♦(but admonish them﴿ that is, explain to them the ruling of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), encourage them to submit to Him and warn them against not doing so ﴾and speak to them a word to reach their very souls﴿ that is, advise them in private, between you and them, for that is more likely to succeed, and be extremely emphatic in rebuking them and stopping them from what they are doing. This indicates that the one who commits sins, even if he is to be overlooked publicly, is to be admonished privately in the sternest terms, in whatever manner is thought most likely to achieve the goal.

4:64. We did not send any Messenger except to be obeyed by Allah’s leave. If only they had, when they wronged themselves, come to you and asked Allah for forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked for forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Accepting of repentance. Most Merciful.

4:65. But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad] judge in all disputes between them, then find in their hearts no reservations about your verdicts, but accept them wholeheartedly.

Here Allah is making a statement which includes the command and encouragement to obey the Messenger (ﷺ), and explains that the purpose behind sending the Messengers was that they should be obeyed; those to whom they were sent should obey them in all that they enjoin and forbid, and respect them as one who obeys respects the one whom he obeys.

This is confirmation of the infallibility of the Messengers with regard to that which they convey from Allah, and in all that they enjoin and forbid, because Allah has enjoined obedience to them in general terms. Were it not for the fact that they are infallible and do not enjoin anything wrong, obedience to them would not have been prescribed in general terms.

(-[by Allah’s leave﴿ that is, the obedience of the one who obeys comes about by the will and decree of Allah. This is an affirmation of the divine will and decree, and encouragement to seek the help of Allah. It also tells us that no one can obey the Messenger (ﷺ) unless Allah helps him.

Then Allah tells us of His great generosity and munificence, and His call to the one who commits evil deeds to admit it, repent and seek the forgiveness of Allah.

﴾If only they had, when they wronged themselves, come to you﴿ that is, admitting their sins with humility﴾and asked Allah for forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked for forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful﴿ that is. He would have accepted their repentance and forgiven their wrongdoing; He would have shown them mercy by accepting their repentance, enabling them to repent and rewarding them for doing so. This coming to the Messenger (ﷺ) was applicable only during his lifetime, because this is what is indicated by the context; the Messenger’s prayers for forgiveness could only happen as long as he was alive. After his death he is not to be asked for anything; in fact that comes under the heading of ascribing a partner to Allah (shirk).

Then Allah swears by His divine Self that they will not be believers until they refer for judgement to His Messenger (ﷺ) in all their disputes, that is in all matters concerning which there is disagreement. This is unlike matters concerning which there is consensus, because consensus can only be based on Qur’an and Sunnah. Moreover, referring matters to the judgement of Sharia cannot be sufficient until there are no reservations whatsoever in their hearts and they refer to it in a state of full submission. Furthermore, that cannot be sufficient until they accept His ruling wholeheartedly, willingly and with submission both outward and inward.

Referring to the rule of Sharia reflects the soundness of one’s commitment to Islam; having no reservations about it reflects the soundness of one’s faith; and acceptance of it reflects the soundness of one’s ihsan. Whoever attains soundness in all these matters, his commitment to religion is sound in all aspects; whoever turns away from this ruling, not accepting it, is a disbeliever; and whoever turns away even though he accepts it in principle, comes under the same rulings as other sinners like him.

4:66. If We were to instruct them: Kill yourselves, or: Leave your homes, they would not do so, except for a few of them. But if they did what they were instructed to do, it would indeed be better for them, and would increase them in steadfastness;

4:67. And then We would indeed grant them an immense reward of Our own;

4:68. and We would indeed guide them to a straight path.

Here Allah tells us that if He were to instruct them to do something that people find very difficult, such as killing themselves or leaving their homes, none would it do it except a few of them. Therefore they should be grateful to Him that what He has instructed them to do is easy for everyone, and is not difficult to do.

This indicates that one should think of the hardships and difficulties that He could have put him through, so that he will realise that the enjoined acts of worship are in fact very easy, and this will increase him in praise and gratitude to his Lord.

Then Allah states that they should do what they are exhorted to do, which is what is enjoined as a regular practice at various times, focusing on it properly and doing their best to carry it out perfectly, not letting themselves be distracted by other issues that are out of reach and are not expected of them. So each individual should focus on what he is expected to do here and now, and strive to do it perfectly; then gradually he will advance until he reaches the level of knowledge andaction that is decreed for him in both his spiritual and worldly affairs. This is in contrast to the one who aspires to a level that is beyond his reach and that is not yet enjoined upon him, for he will hardly be able to reach that level because he lacks focus, is lazy and does not have the necessary energy. Then Allah tells us that four good consequences will result from doing what they are instructed to do:

1 - Attaining goodness or that which is better: ﴾it would indeed be better for them﴿ that is, then they would be among the people who acquire those good qualities by doing the good deeds that they are instructed to do, by means of which they will avoid the qualities of bad people, because the affirmation of a thing is the negation of its opposite.

2- Becoming steadfast and increasing in steadfastness. Allah makes those who believe steadfast because of the faith they have, which prompts them to do what they are instructed and exhorted to do. Thus He makes them steadfast in the life of this world, when there arise confusion and discouragement regarding the commands and prohibitions, as well as calamities. Hence they become steadfast and are helped and guided to do that which is enjoined and to refrain from that which is forbidden, which is what is required of them. And at times of calamity, which it is hard for people to go through, they will be guided and helped to be steadfast and patient, and to accept (the divine decree) or show gratitude.

Help from Allah will come down to enable them achieve that and to make them steadfast in adhering to their religion, at the time of death, and in the grave.

Moreover, the one who does that which is enjoined upon him keeps training himself to adhere to the teachings of Islam until that becomes second nature to him, and it becomes something very dear to him. That will also help him to be steadfast in doing acts of worship and obedience.3- ﴾And then We would indeed grant them an immense reward of Our own﴿ that is, in this world and in the hereafter, both spiritual and physical, as well as the everlasting delights of paradise, which no eye has ever seen, no ear has heard, and it has not crossed the mind of any human.

4- Guidance to the straight path: this is a general statement after having mentioned something specific, because of the virtue of guidance to the straight path, which includes knowledge of the truth, love thereof, giving it precedence and acting upon it. All happiness and success depends on that, so the one who is guided to the straight path has been helped to do all that is good and has been protected from every kind of evil.

4:69. Those who obey Allah and the Messenger are the ones who will be with those whom Allah has blessed of the Prophets, the strong and true in faith, the martyrs and the righteous; what excellent companions these are!

4:70. That grace is from Allah; and sufficient is Allah as Knower."

That is, everyone - male or female, young or old - who obeys Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), according to his situation and what is required of him, these «fare the ones who will be with those whom Allah has blessed﴿. This refers to the great blessing which leads to perfection, success and happiness﴾of the Prophets﴿ to whom Allah gave precedence by means of His revelation and by sending them as Messengers to His creation to call them to Allah (tic).

﴾the strong and true in faith﴿ - they are the ones who reached the highest level of belief in that which the Messengers brought; they recognised the truth and were certain of it, and they acted in accordance with it in word and deed, in attitude, and in calling others to Allah ﴾the martyrs﴿ who fought in Allah’s cause so that the word of Allah would be supreme, and were killed f﴾and the righteous﴿ - those who were righteous both outwardly and inwardly, thus their deeds became righteous. Anyone who obeys Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will be with these people and one of their number ﴾what excellent companions these are!﴿ And how excellent it will be to be with them in the gardens of bliss, and to have the joy of their company, in nearness to the Lord of the worlds.

﴾That grace﴿ which they attain ﴾is from Allah﴿, for He is the One Who guided them to that, helped them to attain it, and granted them reward far greater than their deeds deserve ﴾and sufficient is Allah as Knower﴿ - He knows the condition of His slaves and who among them is deserving of this great reward because of the righteous deeds that he did with all sincerity.

'.4.

4:71. O you who believe! Take your precautions, then either go forth [on military expeditions] in small groups or go forth all together.

4:72. There is certainly among you he who would lag behind [and not join the expedition], then if calamity strikes you, he will say: Allah has blessed me in that I was not present with them.

4:73. And if some bounty comes to you from Allah, he will certainly say as if there had never been any friendship between you and him: Would that I had been with them; I would have made great gains!

4:74. Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. For the one who fights in the cause of Allah, whether he is slain or attains victory, soon We will grant him an immense reward.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructs His believing slaves to take precautions against their disbelieving enemies. That includes using all means that will help them to fight them and ward off their attacks, such as: constructing fortifications and ditches; learning how to shoot and ride; learning other skills that will help to achieve that; learning all means of finding out about their comings and goings and their plans; and mobilising in Allah’s cause.

Hence He says: ﴾then either go forth [on military expeditions] in small groups﴿ that is, separately, so that one company or battalion goes out and others stay behind

﴾or go forth all together﴿. All of that is to be determined according to what will best achieve the purpose, lead to the defeat of the enemy and support the Muslims and their religion. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:﴾Make ready against them all that you can of [military] power.

Then He speaks of those who are weak in faith and reluctant to engage in jihad: ﴾There is certainly among you﴿, O believers, ﴾fhe who would lag behind﴿ this refers to those who lack energy and motivation to engage in jihad in Allah’s cause because of weakness, lethargy and cowardice. This is the correct interpretation.

It was also suggested that the Arabic wording of this phrase may mean that they cause others to lag behind; in other words, they discourage others from fighting. This refers to the hypocrites. However, the former view is more likely to be correct, for two reasons:

1- The phrase ﴾among you]j; this is addressed to the believers.

2- In the following verse, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾as if there had never been any friendship between you and him﴿. Allah has severed any bond of friendship between the disbelievers, both polytheists and hypocrites, and the believers. Moreover, this reflects reality, because the believers fall into two groups: (i) those who are sincere in their faith, whose sincerity stemmed from strong belief and was proven in jihad; and (ii) those who were weak, who had entered Islam but their faith was weak and they were not strong enough to engage in jihad, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere:

﴾The Bedouin say: We believe. Say: You have not [yet] believed. Rather you should say: We have submitted [in Islam], for faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract from the reward of any of your deeds... b (al-Hujurat 49: 14)

Then He mentions the aims of these people who are reluctant to join in jihad and what they care about most; their main aim is worldly interests and accumulation of wealth.﴾then if calamity﴿ namely defeat and being slain, and the enemy gaining the upper hand in some situations, for reasons known only to Allah

﴾strikes you, he﴿ that is, the one who lags behind, ﴾will say: Allah has blessed me in that I was not present with them﴿. Because of their lack of reason and weakness of faith, they think that staying behind and not taking part in the jihad in which this calamity occurred is a blessing; they do not realise that the true blessing is being guided and helped to do this great act of obedience by means of which faith is strengthened, and the individual is saved from punishment and loss, attains great reward and earns the good pleasure of Allah, the Most Generous, the Bestower. As for lagging behind, even if it does bring a little ease, it will be followed by lengthy toil and great pain, and will lead to missing out on that which is attained by those who engage in jihad.

﴾And if some bounty comes to you from Allah's that is, victory and booty

﴾he will certainly say - as if there had never been any friendship between you and him; Would that I had been with them; I would have made great gains!﴿ That is, he will wish that he had been present so that he could have gotten some of the booty; he has no other desire or aim apart from that. It is as if he was not one of you, O believers, and between you and him there is no friendship based on faith, the nature of which dictates that the believers should be united in all that is in their best interests and will ward off harm from them; they rejoice when their aims are attained, even if that happens at the hands of other brothers in faith, and they feel pain when that does not happen; they strive all together in any effort that is aimed at achieving their interests, both religious and worldly. But this one who wishes only for worldly gain does not have that spirit of faith.

By His kindness towards His slaves, Allah does not cut them off completely from His mercy and He does not close that door to them;rather in the case of one who behaves in a manner that is not befitting, He calls him to make up for his shortcomings and mend his ways. Hence He instructed these people to be sincere and to go out and strive in His cause: ﴾Let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the hereafter﴿. This is one of the opinions concerning the meaning of this verse, and it is the soundest opinion.

It was also suggested that what is meant is: let the believers whose faith is complete and sincere strive in the cause of Allah, namely ﴾those ... who sell the life of this world for the hereafter﴿ that is, they sell this world and turn away from it, seeking the hereafter instead.

These are the ones to whom these words are addressed, because they are the ones who have prepared themselves and are ready to strive in jihad against the enemy, because of the perfect faith which prompts them to do that.

As for those who lag behind, no one should worry about them, whether they go out or stay behind, because this is like the verse in which Allah says:

﴾Say: Believe in it, or do not believe. Verily, those who were given knowledge before it,^{1Namely the People of the Book (Jews and Christians).} when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in prostration.﴿ (al-hra 17:107)

﴾...If these people [the Makkans] disbelieve therein, then We have entrusted it to a people who do not disbelieve therein.﴿ (al-An am 6. 89)

﴾For the one who fights in the cause of Allah﴿, on condition that it is a type of jihad that is enjoined by Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), and that the individual’s intention is sincerely for the sake of Allah alone, seeking His Countenance,

﴾whether he is slain or attains victory, soon We will grant him an immense reward﴿ namely increased faith and religious commitment, booty, being highly spoken of, and the reward of those who strive injihad in Allah’s cause that Allah has prepared for them in paradise, which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it crossed the mind of man.

4:75. And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and for the oppressed men, women, and children who say: Our Lord! Bring us forth from this city, whose people are wrongdoers; give us by Your grace a protector and give us by Your grace a helper?

Here Allah encourages His believing slaves to fight in His cause and informs them that this is an individual obligation for them, and He criticises heavily those among them who refrain from doing that, as He says ﴾And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah﴿ at the time when the oppressed men, women and children, who have no means in their power and do not know where to go (cf 4: 98), have suffered the greatest oppression from their enemies as a result.

So they (the oppressed believers) are calling upon Allah to bring them out of this city whose people are wronging themselves by disbelieving and ascribing partners to Allah, and they are wronging the believers by persecuting them, trying to bar them from the path of Allah, and preventing them from calling others to their religion and migrating. And they are calling upon Allah to give them a supporter and helper, to save them from this city whose people are wrongdoers. Because of this situation, their jihad is one of fighting and defending their families, children and relatives; it is not a jihad initiated by theMuslims for the purpose of defeating the disbelievers. Even though there is great virtue in that, and the one who stays behind from that jihad is to be rebuked in the strongest terms, jihad that is aimed at saving the oppressed is greater in reward and is more beneficial, because it is warding off the enemy.

4:76. Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of taghoot.^{1In this context, tzghoot refers to Shaytan.} So fight against the allies of Shaytan; feeble indeed is the scheming of Shaytan.

Here Allah tells us that the believers fight in His cause, ﴾and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of taghoot﴿ that is, the Shaytan. We learn a number of lessons from this:

• The individual’s participation in jihad is commensurate with his level of faith in Allah, sincerity and commitment. Jihad in Allah’s cause is one of the signs, requirements and results of faith, just as fighting in the cause of taghoot is one of the branches and results of disbelief.

• The one who fights in Allah’s cause is expected to show patience and perseverance to a degree that others do not have. If the supporters of Shaytan can persevere with patience and fight, even though they follow falsehood, then it is more appropriate that the people of truth should do that, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾lf you are suffering hardships, they are also suffering hardships;

but you hope for something from Allah that they cannot hope

• The one who fights in Allah’s cause is relying on a strong foundation, for he has truth on his side and he puts his trust in Allah. The one who is in a position of power and has a strong support is expected to persevere with patience and energy in a manner that is not expected of one who fights to defend falsehood that has no basis in reality and for which no good outcome can be expected. Hence Allah says: ﴾So fight against the allies of Shaytan; feeble indeed is the scheming of Shaytan ﴿.

The word translated here as ﴾schemingjj refers to using hidden ways to harm the enemy. But no matter how far the scheming of the Shaytan may go, it is ultimately weak, as it cannot stand up to anything of the truth or to the support of Allah for His believing slaves.

4:77. Have you not seen those to whom it was said: Restrain your hands [from fighting], establish regular prayer and give zakah? But then when fighting was ordained for them, some of them feared men as much as they feared Allah or even more. They said: Our Lord! Why have You ordained fighting for us? Could You not have given us a brief respite? Say: The enjoyment of this world is short-lived; the hereafter will be better for one whofears Allah. You will never be wronged even by as much as the thread in the groove of a date stone.

4:78. Wherever you are, death will overtake you, even if you are in fortified towers!...

When the Muslims were in Makkah, they were instructed to pray and give zakah in the sense of helping the poor, not the well-known zakah that becomes due when a minimum threshold of wealth is reached and its conditions are met; that zakah was not enjoined until after they migrated to Madinah. Also, they were not instructed to fight in jihad against their enemies, for a number of reasons:

• By His wisdom, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) prescribed laws and acts of worship for His slaves in a way that would not be difficult for them; so He started with the most important then the next most important, and the easiest then the next easiest.

• If He had enjoined them to fight when they were few in number and lacking resources, whilst their enemies were numerous, that would have led to the destruction of Islam. Therefore the greatest interest of Islam was given precedence over lesser interests; and there were others reasons.

Some of the believers wished that fighting would be enjoined upon them at that stage, but it was not appropriate at that time. Rather what was appropriate was to do what they were instructed to do at that time, such as affirming the oneness of Allah, praying, giving charity and so on, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said: ﴾But if they did what they were instructed to do, it would indeed be better for them, and would increase them in steadfastness﴿ (4: 66).

Then when they migrated to Madinah and Islam grew stronger, fighting was prescribed for them at the appropriate time.

Some of those who had wanted to hasten the matter of fighting before that said, out of fear of the people and weakness: ﴾Our Lord! Why have You ordained fighting for us?﴿. This was an expressionof their resentment towards the ruling of jihad and their objection to Allah. It is as if they should have done the opposite of that, namely submitting to the command of Allah and showing patience in heeding His commands. But (when it was prescribed) they did the opposite of what was required of them and said: ﴾Could You not have given us a brief respite?﴿. That is, why was the command to fight not delayed until some other time? This is the attitude of many people who are not mature in their way of thinking and tend to be hasty, but are most likely not to be able to show patience when the time comes and are unable to shoulder responsibility; rather they are lacking in patience.

Then Allah admonishes them not to adopt such an attitude which leads to them staying behind and not joining the fight: ﴾Say: The enjoyment of this world is short-lived; the hereafter will be better for one who fears Allah﴿ that is, the time for enjoying pleasure and ease in this world is short; putting up with some difficulty in doing acts of worship and obedience to Allah for a short time is something that is easy to do, because if you know that the difficulty you are facing will not last for long, that makes it easier to bear. So how about if you compare this world and the hereafter? For the hereafter is better than this world in and of itself, and with regard to its pleasures and how long it will endure.

In and of itself, it is as the Prophet (ﷺ) said in the sound hadith: «A space the size of a whip in paradise is better than this world and everything in it.» (Bukhari and Muslim)

In and of itself, it is pure and free of any annoyance. Whatever pleasure of any kind that may cross one’s mind, the pleasure of paradise is superior to it, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾No soul knows what is kept hidden in store for them of delight as a reward for what they used to do.﴿ (as-Sajdah 32: 17)

And Allah said on the lips of His Prophet (ﷺ):«I have prepared for My righteous slaves that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it ever crossed the mind of man.» (Bukhari and Muslim)

As for the pleasures of this world, they are mixed with all kinds of annoyances and troubles which, if you compare the pleasures of this world with what accompanies them of pain, worry and distress, you will find that the distress outweighs the pleasure.

With regard to time, this world will come to an end and man’s lifespan - in comparison to this world - is very short. But the hereafter is eternal bliss in which its people will abide forever. If the wise person thinks about these two realms and envisages them properly, he will realise which should take precedence, and which he should seek and strive for. Hence Allah says: «jthe hereafter will be better for one who fears Allah﴿ that is, one who avoids ascribing partners to Him and all other prohibited actions.

f﴾You will never be wronged even by as much as the thread in the groove of a date stone﴿ that is, what you did of striving for the hereafter you will find complete, with nothing missing from it.

Then Allah tells us that erring on the side of caution will not save you from what He has decreed, and that staying behind will not ward off any harm (that is decreed):

﴾Wherever you are, death will overtake you﴿ that is, at any time and in any place ﴾even if you are in fortified towers﴿ that is, strong fortresses and high places.

All of this is to encourage striving in jihad in Allah’s cause, sometimes by highlighting its virtues and reward, sometimes by warning about the punishment for not doing it, sometimes by pointing out that those who stayed behind will not benefit from doing so, and sometimes by making it easy to do it.4:78. ... If some good befalls them, they say: This is from Allah; but if misfortune befalls them, they say: This is from you [O Muhammad]. Say: All things are from Allah. But what is the matter with these people, that they can hardly understand a word?

4:79. Whatever good befalls you is from Allah; but whatever misfortune befalls you is from yourself. We have sent you [O Muhammad] to humankind as a Messenger. And sufficient is Allah as a witness.

Here Allah tells us about those who do not know, those who turn away from what the Messengers brought and oppose them: if something good comes to them, such as a good harvest, abundant wealth, many offspring and good health, they say: f]This is from Allah﴿. But if something bad befalls them, such as drought, poverty, sickness, or the death of their children and loved ones, they say: ﴾This is from you [O Muhammad]﴿ that is, because of that which you have brought us, O Muhammad (ﷺ).

They regarded the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as ‘inauspicious’ or an ‘evil omen’, just as others of their ilk did with the previous Messengers of Allah. Allah tells us that the people of Pharaoh said to Moosa:﴾Whenever good fortune came their way, they said: This is our due. But when bad fortune befell them, they ascribed it to the evil auspices of Moosa and those who were with him... ]? (al-A 'raf7:131)

The people of Salih said:

﴾f...We regard you and those who are with you as an evil omen...﴿

The people mentioned in Soorat Ya Seen said to their Messengers:

.. .We regard you as an evil omen. If you do not desist, we will surely

Because they shared a common disbelief, their words and deeds were similar. All those who attributed the occurrence of bad things or the disappearance of good things to that which the Messengers brought, or part of it, were included in this stem rebuke.

In response to them, Allah said: ﴾Say: All things﴿ both good and bad, ﴾are from Allah﴿ that is, they happen by His will and decree, and His power of creation.

﴾But what is the matter with these people﴿ that is those who uttered these false words

﴾that they can hardly understand a word?﴿ That is, they do not understand anything at all and they do not even come close to understanding it, or they only have a little understanding of it.

Whatever the case, this is a criticism and a rebuke addressed to them for their failure to understand what Allah and His Messenger say. That is because of their disbelief and turning away. This is implicit praise for the one who does understand what Allah and His Messenger say, and it is encouragement to do so and to look for means that will help to achieve that, such as focusing on their words and pondering them, and taking measures to understand them. If they had understood what Allah said, they would have realised that both good and bad, good deeds and bad deeds, all come about by the will and decree of Allah, and no one is excluded from that; the Messengers are not thecause of anything bad and neither is the message they brought, because they were sent for the good of people in this world and the hereafter, and for the good of their religious commitment.

﴾Whatever good befalls you﴿ in terms of both spiritual and worldly interests

﴾is from Allah﴿ it is He Who blesses with it and makes means of attaining it easy.

﴾but whatever misfortune befalls you﴿ in terms of both spiritual and worldly interests

﴾is from yourself﴿ that is, because of your sins and what you have earned, but what Allah forgives is far greater.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has opened the gates of kindness to His slaves, and He has commanded them to implement the means that will lead to His bounty and grace. He informs them that sins form an impediment to His grace, so if a person commits sins, he has no one to blame but himself, because he is preventing himself from attaining the bounty and grace of Allah.

Then Allah tells us of the universal nature of the message of His Messenger Muhammad (jig):

f﴾ We have sent you [O Muhammad] to humankind as a Messenger. And sufficient is Allah as a witness﴿ that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), because of what He has given you of His support, powerful miracles and clear proof. This is the greatest testimony of all, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere:

﴾Say: Whose testimony carries the most weight? Say: It is Allah’s; He is witness between me and you...﴿ (al-An 'dm 6: 19)

Thus we realise that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is perfect in knowledge, perfect in power, and great in wisdom; Allah supported His Messenger (ﷺ) and granted him great victories, by virtue of which we may be certain that he is the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

4:80. Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah. But if any turn away, We have not sent you to be their keeper.

4:81. They profess obedience, but as soon as they leave you, some of them plot in secret something other than what you advocate. Allah records all their plots, so ignore them, and put your trust in Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a disposer of affairs.

That is, everyone who obeys the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with regard to what he enjoins and what he prohibits ﴾has obeyed Allah﴿, because the Messenger (ﷺ) does not enjoin anything or forbid anything except in accordance with the commands, laws, inspiration and Revelation of Allah. This proves that the Messenger (ﷺ) is infallible, because Allah has enjoined obedience to him in all cases; were it not that he is infallible in all that he conveys from Allah, Allah would not have enjoined us to obey him in all cases and praised him for that.

This is one of the rights that are shared by Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ)- There are three types of rights: rights of Allah Os) alone, which are not shared with any of His creation, namely worshipping Allah alone, turning to Him alone, and so on; rights which belong exclusively to the Messenger (ﷺ), such as respecting him, honouring him and helping him; and rights that are shared by both, such as believing in Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), loving them both and obeying them both, as Allah mentioned in the verse:﴾So that you [O people] may believe in Allah and His Messenger, and support and honour him, and glorify Allah morning and afternoon.﴿

So whoever obeys the Messenger (ﷺ) has obeyed Allah, and he will have the reward that results from obedience to Allah. ﴾But if any turn away﴿ from obedience to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), he harms only himself and he does not harm Allah in the slightest t-fWe have not sent you to be their keeper﴿ that is, to record their deeds and condition; rather We have sent you to convey, explain and give sincere advice. You have done what was required of you and your reward is due from Allah, whether they are guided or not, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾So admonish [O Muhammad], for you are but sent to admonish; you have no power over them.﴿ (al-Ghashtvah 88: 21-22)

It is essential that obedience to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) be both outward and inward, in the presence of the Prophet and otherwise. If anyone makes an outward show of obedience and commitment in his presence, then when he is on his own or with others of his ilk, he fails to be obedient and does the opposite, then the outward obedience that he shows is of no benefit whatsoever, and he is more like those of whom Allah says: ﴾They profess obedience﴿ that is, they make an outward display of obedience when they are with you (O Prophet [«^g]),

﴾but as soon as they leave you﴿ that is, depart and go somewhere where no one can see them, ﴾some of them plot in secret something other than what you advocate﴿ that is, they plan in secret something contrary to obedience to you; in that case it can be nothing other than disobedience and sin.

﴾some of them plot in secret something other than what you advocate﴿ - these words indicate that what they have decided to do is something other than obedience, because they are planning in secret to do something that they have already decided upon.

Then Allah issues a warning to those who do that: ﴾Allah records all their plots﴿ that is, He is recording it against them and He will requite them for it in full. This is a warning to them.

Then He instructs His Messenger (ﷺ) to respond by ignoring them and not to rebuke them, for they will not harm him in the slightest if he puts his trust in Allah and seeks His help in supporting His religion and establishing His laws. Hence He says: ﴾so ignore them, and put your trust in Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a disposer of affairs﴿.

AjijJo-j) jji.j 2$ ^

4:82. Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an? If it had been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many contradictions.

Here Allah enjoins pondering His Book, which means contemplating the meaning and studying its principles and lessons intensely, along with whatever helps to achieve that aim. Pondering the Book of Allah is the key to knowledge, and all that is good and all types of knowledge may be found therein. By doing that, faith will increase and become deeply rooted in the heart.

For the Qur’an teaches us about the Lord whom we worship, and His attributes of perfection, and that He is to be declared above all shortcomings. It sets out for us the route that leads to Him and describes the characteristics of the people who follow it, and what they will attain when they come to Him. It informs us of our real enemy and tells us of the path that will lead to punishment, and describes the characteristics of the people who follow it and how they will be dealt with when there is a reason for which they should be punished.

The more we ponder the Book, the more we will increase in knowledge, good deeds and insight. Hence Allah has enjoined and encouraged doing so, and He tells us that this is the purpose for which the Qur’an was revealed, as He says elsewhere:

﴾This is a blessed Book that We have sent down to you, so that they may ponder its verses, and so that people of understanding may pay

- and:

﴾Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an, or are there locks on their hearts?﴿ (Muhammad47: 24)

One of the benefits of pondering over the Book of Allah is that it causes the individual to become certain in faith and knowledge that it is the words of Allah, because parts of it confirm other parts, and its parts are in harmony with one another. Hence you will see rulings, stories and narratives repeated in several places in the Qur’an, all of them in harmony, confirming one another and not contradicting one another. Thus it is known that the Qur’an is perfect and that it comes from One Whose knowledge encompasses all things. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾If it had been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many contradictions﴿ that is, because it comes from Allah, there are no contradictions in it at all.

4:83. When they hear any news, whether it is of a reassuring or disquieting nature, they make it known to all and sundry, whereas if they referred it to the Messenger and those in authority amongthem, those who sought news could learn it from them. Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah towards you, all but a few of you would have followed Shaytan.

Here Allah chides His slaves for doing something that is not befitting, and teaches them that when news comes to them of any important matter and any matter that affects the public interest and has to do with reassurance and the joy of the believers, or some disquieting matter that may signal bad news, they must verify it and not hasten to spread that news. Rather they must refer to the Messenger (ﷺ) and to the people in authority, people of wisdom, knowledge, sincerity, reason and maturity, who know about things and what is and is not in the public interest.

Then if it is determined that there is some interest to be served by broadcasting the news, and that it will encourage the believers and make them happy, or it will alert the Muslims to some plot of their enemies, in that case they may go ahead and broadcast the news. But if they determine that there is no interest to be served, or that there is some slight interest but the harm it will cause outweighs that interest, then they should not broadcast it. Hence Allah says: ﴾those who sought news could learn it from them﴿ that is, because they will be learning it from those who have examined the matter on the basis of their mature thinking and knowledge.

This points to a basic principle of manners and attitude, which is that if there is to be a discussion concerning any matter, it should be referred to those who are qualified to discuss it, and no one should try to pre-empt them, because this is more likely to develop the right understanding of the issue and to lead to sound decision-making and avoidance of error. It also indicates that it is not allowed to be hasty in spreading news as soon as it is heard; rather what is enjoined is to think about it and see whether it is beneficial, in which case one may go ahead and broadcast it, otherwise one should refrain from doing so.

Then Allah says: ﴾Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah towards you﴿ that is, in guiding you, and teaching you proper etiquette, and teaching you that which you did not know,

﴾all but a few of you would have followed Shaytan﴿ because man by nature is prone to wrongdoing and ignorance, and his own self only prompts him to do evil. But if he turns to his Lord, seeks His protection and strives hard in doing so, his Lord will be kind to him, guide him to all that is good and protect him from the accursed Shaytan.

4:84. So fight [O Muhammad] in Allah’s cause; you are accountable only for yourself. But urge the believers [to fight]. It may be that Allah will curb the might of those who disbelieve; for Allah is strongest in might and severest in punishment.

This is the best state that a person can be in, when he strives to make himself comply with the commands of Allah concerning jihad and otherw ise, and to urge others to do likewise. A person may not be able to achieve one or both of these things, hence Allah says to His Messenger (ﷺ): ﴾So fight [O Muhammad] in Allah’s cause; you are accountable only for yourself﴿ that is, you have no power over anyone else, so you will never be held accountable for the deeds of anyone else.

﴾But urge the believers﴿ to fight. This includes everything that encourages the believers to be active and strengthens their resolve, by highlighting their strength and telling them that the enemy is weak and bound to fail, as well as reminding them of what Allah has prepared of reward for those who fight, and the punishment incurred by thosewho lag behind. All of these matters and others are part of encouraging the believers to fight.

﴾It may be that Allah will curb the might of those who disbelieve﴿ that is, by means of your fighting them in Allah’s cause and urging one another to do so.

﴾for Allah is strongest in mighty that is, in power and strength ﴾and severest in punishment﴿ of the sinner; He punishes the sinner himself so that he will be a lesson for others. If He had so willed, He could have defeated the disbelievers by his might and power, and not left a trace of them. But by His wisdom He tests some of His slaves by means of others, so that the principle of jihad will be established and beneficial faith will flourish thereby, that faith which is based on choice, not that which is based on coercion and force, which is of no benefit at all.

4:85. Whoever mediates in a good cause will have a share in the reward thereof, but whoever mediates in a bad cause will have a share in the burden of sin thereof. And Allah has control over all things.

What is meant by mediation here is helping in some matter. Whoever joins another person and they both strive in some good cause - which includes mediating for the oppressed with the one who is oppressing them - will have a share in the reward thereof, according to his efforts, striving and results, without that detracting anything from the reward of the one who initiated the matter or took it upon himself. But whoever helps someone else in doing evil will have aburden of sin commensurate with what he did and helped with. This offers a great deal of encouragement to cooperate in righteousness and piety, and it is a stem warning against cooperating in sin and transgression. This is affirmed by the words of Allah: ﴾And Allah has control over all things﴿ that is, He is a witness Who is always watching, taking careful account of these deeds and He will requite each person as he deserves.

4:86. When you are given a greeting, respond with a better greeting, or [at least] with the like thereof. Verily, Allah takes careful account of all things.

The greeting is that which is spoken by one of the two who meet one another, by way of honouring and praying for the other, along with what accompanies that of smiles and so on.

The best and most sublime of greetings is that which is taught by Islam of initiating and returning the greeting of salam. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructs the believers that when they are greeted in any manner, they should give a response that is better than it in terms of wording, smiles and so on. What we may understand from this is that it is not allowed to refrain from returning the greeting altogether or to return it with something less than it.

From this verse we learn that initiating the greeting of salam is encouraged on the basis of two things:

1- Allah instructs us to respond to the greeting with something better than it or (at least) equal to it. This implies that initiating the greeting is required according to Islamic teaching.

2- The fact that it refers to something better indicates that participating in giving then returning the greeting is a good thing.

However there is an exception to the general meaning of the verse, which is when someone greets another in a situation where it is not enjoined to return the greeting, such as if that person is busy reading Qur’an, listening to a khutbah, praying, and the like; in that case he is not required to respond to the greeting. A similar exception is made in the case of one whom the Lawgiver has instructed us to shun and not greet, namely the repentant sinner who may be deterred by shunning. He is to be shunned and not greeted, and his greeting is not to be returned, because doing so would undermine the general interest that may be achieved by shunning him.

Returning the greeting includes every greeting that is customary among the people and is not forbidden according to Islamic teachings; we are enjoined to return such greetings with a greeting that is equal to or better than it.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) issues promises and warnings connected to doing good deeds or bad deeds respectively, as He says: ﴾Verily, Allah takes careful account of all things﴿, so He records all people’s deeds, both good and bad, small and great, then He will requite them as dictated by His grace, justice and rulings.

4jLi' dri Cr*J :

4:87. Allah: there is no god but He. He will surely gather you all together on the Day of Resurrection, of which there is no doubt. Who is truer in word than Allah?

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that He is One and that there is no god or object of worship except Him, because He is perfect in His essence and attributes, and because the power of creation and control is exclusively His, and all blessings, both apparent and hidden, come from Him alone.

This requires that one should worship Him and to draw near to Him by means of all kinds of servitude to Him, because He alone is deserving of that and He is the One Who will requite His slaves for what they do or do not do of submitting themselves to Him. Hence He swore that this requital will indeed come to pass, and on the Day of Resurrection, as He says: ﴾He will surely gather you all together﴿ that is, the first of you and the last of you, in one place.

﴾jon the Day of Resurrection, of which there is no doubt﴿ that is, there is no doubt concerning it whatsoever, on the basis of both rational and textual evidence. Rational evidence is found in what we witness of the revival of the earth after it was dead, and from the initial creation of the universe, and its recreation will be easier. In terms of wisdom, Allah definitely did not create anything in vain, for no reason, merely to live and then die. As for textual evidence, it is the fact that the Most Truthful One tells us of that, and indeed swears to it. Hence He says: ﴾Who is truer in word than Allah?﴿

Similarly, He instructed His Messenger (ﷺ) to swear to that in more than one place in the Qur'an, as in the verse in which He says: ﴾Those who disbelieve claim that that they will never be resurrected. Say: Yes indeed, by my Lord, you will surely be resurrected, then you will surely be informed of all that you have done. And that is easy for Allah.﴿ (al-Taghdbun 64: 7)

﴾ Who is truer in word than Allah?﴿ - Here Allah tells us that His word is of the highest level of truth. Anything that is said concerning belief, knowledge and deeds that is contrary to what Allah has toldus is false, because it goes against the true and certain text, hence it cannot be true.

4:88. What is the matter with you, that you are divided into two parties regarding the hypocrites, when Allah has cast them back [to disbelief] on account of their misdeeds? Do you seek to guide those whom Allah has caused to go astray? For those whom Allah has caused to go astray, you will never find a way [to guide them].

4:89. They wish that you would disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you will be all alike. Therefore do not take any of them as allies [or friends] until they migrate for the sake of Allah. But if they turn away [from Islam], seize them and slay them wherever you find them; and take neither protectors nor helpers from among them.

4:90. Except those who join a people between whom and you there is a treaty [of peace], or come to you with their hearts feeling discomfort at the prospect of fighting either you or their own people. If Allah had willed, He could have given them resolve and they would have fought you. Therefore if they let you be and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then Allah has not granted you any reason [to fight] against them.

4:91. Others you will find who want to be safe from you and safe from their own people, but whenever they are faced anew with temptation to evil, plunge into it headlong. Therefore if they do not let you be and do not offer you peace, and do not restrain their hands [from fighting you], then seize them and slay them wherever you encounter them, for Allah has given you a clear reason [to fight] against them.

What is meant by the hypocrites mentioned in these verses is the hypocrites who appeared outwardly to be Muslims but did not migrate, in addition to being disbelievers. Some confusion about their situation had arisen among the Companions (رضي الله عنهم): some of them felt uneasy about fighting them and severing ties with them because of what they showed of apparent faith, whilst others were aware of their true nature on the basis of their deeds, thus they deemed them disbelievers.

Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) told them that they should not be confused about them or have any doubt; rather their situation was quite clear and there was nothing confusing about it. They were hypocrites who had repeatedly shown their disbelief and - in addition to their disbelief - they wish that you would disbelieve and become like them. Once you understand that this is how they are, ﴾Therefore do not take any of them as allies [or friends]﴿. This requires that you should not love them, because alliances and friendships can only stem from love.

It also requires that you should hate them and regard them as enemies, because the prohibition on anything is a command to do the opposite. This command was something temporary, until theymigrated; if they migrated, they were to be treated like all other Muslims, as the Prophet (ﷺ) applied the rulings of Islam to everyone who had been with him and migrated with him, whether they were truly believers or only making an outward show of faith.

But if they did not migrate and they refused to do so, ﴾seize them and slay them wherever you find them﴿ that is, at any time, in any place. This is part of the evidence which indicates that the prohibition on fighting during the sacred months had been abrogated, as is the view of the majority of scholars. Those who disagree say that these are general texts and are to be interpreted as being subject to the prohibition on fighting during the sacred months.

Then Allah made an exception from fighting the hypocrites, in the case of three groups, two of whom he was instructed to leave alone, and that instruction was confirmed.

The first group was those who joined a people with whom the Muslims had a treaty according to which they would not fight them. Those who joined that group would come under the same ruling as them and thus their lives and property would be protected.

The second group was people whose ﴾hearts [felt] discomfort at the prospect of fighting either you or their own people﴿ that is, they remain as they were and cannot let themselves fight you or fight their own people; they want to refrain from fighting both groups. Allah commanded (the Muslims) not to fight these people either, and He explained the wisdom behind that: ﴾flf Allah had willed, He could have given them resolve and they would have fought you﴿. So there were three possibilities: either they would be with you and fight your enemies, which was not possible in the case of these people, so there remained only the possibility of fighting you alongside their own people or not fighting either side, which is the lesser of two evils as far as you are concerned, for Allah could have given them that resolve to fight against you. So you should accept this blessing and praise your Lord Who restrained them from fighting you when they couldhave done so. Therefore if these people ﴾let you be and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then Allah has not granted you any reason [to fight] against them﴿.

The third group is people who care only for their own interests and they have no respect for you. These are the ones of whom Allah says: ﴾Others﴿) among these hypocrites ﴾you will find who want to be safe from you'﴿ because they are afraid of you ﴾and safe from their own people, but whenever they are faced anew with temptation to evil, plunge into it headlong﴿) that is, they are still persisting in their disbelief and hypocrisy.

So whenever anything happens to them of turmoil and trouble, it blinds them and causes them to rush headlong into trouble, increasing their disbelief and hypocrisy. These people appear outwardly to be like the second group, but in fact they are different from them, because the second group refrains from fighting the believers out of respect towards them, not out of fear for themselves. But this group refrains from fighting them out of fear, not out of respect; rather if they had the opportunity to fight the believers, they would be ready to make the most of it. If they do not show any sign of wanting to refrain from fighting, then they should be fought. Hence Allah says: ﴾Therefore if they do not let you be and do not offer you peace, and do not restrain their hands [from fighting you], then seize them and slay them wherever you encounter them, for Allah has given you a clear reason [to fight] against them﴿ that is: He has given you clear proof that they are transgressing against you and are not seeking peace, so they have no one to blame but themselves.

4:92. Never should a believer kill a believer, unless it be by mistake. Whoever kills a believer by mistake must free a believing slave and pay blood money to the deceased’s family, unless they forgo it as an act of charity. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you, and he was a believer, then the freeing of a believing slave [is enough]. If he belonged to a people between whom and you there is a treaty [of peace], then the blood money should be paid to his family and a believing slave be freed. Anyone who lacks the means to do this must fast for two consecutive months by way of repentance to Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

The wording of the original Arabic indicates that this should never happen; that is, it could not happen and it is not possible that a believer could kill another believer deliberately. This tells us that this prohibition is very serious and that this action is diametrically opposed to faith. Indeed, such a thing can only be done by a disbeliever or an evil doer whose faith is sorely lacking and for whom there is the fear of something even worse than that (namely losing his faith altogether).

True faith prevents the believer from killing his brother with whom Allah has ordained the brotherhood of faith, which involves loving him, taking him as a close friend and ally, and protecting his brother from any harm; what harm could be greater than killing? This is confirmed by the words of the Prophet

«Do not go back to being disbelievers after I am gone, striking one another’s necks.» (Bukhari and Muslim)

Thus it is known that killing is an act of disbelief and is the gravest of major sins after ascribing partners to Allah.

Because the words ﴾Never should a believer kill a believer﴿ are general in meaning and include all situations, and because killing should not be committed by a believer against his brother under any circumstances, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) makes an exception in the case of killing by mistake:

﴾unless it be by mistake﴿ - the one who made a mistake and did not intend to kill is not a sinner and has not transgressed the limits set by Allah. But because he has done a terrible deed which is enough to make the act abhorrent even though he did not intend to do it, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has ordained that he must offer expiation and pay the diyah (blood money), as He says:

﴾Whoever kills a believer by mistake﴿, whether the killer was male or female, free or slave, young or old, of sound mind or insane, Muslim or disbeliever - this may be understood from the word ‘man’ (translated here as ﴾Whoever)?), which is general in meaning. And that applies whether the person killed was male or female, young or old, as may be understood. The killer must ﴾free a believing slave﴿ as expiation for his act, from his own wealth. The slave may be young or old, male or female, healthy or otherwise, according to the view of some of the scholars.

However wisdom dictates that it should not be valid to free a slave who has a physical defect as expiation, because the purpose behind freeing the slave is to benefit the freed slave and put him in control of his own affairs. If he will lose out by being manumitted, and remaining a slave is more beneficial for him, then it is not valid to free him as expiation. Moreover the words ﴾free a slave﴿ may imply that he should be physically sound, because freeing him is for his own benefit, as he will no longer be working for the benefit of someone else. But if he is unable to do beneficial work because ofhis physical problems, then there is no point in freeing him. Think about it and it will become clear.

With regard to the diyah (blood money), it must be paid by the ‘aqilah (male relatives on the father’s side) of the killer in cases of accidental killing and quasi-intentional killing.

﴾fto the deceased’s family﴿ as consolation to them. What is meant by his family here is his heirs, because the heirs inherit what the deceased has left behind, and the blood money is included in what he has left behind. There are many details concerning the blood money, which are discussed in the books of fiqh.

﴾unless they forgo it as an act of charity﴿ that is, unless the heirs of the deceased give charity by letting the killer off, in which case the blood money is waived. This is encouragement to them to pardon the killer, because Allah describes that as charity, and charity is required at all times.

﴾lf the deceased belonged to a people at war with you﴿ that is, disbelievers who are in a state of war against you ﴾fand he was a believer, then the freeing of a believing slave [is enough]﴿ and you do not have to pay blood money to his family, and there is no consideration of their lives and property (because they are at war with the Muslims).

﴾lf he﴿ that is, the victim ﴾belonged to a people between whom and you there is a treaty [of peace], then the blood money should be paid to his family and a believing slave be freed﴿. That is out of consideration for his family, because they come under the treaty. ﴾Anyone who lacks the means to do this﴿ that is, he does not own a slave or have sufficient funds to purchase one, because he is going through financial hardship and does not have any wealth surplus to his maintenance and basic needs from which to ransom a slave ﴾must fast for two consecutive months﴿ that is, he cannot break the fast during this period without an excuse; if he breaks the fast becausehe does have an excuse, then that does not affect the continuity of his fasting, as in the case of sickness, menses and the like. But if he breaks the fast without an excuse, that does interrupt the continuity of his fasting, and he must start fasting all over again.

﴾by way of repentance to Allah﴿ that is, as expiation that Allah has enjoined upon the killer as a way of seeking forgiveness that He has ordained for His slaves, out of mercy towards them, and as a means of expiating for what may have happened of shortcomings and carelessness on their parts, as often happens in the case of accidental killing.

﴾Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise﴿ that is, His knowledge is complete and His wisdom is perfect; nothing the size of a speck of dust, or anything smaller or greater than that, is hidden from Him on earth or in heaven, at any time or in any place. Everything is subject to His wisdom in terms of what He has created and the laws that He has ordained. In fact everything that He has created or prescribed is based on utmost wisdom. By His knowledge and wisdom He has enjoined that the killer must offer expiation that is appropriate to his action; because he was the cause of the loss of a life that was protected according to Allah’s laws, it is appropriate that he should free a slave and liberate him from the bond of servitude to people, so that he may enjoy complete freedom. If he cannot afford to free a slave, then he must fast for two consecutive months, thus freeing himself from enslavement to physical desires and pleasures that prevent a person from attaining eternal bliss, so that he can worship Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) by giving up those desires and drawing closer to Allah.

Allah has made this fasting period so lengthy and difficult, and has required that it be done consecutively, and He has not prescribed feeding the poor in this case, because the latter is not appropriate here. This is in contrast to the expiation for dhihar (a jahili form of divorce in which a man said to his wife, “You are to me as my mother’s back”), which will be discussed in due course, in sha’ Allah.

By His wisdom, Allah enjoined blood money for any killing, even if it is by mistake, to serve as a deterrent and prevent similar cases of killing, by using appropriate means to prevent it.

By His w isdom. He enjoined the ‘aqilah to pay the blood money in the case of accidental killing, according to scholarly consensus, because the killer was not at fault and it is difficult for him to bear the cost of this expensive blood money. Therefore it is appropriate that this should be done by those with whom he has ties of mutual help and support, in order to achieve the public interest and ward off harm from people. (Perhaps this is a motive that would prompt the ‘aqilah to prevent the one whom they have to help with payment of blood money from killing, for fear that they will be burdened with this payment). It also serves to reduce the burden because it is shared by all of them, each according to his means. The payment is also made easier in that it may be spread over three years.

By His wisdom and knowledge, He decreed that the family of the victim should be compensated for their calamity by means of the blood money, which is enjoined upon the family of the killer.

4:93. But whoever kills a believer deliberately, his punishment will be hell, to abide therein forever; Allah will be angry with him, and will curse him, and will prepare for him a grievous punishment.

Before this, Allah stated that no deliberate killing of the believer can be done by another believer, and that such killing is an act of disbelief. Here He mentions the warning to the one who killsdeliberately; it is a warning that makes the heart tremble and causes great distress to people who understand.

There is no greater warning with regard to other major sins, or even anything like it. It is a warning that the recompense for the deed is hell; in other words, this major sin on its own dictates that the one who commits it should be requited in hell, with all its severe punishments, utter humiliation, divine wrath, missing out on triumph and success, and ending up with loss and doom. May Allah protect us from everything that takes us away from His mercy.

The leading scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed concerning the interpretation of this verse, although they were all agreed on the falseness of the Kharijite and Mutazilite view, according to which those who commit this act will abide in hell for eternity, even if they affirm the oneness of Allah. The correct interpretation is that given by the great scholar Shams ad-Deen ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) in al-Madarij. After mentioning the other interpretations and critically examining them, he said:

One group said: This and similar texts, which mention a punishment that fits the crime, do not necessarily mean that the punishment will automatically be carried out if the crime is committed, because for any ruling to be implemented there are conditions that must be met and impediments that must be absent. All that these texts tell us is that such a punishment fits a certain crime or sin.

Furthermore, there is proof of impediments, some of which are based on scholarly consensus and others on texts. Repentance is an impediment [to punishment] according to scholarly consensus, as is affirmation of the oneness of Allah, on the basis of mutawatir texts that no one can ignore. Other impediments include great deeds that erase sin, major calamities that expiate sin, and carrying out of the hudood punishments in this world, according to the texts. There is no way that we can ignore these texts and proofs; therefore we have no choice but to accept all the texts together from bothangles. That is why both good and bad deeds are compared, so as to work out whether a person deserves to be punished or not, so that his destiny is based on whichever outweighs the other.

They said: Weighing up what is good or bad in this world and in the hereafter is the basis of shar'i rulings and the decrees of Allah. This is the basis on which the entire creation is ruled and on which the connection between cause and effect is established, both in the natural laws governing the universe and the laws of Sharia.

Allah has created for everything its opposite, which resists it and wards it off, and the stronger will ultimately prevail.

Strength is based on sound health and physical well-being, and an imbalance of the humours resists the natural function of the body that would lead to strength, and whichever is stronger will prevail. Similarly in the conflict between medicine and sickness, there are things in the body that are inclined to be healthy and other things that are inclined to be sick; the one tries to prevent the other from having a full effect and tries to resist it. If one prevails over the other, its effect will have the greatest impact.

Hence we know that people are of different categories. Some will enter paradise and not enter hell, and vice versa. Some will enter hell but will come out of it, and the length of his stay therein will be commensurate with the cause of his entering it, which will determine whether he will exit it quickly or after some time. Whoever has deep insight will see everything of which Allah has informed us in His Book, of the hereafter and its details; he will envisage it clearly as if he can see it.

This is certainty of faith which will bum up bad deeds as fire bums up wood. For one who has that level of certainty, it is impossible to persist in evil deeds, and if he does such a thing and does a lot of it, what he has of light of faith will force him to renew his repentanceevery time, by turning back to Allah in constant repentance. Such a person is one of the dearest of creation to Allah.

May Allah reward him (Ibn al-Qayyim) with good on behalf of Islam and Muslims.

4:94. O you who believe, when you go forth [to fight] in the cause of Allah, use your discernment, and do not say to one who offers you the greeting of peace: You are not a believer, out of a desire for the fleeting gains of this worldly life. For with Allah are abundant gains. You yourselves were in the same position before, then Allah bestowed His grace upon you. Therefore use your discernment, for Allah is well aware of all that you do.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructs His believing slaves, when they go out to engage in jihad in His cause and seeking His pleasure, to use their discernment and examine all ambiguous matters, for matters are of two types: those that are clear and those that are unclear.

As for those that are clear, there is no need for further clarification, because there is no need to prove what is clear.

As for those that are ambiguous or unclear, one needs to examine them and clarify them in order to find out whether to go ahead with them or not. This examination in order to reach certainty leads to many benefits and prevents many evils, through which the extent of an individual’s religious commitment, wisdom and maturity maybe determined, in contrast to the one who rushes into things without taking time to think about them and before the issue and its connected rulings become clear to him; that leads to undesirable consequences, as happened to those whom Allah rebuked in this verse, because they did not examine and verify the situation, and they killed the one who greeted them with salams, who had with him booty that belonged to him or the property of someone else, because they thought that this would be acceptable. But that was a mistake, hence Allah rebuked them in this verse: ﴾fand do not say to one who offers you the greeting of peace: You are not a believer, out of a desire for the fleeting gains of this worldly life. For with Allah are abundant gains﴿. In other words: do not let small fleeting gains lead you to commit inappropriate actions and thus miss out on what there is with Allah of immense and lasting reward, for that which is with Allah is better and more lasting.

This indicates that the individual should, if he finds himself inclined to something that is in harmony with his whims and desires -and it is harmful - remind himself of what Allah has promised to the one who restrains himself and avoids following whims and desires, and who gives precedence to pleasing Allah over pleasing himself. This will motivate him to follow the command of Allah, even if that is difficult for him.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says, reminding them of their previous situation, before they were guided to Islam: ﴾You yourselves were in the same position before, then Allah bestowed His grace upon you﴿ that is, just as He guided you after you had been astray. He may also guide others; just as guidance was a gradual process for you, it may also be like that for others.

So the one who is perfect should look at how he was before he was perfect, and think about how he should deal with those who are still like that, on the basis of what he knows about how he was before, and he should call them with wisdom and beautiful preaching. This is one of the most effective ways in which he may benefit himself andothers, hence the command to examine and verify is repeated once more: ﴾Therefore use your discernment﴿.

If he is one of those who have gone out to fight in jihad in Allah’s cause and to fight the enemies of Allah, and he has made all sorts of preparations to harm them, then he is instructed to verify and examine the one who greets him with salams. If there is a strong indication that that person only did that in order to protect himself from being killed, or out of fear for his life, then this indicates that the instruction to verify and check is something that is applicable in all situations where there could be some ambiguity. So things should be verified and examined until the matter becomes clear.

﴾for Allah is well aware of all that you do﴿ and He will requite each one for his deeds and intentions, in accordance with what He knows of His slaves’ circumstances and intentions.

(g) 0

4:95. Not equal are those believers who stay at home, apart from those forced by necessity, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah, offering their wealth and their lives. Allah has given a rank higher to those who strive and fight, offering their wealth and their lives, than to those who stay at home. To each Allah has promised the ultimate good, but Allah favours those who strive and fight, over those who stay at home, with an immense reward.

4:96. ranks specially bestowed by Him, and forgiveness and mercy. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

That is, the believer who engages in jihad, offering his life and his wealth, and the one who does not go out for jihad and does not fight the enemies of Allah, are not equal. This is encouragement to go out for jihad and a warning against being lazy and staying behind with no excuse.

With regard to people who have physical issues, such as the sick, the blind, the lame, and those who do not have the means to equip themselves, they are not like those who stay at home with no excuse. Whoever has a physical problem and is content to stay at home, and has no intention of going out for the sake of Allah, even if he did not have that problem that prevented him from doing so, and did not think about it, is of the same status as one who stayed behind with no excuse.

Whoever would definitely have gone out in the cause of Allah were it not for this impediment, wishes that he could do that and thinks about this matter to himself, is of the same status as one who went out for jihad, because the definite intention, if it is accompanied by doing as much as one can in word or deed, means that one has attained the same status as the one who actually does it.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) states that the mujahideen are of a higher rank or status. This is a differentiation in general terms, then He states that in more detail and promises them forgiveness from their Lord, and mercy that encompasses all that is good and wards off all that is evil. These ranks were explained by the Prophet (ﷺ) in the saheeh hadith narrated from him in as-Saheehayn (the two authentic Hadith collections of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim), in which he told us that in paradise there are one hundred levels, and the distance between each two levels is like the distance between heaven and earth; Allah has prepared it for those who engage in jihad for His sake.

Allah has connected this reward to jihad; this is like the verse in Soorat as-Saff in which He says:

﴾0 you who believe, shall I tell you about a deal that will save you from a painful punishment? Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive and fight, offering your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if only you knew. [If you do that] He will forgive you your sins and admit you to gardens through which rivers flow and fine dwellings in gardens of perpetual abode; that is the supreme triumph.(as-Saff 61.10-12)

Think about the way in which the idea of superiority is expressed in these verses, as it states first of all that the mujahid and others are not equal, then it states clearly that the mujahid is superior by one rank to the one who stays behind, then it moves on to the idea of his being favoured with forgiveness, mercy and high status.

This gradual approach from one rank to another in the context of praise, or going from one status to one that is lower than it in the context of condemnation, is more eloquent and has a greater impact.

This is how it is when one category of people is favoured over another, and each of them has its own virtues; Allah mentions the good characteristics that they have in common lest anyone think that the one of lesser standing is being condemned. For this reason Allah says here: ﴾To each Allah has promised the ultimate good﴿.

Similarly, Allah says in the passage from Soorat as-Saff referred to above:

﴾f...And give these glad tidings to the believers.ji (as-Saff 61: 13)

And Allah fte) also says:

﴾.. .Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquest of Makkah [and those who did not],..﴿ (al-Hadeed57: 10) Then He says: ﴾To each Allah has promised the ultimate good﴿, as He says elsewhere:﴾We guided Sulayman to the right verdict, and to each of them We gave wisdom and knowledge...﴿ (al-Anbiva'21: 79)

The one who wants to highlight the contrast between individuals and groups and deeds may pay attention to this point.

Similarly, if he wants to speak in the context of criticising people or opinions, he may mention what they have in common when contrasting them to one another, lest anyone think that the preferred one is perfect. For example, if it is said that the Christian is better than the Magian (Zoroastrian), let him add: although both are disbelievers.

Because the promise to the mujahideen of forgiveness and mercy is derived from two of His noble names, ﴾Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿, this verse ends with them, as He says: ﴾For Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿.

(ts-sv

4:97. Verily, when the angels take [in death] the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they ask them: What was the matter with you? They reply: We were weak and oppressed in the land. They say: Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place? For those, their ultimate abode is hell, an evil journey’s end.

4:98. Except those who are [really] weak and oppressed - men, women, and children - who have no means in their power and do not know where to go.

4:99. For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive them, for Allah is Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.

This is a stem warning to those who did not migrate when they were able to, until they died. The angels who seize their souls rebuke them with these harsh words and say: ﴾What was the matter with you?﴿ In other words: what was your situation? How did you make yourself distinct from the polytheists? In fact you increased their numbers and perhaps you supported them against the believers, and you missed out on a lot of righteous deeds, jihad with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and being with the Muslims, helping them against their enemies.

﴾They reply: We were weak and oppressed in the land﴿ that is, weak, downtrodden and oppressed; we had no means of migrating. But they are not speaking the truth when they say that, because Allah rebuked them and warned them, and Allah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.

Then an exception is made for those who were genuinely weak and oppressed; hence the angels say to them: ﴾Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to migrate to some other place?﴿ This is a question that is asked to establish a fact. In other words it is well established in the minds of everyone that the land of Allah is spacious and whenever a person is in a place where he is not able to practise his religion openly, then he has other places on earth and a way out to a land where he will be able to worship Allah, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾O My slaves who believe, verily My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone.﴿ (al-'Ankahoot 29: 56)

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says of these people who have no excuse: ﴾For those, their ultimate abode is hell, an evil journey’s end﴿. This, as stated above, mentions the reasons that led to that; on the Day of Judgement this is what will happen, if all conditions are fulfilled and there are no impediments; but there may be impediments that could prevent that fate.

This verse indicates that migration is one of the greatest obligations, and failing to do it is forbidden; in fact it is one of the gravest major sins. This verse indicates that everyone who dies has taken in full all that was decreed for him of provision, lifespan and deeds. This understanding is based on the phrase translated here as ﴾take [in deathjj﴿, which comes from a root that has the meaning of taking in full, because if there was anything left for him to take, his soul would not be taken in death.

This verse highlights belief in the angels and praises them, because Allah mentions them by way of confirming His approval of them.

Then an exception is made for those who are truly weak and oppressed, who have no means of migrating at all, «fand do not know where to gop.

Allah says concerning these people: ﴾For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive them, for Allah is Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving﴿. The word ‘asa (translated here as ﴾there is hope thatjQ, when used in reference to Allah, indicates that it will inevitably happen, because of His generosity and kindness. When the Qur’an says that there is hope of reward for the one who does some deeds, this means that the reward will not be due unless the deed is done in the proper manner. If it is not done in the proper manner, then the individual has fallen short and does not deserve that reward. And Allah knows best.

This verse indicates that the one who is unable to do what he is instructed of an obligatory duty or otherwise is excused, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says concerning those who are unable to engage in jihad:﴾There is no blame on the blind nor any blame on the lame nor any blame on the sick [if they do not go forth to fight]...﴿ (al-Faih 48: 17) And Allah says of the commands in general:

﴾So fear Allah as best you can... ]? (at-Taghdbun 64 16)

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«lf I instruct you to do something, then do as much of it as you can.» (Muslim)

But there is no excuse for a person unless he tries his best then is not able to do it, because Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾who have no means in their power﴿. This verse indicates that having a guide in Hajj and 'umrah, and similar matters where travel is required, is one of the conditions of being able to do it.

4:100. He who migrates for the sake of Allah will find in the earth many places of refuge and abundant provision. Whoever leaves his home migrating for the cause of Allah and His Messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward is then incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This is encouraging people to migrate, and explaining the interests that will be served by it. Allah promises - and His promise is true - that whoever migrates for His sake, seeking His pleasure, will find many places of refuge on earth, and abundant provision. The many places of refuge refers to that which will help to serve the interests of one’s religious commitment, and abundant provision refers to someworldly interests. That is because many people think that if they migrate, they will be unsettled after having been settled, they will be poor after having been rich, they will be humiliated after having been proud, and they will go through hardship after having had a life of ease.

But that is not the case. So long as the believer remains among the polytheists, he will fall far short with regard to his religious duties, both in acts of worship that he may do alone, such as prayer and the like, as well as other acts of worship which must be done by joining others, such as jihad in word and deed, and matters that are connected to that, because he is not able to do that. He will always be under threat and will drift away from his religion (because of persecution and fear), especially if he is weak and oppressed.

But if he migrates for the sake of Allah, he will be able to establish the religion of Allah, and engage in jihad against the enemies of Allah and oppose them in word and deed. Moreover, he will have an opportunity to increase his provision. And indeed it came to pass as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) foretold.

The best example of that is the Sahabah C^fe), when they migrated for the sake of Allah, leaving their homes, children and property for His sake. Their faith was completed thereby and they attained perfect faith; they were able to engage in jihad and support the religion of Allah in such a way that they became an example to follow for those who came after them. They also attained that which usually results from that of great victories and a great deal of booty, as a result of which they became the richest of people. Similarly, anyone who does what they did will attain the same results as they did, and this will remain so until the Day of Resurrection.

Then Allah says: ﴾Whoever leaves his home migrating for the cause of Allah and His Messenger﴿ that is, migrating for the sake of his Lord and His pleasure, out of love for His Messenger and in support of the religion of Allah, not for any other purpose﴾and death overtakes him﴿ by being killed or otherwise ﴾his reward is then incumbent upon Allah﴿ that is, he will attain the reward of the muhajir (migrant) who achieved his goal of migration by being guaranteed (a complete reward) by Allah. That is because he intended and decided, and he took the first step and started to take action. By Allah’s mercy towards him and others like him, He will give them the reward in full, even if they did not complete the action, and He will forgive them for whatever shortcomings occurred in terms of migration and otherwise.

Hence this verse ends with these two noble names of Allah, as He says: ﴾And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿ - He forgives the believers what they commit of errors, especially those who repent and turn back to their Lord.

﴾Most Merciful﴿ to all of His creation; by His mercy he brought them into existence, granted them physical well-being, and bestowed upon them wealth, children, power and so on. And He is Most Merciful to the believers, as He guided them to faith and taught them knowledge by means of which they may attain certainty; He made easy for them the means of attaining happiness and success, and that by means of which they will attain the highest reward and will see, by His mercy and grace, that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has not entered the mind of man. We ask Allah not to deprive us of His bounty because of our evil deeds.

4:101. When you are travelling in the land, there is no blame on you if you shorten your prayers, if you fear the disbelievers may harm you, for the disbelievers are unto you avowed enemies.

4:102. When you [0 Messenger] are with the believers and lead them in prayer, let one group of them stand [in prayer] with you, taking their weapons with them. When they have finished their prostrations, let them take their position in the rear. Then let the other group, who have not yet prayed, come and pray with you, taking all precautions, and also taking their weapons with them. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage, then they would swoop down on you all at once. But there is no blame on you if you put away your weapons because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill; but take all precautions for yourselves. Verily Allah has prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.

These two verses are the basis for the concession allowing shortening of the prayers (when travelling) and the fear prayer. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)&) says ﴾When you are travelling in the land﴿. The apparent meaning of the verse indicates that the concession is applicable to any type of travel, even if it is for sinful purposes, as is the view of Abu Haneefah (may Allah have mercy on him). However the majority of scholars, including the other three imams and others, do not allow the concession if the travel is for sinful purposes. The concession is a kind of mercy granted by Allah to make things easier for His slaves, so when they travel they may shorten their prayers and break thefast. But when the sinner travels, the purpose of his journey makes it inappropriate for any concession to be granted to him.

﴾there is no blame on you if you shorten your prayers﴿ that is, there is nothing wrong with it and there is no sin on you. This does not contradict the fact that shortening the prayers is preferable (when travelling), because stating that there is no blame or sin is aimed at removing any doubt that may arise. Moreover it does not contradict the fact that it (shortening the prayer when travelling) may be obligatory. This is similar to the verse in Soorat al-Baqarah, in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Verily Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever comes to the House for Hajj or ‘umrah, there is no blame on him for going back and forth between them. And whoever does good of his own accord, then verily Allah is Appreciative, All-Knowing.﴿

The reason for removing doubt in this case is obvious; it is because it is well established in the Muslims’ minds that prayer is obligatory and is to be offered in the complete form, and nothing could remove any doubt about the permissibility of shortening the prayer except a clear statement that there is no sin or blame on the one who does that.

The fact that it is preferable to shorten the prayers rather than offer them in full (when travelling) is indicated by the fact that the Prophet shortened his prayers on all his journeys and this comes under the heading of flexibility, concession and mercy towards people. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) loves people to avail themselves of His concessions just as He hates them to disobey Him.

﴾if you shorten your prayers﴿ - a literal translation would be “shorten from the prayers”. The use of the preposition min (from) indicates two things:

1- If the preposition was not present, then there would not be any guideline on how much to shorten the prayer by, as a result of which some people may think that most of the prayer may be omitted and that making it only one rak ‘ah would be sufficient. Therefore the phrase used is min aṣ-salah (literally, from the prayer), to indicate that this shortening should be in accordance with specific guidelines, as established by the teachings and practice of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions.

2- The word min (from) implies some, not all. Thus it is known that shortening refers to some of the obligatory prayers, not all of them, because fajr and maghrib are not shortened; rather what are shortened are the four-raka ‘at prayers, which are shortened from four to two raka'at.

Once it is established that shortening of the prayers when travelling is a concession, we should note that the commentators differed concerning this condition, namely: ﴾if you fear the disbelievers may harm you﴿. The apparent meaning suggests that shortening prayers is only permissible when those two factors are present: travel and fear. The difference of opinion boils down to whether what is meant by the words if you shorten﴿ is shortening the number (of raka‘at) only, or shortening the number and the way in which it is done. The ambiguity has to do with the former, that is, concerning the number only.

Ameer al-Mu 'mineen ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) was not sure about this matter until he asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it.

«He said: O Messenger of Allah, why are we still shortening the prayers now, after we have become safe, when Allah says: ﴾if you fear the disbelievers may harm you﴿?

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: It is a charity that Allah has bestowed upon you, so accept His charity.» (Muslim, Ibn Majah, and an-Nasa’i)

Based on that, this condition (of fear) is mentioned because this was the usual case faced by the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions, as most of their journeys were for the purpose of jihad.

We also learn something else which is the wisdom behind the granting of this concession of shortening the prayers, and the interest served thereby. In this verse, Allah explains the reason behind it, namely what is expected of hardship which makes granting a concession appropriate, namely the combination of travel and fear. That does not necessarily mean that shortening of the prayers should not be done in the case of travel alone (without the element of fear), which is usually accompanied by hardship.

The second opinion with regard to what is meant by shortening the prayer has to do with the number and the way in which it is done. In that case, the condition is to be understood as follows: If there is both travel and fear, then it is permissible to reduce the number and shorten the way it is done. If there is travel only, it is permissible to reduce the number of raka‘at only. If there is fear only, it is permissible to shorten the way in which it is done.

Therefore Allah describes the fear prayer after that, as He says: c-fWhen you [O Messenger] are with the believers and lead them in prayer﴿. That is: when you lead them in the prayer that you establish, and do it in the proper manner as required, then teach them what is appropriate for them to do in these circumstances.

Then He explains that by saying: ﴾let one group of them stand [in prayer] with you﴿ that is, and let another group stand facing the enemy, as is indicated by the following: ?﴾When they have finished their prostrations﴿ that is, when those who are with you have completed their prayer. Prayer is referred to as prostration in order to highlight the virtue of prostration and the fact that it is one of the pillars or essential parts of the prayer; in fact it is the greatest of its essential parts.

﴾let them take their position in the rear. Then let the other group, who have not yet prayed﴿, this is the group that had stood facing the enemy ﴾come and pray with you﴿. This indicates that the imam should remain after the first group leaves, waiting for the other group to come. When they come, the imam should lead them in the remainder of his prayer, then he sits and waits for them to complete their prayer, then he should lead them in saying the salam. This is one of the ways in which the fear prayer may be done. Other ways of doing the fear prayer have been narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ) in saheeh reports with many isnad, all of which are permissible.

This verse indicates that prayer in congregation is an individual obligation for two reasons:

1- Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enjoined it in these difficult circumstances, at a time of intense fear when the possibility of an enemy attack was very high. If it is enjoined in these difficult circumstances, then it is more appropriate that it should be made obligatory at times of peace and safety.

2- The fact that in the fear prayer, the worshippers omit a lot of the conditions and essentials of the prayer, and many actions that would ordinarily render the prayer invalid are overlooked, only serves to emphasise the obligatory nature of praying in congregation. If it were not obligatory, it would not be permissible to omit these essentials for the sake of praying in congregation.

This verse indicates that it is preferable to pray behind one imam, even if that means not doing properly things that could have been done properly if they were to pray behind several imams. That is for the sake of uniting the Muslims and creating harmony among them, and preventing division, because that is more effective in instilling fear in the hearts of the enemy. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) also instructed them to take their weapons with them and to be cautious when offering the fear prayer.

Even though this involves movements and distractions whilst praying, it serves a clear interest, which is combining the prayer and jihad, and taking precautions against the enemy who are extremely keen to cause harm to the Muslims and swoop down on them and their baggage all at once. Hence Allah says: ﴾(Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and your baggage, then they would swoop down on you all at once﴿-).

Then Allah accepts the excuses of those who have an excuse, such as sickness or rain, allowing them to put away their weapons, but they should still take precautions, as He says: ﴾But there is no blame on you if you put away your weapons because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill; but take all precautions for yourselves. Verily Allah has prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment;-).

One of the humiliating punishments is that which Allah instructed His believing party and the monotheistic supporters of His religion to carry out, namely killing them and fighting them wherever they found them, capturing them, besieging them, lying in wait for them on every route, taking precautions against them at all times, and not letting down their guard lest the disbelievers achieve some of their goals concerning them. To Allah be much praise for having blessed the believers and supported them with His help, and for His teachings by which, if they had followed them properly, they would never have been defeated in any battle and the enemy would never have prevailed over them at any time.

﴾When they have finished their prostrations, let them take their position in the rear﴿) - This phrase indicates that this group should complete all of their prayer before going to the place where the guards are, and that the Messenger (ﷺ) remained where he was, waiting for the other group to come before saying the salam, because first He said that the group should stand with him, which indicates that they should follow him in the prayer. Then after that the action is attributed to them, not to the Messenger (ﷺ), which supports what we say.

﴾Then let the other group, who have not yet prayed, come and pray with you﴿ - This indicates that the first group have finished praying, and that the entire prayer of the second group is to be with the imam in a true sense in the first rak'ah, and virtually in the second rak‘ah (that is, not actually following the imam). This requires the imam to wait for them until they have completed their prayer, then he is to say the salam with them. This is clear to one who ponders and reflects.

4:103. When you have finished the prayer, remember Allah, standing, sitting, or lying down on your sides. Then when you are safe again, establish prayer [in the regular prescribed manner]. Prayer is prescribed for the believers at specific times.

That is, when you have finished your prayer, whether it is the fear prayer or otherwise, then remember Allah in all situations and circumstances. But the fear prayer is singled out for mention for several reasons, including the following:

• Soundness of the heart, and its prosperity and joy is to be attained by turning to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) with love, filling the heart with remembrance of Him and praising Him. This goal may be achieved mainly through prayer, which is essentially a connection between the slave and his Lord.

• Prayer increases one’s understanding and certainty of faith, which is the reason why Allah has enjoined it upon His slaves every day and night. It is well known that the fear prayer does not achieve these aims because of mental and physical distractionand fear, so Allah instructs the believers to make up for that by remembering Him (dhikr) after the prayer.

• Fear leads to anxiety, which could lead to weakness of the heart, and if the heart is weakened the body will be weakened and unable to resist the enemy. Remembering Allah, and remembering Him a great deal, is one of the greatest means of strengthening the heart.

• Remembrance of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) - along with patience and steadfastness - means success and prevailing against the enemy, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

t(0 you who believe, when you meet an [enemy] troop, stand firm and remember Allah much, so that you may triumph.﴿

Allah instructed them to remember Him a great deal in this situation; and there are other rulings.

﴾Then when you are safe again, establish prayer [in the regular prescribed manner]﴿ that is, when you are safe from fear and your minds and bodies are at ease, then complete the prayer in the proper manner, outwardly and inwardly, doing all essential parts, fulfilling its conditions, focusing with proper humility (khushoo ‘), and other things that perfect it.

﴾Prayer is prescribed for the believers at specific times﴿ that is, it is enjoined at its proper time; this indicates that it is obligatory and that it has a certain time, and it is not valid unless it is offered at that time. These times are well known and well established among the Muslims, young and old, knowledgeable and ignorant; they learned that from their Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), who said:

«Pray as you have seen me praying.» (Bukhari)

The words ﴾prescribed for the believers﴿ indicate that the prayer is a measure of faith; as a person’s faith is, so will his prayer be, with regard to perfection and completion. This indicates that the disbelievers - even if they comply with the Muslim rulings, as inthe case of ahl adh-dhimmah - are not expected to follow the minor issues of religion such as prayer, because that is not addressed to them and they are not to be enjoined to do it. Rather if they do it, it is not valid, so long as they are still disbelievers, even though they will be punished in the hereafter for not doing it and for not adhering to all other rulings.

4:104. Do not weaken in pursuit of the enemy. If you are suffering hardships, they are also suffering hardships; but you hope for something from Allah that they cannot hope for. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

That is, do not falter or lose heart in pursuit of the disbelievers, and in waging jihad against them and persisting in that, for if the heart grows weary, it will lead to physical weakness and that in turn will weaken the resolve to resist the enemy; rather that you should be strong and active in fighting them. Then Allah mentions two things that will strengthen the hearts of the believers:

1 - What befalls you of hardship, exhaustion, injuries and so on, for it also befalls your enemies. So it is not appropriate, on the basis of human dignity and Islamic chivalry, to be weaker than them when you have equal portions of pain and suffering, because what usually happens is that no one would feel too weak except one whose pain and suffering persists and his enemy constantly overwhelms him, not the one who has the upper hand sometimes and is overwhelmed at other times.

2- You hope for something from Allah that they cannot hope for, for you hope to attain His reward and be safe from His punishment. Moreover, the elite among the believers have other sublime aims and noble aspirations, namely supporting the religion of Allah, establishing His law (Sharia), expanding the reach of Islam, guiding the lost and suppressing the enemies of the faith.

These matters give extra strength to the sincere believer, increase his energy and make him more courageous, because when a person fights and is patient in attaining worldly glory, even if he attains it, he will not be like the one who strives to attain happiness in both this world and the hereafter, and to attain the pleasure of Allah and paradise. Glory be to the One Who created people to be so far apart in aspirations, and differentiated between them on the basis of His knowledge and wisdom. For this reason He says here: f﴾And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise﴿; He is perfect in His knowledge and wisdom.

4:105. Verily We have sent down to you [O Muhammad] the Book in truth, so that you may judge between people, in accordance with what Allah has taught you. So do not be an advocate for the deceitful.

4:106. But seek the forgiveness of Allah; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

4:107. Do not plead on behalf of those who betray their own souls, for Allah does not love one who is treacherous and sinful.

4:108. They seek to hide from people but they do not seek to hide from Allah, for He is with them [by His knowledge] when they make plans to say things that are not pleasing to Him. Verily Allah encompasses [with His knowledge] all that they do.

4:109. There you are, arguing on their behalf in the life of this world, but who will argue with Allah on their behalf on the Day of Resurrection? Or who will be their defender?

4:110. Yet whoever does evil or wrongs his own soul but thereafter asks Allah for forgiveness will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

4:111. And whoever earns sin, earns it only against his own soul. And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

4:112. But whoever commits an offence or a sin, then blames it on an innocent person, will bear the guilt of slander and manifest sin.

4:113. Were it not for Allah’s grace towards you [O Muhammad], and His mercy, a party of them would have tried to lead you astray. But they only lead themselves astray, and they cannot harm you in the least. For Allah has sent down to you the Book andwisdom, and has taught you what you did not know. And the grace of Allah toward you is great indeed.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that He sent to His slave and Messenger (ﷺ) the Book in truth; that is, protected from the devils as it was sent down, lest they insert any falsehood into it. Indeed, it has been sent down in truth, containing truth; what it tells us is true and its commands and prohibitions are just.

﴾The word of your Lord is perfect in truth and justice...﴿ (al-Anam

And He tells us that He sent it down in order to judge between people.

Elsewhere He says:

﴾j.. .and We have sent down to you the Reminder [the Qur'an], so that you may explain to the people what has been sent down to them... ﴿

Therefore it may be that this verse (4:105) is referring to judging between people concerning disputes and differences, whereas the verse in Soorat an-Nahl refers to explaining the entire religion, both fundamentals and minor issues, or it may be that both verses have the same meaning, and thus judging between people in this case includes judging between them in cases of physical harm (murder and injury), slander against their honour, financial matters and all other rights, as well as explaining beliefs and all other rulings.

﴾fin accordance with what Allah has taught you﴿ that is, not on the basis of your whims and desires; rather on the basis of what Allah has taught you and inspired in you. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Nor does he speak of his own accord.﴿ (an-Najm 53. 3)

This indicates that the Prophet (ﷺ) is infallible in what he conveys from Allah, rulings and otherwise. It also indicates that it is essentialthat a judge be qualified in terms of knowledge and justice, because Allah says (fin accordance with what Allah has taught you﴿; He did not say “in accordance with your own opinion”.

Judging between people must also be based on knowledge of the Book. Just as Allah ordained that judging between people must be done on the basis of justice and fairness, He also forbade judging on the basis of injustice and inequity, which is the opposite of justice.

Therefore He said: ﴾So do not be an advocate for the deceitful﴿ that is, do not plead on behalf of one who you know to be deceitful, one who claims something that is not his or denies something that he owes, whether the judge is certain of that or he thinks it is likely to be the case.

This indicates that it is prohibited to dispute or speak on behalf of someone who is in the wrong when disputing religious matters or worldly rights and dues. The meaning of the verse indicates that it is permissible to get involved in disputes on behalf of a person who is not known to have done any wrong.

﴾But seek the forgiveness of Allah; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿ that is, He forgives major sins for the one who seeks His forgiveness, repents to Him and turns to Him, and He will help him to do righteous deeds after that, which will earn His reward and ward off His punishment.

﴾Do not plead on behalf of those who betray their own souls﴿ in the sense of committing offences against their own souls. That includes the prohibition on speaking on behalf of one who has committed sin for which the punishment is now due, whether it is a hadd punishment (specified in Sharia) or a ta‘zeer punishment (a disciplinary punishment meted out at the judge’s discretion). So he should not plead on his behalf by trying to prove that he did not do it, or try to ward off the resulting punishment as dictated by Sharia.

﴾for Allah does not love one who is treacherous and sinful﴿ that is, one who is habitually treacherous and sinful. Stating that Allah does not love someone implies the opposite, which is that He hates such a person. This is like the reason why what is mentioned above should not be done.

Then Allah tells us about these treacherous people: ﴾They seek to hide from people but they do not seek to hide from Allah, for He is with them [by His knowledge] when they make plans to say things that are not pleasing to Him﴿. This is indicative of their lack of faith and certainty, as a result of which their fear of people is greater than their fear of Allah, for they are very keen to use all means, whether permissible or prohibited, to avoid exposure and scandal in front of people, w hilst at the same time they show their audacity towards Allah by committing grievous sins, not caring that He is watching them.

He is with them by His knowledge in all situations, especially when they are making plans to say things that are not pleasing to Him, such as claiming that an offender is innocent, accusing an innocent person of an offence, and striving to convey that to the Messenger (ﷺ) so that he will do what they intend he should do.

Thus they combined a number of offences, and they did not remember that the Lord of heaven and earth, the One Who sees what is in their hearts, was watching them. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) warns them by saying: (-[Allah encompasses [with His knowledge] all that they do﴿ that is, He encompasses that with His knowledge, yet He did not hasten to punish them; rather He gave them respite, allowed them the opportunity to repent, and warned them that persisting in their sin would incur a severe punishment.

﴾There you are, arguing on their behalf in the life of this world, but who will argue with Allah on their behalf on the Day of Resurrection? Or who will be their defender?p That is, even if you try to defend them in the life of this world and if your argument wards off some of that which you were concerned about of shame and disgrace beforethe people, how can that help and benefit them? Who will argue with Allah on their behalf on the Day of Resurrection, when proof is established against them and their own tongues, hands and feet testify against them concerning what they used to do?

﴾On that day, Allah will give them in full their due recompense and they will know that Allah is indeed the Truth Who makes manifest [the true nature of all things],﴿ (an-Noor 24: 25)

Who could argue in their defence before the One Who knows what is secret and what is yet more hidden, the One Who will bring witnesses against them whose testimony cannot be refuted?

This verse points out the importance of highlighting the contrast between what one may imagine of attaining worldly interests by forsaking the commands of A1 Iah or doing what He forbids, and what one would miss out on of reward in the hereafter or be subjected to of punishment. Hence the one whose nafs prompts him not to obey Allah should say to himself: There you are, failing to obey His command out of laziness and carelessness; what benefits have you attained thereby? What have you missed out on of the reward of the hereafter? What results from this failure of misery, deprivation, loss and perdition? Similarly, if his nafs feels inclined to do that which is prohibited, he should say to himself: There you are, you did what you wanted, but this pleasure will come to an end and will be followed by stress, distress, loss, missing out on reward and exposure to punishment, some of which on its own is enough to make a wise man refrain from (following his whims and desires).

This is one of the most beneficial things that a person may reflect upon. This is the character of the truly wise man, unlike the one who claims to have reason when that is not the case, for he - because of his ignorance and wrongdoing - gives precedence to immediate pleasure and comfort, regardless of the consequences. And Allah is the One Whose help we seek.

Then Allah says: Yet whoever does evil or wrongs his own soul but thereafter asks Allah for forgiveness will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿ that is, whoever has the audacity to commit sin and transgression, then seeks forgiveness from Allah sincerely and in the proper manner, which requires admitting the sin, regretting it, giving it up and resolving not to go back to it, has a promise from the One Who does not break His promise of forgiveness and mercy. He will forgive the sin that he has committed and will erase its consequences of shortcomings and faults; He will restore to him what he had done of righteous deeds and will guide him in what remains of his lifespan; He will not make his sin a barrier to divine help, for He has already forgiven him, and if He has forgiven him, He will cancel the consequences that result from it.

It should be understood that evil deeds in general include all acts of disobedience, small and great. Similarly, wronging oneself in general includes wronging oneself by ascribing partners to Allah as well as lesser sins. But when the two are mentioned together, each is to be explained in the light of the other. So in this case evil deeds are understood as being wrongdoing that offends people, which means wronging them with regard to their physical well-being, wealth and honour.

Wronging oneself is to be understood as wrongdoing and sin that is between Allah and His slave. It is called wronging oneself because the person’s nafs (self) is not his property, such that he may dispose of it as he wishes; rather it is the property of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) Who has made it a trust with which He has entrusted His slave and enjoined him to keep it (his nafs) on the straight path in word and deed. So he should strive to teach himself as he has been enjoined and strive to do what is required. Striving to follow any other path is wronging himself, betraying himself, and diverging himself from justice and fairness, the opposite of which is injustice and wrongdoing.

﴾And whoever earns sin, earns it only against his own soul﴿ - this includes everything that is a sin, small or great. Whoever does evil, the punishment for that in this world and the hereafter will fall upon him, and it will not go beyond him to anyone else, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾(No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another...﴿ (Fatir 35:18)

But if evil deeds become prevalent and no one objects to them, then the punishment will become widespread and the burden of sin will encompass everyone. That does not contradict the rulings of this verse, because the one who fails to object to and denounce sin as he is required to do has earned sin.

This highlights the justice and wisdom of Allah, for He does not punish anyone for the sin of another, nor does He mete out a punishment any greater than that which is befitting to the sin. Hence He says: ﴾And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise﴿ that is. His is perfect knowledge and perfect wisdom.

By His knowledge and wisdom He knows about the sin and what results from it, what prompted it and the punishment that is due for it. He knows the situation of the sinner and that if he commits the sin because of the evil inclination of his nafs, even though most of the time he is obedient to Allah, He will forgive him and enable him to repent.

But if he commits the sin out of recklessness, not caring that his Lord is watching and not worrying about the punishment, then forgiveness is unlikely and it is unlikely that he will be helped to repent.

﴾But whoever commits an offence﴿ that is, commits a major sin ﴾for a sin﴿ that is, a lesser sin

﴾then blames it on an innocent person﴿ that is, he accuses someone else of this sin that he committed who is innocent of that, even though he may have committed other sins

﴾will bear the guilt of slander and manifest sin﴿ that is, he has taken upon himself the burden of accusing an innocent person and ofmanifest sin. This indicates that this (false accusation) is a major sin that incurs punishment.

That is because he has combined a number of evils: he has incurred a burden of sin; then he accused one who did not do it of doing it; then he uttered a foul lie by declaring himself innocent and accusing an innocent person; then that led to punishment in this world which was warded off from the one who deserved it and was carried out on the one who did not deserve it; it also led to people talking about one who was innocent. And there are other evil consequences; we ask Allah to keep us safe from them and from all evils.

Then Allah mentions His blessing that He bestowed upon His Messenger (ﷺ) by protecting him from those who wanted to lead him astray:

﴾Were it not for Allah’s grace towards you [O Muhammad], and His mercy, a party of them would have tried to lead you astray﴿. The commentators stated that the reason for revelation of these verses was that a family stole in Madinah, then when their theft was discovered, they feared scandal, so they took the stolen items and threw them into the house of someone who was innocent of that crime, and the thief asked his people to help him by going to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asking him to declare their companion innocent before the people. They said: He did not steal; rather the one who did that is the one in whose house the item is found, and he (our companion) is innocent. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) thought about declaring their companion innocent, then Allah revealed these verses as a reminder, explaining what really happened and warning the Messenger (ﷺ) against defending the treacherous, because defending the one who is in the wrong is misguidance. Misguidance is of two types: misguidance that results from lack of knowledge, which is ignorance of the truth; and misguidance in actions, which is doing something other than what one is obliged to do. Thus Allah protected His Messenger (ﷺ) from the type of misguidance that results from lack of knowledge (just asHe protected him from misguidance in the sense of doing something other than what he ought to do).

Here Allah tells us that their schemes and tricks backfired on them, as is the case with every treacherous person.

﴾But they only lead themselves astray﴿ because that trickery and treachery did not lead them to attain their goal, and they did not gain anything from it but loss, deprivation and sin.

This was a great blessing to His Messenger namely the blessing of doing the right thing, being guided to do what must be done and being protected from every evil action.

Then Allah mentions the blessing of knowledge that He bestowed upon him: ﴾For Allah has sent down to you the Book and wisdom)i that is, He has sent down to you this Holy Qur’an and the wise reminder, in which there is an explanation of all things and knowledge of the first and the last.

﴾wisdomb either refers to the Sunnah, of which some of the early generations said: The Sunnah was revealed to him just as the Qur’an was revealed to him; or it refers to knowledge of the subtle realities and issues of Sharia, over and above knowledge of its rulings, seeing things properly and acting appropriately, and giving each thing priority according to its level of importance.

﴾and has taught you what you did not know﴿. This includes everything that Allah (ﷺ) taught him, because he, before prophethood came to him, was as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) described him:

﴾j...You knew nothing of the scripture or matters of faith...)a (ash-

﴾Did He not find you unaware [of the path of truth]^{1The Messenger of Allah (5|g) always believed in the oneness of Allah (tawheed), even before his prophethood began, but he was unaware of the path of Islam, and its rulings and teachings, until Allah guided him to it through revelation. (ash-Shawkani; az-Zamakhshari; Ibn ‘Ashoor).} and guide

Then Allah kept sending the revelation to him, teaching him and leading him in the way of perfection, until he reached a level of knowledge that could not be attained by anyone else among the earlier and later generations.

Thus he became the most knowledgeable of all people, acquired the most perfect qualities, good manners and character. Hence Allah said: ﴾And the grace of Allah toward you is great indeed﴿ (4: 113). His grace towards the Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) is greater than His grace towards all other creatures.

The kinds of grace and blessings that Allah bestowed upon him cannot all be known or listed.

4:114. There is no good in much of their private conversations, except for one who enjoins charity and good deeds, or seeks to bring about reconciliation between people. For the one who does that, seeking the pleasure of Allah, We will give him an immense reward.

That is, there is nothing good in much of what people talk about. If there is nothing good in it, then it is either talking in which there is no benefit, such as empty talk that is permissible, or it is purely evil and harmful, such as all kinds of prohibited talk.

Then Allah B?) makes an exception, and says: ﴾except for one who enjoins charity﴿, whether that is in terms of wealth or knowledge.or any beneficial thing. In fact it may also include acts of worship, such as tasbeeh or tahmeed, and so on.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

«Every tasbeeh is a charity, every takbeer is a charity, every tahleel is a charity, enjoining what is good is a charity, forbidding what is evil is a charity, and the intimacy of one of you (with his wife) is a charity...»(Muslim)

﴾and good deeds﴿ - this refers to kindness and acts of worship, and everything that is known to be good according to both Sharia and common sense. When enjoining what is good is mentioned on its own, without mentioning forbidding what is wrong, then it includes forbidding what is wrong. That is because giving up evil is part of doing good, and doing what is good cannot be complete without giving up evil.

But when the two are mentioned together, then what is good refers to what is enjoined, and what is evil refers to what is forbidden.

﴾or seeks to bring about reconciliation between people﴿ reconciliation can only be between two disputing parties. Conflict, disputes and mutual resentment lead to unlimited evil and division. Hence the Lawgiver enjoined bringing about reconciliation between people with regard to matters of blood, wealth and honour, and even when there are differences of religion, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere: ﴾And hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah, and do not be divided among yourselves.. .﴿ (Al ‘Imran 3: 103)

﴾If two groups among the believers fight one another, then make peace between them. If one of them transgresses against the other [and rejects all efforts to make peace], then fight [all of you] against the one that transgresses, until it complies with the command of Allah...﴿ (al-Hujurat 49: 9)

﴾reconciliation is better﴿ (4: 128). The one who strives to bring about reconciliation between people is better than one who stands inprayer, fasts and gives in charity. Allah will inevitably support him in his efforts and striving.

By the same token, Allah will not support the efforts of the one who strives to cause trouble among people, and he will not achieve his goal, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾j... verily Allah does not allow the work of the mischief-makers to

So when these things are done, it is good, as is indicated by this exception (to their private conversations).

But the completion and perfection of the reward will be in accordance with the level of one’s intentions and sincerity. Hence Allah says: ﴾For the one who does that, seeking the pleasure of Allah, We will give him an immense reward;﴿.

For this reason one should be sincere to Allah te) in one’s actions at all times and in everything good, so as to attain that great reward and get used to being sincere. Thus he will attain the reward in full, whether he fulfils his goal or not, because he has succeeded in forming the right intention and accompanied that with whatever effort he was able to make.

4:115. But whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him, and follows a path other than that of the believers. We will leave him to that which he himself has chosen and cast him into hell - an evil journey’s end.

4:116. Allah does not forgive the ascription of partners to Him, but He forgives anything other than that to whomever He wills; whoever ascribes partners to Allah has indeed gone far astray.

That is, whoever opposes the Messenger (ﷺ) and stubbornly rejects the message he has brought, Rafter guidance has become clear to him﴿ through Qur’anic evidence and prophetic proof, tfand follows a path other than that of the believers﴿ - their path is their way of beliefs and actions

﴾We will leave him to that which he himself has chosen﴿ that is, what he has chosen for himself, and We will forsake him and not lead him to goodness, because he saw the truth and recognised it, but he rejected it. His recompense from Allah is just and fair: He will leave him confused in his misguidance and will increase his misguidance further, as He says elsewhere:

C-.So when they chose to deviate [from the truth], Allah caused their hearts to deviate [from right guidance]...﴿ (as-Saff61: 5)

- and:

﴾We will turn their hearts and eyes away [from the truth], since they refused to believe in it the first time...﴿ (al-An'dm 6. 110)

The meaning of these two verses indicates that whoever does not oppose the Messenger and follows the path of the believers, in the sense that his goal is to seek the Countenance of Allah, follow His Messenger (ﷺ) and adhere to the main body of the Muslims, then he commits sin or thinks of it, motivated by whims and desires and overwhelmed by his human nature, Allah will not abandon him to his own self and his shaytan; rather He will rescue him by means of His kindness, bless him with His divine protection and protect him from evil, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said concerning Yoosuf:

﴾f...Thus We averted from him evil and shameful deeds. Verily, he was one of Our chosen slaves.﴿ (Yoosuf 12:24)- that is, because of his sincerity, We averted evil from him. The same applies to everyone who is sincere, as is indicated by the fact that the reason for protection is explained in general terms.

tfand cast him into hell﴿ that is, We will punish him greatly therein ﴾fan evil journey’s end﴿ that is, final destination and eternal abode.

This threat for opposing the Prophet (ﷺ) and following a path other than that of the believers refers to various levels of punishment, according to the degree of opposition to the Prophet (ﷺ) and following a path other than that of the believers, and according to the degree of sin, minor or major - and no one knows the extent of that except Allah. Some of them will deserve to spend eternity in hell and will deserve all kinds of humiliation; others will deserve something less than that. Perhaps the second verse gives more details of this general statement.

The second verse tells us that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will not forgive the sin of ascribing partners to Him, because this is a grave insult to the Lord of the worlds and a denial of His oneness; it implies regarding the created being who possesses no power to ward off harm from, or benefit, himself as equal to the One Who is in control and possesses the power to bring benefit or cause harm, the only One from Whom blessings come, and no one can ward off harm but He; He is utterly perfect in all aspects and completely independent of all needs.

One of the gravest kinds of wrongdoing and misguidance is not devoting worship to the One Who is like that and is so great, and directing any kind of devotion to a created being, who possesses none of the attributes of perfection or independence, and in fact without Allah is nothing, for he would not exist; he is imperfect, lacks independence and is in need in all respects.

Sins that are less than ascribing partners to Allah are subject to the divine will. If Allah wills. He will forgive them by His mercy and wisdom, and if He wills. He will punish for them by His justice and wisdom. This verse is quoted as proof for that on which thisUmmah is unanimously agreed, and it is protected from agreeing on something wrong.

The explanation for that is that Allah warned the one who forsakes the path of the believers of humiliation and hell. The path of the believers refers to everything that the believers adhere to of beliefs and actions.

If they agree on something being obligatory or encouraged or prohibited or disliked or permissible, then this is their path, and whoever goes against them in any of that, after consensus has been established among them concerning it, has followed a path other than theirs. This is indicated in the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾You are the best community ever brought forth for [the benefit of] humankind; you enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong...﴿

The point is that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) stated that the believers of this Ummah do not enjoin anything but that which is right, so if they all agree that something is obligatory or recommended, then it is part of that which they enjoin. Therefore, based on this text, what they enjoin must be right and there is nothing beyond what is right except that which is wrong. Similarly, if they agree that something is forbidden, then it is something that they forbid, so it cannot be anything but wrong.

An example of that is the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Thus We have made of you an Ummah [nation, community] justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over humankind... j? (al-Baqarah 2: 143)

In this verse Allah tells us that He has made this Ummah justly balanced - that is, just and good - so that they might be witnesses over humankind in all things. So if they testify that some matter has been enjoined by Allah or forbidden by Him, or permitted, then their testimony is infallible and cannot be wrong, because they have knowledge of what they testify to and are fair in their testimony. Ifit were otherwise, they would not be fair in their testimony and they would not have knowledge of it.

Another example is the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾flf you are in dispute over any matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger﴿ (4:59).

From this we may understand that with regard to matters concerning which they did not dispute, rather they were agreed upon them, they are not instructed to refer them to the Qur’an and Sunnah, because what they agree upon cannot be but in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah, so they cannot be contrary to them.

This verse and similar verses definitively prove that the consensus of this Ummah counts as binding evidence. Hence Allah describes the misguidance of the polytheists as reprehensible, as He says:

4:117. Instead of Him, they call upon none but female [deities]; they call upon none but a rebellious devil

4:118. whom Allah cursed, and he said: I will certainly take a designated portion of Your slaves.

4:119. And I will certainly lead them astray and fill them with false hopes. I will certainly order them to slit the ears of livestock and I will certainly order them to change the creation of Allah.

Whoever takes the Shaytan as a protector [and helper] instead of Allah has indeed suffered a manifest loss.

4:120. [Shaytan] makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes; but Shaytan makes promises to them only in order to deceive them.

4:121. For these, their abode shall be hell, and they will find no escape from it.

That is, what these polytheists call upon instead of Allah is only female, namely the idols which were given female names such as al-‘Uzza and Manat, and so on. It is well known that the name is indicative of the nature of the thing named, so if these idols were given imperfect, female names, that must indicate that the things that were called by those names must be imperfect and lacking in attributes of perfection. Allah tells us in more than one place in His Book that they neither create nor grant provision, and they do not protect their worshippers; in fact they cannot bring benefit to or ward off harm from themselves, and they cannot help themselves against anyone who intends ill towards them. They cannot hear or see, and they have no intellect. So how can one that is like this be worshipped, and devotion not be focused on the One to Whom belong the most beautiful names, sublime attributes, praise, perfection, glory, majesty, might, beauty, mercy, kindness and generosity. Who is unique in His power to create and control, and is supremely wise in all that He commands and decrees?

Can this be anything but the worst of the worst, indicative of the shortcomings of the one who does that and of his having reached the vilest of lows, more ignoble than can be imagined or described? Moreover, they are only worshipping the images of these imperfect idols; in reality they are worshipping nothing but the Shaytan, who is their enemy and is seeking to destroy them, doing all that he can to achieve that. He is furthest removed from Allah; Allah has cursedhim and cast him far away from His mercy. Because Allah has cast him far away from His mercy, he is striving to cause people to be cast out from the mercy of Allah too.

﴾Verily, the Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. He only calls his followers so that they may become inhabitants of the raging fire.﴿ (Fatir 35: 6)

Hence Allah tells us of the Shaytan’s efforts to deceive people and how he makes evil and mischief fair-seeming to them, for he said to his Lord, swearing an oath: ﴾I will certainly take a designated portion of Your slaves﴿. The accursed one knew that he would not be able to deceive all the slaves of Allah, and that he would have no power over the sincere slaves of Allah; rather his power would be over those who take him as a friend and prefer to obey him rather than to obey their Lord.

Elsewhere he swore to deceive them and said:

﴾... I will certainly mislead them all, except Your chosen [and sincere] slaves among them.﴿ (Sad 38: 82-83)

This is what the evil one wanted and was certain of. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) told us that it would take place when He said: c-(lblees found his expectations^{1That is, he had expected that he would be able to mislead them, as he said: «{...! will certainly mislead them all, except Your chosen [and sincere] slaves among them.]) (Sad38: 82-83)} concerning them to be correct, for they all followed him, except for a group of believers.p (Saba’34:20)

Concerning this designated portion that he swore to Allah he would take, he stated what he wanted to do with them and what his plan was for them when he said: ﴾And I will certainly lead them astray﴿ that is. from the straight path - misguidance in terms of knowledge and misguidance in terms of deeds.

﴾and fill them with false hopes﴿ that is, in addition to leading them astray, I shall make them wish to attain that which those who are rightly guided will attain. This is the essence of deception: he was not content merely to lead them astray; rather he went further and made the misguidance they followed appear fair-seeming to them. He made them go further in the way of evil until they did the deeds of the people of hell which are deserving of punishment, but they thought that they were deserving of paradise. This is applicable to the Jews, Christians and others, for they are as Allah tells us about them: ﴾And they say: No one will enter paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian. That is their own wishful thinking...﴿ (al-Baqarah 2: 111)

.. .Thus We have made fair-seeming to every nation its actions... p

﴾Say: Shall we tell you who will be the greatest losers in terms of deeds those whose efforts in the life of this world are wasted, while they think that what they do is right?﴿ (al-Kahf 18:103-4)

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us about the hypocrites, that on the Day of Resurrection they will say to the believers:

^...Were we not with you? They will say: Yes, but you gave in to confusion and temptation, you kept waiting [for some misfortune to befall us], you doubted, and you were deceived by false hopes, until the decree of Allah came to pass. Thus [Shaytan] the deceiver deceived you concerning Allah.﴿ (al-Hadeed 57: 14)

﴾fl will certainly order them to slit the ears of livestock﴿ that is, to cut the ears, as in the case of the baheerah, sa ’ibah, waseelah and ham.^{2These words refer to certain categories of camels to which certain taboos were applied during the jahiliyah. Baheerah: a she-camel whose milk was dedicated to the idols. Sa'ibah: a she-camel that was let loose for the sake of their false gods and no load was to be carried on it.} Here some of the animals concerned are mentioned, to refer toall of them. This is a kind of misguidance which implies prohibiting that which Allah has permitted, or permitting that which Allah has prohibited. That includes false beliefs and unjust rulings, which are among the worst types of misguidance.

﴾and I will certainly order them to change the creation of Allah﴿. That includes changing the outward appearance by means of tattooing, plucking eyebrows, fding the teeth for the purpose of beautification, and other things by means of which Shayfan deceived them, so they changed and altered the creation of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

This implies that the one who does such actions is discontent with Allah’s creation, doubts His wisdom, and believes that what they do with their hands is better than the creation of the Most Merciful, and that they are not content with His decree and creation. That also includes changing the inner creation (that is, what one naturally believes). Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has created His slaves as inherently monotheist, with a natural inclination to accept and prefer the truth, but then the devils come to them and lead them away from that beautiful inclination, and make evil, ascription of partners to Allah, disbelief, immorality and disobedience appear fair-seeming to them.

Every infant is bom in a state of fifrah (sound human nature) but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian and so on, changing thereby the natural inclination that Allah has created in people to affirm His oneness, love Him and know Him. The devils attack them in this regard as scavengers and wolves attack the lost sheep.

Were it not for Allah’s kindness and generosity towards His sincere believing slaves, the same thing would happen to them as happened

= Waseelah: a she-camel that produced female offspring the first and second times she gave birth, with no male offspring in between; she was also let loose for the sake of the idols.

Ham: a stallion camel that was let loose for the sake of the idols after siring a particular number of offspring, and was not required to carry any load.to these who were led astray. This is what happened to them because of their turning away from their Lord and Creator, and taking as a friend the enemy who intends ill towards them in all ways. Thus they became losers in this world and in the hereafter, and they ended up with regret and sorrow, having lost out. For this reason Allah says: ﴾Whoever takes the Shaytan as a protector [and helper] instead of Allah has indeed suffered a manifest loss﴿. What loss can be clearer and greater than that of the one who loses in terms of his religious and worldly well-being, and whose sins cause his doom? Therefore he incurs eternal misery and misses out on eternal bliss.

On the other hand, the one who takes his Lord as his friend and gives precedence to pleasing Him gains the most and succeeds immensely; he earns happiness in this world and the hereafter, and he will become content with that which Allah blesses him with. O Allah, no one can withhold what You give, and no one can give what You withhold. O Allah, take care of us among those of whom You take care, and pardon us among those whom You pardon.

Then Allah says: ([[Shaytan] makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes﴿ that is, Shaytan makes promises to those whom he strives to lead astray, but these promises also imply warnings, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾The Shaytan threatens you with poverty...﴿ (al-Baqamh 2: 268)

He threatens them that if they spend in Allah’s cause, they will become poor, and he scares them by telling them that if they strive in jihad they will be killed, and so on, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us:

﴾That was only the Shaytan, who tries to instil [in you] fear of his

He tries to instil fear in them when they give precedence to pleasing Allah, by telling them of everything that may happen and everything that is not possible; he brainwashes them until they feel reluctant to do good. In like manner, he fills their minds with false hopes which.in reality, are like mirages which contain nothing real. Hence He says: ﴾but Shaytan makes promises to them only in order to deceive them. For these, their abode shall be hell﴿ that is, whoever follows the Shaytan and turns away from his Lord, and becomes one of the followers and party of Iblees, his final abode will be hell ffand they will find no escape from it﴿ that is, no one to save them and no refuge; rather they will abide therein for ever and ever.

After mentioning the final destination of the friends of the Shaytan, who are doomed, Allah then mentions the final destination of His close friends, who are the blessed:

(\rr

4:122. But those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will admit them to gardens through which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. [This is] a true promise from Allah, and who is truer in word than Allah?

﴾those who believe﴿ in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree, both good and bad, in the manner in which they are instructed to believe in them, by understanding them, believing in them and affirming them fjand do righteous deeds﴿ that stem from faith.

That includes all enjoined deeds, both obligatory and encouraged, including beliefs, words and physical actions. Each deed brings a set reward, according to one’s situation, attitude and intention, and the extent to which it complements faith and righteous deeds.The individual will miss out on that set reward according to the degree to which he is lacking in faith and righteous deeds. This is in accordance with what is known of the wisdom and mercy of Allah and it is in accordance with His true promise, which is known to anyone who studies the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ).

Hence He mentions the set reward for that: ﴾We will admit them to gardens through which rivers flow﴿, in which there is that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it ever entered the mind of man, of all kinds of delicious food and drink, wondrous scenes, beautiful spouses, palaces, adorned chambers, amazing trees with low-hanging fruit, beautiful voices, and abundant blessings, where people will visit one another and remember the past, all of that in the gardens of paradise. And over and above all that will be Allah’s being pleased with them, and their souls having the joy of being near to Him, seeing Him and listening to Him, which will make them forget all delights and pleasures, and were it not that Allah keeps them steadfast, they would soar and die with joy and happiness.

How sweet this blessing is, and how great is that which the Most Generous Lord has bestowed upon them. What happened to them of all goodness and joy is indescribable, and what makes it perfect and complete is the fact that they will abide for all eternity in those lofty abodes. Hence Allah says: ﴾to abide therein forever. [This is] a true promise from Allah, and who is truer in word than Allah?﴿ Almighty Allah speaks the truth, and His words and statements are of the utmost truthfulness, because His word is true and what it indicates is exactly what will happen; all that is indicated by His words will inevitably come to pass. The same is true of the words of His Messenger (ﷺ), because he does not say anything except by His command and does not utter anything except by His inspiration.

4:123. It will not be in accordance with your wishes or the wishes of the People of the Book; whoever does evil will be requited for it, and he will not find, besides Allah, any protector or helper.

4:124. Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, and is a believer - those will enter paradise, and they will not be wronged by even as much as the speck on a date stone.

t-jlt﴿ that is, the matter of your salvation and purification «fwill not be in accordance with your wishes or the wishes of the People of the Book﴿. “Wishes” refers to self-talk that is not based on actions, and which is accompanied by mere claims; if one wished the opposite, it would be all the same. This is general in meaning and applies to all matters, so how about if it applies to the issues of faith and eternal happiness?

Allah has told us of the wishes of the People of the Book, and that they said:

﴾.. .No one will enter paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian. That is their own wishful thinking... ﴿ (al-Baqarah 2: III)

And this is even more applicable in the case of those who have no Book or Messenger.

That also includes all those who claim to be Muslims, as is dictated by perfect justice and fairness. Merely claiming to belong to a religion, regardless of what it is, is of no use at all if the individual does not produce any evidence to support his claim. His deeds either confirmthat claim or demonstrate that it is false. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾whoever does evil will be requited for it﴿. This includes all those who do evil, because evil includes all kinds of sin, both minor and major sins. This also includes all kinds of requital, small or great, in this world or in the hereafter.

In this regard people are of differing levels, which no one knows except Allah. Some do few bad deeds and some do many. One whose deeds are all evil cannot be anything but a disbeliever, and if he dies without having repented, he will be requited with eternal, painful punishment. If a person’s deeds are righteous and he is steadfast in following the straight path most of the time, but he sometimes commits some minor sins, then whatever befalls him of worry, distress, harm and some pains - whether they are physical or emotional, or caused by the loss of a loved one or wealth and so on - will be an expiation for (some of) his sins. This is also part of the requital for his (bad) deeds. Allah has ordained this out of kindness to His slaves, and there are many different degrees between these two cases (the one whose deeds are all good and the one whose deeds are all evil).

This requital for evil deeds in general is limited to those who do not repent, for the one who repents is like the one who did not commit sin, as is indicated by the texts.

tjand he will not find, besides Allah, any protector or helper﴿ these words dispel any idea that may arise that the one who deserves punishment for his deeds could have a protector, helper or intercessor to avert from him that which he deserves (of punishment). Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that this is not the case; he has no friend who can get him what he wants, and no protector who could ward off from him that which he fears, except his Lord and Sovereign.

﴾Whoever does righteous deeds﴿ - that includes all actions, including thoughts, ideas and beliefs, as well as physical actions. It also includes every doer of deeds, human or jinn, young or old, male or female. Hence Allah says: c-fwhether male or female, and is abeliever﴿. Faith is the required condition for all deeds. No deed can be righteous or acceptable, or lead to reward, or ward off punishment, unless it is based on faith.

Deeds without faith are like the branches of a tree that was cut off from the root, or like a structure built on waves. Faith is the root and foundation, and the basis on which everything is built. This condition must be borne in mind whenever any good deed is mentioned in general terms: it should be understood that the reward for that deed is subject to the condition that it be based on faith.

﴾those﴿ that is, the ones who combine faith and righteous deeds ﴾will enter paradise﴿ which includes everything that one’s heart may desire and that will delight one’s eyes

﴾and they will not be wronged by even as much as the speck on a date stone﴿ that is, they will not be wronged to any degree, small or great, for what they did of good deeds; rather they will find it complete and multiplied greatly.

if 5

(\Ts

4:125. Who can be better in religion than one who submits himself [completely] to Allah, is a doer of good, and follows the religion of Ibraheem, the monotheist? For Allah did take Ibraheem as a close friend.

That is, nothing is better than the way of one who combines sincerity to Allah with submitting himself to Him, which is indicative of full submission to Allah both inwardly and outwardly, turning to Him and being devoted to Him, body and soul.﴾fis a doer of good﴿ that is, in addition to this devotion and submission, he follows the teachings of Sharia and the rulings with which Allah sent His Messenger (ﷺ) and that He revealed in His Books, and made them a way to be followed by the elite of His creation and their followers.

﴾and follows the religion of Ibraheem﴿ that is, his teachings and path

﴾the monotheist [haneef)﴿ that is, inclining^{1The word haneef (translated here as (-(monotheist))) means one who inclines away from one thing towards something else.} away from polytheism towards monotheism, and away from created beings in order to focus and devote himself to the Creator.

﴾For Allah did take Ibraheem as a close friend﴿. Close friendship is the highest level of love; this is the status that was obtained by the two close friends (khaleels) of Allah: Muhammad and Ibraheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them both). Allah’s love is for all the believers; Allah only took Ibraheem as a close friend because he fulfilled the command that was enjoined upon him and he passed the test. Therefore Allah made him a leader of humankind, took him as His close friend and made him renowned among all people.

4:126. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth; verily Allah encompasses all things.

This verse highlights the fact that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) encompasses all things, hence He tells us that to Him belongs ﴾all that is in the heavens andon earth ﴿that is, all creatures are His property and His slaves, and He is the only Master Who controls them. His knowledge encompasses all that may be known, His vision encompasses all that can be seen, His hearing encompasses all that may be heard. His will and decree control all that exists and His mercy encompasses the inhabitants of heaven and earth. Every creature is subject to His might and power, and all things submit to Him.

4:127. They ask you [O Muhammad] for a ruling concerning women. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning them, [as does] that which is recited to you in the Book concerning female orphans to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them [of mahr and inheritance], yet you desire to marry them, and concerning helpless children, that you should treat orphans equitably. Whatever you do of good deeds, Allah has full knowledge of it.

Asking for a ruling is a request for an explanation of the Islamic verdict concerning the matter asked about. Allah tells us that the believers asked the Messenger (jiz) about the ruling on women that has to do with them, and Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) answered this question Himself. He said: ﴾[Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning them'p, so act in accordance with the ruling He gives you in all affairs pertaining to women, namely giving them their rights, not mistreating them in general terms and in specific cases.

This command is general in meaning and includes all that Allah has ordained, both commands and prohibitions, with regard to women, wives and others, young and old.

Then after making a general statement, Allah refers specifically to the instruction to be kind to the weak, namely orphans and children, out of concern for them and warning against neglecting their rights, as He says:

﴾[as does] that which is recited to you in the Book concerning female orphans﴿ that is, He also explains to you through that which is recited to you in the Book concerning female orphans ﴾to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them﴿. This highlights the situation that really existed at that time. If a female orphan was under the care of a man, he would undermine her rights and mistreat her, either by devouring her wealth, all or some of it, or by preventing her from getting married so that he could benefit from her wealth, for fear of losing her wealth to her husband; or he would take some of her mahr that was given to her when she got married, by stipulating a condition or otherwise. This was the case if he was not interested in marrying her, but if he did want to marry her and she was beautiful and had wealth, he would not be fair with regard to her mahr; rather he would give her less than she deserved. All of these things come under the heading of injustice and wrongdoing mentioned in this text. Hence Allah said:

﴾yet you desire to marry them﴿ - the original Arabic may mean either you desire to marry them or you do not desire to marry them. Both cases are discussed above.

ffand concerning helpless children﴿ - Allah also gives you a ruling concerning helpless small children: you should give them their rights, of inheritance and otherwise, and you should not seize their wealth unlawfully and wrongfully.

﴾that you should treat orphans equitably﴿ that is, with complete justice. That includes paying attention to the way in which you raisethem, by making them adhere to the commands of Allah and what He has enjoined upon His slaves. Guardians are responsible for that, for making them adhere to that which Allah has made obligatory.

The Arabic term translated above as treating (equitably) may also mean taking care of their worldly interests by tending their wealth and looking for the best way to invest it for them, and handling it only in the best manner. At the same time they should not do favours to their friends or anyone else at the expense of the orphans, such as giving a girl in their care in marriage to a friend, and so on, in such a way that undermines their rights. This highlights Allah’s mercy towards His slaves, as He instructs them to look after the interests of those who cannot take care of themselves because they are in a weak position and have lost their father.

Then Allah encourages kindness in general terms, as He says: ﴾Whatever you do of good deeds﴿ to orphans and others,

﴾Allah has full knowledge of itp that is, His knowledge encompasses the deeds of those who do good, whether they are few or many, good or the opposite, and He will requite each person in accordance with his deeds.

4:128. If a woman fears ill treatment or indifference on her husband’s part, there is no blame on them if they settle the matter amicably between themselves [by compromising on their rights], for reconciliation is better, even though avarice is ever-present in human souls. If you do good and practise self-restraint, Allah is well aware of all that you do.

That is, if a woman fears ill treatment from her husband, meaning that he will look down at her, have no desire for her and be indifferent to her, then in this case it is better to bring about reconciliation between them, by means of the woman giving up some of her Islamically-affirmed rights to her husband, so that she could remain with him. This may be done by her agreeing to less than she is entitled to in terms of either maintenance, clothing, accommodation or a share of his time, by waiving some of her rights, or she may give her day and night to her husband or her co-wife.

If they both agree to that, there is nothing wrong with it and there is no blame on them in that regard, either on her or her husband. In that case it is permissible for her husband to stay with her according to these terms, and this is better than separation. Hence Allah says: ﴾for reconciliation is better﴿. From the general meaning of this phrase it may be understood that reconciliation between two parties who have rights over one another or between whom there is a dispute on any matter is better than each party insisting on his or her full rights, because doing so brings about reconciliation, preserves harmony and creates an atmosphere of tolerance.

Reconciliation is permissible in all matters, unless it permits something that is prohibited or prohibits something that is permissible, in which case it is not reconciliation; rather it is injustice.

It should be noted that no ruling can be implemented or carried out unless there is a reason for doing so and there are no impediments to doing so. That includes this important ruling, namely reconciliation. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) mentioned the reason for that, by pointing out that it is better, and what is better is something sought by every rational person. Moreover, Allah has enjoined it and encouraged it, therefore the believer should be more eager to seek it and attain it.

The impediment is mentioned in the words: ﴾even though avarice is ever-present in human souls﴿ that is, human souls are created with an inclination towards avarice, which makes the individual reluctantto give what is due to others and makes him keen to demand his own rights. Souls are naturally inclined towards that, so you should strive to rid yourself of this bad characteristic and replace it with its opposite, which is tolerance and an easy-going nature. That means giving what is due to others and being content with some of that to which you are entitled.

When a person is helped and guided to acquire this good characteristic, it then becomes easy for him to reconcile with his opponent, and that paves the way to reaching the goal more easily. This is in contrast to the one who does not strive to remove avarice from his heart, so it becomes difficult for him to reach an agreement and reconcile with others, because he will not be content unless he gets all of his dues, and he will not be content to give all that he is required to give to others. And if the other party is also like him, the problem will become worse.

Then Allah says: ﴾If you do good and practise self-restraint﴿ that is, do good in worshipping the Creator, which means worshipping your Lord as if you can see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you; and do good to other people in all ways, benefiting them with one’s wealth, knowledge or status, or in other ways ﴾and practise self-restraint jj and fear Allah by doing all that is enjoined and refraining from all that is prohibited, or do good by doing what is enjoined and fear Allah by refraining from that which is prohibited. ﴾Allah is well aware of all that you do﴿ - He encompasses it with His knowledge, both as it outwardly appears to be and what is hidden of intentions; He records it and will requite you for it in full.

4:129. You will never be able to treat your wives with absolute equity, however much you may desire to do so. But do not incline too much to one of them so as to leave the other hanging. If you do what is right and refrain from injustice, verily Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) states that husbands will not be able to be fully equitable between their wives, because equity requires equal love and being inclined equally to all of them, and then acting accordingly, and this is simply not possible. Therefore Allah forgives that which cannot be done, and forbids that which is possible (of inequity), as He says: ?﴾But do not incline too much to one of them so as to leave the other hanging﴿ that is, do not incline in such a way that you do not fulfil their obligatory rights; rather do what you can to treat them equitably.

Therefore with regard to maintenance, clothing, sharing one’s time between them and so on, you must be fair and treat them equitably. This is in contrast to love, intercourse and so on. If the husband fails to give his wife her rights, then she will be left hanging, unlike the one who has no husband, so she is certain of her situation and can prepare to find a husband and get married, and also unlike the one who has a husband who gives her her rights.

﴾If you do what is right﴿ with regard to the relationship between you and your wives, by forcing yourself to do that which you may not be inclined to do, seeking reward thereby and doing your duty towards your wife, and also reconcile with other people concerning disputes that you may have with them. This indicates that it is encouraged to follow every path that may lead to reconciliation, as mentioned above.

﴾and refrain from injustice﴿ that is, by doing what is enjoined, refraining from what is forbidden, and accepting with patience what is decreed

﴾verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿ - He will forgive whatever you have done of sins and falling short in your obligatoryduties, and He will have mercy on you as you have been kind to your wives and shown them compassion.

or-

4:130. But if they separate, Allah will compensate both out of His abundance, for Allah is All-Encompassing, Most Wise.

This is a third option for spouses: if it is not possible to bring about reconciliation, then there is nothing wrong with separating.

﴾But if they separate﴿ by means of taldq, annulment of the marriage, khul', or otherwise ff Allah will compensate both﴿ spouses ﴾out of His abundance﴿ that is, out of His bounty and His vast and all-encompassing kindness. He will compensate the husband with a wife who is better for him than her, and He will make her independent of means by His grace and bounty. If her share of provision stops coming from her husband, then her provision will come from the One Who guarantees the provision of all and takes care of their interests, and perhaps Allah will bless her with a husband who is better than him.

﴾for Allah is All-Encompassing﴿ that is. His grace is immense and His mercy is vast. His mercy and kindness reach as far as His knowledge reaches.

But in addition to that, He is also ﴾Most Wise﴿ that is. He bestows His grace and mercy, or withholds them, on the basis of wisdom. If His wisdom dictates that He should withhold His kindness from some of His slaves, because of some deeds on their part due to which they do not deserve His kindness, He will withhold it from them on the basis of justice and mercy.

4:131. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. We have instructed those who were given the scripture before you, as well as you [O Muslims], to fear Allah. But if you disbelieve, then surely to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and Allah is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of all praise.

4:132. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and sufficient is Allah as a disposer of affairs.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us how vast and great is His sovereignty, which means that He is in control of all things and ordains all things, through His Sharia and by His will and decree.

Through His Sharia, Allah instructed the earlier and later generations, the people of the previous and later Books, to fear Him by following His commands and heeding His prohibitions. He also issued laws and regulations, rewarding those who follow His instructions, and punishing those who neglect them and overlook them with the most painful punishment. Hence He says: ﴾But if you disbelieve﴿ by failing to fear Allah and by associating with Allah that for which He has not sent any authority down to you, then you are only harming yourselves; you are not harming Allah in the slightest or diminishing His sovereignty. He has slaves who are better, greater and more numerous than you, who obey Him and submit to His command. Therefore He refers to that when He says: ﴾But if you disbelieve, thensurely to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and Allah is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of all praise﴿. He is Most Generous and Most Kind. He bestows His bounty from the vast reserves of His mercy, which are never diminished by His spending, which continues all day and all night. If the people of the heavens and the people of the earth, the first and last of them, were all to come together and each one of them was to ask for all that he wishes for, that would not detract in the slightest from His sovereignty. He is generous and possessed of abundant wealth, and His giving and His punishing take just one word; His command, when He wills something, is merely to say, ‘Be!’ and it is.

By virtue of His being completely self-sufficient He is perfect in all attributes, because if there were to be any shortcomings or imperfections in Him, that would be a kind of need for that quality (in order to perfect it). But He possesses all the attributes of perfection, and in each attribute He has the highest level of perfection. One of the aspects of His self-sufficiency is that He has no wife or child, and no partner in His sovereignty, and no supporter or helper in His running the affairs of His dominion. Another aspect of His self-sufficiency is that the inhabitants of the upper and lower realms are in need of Him in all their situations and affairs, and they ask of Him for all their needs, small and great. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is in charge of all their needs and requests; He meets their needs, honours them, bestows His favour upon them out of kindness, and guides them.

Worthy of all praise﴿ -(al-Hameed) is one of the majestic names of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), which indicates that He alone is the One Who deserves all praise, love and honour, because of what He possesses of the attributes of praise, namely the attributes of beauty and majesty, and because of what He bestows upon His creation of immense blessings. Therefore He is praiseworthy in all ways.

How beautiful is this pairing of these two noble names: ﴾Self- Sufficient, Worthy of all praise﴿, for He is independent of means andpraiseworthy. He is perfect in His self-sufficiency and He is perfect in His praiseworthiness, and He is perfect for having both of these attributes together.

Then He repeats that His sovereignty encompasses all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and that He is in charge of all things. In other words, He knows all things and is running the affairs of all things on the basis of His wisdom, and that is part of being in charge of things in the most perfect sense. Being in charge of things requires knowledge of what one is in charge of, as well as strength and the ability to do the job and run affairs. That running of affairs should be based on wisdom and what serves the best interests, for any shortcoming is indicative of shortcomings in the one who is in charge of things, and Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is far above having any shortcomings.

Ort-\rr

4:133. If He so willed. He could destroy you, O people, and bring others [in your stead], for He has power to do that.

4:134. Whoever seeks the reward of this world, then with Allah is the reward of this world and of the hereafter. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

That is. He is Self-Sufficient, Worthy of all praise, the One Who is possessed of complete power and you are subject to His will. f(If He so willed. He could destroy you, O people, and bring others [in your stead] fe that is, other people who would be more obedient to Allah than you and better than you. This is a warning to the peopleagainst persisting in disbelief and turning away from their Lord. Allah does not care about them if they do not obey Him; He may give them respite and allow them to get carried away, but He will not leave them alone for ever (and He is always aware of them).

Then Allah tells us that in the case of one whose main focus and ambition is low, and does not go beyond the reward of this world, and he does not care about the hereafter, his efforts are falling short and he is short-sighted, yet despite that he will not get anything of the reward of this world except what Allah has decreed for him. For He is the Sovereign of all things, in His command is the reward of this world and the hereafter. Therefore they are to be sought from Him and His help is to be sought to acquire both, for that which is with Him cannot be attained except by means of obedience to Him, and both religious and worldly aims can only be achieved by seeking His help and always demonstrating one's need of Him.

He is supremely wise in guiding and helping those whom He guides and helps, and in forsaking those Whom he forsakes, and in His giving and withholding. Hence He says: ﴾Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing﴿.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

(\ro

4:135. O you who believe, be steadfast injustice and bear true witness for the sake of Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your kinsfolk. Whether he is rich or poor, Allah canbest take care of both. So do not follow your emotions, lest you swerve from justice. If you distort your testimony or decline to give it, then verily Allah is well aware of all that you do.

Here Allah instructs His believing slaves to ﴾jbe steadfast injustice and bear true witness for the sake of Allah﴿. The word qawwam (translated here as ﴾steadfast﴿) is an intensive form of the word. What is meant is: in all your affairs, be steadfast in standing up for justice, which means being just with regard to the dues of Allah and the dues of His slaves. Justice with regard to the dues of Allah means not using His blessings as a means to disobey Him; rather they should be used as a means to do righteous deeds.

Justice with regard to the dues of other people means paying all dues that you owe to others, just as you demand your own dues. So you must spend on obligatory maintenance, pay debts, and treat others with a good attitude as you would like to be treated.

One of the greatest types of justice is justice with regard to views and opinions, and those who hold those views. So you should not judge in favour of one of two views, or one of two disputants, because of his affiliation or because of your inclination towards one of the two. Rather you should make it your aim to judge between them on the basis of justice and fairness. Another aspect of justice is giving testimony of what you know, regardless of the way in which you know it, even if that is against loved ones or against oneself. Hence Allah says: ﴾fand bear true witness for the sake of Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your kinsfolk. Whether he is rich or poor, Allah can best take care of both That is: do not favour the rich man because of his wealth, or the poor man out of mercy towards him - or so you claim; rather you should give testimony on the basis of truth, regardless of who may be affected.

Being steadfast in justice is one of the most important matters, and is one of the most indicative of the religious commitment, pietyand status in Islam of the one who is just. The one who is sincere to himself or wants to save himself must pay the utmost attention to justice, make it his focus, resolve to attain it, and strive to rid himself of all obstacles and barriers that prevent him from adhering to justice and acting accordingly.

The greatest barrier to that is following whims and desires. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) points out the importance of ridding oneself of this barrier, as He says: ﴾So do not follow your emotions﴿ that is, do not follow your own emotions, whims and desires that are contrary to the truth, lest - by doing so - you swerve from the right path and are not guided to justice, for whims and desires will either make a person blind, so that he sees the truth as false and falsehood as true, or he may recognise the truth but fail to follow it because of his whims and desires. The one who is saved from his whims and desires has been guided to the truth and to the straight path.

When Allah stated that it is essential to be steadfast injustice, He also forbade the opposite of that, which is distorting one’s testimony and the like, twisting one’s words in order to avoid stating the truth in all aspects or in some aspects. That includes distorting one’s testimony and not giving it in full, or applying one’s testimony to a different issue. All of that comes under the heading of distorting testimony, because it is a deviation from the truth.

﴾or decline to give it﴿ that is, fail to be just as you are enjoined to be, such as the witness withholding his testimony, or the judge not giving his verdict that he should give.

﴾then verily Allah is well aware of all that you do﴿ that is. He encompasses with His knowledge all that you do, both in secret and openly. This is a stem warning to the one who distorts his testimony or declines to give it. It is more appropriate that this be addressed to the one who judges on the basis of falsehood or gives false testimony, because his offence is greater; the former only failed to do what isright, but the latter fails to do what is right and also does what is wrong.

4:136. O you who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger, and the Book which He has sent down to His Messenger and the Books which He sent down before. Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels. His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, has indeed gone far astray.

It should be noted that commands and instructions are either addressed to the person who is not doing something, so this is an instruction to start doing it, such as the command addressed to those who do not believe, telling them to believe, as in the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾0 you who have been given the scripture, believe in what We have revealed [to Muhammad], confirming what is with you...]J (an-Nisa' 4: 47)

- or they are addressed to the one who has started to do something; in this case it is an instruction to correct what he is doing and to go further and do what he is not already doing. An example of that is what Allah says in this verse, instructing the believers to believe. That is an implicit instruction to do that which will correct their faith on the basis of sincerity, to avoid that which may spoil it, and to repent from anything that may undermine faith.

This is also an implicit instruction to do that which the believer is lacking of attaining Islamic knowledge and doing righteous deeds.Every time any text reaches him and he understands its meaning and believes it, that is part of the belief which is enjoined. The same applies to all inward and outward actions: they are all part of faith, as is indicated by many texts and as the early generations of the Ummah were unanimously agreed.

Then one should continue in that way and remain steadfast until death, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.﴿(Al ‘Imran 3. 102)

Here Allah instructs us to believe in Him and in His Messenger the Qur’an, and the previous Books. All of this is part of the obligatory faith, without which a person cannot be a believer; he should believe in general terms with regard to that which he does not know the details of, and in detail with regard to that of which he comes to know in detail. The one who believes as enjoined in this manner has indeed been guided and will succeed.

﴾Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels. His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, has indeed gone far astray﴿ - and what misguidance can be greater than the misguidance of one who forsakes the straight path of guidance and follows the path that leads to the painful punishment?

It should be understood that disbelieving in any of these things is like disbelieving in all of them, because they are interconnected and it is not possible to believe in some of them without believing in others.

Then Allah says:

4:137. Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe [again], then disbelieve [again], and thereafter grow hardened in their disbelief - Allah will not forgive them nor guide them to any path [that leads to truth].

That is, the one who repeatedly disbelieves after having believed, so he is guided and then misguided, and he sees then he becomes blind, and he believes then he disbelieves and persists and increases in his disbelief, is far removed from divine help and guidance to the straight path, and he is far removed from forgiveness, because he has produced the greatest impediment to attaining it. His disbelief is a punishment and becomes part of his nature that will not disappear,

﴾f...So when they chose to deviate [from the truth], Allah caused their hearts to deviate [from right guidance]... 'ft (as-Saff 61: 5)

﴾We will turn their hearts and eyes away [from the truth], since they refused to believe in it the first time...﴿(al-An am 6:110)

This verse indicates that if they do not increase in disbelief, rather they come back to faith and give up what they were following of misguidance, then Allah will forgive them, even if they apostatised repeatedly. If this is the case with regard to disbelief, then it is more appropriate that in the case of other sins that are less grave than disbelief, if a person commits them repeatedly then turns back to Allah and repents, Allah will forgive him again.

ort

4:138. Give tidings to the hypocrites, that theirs will be a painful punishment.

4:139. [As for] those who take the disbelievers as allies'' rather than the believers, are they seeking power with them? Verily all power belongs to Allah.

The word translated here as ﴾tidings﴿ is usually used to refer to good, but may sometimes refer to evil, as in this verse. Allah says: c-fGive tidings to the hypocrites﴿ that is, those who make an outward display of being Muslims, whilst concealing disbelief; give them the worst tidings, namely tidings of the painful punishment, because of their love for the disbelievers, and their taking them as allies and supporting them, and their failing to take the believers as allies. What made them do that? Are they seeking power with them?

This is how the hypocrites really are. They think negatively of Allah and they lack certain faith that Allah will help His believing slaves. They focus on some means of power that the disbelievers have and they fail to look beyond that, so they take the disbelievers as allies, seeking power with them and seeking their help.

But in fact all power belongs to Allah; the forelocks of all people are in His Hand and His will concerning them is always done. He has guaranteed to support His religion and His believing slaves, even if that is after some tests for His believing slaves and after causing the enemy to prevail over them temporarily. The ultimate outcome is always in favour of the believers.

In this verse there is a stem warning against taking the disbelievers as allies and failing to take the believers as allies, because that is one of the characteristics of the hypocrites. Faith dictates that we should love the believers and take them as allies, and hate the disbelievers and regard them as enemies.

4:140. He has already revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the revelations of Allah being rejected and ridiculed, do not sit with them until they begin to talk of other things; otherwise, you would be like them. Verily Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell.

4:141. [The hypocrites are] those who are waiting and watching to see what happens to you. If Allah grants you a victory, they say: Were we not with you? But if the disbelievers meet with a success, they say [to them]: Did we not help you win, and protect you from the believers? But Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection. Allah will not grant the disbelievers means to prevail over the believers.

Allah has explained to you - in what He has revealed to you - that His shar‘i rulings are to be followed when attending gatherings in which disbelief and sin are present:

﴾He has already revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the revelations of Allah being rejected and ridiculed﴿ that is, being belittled. That is because what is required of every accountable person with regard to the revelations of Allah is to believe in them, then venerate them and respect them. That is the purpose for which they were revealed, and it is the purpose for which Allah created Hiscreation. The opposite of belief is rejection of them, and the opposite of respecting them is mocking them and scorning them. That includes the arguments that the disbelievers and hypocrites may come up with to invalidate the revelations of Allah and support their disbelief.

The same also applies to innovators of various types. Their argument in support of their falsehood implies disrespect towards the revelations of Allah, because the revelation only supports the truth, and does not contain anything but truth. And in fact this also applies to attending gatherings of sin and immorality, in which the commands and prohibitions of Allah are flouted and the limits that He has set for His slaves are transgressed. This ruling also includes the prohibition on sitting with them, ﴾until they begin to talk of other things﴿ that is, things other than disbelief in the revelations of Allah and ridiculing them.

﴾otherwise )? that is, if you sit with them in the situation mentioned, ﴾you would be like them﴿ because then you would be approving of their disbelief and ridicule, and the one who approves of sin is like the one who does it. The point is that whoever attends a gathering in which Allah is disobeyed is obliged to object to them if he is able to, or to get up and leave if he is not able to do so. ﴾Verily Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell﴿ just as they came together as allies in their disbelief. The fact that they outwardly appeared to be with the believers will not benefit the disbelievers (or hypocrites), as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾On that day, the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to the believers: Wait for us, so that we may have some of your light...﴿

Then Allah highlights how the hypocrites take the disbelievers as allies and show enmity towards the believers:

﴾f[The hypocrites are] those who are waiting and watching to see what happens to you﴿ that is, they are waiting to see how you willend up, and whether the outcome will be good or bad for you; they have prepared a response in either case, according to their hypocrisy.

﴾flf Allah grants you a victory, they say: Were we not with you?﴿ They pretend that they were with the believers both outwardly and inwardly, so that they will be safe from criticism and aspersions, and so that they will have a share of the booty and fay ’, and so that they will be able to ask for help.

﴾But if the disbelievers meet with a success﴿. He did not say victory, because they do not attain victory in the sense of permanently prevailing; rather it is just a success that does not mean the end of the matter, by the wisdom of Allah.

If that happens, ﴾they say [to them]: Did we not help you win, and protect you from the believers?﴿, trying to show them how much they care about them by not having fought them when they were able to, and how they tried to prevent the believers by all possible means from fighting the disbelievers, such as weakening them, discouraging them from fighting, supporting the enemy against them, and other means for which they are well known.

﴾But Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection﴿ that is, He will reward the believers both inwardly and outwardly in paradise, and He will punish the hypocrites and polytheists, both men and women.

﴾Allah will not grant the disbelievers means to prevail over the believers﴿ that is, He will not grant them authority or power over them; rather a group of the believers will continue to adhere to the truth, receiving divine support, and they will not be harmed by those who forsake them or oppose them.

Allah still grants the believers the means of victory and protection against the disbelievers, as is well known. Even though some Muslims are ruled by disbelieving groups, they are still treated with respect and are not persecuted for their religion, and they are not regardedas insignificant by them. Rather they have full support from Allah, to Him be praise first and last, outwardly and inwardly.

(itr-ur

4:142. The hypocrites seek to outwit Allah but it is He Who outwits them. When they stand up to pray, they stand up reluctantly, only to be seen by people, and they remember Allah only a little,

4:143. Wavering in between, belonging neither to these nor those. For those whom Allah has caused to go astray, you will never find a way [to guide them].

Here Allah tells us about how the hypocrites were with regard to their abhorrent characteristics and conduct, and how they tried to outwit Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) by making an outward display of faith whilst concealing their disbelief, thinking that this would deceive Allah and that He would not know of it or expose their tricks to H is slaves. But in fact Allah outwitted them, because merely by being like that and behaving in this manner they were fooling themselves. What deceit can be greater than that of one who strives to do something which then backfires on him and brings him disgrace, humiliation and deprivation? That on its own is indicative of a lack of maturity, because in addition to it being a sin, they thought that it was something good, and they thought that it was a sign of smartness and cunning. This is what ignorance and misguidance do to a person!

With regard to His outwitting them on the Day of Resurrection, Allah says:﴾0n that day, the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to the believers: Wait for us, so that we may have some of your light. It will be said: Go back and seek light elsewhere. Then a wall will be set up between them, which will have a gate, on the inside of which there will be mercy and on the outside there will be punishment. The hypocrites will call out to the believers: Were we not with you?...﴿

One of their characteristics is that ﴾ When they stand up to pray﴿ - if they do so at all - which is the most important physical act of worship

﴾they stand up reluctantly﴿, finding it burdensome and resenting having to do it. Reluctance only stems from a lack of interest in their hearts. Were it not that their hearts are devoid of longing for Allah and for that which is with Him, and are lacking in faith, they would not be so reluctant.

﴾only to be seen by people﴿ - this is what is hidden in their hearts and this is the motive for their deeds: to be seen by people. They want people to see them and respect and honour them, and they are not acting out of sincerity towards Allah. Hence ﴾they remember Allah only a little﴿, because their hearts are filled with the desire to show off. Remembrance of Allah and persistence therein can only come from a believer whose heart is filled with love and reverence for Allah.

﴾Wavering in between, belonging neither to these nor those﴿ that is, they wander between the believers and the disbelievers; they are not believers both outwardly and inwardly, and they are not disbelievers both outwardly and inwardly. Deep in their hearts they are with the disbelievers, but outwardly they are with the believers, and this is the worst possible misguidance. Hence Allah says: ﴾For those whom Allah has caused to go astray, you will never find a way [to guide them]﴿ and you will never make him give up his way of misguidance, because the door of mercy has been closed to him and has been replaced with wrath.

These blameworthy characteristics indicate that the believers are possessed of the opposite, namely sincerity and truthfulness, both outward and inward. There is no mystery as to what they are; they are enthusiastic in prayer and worship, and they remember Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) a great deal, because Allah has guided them to the straight path. So let the wise person think about these two groups and choose whichever of them he wants. And Allah is the source of strength.

4:144. O you who believe, do not take the disbelievers as allies rather than the believers. Do you want to give Allah a clear case against you?

Having stated that one of the characteristics of the hypocrites is that they take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers, Allah then forbids His believing slaves to have this abhorrent characteristic, and to resemble the hypocrites, because that would inevitably ﴾give Allah a clear case against you﴿. In other words, it would constitute clear proof that you should be punished, because We have warned against it and We have stated that taking the disbelievers as allies leads to negative consequences, so doing that after receiving this warning deserves punishment.

This verse is indicative of the perfect justice of Allah and highlights the fact that Allah does not punish anyone before establishing proof against him. This is also a warning against sin, because Allah has a clear case against the one who commits sin.

(UV-\tO

4:145. The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the fire; you will not find any helper for them,

4:146. Except those who repent and mend their ways, hold fast to Allah and become sincere in their devotion to Allah [alone]; then they will be with the believers. And Allah will give the believers an immense reward.

4:147. Why would Allah punish you, if you are grateful and believe? Allah is Appreciative, All-Knowing.

Here Allah tells us of the ultimate destination of the hypocrites: they will be in the lowest depths of hell and theirs will be the worst punishment. They will be below other disbelievers, because they shared their disbelief in Allah and opposition to His Messengers, but in addition to that they engaged in trickery and deceit. They planned to oppose the believers in many subtle and unnoticed ways, arranging all of that in such a way that they would still be regarded as Muslims and thus acquire that which they were not entitled to. For this and other reasons they are deserving of the worst punishment; no one can save them from Allah’s punishment and no helper can ward off any part of His punishment. This is general in meaning and applies to every hypocrite, except those among them whom Allah blessed by enabling them to repent from evil deeds and ﴾mend their ways﴿ for the sake of Allah, both outwardly and inwardly﴾hold fast to Allah﴿ and seek His help to bring them benefits and ward off harm from them

﴾and become sincere in their devotion to Allah [alone]﴿ - this refers to sincerity in submission to Allah (Islam), faith and ihsan.

Thus they sought the Countenance of Allah in their deeds, both outward and inward, and were saved from showing off and hypocrisy. Those who have these characteristics (-[will be with the believers﴿ that is, in this world, in al-barzakh, and on the Day of Resurrection ﴾And Allah will give the believers an immense reward﴿, the nature of which no one knows except Allah; it is something that no eye has seen, no ear has heard and it has not crossed the mind of man.

Contemplate how Allah singled out for mention holding fast and sincerity, even though these are implied in the words c-(mend their ways﴿, because holding fast and being sincere are part of mending one’s ways and there is a great need for both, especially in this critical situation where hypocrisy is deeply entrenched in people’s hearts, and nothing can remove it except holding fast to Allah and constantly turning to Him and expressing one’s need of His help in order to ward off hypocrisy. Sincerity is diametrically opposed to hypocrisy, hence Allah mentions both it and holding fast to Him because of the virtue of these two deeds and because of the fact that all deeds, both outward and inward, are based on them and there is a profound need for them in this context.

Contemplate how, when Allah refers to the hypocrites alongside the believers. He did not say “and He will give them a great reward”, even though the context is talking about the hypocrites. Rather He said (-﴾And Allah will give the believers an immense reward﴿. That is because this is a general principle which Allah repeats frequently

2,1 Ihsan, as described in the well-known hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, means:

«...to worship Allah as if you can see Him, for although you cannot see Him, He can see you.»in the Qur’an. If the context is discussing some minor issues, and Allah wants to refer to some reward or punishment connected to the minor issues, and that minor issue comes under the same general heading, He connects the reward to that general heading under which that minor issue and others come, so that no one would think that the ruling is limited only to this minor issue. This is one of the brilliant subtleties of the Qur’an. Thus the former hypocrite who repents is included with the believers and will have the same reward as them.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us of the perfect nature of His self-sufficiency and the vastness of His forbearing, mercy and kindness: ﴾Why would Allah punish you, if you are grateful and believe?﴿. Because Allah is Appreciative and All-Knowing, He will give those who carry the heavy burden of commitment for His sake and persist in doing righteous deeds an immense reward and abundant kindness. Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will give him something better than it.

Furthermore, He knows how you appear outwardly and what is in your hearts, and He knows what you do and what it is based on, be it sincerity or the opposite. He wants you to repent and turn back to Him, then if you turn to Him, why should He punish you? He does not find any joy in punishing you and He does not benefit from punishing you; rather the sinner only harms himself, just as the deed of one who is obedient is to his own benefit.

Gratitude is humility in the heart and acknowledgement of Allah’s blessings, utterance of thanks to the Bestower of those blessings, and physical acts of obedience to Him; it also means not making use of His blessings to disobey Him.

4:148. Allah does not like anyone to speak ill [of others] in public, except the one who has been wronged. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

4:149. If you do good openly or conceal it or pardon a wrong [done to you], then verily Allah is Pardoning, Omnipotent.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that He does not like anyone to speak ill (of others) in public; in other words, He dislikes and hates that, and will punish for it. That includes all bad words that cause offence and upset others, such as insulting, slandering, reviling and so on. All of that is forbidden and is hateful to Allah.

This indicates that He loves good words such as dhikr and kind and gentle words.

﴾except the one who has been wronged﴿ that is, it is permissible for him to pray against the one who has wronged him, to complain about him and to say bad things back to the one who said it to him, without lying about it, going beyond the level of wrong that was done to him, or overstepping the mark and reviling anyone else. Yet it is better to pardon him and not to respond in kind, as Allah says (سبحانه وتعالى): ﴾f...but whoever forgives and reconciles, his reward is with Allah...﴿

﴾Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing﴿ because the verse refers to words, whether they be bad, good or permissible. Allah tells us that He is All-Hearing and hears what you say, so beware of speaking ofanything that angers your Lord, lest He punish you for that. This is also encouragement to say good words.

All-Knowing﴿ and He knows your intentions and the motives behind what you say.

Then Allah says: ﴾If you do good openly or conceal it﴿ this includes good in word and deed, open or hidden, obligatory or recommended ﴾or pardon a wrong [done to you]﴿ that is, if you pardon someone who mistreated you physically, financially, or by impugning your honour, and you forgive him, the reward is commensurate with the type of deed. If a person forgives for the sake of Allah, Allah will forgive him; if he shows kindness, Allah will be kind to him. Hence Allah says: ﴾then verily Allah is Pardoning, Omnipotent﴿ that is, He forgives the mistakes of His slaves and their grave sins, so He conceals their errors, then He grants them His perfect forgiveness that stems from His might and power.

From this verse we learn the meanings of the names and attributes of Allah, and that His is the creation and the command (7:54); this is the implication of His names. Therefore the rulings are connected to His beautiful names, as in this verse.

When He mentioned doing good and pardoning wrongs. He made a connection between that and learning about His names; that is sufficient and there is no need to mention the specific reward.

yo'

4:150. Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and want to make a distinction between [belief in] Allah and [belief in] His Messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to adopt a way in between,

4:151. it is they who are indeed disbelievers, and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment.

4:152. To those who believe in Allah and His Messengers, and make no distinction between [belief in] any of them. He will give their [due] rewards. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

These are two categories that are clear to everyone: the believer who believes in Allah, all of His Messengers and His Books, and the disbeliever who disbelieves in all of that.

But there is a third category, which is the one who claims to believe in some of the Messengers but not others, and thinks that this way will save him from the punishment of Allah. But this is no more than wishful thinking, because these people want to make a distinction between Allah and His Messengers.

The one who believes in Allah in the true sense will believe in all of His Messengers, because that is part of perfect belief. The one who opposes any of His Messengers has in fact opposed Allah and opposed all of His Messengers, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and Messengers, to Jibreel and Meekal [Meeka’eel], - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.﴿ (al-Baqarah 2: 98)

Similarly, the one who disbelieves in any Messenger has disbelieved in all of the Messengers, even the Messenger in whom he claims to believe. Hence Allah says: ﴾it is they who are indeed disbelievers﴿. That is lest anyone imagine that their position is a kind of middle way between faith and disbelief.

The reason why they are disbelievers - even in that in which they claim to believe - is that for every proof that led them to believe in the Messengers in whom they do believe, there is the same or equally strong or even stronger evidence for the Prophet in whom they disbelieve, and for every specious argument that they use to undermine the Prophet in whom they disbelieve, there is an equal or stronger argument to undermine the one in whom they do believe.

After establishing the above, there is nothing left except whims and desires, and nothing but mere claims that anyone could counter with a similar claim. As the Qur’an states that these people are indeed disbelievers, it then refers to a punishment that applies to them and to all disbelievers: sfand We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishments. Just as they were too arrogant to believe in Allah, He will humiliate them with a painful punishment and disgrace.

﴾To those who believe in Allah and His Messengers﴿ - this includes belief in all that Allah has told us about Himself and all that the Messengers brought of stories of the past and rulings ﴾and make no distinction between [belief in] any of them﴿ that is, the Messengers; rather they believe in all of them. This is true faith and certainty that is based on proof.

﴾He will give their [due] rewards﴿ that is, as a reward for their faith and what resulted from that of righteous deeds, good words and good attitudes, each according to his situation. Perhaps this is the reason why the reward is described as being theirs

﴾For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful﴿ - He forgives bad deeds and accepts good deeds.

aiiil lijil IjJ lli dJF io 1'

4:153. The People of the Book ask you to bring down for them a Book from heaven. Indeed they asked Moosa for something even greater than that, when they said: Let us see Allah with our own eyes. But a thunderbolt struck them for their transgression. Then they took the calf [for worship] after the clear signs had come to them. Yet We pardoned [even] that, and gave Moosa clear authority.

4:154. And We raised above them the Mount, while making a covenant with them [so as to make them accept it]; and We said: Enter the gate bowing down with humility; and We said to them: Do not break the Sabbath. And We took from them a solemn covenant.

4:155. [We punished them] because of their breaking of their covenant, their rejection of the revelations of Allah, their slaying ot the Prophets unjustifiably and their saying: Our hearts are impenetrably wrapped [against whatever you say] - Nay, Allahhas sealed up their hearts for their disbelief; little is it they believe -

4:156. [And We punished them] because of their disbelief and their uttering a terrible slander against Maryam.

4:157. And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah ‘Eesa son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah. But they did not slay him or crucify him; rather [another man] was made to resemble him to them [and that man was crucified]. Those who differ concerning this matter are in doubt concerning it, with no [certain] knowledge, but only conjecture to follow. But they certainly did not slay him.

4:158. Rather Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Almighty, Most Wise.

4:159. There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.

4:160. Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews, We forbade to them certain good things that had [previously] been permitted to them; and because of their barring many from the path of Allah,

4:161. and because of their taking usury, even though it had been forbidden to them, and because of their devouring people’s wealth wrongfully. We have prepared for the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.

This demand from the People of the Book to the Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) was due to stubbornness and was an audacious suggestion. They made this request a condition of their believing or otherwise. They asked him to bring down the Qur’an to them all at once, as the Torah and Gospel had come down. This was the utmost wrongdoing and ignorance on their part, because the Messenger (ﷺ) was a human being, a slave under the command of Allah who had no power to do anything. Rather all matters are under the control of Allahand it is He Who sends and reveals whatever He will to His slaves, as Allah tells us about the Messenger (ﷺ), when mentioning the signs that the polytheists suggested to Muhammad (ﷺ):

﴾...Say: Glory be to my Lord! Am 1 anything but a man, sent as a Messenger?!﴿ (al-lsra 17: 93)

The same applies to their making the criterion between truth and falsehood nothing more than the matter of whether the Book is sent down all at once or piecemeal. This is simply an idea of theirs for which there is no proof and no reason, or even any weak argument to support it. Where do we find in the story of the prophethood of any of the Prophets that if a Messenger brings to you a Book that was revealed piecemeal, then you should not believe in him or accept him?

Rather the fact that the Qur’an was revealed piecemeal, according to the circumstances, is one of the indications of its greatness and Allah's care for the one to whom it was sent down, as He says: ﴾Those who disbelieve say: Why was the Qur'an not sent down to him all at once? [It has been revealed] thus so that We may strengthen your heart thereby, and We have imparted it to you by gradual revelation. Whenever they come to you [O Muhammad] with an argument. We reveal to you the truth and the best explanation.﴿ (al-Furqdn

When Allah mentioned their invalid objections. He pointed out that there is nothing strange in their attitude, because in the past there has been a suggestion of something even more reprehensible to the Messenger in whom they claimed to believe, when they asked him to let them see Allah with their own eyes, and they took the calf as a god and worshipped it, after they had seen signs with their own eyes that no one else had seen.

They also refused to accept the rulings of their own Book, namely the Torah, until the mountain was raised above their heads and theywere threatened that if they did not believe, it would fall on them. So they accepted that reluctantly, as they had no choice but to believe.

They also refused to enter the gates of the town which they were commanded to enter bowing down in humility and seeking forgiveness, but they went against that in word and deed, and some of them also transgressed the Sabbath, therefore Allah has sent that horrible punishment upon them.

When Allah took from them a solemn covenant, they cast it behind their backs, rejected the revelations of Allah and killed His Messengers unlawfully. Moreover, they said that they killed the Messiah ‘Eesa and crucified him, when in fact they did not kill him or crucify him; rather (another man) was made to resemble him to them, and they killed and crucified that man.

They claimed that their hearts were impenetrably wrapped and could not understand what was said to them, and they barred people from the path of Allah, so they were barred from the truth. They called people to their way of misguidance and transgression, and devouring unlawful earnings and usury, even though Allah had issued a stern prohibition against their doing that. So it comes as no surprise that the people who did these deeds would ask the Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) to bring down to them a Book from heaven.

This is the best way to counter arguments that are founded on an invalid basis. If the other person produces a false argument that becomes a source of confusion to him and others and is the cause of them rejecting the truth, we should highlight his evil characteristics and some of his misdeeds that are among the worst of what he did, so that everyone will know that this objection comes from this ignoble man, and that he has previous misdeeds along with this invalid argument of his.

Similarly, any argument they may present to cast aspersions on the prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ) may be countered by a similaror stronger argument about the prophethood of those in whom they claim to believe, so as to ward off their evil thereby and suppress their falsehood.

For every argument they present to affirm the prophethood of those in whom they believe, there is a similar or stronger argument to prove and affirm prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ).

Because the aim of listing their evil actions was to establish this argument, Allah did not discuss them in detail here. Rather He referred to them here, and discussed them in detail elsewhere, where it was appropriate to do so.

﴾There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death﴿ - it may be that the pronoun in the phrase ﴾before his death refers to the People of the Book. According to this view, every individual Jew or Christian will believe in ‘Eesa (عليه السلام) when death approaches and the truth becomes clear to him, but that faith will be of no benefit because it will be faith by compulsion. This is an implicit threat and warning to them that they should not continue as they are, for they will regret it before death; so how will they be on the day when they are gathered and resurrected?

Or it may be that the pronoun in the phrase <(before his death refers to ‘Eesa In that case, what is meant is: there is no one among the People of the Book but he will surely believe in the Messiah (عليه السلام) before the Messiah’s death. That will be when the Hour approaches and its major signs appear. There are numerous saheeh hadiths which speak of his descent at the end of this Ummah; he will kill the Dajjal and abolish the jizyah, and the People of the Book will believe in him along with the believers. On the Day of Resurrection, ‘Eesa (عليه السلام) will be a witness against them and will testify concerning their deeds and whether or not they were in accordance with the laws of Allah.

On that day he will only testify to the falseness of everything they believed and did that was contrary to the teachings of the Qur’an andthe message of Muhammad (ﷺ). We know that because we know about the perfect justice and sincerity of the Messiah (عليه السلام) and that he will testify only to that which is true. That which was brought by Muhammad (ﷺ) is true and everything other than that is misguidance and falsehood.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that He forbade to the People of the Book many good things that had previously been permissible for them. This prohibition was a punishment because of their wrongdoing and transgression, their barring people from the path of Allah, their preventing them from following true guidance, and their consuming riba when they had been forbidden to do so. Hence Allah gave them a fitting punishment by withholding from them many of the good things that were originally permitted, even though they are good. In the case of the things that are prohibited to this Ummah, this prohibition is to keep them away from unclean things that are detrimental to their spiritual and worldly interests.

4:162. But those among them who are firmly grounded in knowledge, and the believers, believe in what has been sent down to you [O Muhammad], and what was sent down before you; who establish regular prayer and give zakah, and who believe in Allah and the Last Day - to these We will grant an immense reward.

Having mentioned the bad characteristics of the People of the Book, Allah then mentions those among them who are praiseworthy, as He says: ﴾But those among them who are firmly grounded inknowledge﴿ that is, those in whose hearts knowledge is deeply entrenched and faith is firmly rooted. That resulted in them having complete faith ﴾fin what has been sent down to you [O Muhammad], and what was sent down before you﴿. It also resulted in them doing righteous deeds, namely establishing prayer and giving zakah, which are the best of deeds, for they include sincerity towards Allah and kindness towards people. They also believed in the Last Day, hence they feared punishment and hoped for the promised reward.

﴾to these We will grant an immense reward﴿ because they combined knowledge, faith and righteous deeds with belief in the earlier and later Books and Messengers.

a;03 (np Uyj

4:163. We have sent revelation to you [O Muhammad], as We sent it to Nooh and the Prophets after him; We sent revelation to Ibraheem, Isma'eel, Is-haq, Ya'qoob and his sons, to ‘Eesa, Ayyoob, Yoonus, Haroon, and Sulayman, and to Dawood We gave the Zaboor [Psalms].

4:164. And [We sent revelation to] Messengers of whom We have told you, and other Messengers of whom We have not told you. And Allah spoke directly to Moosa.

4:165. Messengers sent as bearers of glad tidings and as warners, so that humankind would have no excuse before Allah, after the [coming of the] Messengers. For Allah is Almighty, Most Wise.

Here Allah tells us that He revealed to His slave and Messenger (ﷺ) great teachings and laws, and true news of the past, such as He revealed to these earlier Prophets. From this we learn a number of things:

• That Muhammad (ﷺ) is not a new phenomenon among the Messengers. Before him Allah sent many Messengers, so there is no reason to find his being sent strange except ignorance or stubbornness.

• That he received revelation as they did concerning the fundamentals of faith and enjoining of justice, on which all the Messengers are agreed; they confirmed one another and their messages were in harmony.

• That he comes under the same category as those Messengers, so people should think of him as a brother to them, for his call is the same as theirs and their attitudes are in harmony. The source of their message is one and their aims are one. He is not mentioned alongside unknown figures or liars or unjust kings.

• That listing these Messengers is by way of praising and commending them and describing their character, which strengthens the believers’ belief in them and love for them, and their desire to emulate them, follow their path and learn more about them. This is a confirmation of the verses in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Peace be upon Nooh among all nations.﴿ (as-Ṣaffat 37: 79) ﴾Peace be upon Ibraheem.p (as-Ṣaffa< 37: 109)

﴾Peace be upon Moosa and Haroon.﴿ (as-Saffat 37120) ﴾Peace be upon Ilyas. Thus do We reward those who do good.﴿

Every doer of good is praised by people commensurate with his good deeds, and the Messengers - especially those named - attained the highest level of doing good.

As Allah referred to what they have in common (which is that they all received revelation), He then mentions how some of them were singled out for particular blessings. He tells us that He gave Dawood the Zaboor (Psalms), which is the well-known scripture. Allah gave it especially to Dawood (عليه السلام) because of his virtue and high and honourable status. He spoke directly to Moosa, with no intermediary, and Moosa became well known for that among all humankind and is known as “Moosa to whom the Most Gracious spoke directly.”

Allah tells us that He has told His Messenger (ﷺ) about some of the Messengers, and there are others about whom He has not told him. This indicates that they are many and that Allah sent them with glad tidings, to those who obey Allah and follow them, of happiness in this world and in the hereafter, and with a warning, to those who disobeyed Allah and opposed them, of misfortune in both realms, so that people would have no excuse before Allah, after the coming of the Messengers, and they would not be able to say:

f(...No bearer of glad tidings and no warner ever came to us. But now there has come to you a bearer of glad tidings and a warner... p

So people no longer have any excuse before Allah, because He sent the Messengers one after another to explain to them matters of religion and what pleases and displeases their Lord, and the paths that lead to paradise and those that lead to hell. So whoever disbelieves after that has no one to blame but himself.

This is indicative of the perfect might and wisdom of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), that He sent the Messengers to them and sent down the Books to them. This also happened by His grace and kindness, because people are in the greatest and most desperate need of the Prophets. So Allahmet this need, to Him be praise and thanks and we ask Him, as He blessed them initially by sending them, to complete His blessing by enabling them to follow their path, for He is most generous and kind.

4:166. But Allah bears witness to the truth of what He has sent to you, as He has sent it with His knowledge, and the angels bear witness; and sufficient is Allah as a witness.

Having mentioned that He sent revelation to His Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) as He sent revelation to his fellow Messengers, Allah tells us here of His testimony to the truth of his mission and the soundness of the message he brought, and He tells us that ﴾He has sent it with His knowledge﴿. It may be that what is meant is that He has sent it down containing His knowledge; in other words, it contains divine knowledge, Islamic rulings and news of the unseen, which is part of the knowledge of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) that He has taught to His slaves.

Or it may be that what is meant is that He sent it down knowingly, and this is by way of testifying to it. In other words, He sent down this Qur’an, containing commands and prohibitions, knowing that and knowing the character of the one to whom He sent it down, and that he (the Prophet [ji|]) called the people to it. So whoever responds and believes is His ally, and whoever disbelieves and is hostile is His enemy. Allah Ofe) will give support to His Prophet (ﷺ), grant him victory after victory, answer his prayers, defeat his enemies and help his supporters.

Is there any testimony greater than this?

It is not possible to doubt this testimony, except by doubting the knowledge, might and wisdom of Allah.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) also tells us of the testimony of the angels in support of what He has sent down to His Messenger (ﷺ), because of their perfect faith and the importance of the thing witnessed. None can testify about important matters but the elites, as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says concerning testimony to His oneness:

﴾Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, as do His angels and people of knowledge; He is the upholder of justice. There is no god but He, the Almighty, the Most Wise.﴿ (A! lmnin 3. IX)

And Allah is sufficient as Witness.

Allah tells us about the message of the Messengers whom He sent (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them), and He tells us about the message of the final one, Muhammad (ﷺ). He testifies in its favour and the angels also testify. This indicates that the matter in question is to be affirmed and it is true and sound, so we must believe in them (the Prophets), accept their message and follow them.

Then Allah warns us against disbelieving in them:

4:167. Verily those who disbelieve and bar others from the path of Allah have indeed gone far astray.

4:168. Those who disbelieve and do wrong, Allah will not forgive them nor guide them to any path,

4:169. except the path that leads to hell, to abide therein forever. And that is easy for Allah.

﴾Verily those who disbelieve and bar others from the path of Allah﴿ that is, they combine their own disbelief with barring others from the path of Allah. This refers to the leaders of disbelief and the proponents of misguidance.

﴾have indeed gone far astray﴿ and what misguidance can be greater than that of one who goes astray himself and leads others astray? He carries the burden of two sins and incurs two losses, and he misses out on guidance twice (his own guidance and that of those whom he leads astray). Hence Allah says:

﴾Those who disbelieve and do wrong﴿ - this wrongdoing is in addition to their disbelief; when wrongdoing (dhulm) is mentioned on its own, it includes disbelief.

What is meant by wrongdoing here is the deeds of disbelief and getting carried away in them. These people are far removed from forgiveness and guidance to the straight path. Hence Allah says:

Allah will not forgive them nor guide them to any path, except the path that leads to hell﴿.

It is not possible for them to be forgiven or guided, because they persisted in transgression and increased in disbelief. So a seal has been placed on their hearts and the ways of guidance have been barred to them, because of what they have earned.

﴾f...And your Lord is never unjust to His slaves.﴿ (Fu^ilat 41: 46)

﴾And that is easy for Allah﴿ that is, Allah does not care about them and is not concerned with them, because they are fit for nothing good, and nothing suits them but the way they chose for themselves.

4:170. O humankind, the Messenger has come to you with the truth from your Lord, so believe, for it is better for you. But if you disbelieve, then surely to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.

Here Allah commands all people to believe in His slave and Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ), and He mentions the reason why they should believe in him, the benefits of believing in him, and the harm that results from not believing in him. The reason is, as He tells us, that he brought the truth to them; in other words, his coming as a Messenger in and of itself is true, and the teachings that he brought are true.

The wise person would realise that for people to continue wandering blindly in ignorance and disbelief, without receiving any message for a long time, is not in accordance with the wisdom and mercy of Allah. The sending of the Messenger (ﷺ) is in itself part of His great wisdom and mercy, and is aimed at showing them guidance away from misguidance. Simply looking at his message offers definitive proof of the soundness of his claim to prophethood.

The same may be said of looking at the great message he brought and the straight path. His message tells us about matters of the unseen, in the past and in the future, and about Allah and the Last Day; these matters cannot be known except through revelation and the sending of Messengers. Islam enjoins all that is good and righteous, wisdom, justice, kindness, truthfulness, righteousness, upholding of ties and good attitudes, and it prohibits evil, corruption, transgression, injustice, bad attitudes, lying, and disobedience to parents. All of this offers definitive proof that it comes from Allah. The more a person increases in knowledge of the message, the stronger his faith and certainty become. This is the reason for believing.

As for the benefits of faith, Allah says that it is good for us, and good is the opposite of evil. So faith is good for the believers.physically, mentally and spiritually, in this world and in the hereafter. That is because of what results from faith of interests and benefits, and rewards in this world and in the hereafter. The fruits of faith include divine help, guidance, knowledge, righteous deeds, happiness, joy and paradise with all that it contains of delights. All of that results from faith. By the same token, misery in this world and the hereafter stems from a lack of faith or a deficiency therein.

With regard to the harm of not believing in the Prophet (ﷺ), that is known from the opposite of what results from believing in him. The individual only harms himself, for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has no need of him; the sin of the sinners does not harm him in the slightest. Hence He said: ﴾then surely to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and on earthy that is, He created everything and everything belongs to Him and is subject to His control.

﴾and Allah is All-Knowing﴿ - He knows everything ﴾Most Wise﴿ in what He creates and commands.

Thus He knows who is deserving of guidance or misguidance, and is wise in His allocation of both.

4:171. O People of the Book, do not exceed the bounds [of truth] in your religion, and do not say anything about Allah except the truth. The Messiah ‘Eesa son of Maryam was [no more than] a Messenger of Allah, and His word, which He bestowed uponMaryam, and a soul created by Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Do not say: Three [trinity]; desist, for that will be better for you. Allah is indeed only one God. Glory be to Him, [far exalted is He] above having a son. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and sufficient is Allah as a disposer of affairs.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) forbids the People of the Book to exaggerate in matters of religion, which means overstepping the mark and going beyond the prescribed limit, and doing something which is not prescribed. This is what the Christians did when they exaggerated about ‘Eesa (عليه السلام), and raised him from the status of a Prophet and Messenger to the status of divinity which is not befitting for any but Allah.

Just as falling short and being heedless is prohibited, so too is exaggeration. Hence Allah says: ﴾and do not say anything about Allah except the truth﴿. These words imply three things, two of which are prohibitions: it is forbidden to tell lies about Allah and to speak without knowledge about His names, attributes, deeds, religion and Messengers. The third thing is a command, which is to speak the truth in all matters.

Because this principle is universal, and the context here has to do with ‘Eesa (عليه السلام) the verse states that one must speak the truth about him, which is contrary to what the Jews and Christians say. Allah says: ﴾The Messiah ‘Eesa son of Maryam was [no more than] a Messenger of Allah﴿ that is, the most that the Messiah can be, and the highest level of perfection he can reach - which is the highest level any created being can reach - is the level of being a Messenger of Allah, which is the highest status and brings the greatest reward.

﴾and﴿ he is ﴾His word, which He bestowed upon Maryam﴿ that is, a word which Allah spoke and ‘Eesa came into being thereby. Hewas not that word per se; rather he came into being by means of that word. Describing him as His word is by way of honour and respect (and is not to be taken literally, as the Christians do).

The same applies to the phrase ﴾and a soul created by Him﴿, that is, one of the souls that He created, and He perfected it by bestowing upon it attributes of virtue and perfection. Allah sent Jibreel (عليه السلام) who breathed into the womb of Maryam, and she became pregnant, by Allah’s leave, with ‘Eesa (عليه السلام)

Having explained the true nature of ‘Eesa (عليه السلام), Allah then commands the People of the Book to believe in Him and His Messengers, and He forbids them to describe Allah as “the third of three”, which is what the Christians say, and how wrong is what they suggest.

Allah instructs them to desist, and tells them that this will be better for them, because it is the only way to salvation; any other way only leads to doom. Then He declares himself to be above having any partner or child, as He says: ﴾Allah is indeed only one God﴿ that is. He is the only divine being, and it is not appropriate to worship any but Him.

﴾Glory be to Him﴿ - this is a declaration of His Highness and holiness

﴾f[far exalted is He] above having a son﴿ because ﴾To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earthy. Everything belongs to Him and is in need of Him, so it is impossible for Him to have a partner or child among them.

Then Allah tells us that He is the owner of the higher and lower realms, and that He is taking care of their interests in this world and in the hereafter. He is watching over them, and He will requite them accordingly.

4:172. The Messiah would never disdain to be a slave to Allah, nor would the angels who are close to Him. Whosoever disdains His worship and is arrogant, then surely Allah will gather them all before Him.

4:173. Then, as for those who believe and do righteous deeds. He [Allah] will give them their reward in full, and will give them yet more out of His bounty. But as for those who are disdainful and arrogant, He will give them a painful punishment, and they will not find for themselves, besides Allah, any protector or helper.

Having mentioned the exaggeration of the Christians about ‘Eesa (SlSO and having affirmed that he is His slave and Messenger, Allah tells us here that ‘Eesa would never disdain to worship his Lord. In other words, he would not refuse to worship Him out of resentment. Neither he ﴾nor... the angels who are close to Him﴿ would show such disdain. Thus Allah declares them to be above having such an attitude, so it is more appropriate that they should be above arrogance. Negating a thing affirms its opposite, hence we know that ‘Eesa and the angels who are close to Allah worship their Lord willingly and they love to strive hard in doing so, each according to his circumstances. Hence they deserve that great honour and triumph, for they did not disdain to be slaves and acknowledge His Lordship and divinity.Rather they realised that their need for that was greater than their need for anything else.

No one should think of ‘Eesa or anyone else being above the position that Allah gave him or think that raising him above the status of being a slave is a kind of ascribing perfection to him; rather it is the essence of imperfection and is something blameworthy and punishable. Hence Allah says: ﴾Whosoever disdains His worship and is arrogant, then surely Allah will gather them all before Him﴿ that is, He will gather all people before Him, those who were disdainful and arrogant, as well as His believing slaves. He will judge between them with justice and requite them decisively.

Then Allah gives more details of His judgement concerning them: ﴾Then, as for those who believe and do righteous deeds﴿ that is, they combine faith as enjoined with righteous deeds, both obligatory and encouraged, with regard to the rights of Allah and the rights of His slaves.

﴾He [Allah] will give them their reward in full﴿ that is, the rewards that He connected to good deeds, each according to his level of faith and action

﴾and will give them yet more out of His bounty﴿ of reward that is not earned by their deeds and which never crossed their minds. This includes everything that there is in paradise of food, drink, marriage, scenery, happiness, joy, comfort and physical pleasure. It also includes all good things, both spiritual and worldly, that are connected to faith and righteous deeds.

﴾But as for those who are disdainful and arrogant﴿ that is, they are too arrogant to worship Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)

﴾He will give them a painful punishment﴿ which is the wrath and anger of Allah, and the kindled fire that leaps up to the hearts

﴾and they will not find for themselves, besides Allah, any protector or helper﴿ that is, they will not find anyone among humanity to protect them and help them to get what they want, or to help themand ward off what they fear. Rather they will be abandoned by the Most Merciful of those who show mercy, and He will leave them to their eternal punishment. Whatever Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) decrees, none can put back His decree and none can change His will.

4:174. O humankind, proof has come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a manifest light.

all i^\:

4:175. As for those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him, He will admit them to His mercy and grace, and guide them to Him on a straight path.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) reminds all people of what He has shown them of definitive proof and manifest light, thus establishing proof against them and making the path clear to them, as He says: fjO humankind, proof has come to you from your Lord﴿ that is, definitive proof of the truth and clarification of truth and its opposite. This includes both rational and textual evidence, and the signs in every region of the earth and in people themselves:

f[ We will show them Our signs in the universe and in their own selves, until it becomes clear to them that it [the Qur’an] is the truth...﴿

The words ﴾from your Lord﴿ indicate how great and honourable this proof is, as it comes from your Lord, Who is guiding you in your religious and worldly affairs. Part of His guidance for which He should be praised and thanked, is that He has sent you proof in order to guide you thereby to the straight path, so that you might reach paradise.

﴾fand We have sent down to you a manifest light﴿, which is this Holy Qur’an, which includes all branches of knowledge attained by the earlier and later generations; true and beneficial information; prescription of everything that is fair, sublime and good; and prohibition of everything that is wrong and evil. People will remain in darkness unless they seek its light, and they will remain in deep misery unless they are guided by it.

But the people are divided - according to their belief in the Qur’an and the extent to which they benefit from it - into two categories:

﴾As for those who believe in Allah﴿ that is, they acknowledge His existence, ascribe all attributes of perfection to Him, and believe that He is above all shortcomings and faults ﴾and hold fast to Him﴿ that is, they turn to Allah, rely upon Him, acknowledge their own lack of power and strength, and seek the help of their Lord

﴾He will admit them to His mercy and grace﴿ that is. He will shower them with a special kind of mercy, guide them to that which is good, reward them abundantly and ward off from them calamities and harm, ﴾and guide them to Him on a straight path﴿ that is. He will enable them to acquire knowledge and do good deeds, and to recognise the truth and act upon it.

In other words, whoever does not believe in Allah, hold fast to Him and adhere to His Book, He will deprive them of His mercy and grace, and He will leave them to their own devices. Hence they will not be guided; rather they will go far astray, as a punishment to them for not believing. Therefore all they will gain is doom and loss. We ask Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to keep us safe and sound, and to forgive us.

4:176. They ask you for a ruling. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning those who die leaving neither ascendants nor descendants. If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister but no child [or surviving parent], she will have half of the estate. If [the deceased] is a woman who left no child [or surviving parent], her brother will have the [entire] estate. If there are two sisters [or more], they will have two-thirds of the estate [between them]. If there are brothers and sisters, [they will share the estate], each male having a portion equal to that of two females. Allah explains things to you lest you go astray. And Allah has knowledge of all things

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that the people asked His Messenger about cases in which a person dies, leaving neither ascendants nor descendants, as He says ﴾Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning those who die leaving neither ascendants nor descendants﴿. This refers to one who dies leaving behind no child of his own, and no grandchild, father or grandfather. Hence Allah says: ﴾lf it is a man that dies, leaving a sister but no child﴿ that is, neither male nor female, and neither a child of his own nor a grandchild.

He also leaves behind no father, based on the fact that the share of inheritance is to be given to his siblings; according to scholarly consensus, siblings do not inherit if there is a father. But if a person dies and he leaves behind no son or father, but he leaves ﴾ja sister﴿, that is, a full sister or a half-sister through the father - not through the mother; the ruling on the latter case has been mentioned above.

﴾she will have half of the estate﴿ that is, half of what her brother left behind of cash, real estate, furniture and so on, after debts have been settled and bequests have been carried out, as mentioned above.

﴾flf [the deceased] is a woman who left no child [or surviving parent], her brother will have the [entire] estate﴿ that is, her full brother or her half-brother through the father will inherit from her. There is no mention of how much he will take, because he is ‘aṣib, that is, a male relative on the father’s side, so he will take all of her wealth, if there is no one else who has an allocated share, or some other male relative to share it with him, or what is left after giving the allocated shares.

﴾If there are two sisters [or more], they will have two-thirds of the estate [between them]. If there are brothers and sisters﴿ that is, if there are both males and females, siblings from different mothers ﴾[they will share the estate], each male having a portion equal to that of two females﴿ thus the allocated share of the females is waived and the estate is divided among the siblings.

﴾Allah explains things to you lest you go astray﴿ that is, He explains to you in detail the rulings that you need to know, as a favour and kindness on His part, so that you will be guided by His explanation and will act upon His rulings, lest you go astray from the straight path because of your ignorance and lack of knowledge.

And Allah has knowledge of all things﴿ that is, He has knowledge of the unseen and the seen, the past and the future; He knows that you need explanations and to leam, so He teaches you from His knowledge that which will benefit you always, in all times and places.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat an-Nisa’.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.