Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4: 31
one could look forward to entering the home of honour and peace, the
garden of Paradise.
The two kinds of sins
This verse tells us that there are two kinds of sins. Some of them
are kabirah, that is, major sins; others are saghirah, (termed as
Saiyyat, in this verse) that is, minor sins. He who musters enough
courage and succeeds in staying away from major sins, has been given
a promise by Allah Almighty that He will forgive his minor sins on His
own.
Now, the act of staying away from major sins also includes the act
of fulfilling all obligations (fard and wajib) because neglecting or aban-
doning obligations is a major sin in itself. Thus, we come to the conclu-
sion that if one dutifully fulfills all obligations and succeeds in saving
himself from all major sins, Allah Almighty will overlook his minor
sins.
Defining Major and Minor Sins
The word, "Kaba'ir" used in the verse is the plural of 'kabirah'
meaning 'major sins.' Before we proceed further, we should under-
stand the nature and identification of 'major sins'. Also, we should
know the definition of minor sins, and their number. Being an impor-
tant subject, schu lars of the Muslim community have devoted regular
books to throw light on this subject from various angles.
Let us, first of all, realize that sin, in the absolute sense, is the
name of an act which is against the command and the will of Allah
Almighty. Starting from this particular point, you will be able to see
that the sin known as 'saghirah' or, technically, a minor sin, is, in fact,
no minor sin for that matter. To disobey Allah Almighty and to oppose
His will is, invariably, a grave crime. Therefore, based on this view, a
large number of scholars of the Muslim community have ruled that
every disobedience of Allah and every opposition to His will is nothing
but 'kabirah' or major sin. The distinction between 'kabirah' and
'saghirah', major and minor sins, is made only when these are
compared to each other. It is in this sense that the blessed Companion,
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas has been reported to have said: 4 Js
is Mine which means that 'Any act forbidden by the Shari'ah is a
major sin.'

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 31
In short, a sin which is technically known as minor does not mean
that people should go about indulging in it neglectfully, indolently or
just ignore it as something ordinary. On the contrary, the fact is that a
minor sin, if done with nerve or heedlessness, does not remain minor
anymore - it becomes a major sin. A good example of a major and a
minor sin, as given by some sage, is that of a small scorpion and a big
scorpion, or that of a large ember and a tiny spark, for man cannot
bear the pain given by any of these. Therefore, Muhammad ibn Ka'b
al-Qurazi said that the greatest act of worship offered for Allah is to
give up sins. The 'ibadah or worship by people, who offer prayers and
remember Allah, yet do not give up sins, is not accepted. The famous
mystic, Fudayl ibn 'Ayad said: "The lighter you take a sin to be, the
greater it will become with Allah as a crime.' The most righteous
elders of the Muslim community used to say: Every sin is a courier of
kufr which invites people to manners and morals typical of disbe-
lievers.
According to the Musnad of Ahmad, Sayyidna 'A'ishah Que Llo
wrote a letter to Sayyidna Mu'awiyah ac Ul », in which she said that a
servant of Allah who disobeys Allah Almighty finds his fans become
fault-finders, and friends turn into enemies. Heedlessness towards
sins is the cause of man's permanent ruination. It appears in an
authentic hadith that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: When a true
believer falls in sin, a black dot appears on his heart. If, after that, he
repents and seeks forgiveness from Allah, this dot disappears. If he
does not repent, this dot keeps on increasing, so much so that it covers
his whole heart. In the Qur'an, the name given to this dot is 'rayn', as
in ◌َكَلَّ بَلُ رَانَ عَلى قُلُوبِهِمْ يَمَا كَانُوا يَكُسِبُون that is, their evil deeds have rusted their
hearts - 83:14.
However, it is necessary that there be a method to distinguish
between sins in terms of corruption they cause, evil results they bring
and harmful outcome they produce. Thus, it is because of this need to
differentiate that a certain sin is called 'major' and a certain other
'minor'.
Major Sins
The definition of 'kaba'ir', as indicated in the Qur'an and Hadith
and as explained by the most revered elders, is that a sin on which a

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 31
Hadd or punishment has been prescribed in the Qur'an or Sunnah to
be enforced in this present life or on which words of curse or la'nah
have appeared, or on which stern warning of Hell has been mentioned,
are all major sins. Similarly, every sin the evil outcome of which is
equal to or more than a major sin shall be counted as a major sin. Also,
a sin done with a rebellious attitude or done as a permanent habit is
also included in the major sins.
Someone said before Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas &e Al ye, that the number
of major sins was seven. He said: 'Not seven. Say seven hundred,
which is better.' In his book Al-Zawajir, Imam Ibn Hajr al-Makki has
given a list of all such sins with their full explanations, sins which are
included under kaba'ir in accordance with the definition given above.
The number of major sins listed in his book reaches upto four hundred
and sixty seven. The truth of the matter is that some scholars have
considered it sufficient to count prominent major sins only and thus
the number they have come up with is lower. Others who went in
details and dealt with all divisions and sub-divisions of the subject
came up with a higher number. Therefore, this is not much of a contra-
diction. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has himself pointed to many
sins as being major. Then, as appropriate under given circumstances,
he has also named them in threes and sixes and sevens or even more
elsewhere. From this, the scholars of the Muslim community came to
the conclusion that the purpose is not to determine any particular
number as a universal statement. Rather, each number mentioned in
a hadith relates to particular occasions or circumstances where that
particular number was deemed appropriate in the given situation.
صلى الله عليه In a hadith of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophet
du, has been reported to have said: I warn you against the top ones
from among the major sins. They are three in number - to associate a
created being as a partner in the divinity of Allah, to disobey parents
and to give false witness or to lie. In yet another narration of al-
Bukhari and Muslim, it has been reported that someone asked the
Holy Prophet i as to what could be the greatest of all sins. He said:
'That you ascribe partners to Allah although He has created you.' He
was then asked as to the greatest of all sins after that. He said: 'That
you kill your child for fear of his sharing in your sustenance and that

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Surah Al-Nisa'
4:31
you will have to feed him.' He was again asked as to the greatest of all
sins after that. He said: 'Committing adultery with the wife of your
neighbour.' Since the protection of the family of a neighbour is the
responsibility of all human beings very much like the protection of
one's own family, therefore, the gravity of this crime becomes twofold.
According to yet another hadith reported by al-Bukhari and
Muslim, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'That someone uses
abusive language for his parents is also one of the major sins.'
Surprised, the noble Companions asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, how is
it possible that someone starts using abusive language against his
very own parents?' He said: 'Yes. A person abuses the parents of
another person as a result of which the later abuses the parents of the
former. This too is as if he had abused his own parents, because he
was the one who became the cause of those abuses.'
As in a narration of Şahin al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet has
counted - shirk (ascribing partners to Allah), unjust killing, eating up
of the property of an orphan by false means, devouring income from
interest, deserting the battlefield of jihad, false accusation against
chaste women, disobedience to parents and the desecration of the Holy
Ka'ba - among major sins. In some hadith narrations, the eventuality -
that a person winds up living in a country of disbelievers (dar al-kufr)
and emigrates to a country of believers (dar al-Islam), but later, leaves
the country to which he has migrated and goes back to live into the
country of disbelievers - has also been ruled as a major sin.
There are other narrations of ahadith where some of the forms of
behaviour cited below have been included in the list of major sins,
such as, taking a false oath, holding back water in excess of one's need
and refusing to share it with those who need it, to learn magic, and to
practice magic. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said, 'Drinking is
the greatest of major sins'; he also said: 'Drinking is the mother of all
shameful deeds,' because once drunk, man can fall into any conceiv-
able evil. There is another hadith where he said: 'The gravest major
sin is that one imputes to his Muslim brother a fault which stains his
character.' According to one hadith, one who brackets two salahs (time-
bound prescribed prayers) at one time without an excuse approved by
the Shari'ah has committed a major sin. It means that he did not

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 32-33
perform a salah at the time it was due, but performed it as qada
(missed) prayer along with another salah. Some hadith narrations
declare that losing hope in the mercy of Allah Almighty is also a major
sin; and so it will be in the event if one becomes careless or daring
enough to forget all about His punishment and retribution. Another
narration rules that making a will to bring loss to an inheritor or to
reduce his share in the inheritance is also one of the major sins.
And it appears in a narration from the Şahin of Muslim that the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم once spoke the words: 'Destitutes, losers,
they are ruined.' He repeated this three times. Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-
Ghifarias Algo, asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, who are these unfortu-
nate people?' He replied: 'One: a person who lets his trouser or wrap or
shirt or robe hang all the way down below his ankles; two: one who
spends something in the way of Allah, then publicizes his favour;
three: one who, inspite of his old age, indulges in shameful deeds; four:
one who, despite holding a position of authority, tells lies; five: one
who, despite having a family, waxes proud; six: one who gives his hand
of allegiance in the hands of a worthy Imam or master just for the sake
of material gains.
Concluding in the same vein, we refer to another hadith from al-
Bukhari and Muslim which proclaims that the back-biter will not be
admitted into the Paradise. And a hadith in Nasa'i and the Musnad of
Ahmad enlarges on the theme by saying that some kinds of people will
not be admitted into the Paradise, that is, the drinker, the disobeyer of
parents, the unjustified severer of relations with kinsmen, the public-
izer of a favour, the diviner of the unseen through jinns, satans and
other mediums and the dayyuth (Os), a wittol or cuckold who is so
contented with his shamelessness that he never stops his wife and
family members from going the way of immodesty. And a hadith from
the Sahih of Muslim says that la'nah or the curse of Allah is for one
who sacrifices an animal for anyone other than Allah.
Verses 32 - 33
وَلَا تَتَمَنَوَّا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمُ عَلَى بَعْضٍ، لِلِّجَالِ
نَصِيْبُّ ◌ِمَا اكْتَسَبُوا، وَلِلِنِّسَاءِ نَصِيْبُ تِمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ، وَاسْتَلُوا

411
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 32-33
اللّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيْمًّا (٣٢) وَلِكُلِّ
جَعَلُنَا مَوَالِىَ مِمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِذْنِ وَإِلاَ فُرَبُوُنَهُ وَالَّذِيْنَ عَقَدَتُّ
اَيْمَانُكُمْ فَاتُوُهُمْ نَصْبَهُمْ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىءٍ
شَهِيُدًا ﴿٣٣﴾
And do not covet something by which Allah has made
some of you excel some others. For men there is a share
of what they earned and for women, a share of what
they earned. And pray to Allah for His grace. Surely,
Allah is All-Knowing in respect of everything. [32]
And for everyone We have made heirs in what the
parents and the nearest of kin have left. And as for
those with whom you have made a pledge, give them
their shares. Surely, Allah is a Witness over everything.
[33]
In the injunctions of inheritance appearing previously, it was
mentioned that, given the conditions, for a male there is a share equal
to that of two females. There are other proved aspects of male prece-
dence as well. So, Sayyidah Umm Salmah Que Uly», once said to the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم :'Our share in the inheritance is half. Then,
there are such and such elements of difference between us and men ... '
Her purpose was not to raise an objection. Rather, she wished to be
a man and to deserve the merits restricted for men. There were other
women who wished: 'Had we been men, we would have taken part in
Jihad and the merit of Jihad would have been ours.'
A woman asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم :'A man gets a
double share in the inheritance and the witness of a woman is half as
compared with a man - does that mean that we shall be getting a half
reward for all of our acts of worship?' Thereupon, the present verse
was revealed in which an answer to both these statements has been
given. The answer to Sayyidah Umm Salmah was given by 'and do not
covet ... ' and the answer to the last-mentioned woman was given by 'for
men there is a share ... '

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 32-33
Commentary
Coveting the Unacquirable
In this verse (32), coveting things, traits and merits given to others
has been prohibited, for they are not acquirable by effort. The reason
is that when a man finds himself lacking in wealth, comfort, beauty,
merit, knowledge and similar other states of being, he naturally expe-
riences a surge of envy which urges him to come, at least, at par with
that person, or, if possible, be ahead. But, he does not always have the
capability or power to make his wish come true because there are
merits and excellences which have nothing to do with man's own
efforts and acquisitions. They are simply the blessings of nature, for
example, being a man or being the scion of a prophet's family or
having been born in the family of a ruler or having been born beau-
tiful. So, one who does not have access to these blessings can never
obtain them by effort even if he were to spend a whole life-time
devoted to that pursuit. A woman cannot become a man, nor can one
choose to be born in the family of a prophet, or change his physique -
become tall and handsome, acquire all beautiful features of his choice -
because, this is not within his power. He simply cannot acquire these
in the real sense, no matter how much he struggles with his medi-
cines, treatments and devices. Consequently, when he finds himself
incapable of matching the other person, his inner self starts playing
with the idea that it would be wonderful if such blessings were
snatched away from him (the other person) as well, so that, he too
becomes either equal or lower than him. This is envy, a terribly,
shameful and damaging trait of human morals, which is the cause of
so many disputes, disturbances, killings and ravages in this world.
This verse of the Holy Qur'an closes the doors of disorders by
saying : ◌ٍوَلَا تَتَمَّثَّا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمُ عَلَى بَعْض . It means that Allah Almighty, in
His infinite wisdom, has blessed people with all sorts of merits and
excellences. He gave someone a particular quality, then gave someone
else yet another quality; less to some, more to some others. In this
matter, everyone should rest pleased with his or her destiny and stay
clear from the envious desire to become the possessor of the other
person's merits and excellences, for the end-result of this game of
desires is nothing but a biting sense of personal loss, and of course,

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 32-33
that awful sin of envy.
It may sound a little simple, but the truth of the matter is that
anyone Allah Almighty elects to be a man should be grateful for it, and
anyone He elects to be a woman should be pleased with being just
that, realizing that, had she been a man, may be, she could have failed
to fulfil the responsibilities placed on a man, and would have thus
ended up being a sinner. Then, anyone created beautiful by Allah
Almighty should be all the more grateful for having been so blessed;
and, anyone lesser in looks should also not grieve thinking of the good
that may lie hidden behind this destiny, for being blessed with beauty
does not necessarily guarantee good. It might have the recipient land
into some unwelcome state of trial or corruption. Again, anyone who is
a true lineal descendant of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم should thank
Allah Almighty for the great blessing of this lineal connection; and,
anyone who does not have this connection should neither worry about
it, nor should he go about longing for it, because this is something
which cannot be acquired by effort, and if one still insists on coveting
it, what he would get involved with will be nothing but sin and the
gain he would make would be nothing but a broken heart and an
aching soul. So, rather than pine for a lineage one does not have, the
best policy is to think about one's own doings. Let these be good and
righteous. Once a person enhances himself with such spiritual
strengths, he can be ahead of those with higher or better lineage.
Striving to excel others in good deeds is different
There are verses of the Holy Qur'an and the sayings of the noble
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم which exhort people to excel each other in good
deeds. In other words, this is an open field in which it is all right to
look at the trail of merits and excellence left by others. Indeed, people
have been persuaded to make all possible efforts to acquire them.
Now, this relates to deeds within man's control, and which can be
acquired by learning, training and working. For example, if a person is
impressed with someone's intellectual merits, practical life and excel-
lent morals, he can, by all means, strive to acquire these qualities.
This is very desirable, and praiseworthy. As such, the present verse
does not contradict it. In fact, the later part of the same verse (32), that
is, ◌َللرّجَالِ نَصِيْ مِّ اكْتَسَبُوا وَلِلْنِسَآءِ نَصِعِبٌ مِّ اكْتَسَبْن is actually supporting this view. It

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 32-33
means that men will get a share of what they acquired with their
effort and conduct, and the same will be true for women who will get a
share of what they acquired with their effort and conduct. One is not
likely to miss the hint here - that effort and struggle in the acquisition
of merits and perfections do not go waste. On the contrary, every man
and woman will definitely get a return, a share of his or her effort.
From here, we also know that desiring to have someone's intellectual-
moral excellence as combined with his model practical conduct, and
then going ahead to see the fruition of these desires through effort and
struggle, is certainly desirable and praiseworthy. Removed in the
process here is an error which is committed by a lot of people who tend
to do things not knowing what they are doing. Some of them become so
devoted to their desire to acquire merits which cannot be acquired that
they ruin their otherwise peaceful life right here in this mortal world.
And if, bad come to worse, they are fired with envy, that is, they start
wishing - 'if I do not have this blessing, may this be taken away from
the other' - then, the very chances of salvation in the life to come also
stand destroyed because of the grave sin of envy committed by him.
Moreover, there are another kind of people as well who lack
courage, avoid action, or just have no sense of honour and shame, who
do not even try to acquire merits which can be acquired. Such people,
when approached with good counsel, would come back immediately,
blaming their destiny and fate which is no more than an effort to
camouflage their own timidity and inertia. The present verse has
resolved this problem by stating a wise and just rule which is: Man's
effort is ineffective in acquiring merits which he does not control, such
as, being high-born or handsome. Merits like these should be resigned
to fate and one must be content with the divinely determined state he
is in, and be grateful to Allah Almighty. Coveting anymore than that
is absurd, ineffectual, meddlesome - an act which leaves behind
nothing but a handful of sorrows.
As for merits which can be acquired by effort, wishing to have
them is useful, only if such a wish is supported by the necessary
struggle to achieve. Let us keep in mind that the verse carries the
promise that the effort so made will not be wasted and everyone will
get a share of what he or she worked for.

415
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 32-33
Referring back to injunctions prohibiting the unjust use of
someone's property and the unjust taking of someone's life (29), Tafsir
al-Bahr al-Muhit points out that this verse aims to seal the very source
of these crimes, and it is for this purpose that instructions have been
given to stop people from coveting others who are ahead of them in
wealth, comfort or influence. A little thought will reveal that theft,
robbery and other illegitimate ways of usurping someone's property, or
to kill and destroy, are crimes which sprout from one particular
emotional attitude. A person, when he finds the other ahead of him in
wealth and other material acquisitions, first feels the pinch in his
heart wishing to come at par with him, or even wishes to become
superior to him. Then, it is the intensity of this desire which pushes
him all the way to go ahead and commit these crimes. The Holy
Qur'an, as said earlier, has blocked the source of these crime by
blocking the very desire of the unacquirables and the unobtainables of
life.
To ask for Allah's grace is the ideal way
After that, the verse moves on to instruct by saying: des & c viens
(And pray to Allah for His grace). It means, 'when you see someone
excel in one or the other graces of life,' the ideal conduct is, 'not to wish
to come at par with the other person in respect of that particular excel-
lence, but that you should pray to Allah asking for graces and bless-
ings from Him.' The reason is that Allah's grace appears in different
forms for everyone. For some, wealth is a blessing from God for, if they
were to become paupers, they might have fallen victims to sin and
disbelief. For some others, grace lies in the very pecuniary circum-
stances they are in, for if they were to turn rich, they might have
succumbed to thousands of sins. Similarly, for some, grace appears in
the form of power and influence, while for some others, the unremem-
bered and the unattended, the grace of Allah manifests itself in that
very state. A look at the reality of things around would have told him
that power and influence, if these were to be his lot, might have
caused his falling into many a sin. Therefore, the verse instructs -
when you ask Allah, do not ask for some fixed quality of life, instead,
ask for His grace so that He, in his His infinite wisdom, opens the
doors of His blessings on you.

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
Trust His Wisdom and Knowledge
The verse concludes by saying: إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىءٍ عَلِيمًا (Surely, Allah is
All-Knowing in respect of everything.) Here, the hint is that the
arrangement of things made by Allah Almighty is the very quintes-
sence of wisdom and justice. Whoever has been created and sustained
in whatever condition it may be is an arrangement perfectly matched
with the ideal demand of wisdom and justice. But, man is not fully
aware of the consequences of what he does. This is something only
Allah knows best and thus He also knows how suitable it is to keep
anyone in a given condition.
The law of inheritance: Reiteration of the wisdom in it
While describing the background in which the present verse was
revealed, which appears in the introductory remarks preceding the
Commentary, it was stated that some women, when they found out
that men have been given a share equal to that of two women, wished
they were men so that they too would be getting a doubled share. In a
relevant manner, the law of inheritance was reiterated in the second
verse (33) and it was tersely said that all shares determined therein are
based on perfect wisdom and justice. Since human reason cannot
encompass the totality of factors that contribute to the order or
disorder of the created universe, it is obvious that it cannot arrive
precisely at those elements of wisdom which have been taken into
consideration in determining the laws of Allah Almighty. Therefore,
whosoever has been allotted whatsoever share should be pleased with
it, and be grateful for it.
Inheriting through pledge
The giving of a share on the basis of a pledge mentioned at the end
of verse 33 refers to a practice during the initial period of Islam. This
was later abrogated by the verse ◌ٍأُولُوا الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمُ اولى بِبَعْض (As for the womb
- relatives, some of them are closer to some ... ) (33:6) Now, if other heirs
exist, a pledge or mutual contract between two parties does not affect
the inheritance in any manner whatsoever.
Verses 34 - 35
اَلِّجَالٌ قَوُُّونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوْا مِنْ آَمْوَالِهِمْ، فَالصُّلِحُتُ قُنِئْتُ حُفِظْتٌ
لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللهُ وَالْتِىُّ تَخَافُونَ نُشُزَهُنَّ فَعِظُرُهُنَّ
وَاهُوُهُنَّ فِى الْضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُرْهُنٍَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمُ فَلَا تَبُغُوا
عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيْلَاهُ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كِرًا (٣٤) وَإِنْ خِفْتُمُ شِقَاقَ
بَيْنِهِمَا فَابْعَنُوا حَكَمًا مِنْ أَهْلِمٍ وَحَكَمًا مِنْ آَهْلِهَاء إِنَّ تُرِيِّدَآَ
إِصْلاَّحًا ◌ُوَفِّقِ اللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمَاء إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيْمًا خَبَيْرًا (٣٥)
Men stand caretakers of women since Allah has made
some of them excel the others, and because they have
spent of their wealth. So, the righteous women are
obedient, guarding in absence with the protection
given by Allah. As for women whose disobedience you
fear, convince them, and leave them apart in beds, and
beat them. Then, if they obey you, do not seek a way
against them. Surely, Allah is the Highest, the
Greatest.[34]
And if you fear a split between them, send one arbi-
trator from his people and one from her people. If they
desire to set things right, Allah shall bring about
harmony between them. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing,
All-Aware. [35]
Under injunctions concerning women, appearing earlier, discrimi-
nation against them by withholding or wasting their rights was
prohibited. Now, the present verses describe the rights of men.
Commentary
Verse 34 opens with an important statement: الرِّجَالُ قَوَمُونَ عَلَى النِّسَآء which
has been translated as 'men stand caretakers of women.' Qawwam,
qayyam or qayyim in Arabic denotes a person who holds the responsi-
bility or has the duty and charge to manage a job or run a system or
take care of what has to be done about something, controlling all
related factors therein. The standard role of a man, with regard to
women, has been mentioned in this verse through the word, 'qawwam'
which has been translated in various ways, the most common being in
the sense of 'hakim' or one who rules, governs, or decides. Other alter-
nates used are guardians, custodians, overseers and protectors. When

418
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
taken in the sense of a carer, a functional head, and not in the political
sense of a ruler or dictator, the 'qawwam' or hakim of the Qur'an offers
a base of understanding from common experience. It is obvious that,
for any group-living, big or small, or for any organized system, it is
rationally and customarily necessary that the group or system have
some head or chief or authority so that he can arbitrate in the event of
a difference and take decisions to run affairs smoothly. That such
authority is needed in the running of countries, governments and
states is universally accepted and practiced. This need, as felt in
modern times, was also felt in the older tribal social organizations
where the chief of a tribe was taken as the authority for that tribe.
Why would a family organization, a micro-sample of the larger organi-
zations, would not need someone to head, maintain and run the
system? Of course, the need is there and Allah Almighty, in His infi-
nite wisdom, elected men for this responsibility because their natural
capabilities are more pronounced than those of women and children.
This is such an open and obvious fact of human life that no sane
human being, man or woman, can say no to it; and its denial does not
change reality.
The gist of the matter is that, as seen from use de Jusu, (and for
men, there is a step above them) and from الرِّجَالُ قَوْمُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاء (men stand
caretakers of women), the message is that the rights of women are as
incumbent upon men as the rights of men are upon women, and the
rights of both are similar to each other, with only one exception that
men have a certain precedence in functional authority, although this
too is hemmed with other balancing factors. As explained in other
verses of the Holy Qur'an, this mantle of authority placed on the
shoulders of men is not that of a dictator and a tyrant. While exer-
cizing this authority, man is bound by the supreme law of Islam, the
Shari'ah. He must act on the principle of consultation and follow good
counsel. He just cannot act at the spur of his whim or his wild
instincts. The command given to him is: J'AILERAu, It mean: Treat
.women well, as recognized.
This aspect of having mutual consultation appears in another
verse (2:233) where it was said: ◌ٍعَنُ تَرَاضٍ مِّنْهُمَا وَتَشَاوُر .Here men have been
instructed to act in consultation with wives in family affairs. After this

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
clarification, the technical authority of man should not be a source of
heart-burning for women. Still, in view of the probability that women
may take this arrangement unhappily, Allah Almighty did not restrict
the text on proclaiming the authority of man, but explained two
reasons for this authority. One reason relates to the wisdom of crea-
tion which is beyond the control of any human being, and the other
refers to a factor which comes through one's efforts and endeavour.
The first reason has been mentioned in the words: 22 Jest
' the It means that Allah Almighty has made some excel the others
(in some qualities) under His exclusive wisdom and consideration.
This is like the sacred environs of Makkah where a particular House of
Worship was declared by Allah as His House and Qiblah (the orienta-
tion), and in Jerusalem, a special honour was given to the Bayt al-
Maqdis. Similar is the case with the precedence of men. This is a God-
given grace. Men have done nothing to get it and there is nothing
wrong with women that they do not have it. It is simply based on the
wisdom of creation, an exclusive privilege of the Creator.
The second reason relates to what is achieved with effort. This
reason is pointed out by the words ◌ُوَمَا انْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِم which mean that men
spend their money, pay dower and take the responsibility of meeting
all needs of women. Hence, the precedence.
At this point, a comment from Ibn Hibban in al-Bahr al-Muhit, is
worth attention. He says, 'These two reasons in support of the
authority of men also prove that the right to authority does not get to
be established simply by force. Rather, this right can be deserved on
the basis of one's competence and capability.
The Qur'anic eloquence in describing the precedence of men
It is noteworthy that the Holy Qur'an, while giving the first reason
for the precedence of men, has not opted for an expression like -
ÉPÍ: : 'because He made men excel women', On the contrary, it has
elected to give a deeper significance to the statement by using the
expression : ◌ٍبَعْضَهُمُ عَلَى بَعْض , that is, 'made some of them excel the others'.
The wisdom here is not difficult to see. The Arabic expression JE 42
' has a subtle indictation to the fact that men and women are part of
each other. Therefore, there is a hint that the precedence of men, even
if proved in one or the other field, will not go beyond being similar to

420
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
the precedence of man's head over his hand, or of his heart over his
stomach. So, just as the precedence of man's head over his hand does
not diminish the role and the importance of the hand, similarly, the
precedence of man does not cause any lowering of the status of women,
because both of them are parts of each other's body - if man is the
head, woman is the body.
Some commentators identify yet another hint here. According to
them, this precedence men have over women is in terms of genus. As
far as individuals are concerned, it is quite possible that a woman may
excel a man in her qualities and practical accomplishments, so much
so that a woman may be superior to some individual men even in the
qualities of a care-taker.
The role of men and women: The principle of function
The second reason given for the precedence of men, is that they
spend their earnings to take care of women. Here too, there are some
points to ponder. To begin with, it removes the possible doubt that
may creep up due to the share of men being twice that of women as
described in the verses of inheritance. This is done by the present
verse when it declares that all financial responsibilities rest with men.
As for women, all her financial responsibilities before her marriage
rest with her father and after marriage, these pass on to the husband.
With this in view, giving a twofold share to a man is not really too
much, for it zooms back to women after all.
Now let us pursue the second hint about an important principle in
life. The principle is that woman, in terms of her creation and nature,
should not be subjected to go out, work and earn her own livelihood.
Also, the very attributes of her being are hardly conducive to her
running around offices and markets, doing jobs and laborious work to
earn a livelihood. So, to keep her safe from roughing it out like men,
Allah Almighty has placed her total responsibility on men. Before she
is married, her father takes care of her, and after her marriage, she
becomes the responsibility of her husband. Woman, as opposed to her
sweating it out in the work places in the name of income, career or
liberation, has been made the means of human procreation. Then, the
responsibility of being mothers of children and that of managing and
holding the house and the family together has also been placed on her

421
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
shoulders. Man cannot handle the burdens of responsibilities in these
areas.
Keeping this in view, it is not possible to deduce that the status of
women has been reduced by making them dependent on men in the
matter of her expenses. There is no value judgement being made here.
This is no more than a functional distribution of duties, except that,
the inter-acting precedence between duties which exists elsewhere
exists here too. In short, the two reasons given show that the prece-
dence of men does not lower the status of women, nor does this hold
any special gain for them. Whatever gain there is, it reverts back to
women after all.
The profile of a good wife
The verse begins, with a working rule - that man is charged with a
duty-bound authority over women. The text then describes women, the
good ones and the bad ones. It says:ُفَالصُلِحْتُ قْنِتُتُ حفِظُكُ لِلْغَيْبِ مَا حَفِظَ اللّه .It
means that women who are righteous accept this rule of the prece-
dence of men and obey them, and when they are not with them, they
stand guard on their own selves, as well as on what the husband has
earned for the family. It goes without saying that the protection of the
personal honour and modesty of a woman, and that of everything else
in the house under her charge are basic to the happiness that lies
behind a successful home management. Although the duty of a woman
to guard herself and to look after the home is not restricted to'a situa-
tion where the husband is not at home, but is equally applicable
during his presence also, yet the Holy Qur'an has mentioned the state
of his 'absence' only, because it is in the absence of the husband that a
woman is more susceptible to showing negligence; therefore, this situ-
ation has been mentioned in express terms. The message is that what
has to be avoided is showing a lot of concern and alertness while men
are present in the house, but neglecting to abide by these rules of
conduct when they are out of sight.
It was, most probably, in explanation of this verse that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
خَيْرُ النِّسَاءِ إِمْرَأَةٌ إِذَا نَظَرَتُ إِلَيْهَا سرتكَ، وَإِذَا آَمَرُّتَهَا الطَّاعَتكَ، وَإِذَا غِبُتَ
عنها حفظتك فی مالها و نفسها

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
"The best of women is a woman who, when you look at her,
makes you pleased with her; and when you ask her to do
something, she obeys you; and when you are absent, she
guards her self, and her belongings."
Since these responsibilities placed on women, that is, the guarding
and protection of their modesty, and of what the husband leaves in her
charge, are not that easy to take care of, therefore, Allah Almighty
has, immediately after it, declared: Qui his 4 that is, Allah Almighty
helps women when they so protect. It is with His support known as the
Taufiq of Allah, that they succeed in grappling with these heavy
responsibilities. Had this not been there, the temptations of self and
satan stand surrounding every man and woman all the time. Then,
women are particularly weaker in some areas of capabilities as
compared to men, yet, when it comes to carrying out these responsibil-
ities, they tend to be much stronger than men. All this is an outcome
of Allah's Taufiq and help. This is the reason why women, as a general
rule, are less involved in sinful immodesties as compared to men.
The merit of women who cooperate with their husbands, as evident
from this verse, has also been widely reported in several ahadith. In
one such hadith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that, for a woman
who is dutiful to her husband, there are birds in the air and fish in the
sea and angels in the skies and beasts in the forests who pray for her
forgiveness by the Lord. (al-Bahr al-Muhit)
How to correct an uncooperative wife
The text turns to women who are either straight disobedient to
their husbands or fail to cooperate with them in running family affairs
in the recognized manner. The Holy Qur'an gives men three methods
of correcting their behaviour. These are to be followed in the order
وَالُِّىُ تَخَافُوْنَ نُشُرُزَهُنَّ فَعِظُرُ مُنَّ: they have been mentioned. So, the verse says
It means: If you fear or face disobedience from وَاهُجُرُؤُهُنَّ فِى الْضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ
women, the first step towards their correction is that you should talk it
over with them nicely and softly. Still, if they remain adamant and do
not change their attitude by conciliatory counsel alone, the next step is
not to share the same bed with them, so that they may realize the
displeasure of the husband as expressed through this symbolic separa-
tion, and may feel sorry for their conduct. The Holy Qur'an uses the

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
words: taly at this point, meaning 'in beds'. It is from here that
Muslim jurists have deduced that this staying apart should be limited
to 'beds' and not to the 'house' itself. In other words, the woman should
not be left alone in the house, something which is bound to hurt her
feeling much more and which makes the possibility of further
straining of relations far stronger.
A Companion reports:
قُلْتُ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللَّهُ مَاحَقٌّ زَوْجَةٍ أَحَدِنَا عَلَيْهِ قَالَ: أَنْ تُطْعِمَهَا إِذَ أَطْعَمْتَ
وَتَكْسُوُهَا إِذَا اكْتَسَيْتَ، وَلَا تَضْرِبِ الْوَجُهَ وَلَ تقبّح وَلَا تَهُبُرُ إِلَ فِى الْبَيْتِ
(مشكوة، ص ٢٨١)
I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what right do our wives have on
us?' He said: 'That you feed them when you eat; provide them
with apparels to wear when you have these for yourselves;
and do not hit the face; and do not say abuses to her; and do
not leave them apart unless it be within the house. (Mishkat,
p.281)
If this gentle admonition fails to produce any effect, some correc-
tive form of a little 'beating' has also been allowed as a last resort, of
course, in a manner that it does not affect the body, nor goes to the
undesirable limits of hurt or injury to the skin or bones. As for slap-
ping or hitting on the face, it is absolutely forbidden.
The first two methods of admonition, that is seeking to convince
and leaving apart in beds, are more or less an exercise in nobility
against arrogant lack of compromise. Prophets and their righteous
followers have spoken in favour of it. That they practiced what they
preached is also a proved fact. But, this third method of admonition,
that is, beating, has been permitted as a forced option in a particular
mode. Right along with this option given to men, it appears in hadith:
sie Ga , which means that 'good men among you will never beat
women.' Thus, such an action is nowhere reported from the blessed
prophets of Allah.
According to a narration from the daughter of Sayyidna Abu Bakr
de Algo, as reported by Ibn Sa'd and al-Baihaqi, the beating of women
was absolutely prohibited in the early days, but this resulted in their
becoming much too oppressive, following which the permission was

424
Surah Al-Nisa'
4: 34-35
reinstated.
The present verse relates to one such event, which can be termed
as the background of its revelation. Sayyidna Zayd ibn Zuhayr Jule,
we had married his daughter, Sayyidah Habibah Que In », to Sayyidna
Sa'd ibn Rabi' de Algo, During a dispute over something, the husband
slapped her. Sayyidah Habibah complained to her father. He took her
to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . He declared that Habibah has the
right to hit Sa'd as hard as he did. Hearing this decision of their
master, they started back home to take their revenge upon Sa'd.
Thereupon, this verse was revealed in which the beating of women as
the very last option has been permitted, and no retaliation or revenge
against men was allowed. So, soon after the revelation of this verse,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم called both of them back and asked
them to abide by the injunction from Allah Almighty, and abrogated
his first directive permitting the seeking of revenge.
Towards the end of the verse, it is said: "Then, if they obey you, do
not seek a way against them'. It means that should the women mend
themselves after that triple-stepped approach, men should forgive and
forgo the past events and avoid looking for ways to find fault with
them on flimsy issues as the power of Allah controls everything.
Conclusions
What comes out as a basic principle from this verse is that, no
doubt the rights of men and women are similar as detailed in previous
verses, yet great care has been taken to ensure that the rights of
women are duly fulfilled because they are weaker as compared to men
and cannot wrest rights from men by using their physical power. But
this equality in rights does to mean that there should be no difference
of given graces or functional precedences between men and women.
That men have been given a degree of precedence over women is a
manifestation of Divine wisdom and justice. There are two reasons for
it:
1. The genus of man, in view of its mental-physical excellences, has
God-given precedence over the genus of woman, which is not possible
for the woman to acquire. The case of individuals and rarities is a
different matter.

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 34-35
2. Men take care of everything women need from what they earn
and have. The first reason given above is something over which men or
women have no control, while the second reason is something which
becomes operative by choice and effort. It can also be said here that
according to the commonsense and justice, there should be two things
present while deciding as to who, from among the children of one
father and mother, shall be technically authorized to take care of the
other. First: Whoever is so authorized should have the mental-physical
capability to carry out the demands of authority. Second: The agree-
ment and pleasure of the one to be taken care of under such authority.
The first reason mentioned by the Holy Qur'an (in the words QUI Ler
JAK) focuses on the ability of man to function with authority
while the second reason (mentioned in the words ◌ْوَيًِّا انْفَقُوا مِنْ أَهُوَالِهم) refers
to the agreement and pleasure of the party which would operate under
that authority. It is obvious that at the time of marriage when a
woman, in consideration of her dower and total maintenance, agrees to
enter into the marital bond - she agrees to the authority of the
husband and accepts it with pleasure.
In short, the principle of family life given in the first sentence of
the present verse is that, despite the rights of men and women being
equal in almost everything, there is, for men, a certain precedence
laced with authority vis-a-vis women, and they operate thereunder.
Under this basic principle, there came to be two classes of women
in practical life. One of them stood by this basic principle, abided by
their convenant, accepted the functional authority of man and obeyed
him in deference to the wise Divine arrangement. Then there was the
other class of women which failed to live by this principle in its full-
ness. As for the first-mentioned class, it provides for itself a perfect
guarantee of family peace and well-being. It needs no correction of
course in its life.
Such correction is, however, very much in order for the second
class of women. For this purpose, the second sentence of the verse
offers a compact system which would help correct things within the
four walls of the house and the tussle between the husband and the
wife would be diffused and settled for good right there without any
third party having to intercede in between them. So, men have been