Indexed OCR Text

486
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 65
Although, this verse (64) was revealed in the background of a
particular incident relating to the hypocrites, yet its words yield a
general ruling which stipulates that anyone who presents himself
before the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and he prays for his forgiveness
he will definitely be forgiven. And 'the presence before the Holy
Prophet ,' as it would have been during his blessed life in this mortal
world, holds the same effect even today as the visit to the sacred
precincts of the Mosque of the Prophet and the act of 'presenting'
oneself before the blessed resident of the sanctified mausoleum falls
within the jurisdiction of this rule.
Sayyidna 'Ali al, has said: "Three days after we all had
finished with the burial of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم a
villager came and fell down close to the blessed grave. Weeping
bitterly, he referred to this particular verse of the Qur'an and
addressing himself to the blessed grave, he said: 'Allah Almighty has
promised in this verse that a sinner, if he presented himself before the
Rasul of Allah, and the Rasul elects to pray for his forgiveness, then he
will be forgiven. Therefore, here I am, presenting myself before you so
that I may be blessed with your prayer for my forgiveness.' People
personally present there at that time say that, in response to the
pleading of the villager, a voice coming out from the sanctified mauso-
leum rang around with the words: www meaning: You have been
forgiven. (al-Bahr al-Muhit)
Verse 65
فَلَ وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوْكَ فِيْمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ تُمَّ لَا
بِجِدُوا فِىَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجَاتِمَا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيْمًا (٦٥)
So never, by your Lord, never shall they become
believers unless they make you the judge in the
disputes which arise between them, then find no
discomfort in their hearts against what you have
decided and surrender to it in total submission. [65]
Commentary
Not accepting the decision of the Holy Prophet is Kufr
This verse, while projecting a powerful view of the highly exalted

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 65
station of the noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,presents a very explicit
statement concerning the need to obey him, something conclusively
proved by so many verses of the Holy Qur'an. The verse opens with the
ultimate oath, "by your Lord", following which Allah Almighty
proclaims that nobody can become a Muslim unless he accepts the
verdict of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم willingly, calmly and fully to
the extent that there remains even in his heart not the slightest strain
because of this verdict.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is himself the exerciser of God-given
authority over his community in his capacity as the Messenger of
Allah and he is thus responsible for adjudicating in every dispute that
may arise. The authority he excercises in making decisions certainly
does not depend upon his being made a judge by some litigants. We
should also keep in mind that Muslims have been asked to make the
prophet their judge because people are generally not satisfied with
judgements delivered by someone appointed by the government as
compared with an arbitrator they themselves choose to have. But, the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is not only the ruler of a state, he is a
Messenger of Allah, protected against sins by Him, and sent as mercy
for the worlds, and also a loving father for his community - so, the
compassionate instruction given is that, whenever a situation of
conflict arises in social or religious matters, the contesting parties are
duty-bound to make the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم the arbitrator and
judge and have him give the final verdict, and once the verdict has
been given by him, let them all accept it whole-heartedly and act
accordingly.
The Authority of the Holy Prophet & extends to all times
Commentators say that acting in accordance with this command of
the Holy Qur'an is not restricted to the blessed times when he graced
this mortal world. After him, the verdict of the sacred Law left by him,
is nothing but his own verdict. Therefore, the rule reigns supreme
right through the Last Day, the rule that guidance should be sought
by turning directly to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم during his blessed
life-time, and after him, one must turn to his Shari'ah which is, in all
reality, a return to him, may Allah bless him for ever and ever.

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4: 65
Some problems and their solutions
1. To begin with, as already stated earlier, the rule is that a person
who is not satisfied with the decision given by the Holy Prophet @ , in
every dispute and in every problem or issue, is not a Muslim. As we
already know, this was the reason why Sayyidna 'Umar killed the
person who was not satisfied with the decision given by the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم following which he carried the case to Sayyidna
'Umar for an alternate judgement. The heirs of the person killed went
to the court of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with a suit against Sayy-
idna 'Umar accusing him of having killed a Muslim without a valid
legal reason. It is important to note here, and this has not been taken
up earlier, that the following words, when the case was presented
before the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,came out spontaneously from
his blessed lips:"ماكنت أظن أن عمر يجترء على قتل رجل مؤمن " (that is, I never
thought 'Umar will ever dare killing a believing Muslim). This proves
that the higher authority, when approached with an appeal against
the decision of a lower authority, should not take sides with his subor-
dinate authority, but should come up with a decision based on justice
and fairness alone, as it has been illustrated above where the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم expressed his displeasure over the decision of
Sayyidna 'Umar - before the revelation of the verse had a bearing on
this incident. Once this verse was revealed, the reality came out in the
open that the person killed was not a believing Muslim as confirmed
by this verse.
2. The second ruling which emerges from the expression: ta (in
the disputes which arise) settles that it is not restricted to dealings
and rights alone; it covers articles of belief, ideas and many other theo-
retical problems. (al-Babr al-Muhit) Therefore, given such a wide spectrum
of intellectual and social activity, it is not unlikely that things could go
to the undesirable limits of mutual differences in views and ways
when confronting a certain problem. When this does happen, it is the
duty of a Muslim not to continue mutual disputation, instead of which,
both parties should revert back to the Holy Prophet & , and when he
is not with them personally, they must revert back to his Shari'ah to
search for the solution of their problems.
3. The third rule of self-assessment that we find from here is:

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4: 65
Doing something, which was provenly said or done by the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , with a heavy heart is a sign of weakness in faith
('Im an). For example, there are occasions when the Shari'ah has
allowed the performance of salah by making tayammum in place of the
regular wudu with water; now, if a person feels uneasy and not so
satisfied with the idea of making the symbolic tayammum in place of a
regular wu du he would very much like to do, then, he should not take
this attitude of his as a sign of taqwa or piety, instead, he should take
it to be caused by some spiritual sickness. Who can be more muttaqi,
more God-fearing than the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم? If the form and
condition in which he allowed people to perform their prayers while
sitting - and he himself performed it while sitting - does not find
favour with a person looking for the satisfaction of his heart, and he
elects to undergo unbearable hardship by insisting to stand and
perform his prayer in that position, then, he better be sure that there
is some sickness is his heart. However, if a person, whose pain or
discomfort or need is not that acute, elects not to use the leave
(rukh sah) given to him by the Shari'ah and, instead of that, chooses to
take the path of high determination ('azimah) which is, then, correct in
accordance with the very teaching of the Holy Prophet . But feeling
any strain in utilizing the leaves (rukhsah) granted by the Shari'ah as
some sort of absolute rule is no taqwa. It is for this reason that the
Holy Prophet i has said:ُإِنَّ اللّه تَعَالُ يُحِبُّ أَنْ تُؤْتِى رُخَصَةً كَمَا يُحِبُّ أَنْ تُؤْتِى عَزَائِم (that
is, 'the way Allah Almighty is pleased with what is done with high
determination, so is He pleased with what is done by using leaves).'
The best method of general 'Ibadat (acts of worship), Adhkar (plural
of dhikr: the remembrance of Allah), Aurad (plural of wird: self-allotted
voluntary recitations, made privately in specified hours of the morning
or night), Durud (prayer to Allah that peace and blessings be on the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), and Tasbih (glorification of Allah) is no
different than what used to be the routine of the Holy Prophet
himself and which was, after him, followed consistently by his noble
Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. All Muslims must,
as a matter or personal obligation, find these out from the authentic
and sound narrations of hadith so that they can make them an integral
part of their daily routine of life.

490
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 66-68
Special Note
Details given above clearly show that the Holy Prophet @ was not
only a reformer and moral leader but was a just ruler as well, an
authority of such class and majesty that his judgement was declared to
be the very criterion of belief and disbelief, a distinguishing feature
between 'Iman and Kufr, as evident from the incident relating to Bishr,
the hypocrite. To make this prophetic station more explicit, Allah
Almighty has, at many places in His sacred Book made the obedience
of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mandatory along with His own due
obedience incumbent on all believers. Thus, the Qur'an says: 12si
;5:92 ;4:59 ;3:132 ;3:32 - Obey Allah and obey the Messenger) وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُوُلَ
24:54; 47:33; 64:12). Then, elsewhere it says: ◌َمَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدٌ أَطَاعَ اللَّه (Whoever
obeys the Messenger, he really obeys Allah - 4:80).1
A little deliberation in these verses will unfold the radiant gran-
deur of his authority, a practical demonstration of which became
manifest when Allah Almighty sent to him His Law so that he can
decide cases in accordance with it. Therefore, it was said: laur Gard
that is, 'We revealed to you the Book with the) بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَّا أَزْمَكَ اللّهُ
truth so that you may judge between people by what Allah makes you
see.') (4:105)
Verses 66 - 68
وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ آَنِ اقْتُلُؤّْا أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ
◌ِيَارِكُمْ تَمَّا فَعَلُهُ إِلَّ قَلِيْلٌ مِنْهُمُ، وَلَوُ اَنَّهُمْ فَعِلُؤْا مَا
يُوْ عِظُوْنَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَخْبِيْتًّا (٦٦) وَإِذَا لَّتَيْنُهُمُ
مِنْ لَّدُنَّا أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا (٦٧) وَلَهَدَيْنَهُمُ صِرَاطًا تُسْتَقِيْمًا (٦٨)
And if We had prescribed for them that they should
kill themselves or that they should migrate from their
homeland, they would have not done it, except a few of
them. And if they had done what they were advised to
do it would have been better for them, and more
effective in making (them) firm. [66] And in that case,
We would have certainly given them a great reward [67]
1. For a detailed treatment of this aspect, please see "The Authority of
Sunnah" by Muhammad Taqi Usmani.

491
Surah Al-Nisa'
4 :66-68
and we would have certainly led them to a straight
path. [68]
The present verses and those appearing immediately earlier were
revealed in the background of an incident relating to Bishr, the hypo-
crite. As we already know, he had first proposed Ka'b Ibn Ashraf, the
Jew as the adjudicator of his dispute, but, later on, mutual discussions
forced him to go to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for this purpose.
Since the judgement of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was against him,
he did not accept it and went to Sayyidna 'Umar ate Algo, for a totally
fresh decision.
When the news of this incident got around in the city of Madinah,
the Jews chided Muslims by saying: 'What sort of people you really
are? Here you are believing in a Messenger of Allah and claiming to
follow him, yet you do not accept his decisions! Look, in order that
their repentance be accepted, the Jews were commanded to kill each
other. This was a severe command, but we obeyed it, so much so that
seventy thousand of our people were killed. If you were given a
command like that, what would you have done?' Thereupon, the verse:
PRÁ LẠI GIN, (And if We had prescribed for them ... ) was revealed. It
means: If these hypocrites, or all common people, disbelievers or
believers, were charged with some severe command, such as that of
self-killing or migration like the Bani Isra'il were ordered to do, very
few of them would have, being what they are, obeyed this command.
On the one hand, there is a stern warning here for people who try
to seek the solutions of their disputes, not from the Messenger of
Allah, or not from the Law and Way of the Messenger of Allah, but
take it elsewhere. On the other hand, it answers the chiding of the
Jews because this state of affairs fits the hypocrites and certainly not
those who are firm in their faith as true Muslims. This is proved by
what happened when this verse was revealed. Someone from among
the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, said:
'Allah did not put us through this trial.' When this statement was
relayed to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , he said: 'There are people in
my community in whose heart Faith is entrenched firm like moun-
tains.' Ibn Wahab says that this statement was made by Sayyidna Abu
. رضى الله عنه Bakr

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 69-70
According to another narration, when Sayyidna Abu Bakr a Jlo,
heard this verse, he said: 'Had this command been prescribed, by God,
I would have been the first to sacrifice myself and my family to obey
it.'
According to some other narrations, when this verse was revealed,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'If this command to self-kill or
migrate had come from Allah, Umm 'Abd (meaning Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud _ in _+, ) would have definitely acted accord-
ingly.' As for migration, the noble Companions acted faithfully and
selflessly when they left their homes in Makkah, left their properties
and businesses, and migrated to Madinah.
Towards the end of the verse (66), it has been said that, difficult
though it may seem, yet doing so in obedience to their Lord's command
would turn out to be better for them in the end. This will make their
faith more firm, bringing a great reward from Allah, and the blessing
of being guided to the straight path.
This great reward promised here in the end of verse 67 for those
who obey Allah and His Messenger has been described immediately
after in verses 69 and 70 which follow with detailed explanations of the
promised ranks.
Verses 69 - 70
وَمَنْ تُطِعِ اللّهَ وَالتَّسُلَ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ
مِّنَ النَّبِيّنَ وَالصِّدِّيْقِيْنَ وَالشَّهَدَاء وَالصُّلِحِيْنَ وَحَسْنَ أُولَئِكَ
رَفِيْقًا ﴿ ٦٩) ذلِكَ الْفَضُلُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ عَلِيُمَا(٧٠)
And those who obey Allah and the Messenger are with
those whom Allah has blessed, namely, the prophets,
the Siddiqin 1, the Shuhada' ", and the righteous - and
1. Siddiq, lexically means 'very truthful'. In the Islamic terminology, it
normally refers to those Companions of a prophet who excel all others in
their submission to Allah and His Messenger. They enjoy the highest
status of piety after the Prophets, like Sayyidna Abu Bakr as Ul +).
2. Shuhada' (pl. of Shahid) means the persons who sacrificed their lives in
the way of Allah. The word has not been translated here by the word
'martyr' which sometimes is taken as an equivalent of Shahid, because
the word 'martyr' is also applied for the persons killed in ethnic or racial
wars while they may not be termed as 'Shuhada' in the Islamic
terminology.

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 69-70
what a good company they are. [69] That grace is from
Allah and Allah is sufficient being the One who knows.
[70]
In the verses appearing immediately earlier, the promise of a great
reward was made to special addressees. What appears in the present
verses is a universal promise that those who obey Allah and His
Messenger shall be rewarded as a standing rule.
Commentary:
Deeds will be the criterion in ranks of Paradise
Those who do everything Allah and His Messenger have asked
them to do and stay away from everything Allah and His Messenger
have prohibited, shall receive different ranks in terms of their deeds.
The foremost among them will be blessed with the highest stations of
Paradise alongwith the noble prophets, may peace be upon them all.
Next to them will come those who will be blessed with the rank of
those who are only next to prophets. They are known as the Siddiqin,
that is, the great Companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who
came forward to believe in the very initial stage without any hesita-
tion or hostility, like Sayyidna Abu Bakr. Then, there will be a third
rank of people who will be with the noble Shuhada'. The Shuhada' are
people who sacrificed their lives and wealth in the way of Allah. Then,
those in the fourth rank will be with the revered Righteous. The
Salihin or the Righteous are people who restrict themselves, outwardly
and inwardly, to doing only what is good and right.
In short, all those who are totally obedient to Allah and His
Messenger shall be in the company of those who are the most exalted
and the most favoured in the sight of Allah Almighty and who have
been identified here under four ranks: Prophets, Șiddigin, Shuhada'
and Șalihin (righteous).
The Background of Revelation
This verse was revealed in the background of a special event which
has been reported by the great commentator, Ibn Kathir as based on
several sound authorities.
It so happened, narrates Sayyidah 'A'ishah Q dn .», , that a
Companion came to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم one day and said to

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 69-70
him: 'Ya Rasulallah, I hold you dear, dearer than my own life, even
more than my wife and more than my children. There are times when
I do not seem to be at peace with myself even in my house until I come
to you and have the pleasure of looking at you. That finally gives me
the peace I missed. Now, I am worried about the time when you will
leave this mortal world and I too will be taken away by death. In that
case, what I know for sure is that you will be in Paradise with the
blessed prophets housed in its most exalted stations. As for myself,
first of all, I just do not know whether or not I shall be able to reach
Paradise. Even if I do reach there, the level where I shall be will be
way below from where you are. If I am unable to visit you and have
the pleasure of seeing you there, how am I going to put this impatient
heart of mine at rest?'
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم quietly heard what he said, but
made no response, until came the revelation of this particular verse
(69):
وَمَنْ تُّطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالتَّسُولَ قَأُوَلْئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَِّّنَ
وَالصِّدِّيْقِيْنَ وَالشَّهَدَاءِ وَالصُّلِحِيْنَ (٦٩)
It was only then that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gave him the
glad tidings that the obedient ones shall have occasions to meet with
the prophets, the Siddiqin, the Shuhada' and the righteous. In other
words, despite the relative precedence of ranks in Paradise, there will
be occasions of meeting and sitting together.
Some forms of 'meeting' in Paradise
One such form will be that people will see each other from where
they are, as it has been reported in Mu'atta of Imam Malik on the
authority of a narration from Sayyidna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri as ul,
that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'The inmates of Paradise will
see those in the strata above them like you see stars in the physical
world.'
Also there will be yet another form when visits will be made to the
strata where they are, as Ibn Jarir has reported on the authority of a
, صلى الله عليه وسلم narration from Sayyidna Rabi' that the Holy Prophet
while explaining this verse, said: "Those of the strata above will come
down to those of the strata below to meet and sit with them.'

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Surah Al-Nisa'
4 : 69-70
It it also possible that those of the strata below have the permis-
sion to visit and meet those of the higher strata, as the Holy Prophet
has, on the basis of this verse, given many people the glad tidings of
being with him in the Paradise.
It appears in Sahih Muslim that Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Aslami me Jul,
صلى الله عليه وسلم used to spend nights in the company of the Holy Prophet
At the time of Tahajjud on one of such nights, Sayyidna Ka'b Aslami
brought water for wudu, the miswak and other things he might need at
that time. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , quite pleased with him,
said: 'Is there anything I can do for you? Go ahead, ask.' Sayyidna Ka'b
Aslami said: 'I wish to have your company in Paradise.' He said:
'Anything else?' Sayyidna Ka'b said: 'Nothing else.' Thereupon, the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'If you want to be with me in Paradise,
then "أعنى على نفسك بكثرة السجود " (literally - 'help me by taking upon yourself
the doing of plenty of prostrations'). The elegant prophetic expression
means that 'your wish shall be granted, but you can also help me in
this by offering plenty of prostrations (sujud, sajdah) that is, plenty of
voluntary prayers (nawafil).
According to the Musnad of Ahmad, a man came to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said: Ya Rasulallah, I have testified that
there is none worthy of worship other than Allah, and that you are the
true Messenger of Allah, and I dutifully perform the five prescribed
prayers every day, pay the Zakah due on me and fast during the
month of Ramadan.'Hearing this, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
'Anyone who dies in this state will be with the prophets, the Siddiqin
and the Shuhada' - only if he does not disobey his parents.'
Similarly, there is another hadith from Tirmidhi in which the Holy
التاجر الصدوق الامين مع النبين :is reported to have said صلى الله عليه وسلم Prophet
Rau gahall, (The businessman who is truthful and trusty will be with
the prophets and the Siddiqin and the Shuhada').
Love is the sine qua non of Nearness
The blessed company of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم can be
acquired by loving him. This is conclusively proved by what has been
reported in Şahin al-Bukhari on the authority of many uninterrupted
chains of narrations from a large body of the noble Companions of the
Holy Prophet that he, on being asked as to what will be the status

496
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 69-70
of a person who does belong to a group emotionally but fails to achieve
the standards of deeds set by it, said: Ssige cell, that is, (on the Day
of Resurrection) everyone will be with the ones whom he loves.
Sayyidna Anas s Jl», says that the Noble Companions were
never so pleased with anything else in this mortal world as they were
when they heard this hadith, because it gave them the most wonderful
news, a delightful prophecy indeed, that those who love the Holy
Prophet & will be with their noble master on the plains of Resurrec-
tion and in the gardens of Paradise.
The company of the Holy Prophet & is not restricted to any
colour or race
In al-Mu'jim al-Kabir al-Țabarani has reported from Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn 'Umare di>, that an Ethiopian came to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said: Ya Rasulallah, may His blessings be
upon you, not only that you are distinct from us in the beauty of your
physique and the colour of your skin but you also have the distinction
of being a prophet and messenger of Allah. Now, if I were to believe in
what you believe and do what you do, can I too have the honour of
being with you in the Paradise?'
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'Definitely yes (forget about
your being black). I swear by the Power whose hands hold my life that
all members of the black race will become fair and beautiful in Para-
dise radiating in their presence from a distance which might take a
thousand years to cover. Then, Allah takes upon Himself the success
and salvation of a person who says and believes in 'un says (There is no
god but Allah) and a person who recites s in 3022 (Subhanallahi wa
bihamdihi: 'Pure is Allah and praised is He') has one hundred and
twenty four thousand virtues written in his Book of Deeds.'
Hearing this, someone present there said: 'Ya Rasulallah, when
Allah is generous in giving such enormous awards on such minor good
deeds, how can we ever perish or be punished?' He said: '(That is not
the point), the truth is that some people will come up on the Day of
Doom with so many virtues and good deeds, so many that, should all
these be placed on a mountain, even the mountain would find their
weight too heavy to hold. But, when they are compared to the bless-
ings from Allah (bestowed on them in the worldly life), man's deeds

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 69-70
and virtues remain no match to them - unless Allah Almighty Himself
elects to be generous and merciful to him.
It was this question and answer with the Ethiopian brother which
هَلْ آَتَى عَلَى :caused the revelation of the following verse of Surah Ad-Dahr
that is, man has indeed been through a) الْإِنسَانِ حِيْنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهْرِلَمْ يَكُنُ شَيْئًا مَذُكُورًا
period of time being nothing-76:1). Surprised, the Ethiopian gentleman
asked: 'Ya Rasulallah, will my eyes be seeing the same blessing which
your blessed eyes will be witnessing?'
He said: 'Definitely yes.' Hearing this, the newly converted Muslim
from Ethiopia started weeping and so much so that he died in that
صلى الله عليه وسلم very state - weeping his heart out. The Holy Prophet
performed his last rites, bathing and shrouding and offering salatul-
jan azah and burial, all with his own blessed hands.
Ranks of Paradise: Some details
Now that we have gone through an explanation of the verse,
including the background of its revelation and related clarifications,
the only thing that remains to be determined is the nature of the four
ranks of people blessed by Allah. We have to find out as to what is the
basis on which these ranks have been established, how they are inter-
connected and how are they different from each other, and whether or
not can these converge into one person.
Commentators have written in great details about this subject.
Some say that all these four ranks can be found in one person.
According to them, all these attributes are overlapping because the
one identified as 'prophet' in the Holy Qur'an has also been called by
the title of 'siddiq'. For example, it has been said about Sayyidna
Ibrahim إنَّهَ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبًّا: عليه السلام (Surely, he was a man of truth, a prophet
- 19:41); and about Sayyidna Yahya وَنَبِيًّا مِنَ الصُّلِحِيْنَ: عليه الصلوة والسلام (and a
prophet from among the righteous - 3:39); and similarly, about Sayy-
idna Isa وَكَهُلَا وَ مِنَ الصُّلِحِيْنَ: عليه الصلوة والسلام (and he shall speak to the people
in the cradle) 'as well as in middle age, and shall be one of the right-
eous' - 3:46.
The outcome is that, though these four attributes and ranks are
distinct in terms of meaning and sense, yet it is possible to find all
these combined in one person. Let us take an example to illustrate the

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proposition. Religious scholars, the 'ulama' are identified by their
attributions, such as a Mufassir (commentator of the Holy Qur'an), a
Muhaddith (scholar of hadith), a Faqih (Muslim jurist), a Muwarrikh
(historian). But, there could be some scholars who may combine in
their person the excellence of all these fields. In our own time, when
the trend is towards inter-disciplinary education and training, it is not
so difficult to conceive the convergence of the attributes of a doctor, an
engineer and a pilot, all in one person:
However, in accordance with commonly recognized practice, a
person gets to be identified with an attribute which comes to take a
dominating position in his life-work because of which such a person is
usually associated with that particular field. It is for this reason that
commentators generally take 'Siddiqin' to mean the most illustrious
Companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and Shuhada'to mean
the martyrs of the battle of Uhud and Salihin as signifying the general
run of righteous Muslims.
Imam Raghib al-Isfahani has determined that all these four ranks
are different. The same things find mention in Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit,
Ruh al-Ma'ani and Mazhari. The sense of this approach is that Allah
Almighty has, in this verse classified true Muslims in four categories
or ranks and for each He has appointed stations of precedence, and
common Muslims have been induced to see that they do not lag far
behind in their efforts to achieve the rankings of any of these ideal
·ones. Waging the best of their intellectual and practical struggle, they
must do the best they can to reach such stations of excellence.
However, the station of prophethood is something which can never be
acquired by effort and struggle, but there is something one still gets to
have and that is the company of the prophets. Imam Raghib says that
the highest among these ranks is that of the prophets, may peace be
upon them. They enjoy the support of the Divine power. They are like
someone who is seeing something from a close range. Therefore, Allah
Almighty has said about such people : افتعُرُونَهُ عَلى مَا يَرى (Do you argue with
him over what he sees? - 53:12).
The definition of the Siddiqin
The second rank is that of the Siddiqin. These are people close to
the blessed prophets in the quality of spiritual excellence. They are

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like someone seeing something from a distance. Somebody asked Sayy-
idna 'All &e Jn , : 'Have you seen Allah Almighty?' He said: 'I cannot
worship something I have not seen.' Then, he further said: "Though
people have not seen Allah Almighty with their eyes, but their hearts
have seen Him through the realities of faith.' By his act of 'seeing',
Sayyidna 'Ali meant the kind of sighting he has referred to later, for
such intellectual or intuitive perception is like seeing.
The definition of the Shuhada'
The third rank is that of the Shuhada'. These are people who recog-
nize their ultimate objective through the chain of reasons and proofs.
They have no access to direct vision, that is, mushahada is what they
miss. They are like someone seeing something in a mirror from a close
range - very similar to what Sayyidna Harithah as JI +, said: 'I feel I
am seeing the Throne of my most sublime Lord.'
The expression 's de u 23i (That you worship Allah as if you are
seeing Him) in the famous hadith may also be interpreted to mean this
very kind of 'seeing'.
The definition of the Salihin
The third rank is that of the Salihin. These are people who recog-
nize their ultimate objective through following the precepts of
Shari'ah. It is like someone sees something in a mirror from a distance.
In the other part of the famous hadith quoted above: JE FORS & 535
(And if you cannot see Him, then, He sees you anyway) the reference
may be to this very level of 'seeing'. In short, this investigative
approach taken by Imam Raghib al-Isfahani shows that all these ranks
are ranks that reflect the quantum of knowledge one has of His Lord,
and that the different gradations that are there are based on the
respective rankings of this knowledge. As for the subject of the verse,
it is clear enough. Here, all Muslims have been given the glad tidings
that those who are totally obedient to Allah and His Messenger shall
be with those who hold higher ranks in Paradise. May Allah Almighty
bless us all with this love. Amin.
Verses 71 - 74
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ فَانْفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ انْفِرُوا

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Surah Al-Nisa'
4 : 71-74
جَمِيْعًا (٧١)﴾ وَإِنَّ مِنْكُمُ لَنْ تَّيْبَطِّنَنَّ فَإِنْ أَصَابَتْكُمْ تُصِيْبَةٌ
قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَىَّ إِذْ لَمْ آَكُنْ تَعَهُمُ شَهِيُّدًا ﴿٧٢﴾ وَلَئِنُ
أَصَابَكُمْ فَضْلٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ لَيَقُوْلَنَّ كَانٌ لَّمْ تَكُنْا بَيْنَكُمُ وَبَيْنَهْ
هُوَدَّةٌ لْلَمْتَنِى كُنْتُ مَعَهُمْ قَافُوْزَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا (٧٣) فَلُقَاتِلُ
فِى سَبِيْلِ اللهِ الَّذِيُّنَ يَشْرُوُنَ الْحَبُوَةِ الدُّنْيَا بِالْأُخِرَةِ، وَمَنْ
يُقَاتِلُ فِىٌ سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ فَيُقْتَلُ أَوْ يَغْلِيٌ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيْهِ آَجْرًا
عَظِيمًا (٧٤)
O those who believe, take your precautions and march
in groups or march off all together. [71] And among you
there is one who shall invariably fall back; then, if
some calamity befalls you, he would say, "Allah has
been so generous to me since I was not present with
them." [72] And if there comes to you some bounty from
Allah, he shall be saying - as if there was no friendship
between you and him - "O that I would have been with
them, then, I would have achieved a great success." [73]
So, those who sell the worldly life for the Hereafter
should fight in the way of Allah. And whoever fights in
the way of Allah then gets killed or prevails, to him We
shall give a great reward. [74]
Before this, there was the command to obey Allah and His
Messenger. Now, in the present verses, Jihad has been prescribed for
the obedient and faithful so that they can vitalize their Faith and raise
the word of Allah high and supreme. (Qurtubi)
Commentary
Important Notes
In the first part of the verse: كَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَترا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمُ الغ (O those
believe, take your precautions ... ), appears the command to ensure the
supply of weapons, while the later part refers to the launching of
Jihad action. This tells us two things right away. Firstly, as already
clarified at several places, the act of getting together functional means
to achieve a good purpose is not contrary to tawakkul or trust in God.
Secondly, we see that the text limits itself to the command to ensure

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the supply of weapons, but it does not promise that, because of this
support, Muslims will have any guaranteed security against their
enemies. By doing so, it has been indicated that the choice of using
means is for nothing but a certain peace of mind, otherwise, the use of
means as such does not carry any operational gain or loss. The Qur'an
has said: قُلْ لَنْ يُّصِيِّبَنَا إِلَّ مَاكَتَبَ اللَّهْلَنَا (O Prophet) say: "Nothing will befall us
except what Allah has prescribed for us." (9:51)
2. Let us look at the first verse again. It opens up with the
command to get ready for Jihad followed by a- description of the
marching plan; the later has been expressed in two sentences, that is,
(.and march in groups, or march off all together ... ) فَانُفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ أُنْفِرُوا جَمِيْعًا
Here, the word, 'thubatin' is the plural form of 'thubatun' which means
a small group and is used to denote a military company and was called
a Sariyyah in the military campaigns of the Holy Prophet @ . In that
sense, it is being said here that Muslims, when they go out for Jihad,
should not start off all alone. They should, rather, set out in the forma-
tion of small groups. The other alternative is to march as a large army:
'jamian' because, in fighting, going alone is very likely to hurt --- the
enemy is not going to let this opportunity slip out of their hands.
No doubt, this instruction has been given to Muslims for the partic-
ular occasion of Jihad, but, even in normal circumstances, this is what
the Shari'ah teaches - do not travel alone. In a hadith, therefore, a lone
traveller is called one satan and two of them two satans and three of
them become a group or party. Similarly, there is another hadith
which says:
خير الصحابة اربعة، وخير السرايا أربع مائة، وخير الجيوش اربعة آلاف
"The best companions are four and the best military company
is that of four hundred and the best army is that of four thou-
sand.' (From Mishkat as reported by Al-Tabarani)
3. Seen outwardly, the words of the verse 72 ( ... ', El;)
seem to
suggest that this too is addressed to the believers, although the char-
acteristics described later on cannot be taken to be those of the
believers. Therefore, al-Qurtubi says that they signify hypocrites.
Since, they were the ones who used to claim being Muslims, at least
outwardly. This is why they have been identified as a group from
among the believers.

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Surah Al-Nisa'
4 :75-76
Verses 75 - 76
وَ مَالَكُمْ لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيْلِ اللهِ وَالُْتَضُعَفِيْنَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ
وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوُلِدَانِ الَّذِيْنَ يَقُلُونَ رَبَّنًا آَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقُرَّةِ
الظَّالِمِ آَهْلُهَاء وَاجْعَلُ لَّنَا مِنْ لَّدُنْكَ وَلِّا وَاجْعَلْ لَّنَا مِنْ
لَّدُنْكَ نَصِيرًا (٧٥) الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا مُقَاتِلُوُّنَ فِىٌ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ
وَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا يُقَاتِلُوَّنَ فِىُ سَبِيْلِ الطَّاغُوتِ فَقَاتِلُؤَّا أَوْلِيَاءَ
الشَّيْطِنِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيُطِنِ كَانَ ضَعِيْفًا (٧٦)
What has happened to you that you do not fight in the
way of Allah and for the oppressed among men, women
and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out from this
town whose people are cruel. And make for us from
Your own a supporter, and make for us from Your own
a helper." [75] Those who believe fight in the way of
Allah and those who disbelieve fight in the way of
Taghut.1 So, fight the friends of Satan. No doubt, the
guile of Satan is feeble. [76)
Commentary
Answering the call of the oppressed
Left behind in Makkah were Muslims who were unable to migrate
because of physical weakness and insufficiency of resources. Later on,
the disbelievers themselves stopped them from going and started
hurting and harassing them in all sorts of ways so that they turn away
from their faith in Islam. The names of some of these are preserved in
exegetic works, for example, Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas and his mother,
Sulyma ibn Hisham, Walid ibn Walid and Abu Jandal ibn Sahl, may
Allah be pleased with them all (Qurtubi). These blessed people kept
facing tyranny and torture because of their unflinching faith showing
no signs that they would ever surrender their firm stand on Islam.
However, they did continue praying to Allah Almighty for deliverance
from this hard life which was finally accepted by Him when He
commanded Muslims to wage Jihad against the disbelievers and
rescue the oppressed from their coercion and persecution.
1. cf. Verse 55

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 75-76
According to this verse, Muslims had requested Allah Almighty the
favour of two things - that they be rescued from that town (meaning
Makkah) and that they be blessed with some supporter and helper.
The fact is that Allah Almighty granted both these prayers when He
provided some of them with the opportunity to move out from there
which was the fulfillment of their first wish. However, some of them
remained staying right there until the Conquest of Makkah. At that
time, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم appointed Sayyidna 'Attab ibn
Asid as their caretaker and who had the oppressed Muslims delivered
from their oppressors. Thus, granted was their second wish as well. It
will be noted that the Holy Qur'an, rather than give a straightforward
command to fight in this verse, has elected to use the words: 300'
JI Jos & (What has happened to you that you do not fight in the way of
Allah?). Here the hint given is that fighting and Jihad is a natural
duty under such conditions, not doing which is certainly far from a
reasonable man.
Praying to Allah is the panacea for all hardships
The words of prayer in verse 75: 2 5;, tell us that one of the
reasons why the command to fight came was the prayer made by these
weak Muslim men and women. Allah Almighty responded to their
prayer and commanded Muslims to wage Jihad against their oppres-
sors and which put an end to their hardships immediately.
The objectives of war
Verse 76 says that ◌ِالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّه :'those who believe fight in
the way of Allah and those who disbelieve fight in the way of Taghut.'
This clearly shows that the purpose for which a believer strives is to
see that the Divine Law becomes operative in this world and that the
authority of Allah Almighty reigns supreme, because He is the master
of all. He has created the universe in His infinite wisdom, and His
Law is based on pure justice, and when the rule of justice is estab-
lished, there will be peace which sustains. In order that there be peace
in the world, it is necessary that it is run under a law which is the
Law of the Lord. So, when a true and perfect Muslim fights in a war,
this is the purpose before him.
But, in sharp contrast to him, disbelievers seek to spread the
message of kufr, give it the widest possible currency, and work to bring

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 75-76
about the ascendency of disbelief. They are all too eager to see that
satanic powers rule the world so that everything that constitutes kufr
and shirk can be enforced in the universal order giving it the sheen
and glamour of something seemingly positive. Since kufr and shirk are
the ways of the Satan, therefore, the disbelievers help the Satan in
doing his job.
The guile of Satan is feeble
The last sentence of verse 76:إِنَّ كَيُدَ الشَّيْطِنِ كَانَ ضَعِيْفًا assures that the
deceptive plans made by Satan are weak and insubstantial because of
which he cannot harm or hurt true Muslims in any way whatsoever.
So, Muslims should really not demur when it comes to fighting against
the friends of Satan, that is, against the disbelievers. This is because
their helper is none other but Allah Himself and, with Allah on their
side, the game plan of the Satan is not going to work for them.
And this is what happened at the battle of Badr. There was the
Satan by the side of the disbelievers, dishing out his tall claims before
them, telling them; By JJu y - 'this day, nobody is going to over-
power you' - because: ' 21(I am your helper by your side. I shall be
there with my armies to support you.) When the actual fighting began,
he did advance with his army, but no sooner did he notice that angels
have arrived to help Muslims, all plans he had made were frustrated
and he took to his heels, saying to his disbelieving accomplices: "2,4 2
I bear no responsibility for you. I، ◌ِنْكُمْ إِنيُ اَرَى مَالاَ تَرَوِّنَ إِنٌّ آخَافُ اللَّهُ، وَاللّهُ شَدِيُ الْعِقَابِ
see what you do not see. I fear Allah for Allah is severe when
punishing.) (Mazharī)
That the guile of Satan has been called 'feeble' in this verse (76) is
not an isolated statement. There emerge two conditions right from this
verse which provide us with an exception. The first one is that the
person against whom the Satan is trying his guile must be a Muslim.
Then, the second one is that the effort being made by that Muslim
must be for the pleasure of Allah alone. In other words, he may not
have any selfish motive behind his effort. The first condition emerges
مُقَاتِلُونَ فِى :those who believe)and the second from) الذِيْنَ امَنُوا :from the words
Jes (fight in the way of Allah). If either of the two conditions stop
existing, then, it is not necessary that the guile of the Satan remains
'feeble' against him.

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 77-79
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas رضى الله عنه has said: 'When you see Satan, do not
think twice. Attack him.' After that, he recited this very verse: 1233)
(No doubt, the guile of Satan is feeble.) (al-Qurtubi) الشَّيْطِنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا
Verses 77 - 79
اَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيْلَ لَهُمْ كُقُّوَّا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَوةَ
وَاتُوا الزَّكْوَةُ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيْقٌّ ◌ِنُهُمُ
يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْسَةٌ وَقَالُوا رَّنَا لِمَ
كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْفِقَالَ لَوْلً اخَّرْتَنَّا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيُبٍ، قُلُ مَتَاعٌ
الدُّنْيَا قَلِيْلٌ، وَالْأُخِرَهُ خَبْ لَِّنِ اتَّقُىٌَّ وَ لَا تُطْلَبُوْنَ
فَتِيْلًا ﴿٧٧) أَيْنَ مَا تَكُوْنُوْا مُدْرِكُكُمُ الْمُوَنْتُّ وَلَؤُ كُمْ فِىّ ◌ُجٍ
مُشَتَّدَةٍ وَإِنْ تُصِبُهُمُ حَسَنَةٌ يَّفُوُلُوا هَذِهٍ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِّ وَإِنّ
تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُوُلُوا هَذِهٍ مِنُ عِنْدِكَهُ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنُ عِنْدِ اللَّهِءُ
فَمَالِ هَؤُ لَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُوْنَ يَفْقَهُوُنَ حَدِيْنًا (٧٨) مَا
أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَّا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنُ
تَفْسِكَ، وَارُ سَلُنْكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولَاء وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا ﴿ ٧٩﴾
Have you not seen those to whom it was said, "Hold
your hands (from fighting) and be steadfast in Şalah
and pay Zakah." However, when fighting is enjoined
upon them, surprisingly, a group from them, starts
fearing people as one would fear Allah, or fearing even
more. And they say, "Our Lord, why have you enjoined
fighting upon us? Would you have not spared us for a
little more time?" Say, "The enjoyment of the world is
but a little, and the Hereafter is far better for the one
who fears Allah. And you shall not be wronged even to
the measure of a fibre. [77] Wherever you will be, Death
will overtake you, even though you are in fortified
castles." And if some good comes to them, they say,
"This is from Allah." And if some evil visits them, they
say, "This is from you." Say, "All is from Allah." So, what
is wrong with these people, they do not seem to under-