Indexed OCR Text

506
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 77-79
stand a word? [78] Whatever good comes to you, it is
from Allah and whatever evil visits you it comes from
your own selves. And We have sent you to be a
Messenger for the people. And Allah is enough to be a
witness. [79]
Commentary
The Background of Revelation
Verse 77 beginning with the words: ◌ْالمُ تَرَإِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كٌقَوْا أَيْدِيَكُم (Have
you not seen those to whom it was said, "Hold your hands {from
fighting) ... ) was revealed in a particular background. Before their
migration from Makkah, Muslims were regularly persecuted by disbe-
صلى الله عليه وسلم lievers. Harassed Muslims used to visit the Holy Prophet
complaining to him about the high-handed treatment meted out to
them and asking for his permission to fight back in self-defence and
put an end to the Kafir reign of terror. He advised patience holding
them back from direct confrontation on the plea that he has not been
commanded to fight, in fact, he told them, he has been commanded to
stay patient, forgo and forgive. He also told them to continue observing
the instructions of salah and zakah, already given to them, consis-
tently and devotedly. He impressed upon them the virtues of the
present pattern of their behaviour, even though the odds were against
them, for the simple reason that , unless man is conditioned to fight
against his own evil desires in obedience to the command of Allah and
is also used to bearing physical pain and financial sacrifice, he finds
joining Jihad and sacrificing his life very difficult a proposition. This
was an advice Muslims had accepted. But when they migrated from
Makkah to Madinah, and Jihad was enjoined upon them, they should
have been pleased with it, as it was something that had answered
their own prayers. But, there were some infirm Muslims around who
started fearing the prospects of a fight against the disbelievers as one
would fear the punishment of Allah, rather more than this. Caught in
that peevish state of mind, they started pining for a little more respite,
a possible postponement of the command to fight to some later day
which may have given them more time to live and to enjoy. Thereupon,
these verses were revealed. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)
Why did the Muslims wish for the postponement of Jihad
The wish for respite expressed by Muslims following the command

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to fight was not an objection to the command of Jihad. It was, rather, a
benign and subtle complaint. The reason may lie in the usual pattern
of human psyche in such situations. When hurt and harassed to the
extreme, one is very likely to flare up and go for a revenge. But, once
man is used to a life of physical comfort and peace, he does not feel
like going out to fight. This is no more than a simple human reaction.
So, these Muslims, while they were in Makkah, all fed up with pains
inflicted on them by the disbelievers at that time, were naturally
looking forward most eagerly for the command of Jihad to come. But,
when they reached Madinah, they found peace and comfort which they
had missed for long. Now the command to fight, when it came in that
state of theirs, found them no more moved by their old fire, therefore,
they simply wished that it would have been better if the call for Jihad
was just not there at that point of time. Now, to take this 'wish' as an
'objection' and to attribute an act of sin to those Muslims is not correct.
However, this explanation is limited to the assumption that they had
pronounced this complaint verbally. But, if they said nothing verbally,
and it was simply a thought which crossed their mind, then, thoughts
in the mind and doubts in the heart are happenings which the
Shari'ah of Islam simply does not count as sins. Here, both probabil-
ities exist. Then, the word, "Qalu" (They say) in the verse should not
lead one to presume that they had said this verbally, for it may be
taken to mean that they may have said it within their hearts. (abridged
from Bayan al-Qur'an by Maulana Thanavi). According to some commentators, in
which case, no explanation is called for. (Tafsir Kabir).
Self-correction should precede collective reform
In ◌َآقِيمُوا الصَّلوَةَ وَأَنُوا الزَّكُوَة (verse 77), Allah Almighty has first mentioned
the command to establish the prescribed prayers and pay the fixed
zakah which are the medium of self-correction. The command of Jihad
comes after that, which is the medium of political and collective correc-
tion, that is, through it the forces of coercion and injustice are elimi-
nated as a result of which peace prevails in the country. From here we
learn that, well before worrying about correcting others, one should
start correcting himself. So, seen from the angle of a relative degree of
importance, the first command is an absolute individual obligation
(fard al-'ayn) while the second is an obligation which, if performed by
some, will absolve others (fard al-kifayah). This highlights the impor-

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tance of self-correction and makes its precedence obvious enough
(Mazhari).
The difference between the blessings of the present world and
those of the Hereafter
In this verse, the blessings of the Hereafter have been declared to
be more bountiful and certainly better as compared with the blessings
of the present world of our experience. Some reasons why this is so are
given below:
1. The blessings of the present world are few, while the blessings of
the Hereafter are many.
2. The blessings of dunya (the present world) are perishable, while the
blessings of Akhirah (Hereafter) are eternal.
3. The blessings of dunya are laced with all sorts of botherations, while
the blessings of Akhirah are free of such impurities.
4. The acquisition of the blessings of dunya is not certain, while the
blessings of Akhirah will most certainly reach everyone who is God-
fearing (Muttaqi: the observer of Taqwa). (al-Tafsir al-Kabir)
مِنَّ اللّهِ فِيْ دَارِ الْقَامِ نَصِيْبُ
وَلَ خَيْرَ فِي الدُّنْيَا لِمَهْلَمْ يَكُؤُ لَّه
مَتَاٌ قَلِيْلُ، وَالزَّوَالُ قِرِيُبُ
فَإِنُ تَعْجِبُ الدُّنْيَا رِجَالا فَإِنَّهَاَ
There is no gain in dunya for the one who has no share in the
eternal abode from Allah. Still, if dunya does attract some
people, then (beware) it is a short-lived enjoyment and its
decline is near (that is, once eves close in death, the Akhirah
is there to see).
There is no escape from death:
In 21233'13- 21 (verse 78) (Wherever you will be death will over-
take you), Allah Almighty removes any doubts the deserters from
Jihad may entertain. They think that, perhaps by dodging Jihad, they
can also dodge death. Therefore, it was said that there will be a day of
death, a day when it must come, no matter where you are; it will come
exactly where you are. When this is settled, there is no sense in
backing out from Jihad.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, the famous commentator, while discussing this
verse, has reported a lesson-filled event on the authority of Mujahid as
narrated by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim. He recounts the event

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Surah Al-Nisa'
4 : 77-79
concerning a woman from an earlier community. Soon after her preg-
nancy matured, she gave birth to a child and sent her servant out to
fetch some fire. As soon as the servant stepped out of the door of the
house, he saw a man appear suddenly before him. He asked: 'What
baby this woman has given birth to?' The servant told him that it was
a baby girl. Thereupon, the man said: 'You must remember that this
girl will sleep with a hundred men and will finally die through a
spider.' Hearing this, the servant returned immediate with a knife and
slit the abdomen of that girl open. Taking her to be dead, he ran away
from the house. But, a little later, the mother of the girl stitched up
the skin of the abdomen slit by the servant. Then came the day when
this girl grew to be young and beautiful, so beautiful that she was
considered to be the jewel of the city.
As for the servant, he escaped overseas where he stayed for a long
time and, in the meantime, assembled a fortune for himself. When he
planned to get married, he returned to his old city. There he met an
old woman. He told her that he was looking for a bride, but that he
was eager to marry the most beautiful woman in town. The old woman
told him about a certain girl whose beauty was unmatched in the
whole city and insisted that he should marry her. The servant, now a
rich man, made efforts and finally got married to that girl. While
getting to know each other, the girl asked him as to who he was and
where did he live. He told her: 'Actually, I belong to this very city, but
I had to run away because I had slit the abdomen of a girl open.' Then
he narrated the whole event. Hearing this, she said: 'I am that girl.'
She showed him her abdomen. The cut mark was still there. Seeing
this, the man said: 'If you are the same woman, I disclose two things
about you. The first one is that you will sleep ,with a hundred men.'
Thereupon, the woman confessed that she has done that, but she could
not remember the number. The man said: "The number is hundred.
And the second one is that you will die through a spider.'
The man who was now rich had a grand palace built for her which
was absolutely free of any spider webs. On a certain day, while they
were resting in their room in the palace, they noticed a spider on the
wall. The woman said: 'Is this the spider you scare me of?' The man
said: 'Yes.' Thereupon, she sprang up from the bed saying: "Then, this

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 77-79
one I am going to kill right now.' Having said that, she downed the
spider on the floor and trampled her dead under her feet.
The spider died all right but the poison from her infected her feet
and nails and the message of death became all too clear for her. (Ibn
Kathir)
Here was a woman living in a palace, new and very clean, but she
died through a spider all of a sudden. Compare her case with many
others who spent a life-time in fighting battles yet death did not come
to them there. Think of Sayyidna Khalid ibn Walid Ule, , the
famous soldier and general of Islam known by his oft-repeated title,
Saifullah - the Sword of Allah. He had a burning desire to die as
martyr in the way of Allah. So, he kept fighting all his life, engaging in
one Jihad after another and longing to become a Shahid. He killed
thousands of disbelievers on the battlefields, living dangerously and
daringly against many a trial, always praying and pleading that he be
saved from the fate of dying in bed like women and praying and
pleding that Allah favour him with the death of a fearless soldier in
the heat of some Jihad. But, as decreed by Allah, he finally died
nowhere else but on his own bed in the house.
The lesson is that the arrangement of life and death stays in the
hands of our creator whose decisions are final. There is nothing we can
do about it. It is He who can, if He wills, give us death on a luxury bed
at the hands of a spider; or, if He elects to save us, he can keep us alive
amid swinging swords or zooming fires.
Building secure houses is not against Tawakkul
Let us now consider: 322;'22 3; in verse 78. It says:
'Wherever you will be Death will overtake you, even though you are in
fortified castles.' This tells us that building a good and strong house to
live with ensured security of person and things is not contrary to the
dictates of tawakkul or trust in Allah and that it is not against the
rules of Shari'ah either. (Qurtubi)
A Blessing comes only by the grace of Allah
In ◌ِمَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ الله (verse 79), translated as: 'whatever good
comes to you is from Allah,' the word, 'hasanatin' means 'blessing'
(Mazhari). The verse points out to the fact that any blessing which

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reaches man, any good that comes to him, does not get to him as a
matter of his right. This is, on the contrary, nothing but the grace of
Allah Almighty, His 'fadl', in common Islamic terminology. No matter
how much, he devotes to the many acts of worship he is obligated with,
man cannot claim to deserve that blessing on the basis of his deeds
alone. The reason is simple, because the very ability to engage in acts
of worship comes from none but Allah Himself, which is known as the
Taufiq of Allah. Then the blessings of Allah are countless, how could
they be 'procured' by limited acts of worship and other expressions of
obedience to His commands? Specially so, when whatever we do in the
name of the worship of Allah is hardly worthy of the supreme mastery
and power of our Lord, the Lord of the universe of our experience and
the Lord of universes beyond? This point has been made more
succinctly in a hadith, where the Holy Prophet g has been reported to
have said:
ما احد يدخل الجنة الا برحمة الله، قيل: ولا أنت؟ قال: ولا أنا
'No one shall enter Paradise unless it be with the mercy of
Allah.' The narrator asked: 'Not you either?' He said, 'Yes. Not
me either.'
Calamities are the result of misdeeds
In ◌َوَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّنَةٍ فَمِنُ نَّفُسِك (verse 79), translated as: 'and whatever evil
visits you, it comes from your own selves,' the word, 'sayyl'atun' means
'musibah', evil, hardship, (misfortune, calamity, disaster) according to
Mazhari.
Although, calamities are created by Allah, yet their cause lies
nowhere else but in the very misdeeds of man himself. Now if this man
is a disbeliever, a kafir, the evil that hits him in this mortal world is
only an ordinary sample of the ultimate punishment, the punishment
of the world-to-come, which is much much more than the worldly
punishment. And if this man is a believer, a mu'min, all his misfor-
tunes become an expiation (kaffarah) of his sins in that case, and
thereby become the very cause of his salvation in the Hereafter. Thus,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said in a hadith:
ما من مصيبة تصيب المسلم الا كفر الله بها عنه حتى الشوكة يشاكها
"No evil ever touches a Muslim, but it becomes a source of

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forgiveness for him - even the pinch of a thorn in his feet."
(Mazharī from Tirmidhi)
In another hadith, reported by Abu Musa رضى الله عنه, he said:
عن أبى موسى ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لا تصيب عبدا
نكبة فما فوقها وما دونها الا بذنب وما يعفو اكثر
"No hardship befalls a servant of Allah, be it light or tough,
but it is always due to his sin - and the sins Allah forgives
(without afflicting with a calamity) are much more." (Mazhari,
from Tirmidhi)
The Prophet of Islam: His Prophethood is Universal
The words: وَارُسَلْنُكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًا (And We have sent you to be a Messenger
for the people) appearing at the end of verse 79 prove that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been sent as a Messenger of Allah (Rasul) for
all peoples of the world. He was not simply a Messenger for Arabs
alone.
In fact, his prophethood is universal, open to all human beings of
this entire universe, whether they are present at this point of time, or
may come to be there right through the Qiyamah, the fateful Last Day
of this universe of ours. (Mazhari)
Verse 80
مَنْ تُطِعِ الرَّسُلَ فَقَدْ آَطَاعَ اللّهْ وَمَنْ تَوَلَّى فَمَّا أَرْسَلُنُكَ
عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيْظًا ( ٨)
Whoever obeys the Messenger obeys Allah and whoever
turns away, then, We did not send you to stand guard
over them. [80]
Previous to this, there was the affirmation of prophethood. Now
comes the statement which establishes the right of prophethood - it
calls for compulsory obedience. In case hostile people refuse to obey,
there are words of comfort for the noble Prophet of Islam who has been
absolved of any responsibility for their lack of obedience.
The opening statement in the verse presents a very important
principle bearing on the authority of the blessed Rasul of Allah. Here,
the obedience to the Prophet has been equated with obedience to

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Allah. From this it follows that whoever disobeys the Prophet, invari-
ably disobeys the command of Allah. Since, obedience to Allah is oblig-
atory, even rationally - so, obedience to the Prophet also turns out to
be equally obligatory. As for the person who, inspite of the truth being
all too manifest, elects to turn his back and reject the message given
by the Prophet, then, the Prophet has been asked not to worry about
the callous behaviour of such people because Allah has not sent His
Prophet to stand guard over their behaviour for which he is not
responsible. It means that the Prophet of Allah is not duty-bound to
see that they do not indulge in disbelief. He is simply not charged with
the mission of stopping them from disbelieving. His mission is to
deliver the Message. Once this is done, his duty as a Prophet stands
fulfilled. After that, if they still go about disbelieving, it is their busi-
ness for which he is in no way accountable. (Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi,
Bayan al-Qur'an)
Verses 81 - 82
وَيَقُوُلُوْنَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرُوا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ بَّتَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرَ
الَّذِيُ تَقُوُلُهُ وَاللّهُ يَكُبُ مَا يُبِّئُوْنَةٌ فَأَ عْرِضُ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلُ
عَلَى اللهِ وَكَفِى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيْلاً ﴿٩٨١ آَفَلاَ يَتَدَبَّرْوُنَ الْقُؤَانَ، وَلَوْ
كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدٍ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيْهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا ﴿٢٨٢
And they say, "Obedience (we observe)." But when they
go away from you, a group of them conspires at night
contrary to what they say. And Allah records what they
conspire. So ignore them and put your trust in Allah.
And Allah is enough to trust in. [81]
Do they not, then, ponder in the Qur'an? Had it been
from someone other than Allah, they would have found
in it a great deal of contradiction. [82]
That obedience to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is obligatory was
the subject of verse 80. Here, the Prophet was comforted in case the
disbelievers rejected his message. Now comes a mention of some hypo-
crites who used to wriggle out of this obligation.
Commentary
The first verse (81) which begins with the words: 3 0 ou Lu sek,

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 81-82
" ... (And they say, "Obedience (we observe) عِنْدِكَ بَيَّكَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمُ غَيْرَ اَلَّذِى تُقُولُ
condemns those who practice a policy of double-dealing. They will say
something verbally and have something else hidden in their hearts.
Once this is established, what should be the attitude of the Messenger
of Allah towards such a set of people? The latter part of the verse
carries a special instruction about it.
An important instruction for a leader
The verse : نَاعُرِضُ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَكِبُلًا refers to the hypocrites
, صلى الله عليه وسلم who, when they came face to face with the Holy Prophet
said that they were quite obedient to him and had accepted what he
had commanded them with. But, when they left his company, they got
together and conspired as to how they could disobey him. This
duplicity of theirs caused great pain to him. Thereupon, Allah
Almighty instructed him to ignore them and continue with his
mission placing his trust in Allah because Allah is all-sufficient for
him.
From here we know that one who leads people has to go through
all sorts of hardships. People tend to level absurd allegations against
him. Then, there are enemies in the garb of friendship and trust
around him. Despite the presence of all such obstacles, this leader
must display determination and steadfastness and devote to his
mission with full trust in Allah. If his objective and orientation is
right, he will, Inshallah, succeed.
Deliberation in the Qur'an
Verse 82 begins with: stal se Si (Do they not, then, ponder in the
Qur'an?) Through this verse, Allah Almighty invites people to delib-
erate in the Qur'an. Noteworthy here are a few points. First of all, the
words used are: 33% Gl (Do they not, then, ponder ... ) and not 3 51
(Do they not, then, recite.) Obviously, there is a delicate hint being
given through this verse which is suggesting that if they were to look
at the Qur'an deeply, they would find no discrepancy in its words and
meanings. This sense can come only through the use of the word,
'tadabbur' which means to ponder or deliberate. A plain recitation
which is devoid of deliberation and deep thinking may lead one to
start seeing contradictions which really do not exist there.
The second point which emerges from this verse is that the Qur'an

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itself demands that every human being should ponder over its mean-
ings. Therefore, to suppose that pondering in the Qur'an is the exclu-
sive domain of its highest and the ablest exponents (the Imams and
Mujtahids) is not correct. However, it is also true that the levels of
deliberation will be different in terms of the different levels of knowl-
edge and understanding. The deliberation of the great exponents will
deduce the solution of thousands of problems from every single verse,
while the deliberation of a common scholar will reach only as far as
the very comprehension of such problems and their solutions. When
common people recite the Qur'an and deliberate in its meanings
through the medium of its translation and explanation in their own
language, this will impress upon their hearts the greatness of Allah
Almighty, develop love for Him and implant there a concern for the
life-to-come, the Akhirah. This is the master key to success. However,
in order that common people stay safe from falling into doubts and
misunderstandings, it is better that they should study the Qur'an,
lesson by lesson, under the guidance of an 'alim. If this cannot be done,
take to the study of some authentic and reliable tafsir (commentary,
exegesis). Should some doubt arise during the course of such study,
the wiser course is not to go for a solution on the basis of personal
opinion, instead of which, one should consult expert scholars.
No group or individual holds monopoly on the exegesis and
explication of Qur'an and Sunnah, but there are conditions for
it
The verse under reference tells us that everyone has the right to
ponder in the Qur'an. But, as we have said earlier, the levels of
'tadabbur' (deliberation) are different. Each one is governed by a
separate rule. Let us take the serious deliberation of a great exponent,
the 'tadabbur' of a master mujtahid. Through this methodology, solu-
tions to problems are deduced from the Holy Qur'an at the highest
level. For this purpose, it is necessary that one who is pondering in the
Qur'an, should first acquaint himself with the basic rules employed in
such deduction in order that the results he achieves are correct and
sound. In case, he fails to arm himself with the basic postulates to
begin with, or in case, his education and training in this discipline
remain faulty; and in case, he does not ultimately possess the qualifi-
cations and conditions that must be found in a mujtahid exponent,

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then, it is obvious that he would come up with the wrong set of results.
Now, this is a situation in which better-equipped scholars may chal-
lenge and contradict them, something they would be doing rightfully.
Think of a person who has never even walked the corridors of a
medical college, yet he starts objecting as to why only trained doctors
have been allowed to hold a monopoly of all medical treatment in the
country, and why is it that he as a human being has not been allowed
to exercise the right of treating patients?
Or, there may be a person who gags his reason and starts chal-
lenging as to why all contracts to build canals, bridges and dams are
given to expert engineers only? Since, he is a citizen of the country,
therefore, he too is fully deserving of discharging this service!
Or, there may be that person, devoid of reason who stands up
raising an objection as to why legal experts alone have been allowed to
hold monopoly over the interpretation and application of the law of the
land, while he too, being sane and adult, can do the same job? Obvi-
ously, to that person, it would be said that, no doubt he has a right to
do all such things as a citizen of the country, but it is also true that
one has to undergo the difficult stages of education, training and expe-
rience for years and years together in order to imbibe the ability to
accomplish such tasks. This is not what one can do all by himself. One
has to assimilate an enormous body of arts and sciences under expert
teachers on his way to established degrees and subsequent recognition
in the field. If this person is ready to first go through this grind, and
come out successful therefrom, then, he too could certainly become an
arm of law in these fields.
But, when this analogy is applied to the interpretation and appli-
cation of Qur'an and Sunnah, a highly intricate and very delicate job
indeed, we come across a barrage of taunts and accusations that the
'ulama (religious scholars) hold a monopoly over the job! Is it that the
interpretation and application of Qur'an and Sunnah requires no
ability, no qualification? Are we saying that, in this wide world of ours,
the knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah alone has come to be so
orphaned, so heirless that everyone can start getting away with his
own interpretation and application as a matter of right, even though
the claimant has not spent even a few months devoted to learning the

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great discipline of Qur'an and Sunnah? This is terrible.
The proof of Qiyas
It is from this verse that we also come to know an important rule,
that is, when we do not find an explicit statement in the Qur'an and
Sunnah about a certain problem, we should make the best of efforts to
find a solution by a serious deliberation within these. This method is
technically known as Qiyas or analogical deduction (Qurtubi).
"A great deal of contradiction"
The last sentence of verse 82 : ◌ًوَلَؤُكَانَ مِنُ عِنْدٍ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا trans-
lated as 'Had it been from someone other than Allah, they would have
found in it a great deal of contradiction' needs some explanation. Here,
'a great deal of contradiction' means: Had there been a contradiction in
one subject, the contradiction in many subjects would obviously have
become a great deal of contradiction (Bayan al-Qur'an). But, the truth of
the matter is that there is just no contradiction anywhere in the
Qur'an. So, this is the word of Allah Almighty. This perfect uniformity
cannot be found in the word of man. Then there is its unmatched
· eloquence which never tapers. It talks about the Oneness of Allah and
the disbelief of men and lays down rules for the lawful and the
unlawful, yet there is no inconsistency, no discrepancy in the process.
It offers information about the unseen but there is not one bit of infor-
mation which does not match with reality. Then there is the very order
of the Qur'an which retains the quality of its diction all along, never
ever touching a pitch which is low. The speech or writing of man is
affected by circumstances. It varies with peace and distraction and
happiness and sorrow. But, Qur'an is free of all sorts of incongruities
and contradictions - actually, it is beyond any such thing. And this is a
clear proof of its being the word of God.
Verse 83
وَإِذَا جَاءَ هُمْ آَمْرُ قِنَ الْآَمْنِ آَوِ الْخَوَّفِ آَذَا حُوا بِهِ، وَلَوْرَأُوْهُ
إِلَى الَّسُوْلِ وَإِلَى أُولِى الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِيْنَ
يَسْتَنْطُؤْنَهْ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمُ وَرَحُمَُّهُ لَا تَّبَعُهُمُ
الشَّيْطُنَ إِلَ قَلِيلاً ﴿٨٣﴾

518
Surah Al-Nisa'
4:83
And when there comes to them a matter about peace or
fear, they spread it. Had they referred it to the
Messenger and to those in authority among them, those
of them who were to investigate it would have
certainly known it (the truth of the matter). But for
Allah's grace upon you, and mercy, you would have
followed the Satan, save a few. [83]
Commentary
The Background of Revelation
According to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, Dahak and Abu Mu'adh Je,
And when there comes to) وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ آَمْرُ مِّنَ الْأَمْنِ آَوِ الْخُوَّفِ اَذَاعُوابِهِ :the verse, عنهم
them a matter about peace or fear, they spread it) was revealed about
the hypocrites; and, according to Sayyidna Hasan and many others,
this verse was revealed about weak Muslims (Ruh al-Ma'ani).
After having reported events relating to this verse, the famous
commentator, Ibn Kathir has stressed on the importance of referring
to the hadith of Sayyidna 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ac Ul >, while consid-
ering the background in which this verse was revealed. According to
this, when Sayyidna 'Umar as Ul>, heard that the Holy Prophet
has divorced his wives, he left his house heading for the Masjid. While
still at its door steps, he heard that people inside there were also
talking about the matter. Seeing this, he said that this was something
which must first be investigated. So, he went to the Holy Prophet
and asked him if he had divorced his wives. He said, "No." Sayyidna
'Umar says, "After having found out the truth of the matter, I returned
to the Masjid and, standing on the door, I made an announcement that
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has not divorced his wives. Whatever
you are saying is wrong." Thereupon, the verse: 21 2:23 151; was
revealed (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).
To spread rumours, without verification
This verse tells us that hearsay should not be repeated without
prior investigation into its credibility. Thus, in a hadith, the Holy
Prophet غير said: كفى بالمرء كذبا أن يحدث بكل ماسمع .It means that 'for a man to
be a liar, it is enough that he repeats everything he hears without first
من حدث بحديث وهو يرى أنه كذب فهو :verifying its truth'. In another hadith, he said
,It means: 'Whoever relates something he thinks is a lie . احد الكاذبين
then, he too is one of the two liars (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 83
Who are "those in authority"?
Let us now determine the meaning of two expressions appearing in
the sentence : ◌ْوَلَرُدُوُهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِنَّ أُولِى الْآَمُرِ مِنَّهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِيُنَ يَسْتَنُطُونَهُ مِنْهُم which has
been translated as: 'and had they referred it to the Messenger and to
those in authority among them, those of them who were to investigate
it would have certainly known it (the truth of the matter).' Literally,
the later word, "istinbat" here refers to the act of drawing out water
from the depth of a well. When a well is dug, the water that oozes out
first is called mustambat water. But, the usage in this context means
to get to the bottom of something and find out the truth of the matter.
(Qurtubi)
As for the correct signification of the expression: MIJ,1 (those in
authority), positions taken by scholars vary. Sayyidna Hasan, Qatadah
and Ibn Abi Laila, may Allah have mercy on them, say that this refers
to Muslim scholars and jurists (. La , . We). Al-Suddi says that it means
rulers and officials (, , .1,-1). After reporting both these statements,
Abu Bakr al-Jaşşaş takes a general view and maintains that the
expression means both, which is the correct approach, because 271 1,1
applies to all of them. However, some scholars doubt the possibility
that ◌ِأولى الأمر could refer to Muslim jurists (فقهاء) because أولى الآمر, in its
literal sense, means people whose orders are carried out administra-
tively. Obviously, this is not what the Muslim jurists (.Lu) do. Let us
look at the reality of the thing. The implementation of authority takes
two forms. Firstly, it can be done by using force, coercion and oppres-
sion. This is something which can only be done by those in authority.
The second from of obedience to authority comes from reliance and
trust, and that stands reposed in revered Muslim jurists (.La) only, a
demonstration of which has been all too visible in the lives of Muslims
in general in all ages where the general body of Muslims have been, by
their own free will and choice, taking the decision and authority of
religious scholars (. We) as the mandatory mode of action in all matters
of religion. Then, according to the percepts of the Shari'ah, obedience
to rules set by them is obligatory (wajib) on them as such. So, given
this reason, the application of the term 211 1,1 (those in authority) to
them as well is correct. (al-Ahkam al-Qur'an by al-Jassas)
Details on this subject have already appeared under the commen-

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 83
tary on verse:ُأَطِيعُوا اللَّهُ وَاَطِيعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ وَأُولِى الْآَمُرِ مِنْكُم (Say, "Obey Allah and obey
the Messenger and those in authority among you - 4:59).
Qiyas and Ijtihad in modern problems
From this verse, we find out that rulings on problems not specifi-
cally mentioned in the authoritative texts (technically, naşs) of the
Holy Qur'an or Sunnah will be deduced in the light of the Qur'an using
the principle of Ijtihad and Qiyas because this verse carries the
command to turn to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for the resolution of
any new problems - if he is present at that time. And if he is not
present, the command is to turn to religious scholars and jurists of the
Muslim community (.La , . We), because they have the required ability
to extract and formulate religious injunctions from the authoritative
texts of the Qur'an and Hadith.
Points of guidance which emerge from the statement made above
are:
1. In the absence of nass, explicit textual authority from the Qur'an
and Hadith, the course of action is to turn to Fuqaha, and 'Ulama'
(Muslim jurists and scholars).
2. The injunctions given by Allah are of two kinds. Some of them
are there in the form of explicit textual imperatives (mansus and
sarih). Then, there are some others which are not explicit and carry
meanings which are hidden in the depths of the verses as willed by
Allah in his infinite wisdom.
3. It is the duty of the 'Ulama' (religious scholars) to extract and
formulate such meanings through the established methodology of
Ijtihad and Qiyas.
4. For the great masses of Muslims, it is necessary that they
should follow the guidance given by the 'Ulama' in such problems.
(Ahkam al-Qur'an by al-Jașșaș)
The Prophetic function of deducing injunctions
The statement: ◌ْلَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُرُنَهُ مِنُهُم : 'those of them who were to
investigate it would have certainly known it (the truth of the matter),'
shows that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم too was obligated to the
percept of extracting, formulating and reasoning out with proofs all
injunctions that needed to be so handled. This is so because earlier in

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4: 83
the verse the command was to turn towards two sources. Firstly, it
was to the Holy Prophet and secondly, to those in authority (Avi ;)
After that it was said: Kiker 3und (those of them who were to inves-
tigate it would have certainly known it.) And this injunction is general
which covers both of the two parties cited above. So, it proves that the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was also obligated with the function of
deducing injunctions. (Ahkam al-Qur'an by al-Jassaș)
An important note
If this verse makes someone suspect or assume that it has no rela-
tion with deducing injunctions of Shari'ah, it does not say anymore
than give an instruction to people that they should not indulge in
rumour-mongering in situations of peace and fear when faced with an
enemy, instead of which, one should turn to the knowledgeable and
trustworthy and act in accordance with the advice they give after due
deliberation and that it has no connection with juristic or new legal
problems.
In order to answer this doubt, it can be said that the sentence: 1515
And when there comes to them a matter about) جَاءَ هُمْ آمُرُ مِّنَ الْأَمْنِ آوِ الُوْفِ
peace or fear) in this verse makes no mention of an enemy. So, the
state of peace and fear is universal. The way it relates to an enemy, so
it does with day to day problems as well. This is so because the
appearance of a problem before a commoner, a problem about which no
textual authority relating to its being lawful or unlawful exists,
throws him into a fix and he cannot decide which side to take as both
sides hold the probability of gain and loss. The smartest way out
devised by the Shari'ah of Islam in this impasse is that one should
turn to those capable of extracting and formulating injunctions and act
in accordance with the via media laid out by them. (Abridged from Ahkam al-
Qur'an by al-Jassaș)
The outcome of Ijtihad
The legal ruling extracted by Muslim jurists ( at) from the texts
through Istinbat (and Ijtihad) cannot categorically be declared as being
the absolute truth in the sight of Allah. Instead of that, the probability
always exists that this ruling might as well turn out to be not true.
But, of course, what one gains out of it is positive, overwhelming and
weightier opinion about its being true and correct, something which is

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 84
good enough to act upon. (al-Ahkam al-Qur'an by al-Jassas and Tafsir Kabir)
Verse 84
فَقَاتِلُ فِى سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ، لَا تُكَلَّفُ ◌ِلَأَنَفْسَكَ وَخَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ؟
عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا، وَاللَّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْسًا
وَاَشَدُّ تَنْكِيلًا (٨٤)
So, fight in the way of Allah. You are not responsible
but for yourself. And persuade the believers. It is likely
that Allah will prevent the mischief of those who disbe-
lieve. And Allah is the strongest in war and the might-
iest in punishing. [84]
Commentary
The Background of Revelation
When the battle of Uhud came to pass in the month of Shawwal,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , in keeping with the promised date set
by the disbelievers, started preparations to confront them at Badr in
the month of Dhi-Qa'dah (historians identify which as the minor
Badr). At that time, some people betrayed a little hesitation in going
along because of having been recently wounded, while some others did
so because of rumours. Thereupon, Allah Almighty revealed this verse
where guidance has been given to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that
he should ignore the infirm and the scared among Muslims and show
no hesitation in marching on to Jihad even if it has to be all alone, for
Allah is his helper. With this guidance on hand, he went ahead to
Badr Minor with seventy Companions as promised to Abu Sufyan after
the battle of Uhud. There it so happened that Allah Almighty put awe
and fear in the hearts of Abu Sufyan and his disbelieving accomplices
from the tribe of Quraysh. Not one of them showed up for the fight as
a result of which they turned out to be false in their solemn promise.
Thus, as the text says, Allah Almighty prevented the mischief of the
disbelievers and the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم returned back with his
companions safely (Qurțubi & Mazharī).
The Eloquent style of Qur'anic Injunctions
The verse begins with the command to the Holy Prophet : 'So,
fight in the way of Allah'. This direction is addressed to the Holy

523
Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 85-87
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم which implies that he should fight alone - irre-
spective of whether anyone is ready to go with him. But, in the second
sentence following immediately, it was also said that he should not
shelve or surrender the mission of inducing other Muslims to join in
the Jihad. However, if they remain unresponsive even after the effort
of persuasion, the mission of the prophet has been accomplished who,
from that point onwards, will not be responsible for what they do.
In addition to this, the possible danger in having to fight alone has
been removed by saying: 'It is likely that Allah will prevent the
mischief of those who disbelieve': May be He puts awe in their hearts
and they stand subdued and he succeeds all alone. How could such
success become possible? The proof follows immediately when it is
declared that he is being helped and supported by Allah Almighty
whose strength and might at war far exceeds those of such disbe-
lievers, therefore, it is certain that success has got to be his. After that,
coupled with this statement about the Divine strength in war, the text
relates how Allah is the mightiest in punishing. This punishment may
be on the Day of Judgement as obvious, or may come right here in this
mortal world as stated by some commentators. Whichever the case,
'Allah is the strongest in war and the mightiest in punishing.
Verses 85 - 87
مَنْ تَشْفَعُ شَفَاعَةٌ حَسَنَةً بَّكُنُ لَّهُ نَصِبْكُّ مِّنْهَاء وَمَنْ تَشُّفَعُ
شَفَاعَةٌ سَتِنَةٌ ◌َّكُنُ لَّهُ لِفُلٌ مِّنْهَا، وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ
تُقِيْنَا(٨٥) وَإِذَا مُحُبِّئُهُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَبُّوًا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَاَ
أَوْرُدُّوُهَاء إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَرْءُ حَسِيْبًا (٨٦) اللهُ لَآ إِلهَ
إِلَّ هُوَءَ لَيَجٌمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْفِيْمَةِ لَاَ رَيْبَ فِيْهِ، وَمَنُ اَصُدَقُ
مِنَ اللَّهِ حَدِيْنًا (٨٧)
And whoever makes a good recommendation, there
shall be for him a share from it (in the Hereafter). And
whoever makes a bad recommendation, there shall be
for him a share from it. And Allah is powerful over
everything. [85]
And when you are greeted with a salutation, greet with

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 85-87
one better than it, or return the same. Surely, Allah is
the reckoner over everything. [86]
Allah: There is no god but He. He shall, certainly,
gather you towards the Day of Doom. There is no doubt
about it. And who is more true, than Allah, in his word?
[87]
Commentary
The Reality of Recommendation and its rules and kinds
شَفَاعَةً points out to the act of مَنْ يَتُفَعُ شَفَاعَةٌ حَسَنَّةً Verse 85 beginning with
'shafa'ah' (recommendation) under two heads, the good and the bad, a
division which helps clarify its nature. The added message here is that
no recommendation is universally good or bad. What has to be realized
is that one who makes a good recommendation shall have a share in
the reward it brings and whoever makes a bad recommendation shall
have a share in the punishment it brings. It will be noted that the
word "za : 'nasibun' (share) has been used with Rus: 'shafa atan
hasanatan' (good recommendation) while the word"'u's: 'kiflun' (share)
has been used with ELLE: 'shafa atan sayyiatan' (bad recommenda-
tion). Lexically, both words carry the some meaning, that is, a share of
something. But, in common usage, 'nasib' refers to a good share while
the word 'kifl' is, more than often, used to identify a bad share,
although there are occasions when 'kifl' is also used for a good share as
ell, like "353, col" (two shares from His mercy) in the Holy Qur'an.
The literal meaning of 'shafa'ah' is to meet, to join; or, cause to
meet or join. This is why the word 'shaf" means an even number, a
pair or couple in Arabic, the antonym of which is referred to as 'witr' or
odd. So, speaking literally, 'shafa'ah' means the coupling of one's
strength with that of a weak seeker of justice and thus making it
stronger in appeal. Or, in other words, joining in with some helpless
solitary person and thus giving him the strength of a pair.
From here we find out that for recommendation to be fair and
permissible the condition is that the claim of the person being recom-
mended be true and permissible. Then, in the second place, it may be
that a person cannot carry his claim all by himself to those in
authority because of his weakness or lack of resource, something
which you may do for him. Thus, we can clearly see that making a

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Surah Al-Nisa' 4 : 85-87
recommendation for what is not true and rightful, or forcibly influ-
encing others to accept it, is included under bad recommendation.
Consequently, we also know that pressure or authority exerted
through the channels of one's connections and influence is also not
permissible because it is an act of injustice. Therefore, this too will be
counted as 'bad recommendation'.
To sum up the meaning of the verse, it can be said that one who
makes a recommendation following the permissible way for someone's
permissible claim or job, will have a share in its reward. Similarly, one
who makes a recommendation for something impermissible or uses an
impermissible method to do so, will have a share in its punishment.
Having a share means that, should the person to whom the recom-
mendation has been made do the needful for the one oppressed or
deprived, the person making the recommendation will be rewarded
very much like the official who has listened to the recommendation
and removed the injustice or deprivation cited therein. Similarly, one
who makes a recommendation for something impermissible will obvi-
ously become a sinner - we already know that the reward or punish-
ment of the maker of a recommendation does not depend on his recom-
mendation becoming effective and fruitful; he will get his share in any
case.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said: ◌ٍالدَّالَ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ كَفَاعِلِم that is, a
person who brings someone around to do a good deed gets a reward
similar to that received by the doer of the good deed. In another hadith
from Sayyidna Abu Hurairahas July», appearing in Ibn Majah, the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported to have said:
من أعان على قتل مؤمن بشطر كلمة لقى الله مكتوب بين عينيه "ائس
من رحمة الله".
Whoever helps in the killing of a Muslim even by part of a
word will face Allah with a sign written (on his forehead) in
between his eyes: (This man is) "deprived from the mercy of
Allah)".
From here we find out that prompting someone to do a good deed is
a good deed in its own right and carries an identical reward for having
done it and, by the same token, prompting someone to do an evil deed