Indexed OCR Text

488
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 141 - 142
quantity is concerned, this verse is brief. The conditions in Makkah al-
Mu'azzamah were different. The determination of this quantity was
not needed there because Muslims did not have the assurance of ac-
quiring the produce of their lands and fruit farms conveniently and in
peace. So, during those days, the practice was no different that it used
to be among people of charitable background who would give out part
of their produce to the poor and needy who would gather around at the
time of harvesting crops or picking fruits. No quantity was fixed for
that purpose. That there was, even before Islam, the custom of such
charitable giving from the land produce among other communities as
well is mentioned in a verse of the Qur'an :ِإِنَّا بَلَوُنْهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوُنَا أَصُحْبَ الجَنَّة (Verily
We have tried them as We tried the People Of the Garden, when they
resolved to gather the fruits of the [garden] in the morning - 68:17 -
AYA). It was two year after the Hijrah, when the Holy Prophet @ ex-
plained the details of the quantities and thresholds of wealth, property
and Zakah under the guidance of Divine revelation, he also explained
the Zakah of the land. This has been reported in all Hadith books on
the authority of narrations from Sayyidna Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Sayyidna
مَا سَقَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَفِيْهِ الْعُثُرُ: (رضى الله عنهم أجمعين) Ibn 'Umar and Jabir ibn 'Abdullah
It means 'in the lands watered by rains where not وَمَا سُقِىَ بِالسَّانِيَةِ فَنِصْفُ الْعُشْرِ
much effort is needed for irregation, it is wajib to take out one-tenth of
the produce as Zakah - and against lands which are irrigated with wa-
ter from wells taking out one-twentieth of the produce is wajib
(obligatory).
In its Law of Zakah, the Shari'ah of Islam has used a basic princi-
ple in determining Zakah of all kinds. According to this principle, the
quantity of Zakah on a produce involving less labour and expenditure
increases while, with the increase in the labour and expenditure on a
produce, the quantity of Zakah decreases in that proportion. Let us un-
derstand it with the help of an example. If someone finds an ancient
treasure, or hits on a gold or silver mine while prospecting, then, one-
fifth of it will be due on him as Zak ah - because the labour and expen-
diture factor is less while the produce is more. After that comes rain-
depending land which has the lowest ratio of labour and expenditure.
The Zakah for it was cut into half, that is, from one-fifth to one-tenth.
After that there is the land irrigated with water from wells, or from ir-
rigation canals against payment. This causes an increase in labour

489
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 141 - 142
and expenditure, so Zakah against it was reduced by another half, that
is, one-twentieth. Then, there is common cash, gold or silver, and trad-
ing goods. Procuring and multiplying these cost a good deal and need
added labour. Therefore, the Zakah for it was reduced by yet another
half, that is, it was fixed at one-fortieth part.
In the present verse of the Qur'an, and in the Hadith quoted above,
no Nisab (threshold) for the produce of the land has been determined.
Therefore, the juristic creed (Madhab) of Imam Abu Hanifah and
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal is: On the produce of the land, whether less
or more, taking out its Zakah is compulsory. There is a verse in Surah
al-Baqarah which mentions the Zak ah of land. But, there too, no Nişab
(threshold) has been mentioned. Quoted below is the text of that verse:
اَنْفِقُوا مِنْ طَيِّبْتِ مَاكَسَبْتُمْ وَيِمَّا أَخْرَجُنَا لَكُمُ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ﴾
O those who believe, spend of the good things you have earned
and of what We have brought forth for you from the earth -
2:267.
[Comments on 'Ushr lands also appear under the verse quoted
immediately above in Ma'ariful-Qur'an, English, Volume I, page 659]
As for trading goods and cattle, the Nisab (threshold) was given by
the Holy Prophet & whereby there is no Zakah under 52 1/2 tola of sil-
ver (1 tola = 0.41 ounces = 11.6363 g) or under forty goats or five cam-
els. But, no Nisab has been determined concerning the produce of land
in the Hadith cited above, therefore, it is Wajib to take out Zakah of the
land whether the produce is more or less, big or small.
At the end of the verse (141) it was said: ◌َوَلَا تُشْرِ فُؤَّا إِنَّه لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسُرِفِيْن That is,
do not spend beyond limits because Allah Ta'ala does not like wasteful
spenders. A question arises here. In case a person spends everything
he has in the way of Allah, his wealth, even his life, this cannot be
called 'Israf (extravagance). In fact, it would be difficult to say that,
even by having done all that, one can be sure that he or she has done
what was really the due of Allah! Then, what does this prohibition of
'Israf or extravagance at this place really mean? The answer is that
extravagance in one department of life usually causes shortfall, short-
coming or deficiency in other departments. One who spends extrava-
gantly to fulfill his desires generally ends up failing in his duty to ful-
fill the due rights of others. Prohibited here is this kind of

490
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 143 - 144, 145 - 147
shortcoming. It means that should a person give away whatever he
has in the way of Allah and return with empty hands, how is he going
to fulfill the rights of his children, family and relatives, even those of
his own self? Therefore, the rule of guidance given is that one should
observe moderation even when spending in the way of Allah so that all
due rights can be taken care of.
Verses 143 - 144
ثَمْنِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ مِنَ الضَّأُنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْمُعْزِ اثْنَيْنُِ قُلُّ ◌ٌ
الذَّكَرَيْنِ حَُّمَ آَمِ الْأُنْتَيَيْنِ آَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتُ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ
الْأُنْقَبَيْنِ، تَبِّئُوْنِىْ بِعِلُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ صِدِقِيْنَ ﴿١٤٣﴾ وَمِنَ الْإِبِلِ
اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَيْنُِ قُلَُّ الذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ آَمِ الْأُنْقَبَيْنِ آَمَّا
اشْتَمَلَتُ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الْأُنْفَيَيْنِ * أَمْ كُنَّهُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ وَتُكُمُ
اللهُ بِهَذَا؟ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِّنِ افْتَرْىٍ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا لِيُضِلَّ
النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ لَّا يَهُدِى الْقَوْمَ الظَّلِمِيْنَ ﴿١٤٤)
(He has created) eight pairs: two of sheep and two of
goats. Say, "Is it the two males that He has prohibited
or the two females? Or, what the wombs of the two fe-
males contain? Tell me with knowledge if you are true"
[143] and two of camels and two of cows. Say, "Is it the
two males He has prohibited or the two females? Or,
were you present when Allah has advised you of this?"
So, who is more unjust than the one who fabricates a
lie against Allah in order to misguide people without
knowledge. Surely, Allah gives no guidance to an un-
just people. [144]
Verses 145 - 147
قُلُ لَّ اجِدُ فِيْ مَا أُوُحِىَ إِلَىَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلَّ أَنُ
يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمَّا تَسْفُرْهًا آَوُلَهُمَّ خِيْزِيْرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِيحِسُ اَوْفِسُقًا
أُهِلَّ ◌ِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِ، فَمَّنِ اضْطَرَّ غَيْرَ بَاِخْ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ

491
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 148 - 150
رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٤٥) وَعَلَى الَّذِيْنَ هَادُوا حَرَّمُنَا كُلَّ ذِىٌ ◌ُفُرٍ، وَمِنَ
اُلْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنِمِ حَتَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَّا إِلَّ مَا حَمَلَتُ ظُهُُ هُمَّاً
أَوِالُْوَايَا أَوْمَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظُمُ ذُلِكَ جَزَيْنُهُمْ بِبَغْيِهِمْ وَإِنَّا
لَصْدِقُونَ ﴿١٤٦﴾ فَإِنْ كَذَّبُوُكَ فَقُلْ رَبُّكُمْ ذُوُ رَحْمَةٍ وَاسِعَةٍ
وَلَ يُرَدُّ بَأُسُهُ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجُرِمِيْنَ ﴿١٤٧)
Say, "I do not find, in what has been revealed to me,
anything prohibited for anyone who eats it, unless it be
carrion or blood that has flowed out, or flesh of swine -
because it is impure - or there be a sin by invoking on
it the name of someone other than Allah. However, if
anyone is compelled by necessity - neither desiring nor
transgressing then, your Lord is Most-Forgiving, Very-
Merciful. [145]
And for those who are Jews We prohibited all that
which has claws. And of cows and goats, We prohibited
for them their fat, except what their backs contain, or
the entrails, or what is attached to a bone. Thus We rec-
ompensed them for their transgression. And We are
surely true. [146]
Then, if they belie you, say, "Your Lord is the Lord of
all-embracing mercy, and His penalty cannot be avert-
ed from the sinning people." [147]
Verses 148 - 150
سَيَقُوُلُ الَّذِيْنَ اشْرَكُوْا لَوْشَاءَ اللَّهُ مَاَ اَشْرَكُنَا وَلَّا أَبَّاُنَا وَلَا
حَرَّمُنَا مِنْ شَىْءٌ كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّى
ذَاقُوُابَأْسَنَا* قُلُ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ ◌ِنْ عِلْمِ فَتُخْرِجُوْهُ لَنَاْ إِنْ
تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنْتُمُ إِلَّ تَخُرُصُُونَ ﴿١٤٨) قُلُ قَلِلْهِ
الُْجَّةُ الْبَالِغَهُ فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدُكُمْ أَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿١٤٩﴾ قُلُ هَلُمَّ
◌ُهَدَاْ ءَكُمُ الَّذِيْنَ يَشْهَدُوْنَ أَنَّ اللّهَ حَزَّمَ هذَاً فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَلَا

492
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 151 - 153
تَشْهَدُ مَعَهُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُ اَهُوَاْءَ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُّوْا ◌ِيْتِنَا وَالَّذِيْنَ لَا
مُؤْ مِنُونَ بِالْأُخِرَةِ وَهُمْ بِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ ﴿ ١٥)
Those who associate partners with Allah will say, "Had
Allah willed, we would have not associated (partners
with Him), nor our fathers, nor would we have made
anything prohibited." In the same way belied those be-
fore them until they tasted Our penalty. Say, "Have you
any knowledge that you may bring forth for us? You
follow nothing but whims, and do nothing but make
conjectures." [148]
Say, "Then, it is Allah who has the perfect proof. So,
had He willed, He would have brought you all on the
right path." [149]
Say, "Bring your witnesses who testify that Allah has
prohibited this." Then, if they testify, do not testify
with them, and do not follow the desires of those who
have belied Our signs and those who do not believe in
the Hereafter, and with their Lord, they equate others.
[150]
Verses 151 - 153
قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَثْلُ مَاحَتَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ الَُّشْرِكُوْا بِهِ شَيْئًا
وَّبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًاٌ وَلَا تَقُُّلُؤْاْ أَوْلَادَكُمُ مِنْ ◌ِمْلَاقٍُ نَحُنُ
نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِتَّاهُمُّ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنٌَّ
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِىْ حَّمَ اللّهُ إِلَّ بِالْحَقُِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَتُّكُمُ بِه
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُنَ ﴿١٥١) وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَّ اُلْيَتِهِمِ إِلَّ بِالَّبِى هِىَ
اَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ اشْدَهٌ وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيُلَ وَالمُجْزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ،
لَا تُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّ وُسُعَهَاء وَإِذَا قُلُهُمْ فَاعْدِلُؤًا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا
قُرْبِىءٌ وَبِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ أَوْفُاُ ذُلِكُمْ وَتُكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُوُنَ
﴿١٥٢﴾ وَأَنَّ هُذَا صِرَاطِئُ مُسْتَقِيْمًا فَاتَّبِعُُهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا

493
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 151 - 153
السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيْلِهٍُ ذَلِكُمْ وَتْكُمُ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمُ
تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٥٣﴾
Say, "Come, I recite what your Lord has prohibited for
you: "Do not associate anything with Him (as partners);
and be good to parents, and do not kill your children
because of poverty - We will give provision to you, and
to them as well - and do not go near shameful acts,
whether they are open or secret; and do not kill a per-
son whom Allah has given sanctity, except by right."
This is what He has emphasized for you, so that you
may understand. [151]
And do not approach the property of the orphan, ex-
cept with the best possible conduct, until he reaches
maturity. And give the measure and the weight to the
full in all fairness - We do not obligate anyone beyond
his capacity - and when you speak, be just, even if there
be a relative; and fulfill the covenant of Allah." This is
what He has emphasized for you, so that you may ob-
serve the advice. [152]
And: "This is My path, straight. So, follow it, and do not
follow the (other) ways, lest it should take you away
from His way." This is what He has emphasized for you,
so that you may be God-fearing. [153]
Commentary
Prior to the verses appearing above, for about two to three sections,
the recurring theme has been how heedless and ignorant human be-
ings had bypassed the law revealed by the Law Giver and the Creator
of whatever there is in the heavens and the earth and, in its place, had
taken ancestral and innovated customs as their religion. There were
things Allah had made unlawful. They took them as lawful and start-
ed using them. Then, there were things Allah had made lawful. They
made these unlawful for themselves. Again, they made some things
lawful for men and unlawful for women, while some others they de-
clared to be lawful for women but unlawful for men.
There are three verses here (143, 144 and 145) which describe those
particular things which have been declared unlawful by Allah Ta'ala.

494
Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 151 - 153
There are nine things mentioned in the detailed statement (151-152).
After that, comes the tenth commandment in the words: Car hire ni
That is, this path of Mine is straight. So, follow it - 153. This
statement points out to the religion and code (Din and Shariah)
brought and taught by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and entrusts the
whole field of Halal (lawful) and Haram (unlawful), Ja'iz (permissible)
and Na-Ja'iz (impermissible), Makruh (reprehensible) and Mustahabb
(recommended) to the standard that everyone should follow the Mu-
hammadi Shari'ah, take what it says is Halal as Halal, and take what
it says is Haram as Haram, and let no one go about deciding what is
Halal and what is Haram on one's own.
Then, there appears a detailed statement of ten things in these
verses where the real objective is to describe things which are Haram -
which required that all these be described in the negative case. But,
the Holy Qur'an, in the wisdom of its approach, has described some of
them positively in the imperative form - which means that acting
against it is Haram (Kashshaf). Its wisdom will become evident a little
later. However, the ten things the unlawfulness of which appears in
these verses are: (1) To associate anyone with Allah Ta'ala in belief,
deed, worship or obedience; (2) not be good to parents; (3) to kill chil-
dren because of poverty; (4) to indulge in shameful doings; (5) to kill
someone unjustly; (6) to eat up the orphan's property by false means;
(7) to weigh or measure short; (8) to be unjust in witness, judgement or
speech; (9) to betray the covenant of Allah; and (10) to avoid the
straight path of Allah and follow other ways right and left.
Some Virtues of the Verses
Ka'b al-Ahbar, an accomplished scholar of the Torah, was a Jew be-
fore he became a Muslim. He says that these verses of the Holy Qur'an
which describe ten unlawful things are with what the Torah, the Book
of Allah, begins after Bismillah. It has also been said that these are
the ten commandments revealed to Sayyidna Musa Wi ule.
Commentator of the Qur'an, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas JI,
" says that these are the 'Verses of Established Meaning' (Muhkam
Ayat) mentioned in Surah 'Al-'Imran (3:7). On these, all religious sys-
tems brought by prophets عليهم السلام - from Sayyidna Adam عليه السلام to the
Last among Prophets صلى الله عليه وسلم - have been in agreement and none

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Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 151 - 153
of these was abrogated in any religion, community or Shari'ah. (Tafsir
Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
These Verses are the Will and Testament
of the Holy Prophet &
According to a narration of Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud as dle,
reported in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, he said that a person who wishes to see a
special will of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with his seal on it, he
should recite these verses. Therein lies the will and testament be-
queathed under the command of his Lord by the Holy Prophet Jul
.to his Ummah عليه وسلم
Based on a narration of Sayyidna 'Ubadah ibn Şamit as Mla,, it
has been reported by Hakim that, addressing his Sahabah, the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'Who will take a pledge of allegiance at my
hands (csu : bay'ah) on three verses?' After that, he recited these three
verses and said: 'A person who fulfills this Bay'ah (pledge of alle-
giance), his reward stands due with Allah.'
DETAILS OF TEN PROHIBITIONS AND EXPLANATION OF
THE THREE VERSES
قُلْ تَعَالَهًا آَتْلُ مَاحَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمُ عَلَيْكُمْ :These verses (151-153) open with the words
(Say, "Come, I recite what your Lord has prohibited for you"). The
word: PJus (ta'alaw) here (translated as 'come,' does carry the essential
meaning, but misses the refinement of what it implies in the text - a
difficulty technically impossible to surmount in a task of this delicate
nature when exact parallels just do not exist - tr.) is an expression
used at a time when the caller stands on high ground and calls those
beneath to come close to him. The hint thus released is towards the
prospect of their rising high and gaining prestige by accepting this in-
vitation. The sense of the sentence where the address is. to the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is that he should ask these people to come along
so that he may recite to them things which Allah Ta'ala has made Har-
am for them. What he was going to give them was a message directly
from Allah Ta'ala and, as such, there was no intrusion of someone's
opinion, estimation or conjecture in it. This was in their interest so
that they could get ready to stay safe against them rather than go
about branding as Haram what Allah has made Halal.
Though, the address in this verse directly refers to the disbelievers

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Surah Al-An'am : 6 : 151 - 153
of Makkah, but the subject of the address is general in its nature. It
includes the entire humankind, whether believers or disbelievers, Ar-
abs or non-Arabs, or those living now or generations to come in the fu-
ture. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
The First Grave Sin Forbidden is Shirk
After having addressed with this concern and elegance, the first
thing to be identified of all that has been prohibited was: un Kẻ :
That you shall not associate anyone or anything with Allah. This was
the first task. And do not make idols into God like the polytheists of
Arabia, nor call prophets God or son of God like Jews and Christians,
nor take angels to be daughters of God like others, nor equate proph-
ets and saints with Allah Ta'ala in His attributes of knowledge and
power like the ignorant masses.
Shirk : Definition and Kinds
According to Tafsir Mazhari, the word: @of (shai'an:anything), at
this place, could also mean that one should not be involved in any kind
of Shirk, whether manifest (jaliyy) or concealed (khafiyy). Everyone
knows manifest Shirk which is the ascribing of equals or partners to
Allah either by associating someone with Allah in worship and obedi-
ence or in His exclusive attributes. And concealed Shirk is that one, in
his or her vocation in life, in material and religious objectives and in
profit and loss, though holds the belief that Allah is the Maker and
Mover of things yet, in practice, takes others as such, and pins all ef-
forts and hopes on them, or is a hypocrite in acts of worship, offering
prayers correctly to show off before others, or spends in charity to earn
a good name for himself, or actually, in practice, takes someone other
than Allah to be the controlling authority in profit and loss. The sage,
Shaykh Sa'di de utz, has put the idea in a nutshell when he said:
که زیدم به بخشید و عمرم بخست
دریں نوعے ازشرك پوشيده است
Concealed here too is a kind of Shirk -
That A made me gain and B made me lose.
The reality is no more but that, whatever the gain or loss, it is from
that Absolute Master. The supposed names A and B are drapes from
behind which comes the manifestation of gain or loss. Otherwise, the
truth of the matter, as it appears in Sahih Hadith, is: 'If all Jinns and

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human beings join up to bring to you a benefit which Allah Ta'ala has
not destined for you, they can never dare do that - in the same way, if
all Jinns and human beings join up to bring a loss on you which Allah
Ta'ala has not willed, this too is not possible for anyone to do.
In brief, one should abstain strictly from both kinds of Shirk, mani-
fest and concealed. The way worshiping idols is included under Shirk,
also included thereunder is equating prophets and saints with Allah
Ta'ala in His attributes of knowledge and power. If, God forbid, this
happens to be the very belief of someone, then, it will be classed as
manifest Shirk; and if, such a belief is not there, but this happens to
be done in actual practice, then, it will be called concealed Shirk. At
this place, the very first instruction given is to stay away from Shirk.
The reason is that Shirk is a crime about which the Qur'an has given
the decision that, for it, there is no forgiveness. The forgiveness of sins
- other than Shirk - is possible depending on different causes. There-
fore, as narrated by Sayyidna 'Ubadah ibn Şamit are All ye, and Sayyid-
na Abu Ad-Darda' ae Al ), it appears in Hadith that the Holy Prophet
:said صلى الله عليه وسلم
Do not ascribe anyone as partner with Allah - even if you are
dismembered, or hanged, or burnt alive.
The Second Sin : Mistreating Parents
Mentioned after that was: وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا (and be good to parents). The
purpose at this place is to tell not to be disobedient to parents and not
to cause pain to them. But, it is in a way of wisdom that the prohibi-
tion has been sublimated as 'be good to parents.' The aim is to point
out that, in the matter of parents, it is not enough that one does not
disobey parents or does not cause any pain to them, but it is one's duty
to keep them pleased with decent, generous and obliging treatment.
This has been made more explicit in another verse of the Qur'an where
it appears as: ◌ِّوَاخُفِضُ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذَّل which means: For them, lower your shoul-
ders in humility - 17:24 - (an eloquently figurative mode of describing
the attitude of love, reverence, readiness and availibity to help out and
care for, in all sincerity, and in tenderness at its sublimest, something
the Qur'an has itself put in one word, 'mercy', suffixed after the words
of the verse quoted above).
It will be noticed that, in this verse, causing pain to parents or ex-

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posing them to physical or emotion inconveniences has been placed as
the second crime after Shirk. This is similar to the instruction given in
another verse of the Holy Qur'an where Allah Ta'ala has combined the
duty of being obedient to them, and being responsible to see that they
are comfortable, with the obligation to worship Him alone. It was said:
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ اَلَّ تَعْبُدُوَّا الَّ إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا
And your Lord has decreed that you shall not worship anyone
other than Him and that you shall be good to parents - 17:23.
Then, in Surah Luqman, it was said:
أَنِ اشْكُرْلِىٌّ وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ * إِلَىَّ الْمُصِبُرُ
Be grateful to Me, and to your parents, and to Me is the re-
turn (meaning: If you do otherwise, you will be punished) -
31:14.
It has been reported from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud e Jule,
in the Sahihayn (the two collections of Sahih Ahadith by Al-Bukhari and
Muslim) that he asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم :Which deed is
the best?' He said: 'Offering Salah at its due time (Mustahabb : recom-
mended time).' Then, he asked again: 'After that, which deed is the
best?' To that, he said: 'Being good to parents.' Once again, he asked:
'Which deed comes after that?' He said: 'Jihad in the way of Allah.'
According to a narration by Sayyidna Abu Hurairahas Also, re-
ported in Sahih Muslim, once the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said the
words: Wie, Bis ally three times, that is, 'disgraced is he, disgraced
is he, disgraced is he.' The noble Companions submitted: 'Ya Rasul Al-
lah, who is disgraced?' He said: "The person who found his father and
mother, or one of them, in old age and still he did not enter the Jan-
nah.'
It means that serving parents during their old age makes it certain
that the server will be admitted to Paradise. And certainly deprived
and disgraced is he who has allowed such an easy bargain of Paradise
slip out of his hands. This bargain is easy because parents are natural-
ly affectionate to their children on their own. A little consideration
here and there would make them all too happy. So, pleasing parents
does not depend on or require a major act of grace. The restriction of
old age placed here is because parents, when healthy and strong, take

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care of their needs by themselves - rather, would not hesitate to come
to their assistance when needed, financially, physically or morally. At
that time, neither do they need being served, nor would that service
carry any distinct weight of its own. Serving parents can only be
worthwhile and praiseworthy at a time when they need it because of
their old age.
The Third Prohibition : Killing Children
The third thing made Haram in these verses is the killing of chil-
dren. It is relevant in the context because the right of parents due on
children was taken up before it - and here, it is the right of children
which is due on parents. The worst limit of evil treatment of children
was what was practiced in the days of Jahiliyyah when they were
killed or buried alive. This verse stops them from doing that. It was
said : ◌ْوَلَا تَقْتُلُّؤْآَ أوْلادَكُمْ قِنُ إِمْلَاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرُزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُم (and do not kill your children be-
cause of poverty - We will give provision to you, and to them as well).
During the pre-Islam days of Arab Jahiliyyah, there was a cruel
custom. When a girl was born in a household, they would bury her
alive fearing the shame of having to take someone as a son-in-law -
and there were occasions when, fearing that they would have difficul-
ties in feeding and providing for children, these cruel people would kill
them with their own hands. The Qur'an erased this custom. Then, by
saying what was said above, it gave them the treatment they needed
against this mental sickness of theirs - because of which, that is, be-
cause of their worry as to how they were going to feed them, they com-
mitted such a heinous crime. Allah Ta'ala has told them in this verse
that they were not the ones really responsible for feeding and provid-
ing for them. This was the direct responsibility of Allah Ta'ala. They
too, in their food and provisions, were dependent on Him. He gives
that to them. Then, they give it to children too. If He does not provide
them with it, they could not even think of producing one grain of
wheat or rice on their own. Miracles do not work like that. Bringing
out a tiny seed by tearing its way through tons of earth on the fields in
the form of a tender bud or shoot and then giving it the shape of a tree
and then making them sprout with flowers and fruits is a question
they should answer. Whose work is that? Can a father and mother do
that? Far from it, these are all wonders wrought by the power and

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wisdom of the Absolute Master. The role human beings play in this
phenomena is limited. They can do no more than make the land clean
and soft, water the plants when they come out and look after them.
But, they have no role in making flowers and fruits come out. This
tells us that the idea of parents that they provide for children is
wrong. In fact, it is from the unseen treasures of Allah Ta'ala Himself
that parents too get their provision, and their children as well. There-
fore, by bringing in the mention of parents earlier in the sentence, it
was said: 'We will provide for you, and for them as well.' In making the
reference to parents precede, the hint given may be that: The provi-
sions are given to you so that you pass it on to children - as it appears
in a Hadith of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم where he is reported to
have said:
إِنَّا تُنْصَرُوْنَ وَتُرَّزَقُوُنَ بِضُعَفَاءِ كُمْ
It is only for the sake of the weak among you that Allah Ta'ala
helps and provides for you too.
The same subject appears in Surah al-Isra' of the Holy Qur'an
where, in the matter of Rizq, children have been mentioned before par-
ents by saying: straffes that is, 'We shall provide for them, and for
you as well - 17:21.' Here too, the hint given is that 'deserving of being
provided for first, in Our sight, are weak children who cannot do that
on their own - it is for their sake that rizq is given to you.'
A Modern Form of Killing Children
It is obvious that the crime of killing children and that it is a grave
sin as pointed out in this verse applies to formal killing as such. But, a
little thought would prove that the failure to give proper education
and training to children as a result of which they remain uninformed
or heedless to Allah, His Rasul and the concern for 'Akhirah and, God
forbid, fall into immoral and shameless life patterns alien to Islam,
then, this attitude too, shall be no less than killing of children. The
Qur'an calls a person who does not know Allah and does not obey Him
a dead person. This is what has been explained earlier in this very Su-
rah in the verse: 2230 G: 56 3) (Could it be that the one who was dead
and We gave him life ... - 6:122). People who do not attend to the groom-
ing of the deeds and morals of their children, leave them open and free
(to be hunted by aggressive influences around them, influences which

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have an 'open season' in our time), or let them go through a system of
education as a result of which Islamic morals are ruined, then, they
too, in a way, are liable to be charged with the crime of killing their
children - for formal killing only ruins what is one's transitory life in
the mortal world, but this type of killing ruins what is one's eternal
life in the 'Akhirah, a terrible loss indeed.
The Fourth Prohibition : Shameful Acts
The fourth thing declared Haram in these verses is the doing of
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَاظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ :what is shameful. About it, says the Qur'an
(and do not go near shameful acts, whether they are open or secret-151)
The word: 2 % (al-fawahish) is the plural form of: su (fahishah)
and the words: فَحُش (fahsh), نُخْشَاء (fahsha) and فَاحِشَه (fahisha) are all ver
bal nouns and are usually translated in English as immodest, indecent
or shameful acts. In the terminology of the Qur'an and Hadith, these
words are used to denote every evil act the vicious and disorderly ef-
fects of which reach far and wide. This is the meaning given by Imam
Raghib al-Isfahani in Mufradat al-Qur'an and Ibn Kathir in An-
Nihayah. The prohibition of Fuhsh and Fahsha' (obscenity, indecency,
adultery, fornication, whoredom or abomination or monstrosity of any
description) appears time and again in the Holy Qur'an, for example,
in Surah An-Nahl, it is said: ◌ِيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحُشَاءِ وَالُكَر (He forbids you from the
indecent and the evil -16:90) and, in Surah Al-A'raf, it is said: 3
Aral (my Lord has forbidden indecent deeds - 7:33).
So, in this general sense of the word used by the Qur'an, included
there are all grave sins, whether related to words or deeds, whether
committed openly or secretly, in fact, all doings which are counter to
good and right and all acts which are counter to modesty and shame.
That is why this word is generally used in the sense of shameful deeds.
In this verse of the Qur'an, it has been stressed that one should not go
even near to what are shameful acts. If this is taken in a broad and
general sense, it will become inclusive of all evil traits and sins,
whether of speech, or those of hands and feet and the heart. And if it is
taken in the commonly and widely understood sense, that is, in the
sense of immodesty, then, it would be referring to shameful acts, their
prelimineries and their means and motives.
Then, within this verse, there is the explanation of the word 'al-

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fawahish' when it is said: gir ufut usu (whether they are open or se-
cret). Thus, according to the first Tafsir, all outward indecencies would
mean all sins committed through speech or through the use of hands
and feet etc., and inward indecencies would be referring to sins which
issue forth from the heart, such as, envy, malice, greed, ungrateful-
ness, impatience and others of this nature.
According to the other Tafsir, outward indecencies would mean
acts of immodesty indulged in openly while those inward would be the
ones done secretly. The open practice of evil includes all its preliminar-
ies and accessories. Looking at some woman with evil intentions,
touching her with hands etc., talking to her in that way are all includ-
ed under it. As for inward indecency, it includes all secret plans made
to actualize thoughts and intentions which are put into practice to
achieve the evil and indecent end.
Some respectable commentators say that outward indecencies refer
to shameful acts the evil of which is common knowledge and everyone
knows what it means. As for inward indecencies, they refer to acts
which are immodest in the sight of Allah, though people generally do
not take them as bad, or common people are not aware that they are
Haram, for example, after having divorced a wife thrice, to keep living
with her as a wife (which she is not anymore), or marrying a woman
marriage with whom is not lawful in Shari ah.
In short, this verse, in terms of the real sense of 'al-fawahish', en-
compasses all outward and inward sins - and, in terms of the common-
ly held view, it is inclusive of all open and secret methods of immodes-
ty, indecency and act of shame. Then, the command given in this
matter is that one should not go even near things like that. The insis-
tence on 'not going even near them' means that one should even ab-
stain from going to a place when there is an apprehension that such a
visit would cause the visitor to be smeared with sin, and that one
should also abstain from deeds which lead on to ways of sin. In a Ha-
dith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported to have said:
مَنْ حَامَ حَوْلَ حَمِىٌ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ تَّقَعَ فِيْهِ
It is not unlikely that one who keeps roaming around a pro-
hibited place might enter it as well.

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Therefore, precaution demands that one should not even go near
what is prohibited.
The Fifth Prohibition : Killing Unjustly
Of the prohibitions, the fifth is killing unjustly. About it, it was
said : ◌ِّوَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِى حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَق (and do not kill a person whom Allah
has given sanctity). The details of this right to kill have been given by
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a Hadith narrated by Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud aus Ul >, appearing in Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
He said: 'Killing a Muslim is not lawful except for three reasons: (1)
That he commits adultery despite being married; (2) that he has killed
someone unjustly, and is killed in even retaliation (Qisas) for it; and
(3) that, by leaving his true faith, he has become an apostate
(Murtadd).'
When Sayyidna 'Uthman al-Ghani, the third Rightly-Guided Khali-
fah was besieged by rebels who wanted to kill him, he recited this Ha-
dith before them and said: 'With the grace of Allah, I have been free of
these things all my life. Not only during my days in Islam, I never in-
dulged in adultery even during the days of Jahiliyyah, nor did I ever
kill anyone, nor did the thought that I should leave my faith in Islam
ever crossed my mind. Then, on what basis do you want to kill me?'
And the way killing a Muslim is unlawful without valid reason, so
it is with the killing of a non-Muslim who lives in an Islamic country
as its law-abiding citizen, or is one of those with whom Muslims have
a bilateral pact. According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
صلى الله reported in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet رضى الله عنه
te is reported to have said: 'Whoever has killed a Dhimmi
(protected non-Muslim citizen of a Muslim country) has broken his
covenant with Allah - and a person who has broken the covenant of Al-
lah will never smell even the scent of Jannah, though the scent of Jan-
nah reaches as far as a travel distance of seventy years.'
In this one verse - after having described five of the ten prohibi-
tions - it was said:َذلِكُمْ وَتُكُمْ بٍ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُون (This is what He has emphasized
for you so that you may understand).

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The Sixth Prohibition : Eating up the Property of the Orphan
by False Means
About the unlawfulness of devouring the property of the orphan by
false means - the sixth command given in the second verse (152) - it
was said : ◌ًوَلَا تُقْرَيُؤْ مَالَ الْيَتِيْمِ إِلَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّا (And do not approach the
property of the orphan except with the best possible conduct, until he
reaches maturity). The address here is to the guardians of orphaned
children who are minors. The guardians have been told that they
should treat the property of orphans as if it was fire. They should not
go near it to take from it or eat of it unlawfully. What is said here ap-
pears in another verse of the Qur'an in the same words: (ed Je Baas;
,and also in Surah Al-Nisa' (4:10): 'Surely (17:34) إِلَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّةً
those who eat up the property of the orphans, unjustly, they only eat
fire into their bellies, and they shall soon enter a blazing hell.)
However, protecting the property of the orphan and investing it in
a permissible business where the danger of loss does not customarily
exist is fair enough, even necessary. Guardians of the orphaned chil-
dren should do so.
After that, specified was the limit until when the property of the
orphan was to be guarded: #fae & (until he reaches maturity), that
is, when the orphan reaches maturity, the responsibility of the guardi-
an ends and his property should be entrusted to him.
The word: 131 (ashudd) really means strength. According to the ma-
jority of 'Ulama, it begins with puberty. When signs of puberty appear
in a child, or when he reaches the age of full fifteen years, that will be
the time, he will be considered legally mature.
Still, after his having attained physical maturity, it will be seen
whether or not he has acquired the ability to protect his property and
spend out of it correctly and satisfactorily. If this ability is found in
him, his property should be entrusted to him. If he does not seem to
have that ability in him at that time, it is the responsibility of the
guardian to keep protecting his property until the age of twenty five
years. At any time during this period, whenever he picks up the ability
to protect his property and manage his living through business or vo-
cation, his property can be handed over to him. And if - even upto the

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age of twenty five years, such ability does not show up in him - then,
according to Imam Abu Hanifah, his property should, after all, be giv-
en to him, but this would be subject to the condition that this lack of
ability on his part should have not reached the limits of insanity. And,
according to some Imams, his property should not be entrusted in his
hands even then, instead of which, the Qadi or Judge of an Islamic
Court should entrust the responsibility of protecting his property to a
trustworthy and responsible person.
Once again, what has been said here is based on a statement of the
Holy Qur'an appearing in another verse where it was said: 2 2533u
,if you perceive in them proper understanding ... ) رُهُدًّا فَادُفَعُؤْا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمُوَالَهُمْ
hand over to them their property - 4:6). It means: When the orphaned
children become mature and you see in them the ability to protect
their property by themselves and invest it gainfully, entrust the prop-
erty to them. This verse has told us that becoming mature is not suffi-
cient as justification for entrusting the property of the orphan to him,
instead, it is conditioned by the ability to protect property and to in-
vest it gainfully.
The Seventh Prohibition : Weighing and Measuring Short
The seventh command in this verse is to give full weight and full
measure in all fairness. The word: L'au (bi al-qist), translated as 'in all
fairness,' applies to a transaction in which the giver does not decrease
anything from what is due to be received by the other party - and the
receiver does not take anything more than what is due to come to him
from the giver (Ruh al-Ma'ani).
Weighing and measuring short in common give and take of things
has been sternly forbidden by the Qur'an. Severe warning to those who
do that appears in Surah Al-Muțaffifin (83).
Commentator of the Qur'an, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas Ale,
as reports that, addressing those who weigh and measure in business,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Weighing and measuring is a line
of duty being unfair in which has caused many communities before
you to be destroyed by Divine punishment (so, be fully cautious in this
matter). (Tafsir ibn Kathir)

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Officials and Workers who fall short in Set Duties come under
this Qur'anic Ruling
It should be borne in mind that weighing and measuring short
called "Tatfif" in the Qur'an is not simply restricted to weighing short
and measuring less. In fact, falling short in giving the other person his
right is also included under 'Tatfif as illusrated by a report from Sayy-
idna 'Umar ar Al , appearing in the Mu'atta' of Imam Malik. When
Sayyidna 'Umar noticed someone making the required movements of
his Salah short, he said: 'You made 'Tatfif,' meaning thereby that he
did not fulfill the right of Salah as it was due and obligatory. After hav-
ing reported this incident, Imam Malik says: ◌ُلِكُلِّ شَرْءُوَنَاٌ وَتَطْفِيْف that is, giv-
ing the full measure due, and giving short of it, applies to everything,
and not in weights and measures only.
This tells us that an employee who does not discharge his duties as
required, steals time or delays work; and a wage earner who falls short
in delivering the service agreed to; and for that matter anyone - a min-
ister of government or his peon, an assistant in an office, or a scholar
or religious worker - shall all be included under the Qur'anic term, "Al-
Mutaffifin," if they fall short in fulfilling the right of others due against
them.
After that, it was said: 42; suWak (We do not obligate anyone
beyond his capacity). In some narrations of Hadith, it has been ex-
plained as a hint of exception, that is, a person who does everything
possible within his control to give full consideration to the need of giv-
ing full weight and measure as due and, in case, some insignificant in-
crease or decrease takes place inadvertently, then, that would stand
excused because that is beyond his power and control.
According to Tafsir Mazhari, the addition of this sentence in be-
tween indicates that it is better to give a little more while fulfilling
what is due so that there remains no doubt of being short in giving - as
it was when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, on a similar occasion, or-
dered a person weighing: ¿ 31, 3; (zin wa arjih) that is, 'weigh and be lib-
eral' (literally, weigh and tilt the balance in favour of the receiver).
(Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Tirmidhi following a narration of Sayyidna Suwayd ibn
Qaiys)

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صلى الله عليه وسلم And this was the usual practice of the Holy Prophet
himself. Whenever he had a right of someone due against him, and
when came the time for him to pay it back, he liked to pay more than
what the right of the other person was. Then, there is a Hadith in Al-
Bukhari based on a narration by Sayyidna Jabir as All Lo, in which the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said:
'May the mercy of Allah Ta'ala be on the person who is lenient
when selling by giving more than the due; and is also lenient
by not taking more than the due - instead, accepts in good
grace, even if it happens to be somewhat short of it.'
But, this is an ethical rule - that one gives more when giving and,
accepts less when taking, avoids a quarrel. There is nothing legal in-
volved here which would compel one to do so. It is to point out to this
very aspect that it was said in the Qur'an that "We do not obligate
anyone beyond his capacity." In other words, giving the other person
more than it was his due; and to be satisfied with any decrease in
what was one's own due, was not a mandatory command because it is
not easy for common people to do so.
The Eighth Commandment :
BE JUST - Doing Otherwise is Haram
The verse says:وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعُدِلُوا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرُبى (and when you speak, be just,
even if there be a relative). It will be noticed that nothing particular
has been mentioned at this place. Therefore, the majority of commen-
tators hold the view that the statement includes everything said -
whether it is a witness given in some case, or a judgement from a
judge, or an order from a ruling official, or whatever different kinds of
things said to each other. About all such things, the command of the
Qur'an is that one should abide by the criterion of truth and justice
when saying what one has to say - everywhere, on all occasions and
under all conditions. As for the sense of abiding by truth and justice
when appearing as a witness in some case, it is fairly obvious - that is,
the witness should tell what he knows for certain - frankly and clearly
- without adding or subtracting one word on his own, or injecting his
guess or conjecture in it, or worrying about whom it would benefit and
whom it would hurt. Similar is the situation of a judge who has to de-
cide a case. He will examine witnesses according to the Islamic legal