4-105 Surely We have revealed the Book to thee with truth that thou mayest judge between people by means of what Allah has taught thee. And be not one pleading the cause of the dishonest,a
اِنَّاۤ اَنْزَلْنَاۤ اِلَیْكَ الْكِتٰبَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَیْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَاۤ اَرٰىكَ اللّٰهُ ؕ وَ لَا تَكُنْ لِّلْخَآىِٕنِیْنَ خَصِیْمًاۙ (۱۰۵)
4-105a: اَرٰىكَ اللّٰهُ – Its meaning here is علمك اللّٰه (the knowledge that Allah has given you) (R). When رؤیه is transitive towards two objects, its meaning is knowledge (R).
خائن – It means one who breaches a trust, and خیانة and نفاق have a similar meaning. خیانة is a breach with respect to a covenant or trustee property and نفاق is dishonesty with respect to faith. By خیانة is meant secretly opposing the truth in breach of a contract (R) and خوّان which occurs later is its superlative tense.
خَصِیْمً – خَصۡم means to quarrel and خَصِیْمً is one who argues excessively (R).
The incident of Tamah bin Ubairaq: The hypocrites who pretended to be Muslims were under the impression that they would get some concession in a time of need because of ostensibly being Muslims. However, justice is fundamental in the teachings of the Holy Prophet regardless of whether one is dealing with a bitter enemy or a dear friend. This special command was revealed to the Holy Prophet in respect of the hypocrites so that their false expectation of special treatment may be removed. An incident is narrated with respect to this verse. There was an Ansari (Helper) who stole an armor from someone’s house and gave it to a Jew for safekeeping. When investigation started, the armor was tracked to Tamah’s house and finally recovered from the Jew. The Jew pointed the finger to Tamah but he denied the charge and his friends supported his innocence before the Holy Prophet but he gave the decision against Tamah. This verse was revealed for this incident.
Holy Prophet’s extraordinary trustworthiness and truthfulness: To assume from the words: And be not one pleading the cause of the dishonest, that he must have sided with some dishonesty is a supposition of an ignorant. It is definitely not the purpose of any command given to the Holy Prophet that he had acted against it and so it became necessary to give the command. The real purpose of the commands was to educate the Muslims even as the Holy Prophet himself was leading a life committed to the highest code of conduct. Why is the command of keep up prayer given again and again in the Quran? Was it because the Holy Prophet had stopped praying? As is apparent from the narration given above, the Holy Prophet had not pleaded for a dishonest person and in fact had given his decision against the dishonest person. So, the purpose of revealing this verse was to nullify the false expectations of the hypocrites. Holy Prophet’s truthfulness and trustworthiness was well known even before prophethood. Even if there was even an iota of favoritism in the Holy Prophet’s character, a boorish nation like the Arabs would not have given him the title of الامین . If even before prophethood nobody could lift a finger against his trustworthiness and honesty, so to conjecture such thoughts after he was given prophethood is to flatly deny the reality of the events. There is no doubt that events of such magnitude occurred during his life that the steps of even great men would have faltered but such events did not cause even the minutest change in Holy Prophet’s extraordinary honesty and trustworthiness. It was on such occasions that Divine revelation also guided him. The event narrated above about Tamah testifies to this. This occurred at a time when the Jews had become openly hostile to the Holy Prophet and Islam was passing through a period of such great difficulties and hardships that every person who could stand up in its support was a great blessing. There were a number of people who were willing to testify that Tamah was not guilty. However, the Holy Prophet did not care that the Jews were his enemy and that by holding Tamah guilty, he would loose the support of Tamah and a number of his Muslim friends and relatives as well. The Holy Prophet gave his decision against Tamah and in favor of the Jew. It would be hard to find another such instance of justice and fairness in history.
4-106 And ask the forgiveness of Allah. Surely Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful a
وَّ اسْتَغْفِرِ اللّٰهَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِیْمًاۚ (۱۰۶)
4-106a: When the rule was mandated that the Holy Prophet was not to side with any dishonest fraudster, the existing difficulties increased even more. Hence it is stated that Allah’s protection be sought in difficulties. For this meaning of استغفار see 2-199a and 3-17a. Who is not dependent on God’s protection, and he who considers himself even for a second to be free from the need of God’s protection is in danger of getting destroyed. The meaning of the verse could also be to seek God’s protection for those who make mistakes. The context also requires this meaning.
4-107 And contend not on behalf of those who act unfaithfully to their souls. Surely Allah loves not him who is treacherous, sinful:
وَ لَا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِیْنَ یَخْتَانُوْنَ اَنْفُسَهُمْ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا اَثِیْمًاۚۙ(۱۰۷)
4-108 They seek to hide from men and they cannot hide from Allah, and He is with them when they counsel by night matters which please Him not. And Allah ever encompasses what they do.
یَّسْتَخْفُوْنَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ لَا یَسْتَخْفُوْنَ مِنَ اللّٰهِ وَ هُوَ مَعَهُمْ اِذْ یُبَیِّتُوْنَ مَا لَا یَرْضٰی مِنَ الْقَوْلِ ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِمَا یَعْمَلُوْنَ مُحِیْطًا (۱۰۸)
4-109 Behold! You are they who may contend on their behalf in this world’s life, but who will contend with Allah on their behalf on the Resurrection day, or who will have charge of their affairs?a
هٰۤاَنْتُمْ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ جٰدَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِی الْحَیٰوةِ الدُّنْیَا ۫ فَمَنْ یُّجَادِلُ اللّٰهَ عَنْهُمْ یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ اَمْ مَّنْ یَّكُوْنُ عَلَیْهِمْ وَكِیْلً (۱۰۹)
4-109a: This appears to be about persons who on account of lack of understanding got deceived by the hypocrites and became their advocates, as for example the relatives of Tamah supported him. These people are made to understand that the hypocrites are secretly against Islam and are far removed from truth and righteousness and that they should not become their supporters. Instead, they should be supporters of truth. The address in verse 4-107 is general as the words of verse 4-109 shows: هٰۤاَنْتُمْ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ جٰدَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ (Behold! You are they who may contend on their behalf.
4-110 And whoever does evil or wrongs his soul, then asks forgiveness of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.
وَ مَنْ یَّعْمَلْ سُوْٓءًا اَوْ یَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهٗ ثُمَّ یَسْتَغْفِرِ اللّٰهَ یَجِدِ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِیْمًا (۱۱۰)
4-111 And whoever commits a sin, commits it only against himself. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.
وَ مَنْ یَّكْسِبْ اِثْمًا فَاِنَّمَا یَكْسِبُهٗ عَلٰی نَفْسِهٖ ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلِیْمًا حَكِیْمًا (۱۱۱)
4-112 And whoever commits a fault or a sin, then accuses of it one innocent, he indeed takes upon himself the burden of a calumny and a manifest sin.a
وَ مَنْ یَّكْسِبْ خَطِیْٓئَةً اَوْ اِثْمًا ثُمَّ یَرْمِ بِهٖ بَرِیْٓـًٔا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَّ اِثْمًا مُّبِیْنًا۠ (۱۱۲)
4-112a: For the meaning of خَطِیْٓئَةً and اِثْمً see 2:82a and 2:85a. The difference in their meaning is that خَطِیْٓئَةً is a mistake that is committed without intent and اِثْمً is a sin committed with intent. This distinction is also made by Ibn Jarir. An alternative distinction is that خَطِیْٓئَةً are those mistakes whose repercussions are confined to the person making the mistake and اِثْمً is that act whose evil consequences affect others.
Quran has associated with hypocrites this kind of a mean action, namely blaming someone for what a person has done. It was not permissible to put the blame for something that someone had done even on a Jew. These are the morals that Quran teaches even towards one’s enemies. How many Muslims are there today who conduct themselves in this manner even with their brothers. Leave alone appropriating the assets of non-Muslims, Muslims declare other Muslims as unbelievers and then consider it justified to unlawfully take their assets. What greater breach of trust can there be!
Bayan-ul-Quran 