4-135 O you who believe, be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness for Allah, even though it be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives — whether he be rich or poor, Allah has a better right over them both. So follow not (your) low desires, lest you deviate. And if you distort or turn away from (truth), surely Allah is ever Aware of what you do.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّٲمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرً۬ا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَاۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْۚ وَإِن تَلۡوُ ۥۤاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا (١٣٥)
4-135a: قَوَّٲمِينَ – There are two ways in which the word قیام is used, namely the privileges of a thing or its care and safety, and secondly the resolve and determination to do a thing. Here the meaning is the care and safety of a thing (R). Because قوام is in the superlative case, the meaning is one who takes the safeguarding of justice to perfection and since قِسۡطِ is part of justice, hence the meaning is safeguarding the discharge of all kinds of rights.
شُہَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ – Be witnesses for Allah that is to be so truthful in giving evidence that the only consideration in giving testimony is that Allah should be pleased.
أَوۡلَىٰ بِہِمَا – أَوۡلَىٰ is in the sense of احریٰ – more worthy and deserving. The meaning is that currying favor with a wealthy person or taking pity on a poor person should not cause a person to deviate from the truth because in the matter of the wealthy, the pleasure of Allah and in the matter of a poor person, the mercy of Allah is greater than currying favor with the rich or taking pity on the poor.
تَلۡوُ – The meaning of لَوِیَ is to lie and also to incline. Because two commands are given together so a dual meaning word تَلۡوُ is used which encompasses lying in the matter of giving testimony and inclining away from fairness in the matter of dispensing justice.
An exhortation to be equitable and just: The main topic of discussion is about hypocrites and in that discussion while making a comparison between a polytheist and a monotheist mention is made of treating women with equity and justice. This verse generalizes this latter command and in sharp contrast to the behavior of hypocrites urges the believers to be maintainers of justice, who adhere strictly to fairness and fulfill all rights in a just manner. Judicial decision making occurs only in specific situations and it is only a certain number of people who get to make such decisions. The words of the Quran, however, encompass all kinds of rights, There is no doubt that judicial decision making is a great test and trial. In another place, this is expressed as follows: لَا يَجۡرِمَنَّڪُمۡ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوۡمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُواْ (let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably) (5:8). This is the most trying situation in dispensing justice. When a decision has to be rendered that affects you personally or those near to you or when one of the parties is your enemy, it becomes very hard to be just. Similarly, it is difficult to give true testimony particularly when it will affect you or your parents or near ones. Sometimes a person in deference to a rich person is partial in the decision he renders or the testimony he gives in order to please him and similarly may favor a poor man out of pity. It is stated that a person should have no regard for either of these situations. Allah’s right over them is greater than the person’s right, and Allah’s right is that truth be manifested and there should be no partiality.
One is bestowed with the attribute of justice only when one abandons one’s own desires. Hence it is stated that to reach this high station one must give up following one’s desires.
4-136 O you who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book which He has revealed to His Messenger and the Book which He revealed before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His Books and His messengers and the Last Day, he indeed strays far away.a
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ ءَامِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِن قَبۡلُۚ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلاَۢ بَعِيدًا (١٣٦)
4-136a: By first believe is meant overt belief, that is verbal acceptance with the tongue and by the second believe is meant completion of belief which includes verification by the heart and actions in accordance with belief. See 2-3a. Because the underlying topic is about hypocrites, it is stated that just verbal belief is of no benefit unless there is action to back it up.
4-137 Those who believe then disbelieve, again believe and again disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, Allah will never forgive them nor guide them in the (right) way.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ثُمَّ كَفَرُواْ ثُمَّ ءَامَنُواْ ثُمَّ كَفَرُواْ ثُمَّ ٱزۡدَادُواْ كُفۡرً۬ا لَّمۡ يَكُنِ ٱللَّهُ لِيَغۡفِرَ لَهُمۡ وَلَا لِيَہۡدِيَہُمۡ سَبِيلاَۢ (١٣٧)
4-137a: The reference here is to hypocrites and the next verse clears this further. The statement: who believe than disbelieve, again believe and again disbelieve, is not just to count their reversions but the purport is to show their vacillation and this vacillation was exhibited openly and manifestly by some hypocrites and for others it was only an internal wavering. The statement ثُمَّ ٱزۡدَادُواْ كُفۡرً۬ا shows that ultimately they kept progressing in their disbelief. Allah does not protect and guide such persons because when a person adopts the wrong way, Allah does not force them to do good just as Allah does not force a good person to do evil.
4-138 Give news to the hypocrites that for them is a painful chastisement—
بَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا (١٣٨)
4-139 Those who take disbelievers for friends rather than believers. Do they seek for might from them? Might surely belongs wholly to Allah.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّخِذُونَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۚ أَيَبۡتَغُونَ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡعِزَّةَ فَإِنَّ ٱلۡعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعً۬ا (١٣٩)
4-140 And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s messages disbelieved in and mocked at, sit not with them until they enter into some other discourse, for then indeed you would be like them. Surely Allah will gather together the hypocrites and the disbelievers all in hell—a
وَقَدۡ نَزَّلَ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ فِى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَنۡ إِذَا سَمِعۡتُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكۡفَرُ بِہَا وَيُسۡتَہۡزَأُ بِہَا فَلَا تَقۡعُدُواْ مَعَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيۡرِهِۦۤۚ إِنَّكُمۡ إِذً۬ا مِّثۡلُهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا (١٤٠)
4-140a: يَخُوضُواْ – The meaning of خَوۡض is to make one’s way through the water and to cross it. It is used metaphorically to enter into an issue or a conversation, and its most frequent use is in a situation of reproach or censure, as in: ڪُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلۡعَبُۚ (We were talking idly and sporting) (9:65) and وَخُضۡتُمۡ كَٱلَّذِى خَاضُوٓاْ (and you indulge in idle talk as they did) (9:69) (R). The meaning is to enter idle or false conversations. خَوۡض is talk that is false and futile (LA).
This command has previously been revealed in Surah Al-Anaam: وَإِذَا رَأَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيۡرِهِ (And when thou seest those who talk nonsense about Our messages, withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse) (6:68). In Makkah the idolaters used to make fun and ridicule the Quran in their gatherings and in Madinah the Jews and hypocrites did the same. The rationale for non-participation in such gatherings has been explained because otherwise they would become like them. When someone adopts an attitude of mockery and derision, then anyone who listens to it joyfully has his heart colored with the same coloring. It has not been forbidden to sit down with unbelievers and to talk to them but what is prohibited is to listen to the rules of the faith and its holy men being mocked and ridiculed. In contrast, the Muslims are taught not to ridicule and disparage their deities: وَلَا تَسُبُّواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّه (And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah) (6:108). The hypocrites sat down with the unbelievers to make fun of Allah’s commands, and the Muslims have been stopped from being in such gatherings lest they get caught in their snare.
4-141 Those who wait (for misfortunes) for you. Then if you have a victory from Allah they say: Were we not with you? And if there is a chance for the disbelievers, they say: Did we not prevail over you and defend you from the believers? So Allah will judge between you on the day of Resurrection. And Allah will by no means give the disbelievers a way against the believers.
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمۡ فَإِن كَانَ لَكُمۡ فَتۡحٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ نَكُن مَّعَكُمۡ وَإِن كَانَ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ۬ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ نَسۡتَحۡوِذۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَنَمۡنَعۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَڪُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِۗ وَلَن يَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً (١٤١)
4-141a: يَتَرَبَّصُونَ – ربص is the root and تَرَبّصُ is to wait for something. If it happens to be inventory for sale, it is the waiting for the prices to rise, or waiting for the prices to fall before buying or waiting for the final outcome of an issue or for an issue to go away, as in: وَٱلۡمُطَلَّقَـٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصۡنَ (divorced women should keep themselves in waiting…) (2:228) and تَرَبَّصُواْ فَإِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُتَرَبِّصِينَ (Wait, I too wait along with you) (52:31).
نَسۡتَحۡوِذۡ – The meaning of حَوۡذ is a camel driver who drives the camel by beating the backside of the camel, and the meaning of حاذ الابل is drove the camels harshly. Derived from it is استحوذ as in: ٱسۡتَحۡوَذَ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ (The devil has gained the mastery over them) (58:19) and is driving them. The meaning here is the same that it is with great inducement and persuasion that the hypocrites have brought the unbelievers against the Muslims.
نَمۡنَعُ – مَنۡع is the opposite of giving, as in: مَّنَّاعٍ۬ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ (Forbidder of Good) (50:25) and يَمۡنَعُونَ ٱلۡمَاعُونَ (refrain from acts of kindness) (107:7). The word also occurs in the sense of حمایة or defense and protection and it is used in this sense here (R).
The two-faced strategy of the hypocrites is mentioned here. On the one side, they stayed intermingled with the believers and if the believers were successful, the hypocrites told them that they were with them, and on the other side if the unbelievers had an upper hand in a battle, the hypocrites reminded them that they were the real cause of their success because they had persuaded the unbelievers to come out for the fight and then deserted the believers and protected the unbelievers from the believers because the desertion left the believers with an insufficient force to attack the unbelievers and thus they protected them. The hypocrites argued that whatever the unbelievers gained was because of them. This was the mischief of the hypocrites because of which they are warned of an evil end in the next section.
There is also another point worth remembering. In the ups and downs of the fighting that was going on between the Muslims and the disbelievers, Allah has used the word victory for the success of the Muslims but for the unbelievers the word used is نصیب (a small portion) which goes to show that the unbelievers were never victorious against the Muslims. They were only able to inflict some distress to the Muslims.
Bayan-ul-Quran 