4-34 Men are the maintainers of women, with what Allah has made some of them to excel others and with what they spend out of their wealth.a So the good the unseen as Allah has guarded.b And (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion,c admonish them, and leave them alone in the beds and chastise them. So if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Surely Allah is ever Exalted, Great.d
اَلرِّجَالُ قَوّٰمُوْنَ عَلَی النِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّٰهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلٰی بَعْضٍ وَّ بِمَاۤ اَنْفَقُوْا مِنْ اَمْوَالِهِمْ ؕ فَالصّٰلِحٰتُ قٰنِتٰتٌ حٰفِظٰتٌ لِّلْغَیْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللّٰهُ ؕ وَ الّٰتِیْ تَخَافُوْنَ نُشُوْزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوْهُنَّ وَ اهْجُرُوْهُنَّ فِی الْمَضَاجِعِ وَ اضْرِبُوْهُنَّ ۚ فَاِنْ اَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوْا عَلَیْهِنَّ سَبِیْلًا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلِیًّا كَبِیْرًا(۳۴)
4-34a: قَوّٰمُوْنَ – It is the plural of قوّامؑ which is a superlative tense derivative from قیام . The meaning of قام الرجلُ علی المراٗۃ means ماٗنھا that is, he maintained her and managed her affair, having charge of her affair, and قَوّامؑ علَہا means مائنؑ لھا that is her maintainer. The meaning of اَلرِّجَالُ قَوّٰمُوْنَ عَلَی النِّسَآءِ is متکفلون بامور النساء مَعُنِیُّوۡن بِشوٗنِھنّ that is, having charge of woman’s affair (LA). According to Taj-ul-Arus the meaning of قام الرجل المراٗۃ and قام علیہا are مانھا و قام بشانہا متکفّلا با مرِھا that is, maintained her and having charge of her affair established her [in good] condition. The meaning of قوام لھا is given as مائن لھا that is, her maintainer and in charge of her affairs. So, the real meaning of قوّام is maintainer. Translating it to mean simply a guardian or master is not correct. قوّام incorporates the meanings of provider, guardian and instructor because a person who maintains another is responsible for both the physical and spiritual protection of the one maintained.
What is meant by the men being the قوّام (maintainers) of women: Along with the rights of women, it is also necessary to mention the rights of men and hence it is stated that men are the maintainers of women. The household is like a mini kingdom as is stated in a hadith: کُلُّکم راعٍ کُلُّکم مسئول عن رعیته (everyone of you is a king and everyone of you will be questioned about the ones you ruled). In a further elaboration of this hadith, it is stated that man is a king, and the people of his household are like his subjects and the woman too in spending the wealth of her husband is like a king. It is obvious that where there are mutual rights and responsibilities, the decision-making authority perforce must be vested in one person. Islam is a practical religion and whichever subject the Quran takes up, it discusses all aspects of it like a wise sage. After establishing a myriad of rights and responsibilities, it is necessary to give a measure of governance to one over the other, and in practice this has been done all over the world because without it order cannot be established. This coloring of governance has not explicitly been labelled as government because the Quran has stated elsewhere وَ لَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِیْ عَلَیْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ (And women have rights similar to those against them in a just manner) (2:228). The husband and wife are partners in the running of the household; however, their duties and responsibilities are different. Keeping all these affairs in view, the Quran states that the final responsibility lies with man and the kind of governance by which the affairs of the house are settled has been given to the man.
Accordingly, the reason for this has been given by the Quran itself. The first reason is that Allah has made some to excel others. Thus, men excel women in physical prowess and hence they are given the responsibility of being the breadwinners and for defending the country and the nation, and the one who protects the country is best suited to be the protector of the house. However, by stating that some excel the others, it has been pointed out that in some matters women excel men. For example, in a manner of speaking women become the master of men because earning a livelihood and protecting the house is a service which men perform for women.
The second reason is that men spend their wealth on women, and this argues for giving them the final say in this governance. The sense of this arrangement is also found in the meaning of the word قوّام . That is, men have been given the authority over women because men have the greater burden as the breadwinners while the women have the lesser responsibility of spending the wealth earned by their husbands. The earner of the wealth should have authority over the spender. If the authority is otherwise, it would lead to household deficits. This is the meaning of the hadith: لن یفلح قوم ولوا امرھم امراٗۃ (Bukhari) (That nation cannot succeed that gives authority over its affairs to a woman), that is the control does not vest with those who earn but with those who spend. This hadith expounds the best principle of democracy as it establishes a great organizational arrangement in which the man earns, the woman spends, and the man supervises and looks after her. This is in line with the best principle of democracy in which the rulers supervise the expenditure of the people’s wealth that is spent on the affairs of the state.
4-34b: قٰنِتٰتٌ – Because the meaning of قنوت is to mandate on oneself obedience with humility, hence in the Quran this word is used only for obedience to Allah, the Most High.
حٰفِظٰتٌ لِّلْغَیْبِ – The object of حفاظت is preordained, that is the rights of the husband and by للغیب is meant غیبته that is behind his back. After mentioning that the women should be obedient to Allah, the Most High, it is stated next that they should safeguard the rights of the husband behind his back. The rights of the husband are mentioned by virtue of their importance. Thus, after obedience to Allah, they have the responsibility to safeguard the rights of the husband, and the condition of behind their back has been imposed because Quran only mentions the extreme condition. A woman who safeguards the right of the husband behind his back will certainly safeguard them in his presence. The most important of the husband’s right is the right of fidelity. Thus, the chastity of a woman has been ordained as her greatest ornament. There are other rights of the husband as well. For example, not to expose his confidential talks, to safeguard his wealth, and not to expend it illicitly, not to be a spendthrift, not to spend more than is necessary and more than his income. There is also a hadith in Sunan al-Bayhaqi that states: اذا غبت عنہا حفظتك فی مالك و نفسھا (When you are not present, she safeguards your wealth and herself).
بِمَا حَفِظَ اللّٰهُ – Its meaning can be interpreted in two ways. Either ما is a relative pronoun and عائد (reverting or going back) has been omitted. The meaning then is that it is incumbent on women that they should protect the rights of the husband in lieu of the rights that Allah has safeguarded for them, that is Allah took the rights of women from the men and sanctified them although the women themselves did not have the power to do so. This is the preferred meaning. The other way this can be interpreted is that women who safeguard the rights of husbands do so under the safeguards of Allah.
4-34c: تَخَافُوْنَ – The meaning of خوف is anticipation of some odious matter based on some indication which is conjectural or confined only to knowledge (R). It should be remembered that خوف is not the name of some fictitious idea but there is an anticipation of a bad outcome whose indication has begun to appear either conjecturally or has been manifested with certitude. The purport here is the manifestation of certain indisputable signs as is made clear by the use of the word خِفْتُمْ in the next verse which means you recognize (R), and just as خَافَتْ in: وَ اِنِ امْرَاَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوْزًا اَوْ اِعْرَاضًا (And if a woman fears ill-usage from her husband or desertion) (4:128) means knowledge or gets to know. Similarly, the meaning of خوف in وَ اِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِنْ قَوْمٍ خِیَانَةً فَانْۢبِذْ اِلَیْهِمْ عَلٰی سَوَآءٍ (And if thou fear treachery on the part of a people, throw back to them (their treaty) on terms of equality) is you get to know. The fact is that where rights and responsibilities are impacted on the basis of خوف or fear, no action can be taken on the basis of conjectural indications and certain information is required.
نُشُوْزَ – It is a derivative of نشز whose literal meaning is to rise as in وَإِذا قيلَ انشُزوا فَانشُزوا (And when it is said, Rise up, rise up) (58:11). نُشُوْز بَین الزوجین that is نُشُوْزَ between husband and wife is their rising against each other and the absence of any affinity between them. Hence the meaning of نُشُوْز بَین الزوجین according to the lexicon is: کراھیة کل منھا صاحبه و سوء عشرته (Having mutual aversion and reciprocal mistreatment of companion) (LA). Based on the actual situation, the separate meaning for the sexes is that the نُشُوْزَ of the woman against the man is to revolt against him, disobey him, have malice towards him and stop submitting to him and become his strong adversary. The husband’s نُشُوْزَ against the woman is the same and that he beats and oppresses her (LA). Accordingly, in another place it is stated: وَ اِنِ امْرَاَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوْزًا (And if a woman fears ill-usage from her husband or desertion) (4:128). Another version of the meaning of a woman’s نُشُوْزَ against her husband is to have malice towards her husband, removing herself from the ambit of submission to him, and eyeing someone other than her husband (R).
Disobedient (نُشُوْزَ ) wives: After a mention of good wives who guard the rights of their husbands, mention is now made of wives who do not protect the right of husbands and who appear to be committing نُشُوْزَ against their husbands, that is they show indications of enmity and malice towards their husbands, are bent on disobeying them and do not want to dwell in their husband’s houses. This is a situation in which the only party at fault is the woman. The situation in which both the parties, husband and wife, are equally to blame is mentioned in the next verse. The remedy for a situation in which there is no fault on the part of the woman and it is the man who is at fault is discussed in verse 4:128.
4-34d: وَ اهْجُرُوْهُنَّ فِی الْمَضَاجِعِ – The meaning of ھَجۡر is to separate oneself from your own family and strangers whether bodily, or by your speech, or in your heart, and هْجُرُوْ فِی الْمَضَاجِعِ means separating the sleeping quarter from that of the woman and this is a euphemism for abstaining from sexual relations with the woman (R).
Three remedies prescribed for a disobedient wife: When the disobedience first manifests, the woman should be counseled, and this alone should be sufficient. If counselling does not remedy the situation, some degree of severity should be introduced in the relationship and a loving and amorous interaction with her should be stopped. This is what is meant by leaving them alone in the bed. For a respectable woman, this treatment by the husband is sufficient punishment and she would immediately mend her ways. Women who do not mend by this treatment must have a nature that cannot be reformed except by extreme measures. Since divorce is too extreme a remedy for minor behavioral issues, permission is given to chastise the woman.
When is it permissible to chastise a woman and with what severity: The Christians and in particular the current feminist Christian culture have objected to this permission. The fact is that if one looks beyond the veneer of civilization, women in most Christian households are treated worse than women in Muslim households. Islam’s teachings are not for any one strata of society but for the society as a whole and hence its teaching has wide applicability. Quran has mentioned those respectable women who if they make a mistake inadvertently remedy their actions with a little counselling. Mention is them made of those respectable women for whom the displeasure of the husband as shown by his loveless demeanor is a sufficient punishment. However, no one can deny that there is a stratum of society in every country and nation whose ideas are very superficial and neither counselling has any impact on them nor the cessation of a loving relation with their husband has any effect on them. There are only two ways left to tackle such women, that is either to divorce them and bring the marital relationship to an end or to deal with them more severely. Because Islam considers divorce as detestable, though permissible by Allah, hence it advocates every possible reasonable method to hold the marriage together before divorce, and for women from the strata of society whose sense of morality is poorly developed allows such women to be chastised with a view to reform them.
The truth of this reasoning is manifested by the words of the Holy Prophet. According to a hadith in Abu Dawud, Nasai, and Ibn Maja, when a complaint regarding the harsh treatment by husbands reached the Holy Prophet, he said: لقد اطاف باٰل محمّد النساء کثیر یشتکین من ازواجھن لیس اولئك بخیار کم (A number of women have come to our house who complain about their husbands. These husbands are not the best people among you). This shows that the provision of chastising wives is not meant for the cultured section of the society but for the uncouth section. So, as long as such a section of society exists in the world, there is a need for the punishment of chastisement. There are many Christians husbands who thrash their women brutally. So, this provision in Islam is not objectionable. However, as a further safeguard, the Holy Prophet has ordered that if a woman is chastised under circumstances that makes it a necessity, the chastisement should not be severe and it should be such that it leaves no mark. Accordingly, it is stated in Sahih Muslim that the Holy Prophet said at the time of the farewell pilgrimage: واتقوا اللّٰه فی النساء فانھن عند کم عوان و لکم علیھن ان لا یوطئن فرشکم احدا تکرھونه فان فعلن واضر بو ھن ضربًا غیر مبرحٍ (Guard your duty to Allah in respect of women because they are with you like captives and your right over them is that they should not allow anyone that you dislike to come to your house. If they do, then chastise them but only such that it leaves no mark). This also shows that the permission for chastisement is for a severe failing.
The pious example of the Holy Prophet: The Holy Prophet did not beat any of his wives throughout his life even though he had nine wives and it is common in such a situation for wives to quarrel among themselves as a result of which the husband loses his temper and sometimes commits excesses against them. The Holy Prophet handled such situations with great equanimity. Those who consider the Holy Prophet as their role model and want to emulate his example will never raise their hands against their wives. Instead, they will remember his saying: خیر کم خیر کم لاھله (the best among you is the one who is best to his wife) and will try to set up an example of best manners in their households.
In the end of the verse, it is stated that if the wife obeys then a way should not be sought against her. By obey here is meant that she gives up her disobedience. It is clear from this that the steps outlined in this verse are sequential. If the first step of counselling is successful, then there is no need for the second step. However, if the first step fails and the woman does not mend her erroneous ways then other methods would need to be used. Caliph Ali is reported to have advised: First counsel by talking to the woman, if she stops her erroneous behavior, then there is no blame on her, but if she refuses, then alienation and forsaking should be tried. If that does not work, then she should be chastised, and if even that does not work, then two arbitrators should be appointed.
4-35 And if you fear a breach between the two, appoint an arbiter from his people and an arbiter from her people. If they both desire agreement, Allah will effect harmony between them. Surely Allah is ever Knowing, Aware.
وَ اِنْ خِفْتُمْ شِقَاقَ بَیْنِهِمَا فَابْعَثُوْا حَكَمًا مِّنْ اَهْلِهٖ وَ حَكَمًا مِّنْ اَهْلِهَا ۚ اِنْ یُّرِیْدَاۤ اِصْلَاحًا یُّوَفِّقِ اللّٰهُ بَیْنَهُمَا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلِیْمًا خَبِیْرًا (۳۵)
4-35a : حَكَمًا – The meaning of حَکَم and حَکِم are nearly the same. الحکم and الحاکم and الحکیم are considered to be the attributive names of Allah. The literal meaning of حَکَم is to stop. حاکم (ruler, judge or person in authority) is so called because he stops people from being unjust and حَکَم is more eloquent than حاکم .
یُوَفِّقِ – It is derived from وفق and the meaning of وِفٰق is to create conformity between two things as in جَزَآءً وِّفَاقًاؕ (Requital corresponding) (78:26).
The command to appoint two arbiters in the case of marital conflict: This is for a situation where there is serious marital strife and enmity between husband and wife. It is described as شِقَاقَ بَیْنِهِمَا because no clear blame can be attached to either party. The arbiters, one from the side of husband and the other from the side of the wife, are appointed to see who is responsible for the strife and how a reconciliation can be brought about between the husband and wife. Arbiters who know the parties are better than strangers because they are more likely to be in the know of the actual situation and the temperament of the parties. The command in فَابْعَثُوْا is to the family court judge or other authority competent to appoint the arbiters. If such an authority is not available, the Muslim community should undertake the task of appointing the arbiters. Instead of the family court judge himself doing the investigative work, he is commanded to appoint two arbiters. One advantage of this is that in cases of mutual strife and unpleasantness there are matters that do not need to be aired in public. The proceedings in a court of law, however, are public and in the knowledge of everyone. People who have seen and read about the divorce proceedings in Christian countries are aware of the scandals they generate which are printed and publicized to the rest of the world and have a very deleterious effect on the morals and ethics of outsiders. These people can well appreciate the wisdom of appointing arbiters and the necessity for such a command. The second advantage is that the arbiters who are appointed are more familiar with the conditions and the temperaments of the parties and their objective is to effect a reconciliation. In a case of marital discord, Caliph Ali appointed arbiters and declared their verdict as binding. Unfortunately, the practice among the Muslims has not been in accordance with this directive and as a result women have been suffering. This procedure is really very laudatory as the appointment of arbiters when domestic strife shows signs of increasing can mediate and try for a reconciliation but if reconciliation is absolutely impossible, they can grant the parties a divorce. As a result of ignoring this directive, the husband is now the authority in the house and can abuse his wife at will. The whole nation suffers as a result while the teaching of the Quran is thrown behind the back.
4-36 And serve Allah, and associate naught with Him, and be good to the parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbor of (your) kin and the alien neighbor, and the companion in a journey and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands possess.a Surely Allah loves not such as are proud, boastful,b
وَ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ وَ لَا تُشْرِكُوْا بِهٖ شَیْـًٔا وَّ بِالْوَالِدَیْنِ اِحْسَانًا وَّ بِذِی الْقُرْبٰی وَ الْیَتٰمٰی وَ الْمَسٰكِیْنِ وَ الْجَارِ ذِی الْقُرْبٰی وَ الْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَ الصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْۢبِ وَ ابْنِ السَّبِیْلِ ۙ وَ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَیْمَانُكُمْ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُوْرَاۙ (۳۶)
4-36a: الْجَارِ ذِی الْقُرْبٰی – جَارِ is a person whose residence is close to yours (R), and the meaning of الْجَارِ ذِی الْقُرْبٰی is either a nearby neighbor or a neighbor with whom a person has close relations whether through family ties or religious brotherhood.
الْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ – The literal meaning of جَنۡب is side or flank. جَنَبَ – اَجۡنَبَ means on one side or became distant. الْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ is a distant neighbor because neighbors up to forty houses away have a right on a person or the meaning is a neighbor with whom one has neither family or religious ties. For example, a Hindu or Christian.
الصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْۢبِ – Its literal meaning is a near companion or an associate. Included in it are a companion in a journey, fellow-student, professional colleague, fellow mosque goer and such like.
The style of the Quran is to move from specific to general and from general to specific: After delving and completing the subject of good treatment of wives and reminding all concerned about their rights, the Quran now draws attention to the good treatment of the entire creation and their rights. The basis for the good treatment of the entire creation is that its Creator is One. Hence the verse first mentions worship of Allah, followed by showing goodness to parents, then sequentially followed by near of kin, orphans and the needy, and then neighbors.
Rights of neighbors: Every faith teaches its votaries to do good to others, but none can equal the teachings of Islam in respect of neighbors. Islam has greatly expanded the rights of neighbors and mentioned two kinds of neighbors. First the close neighbors and second the distant neighbors or stranger neighbors and in this way has included Jews, Christians and even polytheist in its expanded list of neighbors to whom the beneficence should extend. Hadith is replete with narrations of Holy Prophet advising people to show courtesy and politeness to their neighbors. Accordingly, there is a hadith in both Bukhari and Muslim which records the Holy Prophet as having said: Gabriel kept telling me about neighbors until I thought that they would be included in the inheritance a person left. Then doing of good is stressed with صَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْۢبِ , that is a person with whom one sits, for example two students of a teacher, two workers in the same profession, two colleagues in an office, or two traders trading in the same goods, or two companions in a journey or roommates. Two congregants in a mosque also become صَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْۢبِ . Next after these are the wayfarers because although there is no relationship with them, they are nevertheless in need of help. Last of all are those over whom a person has some control whether human, such as servants or slaves who are taken prisoners and come under a person’s control, or animals that are the property of men and depend on their goodness. The purpose of mentioning these relationships after emphasizing the good treatment of wives is to progressively advance the circle of goodness as stated in: خیرکم خیرکم لا ھله that is, after goodness to wife one progresses to doing good to others.
Exemplary treatment of slaves: The treatment of slaves mandated by Islam is of such high quality that the like of it is not met in the teachings of any other reformer. It is confirmed from several hadith that the last bit of advice of the Holy Prophet to his followers was on this subject and in his last moments on earth, he kept repeating: الصلوٰۃ و ما ملکت ایمانکم (Prayer and what you possess), that is, be especially careful of these two things. Some hadith state that a portion of the food cooked for the master should also be fed to one’s slaves and servants. Accordingly, a hadith both in Bukhari and Muslim states: فمن کان اخوہ تحت یدہ فلیطعمه ممّا یاکل و لیلبسه مما یلبس و لا تکلفو ھم ما یغلبہم فان کلفتمو ھم فا عینوھم (Whoever is in possession of his brother, it behooves him to feed his brother what he feeds himself, and gives him to wear what he wears himself, and they should not be burdened with such heavy work that it is difficult to bear, and if you assign them a burdensome task then assist them in it. Similar commands are found in the hadith about treating animals with kindness.
4-36b: مختال – Its root is خیل and خیال is a well-known word from which خُیَلَاء is derived whose meaning is pride because a person thinks himself superior (R). Accordingly, there is a hadith: من جرَّ ثوبه‘ خُیَلَاء لم ینظر اللّٰه الیه (whoever wears a robe that trails behind him out of a sense of pride, Allah does not looks at him). The meaning of اختال is he became proud and مختال is a rich miser who acts as if he is very great or an ignorant who scorns his relatives or neighbors when they are in need (LA).
فخور – It is derived from فخر which means to show one’s greatness based on things that are external to a person (R) such as wealth and social status. The first difference between مختال and فخور is that مختال is based on an egoistic sense of superiority while فخور is based on wealth and social status. The second difference is that مختال is a product of one’s action, that is the interaction of the person with others reeks of a sense of pride while a فخور manifests his greatness by talking about it, It is important to remember that being wealthy or having a high social status or dressing well are not by themselves things that are acts of pride. The essential ingredient of pride is that the rights of others are impacted. Accordingly, it is narrated by Thabit bin Qais that he was with the Holy Prophet when the Holy Prophet read the verse: اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُوْرَاۙ (Surely Allah loves not such as are proud, boastful ) and sermonized on pride and its evil. Thabit started crying. Holy Prophet enquired from him why he was crying. He replied: O Messenger of Allah, I am a person who loves beauty to the extent that my heart desires that even the lace of my shoe should be good looking. The Holy Prophet replied that then you are from the residents of Paradise. انه لیس بالکبران تحسن راحلتك و رحلك و لکن الکبر من سفہ الحق و غمص الناس (It is not pride that you decorate your ride and saddle, but a proud person is one who considers truth to be of little value, thinks that other people are despicable and contemptible. The current civilization makes most people مختال and فخور . They assume airs of greatness and consider others despicable and contemptible and do not even accord them the status of being fully human, leave alone showing them kindness or doing a good act towards them. The first part of this verse preached kindness towards the entire creation and in a befitting manner, it ends the verse with a mention of folks who instead of being kind to others try to impress their greatness on them and trample their rights under their feet.
4-37 Who are niggardly and bid people to be niggardly and hide that which Allah has given them out of His grace. And We have prepared for the disbelievers an abasing chastisement —a
الَّذِیْنَ یَبْخَلُوْنَ وَ یَاْمُرُوْنَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ وَ یَكْتُمُوْنَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ ؕ وَ اَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ عَذَابًا مُّهِیْنًا (۳۷)
4-37a: This verse explains aspects of people who are مختال and فخور , one of which is that they are niggardly and bid others to be niggardly as well. It is as if this evil has become so dear to them that instead of advising goodness to other people, they advise them this evil. The third aspect of their height of niggardness is that they hide what Allah has bestowed on them. For example, they are niggardly even about imparting knowledge, and even in their conduct, they are niggardly towards others. If they obtain some knowledge, they do not want to dispense that knowledge to others. The statement in the end: وَ اَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ discloses that these are the characteristics of unbelievers.
4-38 And those who spend their wealth to be seen of men and believe not in Allah nor in the Last Day. And as for him whose companion is the devil, an evil companion is he!a
وَ الَّذِیْنَ یُنْفِقُوْنَ اَمْوَالَهُمْ رِئَآءَ النَّاسِ وَ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَ لَا بِالْیَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ ؕ وَ مَنْ یَّكُنِ الشَّیْطٰنُ لَهٗ قَرِیْنًا فَسَآءَ قَرِیْنًا (۳۸)
4-38a: قرین – It is derived from قرن which means a congregation of two or more things regardless of the manner of the congregation. For the devil to be the قرین of a human means the human’s companion in evil.
Another feature of a مختال فخور person is manifested in this verse. If he is niggardly on the one hand, on the other he spends money merely for show on following traditions and customs to enhance his honor and prestige among the members of his tribe. If the condition of Muslims is examined today, a large section will be considered destitute but to please those in authority or not to be ashamed before their fraternity or just for showmanship, they would go so far as to sell their estate, but when it comes to spending money in the way of Allah, even spending a few pennies seems to be a burdensome task to them.
4-39 And what (harm) would it do them if they believe in Allah and the Last Day and spend of that which Allah has given them? And Allah is ever Knower of them.a
وَ مَا ذَا عَلَیْهِمْ لَوْ اٰمَنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ الْیَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ وَ اَنْفَقُوْا مِمَّا رَزَقَهُمُ اللّٰهُ ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِهِمْ عَلِیْمًا (۳۹)
4-39a: مَا ذَا عَلَیْهِمْ – It is used for reproach, and the meaning is how would they have been burdened or harmed if they had spent in the way of Allah.
It is stated in the last verse that those who spend their wealth to be seen do not believe in Allah and the Last Day. Even a person who hesitates to spend in the way of Allah is in reality deficient in his belief in Allah and the Last Day. The meaning of اٰمَنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ الْیَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ here is complete faith – the same faith that is purported in: یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ (O you who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger…) (4:136).
4-40 Surely Allah wrongs not the weight of an atom; and if it is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.a
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ۚ وَ اِنْ تَكُ حَسَنَةً یُّضٰعِفْهَا وَ یُؤْتِ مِنْ لَّدُنْهُ اَجْرًا عَظِیْمًا (۴۰)
4-40a: مِثْقَالَ – It is derived from ثقل and the meaning of مثقال is that with which something is weighed and it is also the name for an amount of weight, equivalent to 24 carats. It is also used to denote an absolute quantity of a thing. The meaning here is a definite quantity.
ذَرَّةٍ – it is derived from ذرر . The meaning of ذرّ الشئَ is to take a pinch with the fingers and then to sprinkle it over something, and ذَرّۃ (whose plural is ذَرّ ) is a newly hatched small ant. The weight of a hundred small baby ants is equal to one grain of barley, and some have said that the ذَرّہ is weightless and it is like the fine thread like things that are seen floating in the air when a beam of light enters a house (LA). By weightless is also meant their weight is so infinitesimally small that those particles float in the air by themselves. Some have called the small red ant as ذَرّہ and it is narrated from Ibn Abbas that the head of this ant is called ذَرّہ (RM).
This verse completes the narration of the previous verse: The last verse while drawing attention towards spending and the rights of men stated that Allah knows whatever a person spends, that is He will reward him for it. If no reward is given then that would mean that a good deed goes unrewarded, and this would be unjust, and there is not even an iota of injustice in the Being of Allah. Thus, the real objective is to convey that Allah does not waste the reward of any good deed. In fact, if the action is a good deed, leave alone wasting the reward, Allah increases the reward manifold. There is also an indication that if Muslims forego these rules, they will suffer pain and difficulties and that would not be injustice from God.
4-41 But how will it be when We bring from every people a witness and bring thee as a witness against these?
فَكَیْفَ اِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ اُمَّةٍۭ بِشَهِیْدٍ وَّ جِئْنَا بِكَ عَلٰی هٰۤؤُلَآءِ شَهِیْدًا (۴۱)
4-41a: It is conveyed here that the difficulties of Muslims is a result of disobeying the teachings of the Messenger. This is the reason why the testimony of the Messenger is mentioned. It is disclosed that just as the Messengers of other religions will be witnesses for the followers of their religions, the Holy Prophet will be a witness for his Ummat. Some commentators have taken the indication in هٰۤؤُلَآءِ to be to previous prophets or to من کل اُمّة بشھید (a witness from every nation) but this is not correct. It is proven from authentic hadith that by هٰۤؤُلَآءِ is meant the Ummat of the Holy Prophet. This is also consistent with what is stated elsewhere: لِّتَكُوْنُوْا شُهَدَآءَ عَلَی النَّاسِ وَ یَكُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلُ عَلَیْكُمْ شَهِیْدًا (…that you may be the bearers of witness to the people and (that) the Messenger may be a bearer of witness to you) (2:143). In a Sahih Bukhari hadith, Ibn Masud narrated that the Holy Prophet said: Read the Quran to me. Ibn Masud replied: O Messenger of Allah! Should I read the Quran to you when the Quran has been revealed to you. The Holy Prophet replied: I like to listen to it from others. Ibn Masud started reciting Surah al-Nisa until he reached this verse: فَكَیْفَ اِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ اُمَّةٍۭ بِشَهِیْدٍ وَّ جِئْنَا بِكَ عَلٰی هٰۤؤُلَآءِ شَهِیْدًا when the Holy Prophet asked him to stop and tears were flowing from his eyes. Ibn Abi Hatim has narrated this hadith from another Companion as follows: Ibn Masud and some other Companions were with the Holy Prophet and the Holy Prophet was listening to the Quran. When the reciter reached this verse (4:41), the Holy Prophet began to cry and said: یا رب ھٰذا اشھدت علیٰ من انا بین اظھر ھم فکیف بمن لمارہ (My Lord! I will bear witness on them (that is, they obeyed me) who are before me, but how will I give evidence about those who I have not seen (IK). This clearly shows that by هٰۤؤُلَآءِ are meant his followers. In support of this Ibn Jarir has stated a hadith whose narrator again is Ibn Masud that on reaching this verse, the Holy Prophet said: شَهِیْدًا عَلَیْهِ مَّا دُمْتُ فِیْهِمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّیْتَنِیْ كُنْتَ اَنْتَ الرَّقِیْبَ عَلَیْهِمْ (I am a witness of them so long as I am among them, but when Thou cause me to die Thou art the Watcher over them). This is further supported by the hadith in Bukhari which has been quoted under the Quranic verse containing فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّیْتَنِیْ (when Thou caused me to die…) (5:117). So, the Holy Prophet’s crying was because he had been told the condition of his followers in the later stages.
4-42 On that day will those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger desire that the earth were levelled with them. And they can hide no fact from Allah.a
یَوْمَىِٕذٍ یَّوَدُّ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ عَصَوُا الرَّسُوْلَ لَوْ تُسَوّٰی بِهِمُ الْاَرْضُ ؕ وَ لَا یَكْتُمُوْنَ اللّٰهَ حَدِیْثًا۠ (۴۲)
4-42a: الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ عَصَوُا الرَّسُوْلَ – Some have termed وَ عَصَوُا الرَّسُوْلَ as an accusatory phrase in the sense of و قد عصوا الرسول (And they disobeyed the Messenger). This could also mean that their unbelief is that they disobeyed the Messenger. The real purport is to mention those who disobey the Messenger, as is evident from the last verse. The mention of unbelievers is also added to communicate that the disobeying band of people are like the unbelievers. On the day of requital, they will wish that they had stayed buried and not had another life or that they had not been born.
Those who do not fulfill the rights of men ( حقوق العباد) or the rights of Allah (حقوق اللّٰه) and thus disobey the Messenger have been joined with the unbelievers and it is stated that when the time of requital comes, they will feel sorry for their life and they would want that they were not raised again and had stayed buried in the ground. However, that will be a time when everything will become manifest. In this world, they had committed evil surreptitiously but that curtain of secrecy would be lifted and they would not be able to hide anything from Allah. This is their wish just like their wish لَوْ تُسَوّٰی بِهِمُ الْاَرْضُ (that the earth were levelled with them). Both these wishes are connected with their desire indicated at the start of the verse in یَّوَدُّ الَّذِیْنَ . Thus, their two wishes will be first that they would not have been raised again and second that they had not hid anything from Allah in this world and had used His God given powers at appropriate places. Not applying one’s power at the appropriate places also amounts to concealing.
Bayan-ul-Quran 