Author: sftwr2020

4-116 Surely Allah forgives not setting up partners with Him, and He forgives all besides this to whom He pleases. And whoever sets up a partner with Allah, he indeed goes far astray.^a

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٲلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَمَن يُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلاَۢ بَعِيدًا (١١٦)

4-116a: In the discussion about hypocrites at the end of last section, it is stated that the correct path is the one on which the righteous are treading. In this section, a comparison is drawn between a polytheist and a monotheist, the strategy adopted by the hypocrites is described and it is stated that they cannot be successful. Polytheism is mentioned because it is the root of all sins, See 4-48a for polytheism being an unforgivable sin. It is also revealed here why Allah does not forgives setting up partners with Him, namely because such a person errs so greatly and strays so far from righteousness that it is difficult for him to come back. There is no spiritual disease whose roots are deeper than polytheism and idol worship. 

4-117 Besides Him they call on nothing but female divinities and they call on nothing but a rebellious devil,^a

إِن يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إِلَّآ إِنَـٰثً۬ا وَإِن يَدۡعُونَ إِلَّا شَيۡطَـٰنً۬ا مَّرِيدً۬ا (١١٧)

4-117a: اناث – It is the plural of انثیٰ . All those besides God to whom the polytheists turn for their needs to be fulfilled are called اناث . Another reason they are called اناث may be because in pre-Islamic Arabia, the idols had female names, such as Lat, Uzza and Manaat (R). According to Hassan, every tribe had an idol which was called انثیٰ بن فلان that is, the goddess of so and so tribe and this nomenclature was used because those things that do not have a spirit are called اناث (IJ). Imam Raghib has also taken اناث to mean inorganic matter because it is passive, that is it accepts external influences only and he says that by using this word for their gods the idolaters have been warned of their ignorance that they call for help from things that can neither see, nor hear nor have the power to do anything. A similarity of this is the saying of Abraham: لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ لِمَ تَعۡبُدُ مَا لَا يَسۡمَعُ وَلَا يُبۡصِرُ وَلَا يُغۡنِى عَنكَ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا (O my sire, why worshippest thou that which hears not, nor sees, nor can it avail thee aught?) (19:42). In another place it is stated: وَجَعَلُواْ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عِبَـٰدُ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ إِنَـٰثًا‌ۚ (And they make the angels, who are the servants of the Beneficent, females (43:19). This is with relation to their calling the angels daughters of Allah (R).

مرید – It is derived from مرد – شجرٌ اَمۡردُ is a tree that does not have leaves and امرد is a man whose facial hair have not appeared yet. Hence مرید and مارد is one from among the jinn and men who is devoid of any goodness, as in: وَحِفۡظً۬ا مِّن كُلِّ شَيۡطَـٰنٍ۬ مَّارِدٍ۬ (And (there is) a safeguard against every devil)) (37:7). In one narration, the term اھل الجنة مُردٌ is used and is taken to mean that they will be free of any defects and harm, and the meaning of:  مَرَدُواْ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ (9:101) is that they will be free of any goodness and persist in hypocrisy.

The meaning of worshipping the devil: By the statement that they call on nothing but a rebellious devil is meant that those whom they call upon as gods did not claim being gods and it is only on the instigation of the devil that they worship them. Thus they listen and obey the devil and thus it is the devil that they really worship. 

4-118 Whom Allah has cursed. And he said: Certainly I will take of Thy servants an appointed portion;

لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ‌ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنۡ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبً۬ا مَّفۡرُوضً۬ا (١١٨)

4-119 And certainly I will lead them astray and excite in them vain desires and bid them so that they will slit the ears of the cattle,^a and bid them so that they will alter Allah’s creation.^b And whoever takes the devil for a friend, forsaking Allah, he indeed suffers a manifest loss.

وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمۡ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمۡ وَلَأَمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُبَتِّڪُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَلَأَمُرَنَّہُمۡ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّ۬ا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ خَسِرَ خُسۡرَانً۬ا مُّبِينً۬ا (١١٩)

4-119a: لَيُبَتِّڪُنَّ- The root of يُبَتِّكَ is بَتۡك , and بَتۡك and بَتّ have the same meaning but they are used in separate contexts. بَتۡك is used for the cutting of hair or limbs while بَتّ is used for the severance of relationships and resources (R). 

The custom of slitting the ears of cattle: It was the custom during the Days of Ignorance that when a she camel had given birth to five calves and if the fifth happened to be a male, the she camel’s ear was slit and she was let out to pasture and she was neither ridden or put to other use. This was a polytheistic custom and was done in the name of idols. This was called بحیرہ  and it is also mentioned elsewhere: مَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنۢ بَحِيرَةٍ۬ وَلَا سَآٮِٕبَةٍ۬  (Allah has not ordained a bahirah or a saibah ) (5:103). Some have said that it was part of the worship of an idol that the ears of animals were slit.

4-119b: What is meant by خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ : The Quran itself has explained this term elsewhere: فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيۡہَا‌ۚ لَا تَبۡدِيلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمُ  (the nature made by Allah in which he has created men. There is no altering Allah’s creation – that is the right religion) (30:30). So by altering خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ is meant altering the religion of Allah, and this is the meaning adopted by Hassan, Dahak, Mujahid and many other religious leaders (IK, IJ). There is a hadith found in the two most authentic Books of Hadith which states: کل مولود یولد علی الفطرۃ (Every child is born on Fitrah (natural disposition; or true faith of Islam to worship none but Allah)). Thus, on the one hand, an obvious type of polytheistic practice is pointed out, that is slitting the ears of animals, on the other hand its subtlest form is also pointed out, that is changing Allah’s religion, by which is meant making prohibited what Allah has made permissible and making permissible what Allah has prohibited. Its explanation as: لعن ٱللَّه الواشمات  (May Allah curse tattoos) is not correct, because there is no change in the creation of Allah and further such an interpretation will make any kind of adornment as change in the creation of Allah. The intention of the hadith appears to be only that the Holy Prophet cursed those women who try to seduce men by ornamenting their hands with blue dye. Another interpretation of change in خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ is a change in the purpose for which Allah has created a thing. For example, animals have been created to ride them and worshipping them by making them bahirah or saibah is change in خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ and Allah has subjugated the sun and moon to humans and worshipping them is altering خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِ. 

4-120 He promises them and excites vain desires in them. And the devil promises them only to deceive.^a

يَعِدُهُمۡ وَيُمَنِّيہِمۡ‌ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا (١٢٠)

4-120a: Devil’s promises are a deception: These words are noteworthy and not only are the promises of devils and jinns false and deceptive but also those of devilish men who when they lead people on the wrong path do so by deceptive promises. A person who incites another towards evil adorns that evil path and that is the reason why those who keep the company of evil persons end up destroying themselves because they believe their lies.

4-121 These — their refuge is hell, and they will find no way of escape from it.

أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ مَأۡوَٮٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ عَنۡہَا مَحِيصً۬ا (١٢١)

4-122 And those who believe and do good, We shall make them enter Gardens in which rivers flow, to abide therein for ever. It is Allah’s promise, in truth. And who is more truthful in word than Allah?

وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَنُدۡخِلُهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَآ أَبَدً۬ا‌ۖ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقًّ۬ا‌ۚ وَمَنۡ أَصۡدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ قِيلاً۬ (١٢٢)

4-123 It will not be in accordance with your vain desires nor the vain desires of the People of the Book. Whoever does evil, will be requited for it and will not find for himself besides Allah a friend or a helper.^a

لَّيۡسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمۡ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ‌ۗ مَن يَعۡمَلۡ سُوٓءً۬ا يُجۡزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدۡ لَهُ ۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّ۬ا وَلَا نَصِيرً۬ا (١٢٣)

4-123a: What a pure religion! There is no reward for desires and wishes regardless of whether the person is a Muslim, Jew or Christian. Those Muslims who are only Muslims in name and do not make the Quran their way of life are only following their desires, and this verse of the Quran is decisive in that just desires are not enough unless they are backed deeds. If a Muslim commits an evil act, he will be punished and if a non-Muslim does a good deed, he will be rewarded. Right belief does not exempt a person from doing good deeds. In fact, the whole purpose of right belief is to put a person on the path of right actions. 

4-124 And whoever does good deeds, whether male or female, and he (or she) is a believer — these will enter the Garden, and they will not be dealt with a whit unjustly.

وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِن ذَڪَرٍ أَوۡ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ۬ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يَدۡخُلُونَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظۡلَمُونَ نَقِيرً۬ا (١٢٤)

4-124a: Equity in reward for men and women: There is complete equity between men and women in terms of reward for deeds. Just as there are blessings in heaven for men, there are the same blessings in heaven for women as well. The Quran has kept no difference in the blessings for the two and has not stated anywhere that there are more blessings for men than for women. If the Christians have wrongly accused Islam that according to Islamic teachings women have no soul, many Muslims too harbor similar feelings that men will have blessings in heaven which the women will not. Quran has established complete equity between men and women for the results of their actions.

4-125 And who is better in religion than he who submits himself entirely to Allah while doing good (to others) and follows the faith of Abraham, the upright one? And Allah took Abraham for a friend.^a

وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ دِينً۬ا مِّمَّنۡ أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ۬ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ حَنِيفً۬ا‌ۗ وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ خَلِيلاً۬ (١٢٥)

4:125a: خَلِيل – It is derived from خُلّة which means affection because it enters a person’s soul and خَلَل is a crevice between two things or the middle of a thing, as in: فَتَرَى ٱلۡوَدۡقَ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ خِلَـٰلِهِ (…then piles them up, so that thou seest the rain coming forth from their midst) (24:43) and فَجَاسُواْ خِلَـٰلَ ٱلدِّيَارِ‌ (…so they made havoc in (your) houses) (17:5).

Allah took Abraham as His friend because when a person loves Allah, He loves him in return. However, the glad tidings given here is not that Allah took Abraham as a friend but that whoever follows the faith of Abraham and focuses his attention on being perfectly obedient to Allah and  acts with goodness towards the creation of Allah becomes a friend of Allah and wins His affection.

What is meant by ٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ (follows the faith of Abraham)? Here it is only being upright which is called the faith of Abraham, that is those rules of religion which avoid extremes. See 2-135a, and those rules of religion have also been specified here, that is: أَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ۬ (submits entirely to Allah and does good to others). So, the requirement is to follow these rules which are also the essential rules of Islam. In fact, these rules were universal to all religions when they existed in their pristine form. They all espoused the worship of one God and acting with goodness towards the creation of Allah.

4-113 And were it not for Allah’s grace upon thee and His mercy, a party of them had certainly designed to ruin thee. And they ruin only themselves, and they cannot harm thee in any way. And Allah has revealed to thee the Book and the Wisdom, and taught thee what thou knewest not, and Allah’s grace on thee is very great.^a

وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكَ وَرَحۡمَتُهُ ۥ لَهَمَّت طَّآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَہُمۡ‌ۖ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِن شَىۡءٍ۬‌ۚ وَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمۡ تَكُن تَعۡلَمُ‌ۚ وَكَانَ فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكَ عَظِيمً۬ا (١١٣)

4-113a: يُضِلُّوكَ – One of the meanings of اضلال is اِھلاك meaning perdition or ruin اَضَلَّه – ضَیَّعَه و اھلکه (T) and this is the meaning here, just as in: إِنَّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ وَسُعُرٍ۬  (Surely the guilty are in error and distress) (54:47) the meaning of ضلال is ruination (T). When mention is made of their attempt to ruin, a consolatory response is given that they will not be able to harm the Holy Prophet a whit. In the previous verses also, there is a mention of the secret counsels and plans of the hypocrites. Given the context, the above meaning is correct. If the meaning is taken to be to lead astray, then that too would be alright.

What is conveyed here is that the hypocrites not only show their weakness by not participating in wars but they are also the secret enemies of Islam who are continually thinking of ways to destroy it. There is a consolatory message given with it that the Messenger has been sent with the Book and Wisdom whose teachings he has to impart to the world. So, there is no way that he can be killed. In another place, it is stated: هَمُّواْ بِمَا لَمۡ يَنَالُواْ‌ۚ  (and they purposed that which they could not attain) (9:74). Whatever effort the hypocrites make, they will never be able to achieve this objective. 

4-114 There is no good in most of their secret counsels except (in) him who enjoins charity or goodness or reconciliation between people. And whoever does this, seeking Allah’s pleasure, We shall give him a mighty reward.^a

لَّا خَيۡرَ فِى ڪَثِيرٍ۬ مِّن نَّجۡوَٮٰهُمۡ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوۡ مَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ إِصۡلَـٰحِۭ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ‌ۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٲلِكَ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمً۬ا (١١٤)

4-114a: نجویٰ – Its root is the same as the root of  نجاۃ and the meaning of ناجیتُه is he secretly sought his advice. Its root is نجوۃ  which means high ground or he was alone with him there. Derived from this is the verbal noun نجویٰ  meaning conferring secretly.

It is stated with reference to the secret counsels of the hypocrites that their agenda does not include anything beneficial in it because when they confer secretly, it is always to cause harm. That is why the word ڪَثِيرٍ۬ is used here. When they meet, instead of doing beneficial things like exhorting people to give charity, giving them good advice, undertaking works of social reformation, their agenda is always against these things.

Social reformation: Hadith gives a lot of importance to social reformation. In a hadith that is reported in Abu Daud, Tirmazi and Ahmad, it is stated that the Holy Prophet once said to his Companions: Should I tell you of an action that is higher than prayer and fasting. The Companions replied in the affirmative. The Holy Prophet said: Reforming the people. He did not say reforming Muslims but reforming all the people. There is great need for the Muslims to follow this advice in these times because the key to progress is unity and discipline. There are many today who sow seeds of dissention but there is an absence of social reformers.

In this verse all the beneficial things that one person can do for another are put together in one place. Top of the list is charity, that is to render financial assistance to one who is in need of help. The second kind of beneficial action is to provide guidance to someone, that is to put someone on the path of righteousness. The third is to remove mischief, quarrel and discord and to make peace among people. This is the work that the Holy Prophet and his companions were doing.^a 

4-115 And whoever acts hostilely to the Messenger after guidance has become manifest to him and follows other than the way of the believers, We turn him to that to which he (himself) turns and make him enter hell; and it is an evil resort.^a

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعۡ غَيۡرَ سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصۡلِهِۦ جَهَنَّمَ‌ۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا (١١٥)

4-115a: نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ – تولیة is creating a close relationship with another. So, the meaning of نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ is We will allow him to have a relationship with whom he himself creates a relationship. 

Allah’s dealing with men is in accordance with their actions: The law of nature regarding relationships that Allah has created manifests itself in the observation that with whatever one wants to create a relationship, one develops an attachment of affection with it. If one tries to develop a relationship with pious people, such a relationship materializes and the same is true if one develops a relationship with evil people. So, when a group, despite the guidance having been explained to them and having resided with Muslims day and night, adopts an attitude of hostility towards the Messenger of Allah, God does not force them to adopt a different path. Instead, according to the law of nature they begin to like the path they are treading on but it lands them in hell.

An alternative explanation is that this idiom is from ولیت وجہی کذا  which means I turned my attention to him, that is Allah turns the attention of a person to what he turns his attention to.

Consensus of the Ummah: The consensus of the Ummah on a point is one source of sharia. Imam Shafai writes that he read the Quran three hundred times to find a verse supportive of this as a source of sharia. Finally, he settled on this verse. The objection made against this is that سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ is not a path separate from قال ٱللَّهَ وَقالْ ٱلرَّسُولَ and in fact belief in قال ٱللَّهَ وَقالْ ٱلرَّسُولَ is سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ and it is this same guidance that is mentioned here. In short, there is nothing in this verse that constitutes an argument for consensus of Ummah. If the context of this verse is considered, this objection has merit. The mention here is of enmity with the Holy Prophet in which a person adopts a path of unbelief and enmity instead of one of belief and love which is the way of the believers. There is no further meaning in the use of the term سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ and neither can any meaning be deduced to support consensus of Ummah because how can there be a consensus of all the Muslims on a particular issue except that it is in the Quran or Hadith.

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!   

4-101 And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will give you trouble. Surely the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.^a

وَ اِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِی الْاَرْضِ فَلَیْسَ عَلَیْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ اَنْ تَقْصُرُوْا مِنَ الصَّلٰوةِ ۖۗ اِنْ خِفْتُمْ اَنْ یَّفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا ؕ اِنَّ الْكٰفِرِیْنَ كَانُوْا لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُّبِیْنًا (١٠١)

4-101a: What is meant by shorten the prayer: تَقۡصُرُواْ مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ – The meaning of قصر is to shorten. It is not clarified here that when the prayer is shortened whether the shortening is in the components of prayer or in the number of rakahs. From the authentic sunnah of the Holy Prophet it is established that the shortening is in rakahs. By using the term مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ , it is communicated that the shortening is for some prayers and not for all prayers. Accordingly, it is only in the Zuhar, Asar, and Isha prayers that two rakahs is prayed instead of four while on a journey. The shortening of prayer is prescribed when a person is journeying. For the meaning of فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ضَرَبۡ see 2-60a, and for what is meant by journeying see 2-184b. Here although shortening of prayer is given as a permission but since the permission is given in a situation of need, it would not be right not to benefit from it. It is well established that the Holy Prophet always shortened the prayers during a journey. The hadith that the Holy Prophet sometimes said the full prayers and sometimes shortened them during journeys is not correct as Ibn Qayyim has written. Hence prayers should be shortened during journeys, that is offer only the obligatory or Farz prayer and even there where there are four rakahs to reduce it to two. When the obligatory prayer is reduced to half, then the voluntary prayer or nawafil stand automatically eliminated. The two rakah sunnah before the morning obligatory prayer which have been emphasized and which were never dropped by the Holy Prophet and the witr should be offered even when on a journey. The relationship of this verse with the previous topic is that when jihad and migration was urged and emphasized then these events require journeying. Hence the rules for prayer during journey and in jihad are given immediately after. 

There is apparently another condition besides journeying for shortening the prayer and that is fear that that those who disbelieve will give trouble. So is the shortening of the prayer allowed in a condition of fear and not in a condition of peace? As has been proven above, authentic evidence shows that the Holy Prophet shortened prayers on a journey in all kinds of conditions and there is unanimity of opinion of the Muslim nation on this point. Ya Ali bin Umayya narrated that he asked Caliph Umar why he shortened prayers during a journey although they were experiencing conditions of peace. He replied that the thing you are wondering about is what I wondered about too and I asked the Holy Prophet about it, and he said: صدقة تصدق اللّٰه بھا علیکم فاقبلو اصدقته (The shortening of prayer is a charity ( صدقه) that Allah has given to you, so accept this charity). This goes to show that the shortening of prayer, two instead of four rakah, is not conditional on being in fear. So, based on this hadith and authentic sunnah it is established that the shortening of prayer is of two types. One type is shortening to two rakahs from four rakahs in zuhar, asar and isha prayers and this is conditional only on being on a journey, and second is the shortening of prayer conditional on a state of fear which is described in the next verse, that is leaving after one rakah in congregation to go face the enemy from a two rakah prayer. This is also what appears from the wording in the Quran because the fear that the unbelievers will inflict harm cannot be revoked just by reducing four rakh prayers to two rakahs. Just this amount of reduction in time is not a remedy for the fear because in the time it takes to say two rakahs, the enemy can attack and inflict great damage. The real remedy for fear is what is stated in the next verse that half the force should stay facing the enemy and when the other half after participating in one rakah goes back to face the enemy, the other half should join the Imam for the second rakah. Thus, the enemy will not be able to attack the Muslims while they are offering congregational prayers. It is obvious that the Imam has offered only two rakahs of prayer and the congregational followers have offered only one rakah each with the Imam. So, the reduction of four rakahs to two is subject to the first condition, that is of journeying, and offering only one rakah in congregation is conditional on the second condition that of fear of the enemy. It is only the second curtailment which is a remedy against the fear of the enemy and not the first curtailment. If the mere reduction from four to two rakahs was an appropriate treatment for the fear of the enemy then the second treatment would not have been mentioned. It is clearly evidenced from this that the spirit of the Quran is exactly what the Holy Prophet understood and practiced, that is to shorten the prayer from four rakahs to two rakahs because of a journey and for fear of an enemy further reduce the prayer to one congregational rakah. If, on the one hand, this shows the Quran to be a Book of great wisdom, on the other hand, it proves the understanding of even the minutest meaning by the Holy Prophet through Divine inspiration (وحی خفی). The pause after مِنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ supports this interpretation. 

4-102 And when thou art among them and leadest the prayer for them, let a party of them stand up with thee, and let them take their arms. Then when they have performed their prostration, let them go to your rear, and let another party who have not prayed come forward and pray with thee, and let them take their precautions and their arms. Those who disbelieve long that you may neglect your arms and your baggage, that they may attack you with a sudden united attack. And there is no blame on you, if you are inconvenienced on account of rain or if you are sick, to put away your arms; and take your precautions. Surely Allah has prepared abasing chastisement for the disbelievers.

وَ اِذَا كُنْتَ فِیْهِمْ فَاَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآىِٕفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَكَ وَ لْیَاْخُذُوْۤا اَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۫ فَاِذَا سَجَدُوْا فَلْیَكُوْنُوْا مِنْ وَّرَآىِٕكُمْ ۪ وَ لْتَاْتِ طَآىِٕفَةٌ اُخْرٰی لَمْ یُصَلُّوْا فَلْیُصَلُّوْا مَعَكَ وَ لْیَاْخُذُوْا حِذْرَهُمْ وَ اَسْلِحَتَهُمْ ۚ وَدَّ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَوْ تَغْفُلُوْنَ عَنْ اَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَ اَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَیَمِیْلُوْنَ عَلَیْكُمْ مَّیْلَةً وَّاحِدَةً ؕ وَ لَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیْكُمْ اِنْ كَانَ بِكُمْ اَذًی مِّنْ مَّطَرٍ اَوْ كُنْتُمْ مَّرْضٰۤی اَنْ تَضَعُوْۤا اَسْلِحَتَكُمْ ۚ وَ خُذُوْا حِذْرَكُمْ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اَعَدَّ لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ عَذَابًا مُّهِیْنًا (۱۰۱)

4-102a: Being in battle and being on the battlefield are two different conditions: In a state of war when there is fear of the enemy, one situation is as described in: فَإِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ فَرِجَالاً أَوۡ رُكۡبَانً۬ا‌ۖ (But if you are in danger (say your prayer) on foot or on horseback) (2:239). As shown in 2-239a this is a condition of fear in which it is not possible to congregate. The second situation is the one described here. In this situation, it is stated: فَاَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ (…and leadest the prayer for them), that is the situation is such that a congregation can be formed for prayer. However, there is fear of the enemy and it is obvious that the enemy will not waste this opportunity to attack when the Muslims are engaged in prayer. This is the situation where because the two forces are arrayed in the battlefield and there is fear of an enemy attack but the battle has not begun in which even this much will not be possible. This is the reason why in this situation it is allowed even to put down your arms in case of rain etcetera.

Prayer in the battlefield during the Dhat al-Riqa expedition: There is difference of opinion in the narrations regarding the actual nature of the prayer. The preference though is for the narration that Bukhari, Muslim, Imam Hambal and the other three authentic Books of Hadith have accepted. According to this version, Ali, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masud and some other Companions held that in the Dhat al-Riqa expedition the Holy Prophet led the prayer thus: One group congregated behind the Prophet and lined up for prayer while the other group stood opposite the enemy. When the Prophet had finished one rakah, he kept standing but the group proceeded to say another rakah on their own and then left to relieve the second group that was facing the enemy. The second group then lined up behind the Prophet and he proceeded to finish the second rakah and when he said the salam, the congregation got up and finished another rakah on their own. In some narrations, there is mention of just one rakah, that is the congregants just said one rakah and finished their prayer. 

4-103 So when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining. But when you are secure (from danger) keep up (regular) prayer. Prayer indeed has been enjoined on the believers at fixed times.^a

فَاِذَا قَضَیْتُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللّٰهَ قِیٰمًا وَّ قُعُوْدًا وَّ عَلٰی جُنُوْبِكُمْ ۚ فَاِذَا اطْمَاْنَنْتُمْ فَاَقِیْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ ۚ اِنَّ الصَّلٰوةَ كَانَتْ عَلَی الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ كِتٰبًا مَّوْقُوْتًا (۱۰۴)

4-103a: Here this kind of prayer is likened to a missed prayer and the peace time prayer to a regular prayer because keeping up prayer requires fulfilling all the conditions of prayer which cannot be fulfilled in a state of fear. This goes to show that the only difference between shortening of prayer in a journey when there is a state of fear and shortening in a journey when there is peace is that in a state of fear all conditions cannot be satisfied and so this is a different kind of shortening, but there is no shortening of rakahs. This is the reason that the Quran has used a general word for shortening of prayer and has not mentioned a reduction in the number of rakahs. Thus, offering one rakah in congregation instead of two is also in a way shortening of prayer and if it is taken that only one rakah is offered then this is obviously a shortening.

4-104 And be not weak-hearted in pursuit of the enemy. If you suffer they (too) suffer as you suffer, and you hope from Allah what they hope not. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.

وَ لَا تَهِنُوْا فِی ابْتِغَآءِ الْقَوْمِ ؕ اِنْ تَكُوْنُوْا تَاْلَمُوْنَ فَاِنَّهُمْ یَاْلَمُوْنَ كَمَا تَاْلَمُوْنَ ۚ وَ تَرْجُوْنَ مِنَ اللّٰهِ مَا لَا یَرْجُوْنَ ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلِیْمًا حَكِیْمًا۠ (۱۰۴) 

4-104a: The connection of this verse with the previous text is that there is mention in the previous verse to safeguard oneself from the enemy even at the time of prayer and the mention here is that it is necessary to pursue the enemy because if the enemy is pursued vigorously then this in itself is a means of protection. The statement that you hope from Allah what they hope not is a reference to those clear prophecies in which the news was given of the ultimate victory of Islam, and which was a source of great strength for the Muslims.

4-97 (As for) those whom the angels cause to die while they are unjust to themselves, (the angels) will say: What were you doing? They will say: We were weak in the earth. (They will) say: Was not Allah’s earth spacious, so that you could have migrated therein? So these it is whose refuge is hell — and it is an evil resort.^a

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ قَالُواْ فِيمَ كُنتُمۡ‌ۖ قَالُواْ كُنَّا مُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۚ قَالُوٓاْ أَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ أَرۡضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٲسِعَةً۬ فَتُہَاجِرُواْ فِيہَا‌ۚ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ مَأۡوَٮٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ‌ۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا (٩٧)

4-97a: ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ – Those unjust to themselves can also be those people who sincerely believed the truth of Islam and had the means but did not migrate to join the Muslims. Because of the mastery of the unbelievers, they were not able to express their faith. It can also mean those hypocrites who overtly joined Islam and then also joined with the unbelievers to wage war against Muslims. On the face of it, it appears that it is the first type that is meant.

At the end of the last section, it is stated that waging jihad in the way of Allah is far better than just sitting out the national struggle. For this reason, Quran now addresses those people who because of some weakness considered themselves completely helpless. There were several people in Makkah and in its environs who were Muslims at heart but could not leave their homes and businesses. They had the means to migrate and be of service to the religion of Islam. However, they remained satisfied with their present condition. These people are called unjust to themselves. What is then the condition of those people who have given up hope of the dominance of Islam and are satisfied with their present condition and make no effort to spread Islam? 

4-98 Except the weak from among the men and the women and the children who have not the means, nor can they find a way (to escape);^a

 إِلَّا ٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٲنِ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً۬ وَلَا يَہۡتَدُونَ سَبِيلاً۬ (٩٨)

4-98a: حِيلَة – It is derived from حَوۡل which means a change or alteration in a thing and its separation from another thing. From the same root is the word حال which is the state in which one finds oneself as a result of changes in his body or his soul etcetera. From the same root is حَوۡل meaning strength as in: لا حول و لا قوۃ and also from it is حَالَ meaning intervening or hindering, as in: حِيلَ بَيۡنَہُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ مَا يَشۡتَہُونَ  (a bbarrier is placed between them and that which they desire) (34:54). حِيلَة is also derived from the same root where واؤ has been replaced by   یاand its meaning is: ما یُتَوصَّلُ به الی حالة ما فی خفیة (the stratagem under which a secret plan is made to reach a particular state) (R). See 3-54a. The word حِيلَة is used here because it was not possible to migrate openly given the mastery and oppression of the unbelievers.

In the first verse of this section, mention is made of folks who chose not to get out from under the oppression of the unbelievers despite having the ability to do so. This verse mentions those who had neither the ability nor could find a way to get out of the clutches of the unbelievers. By finding a way is meant finding a way to migrate and by وِلۡدَٲنِ is meant children and could also include male and female slaves. See 4-75a. It is recorded that when the revelation of this verse became known in Makkah Jandab bin Zumra who was extremely old and frail told his sons to carry him to Madinah because he was not among those who did not have the ability not to migrate. His sons put him on a cot and started their journey but he died on the way. The spirit in the Companions to comply with the Divine commands was so great that its like cannot be found in any other nation of the world. 

4-99 So these, it may be that Allah will pardon them. And Allah is ever Pardoning, Forgiving.

فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَعۡفُوَ عَنۡہُمۡ‌ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورً۬ا (٩٩)

4-100 And whoever flees in Allah’s way, he will find in the earth many a place of escape and abundant resources. And whoever goes forth from his home fleeing to Allah and His Messenger, then death overtakes him, his reward is indeed with Allah. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

وَمَن يُہَاجِرۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ يَجِدۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُرَٲغَمً۬ا كَثِيرً۬ا وَسَعَةً۬‌ۚ وَمَن يَخۡرُجۡ مِنۢ بَيۡتِهِۦ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ يُدۡرِكۡهُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ فَقَدۡ وَقَعَ أَجۡرُهُ ۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا (١٠٠)

4-100a: مُرَٲغَمً۬ا – The meaning of رغام  or رَغۡم is dust or fine dust. Derived from it is the idiom: علیٰ رغم انف by which is meant accepting disgrace. Thus, it is narrated in a hadith that when this verse was revealed Moaqil bin Yassar accepted to marry his sister to her ex-husband who had previously divorced her and remarked: رَغۡم انفی لامر اللّٰه تعلیٰ (I accept disgrace for the sake of Allah, the Most High) (T). Metaphorically مراغمة  means to be angry and leave somebody, and مراغم means the place one runs to and the place one goes to and this is what is meant here (T).

The meaning is that when there is actually a need for migration Allah provides a place of refuge as he provided the Muslims a place in Madinah and before that in Abyssinia. When the need for migration arises and there is no alternative to migration, then not doing so because of the idea that there is no place to go to is not the right thing to do. It is then stated that if the migrant dies on the way, the reward of the failed attempt is with Allah. The meaning of this is that the purpose of migration is service of Allah and if the person dies and does not get a chance to serve Islam, Allah will reward him according to his intention. 

Migration under present conditions: The edit of Allah has always proven to be true. So, it is impossible that that there is a need for migration but migration has to be abandoned because there is no place to migrate. It is God’s promise that a place would be found. It therefore follows that the prevailing conditions at the time of the movement for migration in India at the end of the First World War were such that they did not warrant a migration. There were at the time four hundred million Muslims in the world and more or less all of them lived in countries that were under the influence of Christian powers. There is no place that four hundred million could migrate to which clearly shows that at the time the solution to the problem of Muslims was not that all of them migrate out of the countries under Christian control. If this was the remedy in the knowledge of Allah, He would have provided the means to do so. The absence of these means is a testimony that the solution to the problem of Muslims is neither migration nor fighting which is not possible without migration. The solution is self-reformation to which Muslims are not paying attention and hence they have to face failure at every step.

4-92 And a believer would not kill a believer except by mistake. And he who kills a believer by mistake should free a believing slave, and blood-money should be paid to his people unless they remit it as alms.^a But if he be from a tribe hostile to you and he is a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (suffices). And if he be from a tribe between whom and you there is a covenant, the blood-money should be paid to his people along with the freeing of a believing slave; but he who has not the means should fast for two months successively: a penance from Allah. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤۡمِنٍ أَن يَقۡتُلَ مُؤۡمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَـًٔ۬ا‌ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤۡمِنًا خَطَـًٔ۬ا فَتَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ۬ مُّؤۡمِنَةٍ۬ وَدِيَةٌ۬ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦۤ إِلَّآ أَن يَصَّدَّقُواْ‌ۚ فَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوۡمٍ عَدُوٍّ۬ لَّكُمۡ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ۬ فَتَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ۬ مُّؤۡمِنَةٍ۬‌ۖ وَإِن ڪَانَ مِن قَوۡمِۭ بَيۡنَڪُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُم مِّيثَـٰقٌ۬ فَدِيَةٌ۬ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِۦ وَتَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ۬ مُّؤۡمِنَةٍ۬‌ۖ فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ شَهۡرَيۡنِ مُتَتَابِعَيۡنِ تَوۡبَةً۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَڪِيمً۬ا (٩٢)

4-92a: دِيَةٌ۬ – Its root is وَدِی یَدِی and the meaning of وَدۡی is to flow. From the same root is the word وادی which is a place where water flows. ھا Has been brought in in exchange of واؤ in دِيَة (T). دِيَة is blood money that is paid to the heirs of a murdered person.

A Muslim killing a Muslim by mistake: After discussing the situation with hypocrites, this section now turns to some other conditions of a like nature. Sometimes people were killed in a situation of doubt. For example, a person may say that he is a Muslim, but it may be that he is just trying to deceive and a Muslim thinking that this is an enemy trying to deceive may kill him. The section is started by first saying that a believer will never purposely kill another believer, but it did sometimes happen that by mistake a believer killed a believer. For example, a tribe was an enemy and fighting against Muslims but one person from the tribe became a Muslim but another did not recognize him as a Muslim brother or the intention was to kill someone else but by mistake killed him. Sometimes such a happening may occur by mistake in the exercise of judgment when fighting erupts between believers and one party thinks the right is on their side and the other thinks it is on their side. This happened in the dispute between Caliph Ali and Muawiyah and the subsequent killing in battle was a shade of killing believers by mistake but a more detailed treatment of this subject will come later in Surah Hujurat where there is a discussion of fighting between two groups of believers. 

4-93 And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell, abiding therein; and Allah is wroth with him and He has cursed him and prepared for him a grievous chastisement.

وَمَن يَقۡتُلۡ مُؤۡمِنً۬ا مُّتَعَمِّدً۬ا فَجَزَآؤُهُ ۥ جَهَنَّمُ خَـٰلِدً۬ا فِيہَا وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَلَعَنَهُ ۥ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ ۥ عَذَابًا عَظِيمً۬ا (٩٣)

4-93a: Killing a believer intentionally: A narration states that this verse was revealed when a believer killed another believer and then the murderer reverted to disbelief. However, the words are general and the discussion here has been about whether the repentance of such a person can lead to forgiveness. It is generally accepted from the wordings of this verse that forgiveness will not be granted but this has not been stated specifically.  However, the Quran has established a rule that repentance is accepted for every action: وَإِنِّى لَغَفَّارٌ۬ لِّمَن تَابَ  (And surely I am Forgiving towards him who repents…) (20:82) and specifically about killing a person, it is stated: إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ  (Except him who repents and believes…) (25:70). The Holy Prophet himself forgave those unbelievers who had killed Muslims and they subsequently became Muslims. Hence the claim that the repentance of a killer is not accepted is not sustainable in the light of the Quran and Sunnah.

It is true though that it appears from the words that a deliberate killer of a believer falls in the category of an unbeliever. Just as the Quran has put the murderer of a believer in the category of an unbeliever, the Hadith has put a person who calls a believer as an unbeliever in the category of an unbeliever. The hadith in Bukhari that states this reads: ایما رجل قال لاخیه یا کافر فقد باء بہا احد ھما (He who calls his Muslim brother an unbeliever then that unbelief surely falls on one of the two of them). 

خلود – Its meaning has been explained in 2-25b. Commentators have accepted its meaning here as a long period: و المراد بالخلود المکث الطویل (Bd). 

4-94 O you who believe, when you go forth (to fight) in Allah’s way, make investigation, and say not to any one who offers you salutation, Thou art not a believer, seeking the good of this world’s life. But with Allah there are abundant gains. You too were such before, then Allah conferred a benefit on you; so make investigation.^a Surely Allah is ever Aware of what you do.^b

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُواْ وَلَا تَقُولُواْ لِمَنۡ أَلۡقَىٰٓ إِلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمَ لَسۡتَ مُؤۡمِنً۬ا تَبۡتَغُونَ عَرَضَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ ڪَثِيرَةٌ۬‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ ڪُنتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ فَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرً۬ا (٩٤)

4-94a: Killing allowed only in fighting and not for disbelief: This verse lays down that even though Muslims are surrounded by enemies on all sides, a person is not to be killed unless it is proven that he is an enemy combatant. It is obvious from the last section and also from other parts of the Quran that it is permissible to kill an unbeliever only when he is a combatant in a force fighting against Muslims. Hence it is stated in simple words that investigation should be made to determine if a person is an enemy combatant or not and only the enemy combatant should be killed and not a noncombatant.

4-94b: By سلام is meant the Islamic salutation of اسلام علیکم which is a manifest sign of Islam, and this enables a Muslim to immediately recognize if the person  addressing him is a Muslim or not.

مَغَانِم – It is the plural of مَغۡنم . Both terms مایُغۡنَمُ and  غَنَم mean goats. These words do not have a singular and instead شاۃ is used for singular  (T). غَنۡم  which is a verbal noun from it means to find the goats and to take them after being victorious. This word is also used for whatever else is obtained from an enemy, that is spoils of war (R). However, غنم has also been used only in the sense of الفوز بالشئ (to win a thing) (AH and Rz), and in support of this, some verses have been cited and also a hadith which states: الصوم فی الشتاء الغنیمة الباردۃ (Fasting during the winter is an easy reward) in which غنیمة has been used in a wider sense of reward. In another hadith غُنم has been used in the sense of abundance of things (N). Here too مَغَانِم is used in a wider sense. 

Command regarding a person from an enemy tribe who says اسلام علیکم : Mention is made here of a problematic issue which arises when a tribe as a whole is an enemy but one person from the tribe converts to Islam. In such a situation, saying اسلام علیکم is a sufficient proof of a person’s Muslim faith and he should not be killed even if he belongs to an enemy tribe. Some such incidents did occur. When a Muslim made an excuse before the Holy Prophet that his victim had merely said اسلام علیکم to save his life, The Holy Prophet said: ھلّا شققت قلبه (Did you tear his heart to look into it). The statement كَذَٲلِكَ ڪُنتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ is meant to convey that just as reciting the shahadah is enough to admit you into Islam, the same is good enough for another person.

Killing a person for getting spoils of war: The second thing that is stated here is that a person must not be killed out of greed for getting spoils of war. Allah has created better ways to achieve the objective. The spoils of war are here called provisions of this world and in this way, Muslims have been informed that he who is motivated to fight for spoils of war does not fight in the way of Allah. 

اسلام علیکم is the sign of Islam: The Quran states here that a person who says اسلام علیکم is not to be called a nonbeliever. However, the state of Muslims today is such that even if a person has all the requirements of a Muslim, there is no guarantee that he would not be called an unbeliever by some in the Muslim community. This is in total disregard of what the Holy Prophet has said: Did you open his heart to see what is in it. Their excuse for disregarding is that the person they are labelling as an unbeliever is a hypocrite and is pretending to be a Muslim. Quran has prescribed the simple test of اسلام علیکم to be a sufficient test to identity a Muslim but the state of the Muslim scholar’s is such that they take a person’s statement and dissect it in all manner of ways and only stop when they declare the person to be a nonbeliever. 

4-95 The holders-back from among the believers, not disabled by injury, and those who strive hard in Allah’s way with their property and their persons, are not equal. Allah has made the strivers with their property and their persons to excel the holders-back a (high) degree. And to each Allah has promised good. And Allah has granted to the strivers above the holders-back a mighty reward —^a

لَّا يَسۡتَوِى ٱلۡقَـٰعِدُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ غَيۡرُ أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ وَٱلۡمُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۚ فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُجَـٰهِدِينَ بِأَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِہِمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡقَـٰعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً۬‌ۚ وَكُلاًّ۬ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ‌ۚ وَفَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُجَـٰهِدِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡقَـٰعِدِينَ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمً۬ا (٩٥)

4-95a: With the ever-existing danger that one may accidently kill a Muslim during fighting, some people concluded that in such a condition it is better to sit at home rather than to wage jihad. Hence it is stated that jihad is an admirable thing and Allah has given excellence to those who wage jihad over those who do not. The Shia sect has made an error by restricting the meaning of jihad to only fighting and on that basis have concluded that since Caliph Ali took part in more battles than Caliph Abu Bakr the former was more excellent than the latter. The meaning of jihad is much wider. Even the Holy Prophet did not take part in all of the wars but his work far excelled mere waging wars. Caliph Abu Bakr’s services to Islam are far greater than that of Caliph Ali and those services constitute a mighty jihad.

Non participation in jihad is not disobeying God: This verse shows that not participating in jihad is not disobeying God because God has promised good even for those who do not take part in jihad. There will be both type of people in the Islamic community. First, people of high excellence who are continually engaged in jihad along with performing their worldly duties. However, their state is such that they are never unmindful of upholding the commands of Allah. Their wealth and their life is dedicated to the service of the religion of Islam. Their means of livelihood is also part of the service to the faith. Second, those people who are more absorbed in the business of the world but discharge their religious obligations and pay the required amount from their wealth. Both are promised a good end but there is no comparison between the high status of the first group as compared with the second group. This is a description of normal conditions. However, under special conditions of national emergency, it is sometimes necessary for the entire community to wage jihad. In such a condition laggards earn the displeasure of God and the community. For example in the Tabuk campaign, those who stayed behind without a good reason incurred Divine displeasure because they did not care for the order of the Holy Prophet. There is no doubt though that in verse 4-84 only the Holy Prophet is made responsible for the fighting while the other believers are only to be urged to reach those excellent levels that come with waging jihad. They should not be satisfied with an inferior level.

غَيۡرُ أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ – ضرر سوء  means being in a bad state or in a loss whether it is because of a deficiency in a person’s education, or advantage or virtuosity or whether because of a missing bodily part or from lack of wealth or rank (R).

Contextual meaning of أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ and the order: What is meant here by أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ is being physically handicapped and not having necessary resources, that is persons who on account of being blind or lame or having some other bodily defects are unable to go out for jihad and those who do not have the necessary equipment to fight. Taking the more general meaning of jihad, the definition can also include people who lack knowledge. It is not stated here that أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ have an equivalence with the holy warriors because there are different reasons for being in أُوْلِى ٱلضَّرَرِ . This category can include those who lost a limb in a previous war or have fallen sick in the service of Islam. In the eyes of God it is as if these persons are continuing with the actions that debilitated them. Then there are those who sincerely would like to be with the holy warriors but lack the equipment to fight. They are at least better than those who sit out the campaign and they will earn a reward based on their intention, just as a people mentioned in the Quran who could not go to war because they lacked mounts but their intention is made known by their actions: تَوَلَّواْ وَّأَعۡيُنُهُمۡ تَفِيضُ مِنَ ٱلدَّمۡعِ حَزَنًا أَلَّا يَجِدُواْ مَا يُنفِقُونَ (with their eyes overflowed with tears of grief that they could not find aught to spend) (9:92). 

4-96 (High) degrees from Him and protection and mercy. And Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

دَرَجَـٰتٍ۬ مِّنۡهُ وَمَغۡفِرَةً۬ وَرَحۡمَةً۬‌ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمًا (٩٦)

4-77 Hast thou not seen those to whom it was said: Withhold your hands, and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate.^a But when fighting is prescribed for them, lo! a party of them fear men as they ought to fear Allah, or with a greater fear, and say: Our Lord, why hast Thou ordained fighting for us? Wouldst Thou not grant us respite to a near term?^b Say: The enjoyment of this world is short, and the Hereafter is better for him who keeps his duty. And you shall not be wronged a whit.^c

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمۡ كُفُّوٓاْ أَيۡدِيَكُمۡ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ يَخۡشَوۡنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡ أَشَدَّ خَشۡيَةً۬‌ۚ وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبۡتَ عَلَيۡنَا ٱلۡقِتَالَ لَوۡلَآ أَخَّرۡتَنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ۬ قَرِيبٍ۬‌ۗ قُلۡ مَتَـٰعُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا قَلِيلٌ۬ وَٱلۡأَخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ۬ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظۡلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً (٧٧)

4-77a: Rectification of soul takes precedence over jihad: This section mentions that the hypocrites are afraid of participating in the war. The command regarding withholding hands and keeping up prayer is general and addressed to all the Muslims, but the party that is afraid and questions Allah’s command is not a party of Muslims but that of hypocrites. They are called فَرِيقٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ (a party of them) because on the face of it, the hypocrites were mixed in with the Muslims. A group that fears men as they should fear God, who desire the provisions of this life, who are the holders of secret meetings as noted in 4:81 cannot be believers. The significance of the term withhold your hand is that the Holy Prophet had been commanded not to open any hostilities until the enemy initiated war. The instructions to the Holy Prophet were not to wage war unless the enemy initiated it first. The purpose of giving the command to keep up prayer and pay the poor rate with it is to show that the real objective of Islam is not to wage war, which is only a temporary necessity, but the real reason why prophets come is to perfect the human soul. Hence, those things that perfect the human soul should be adopted which include keeping up prayer and payment of the poor rate. By mentioning together withholding of hand in war, keeping up prayer and paying the poor rate, it is made clear that there are two jihads in a person’s life – one for the reformation of the soul and the other for the protection of religion. Out of the two, the reformation of the soul takes precedence. Hence Allah gave permission to the Muslims to fight and that too with conditions after they were first made successful in the jihad of reforming their soul. Prayer or worship creates humility and gentleness in a person’s disposition. The poor rate strengthens human sympathy.

Wars just breed harshness and severity in the character of those nations that go to war without reforming the human psyche first. Humility and gentleness in their manners is suppressed and the result is that cruelty, bloodshed, vengeance, and the desire to humiliate subjects takes over their character. One sees this condition in the superficially civilized nations of today who are deprived of true morality in their relationship with other nations. They can exploit these nations for worldly goods but cannot be torchbearers of morality and neither can they win their respect.

Because Allah wanted to keep the Muslim nation on the path of moderation and rectitude and to make them teachers of morality, He perfected their character with the attributes of gentleness and humility. When the traits of gentleness and love in their character reached perfection through bearing severe trials and tribulations, worshipping God excessively and showing kindness to humanity, they were given permission for defensive wars. Thus, in order to prepare the Muslim soldier for war, Allah has made prayer and poor rate essential in their training. 

There is correct guidance in these words for those who wish to lead the Muslim nation out of their moral and temporal morass. The real objective of Islam is the perfection of the soul for which keeping up prayer and paying the poor rate are essential ingredients. The pursuit of governance, while ignoring even the mention of prayer and poor rate in speeches and lectures, is not the right strategy. The prevailing strategy unfortunately is to follow anything except the Quran. The remissness towards prayer and poor rate will prevent the Islamic nation from coming out of its present hypocritical state where its actions do not match what they profess.

4-77b: كَخَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِ – The adjunct reference in the verbal noun is towards the subject, that is just as a believer is afraid of God because his end will be destruction if he commits sin and does not repent, these hypocrites have the same degree of fear of people. The hypocrites’ fear is perhaps even greater  (اَؤ is sometimes used in the sense of بَلۡ ) because for a believer there is both fear and hope. Fear of being destroyed for committing sin and hope because of harboring great expectations from the grace and mercy of Allah. For the hypocrites, however, there is nothing but fear, and so their fear keeps on becoming stronger leading them to think that they would be killed today or tomorrow. This same state of mind is indicated in:  يَحۡسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيۡحَةٍ عَلَيۡہِمۡ‌ (They think every cry to be against them) (63:4). 

When the attributes of gentleness and love had become firmly ingrained in the disposition of Muslims and trials and tribulations had honed them into perfect humans, the time had come to make fighting a necessity because the unbelievers had now taken to the sword to exterminate Islam. However, there was a group among them who were cowed by the sheer strength of the enemy, and scared to the extent that they thought that the enemy would annihilate them. This goes to show the strength of the enemy and gives the lie to the story that the Muslims fought out of greed for spoils of war. Leave alone spoils of war, the Muslim force appeared to be on a suicidal mission from which none would come out alive.

4-77c: It is stated in this section that to die while fighting for the protection and support of the truth is better than a debased life whose objective is to earn some worldly wealth. Protection of rights is more respectable than some worldly wealth. It is stated next that there will be no injustice, that is whatever one sacrifices of his ease, wealth and benefits will not be wasted. 

4-78 Wherever you are, death will overtake you, though you are in towers, raised high.^a And if good befalls them, they say: This is from Allah; and if a misfortune befalls them, they say: This is from thee. Say: All is from Allah. But what is the matter with these people that they make no effort to understand anything?^b

 أَيۡنَمَا تَكُونُواْ يُدۡرِككُّمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ وَلَوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِى بُرُوجٍ۬ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ۬‌ۗ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ حَسَنَةٌ۬ يَقُولُواْ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ حَسَنَةٌ۬ يَقُولُواْ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِكَ‌ۚ قُلۡ كُلٌّ۬ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفۡقَهُونَ حَدِيثً۬ا (٧٨)

4-78a: بُرُوج – It is the plural of  بُرۡج and literally it is said of anything that appears elevated. The elevated places of a city are the towers which are part of the fortification around the city. The reference to بُرُوج in the sky as in: وَٱلسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ ٱلۡبُرُوجِ (By the heaven full of stars) (85:1); جَعَلَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجً۬ا (…made the stars in the heaven) (25:61) is to stars. A place is also called بُرُوج (IK). From the same root is تبّرج used for a woman who shows up her charm. The meaning of بُرُوج here is tower or fortresses.

 مُّشَيَّدَةٍ- It is derived from شِیۡد which is everything with which a wall is decorated whether it is lime or stone. تشیید النباء means to strengthen a building and to make it higher (LA). In another place the term قَصۡرٍ۬ مَّشِيدٍ (palace raised high) (22:45) occurs in the Quran and this is a use in the singular tense (LA).

Do not fear death in the discharge of duty: Here a reply is given to لَوۡلَآ أَخَّرۡتَنَآ (grant us respite) (4:77) and it is in general words, that is even if one escapes death by not participating in the war, one cannot escape death eventually. It will overtake one regardless of the precautions one takes, even if one closets oneself in a strong and elevated fort. The purport here is not that precautions should not be taken to protect life. Life is a blessing from Allah and it should be appreciated, but righteousness demands that one should sacrifice even the greatest blessing in order to fulfill the duties that Allah has imposed on a person. Being afraid of death in the discharge of one’s duty is faintheartedness and cowardice. 

4-78b: حَسَنَةٌ۬ – It is everything that makes a person happy and this word is used both for earthly and spiritual beneficence. سیئة is its opposite and is everything that makes one sorrowful whether in matters of this world or next. See 2-82a; and 3-120a.

The significance of good fortune and misfortune from Allah: When Muslims suffered a reverse in the Battle of Uhad, the hypocrites started saying that this was because of Holy Prophet’s bad policy of engaging the enemy in the open. The real reason for the reverse was disobedience of orders and dereliction of duty. Thus, the hypocrites created an excuse to be disobedient themselves. This remained their approach in all battles and whenever they saw that the enemy was stronger and mightier, they would retreat and when they saw the enemy was weak they were in the vanguard of the advance. When the battle was won and they got a share of the spoils, they would say: هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ (this is from Allah). In another place in the Quran during a narration about Moses, it is stated that when some good would befall his followers, they said: لَنَا هَـٰذِهِ (this is due to us) (7:131), that is we are entitled to this. The meaning in this verse is the same. When some misfortune befalls them, they attribute it to the Holy Prophet, just as Pharoah and his followers attributed their misfortunes to Moses: يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُ (…they attributed it to the ill-luck of Moses) (7:131). So, it is stated that whether success or misfortune occurs it is all from Allah, that is it is part of the decree of Allah. A similar answer is given in the case of Moses as well: إِنَّمَا طَـٰٓٮِٕرُهُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ (…their evil fortune is only from Allah) (7:131), and the purport is that it is because of their good or bad deeds. The misfortunes that befall a person are also decreed by Allah, which is explained further in the next verse. 

4-79 Whatever good befalls thee (O man), it is from Allah, and whatever misfortune befalls thee, it is from thyself.^a And We have sent thee (O Prophet) to mankind as a Messenger. And Allah is sufficient as a witness.^b

مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنۡ حَسَنَةٍ۬ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ۬ فَمِن نَّفۡسِكَ‌ۚ وَأَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاً۬‌ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَہِيدً۬ا (٧٩)

4-79a: مِنَ ٱللَّه and مِنۡ عِنۡدِ ٱللَّه : The difference made between them is that مِنَ ٱللَّه is spoken about those matters which take place with Allah’s pleasure and at His command while مِنۡ عِنۡدِ ٱللَّه is general and includes things which are fated whether by Allah’s pleasure or His anger, whether Allah has commanded their doing or has commanded abstaining from them. In the last verse, it is stated كُلٌّ۬ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ‌ (All is from Allah) that is by His decree, although it is not at His pleasure or as He would wish. Hence, here it is stated: أَصَابَكَ مِنۡ حَسَنَةٍ۬ فَمِنَ ٱللَّه (Whatever good befalls thee, it is from Allah) because Allah’s pleasure or desire is that good things should befall people, but whatever misfortunes befall are because of people’s own actions. In another place in the Quran, it is stated: وَمَآ أَصَـٰبَڪُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ۬ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِيكُمۡ  (And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought) (42:30); and وَلَا يَرۡضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلۡكُفۡرَ‌ۖ (And He likes not ungratefulness in His servants) (39:7) although it is decreed that some will be ungrateful. So, the path which Allah wants people to pursue is one destined for a good end and it follows that one can suffer no misfortune by following the Prophet. The tribulations that one undertakes for achieving an objective or those that a believer happily bears in treading the path of Allah are not included in سیئة , just as the hard work that a student puts in to pass the exam or a person puts in to earn a living is not misfortune.

4-79b: Further support is lent to the first thing here. So, when mention is made of sending Messengers, the term  الی الناس is not used and instead لِلنَّاسِ is used meaning Messengers are sent for the benefit of people. So, there is benefit for the people in obeying the Messenger. Allah is sufficient as a witness means that He will manifest the result, namely that they will see benefits accruing to the people who obey the commands of the Messenger.

4-80 Whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allah. And whoever turns away, We have not sent thee as a keeper over them.^a

مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدۡ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَفِيظً۬ا (٨٠)

4-80a: حَفِيظً۬ – حِفۡظ is the opposite of نسیان (forgetful or oblivious). It is also used to signify the power that enables a person to exercise this attribute, and hence its meanings have also embraced promise, assurance and indulgence (R). The Messenger not being a keeper means that it is not his job to make people obey or to force them not to commit sins or to save them from misfortunes.

Obeying the Prophet is obeying Allah: This verse declares very clearly that obeying the Messenger is obeying Allah. By stating in the previous verse: وَأَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاً۬ (We have sent thee as a Messenger) and by saying in this verse: مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ (Whoever obeys the Messenger), it is made vey clear that by Messenger is meant Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. This negates the interpretation of the Ahle Quran that by Messenger is meant Messengership. Obedience of the Messenger is a requirement and it is this obedience that is the mentioned in this section. Although the topic under discussion is that of war in which the hypocrites were reluctant to participate but the command to obey the messenger is general. By stating that the obedience to the Holy Prophet is obedience to Allah, it is made known that whatever command the Holy Prophet gives, it is by the order of Allah whether Allah reveals His Will through Gabriel to the heart of the Holy Prophet, that is by وحی متلو (revelation that is recited) or by inspiration into the Prophet’s heart, that is وحی خفی .

4-81 And they say: Obedience. But when they go out from thy presence, a party of them plan by night doing otherwise than what thou sayest. And Allah writes down what they plan by night, so turn aside from them and trust in Allah. And Allah is sufficient as having charge of affairs.^a

 وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ۬ فَإِذَا بَرَزُواْ مِنۡ عِندِكَ بَيَّتَ طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ غَيۡرَ ٱلَّذِى تَقُولُ‌ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَكۡتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ‌ۖ فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ وَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلاً (٨١)

4-81a: بَيَّتَ – The meaning of بات is to spend the night, and for بَيۡت see 2-125a, and the meaning of بَيَت is to contrive or scheme at night. As in: يَأۡتِيَہُم بَأۡسُنَا بَيَـٰتً۬ا (Our punishment coming to them by night) (7:97). Every act that is deliberated at night can be spoken of as بُيِّتَ (R) as in: يَأۡتِيَہُم بَأۡسُنَا بَيَـٰتً۬ا (Our punishment coming to them by night) (7:97).

The mention here continues to be of hypocrites because the believers did not consult at night against the Prophet. Allah writing down their plans means that they will definitely be punished for their intrigues, and by trusting in Allah is meant that no harm will befall the Prophet as a result of their intrigues. 

4-82 Will they not then meditate on the Qur’an? And if it were from any other than Allah, they would have found in it many a discrepancy.^a

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ كَانَ مِنۡ عِندِ غَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ ٱخۡتِلَـٰفً۬ا ڪَثِيرً۬ا (٨٢)

4-82a: يَتَدَبَّرُونَ – دُبُر is the back or hinder part and اِدبار is to turn one’s back, as in: مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ  (…who retreats and turns his back) (70:17). The meaning of تدبیر is التفکیر فی دُبُرِ الامور (To think about the consequences of an affair).

Proof that Quran is from Allah: The fact that there is no inconsistency in the Quran despite the great disparity in the conditions through which the Holy Prophet’s life passed is proof that the Quran is from Allah. The reason for the intrigues that the hypocrites hatched against the Holy Prophet was that they did not believe in the prophethood of the Holy Prophet and thought that he was manufacturing things himself and presenting them to the people. Hence, they were asked to reflect on the Quran because if the Quran was not from Allah, they would find many inconsistencies in it. Why? Because the Holy Prophet had to go through so many disparate conditions in his life that it would be inconceivable for a charlatan to remain consistent. Such a person would conceive one plan for his success today and another one on the morrow, and if one idea had permeated his mind today, another one would take its place the next day. In this way, the attention of the hypocrites is drawn to their own thinking how it keeps on changing from day to day and this is a necessary outcome of pretension.

They are asked to reflect on the changes in the Holy Prophet’s life. There was a time when the Holy Prophet was meditating alone in cave Hira and seeking redemption for a fallen humanity. Then there is a time when he is the ruler of a small kingdom in Madinah. There was a time when his fame for truthfulness and righteousness was all around and then there is a time when everyone calls him a fabricator, and none is willing to hear what he has to say. There was a time when he was surrounded on all sides with trials and tribulations and then there is a time when he is surrounded by people willing to give their life for him. There was a time when the enemy inflicted loss on him and then there is a time when he overcomes and is victorious. At times as the prayer leader, he takes his followers and travels with them to the highest spiritual realms and at other times as a general he extricates his force from the most difficult situations and leads them to victory on the battleground. Sometimes he is the judge and sometimes he has to legislate himself. At one moment, he is governing with the powers of a ruler and at the next moment he is sitting in the company of his friends with so much humility that no one can even tell him apart. One moment he is busy in sermonizing and advising and the next moment he is helping his wife in some domestic chores. In all these diverse conditions, the Quran was being revealed to him. The condition of a charlatan would of necessity keep on changing under these conditions and his thinking also would keep on altering but one can read the Quran from the beginning to the end and it will be seen that it is colored with the same coloring in it entirety. It is effected by the same influence throughout, the same ideas can be seen streaking through all the diverse topics, there is no contradiction in the narration of the historical events, there is no change in its structure, there is no contradiction in its commands, and there is no variation in its literary excellence.

This verse is not only a convincing argument against the hypocrites but also against all the opponents of the Quran because the absence of any contradiction in the Quran is a definite testimony to its Divine origin. This absence of contradiction is a distinction not only because of the diverse conditions through which the Holy Prophet’s life passed in the twenty three years of his ministry but also from the fact that the Holy Prophet was unlettered. There is a discussion in the Quran of all the religions of the world and whatever stance was taken about a religion in the Quran, it remained unchanged even though the followers of that religion sometimes expressed great friendship with him and sometimes were his bitter enemies. The Holy Prophet never studied their scriptures but nevertheless both in the Makkan and Medinan surahs there are extensive references to their histories. It is a great wonder that in their narration there is neither any internal contradiction nor any contradiction with history. 

Four Gospel writers who are accepted as inspired sat down to write the events of Jesus’ life but ended up with so many contradictions. They do not even agree about his pedigree and there are clear contradictions in the events they narrate. This is the situation with these educated and inspired writers. Despite the Holy Prophet being unlettered, there are numerous references to the Torah and Gospel in the Quran and there is no contradiction in them. In fact, where there are differences between the Biblical and Quranic version, the testimony of events when uncovered supports the Quranic version. Examples of this have been given in their appropriate places in this commentary. The famous German critic of the Quran Hartwig Hirschfeld who has made a thorough study of the Quran, has noted the extensive references in the Quran of the Torah and Gospel and is of the opinion that the Holy Prophet had studied these scriptures in depth and made notes from them in a book and imported extracts in the Quran at relevant places. Besides the Biblical prophets, there is also a reference to non-Bibilical prophets and these references too are free of any flaw. In short, this is an unrivalled distinction of the Quran.

The absence of contradictions in the Quran negates the existence of abrogation: This verse rebuts the thinking of those who believe in abrogation of some Quranic verses because to accept abrogation means that there is non conformity in some verses of the Quran which means that there are contradictions in the Quran, but Allah states that there is no discrepancy. The acceptance of abrogation is against this clear claim of the Quran that is made here. There is also another fine point in this verse. Along with the claim that there is no contradictions in the Quran, it is stated that why do they not mediate on the Quran because if they did so, they will find that there is no discrepancy. This is absolutely correct. There is not a single verse that a particular group claims to be abrogated for which there is not another group which claims that it is not because this second group mediated on the matter and is able to reconcile the two verses, that is the abrogating verse and the abrogated verse. So, the claim of the Quran is proven and wherever there appears to be an apparent contradiction, a little reflection is able to show that the two verses can be reconciled. 

4-83 But if any news of security or fear comes to them, they spread it abroad. And if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, those of them who can search out knowledge of it would have known it.^a And were it not for the grace of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would certainly have followed the devil save a few.^b

 وَإِذَا جَآءَهُمۡ أَمۡرٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡنِ أَوِ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ أَذَاعُواْ بِهِۦ‌ۖ وَلَوۡ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰٓ أُوْلِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنۡہُمۡ لَعَلِمَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَنۢبِطُونَهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡ‌ۗ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُ ۥ لَٱتَّبَعۡتُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ (٨٣)

4-83a: يَسۡتَنۢبِطُونَ  – The root of استنباط is نبط and the meaning of نَبَط البئرَ is dug a well and took out water from it. The derivation of an Islamic jurist when he uses his intelligence and reasoning to extract hidden meanings is called استنباط . Hence the meaning of استنباط is deduction or deductive logic (T) or to get to the bottom of a thing and arrive at the right result. By pairing the word  أُوْلِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ with استنباط it has been made known that in the terminology of the Quran those in authority include jurists, religious leaders and thinkers.  

The last verse was like a parenthetical sentence. The topic reverts to expounding the condition of the hypocrites and states that they give a lot of air to any information about general conditions or any matter that frightens people such as attacks by the enemy etcetera to create a commotion. What they should have done was to report the matter to those in authority who could properly investigate the matter. It also follows from this that only such people are qualified to be in positions of authority who can properly analyze and get to the bottom of matters, that is they can deduce the right result from the situation.

Deductive reasoning in matters of shariah: This verse also lends support to the use of deductive reasoning in matters of shariah, because the استنباط of a problem is that there is no specific ruling on a matter and so the need is to gauge the various issues that arise in the matter in the light of the Quran and Sunnah and deduce the right answer.

4-83b: The grace of Allah and His mercy: The grace of Allah and His mercy is the coming of the Holy Prophet. The vile character of the hypocrites could never have been rectified if Allah had not raised His Messenger with the noblest character to treat them. This could also be an indication of the final outcome of the hypocrites that Allah will favor them and save many of them from being the followers of Satan. The hypocrites were treading on such a dangerous path that it would have been very difficult for them to avoid their doom but Allah out of His Grace guided most of them out of their original condition. The meaning of إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ can be interpreted in two ways, namely except for a few you would have continued following Satan and also except for a few conditions you would have kept following Satan. 

4-84 Fight then in Allah’s way — thou art not responsible except for thyself; and urge on the believers. It may be that Allah will restrain the fighting of those who disbelieve. And Allah is stronger in prowess and stronger to give exemplary punishment.^a

  فَقَـٰتِلۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُكَلَّفُ إِلَّا نَفۡسَكَ‌ۚ وَحَرِّضِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ‌ۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَكُفَّ بَأۡسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ‌ۚ وَٱللَّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأۡسً۬ا وَأَشَدُّ تَنكِيلاً۬ (٨٤)

4-84a: حَرِّضِ – حَرَض is a thing which is useless and there is no benefit in it. Hence this word is used for someone who is near demise, as in: حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا (…till thou art prey to disease) (12:85). The meaning of تحریض is to entice by embellishing the qualities of a thing extensively, thus it is the negation of حرض (R).

تَنكِيل – It is derived from نکل which means incarceration, and the meanings of تنکیل and نکال are the same, that is giving a punishment that will stop a person from doing a particular act again or an exemplary punishment. See 2-66a.

Holy Prophet only responsible for himself in the fighting: There was mention of the hypocrites staying behind when the Muslims went out to fight, hence it is stated that the Prophet’s fighting is to safeguard Islam and that he should fight alone, if necessary, whether others fight or not. The believers should be encouraged to participate but he is only responsible for himself and not for others. The command to fight even if alone goes to show that the Holy Prophet did not depend on numbers but on the help of Allah. It is recorded that after the Battle of Uhad when the people were dead tired and hurting from the tribulations of the battle, the Holy Prophet said that he would go alone in the pursuit of the enemy. This determination testifies to his bravery and shows his great will power. However, his dedicated followers could not bear to let him go alone. There is another prophecy here that the unbelievers will not be able to carry on with this war which they have started against Islam and Allah will in the end cause them to be defeated and the wars will come to an end. 

4-85 Whoever intercedes in a good cause has a share of it, and whoever intercedes in an evil cause has a portion of it. And Allah is ever Keeper over all things.^a

 مَّن يَشۡفَعۡ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةً۬ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ نَصِيبٌ۬ مِّنۡہَا‌ۖ وَمَن يَشۡفَعۡ شَفَـٰعَةً۬ سَيِّئَةً۬ يَكُن لَّهُ ۥ كِفۡلٌ۬ مِّنۡهَا‌ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ مُّقِيتً۬ا (٨٥)

4-85a: يَشۡفَعۡ – For شفع  and شفاعت  see 2-48a. What is meant here is that a person meets another person who is like him and assists him in his affairs good or bad (R). Imam Raghib has copied another meaning as well, which is that by شفاعت is meant that a person chalks out a good or bad path for another on which the latter walks and in this way becomes his شفیع . Accordingly, the Holy Prophet said: من سَنَّ سُنَّة حَسة فله‘ اجرھا و اجر من عمل بہا و من سَنَّ سُنَّة سیئَة فعلیه وزرُ ھا و وِزرُ من عمل بھا   (Whoever chalks a path of goodness, he has his reward for it plus reward from someone who acts on it and anyone who chalks out an evil path has to bear the burden for it plus the burden of someone who acts on it) (R). 

كِفۡل and کفیل – Both mean the same, that is a frugal pleasure as if that guarantees the act, as in: يُؤۡتِكُمۡ كِفۡلَيۡنِ مِن رَّحۡمَتِهِ (He will give you two portions from His mercy) (57:28). However, Imam Raghib says that this is not the meaning of كِفۡل here. Instead it is borrowed from کفِل which is used for a thing that is inferior and the word has gained usage to mean intensity or severity. Thus, the purport is that he who helps another in an evil act and chalks out a way for the other will also have to face the severity of the evil consequence done by the other.

مُّقِيت – it is derived from قوت  (strength) which is the source of a person’s continuance. It’s plural is  اقوات as in: وَقَدَّرَ فِيہَآ أَقۡوَٲتَہَا (…and ordained therein its foods) (41:10). By مُّقِيت is meant that which gives strength to everything and protects it. Hence its meaning is مقتدر  (Powerful; strong) or حافظ (protector) .

It is stated that the Prophet is responsible only for himself in fighting. If safeguarding the religion of Islam is endangered, then the Prophet’s actions chalks out a way which, if  current and future generations follow, will not only benefit them but the Holy Prophet too would be a beneficiary of the reward they earn. Similarly, the hypocrites who chalk out evil ways will not only have to bear the burden of punishment for their own evil actions but will also bear the burden of others following their way even though these others will individually be responsible and liable for their actions. 

4-86 And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet with one better than it, or return it. Surely Allah ever takes account of all things.^a

وَاِذَا حُيِّيۡتُمۡ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوۡا بِاَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَاۤ اَوۡ رُدُّوۡهَا‌ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ حَسِيۡبًا‏ ﴿۸۶﴾

4-86a: تَحِيَّةٍ – Its root is حیّ or حیاۃ which means life, and تَحیَّة is in reality to say to another حَیَّاك اللّٰه that is to pray for the other’s life. The word then became generalized to include all prayer. The greetings that is given on meeting people is also called تَحِيَّةٍ and the تَحِيَّةٍ of Islam is اسلام علیکم (R), which has a prayer in it. Jesus too greeted his disciples with the same greeting, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36). All attempts of Muslims to come up with an alternate form of greeting by abandoning اسلام علیکم are against the Quran and Sunnah.

The sunnah of اسلام علیکم : In the last verse, it is stated that the person who provides right guidance receives an everlasting reward. The prayer embedded in the mutual greetings when people meet is mentioned to show that even in small matters a person can be the means of establishing a good way for others. So, it is stated that even in the prayer with which one greets one another in one’s daily interactions, one should adopt a better way of goodness by returning a better greeting than the one received. As mentioned in the hadith, if someone greets with اسلام علیکم , the greetings should be returned with وعلیکم السلام و رحمة اللّٰه و برکاته . It is also stated that the young should wish their elders اسلام علیکم first, and there is an indication in this that the young greeter will then be deserving of the elder’s prayers even to a greater extent. In the end it is stated that Allah takes account of all things, and the purport is that Allah keeps a record of even the minutest good deed and does not allow it to go waste. Another lesson is that sometimes small things produce great results. So, these small things should not be considered insignificant. اسلام علیکم is the basis of increasing mutual love among Muslims. There is a hadith that commands that a Muslim should greet his brother Muslim with the salutation of سلام regardless of whether one knows him or not. This sunnah is also being forsaken and both old- and new-fashioned individuals are equally responsible for its abandonment. 

4-87 Allah, there is no god but He — He will certainly gather you together on the Resurrection day, there is no doubt in it. And who is more true in word than Allah?

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۚ لَيَجۡمَعَنَّكُمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ‌ۗ وَمَنۡ أَصۡدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثً۬ا (٨٧)

4-88 Why should you, then, be two parties in relation to the hypocrites while Allah has made them return (to disbelief) for what they have earned? Do you desire to guide him whom Allah leaves in error? And whomsoever Allah leaves in error thou canst not find a way for him.^a

فَمَا لَكُمۡ فِى ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ فِئَتَيۡنِ وَٱللَّهُ أَرۡكَسَہُم بِمَا كَسَبُوٓاْ‌ۚ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَهۡدُواْ مَنۡ أَضَلَّ ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ ۥ سَبِيلاً۬ (٨٨) 

4-88a: أَرۡكَسَہُم – The meaning of رَکۡس is to turn something upside down or to turn its front towards its back. So أَرۡكَسَہُم  means turned them back towards their disbelief.

Bukhari, Muslim and others have narrated from Zaid bin Thabit that this verse was revealed about those who returned back from the way while proceeding to Uhad, that is those three hundred men whom Abdullah bin Ubay took back. Some have said that this verse was revealed about Arina who had raided the grazing grounds of Madinah. Some have expressed other ideas. The reality is that in Madinah and its environs there existed a large group of hypocrites whose hypocrisy was of different grades, and they have been mentioned here briefly. In the last section, it was stated that they do not join the Muslims in their fights and instead plan against them. This verse advises the Muslims on how to treat them. 

4-89 They long that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved so that you might be on the same level; so take not from among them friends until they flee (their homes) in Allah’s way.^a Then if they turn back (to hostility), seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take no friend nor helper from among them,^b

 وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تَكۡفُرُونَ كَمَا كَفَرُواْ فَتَكُونُونَ سَوَآءً۬‌ۖ فَلَا تَتَّخِذُواْ مِنۡہُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءَ حَتَّىٰ يُہَاجِرُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُواْ مِنۡہُمۡ وَلِيًّ۬ا وَلَا نَصِيرًا (٨٩)

4-89a: The first group of hypocrites: Mention is first made of the group who are internally hypocrites but externally call themselves Muslims. The command to the Muslims about them is not to take them as friends, that is not to have a close and helping relationship with them. Overtly the relationship with them should be that of a Muslim. The meaning of migration in the way of Allah is firstly one who leaves the realm of unbelievers ( دار الکفر) where it is not allowed to carry out the essential rites of religion. Second, according to the hadith a migrant is:المھاجر من ھجر مانھی اللّٰه عنه   (A refugee is one who leaves those things which Allah has prohibited). Third, one who leaves his homeland to defend religion or under these conditions goes out to fight. It is this third type of migrant that appears to be the case here.

4-89b: The reference here is to the second stage of hypocrisy where the hypocrite graduates from being only internally hypocritical to renouncing the religion of Islam openly and joining the enemy. The command for them is the same as the command for the unbelievers. There were a number of such people residing in the environs of Madinah. When they saw that the Muslims had the upper hand in their struggle with the unbelievers, they would profess Islam but when they got the chance, they would renounce Islam openly and do damage to the Muslims as, for example, Arina did when he raided the pastures of Muslims killed the herdsmen and made away with the animals. So, those hypocrites who openly joined the unbelievers to wage war against the Muslims were now branded as enemies and having come out to battle the Muslims became deserving of the death penalty. 

4-90 Except those who join a people between whom and you there is an alliance,^a or who come to you, their hearts shrinking from fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allah had pleased, He would have given them power over you, so that they would have fought you. So if they withdraw from you and fight you not and offer you peace, then Allah allows you no way against them.^b

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِۭ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَہُم مِّيثَـٰقٌ أَوۡ جَآءُوكُمۡ حَصِرَتۡ صُدُورُهُمۡ أَن يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ أَوۡ يُقَـٰتِلُواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمۡ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَلَقَـٰتَلُوكُمۡ‌ۚ فَإِنِ ٱعۡتَزَلُوكُمۡ فَلَمۡ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ وَأَلۡقَوۡاْ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ سَبِيلاً۬ (٩٠)

4-90a: Third group of hypocrites: In the first part of this verse, mention is made of a third group of hypocrites who openly reverted from Islam but joined a tribe with which the Muslims had a treaty such as the one entered into by the Holy Prophet with Halal bin Awamar Aslami under which Aslami would not fight with the Muslims against the Quraish and neither would he fight with the Quraish against the Muslims. So, if a hypocrite joined such a tribe, he would have the same rights as the members of the tribe he joins even though he was liable to be killed for violation of his oath.

4-90b: حَصِرَتۡ – The meaning of حصر  is straiten and the meaning here is that their bosoms have straitened from miserliness and cowardice.

This is the description of a fourth grade of hypocrites who renounced Islam and did not take refuge with a treaty tribe but were not willing to fight the Muslims or the unbelievers. If such persons sought peace with Muslims then it was not permissible to wage war with them.

When can an apostate be killed: It is very clear from here that war can be waged against the apostates only if they join the enemies of Muslims or themselves wage war against the Muslims. However, if they do not wage war against the Muslims, it is not permissible to wage war against them or to kill them even though they are not willing to fight in the Muslim ranks against the unbelievers. Peace was made with Bani Mudlij under this dispensation and this provision was never revoked. 

4-91 You will find others who desire to be secure from you and secure from their own people. Whenever they are made to return to hostility, they are plunged into it. So if they withdraw not from you, nor offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them. And against these We have given you a clear authority.^a

 سَتَجِدُونَ ءَاخَرِينَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَأۡمَنُوكُمۡ وَيَأۡمَنُواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ أُرۡكِسُواْ فِيہَا‌ۚ فَإِن لَّمۡ يَعۡتَزِلُوكُمۡ وَيُلۡقُوٓاْ إِلَيۡكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ وَيَكُفُّوٓاْ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡ فَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ حَيۡثُ ثَقِفۡتُمُوهُمۡ‌ۚ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكُمۡ جَعَلۡنَا لَكُمۡ عَلَيۡہِمۡ سُلۡطَـٰنً۬ا مُّبِينً۬ا (٩١)

4-91a: Fifth group of hypocrites: This verse mentions a fifth group of hypocrites. They manifest being Muslims so that they are not counted among the enemies of Islam, but their condition is such that when the unbelievers call them to fight against the Muslims (The meaning of فتنه here is fighting against the Muslims. See Ruh al-Maani where its meaning is given as fighting against the Muslims), they go headlong into it and do not care for their covenant with the Muslims. Even so, they have been given a chance that if they abstain from fighting the Muslims, apply for peace, and also practically stop themselves from fighting then they would be left alone with no repercussion. However, if they do not do any of this then for sure Muslims have the right to kill them. Without such measures, it was not possible for Islam to survive, and Muslims would have been killed. 

4-71 O you who believe, take your precautions, then go forth in detachments or go forth in a body.^a

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ خُذُواْ حِذۡرَڪُمۡ فَٱنفِرُواْ ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ ٱنفِرُواْ جَمِيعً۬ا (٧١) 

4-71a: حِذۡر – The meaning of حَذر is to protect oneself from a frightening thing. So, the meaning of حِذۡر is a thing for the protection of a person such as arms etcetera (R).

ٱنفِرُواْ – نَفۡر  means to run away from a thing or to run towards a thing (R). Accordingly نفور is used in the sense of نفرت or dislike or aversion that is to flee from a thing. نفر also means to come out for battle, and also نفر is to go out in the way of Allah to gain knowledge as in: فَلَوۡلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرۡقَةٍ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ (Why, then, does not a company from every party from among them go forth that they may apply themselves to obtain understanding in religion) (9:122).

ثُبَاتٍ – It is the plural of ثُبَة which means an isolated party or group separated from the main body (R). Its root is ثوب which means to return. مثابة is from the same root and means the place where the detachments will gather together after dispersion and ثُبَة is derived from it.

The need for preparation to confront the enemy: After informing the believers of the blessings of obedience to the Messenger of Allah, they are told in this section that they are now called upon to obey the most difficult command which is to go to war. The war is also for their own betterment because the enemy is bent on destroying them and so they must think of safeguarding themselves. So, in the first verse, the command is given to take protective measures. Quran uses words that are applicable in both situations of war and peace. Since at the time of the revelation of this command the enemy was bent on annihilating the Muslims by sword, the necessity was to arm themselves and make other necessary preparations for war and this necessity was to continue in the future as well. In the present time, Muslims are being attacked by the pen, and tongue and other contrivances, so the Muslims must prepare themselves to counter with the same kind of weapons. The confrontation will continue in some form or the other till end times and so Muslims must take steps to protect themselves by arming themselves with the same kind of weapons that the opponents will be using. It is sad though that just as Muslim kingdoms are negligent in preparing enough forces and having adequate arms, the Muslim religious scholars are equally unmindful of the attacks on their religion. 

4-72 And among you is he who would hang back. Then if a misfortune befalls you he says: Allah indeed bestowed a favour on me as I was not present with them.^a

وَإِنَّ مِنكُمۡ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ فَإِنۡ أَصَـٰبَتۡكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ۬ قَالَ قَدۡ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىَّ إِذۡ لَمۡ أَكُن مَّعَهُمۡ شَہِيدً۬ا (٧٢)

4-72a: لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ – یبطئ is derived from بطؤ whose literal meaning is to delay getting up for departure and instead to get left behind (R) when the occasion demanded a speedy departure against the enemy. بطَّاء can be transitive or intransitive that is leaving others behind or getting left behind oneself and here since the object is not specified hence لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ is used intransitively in the sense of getting left behind. 

4-73 And if bounty from Allah comes to you, he would cry, as if there were no friendship between you and him: Would that I had been with them, then I should have achieved a mighty success!^a

وَلَٮِٕنۡ أَصَـٰبَكُمۡ فَضۡلٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَيَقُولَنَّ كَأَن لَّمۡ تَكُنۢ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُ ۥ مَوَدَّةٌ۬ يَـٰلَيۡتَنِى كُنتُ مَعَهُمۡ فَأَفُوزَ فَوۡزًا عَظِيمً۬ا (٧٣) 

4-73a: كَأَن لَّمۡ تَكُنۢ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُ ۥ مَوَدَّةٌ۬ – This is a parenthetical sentence because their saying يَـٰلَيۡتَنِى كُنتُ مَعَهُمۡ (Would that I had been with them) shows that there is no relationship of love between them. Here although the Muslims have been successful but this person’s saying that would that I had been with them, then I should have achieved a mighty success shows the mentality of the opponents because obtaining worldly goods is not a measure of success in the eyes of Allah. 

4-74 So let those fight in the way of Allah who sell this world’s life for the Hereafter. And whoever fights in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward.^a

فَلۡيُقَـٰتِلۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشۡرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا بِٱلۡأَخِرَةِ‌ۚ وَمَن يُقَـٰتِلۡ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَيُقۡتَلۡ أَوۡ يَغۡلِبۡ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمً۬ا (٧٤)

4-74a: In the preceding two verses, mention is made of some people who lacked courage or were sitting on the fence. Hence mention is made now of those who sacrificed everything in the way of Allah and left nothing behind. The object here is to narrate that they had eliminated all worldly desires and even in waging war they neither desired to laud their victory nor were they desirous of spoils of war and in fact they had already given all their belongings in the way of God. This was indeed a severe trial. Only those were called to wage war in the way of Allah who had sacrifice everything they had for God.

Spoils of war should not be the object of the hostilities: Leave alone participating in a dangerous activity like war for the love of the spoils, Quran requires cleansing of all human desires before participation in war. Other verses of the Quran also expound the same point. For example, during the Battle of Uhad when a body of archers deserted their position in search of spoils, the Quran chides them as follows: مِنڪُم مَّن يُرِيدُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا (Of you were some who desired this world…) (3:152). This desire for worldly goods is not befitting for a Muslim. The same points are stressed in the Hadith. Accordingly, a hadith in Abu Dawud narrated in the Book of Jihad mentions that the Holy Prophet was once asked: There is a person who desires to strive in the way of Allah and ھو یبتغی عرضاً من اغراض الدنیا (also desires some worldly benefit from it). Holy Prophet replied: لااجرله  (There is no reward for it).

4-75 And what reason have you not to fight in the way of Allah, and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, who say: Our Lord, take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and grant us from Thee a friend, and grant us from Thee a helper!^a

وَمَا لَكُمۡ لَا تُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡوِلۡدَٲنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا مِنۡ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهۡلُهَا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّ۬ا وَٱجۡعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا (٧٥)

4-75a: مَا لَكُمۡ – The literal meaning of مَا لَكُمۡ is what is it with you or what reason have you, but the real purpose is to use an interrogation to bring home the fact that there is no excuse left for their non-participation in the war.

ٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ – It is derived from ضعف (weak) which is the opposite of strong and somebody who is weak is called ضعیف . The meaning of اِسۡتَضۡعَفۡتُه is I found him weak. In the grammatical structure مُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ is either مجرور  that is, a word governed by a preposition and the purport is: فی سبیل ٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ (for the weak) or فی اخلاص ٱلۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ (for the deliverance of the weak), or it is منصوب علی الاختصاص  that is, it is specially the weak class that says this.

ٱلۡوِلۡدَٲنِ – The plural of ولید is generally ولدان but according to some it can also be ولد . According to its literal meaning, ولید includes both a newborn baby and a child but in general parlance it is often used to mean a new born baby (R). Also, a boy is called ولید and so too is a slave. Hence some have taken ولدان to mean here male and female slaves. Even if the meaning is taken to be boys, there is no impediment because young boys were also treated cruelly and they could equally be crying out for relief. This is a narration of the prevailing objective condition. The objective is not to show that it is incumbent on them to supplicate.

هَـٰذِهِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ – The indication in this is to Makkah where the persecution of Muslims was ongoing at that time. These Muslims because of their weakness were unable to migrate because of the impediment of the unbelievers. 

Need to wage war: This verse reveals why war was necessary. So, first war is waged فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ  meaning that the need to wage war is to protect religion from opponents who wanted to destroy and erase it by force of sword. The second reason given is that weak men, women and children who did not have the means to immigrate were being mercilessly persecuted by the Makkans. Ibn Abbas narrated, as documented in Bukhari, that he and his mother were among the مُسۡتَضۡعَفِينَ . Some narrations have mentioned the names of Salm bin Hisham, Walid bin Walid and Abu Jandal in this category as well. This also shows the cruelty of the Makkan unbelievers against the Muslims left in Makkah. The major body of the Muslims had migrated to Madinah but even so the Makkans were venting their rage on the few weak men, women and children who were left. The use of the words ولی (patron) and نصیر (helper) separately seems to be because a patron may not be very useful for protection while the helper can help free them from cruelty permanently as is apparent from وانصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ . According to some, ولیا stands for guardian and نصیر for helper and asking Allah for a guardian and helper is to ask that Allah Himself should be their guardian and helper. 

4-76 Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the devil. So fight against the friends of the devil; surely the struggle of the devil is ever weak.^a

  ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ فَقَـٰتِلُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ‌ۖ إِنَّ كَيۡدَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا (٧٦)

4-76a: Different motivations of the Muslims and Unbelievers in war: In this verse, a decisive answer is given about the different motivations of Muslims and Unbelievers in waging war. Believers fight in the way of Allah, but Allah is not unjust to anybody. Hence, a person who fights in the way of Allah cannot think of doing injustice to anybody by waging war. Allah, the Most High, provides food without distinction for all His creation and has given similar rights to everybody. So, anyone who wages war in the way of Allah will never fight to usurp the rights of others. Allah does not like dissension and a fighter in the way of Allah will not fight to create mischief. The meaning of طـٰغُوتِ is rebellious or one who exceeds the limit. Hence the wordings used here are فِى سَبِيلِ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ and not فِى سَبِيلِ ٱلشیطان although immediately afterwards the wordings are: فَقَـٰتِلُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ and كَيۡدَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ . Thus, although ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ and ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ refer to the same entity, but the use of ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ initially indicates that the motivation of the Unbelievers in waging war is to exceed the limits and be unjust. The Unbelievers had suffered no distress for the removal of which they were waging war. The only reason for their war was to be cruel and unjust to a peace loving community.

There is a clear prophecy in this verse that the unbelievers will be defeated in the war because in the end of the verse, it is stated that the struggle of the devil is weak. For كَيۡدَ see 3-120a. At the time of this revelation, the Unbelievers were dominant over the entire country and the entire nation was bent on exterminating the handful of Muslims. The statement that the struggle of the devil is weak is to indicate the final outcome of this epic struggle in which they will fail. It is also indicated in this verse that even if injustice and cruelty is ever dominant, it will only be so for a short while.

4-60 Hast thou not seen those who assert that they believe in that which has been revealed to thee and that which was revealed before thee? They desire to seek the judgment of the devil, though they have been commanded to deny him. And the devil desires to lead them far astray.^a

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَزۡعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمۡ ءَامَنُواْ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَقَدۡ أُمِرُوٓاْ أَن يَكۡفُرُواْ بِهِۦ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمۡ ضَلَـٰلاَۢ بَعِيدً۬ا (۶۰) 

4-60a: يَزۡعُمُونَ – زعم is the making of a statement about which there is doubt about its veracity (R). Hence its use in the Quran is at places where the object is to censure the maker of the statement as in: زَعَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَن لَّن يُبۡعَثُواْ‌ (Those who disbelieve think that they will not be raised) (64:7); بَلۡ زَعَمۡتُمۡ أَلَّن نَّجۡعَلَ لَكُم مَّوۡعِدً۬ا  (Nay, you thought that We had not made an appointment for you (18:48); كُنتُمۡ تَزۡعُمُونَ (…you asserted) (6:22);  زَعَمۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِ (…assert besides Him) (17:56).

In the previous section, Muslims were directed to take a lesson from the condition of the Jews and were counseled to discharge their trusts. A mention is now made of those who professed or profess belief with their mouths but are not satisfied with the decisions of the Holy Prophet. Commentators have mentioned here a dispute between a Muslim and a Jew in which the Muslim (who was a hidden hypocrite) did not accept the judgment of the Holy Prophet. Even though the sense of the verse can fit not one but hundreds of incidents, but it is not right to limit it to one specific incident. The words of the verse are general and describe the conduct generally of hypocrites. In the previous section, Muslims were commanded to obey Allah and His Messenger and, in this section, mention is made of those who called themselves Muslim but in their heart did not accept the commands of God. The words that they believed in what was revealed before does not mean that this refers to Jews because every Muslim believes in all previous prophets and in their revelation. The objective is also not that they took some of their disputes to the devil and made him the arbiter. The real purport is that in all religious matters instead of accepting the commands of Allah and His Messenger, they made others arbiters instead of Allah. By يَتَحَاكَمُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ is meant that they follow the devil and obey its command although as pointed out in: وَقَدۡ أُمِرُوٓاْ أَن يَكۡفُرُواْ بِهِۦ they were commanded not to listen to the devil. This is further explained in the next verse. 

4-61 And when it is said to them, Come to that which Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, thou seest the hypocrites turning away from thee with aversion.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ رَأَيۡتَ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُودً۬ا (٦١)

4-62 But how is it that when a misfortune befalls them on account of that which their hands have sent before, they come to thee swearing by Allah: We desired naught but good and concord?

فَكَيۡفَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةُۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ ثُمَّ جَآءُوكَ يَحۡلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ إِنۡ أَرَدۡنَآ إِلَّآ إِحۡسَـٰنً۬ا وَتَوۡفِيقًا (٦٢) 

4-62a: يَحۡلِفُونَ – حَلِف is a covenant that is made with a nation and because such a covenant is made under oath, the word has come to be used for an oath that is taken for a covenant. Finally the meaning became generalized to include all oaths.

تَوۡفِيق – Conformity between two things is called وِفق and derived from it is تَوۡفِيق which has the same meaning as اتفاق (unity).

What is stated here is that the hypocrites will very soon be saying on oath that their relationship with the opponent party was not with the intention to harm the Muslims but to do the opponents a favor so that the two parties may reconcile. There is a frequent mention in the Quran of the falsity of these oaths as in: وَيَحۡلِفُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡكَذِبِ (…and they swear falsely) (58:14); ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ أَيۡمَـٰنَہُمۡ جُنَّةً۬ (They take shelter under their oaths) (63:2). This is reiterated in the next verse. In another place in the Quran, they are reported as saying: إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ مُصۡلِحُونَ (We are but peacemakers) (2:11). 

4-63 These are they, the secrets of whose hearts Allah knows; so turn aside from them and admonish them and speak to them effective words concerning themselves.^a

أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُ ٱللَّهُ مَا فِى قُلُوبِہِمۡ فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ وَعِظۡهُمۡ وَقُل لَّهُمۡ فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ قَوۡلاَۢ بَلِيغً۬ا (٦٣)

4-63a: فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ  – There are three ways in which فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ  can be translated. The first is: قولا بلیغا فی انفسہم  that is: قولًا مؤثرا فی قلوبہم (Words that will have an impact on their heart). The second is: فی شان انفسہم (Tell them about themselves or words that will manifest their condition). Third خالیا بھم لا یکون معھم احد (speak to them separately or in private).

بَلِيغً۬ا – بَلِيغ is derived from بلغ which means to achieve the purpose of an objective (R).  بَلِيغ  or effective speech can be of two types as Imam Raghib has explained. The first is that it is eloquent by itself. There are three things necessary for this, namely that it is grammatically correct, the words used convey the intended meaning and the conveyed subject or idea is true. Secondly the speech should be effective from the point of view of the speaker and the one spoken to, that is the speaker speaks to the spoken in a way that the purpose he is trying to achieve is accepted by the addressee. The indication here is to both these aspects of بَلِيغ . 

4-64 And We sent no messenger but that he should be obeyed by Allah’s command.^a And had they, when they wronged themselves, come to thee and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.^b

 وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ أَنَّهُمۡ إِذ ظَّلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ جَآءُوكَ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا (٦٤)

4-64a: The real subject of this section is that the Holy Prophet should be obeyed. Those who do not obey him even though they may profess obedience with their mouths have even been called hypocrites. In this verse, it is stated openly that the purpose of sending a messenger is that he should be obeyed but because the real right to be obeyed belongs to Allah, hence it is added that this is by Allah’s command. Thus, this authority that the messenger must be obeyed is granted to him by Allah because it is through a messenger that Allah’s orders are conveyed. 

Every messenger is مطاع (One to be followed and obeyed) and not مطیع (One who follows): This verse is decisive about one of the distinctive attributes of prophets. Imam Razi while commentating on this verse writes that this verse testifies that no one can be a messenger unless there is with him a shariah and he is the one to be followed and obeyed in that shariah. If he only calls to follow the shariah of a previous messenger, then he is not in reality the one to be followed because the one to be followed is that previous messenger whose shariah it is. Further, Allah has ordained that every messenger must be followed and obeyed. This verse imposes a necessary condition from which there is no exception. It is necessary for every messenger that he must be the one to be followed and obeyed. As the Quran has decided that the one to be followed and obeyed forever in the Muslim nation will be Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, as is clear from: فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِى شَىۡءٍ۬ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ (if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger) (4:59) there can be no messenger in the Muslim nation after the Holy Prophet. If there is a messenger after the Holy Prophet then he would have to be followed and obeyed and the requirement to obey the Holy Prophet will cease and this is against the Quran. This verse is decisive about the finality of prophethood when it is read with the above cited verse فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ  . No messenger can come now till end time whether a new one or one that has sojourned on this earth before because whoever comes as a messenger will be the one to be obeyed and followed and this cannot be so.

The second coming of Jesus: Those who await the second coming of Jesus and those who after thirteen centuries have accepted the coming of another messenger need to reflect on this verse. The former should consider that if Jesus returns, he should come with the mantle of prophethood because a messenger cannot be stripped of his office, as it would be against: ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ حَيۡثُ يَجۡعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ (Allah best knows where to place His message) (6:124). If Jesus comes without the mantle of messengership, then it will have to be conceded that he was stripped of his office because of some incompetence. However, if Jesus returns with the mantle of messengership, then he becomes the one to be obeyed and followed and not the Holy Prophet. This would mean that the period of the Holy Prophet’s ministry would be over and such a creed is heresy. Those who make Mirza Ghulam Ahmad into a messenger should consider that the person they make into a messenger repeatedly announced that the yoke of obedience to the Holy Prophet is around his neck, just as it is around the neck of every Muslim. Further he states that whatever he has achieved is because of following and obeying the Holy Prophet. He repeatedly called the Holy Prophet as his religious mentor and that of all the Muslims.

Some people opine that some prophets of Bani Israel were followers of the shariah of Moses. However, it is important to remember that although they may not have been given a new shariah, but they could add, delete or change the previous shariah according to the needs of the time. For this reason, the shariah they presented was under their own seal of approval. It was necessary to accept what they said was correct, as correct and what they said was false, as false. Hence they were the مطاع , the one to be obeyed and followed, even though Divine revelation  instructed them to follow the Mosaic shariah. In the Muslim nation though, no one can have the authority to alter the shariah by a whit, and so this nation can have only one person who must be obeyed and followed and that is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.

4-64b: After giving the categorical order to obey the Messenger, it is stated that sometimes humans err. So, if these people had erred, its remedy was to ask for God’s protection and if the Messenger had also asked for their protection, Allah would have forgiven them. This shows that the Holy Prophet’s asking for protection was not just for himself but for the whole Muslim nation which included even the hypocrites.

وَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ – Maulvi Abdullah Chakralwi gives the meaning of وَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ as: “Then the glorious Book of Allah will forgive them”. The interesting thing is that the forgiveness of the glorious Book of Allah is followed by لَوَجَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا which is perforce translated by the said Maulvi as: “they will certainly find Allah, the Most High, forgiving and in every way considerate”. It is amazing that first the Book of Allah forgives them and then Allah forgives them when, in fact, the forgiveness of the Book of Allah and that of Allah is one and the same thing. I have not found the meaning of وَٱسۡتَغۡفَار as forgiveness in any book of lexicon and neither has Maulvi Chakralvi cited any source for this unusual meaning. 

4-65 But no, by thy Lord! they believe not until they make thee a judge of what is in dispute between them, then find not any straitness in their hearts as to that which thou decidest and submit with full submission.^a

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُواْ فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ حَرَجً۬ا مِّمَّا قَضَيۡتَ وَيُسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمً۬ا (٦٥)

4-65a: فَلَا – Some have taken لَا here to stand for emphasis and accept it as a relative pronoun for oath, thus rendering it superfluous. In fact, in such places, لَا is used to negate and the negation is of something that has preceded it even if it negates the sense or meaning. This is the case here: لیس الامر کما یزعمون (It is not what they assert) because there is a mention at the start of the section: أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَزۡعُمُونَ (Hast thou not seen those who assert …).

وَرَبِّكَ – واؤ is for an oath. What is the purpose of oaths in the Quran is a subject that will be discussed in detail later on where the oath is taken on things other than God. Here the oath is taken “by thy Lord” and hence the objection that is made for oaths that are taken on other things does not apply here. It is, however, necessary to clarify here that the words used to describe the affairs of the Lord are the same as those used to describe human events although there is a world of difference in the two uses. See 2-15a. The case of oaths is similar. When a person takes an oath, he presents strong evidence and swearing by God is calling God to witness the testimony and hence it is extraordinarily strong evidence. Wherever and on whatever thing an oath is taken in the Quran, that thing is called to witness the truth of the statement made. The witness that is indicated here is رَبِّكَ that is, the entity that nurtures the Holy Prophet. The God who nurtured the Holy Prophet and elevated him to a high status and sent him as a Messenger after training him with His own hands did not do so as a useless exercise. He trained Him with His own hands so that he may train humanity. Hence unless he is accepted as the one to be followed and obeyed, he will not be able to train the people. Hence the imperative of training the Holy Prophet is that he should be obeyed and followed.

حَرَج – The meaning of حَرَج stated in Al-Nihayah is ضیق , that is strait and there is a saying cited in it: حَرَج اضیق الضیق , that is حَرَج is even more intense than ضیق and means not even the slightest straitness and from this, the meaning has become sin. According to Mufradat حَرَج is the name for مجتمع الشئ , (the gathering place) and since there is a connotation of tightness or ضیق in such a place, tightness and sin are also called حَرَج. Mujahid has taken حَرَج to mean suspicion, and some commentators have said that حَرَج means that even the slightest suspicion or doubt is abhorrent (RM).

يُسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمً۬ا – There is an indication in تَسۡلِيم of manifest submission, just as in لَا يَجِدُواْ فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ حَرَجً۬ا there is an indication that they should consider the decision as just in their hearts. Thus, along with the statement that when the Holy Prophet decides a matter there should be a satisfaction in the person internally that it is just, there is a parallel statement that manifestly too they should adhere and be committed to it. Some commentators have opined that the necessity for this statement is that sometimes a person knows in his heart that the decision is just but out of enmity does not accepts it. In my opinion,  تَسۡلِيم  has been mentioned later as a progression because there are many who consider the decisions of the Holy Prophet as true in their hearts but there are only a few who submit themselves to these decisions overtly. Hence it is stated that it is not enough just to say that we whole heartedly consider the decisions to be true but also to overtly obey those decisions.

There is an incident related in Bukhari about this verse. The incident narrates a dispute about water between Zubair and an Ansaar (Helper) in which the decision was given in favor of Zubair. In the end of the hadith narration, it is stated that Zubair said: احسِبُ ھٰذہ  الایات اِلَّا نَزَلَتۡ فی ذٰلك (I think that this verse was revealed about this affair). This statement does not necessarily mean that these verses were revealed because of this dispute, but the meaning could be that these verses are applicable to this dispute. This is probably what is meant by Zubair’s statement because the obedience that is mentioned here is in ordinary matters and not in respect of a particular quarrel. Accordingly, the last but one verse of this section provides a definite answer to this where it is stated: وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡہِم (And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors …) (4:69). It is obvious that what is meant here is obedience in matters of religion, that is walking on the path that Allah and His Messenger have ordained. The words of the verse under discussion too indicate the same thing because it is stated here that if there is any dispute among the Muslims, the Holy Prophet must be made the adjudicator and it is only then that a person stands firmly on his faith. A person who partially follows the Holy Prophet and partially his own desires is not true in his faith. Further a person must be fully satisfied with the reasonableness of the Prophet’s judgment and have no doubts in his heart and fully obey the verdict. The reason for mentioning mutual disagreements is that only the person who accepts the decision in a dispute and finds no rancor in his heart can truly implement the dictates of the decision and be fully obedient. Even if ordinary worldly disputes are taken to be meant here, the essential conclusion does not change because even in worldly disputes, it is only if the plaintiff and defendant have a great deal of respect for the adjudicator that they would be satisfied with his decision and have no rancor in their heart. Thus, what is stated is that it is in any case required that one obeys the Holy Prophet in all matters of religion but there is a need to take this obedience to a level where if the Holy Prophet renders a judgment in one of the worldly disputes, one should not only accept it but even the thought should not creep into one’s mind that some injustice was done. This verse also shows that the decisions of the Holy Prophet were not based only on analogy and exercise of judgment otherwise there would not have been a demand that there should be complete satisfaction internally and full submission externally. This verse is not about disputes related to estate or wealth but about religious commands.

The role of وحی خفی (Divine inspiration to the heart) in the Prophet’s اجتہاد (Exercise of judgment): It is clearly proven that the Holy Prophet’s judgment was not based merely on human intuition but there was a Divine inspiration with it (which is known as وحی خفی (because there was no overt revelation in the matter). As a result, the Holy Prophet could not make an incorrect decision. If this was not the case then لَا يَجِدُواْ فِىٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ حَرَجً۬ا (find no straitness in their hearts) would not hold. 

4-66 And if We had enjoined them, Lay down your lives or go forth from your homes, they would not have done it except a few of them. And if they had done what they are exhorted to do, it would certainly have been better for them and more strengthening:^a

وَلَوۡ أَنَّا كَتَبۡنَا عَلَيۡہِمۡ أَنِ ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ أَوِ ٱخۡرُجُواْ مِن دِيَـٰرِكُم مَّا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَوۡ أَنَّہُمۡ فَعَلُواْ مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦ لَكَانَ خَيۡرً۬ا لَّهُمۡ وَأَشَدَّ تَثۡبِيتً۬ا (٦٦) 

4-66a: What is meant by the statement lay down your lives? It is stated in a hadith that when this verse was revealed, some of the companions said that if there is such a command then they would obey it. To which the Holy Prophet replied: للایمان اثبت فی قلوب اھله من الجبال الرواسی  (Faith is enshrined in the hearts of their families which is stronger than the strong mountains) (IK). On the other hand, Allah Himself testifies that a few would have done so and the statementوَقَلِيلٌ۬ مِّنۡ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ  (And very few of My servants are grateful) (34:13) shows that only a few achieve the highest spiritual status. The third thing to consider is the statement that if they had been enjoined to lay down their lives or go forth from their homes. In fact, those who had to leave their homes were the companions. So, what is the meaning of putting these two commands together. The first command is to kill yourself, which nobody did, and the second is to leave your homes which all the emigrants from Makkah did. The actuality is that by ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ is meant an affair that like ٱخۡرُجُواْ مِن دِيَـٰرِكُم is doable, and that affair is sacrificing so much for religion that you proverbially work yourself to death. To present yourself to be killed or not to care for your life is tantamount to killing yourself. The relationship of this verse to the previous verse is that in the previous verse a command is given, which on the face of it is a very strict command, namely, to accept the judgments of the Holy Prophet and to obey them fully. This implies that for all times to come, it is the duty of all people who believe in the Holy Prophet to accept his decisions in all affairs of religion without any kind of rancor creeping into their hearts and to embrace and obey those decisions wholeheartedly.

It is now stated that this command is not, in fact, harsh. A person can stay in his house, go about his business and also be obedient to the commands of the Holy Prophet. A more difficult station than this is when a person regardless of dangers to his life performs such tasks for religion that are tantamount to killing oneself. For example, to stand firm before the enemies of religion. This is no less than killing yourself. Another difficult station is to abandon your home for the sake of religion as the Companions did. Allah says that He has not made these difficult tasks obligatory for the entire Muslim nation for all times because there are only a few who have the ability to do this. However, what He has made obligatory for all times is that in matters of religion they should not step outside the decisions of the Holy Prophet and the boundaries that he has set. People should look after their worldly businesses, stay in their homes but also keep an eye on the limits that religion has established.

لَوۡ أَنَّہُمۡ فَعَلُواْ مَا يُوعَظُونَ (If they had done what they are exhorted to do): It is conveyed in this that if people are fully obedient to the Holy Prophet then this will be doubly to their benefit. This will be better for them in this world, and they will become stronger in their faith and increase in steadfastness. Thus, this will be a benefit for them in the Hereafter and be a source of steadfastness in this world. This is not to say that it is not obligatory to present oneself to be sacrificed for religion or to abandon one’s home when required. There is actually a prediction in this that the conditions in which it is necessary to abandon homes or to give up one’s life for the sake of religion will no longer prevail except under unusual circumstances which will be almost non-existent. This is the reason why there is a hadith that states: لا ھجرۃ بعد الفتح  (there is no immigration after victory). 

4-67 And then We would certainly have given them from Ourselves a great reward,

وَإِذً۬ا لَّأَتَيۡنَـٰهُم مِّن لَّدُنَّآ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمً۬ا (٦٧)

4-68 And We would certainly have guided them in the right path.

وَلَهَدَيۡنَـٰهُمۡ صِرَٲطً۬ا مُّسۡتَقِيمً۬ا (٦٨)

4-69 And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors from among the prophets and the truthful and the faithful and the righteous, and a goodly company are they!^a

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡہِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّہَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ‌ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ رَفِيقً۬ا (٦٩) 

4-69a: صِّدِّيقِينَ – It is the intensive form of صِّدِّيقِ and it’s meaning accordingly is one who is at the highest level of truthfulness (LA). Imam Raghib says that صِّدِّيقِ is one whose truthfulness manifests itself excessively, and it has been said that صِّدِّيقِ is one who never lies and in fact who has such a habit of telling the truth that he can never lie. Some have said that صِّدِّيقِ is one who is true both in his speech and in his beliefs and who has proven his truthfulness by his actions. This is its meaning in common parlance but in the terminology of the shariah صِّدِّيقِ is one who accepts every command of Allah to be true and finds no doubt in his heart about the veracity of any command and testifies to the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet (LA). This transference from the ordinary meaning to its technical meaning took place as follows: A person is so habituated to tell the truth that not only does he never lies in his personal life but when he comes face to face with something that is the truth, he recognizes it immediately because he has a natural connection with truth and does not stand in need of any convincing. In the language of the shariah, it can be said that the light of faith is so dominant in him or that he has reached such a stage of perfection that he has a natural connection with truth. So, the status of صِّدِّيقت is in fact the pinnacle of the perfection in belief.

شُّہَدَآءِ – شھید is an intensive form, that is one who has perfect knowledge and can explain that knowledge or manifest it. The perfection of شھید is in the field of knowledge just as the perfection of صِّدِّيقِ is in the field of belief. Thus, it has been said that شھید takes precedence in knowledge but follows in belief while صِّدِّيقِ takes precedence in belief and follows in knowledge. It is on this basis that Caliph Abu Bakr Siddiq is considered as the chief of the believers because from the point of belief, his status is higher than all others and Caliph Umar is called شھید because from the point of knowledge, his status is higher than the others. 

صَّـٰلِحِينَ – The root of صالح  is صلح and صلاح is the opposite of conflict. In its most common use, it is specific to deeds (R). The repeated use in the Quran of امَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ has connected صلاح with deeds. In other words, it can be said that the excellence of صالح is dependent on deeds. For this reason, some have given sainthood the status of صالحیت and claimed that Caliph Ali is the chief of this station.

رَفِيق – It is derived from رِفق meaning kindness, leniency. In particular from a person who is one’s companion on a journey (LA). 

Obedience to the Holy Prophet results in companionship of those on whom Allah has granted favors. The emphasis throughout this section is on the obedience of the Holy Prophet. Those who are not obedient have been termed as hypocrites and the section is ended by mentioning the reward of those who are obedient. It is stated that those who are obedient to the Holy Prophet will be in the company of those who are inheritors of great favors from Allah. Who are these people who earned great rewards from Allah? These are those who are elevated to the station of prophethood, who achieve perfection in belief, attain excellence in knowledge and great accomplishment in deeds. Thus, obedience to the Holy Prophet allows a person companionship with men who have achieved perfection even though the person may or may not have achieved perfection himself. There is no denying that those who have achieved excellence in belief, knowledge and deeds are few and a majority of people do not achieve this excellence because of other interests, impurities or other conditions. It is only the grace of Allah that he grants the companionship of these perfect persons to those who tried their level best to be obedient to the Holy Prophet although they did not reach perfection. The words of the Quran bear testimony to this. First the company of these perfect people is mentioned and then by stating: حَسُنَ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ رَفِيقً۬ا it is conveyed that they will have their companionship. Then in the last verse it is stated: ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ مِنَ ٱللَّه (Such is the grace of Allah). It is only the grace of Allah that such a great reward is bestowed just for obedience. The subject of the previous verse also requires this to be the case.

Testimony of the Hadith: When the ahadith are examined, they support this subject. Thus, Nadi has narrated that the Holy Prophet said: التاجر الصدوق الامین مع ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّہَدَآءِ  (The truthful and honest merchant is with the prophets, the truthful and the faithful). This does not mean that he becomes a prophet but that he is in the company of prophets. According to another hadith, the prophet was asked about a person who loves a people but is not one of them, that is he has not reached their status and he replied: المرٔ مع من احب (A man is with those whom he loves) (IK). A narration from Anas states: انی لاحب رسول اللّٰه صلعم و احب ابابکر و عمر رضی اللّٰه عنہما و ارجوا ان اللّٰه یبعثنی معھم و ان لم اعمل کعملھم (I love the Messenger of Allah and I love Abu Bakr and Umar and I hope that Allah will raise me with them, though I have not done the deeds which they did) (IK). It is stated in one hadith that the Holy Prophet mentioned some of the grand scenes of Paradise and the Companions enquired: O the Messenger of Allah! These are the scenes of the station of prophets where others cannot reach? Holy Prophet replied: والّذی نفسی بیدہ رجال اٰمنوا باللّٰه و صدقوا المرسلین (By Allah in whose hands is my life, those people (will also attain it) who believe in Allah and who testify to the truth of the Messenger) (IK). In another hadith, it is narrated that the Holy Prophet saw a person looking sad and enquired the reason. He said: Now we are with you morning and evening and see your face and sit with you, but after death, you will be at a very elevated station where we will not be able to reach. It was then that this verse was revealed.

What remains in the Muslim nation is mubashirat (good news) or prophethood in its literal sense: If prophethood had been a station of the perfection of belief, there would have been some mention of it in the Quran or in the Hadith. Neither has the Quran mentioned anywhere that when a believer progresses in faith, he is made a prophet, nor does this appear from Hadith. Quran, however, does state: لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا (For them is good news in this world’s life) (10:64) and also states: تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮٕ ی (…the angels descend upon them…) (41:30). Further, it is stated in an authentic hadith: لم یبق من النبّوۃ الّا المبشرات (There is nothing left of prophethood except mubashirat (good news). In another authentic hadith, it is narrated: لقد کان فی من کان قبلکم رجال یُکلمون من غیران یکونوا انبیاء فان یکن فی امتی احد نعمر (There were in the people before you persons with whom Allah, the Most High, communicated although they were not prophets. If there is such a person in my followers, it is Umar). It follows that a part of prophethood, or one can say a coloring of it, namely that Allah speaks with His servants is proven from the Quran and Hadith. This is the reason that there is a near consensus in the Muslim Ummah that prophethood in its literary meaning, that is only in the sense of a discourse with God, is prevalent in this Ummah but prophethood in its real or technical sense has terminated. Accordingly, it is stated in Ruh al-Maani: ان النبوّۃ عامة و خاصة و التی لا ذوق لھم فیھا ھی الخاصة اعنی نبوۃ التشریع و ھی مقام خاص فی الولایة و اما النبوۃ العامة فھی مستمرۃ ساریة فی اکابر الرجال غیر منقطعة دنیا و اخری (Prophethood is ordinary and special. The one that this Ummah does not relish is the special prophethood, that is prophethood according to the shariah and that is a special station in saintliness. As for the ordinary prophethood, it continues in the great people of the Ummah and is non terminable in this world and the next.

Saintliness or محدثیت :  Thus ordinary prophethood is another name for saintliness and hence it has also been called محدثیت because the only eminence in it is the ability to discourse with Allah and this will persist in this world and the next. However, the special prophethood which is called prophethood in the terminology of the shariah or نبوت تشریعی because the person appointed to this office brings a code or shariah or has the authority to change an existing shariah by increasing or decreasing it or adding or deleting parts of it has been terminated because the Holy Prophet took the shariah to perfection.

   We now diverge from the verse to actual events. The Quran is full of verses that narrate the complete obedience to the Holy Prophet of the Companions to the extent that the Quran testifies: رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡہُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ (Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him) (9:100). A greater testimonial of obedience is inconceivable. If on the one hand, the complete obedience of the Companions stands proven so clearly, on the other hand, it is equally clear that none of the Companions was bestowed prophethood and made a prophet. Instead, the Holy Prophet stated: لو کان بعدی نبی لکان عمر (If there was a prophet after me, it would have been Umar). In other words, Caliph Umar had the qualities of a prophet but no one becomes a prophet by their effort and Allah in His wisdom has shut the door of prophethood after the Holy Prophet. Now prophethood cannot be bestowed on anybody. Those who say that for thirteen hundred years nobody became a prophet because they were not fully obedient to the Holy Prophet are the enemies of Islam and bring a bad name to Islam throughout the world. If even the Companions were not fully obedient, then did Allah mistakenly give them the testimonial that Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. In short, if it was possible to become a prophet merely by being fully obedient, there was none more deserving for this than the Companions and there should have been hundreds of prophets among them. However, this did not happen. Hence the idea that prophethood can be obtained through obedience is an erroneous belief which is contradicted by the Quran, Hadith and actual events. It is true though that a coloring of prophethood is imparted to the perfect persons of this Ummah and this coloring was given to the Companions as well. For this reason, it is mentioned in the Hadith that the Holy Prophet likened his Companions to prophets they resembled. Abu Zar Ghaffari, for example, was stated to have a resemblance with Jesus. 

4-70 Such is the grace from Allah, and Allah is sufficient as Knower.

ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ عَلِيمً۬ا (٧٠)