4. Surah An-Nisaa

Commentary The Reality of Recommendation and its rules and kinds Verse 85 beginning with مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً points out to the act of شَفَاعَۃ 'shafah' (recommendation) under two heads, the good and the bad, a division which helps clarify its nature. The added message here is that no recommendation is universally good or bad. What has to be realized is that one who makes a good recommendation shall have a share in the reward it brings and whoever makes a bad recommendation shall have a share in the punishment it brings. It will be noted that the word: نَصِيبٌ 'nasibun' (share) has been used with 'shafa` atan hasanatan' (good recommendation) while the word: كِفْلٌ 'kiflun' (share) has been used with شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً 'shafatan sayyiatan' (bad recommendation). Lexically, both words carry the some meaning, that is, a share of something. But, in common usage, 'nasib' refers to a good share while the word 'kifl' is, more than often, used to identify a bad share, although there are occasions when 'kif l' is also used for a good share as well, like " کِفلَین مِن رَّحمَتِہ " (two shares from His mercy) in the Holy Qur'an. The literal meaning of 'shafa` ah' is to meet, to join; or, cause to meet or join. This is why the word 'shaf' means an even number, a pair or couple in Arabic, the antonym of which is referred to as 'witr' or odd. So, speaking literally, 'shafa` ah' means the coupling of one's strength with that of a weak seeker of justice and thus making it stronger in appeal. Or, in other words, joining in with some helpless solitary person and thus giving him the strength of a pair. From here we find out that for recommendation to be fair and permissible the condition is that the claim of the person being recommended be true and permissible. Then, in the second place, it may be that a person cannot carry his claim all by himself to those in authority because of his weakness or lack of resource, something which you may do for him. Thus, we can clearly see that making a recommendation for what is not true and rightful, or forcibly influencing others to accept it, is included under bad recommendation. Consequently, we also know that pressure or authority exerted through the channels of one's connections and influence is also not permissible because it is an act of injustice. Therefore, this too will be counted as 'bad recommendation'. To sum up the meaning of the verse, it can be said that one who makes a recommendation following the permissible way for someone's permissible claim or job, will have a share in its reward. Similarly, one who makes a recommendation for something impermissible or uses an impermissible method to do so, will have a share in its punishment. Having a share means that, should the person to whom the recommendation has been made do the needful for the one oppressed or deprived, the person making the recommendation will be rewarded very much like the official who has listened to the recommendation and removed the injustice or deprivation cited therein. Similarly, one who makes a recommendation for something impermissible will obviously become a sinner - we already know that the reward or punishment of the maker of a recommendation does not depend on his recommendation becoming effective and fruitful; he will get his share in any case. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: اَلدَّالُ عَلَی الخیر کَفَاعِلِہِ that is, a person who brings someone around to do a good deed gets a reward similar to that received by the doer of the good deed. In another hadith from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ عنہ appearing in Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، UI has been reported to have said: مَن اعان علی قتل مؤمن بشطر کلمۃ اللہ لقی اللہ مکتوب بین عینیہ ، اَیٔس من رحمۃ اللہ Whoever helps in the killing of a Muslim even by part of a word will face Allah with a sign written (on his forehead) in between his eyes: (This man is) "deprived from the mercy of Allah) ". From here we find out that prompting someone to do a good deed is a good deed in its own right and carries an identical reward for having done it and, by the same token, prompting someone to do an evil deed or to indulge in an act of sin is also a sin of equal gravity. Towards the end of verse 85, it was said: وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقِيتًا ﴿85﴾ which has been translated as: And Allah is powerful over everything'. Lexically, the word, مُّقِيت is 'muqit' means powerful as well as the observer and the dispenser of sustenance. All these three meanings can be deduced from this statement. In the first sense, the meaning would be that Allah is powerful over everything. For Him the rewarding and punishing of the one who makes a recommendation and the one who executes it is not difficult. Taken in the second sense, the meaning would be that Allah is ever-present observing everything. He knows best who is making a recommendation with what intention, such as, is it being done sincerely to help out some brother-in-faith just for the sake of Allah and His pleasure, or the purpose is to make him a target of self-interest and get some advantage out of him as a bribe. Taken in the third sense, the meaning would be that Allah Almighty is Himself responsible for the dispensation of sustenance; whatever He has written for someone has got to reach him. A recommendation by someone is not going to leave Him, choiceless. In fact, He will bestow on whomsoever He wills as much of sustenance as He wills. However, the maker of a good recommendation gets a reward for free because he has extended a helping hand to the helpless. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: کَانَ اللہ فی عون عبدہ ما دام فی عون اخیہ Allah keeps helping His servant as long as he keeps helping his brother. It is on this basis that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said as reported in a hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari: اشفعوا فلتوجروا و یقضی اللہ علی لسان نبیّہ ماشاءَ Recommend and be rewarded and then be pleased with whatever Allah decides through His prophet. While this hadith declares recommendation as a source of Divine reward, it also defines the limit of such recommendation. If a weak person cannot carry his problem onward to a higher authority, or is incapable of explaining correctly what he needs, then, you do it for him. Further from that what happens is none of your business. The recommendation may be accepted or it may be rejected. at a person needs to be done may be done, or it may remain undone. These are possibilities and you should not interfere in the process of decision-making in any manner whatsoever. Should the final outcome turn out to be against the recommendation made, you should never end up being displeased or disgusted. The last sentence of the hadith quoted above: یقضی اللہ علی لسان نبیّہ ماشاءَ means just this. Also, due to this reason, the words of the Holy Qur'an carry a hint in this direction, that is, the reward or punishment on the making of a recommendation does not depend on a successful recommendation. Such reward or punishment relates to the initial act of making a recommendation in the absolute sense. If you make a good recommendation, you become deserving of a reward and if you make a bad recommendation, you become liable to punishment - the approval or rejection of your recommendation does not matter. The commentators of Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit and Bayan al-Qur'an and several others take the word مِنھَا 'minha in verse 85 as indicative of cause and see a hint in this direction. Al-Tafsir a1-Mazhari reports from the great exegete Mujahid that one who makes a recommendation will get a reward for having made it, even though the recommendation may not have been accepted. Then, this approach is not specially related to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in person. Any recommendation made to any other human being should be bound by this principle - make the recommendation and be done with it. Moving any further to compel the addressee of the recommendation to accept it is not right and fair. This is illustrated by an incident in the blessed life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He made a recommendation to Sayyidah Barirah; a bondwoman freed by Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ that her husband Mughith from whom she had dissolved her marriage was really disturbed emotionally because he loved her, so she may think of remarrying him. Sayyidah Barirah ؓ said: 'Ya Rasulallah, if this is your command, I am all for it; but, if this is a recommendation, then, I just do not feel like accepting it at all.' The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Yes, this is a recommendation and not a command.' Sayyidah Barirah may Allah be pleased with her, knew that the Holy Prophet ﷺ will not feel bad about what is against the set rule. Therefore, in all frankness, she said: 'Then I do not accept this recommendation.' He took it very gracefully and let her stay the way she was. This was the whole reality behind the act of recommendation, something which brought merit and reward under the legal code of Islam. But, in our day, people have so mutilated the whole thing that no 'shafa` ah' or recommendation remains what it was intended to be. What we witness now is a pushy exercise of cashing on the basis of connections, acquaintance and VIP influence for which relentless pressure is exerted. This is why people become angry when their recommendation is not accepted. Some would even stoop down to open hostility, although pressurizing a person to a limit where he is compelled to do something against his conscience and good discretion is included under compulsion and coercion and is a grave sin. This is just like someone forcibly usurping the claim, right or property belonging to the other person. Wasn't that person free and independent as established by the law of Islam? Here comes someone who deprives him of his freedom of action by pressing him to do something against his free will and conscience. This would be like stealing from someone and giving it to a destitute in order to fulfill his need. Receiving Payment against a Recommendation is Bribe and is Absolutely Forbidden A recommendation against which anything is taken in return becomes a bribe. The hadith declares it to be an ill-gotten property which is haram (forbidden). This includes all kinds of bribe whether money-oriented or job-related, for instance, harnessing someone to do a personal chore in return for having done something for him. According to Tafsir al-Kashshaf, a good recommendation is that which aims at fulfilling the right of a Muslim, or to bring some permissible benefit to him, or to shield him from harm or loss. Furthermore, this act of recommendation should not be for any worldly expediency. It should be aimed at helping a weak person exclusively for seeking the pleasure of Allah. Then no bribe, financial or physical, should be taken against this recommendation and that this recommendation should also not be about things not permissible. In addition to all that, the purpose of this recommendation should not be to seek pardon for a proven crime the punishment for which stands fixed in the Holy Qur'an. It appears in Tafsir Al-Bahr Al-Muhit and al-Mazhari that praying to Allah that the need of some Muslim be fulfilled is also included under 'good recommendation', the reward for which reaches the maker of the prayer as well. According to a hadith, when someone prays for the good of his brother-in-faith, the angel says: و لک بمثل which means - may Allah fulfill your need as well.'

Salam and Islam : The Bliss of Muslim Greeting In verse 86 which begins with the words: وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا Allah Almighty tells us the etiquette of offering and returning greetings known as Salam among Muslims. Lexically, تَحَیَّۃ 'Tahiyyah' means sayings حَیَّکَ اللہ :'Hayyakallah', that is, 'may Allah keep you alive'. In pre-Islam Arabia, when people met, they used to greet each other by saying 'Hayyakallah' or An` amallahu bika ` aynan' or ` An` im sabahan' or other expression of this nature. When Islam came, it changed this style of greeting and replaced it with a standard form of greeting which is السلام علیکم 'As-Salamu Alaikum` Commonly, though incompletely, translated in English as 'peace be on you', the greeting means: 'May you remain safe from every pain, sorrow and distress.' In Ahkam al-Qur'an, Ibn ` Arabi says: The word Salam is one of the good names of Allah Almighty and السلام علیکم As-Salamu Alaikum' means ; that is, Allah Almighty is your guardian and caretaker. The Islamic greeting is unique All civilized people around the world have the custom of saying something to express mutual familiarity or affection when they meet each other. If compared with these broadmindedly, the Islamic form of greeting will stand out significantly for its comprehensiveness because it does not simply restrict itself to an expression of affection alone. It rather combines it with the fulfillment of the demands of love and affection. It means that we pray to Allah that He keep you safe against all calamities and sorrows. Then, this is no bland prayer for long life alone as was the way with pre-Islam Arabs. Instead of that, here we have a prayer for good life, that is, a life which is secure against all calamities and sorrows. Along with it, the Islamic salam is an expression of the reality of our relation with Allah Almighty - that we, the greeter and the greeted, are all dependent on Allah Almighty needing Him all the time and no one can bring any benefit to someone else without His will and leave. Taken in this sense, this form of greeting is an act of worship in its own right and, quite functionally indeed, a medium of reminding a brother-in-faith of Allah Almighty, the object of his obedience and love. Staying with this line of presentation, let us imagine a person praying to Allah that his acquaintance remain safe against all calamities and sorrows. When doing so, is it not that he is sort of making a promise as well that the person being greeted is safe against his own hands and tongue. In other words, he is saying that he, in his place, is the guardian and protector of the person's life, property and honour. In Ahkam al-Qur'an, Ibn al ` Arabi has reported the following saying of Imam Ibn ` Uyaynah: اَتَدری ما السلام ؟ یقول اَنتَ اٰمِن مِّنِّی Do you know what salam Is? The greeter by sal am says: 'You are safe from me.' To sum up, it can be said that this Islamic form of greeting has a universal comprehensiveness as it is a medium of the remembrance of Allah while reminding the person greeted of Him. It is a vehicle of expressing love and affection for a brother-in-faith and, in fact, a wonderful prayer for him. Then, it also carries a commitment that the greeted will in no way face harm or discomfort from the greeter as it appears is a sound hadith where the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: اَلمُسلِمُ مَن سَلِمَ المُسلِمونَ مِن لِّسَانِہِ و یَدِہِ A Muslim is the one from whom all Muslims remain safe - (safe) from his tongue and (safe) from his hands. (Tirmidhi, Kitabul-'Iman) At this point one may fondly wish that Muslims would not utter the words of this greeting as some sort of habitual custom which commonly prevails among other people of the world. How beneficial it would be if this greeting is offered out of a full understanding of its reality which, perhaps, may turn out to be enough for the reform of whole community. This is the reason why the Holy Prophet ﷺ laid great emphasis on popularizing the practice of Muslims in greeting each other with salam, and he identified it as the best of deeds and took time to explain its merits, graces, blessings and rewards. In a hadith of Sahih Muslim narrated by Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: ''You cannot enter Paradise until you are a believer and your belief cannot be complete until you love each other. I tell you something which, if you put it in practice, will establish bonds of love among you all, and that is: Make salam a common practice among you which should include every Muslim, whether an acquaintance or a stranger." Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہما ، says that someone asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ : 'Out of the practices of Islam which is the worthiest?' He said: 'Feed people and spread the practice of salam, whether you know or do not know a person.' (Bukhari and Muslim) The Musnad of Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud report from Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Nearest to Allah is the person who is the first one to offer salam.' A hadith from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ عنہما appearing in Musnad al-Bazzar and al-Mu'jim al-Kabir of al-Tabarani reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Salam is one of the names of Allah Almighty with which He has blessed the people of the earth. So, make salam a common practice among you because, when a Muslim goes to a gathering of people and offers his salam to them, he is blessed with a station of distinction in the sight of Allah Almighty as he reminded everyone of Salam, that is, reminded everyone of Allah Almighty. If people in the gathering do not return his greeting, others will respond who are better than the people of this gathering, that is, the angels of Allah Almighty.' In another hadith from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said: 'A big miser is the man who acts miserly in offering salam. (Tabarani, al-Mu` jim al-Kabir) The effect that those teachings of the Holy Prophets had on his noble Companions can be gauged from a narration about Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar ؓ ، who would frequently go to the bazaar just for the single purpose of having a chance to meet any Muslim there in the hope of offering salam to him and thus become deserving of the reward of an act of worship. Incidentally, he never intended to buy or sell anything while there. This narration from Sayyidna Tufayl ibn Ubayy ibn Ka'b ؓ appears in Mu'atta' of Imam Malik (رح) . Verse 4:86 of the Holy Qur'an which says: 'And when you are greeted with a salutation, greet with one better than it, or return the same', was explained by the Holy Prophet ﷺ through his own action in the following manner. Once someone came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and said: 'As-Salam, u Alaikum Ya Rasulallah' (peace be on you, 0 Messenger of Allah). While returning the greeting, he added a word and said: 'Wa Alaikumus-Salam wa Rahmatulah (And peace be on you, and the mercy of Allah). Then someone else came and offered his salam using the following words: 'As-Salamu Alaika Ya Rasulallah wa Rahmatullah.' In response, he added yet another word and said: 'Wa Alaikumus-Salem wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh (And peace be on you too, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings). Then came a third person. He combined all three saluta-tions in his initial salam and greeted him by saying the whole thing, that is: 'As-Sala-mu Alaik Ye Rasulallah wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.' In response, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said only one word 'Wa Alaik' (and on you). Disappointed in his heart, he said: 'Ya Rasulallah, ransomed be my parents for you, you said many words of prayer while returning the greeting of those who came before me. But, when I greeted you with all those words, you limited your response to 'wa 'alaik' (and on you).' He said: 'You left nothing for me to add in the response! Since you used up all those words in your initial salam, I found it sufficient to return your greeting on the principle of like for like in accordance with the teaching of the Qur'an.' This narration has been reported by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim ؓ with different chains of authorities. There are three things we find out from this hadith: Words appearing in the verse under comment mean that a salam offered should be returned by adding more words to it. If someone says Assalamu Alaikum (peace be on you), you respond by saying Wa Alaikumus-Salam wa Rahmatullah (And peace be on you, and the mercy of Allah). If he says As-Sala-mu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah (peace be on you, and the mercy of Allah), then, in response, you say Wa Alaikumus-Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh (And peace be on you, and the mercy of Allah, and His blessings). 2. This addition of words is restricted to three words only as a masnun act, that is, conforming to the blessed practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Going beyond that is not masnun. The logic behind it is obvious. The occasion for salam requires that the verbal exchange be brief. Any excess in this connection which interferes with ongoing business or which becomes heavy on the listener is not appropriate. Therefore, when the person visiting the Holy Prophet ﷺ combined all three words in his very initial salam, he elected to abstain from any further addition of words. This was further explained by Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ by saying that the Holy Prophet ﷺ stopped the man who went beyond the limit of the three words with the following statement اِنِّ السَّلَامَ قَدِ انتَھٰی اِلَی البَرَکَۃِ (Mazhari from al-Baghawi). It means that salam ends at the word, barakah. Saying anything beyond that was not the practice of the blessed Prophet ﷺ . (Ibn Kathir) 3. If someone makes his salam with three words spoken at the same time, returning it with only one word will be correct. That too comes under the principle of like for like and is sufficient in obedience to the Qur'anic command أَوْ رُ‌دُّوهَا (or return the same) as the Holy Prophet ﷺ has, in this hadith, considered a one-word response as sufficient. (Tafsir Mazhari) In summation, we can say that it is obligatory on a Muslim to return the salam offered to him. If he fails to do so without any valid excuse admitted by the Shari’ ah of Islam, he will become a sinner. However, he has the option to choose the mode. He can either respond with words better than those used in offering the salam; or, the response could be in identical words. It will be noticed that this verse very clearly states that returning a salam is obligatory but it is not explicit on the nature of offering a salam initially. However, in the Qur'anic expression إِذَا حُيِّيتُم (And when you are greeted .. ) there does lie a hint pointing towards this rule of conduct. That this statement is in the passive voice without identifying the subject precisely could be suggestive of salam being something all Muslims already do habitually and commonly. The Musnad of Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud report that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Nearest to Allah is the person who is the first to offer salam.' So, from the emphasis on salam and its many merits you have learnt from the teachings of the Holy Prophet cited earlier, we get to understand that offering the initial salam has also been emphasized as part of the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . According to Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muhit, the initial salam is actually a sunnah mu'akkadah (emphasized practice of the Prophet of Islam) as held by the majority of ` Ulama. And Hasan al-Basri (رح) said: السلام تطوع والرد فریضہ ، that is, 'the initial salam is voluntary while returning it is an obligation.' Some more detailed explanations of this Qur'anic injunctions about salam and its answer have been given by the Holy Prophet ﷺ which the reader may wish to know briefly. According to a hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim, the person riding should himself offer salam to the person walking; and the person walking should offer salam to the person sitting; and a small group of persons walking near a larger group should be the first to offer salam. According to a hadith in Tirmidhi, when a person enters his house, he should offer salam to the members of his family as this act of grace will bring blessings for him as well as for his family. According to a hadith in Abu Dawud, when one meets a Muslim more than once, he should offer salam every time; and the way offering salam is masnun (a requirement of sunnah) at the time of the initial meeting, so it is at the time of seeking leave when offering salam is in line with the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and a source of reward as well. This rule of guidance appears in Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud as narrated by Sayyidna Qatadah and Abu Hurairah ؓ . Now a note of caution about the rule: It is obligatory to answer salam - however, there are certain exceptions to it. For instance, if someone says salam to a person who is offering salah, an answer is not obligatory. Indeed, it is a spoiler of salah. Similarly, a person may be delivering a religious sermon, or is busy in reciting the Holy Qur'an, or is calling the adhan or iqamah, or is teaching religious texts, or is busy with his human compulsions - in all such conditions, even offering the initial salam is not permissible, and he is not responsible for answering it as a matter of obligation either. Towards the end of verse .86, it was said: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا (Surely, Allah is the Reckoner over everything). It means that with Allah rests the reckoning of everything which includes all human and Islamic rights such as salam and its answer. These too will have to be accounted for before Allah Almighty.

After that comes verse 87 اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَ‌يْبَ فِيهِ which means that there is no object worthy of worship other than Allah. So, it exhorts: Believe in Him as the only object of your worship and whatever you do let that be with the intention of an act of worship or ` ibadah before Him. He will gather everyone on the Day of Qiyamah, the fateful Day of Doom, in which there is no doubt. That will be the Day when He will give everyone the return for whatever deeds he will come up with the promise that Qiyamah will come and the news that there will be reward and punishment at that time is all true. This is true because this °news° of what will happen is given by Allah, وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّـهِ حَدِيثًا - and whose word can be more true than that of Allah?

Commentary The verses quoted above describe three groups of people about whom two injunctions have been given. The following narrations clarify events surrounding these groups: 1. ` Abdullah ibn Hamid has narrated from Mujahid that some disbelievers of Makkah came to Madinah. They pretended to have become Muslims and claimed to have come there as emigrants. Later, they turned into apostates. They went to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، told him about their plan to go to Makkah to buy merchandise from there. Having made their false excuse, they departed for Makkah and never returned. There arose a difference of opinion about their behaviour among the Muslims of Madinah. Some said that they were believers. It was in verse-88 فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْ (So what is the matter with you that you have become two groups about the hypocrites) where Allah Almighty declared that they were disbelievers and should be killed. Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) has explained the Qur'anic word, 'munafiq' (hypocrite) by saying that they were hypocrites when they claimed to have become Muslims - they had never believed in their hearts. The fact was that hypocrites were not killed because they concealed their inner disbelief. But, the case of these people was different as their apostasy had come out in the open. As for those who took them to be Muslims, they may have, perhaps, taken a benign view of their action under some interpretation. However, this interpretation was based on sheer opinion not supported by any proof from the Shari’ ah. That is why no reliance was placed on it. 2. Ibn Abi Shaybah has narrated from Hasan that Suraqah ibn Malik al-Mudlaji visited the Holy Prophet ﷺ after the events of Badr and Uhud and requested him to make peace with his tribe, Bani Mudlaj. Thereupon, he sent Sayyidni Khalid ؓ to them to conclude a peace treaty. The terms of the treaty were as follows: "We will not support anyone against the Holy Prophet ﷺ . If the Quraysh become Muslims, We too shall become Muslims. All tribes who enter into alliance with us, they too shall become a party with us in this treaty." Thereupon, this verse: وَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُ‌ونَ (اِلٰی قَولہ) إِلَّا الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ -- (They wish that you disbelieve like they have disbelieved) was revealed. 3. It has been narrated from Sayyidna ibn ` Abbas ؓ that the people mentioned in the verse: سَتَجِدُونَ آخَرِ‌ينَ (You will find others who want to be secure from you) are those belonging to the tribes of Asad and Ghitfan who, when they came to Madinah, professed Islam outwardly, but to their own people they would confide that they had really believed in monkeys and scorpions while before Muslims they would piously declare that they were followers of their faith. However, Dahhak ascribes this conduct to the tribe of ` Abd al-Dar according to a report from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . The first and the second narration appears in Ruh al-Ma'ani, while the third narration can be seen in Ma’ alim. Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) likens the state of those mentioned in the third narration as that of the first one since it proves that they were no Muslims to begin with, therefore, they fall under the injunction governing disbelievers in general, that is, 'do not fight them in the presence of a peace treaty - otherwise, do.' Thus, regarding those mentioned in the first narration, the second verse (89): فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ (then if they turn away, sieze them and kill them) carries the injunction that they be arrested and killed, while the statement in the third verse (90): إِلَّا الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ (except those who join a group with whom you have a treaty) gives them a clear exemption in the event of peace, a situation which finds mention in the second narration. This exemption has been emphasised once again in فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ (if they stay away from you) later in the same verse (90). Regarding those mentioned in the third narration, it has been said in the fourth verse (91): سَتَجِدُونَ آخَرِ‌ينَ (you will find others ....) which means that should these people refuse to leave you alone and insist on fighting, then do fight against them. From this, it can be deduced that in the event they make peace, there should be no fighting against them. (Bayan al-Qur'an) In short, the three groups mentioned here are: 1. Those who do not emigrate despite their ability to do so in a period of time when emigration was a pre-requisite of faith in Islam. Or, after having emigrated, they go out of the new abode of Islam (Dar al-Islam) and return to the abode of disbelief (Dar al-Kufr). 2. Those who themselves enter a no-war pact with Muslims or those who join hands with those entering into such a pact. 3. Those who make peace to buy time and once there comes an occasion to fight a war against Muslims, they would readily join the enemy camp throwing all treaty obligations to winds. The injunction governing the first group is similar to that which governs the disbelievers in general. The second groups is exempted from being arrested and killed. The third group deserves the same punishment as fixed for the first. These verses yield a total of two injunctions, that is, fighting in the absence of peace; and not fighting in the event of peace.

Different forms of Emigration and their Rules Hijrah (Emigration) mentioned in verse 89 has been taken up in detail under the commentary on verse 100 of Surah al-Nis-a' which appears a little later. At this point, it is sufficient to know that Emigration from the homeland of Disbelief (Darul-kufr) was enjoined on all Muslims during the early period of Islam. It is for this reason that Allah Almighty has prohibited treating those who fail to carry out this obligation as Muslims. Consequently, when Makkah was conquered, the Holy Prophet declared: ھِجرَۃَ بَعدَ الفَتح لَا (There is no Hijrah after the Victory). It means: ‘Now that the Conquest of Makkah has made it the Abode of Islam, emigration from there was no more obligatory.' This rule related to the period of time when Emigration was considered to be a pre-condition of anyone's faith. During those days, anyone who did not emigrate despite having the ability to do so was not taken to be a Muslim. But, later on, this injunction was abrogated1 and now this mode of Emigration has ceased to exist. 1. It means that emigration no longer remained a pre-requisite for his being Muslim. However, if a Muslim lives in a non-Muslim country where he cannot fulfill his religious obligations, it is incumbent on him to emigrate if he has the means to do so. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani) There remains, however, another form of Hijrah which has been identified in a hadith of Sahib al-Bukhari where it was said: لَا تَنقَطِعُ الھِجرَۃُ حَتَّی تَنقَطِعَ التَوبَۃ . It means that Hijrah (not in the sense of abandoning one's homeland, but in the sense of abandoning one's sins) will continue to exist until there remains the time to repent. ` Allamah ` Ayni, the commentator of al-Bukhari has said about this Hijrah: اَنَ المرَادَ بِالھجِرَۃِ البَاقِیۃِ ھِیَ ھَجرُ اَلسَّیِّاتِ (This later Hijrah means the abandonment of sins). This subject also finds elucidation in a hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ where he is reported to have said: اَلمُھَجرُ مَن ھَجَرَمَا نَھَی اللہُ عَنہُ. It means that a Muhajir (Emigrant) is one who emigrates ('hajara': abandon, leave) from everything prohibited by Allah Almighty (al-Mirqat, v.1) The discussion appearing above tells us that, technically, the word, Hijrah is applied in a dual sense: 1. To leave one's homeland in order to save one's faith as was done by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all - they left their homeland of Makkah and emigrated to Madinah and Ethiopia. 2. To leave one's sins. The words of the verse 89: وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرً‌ا (and do not take from them a friend or a helper) tell us that seeking help from disbelievers is forbidden (Haram). Pursuant to this, it appears in a narration that the Ansars of Madinah sought the permission of the Holy Prophet $ to seek help from the Jews to offset disbelievers whereupon he said: v 'I (The bad ones! We do not need them). (Mazhari, v.2