4. Surah An-Nisaa

النساءThe Women · 176 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش

Read Surah An-Nisaa in the Quran reader
Ayahs 4:107–112

وَ لَا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِیْنَ یَخْتَانُوْنَ اَنْفُسَهُمْ١ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا اَثِیْمًاۚۙ Open ayah 4:107 in the Quran reader

Do not plead for those who are dishonest to themselves; 141 Allah does not love him who betrays trust and persists in sin.

یَّسْتَخْفُوْنَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ لَا یَسْتَخْفُوْنَ مِنَ اللّٰهِ وَ هُوَ مَعَهُمْ اِذْ یُبَیِّتُوْنَ مَا لَا یَرْضٰى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِمَا یَعْمَلُوْنَ مُحِیْطًا Open ayah 4:108 in the Quran reader

They can hide (their deeds) from men but they cannot hide (them) from Allah for He is with them even when they hold nightly counsels that are unpleasing to Allah. Allah encompasses all their doings.

هٰۤاَنْتُمْ هٰۤؤُلَآءِ جٰدَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِی الْحَیٰوةِ الدُّنْیَا١۫ فَمَنْ یُّجَادِلُ اللّٰهَ عَنْهُمْ یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ اَمْ مَّنْ یَّكُوْنُ عَلَیْهِمْ وَكِیْلًا Open ayah 4:109 in the Quran reader

You pleaded on their behalf in this worldly life but who will plead with Allah on their behalf on the Day of Resurrection, or who will be their defender there?

وَ مَنْ یَّعْمَلْ سُوْٓءًا اَوْ یَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهٗ ثُمَّ یَسْتَغْفِرِ اللّٰهَ یَجِدِ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِیْمًا Open ayah 4:110 in the Quran reader

He who does either evil or wrongs himself, and then asks for the forgiveness of Allah, will find Allah All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.

وَ مَنْ یَّكْسِبْ اِثْمًا فَاِنَّمَا یَكْسِبُهٗ عَلٰى نَفْسِهٖ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلِیْمًا حَكِیْمًا Open ayah 4:111 in the Quran reader

He who commits a sin, commits it only to his detriment. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

وَ مَنْ یَّكْسِبْ خَطِیْٓئَةً اَوْ اِثْمًا ثُمَّ یَرْمِ بِهٖ بَرِیْٓئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَّ اِثْمًا مُّبِیْنًا۠ Open ayah 4:112 in the Quran reader

But he who commits either a fault or a sin, and then casts it upon an innocent person, lays upon himself the burden of a false charge and a flagrant sin.

141. Whoever commits a breach of trust with others in fact commits a breach of trust with his own self first. For the powers of his head and heart have been placed at his disposal as a trust, and by misusing them he is forcing those powers to support him in acts which involve a breach of trust. In doing so the person concerned suppresses his conscience, which God has placed as a sentinel over his moral conduct, with the result that it is rendered incapable of preventing him from acts of wrong and iniquity. It is only after a man has already carried out this cruel suppression of conscience within himself that he is able to commit acts of sin and iniquity outwardly.
Ayahs 4:113–114

وَ لَوْ لَا فَضْلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَیْكَ وَ رَحْمَتُهٗ لَهَمَّتْ طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ اَنْ یُّضِلُّوْكَ١ؕ وَ مَا یُضِلُّوْنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ مَا یَضُرُّوْنَكَ مِنْ شَیْءٍ١ؕ وَ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلَیْكَ الْكِتٰبَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَ عَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ١ؕ وَ كَانَ فَضْلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَیْكَ عَظِیْمًا Open ayah 4:113 in the Quran reader

(O Messenger!) But for Allah's favour and mercy upon you, a party of them had resolved to mislead you,yet they only misled them selves, and could not have harmed you in any way. 142 Allah revealed to you the Book and Wisdom, and He taught you what you knew not. Great indeed has been Allah's favour upon you.

لَا خَیْرَ فِیْ كَثِیْرٍ مِّنْ نَّجْوٰىهُمْ اِلَّا مَنْ اَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ اَوْ مَعْرُوْفٍ اَوْ اِصْلَاحٍۭ بَیْنَ النَّاسِ١ؕ وَ مَنْ یَّفْعَلْ ذٰلِكَ ابْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللّٰهِ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِیْهِ اَجْرًا عَظِیْمًا Open ayah 4:114 in the Quran reader

Most of their secret conferrings are devoid of good, unless one secretly enjoins in charity, good deeds, and setting the affairs of men right. We shall grant who ever does that seeking to please Allah a great reward.

142. Even if some people succeeded in their design to obtain from the Prophet (peace be on him) a wrong judgement in their favour by presenting a false account of events, the real loss would have been theirs rather than the Prophet's (peace be on him). For the real criminals in the sight of God are the perpetrators of that fraud and not the Prophet (peace be on him) who might in good faith have delivered a verdict that actually did not conform to the facts. Whoever obtains a judgement in his favour by tricking the courts deludes himself into believing that by such tricks he can bring right to his side; right remains with its true claimant regardless of judgements obtained by fraud and deception. (See also Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, Surah 2, n. 197.)
Ayah 4:115

وَ مَنْ یُّشَاقِقِ الرَّسُوْلَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدٰى وَ یَتَّبِعْ غَیْرَ سَبِیْلِ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ نُوَلِّهٖ مَا تَوَلّٰى وَ نُصْلِهٖ جَهَنَّمَ١ؕ وَ سَآءَتْ مَصِیْرًا۠ Open ayah 4:115 in the Quran reader

As for him who sets himself against the Messenger and follows a path other than that of the believers even after true guidance had become clear to him, We will let him go to the way he has turned to, 143 and We will cast him into Hell - an evil destination.

143. When, after revelation from God, the Prophet (peace be on him) delivered his verdict in favour of the innocent Jew rather than the dishonest Muslim, the latter was so seized by un-Islamic, egotistic and chauvinistic considerations that he left Madina, went straight to Makka to join the ranks of the enemies of Islam and of the Prophet (peace be on him), and undertook open opposition. The verse alludes to that incident.
Ayah 4:116

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یَغْفِرُ اَنْ یُّشْرَكَ بِهٖ وَ یَغْفِرُ مَا دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ لِمَنْ یَّشَآءُ١ؕ وَ مَنْ یُّشْرِكْ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلٰلًۢا بَعِیْدًا Open ayah 4:116 in the Quran reader

Truly it is only associating others with Allah in His divinity that Allah does not forgive, 144 and forgives anything besides that to whomsoever He wills. Whoever associates others with Allah in His divinity has indeed strayed far away.

144. In this and the following verses we are asked to consider coolly, the end result of obsession with rage and anger, and what kind of people one chooses to identify with in place of the righteous people from whom one foolishly dissociates oneself.
Ayah 4:117

اِنْ یَّدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اِنٰثًا١ۚ وَ اِنْ یَّدْعُوْنَ اِلَّا شَیْطٰنًا مَّرِیْدًاۙ Open ayah 4:117 in the Quran reader

Rather than call upon Him, they call upon goddesses, and call upon a rebellious Satan 145

145. No one sets up Satan as his 'god' in the sense that he makes him the object of his ritual worship and declares him to be God in so many words. The way to make Satan one's god is to entrust one's reins to him and let oneself be drawn helplessly in whichever direction he wants; the relationship between the two is, then, that of worshipper and worshipped. This shows that either absolute, unreserved obedience to or blind following of anybody is tantamount to 'worshipping' him, so that whoever indulges in this kind of absolute obedience is guilty of worshipping a 'god' other than the One True God.
Ayah 4:118

لَّعَنَهُ اللّٰهُ١ۘ وَ قَالَ لَاَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِیْبًا مَّفْرُوْضًاۙ Open ayah 4:118 in the Quran reader

upon whom Allah has laid His curse. He said (to Allah): 'I will take to myself an appointed portion of Your servants 146

146. This shows that Satan is determined to lay his claim to a portion of men's time, to their effort and labour, to their energies and capacities, to their material belongings, and to their offspring, and would somehow trick them into devoting a sizeable portion of all these in his cause.
Ayah 4:119

وَّ لَاُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَ لَاُمَنِّیَنَّهُمْ وَ لَاٰمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَیُبَتِّكُنَّ اٰذَانَ الْاَنْعَامِ وَ لَاٰمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَیُغَیِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللّٰهِ١ؕ وَ مَنْ یَّتَّخِذِ الشَّیْطٰنَ وَلِیًّا مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِیْنًاؕ Open ayah 4:119 in the Quran reader

and shall lead them astray, and shall engross them in vain desires, and I shall command them and they will cut off the ears of the cattle, 147 and I shall command them and they will disfigure Allah's creation.' 148 He who took Satan rather than Allah for his guardian has indeed suffered a man-ifest loss.

147. The reference here is to a superstitious Arabian custom. It was customary among the Arabs that after a camel had given birth to five or ten young to slit her ears and let her go in the name of their deity; they considered it forbidden to put her to any work. Likewise, the male camel that had caused the birth of ten camels was consecrated to some deity. The slitting of ears symbolized this consecration. 148. To alter God's creation in some respect does not mean changing its original form. If that was meant, human civilization would have to be considered Satanic in its entirety. For civilization consists essentially of man's putting to use the resources endowed by God. Hence the alteration of God's creation, which is characterized as Satanic, consists in using a thing not for the purpose for which it was created by God. In other words, all acts performed in violation either of one's true nature or of the intrinsic nature of other things are the result of the misleading promptings of Satan. These include, for instance, sodomy, birth control, monasticism, celibacy, sterilization of either men or women, turning males into eunuchs, diverting females from the functions entrusted to them by nature and driving them to perform the functions for which men were created. These and numerous similar measures are enacted by Satan's disciples in this world, which amounts on their part, to saying that the laws of the Creator were faulty and that they would like to 'reform' them.
Ayahs 4:120–125

یَعِدُهُمْ وَ یُمَنِّیْهِمْ١ؕ وَ مَا یَعِدُهُمُ الشَّیْطٰنُ اِلَّا غُرُوْرًا Open ayah 4:120 in the Quran reader

Satan makes promises to them and fills them with vain hopes, 149 but whatever he promises them is merely delusion.

اُولٰٓئِكَ مَاْوٰىهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ١٘ وَ لَا یَجِدُوْنَ عَنْهَا مَحِیْصًا Open ayah 4:121 in the Quran reader

For these people, their abode shall be Hell and from there they shall find no way of escape.

وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنّٰتٍ تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُ خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَاۤ اَبَدًا١ؕ وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ حَقًّا١ؕ وَ مَنْ اَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ قِیْلًا Open ayah 4:122 in the Quran reader

But those who believe and do good, We shall cause them to enter the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. Here they will abide for ever. This is Allah's promise in truth and whose word is truer than Allah's?

لَیْسَ بِاَمَانِیِّكُمْ وَ لَاۤ اَمَانِیِّ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ١ؕ مَنْ یَّعْمَلْ سُوْٓءًا یُّجْزَ بِهٖ١ۙ وَ لَا یَجِدْ لَهٗ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ وَلِیًّا وَّ لَا نَصِیْرًا Open ayah 4:123 in the Quran reader

It is neither your fancies nor the fancies of the People of the Book which matter. Whoever does evil shall reap its consequence and will find none to be his protector and helper against Allah.

وَ مَنْ یَّعْمَلْ مِنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰى وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَاُولٰٓئِكَ یَدْخُلُوْنَ الْجَنَّةَ وَ لَا یُظْلَمُوْنَ نَقِیْرًا Open ayah 4:124 in the Quran reader

Whoever does good and believes -whether he is male or female - such shall enter the Garden, and they shall not be wronged in the slightest.

وَ مَنْ اَحْسَنُ دِیْنًا مِّمَّنْ اَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهٗ لِلّٰهِ وَ هُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَّ اتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ حَنِیْفًا١ؕ وَ اتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ خَلِیْلًا Open ayah 4:125 in the Quran reader

And whose way of life could be better than that of he who submits his whole being to Allah, does good, and follows exclusively the way of Abraham whom Allah took for a friend?

149. Satanic operations are based on making attractive promises and raising high hopes. Whenever Satan wants to mislead men, whether individually or collectively, he tries to inspire them with Utopian expectations. In some he inspires expectations of ecstatic pleasure and outstanding success in their individual lives. He inspires others with prospects for achieving national glory. To still others he promises the well-being of mankind. He makes people feel confident that they can arrive at the ultimate truth without the aid of revealed knowledge. He deludes others into believing that God neither exists nor that there is any Life-after-Death. He comforts others with the belief that even if there is an After-life, they will be able to escape punishment through the intercession of certain persons. In short, Satan extends to different groups of people different promises and expectations with a view to seducing them.
Ayah 4:126

وَ لِلّٰهِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ مُّحِیْطًا۠ Open ayah 4:126 in the Quran reader

Whatever is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Allah; 150 Allah en-compasses everything. 151

150. To submit to God is the best course for man, for it conforms fully to ultimate reality. Since God is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that lies therein, the only right attitude for man is to give up his unlimited freedom and willingly commit himself to serve and obey God. 151. If man will neither submit to God nor stop acting in defiance of Him, he should bear in mind that he can never escape from God's grip,for His power encompasses him completely.
Ayah 4:127

وَ یَسْتَفْتُوْنَكَ فِی النِّسَآءِ١ؕ قُلِ اللّٰهُ یُفْتِیْكُمْ فِیْهِنَّ١ۙ وَ مَا یُتْلٰى عَلَیْكُمْ فِی الْكِتٰبِ فِیْ یَتٰمَى النِّسَآءِ الّٰتِیْ لَا تُؤْتُوْنَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَ تَرْغَبُوْنَ اَنْ تَنْكِحُوْهُنَّ وَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِیْنَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَانِ١ۙ وَ اَنْ تَقُوْمُوْا لِلْیَتٰمٰى بِالْقِسْطِ١ؕ وَ مَا تَفْعَلُوْا مِنْ خَیْرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِهٖ عَلِیْمًا Open ayah 4:127 in the Quran reader

They ask you to pronounce laws concerning women, 152 say: 'Allah pronounces to you concerning them, 153 and reminds you of the injunctions which were recited to you in the Book about female orphans whom you do not give what has been ordained for them 154 and whom you wish to marry (out of greed)', 155 and the commandments relating to the children who are weak and helpless. 156 Allah directs you to treat the orphans with justice. Allah is well aware of whatever good you do.

152. The actual query about women is not spelled out directly. The judgement pronounced a little later on in response to that query, however, makes it abundantly clear what the query was. 153. This is not a response to the query itself. Before attending to this, God once again emphasizes that people should implement His directives regarding orphans in general, and orphan girls in particular, as mentioned at the beginning of this surah (see verses 2 ff. above). This shows the importance of the rights of orphans in the sight of God. The protection of their rights, as we have pointed out, had already been stressed forcefully (see beginning of the surah, verses 1-14). But that was not deemed sufficient. Hence, when problems of family life came up for discussion, the question of the well-being of orphans automatically arose even before answering the questions people raised. 154. This alludes to verse 3 of this surah: 'And if you fear that you might not treat the orphans justly, then marry the women that seem good to you. ' 155. The words of the text may be interpreted as: 'Whom you wish to marry (out of greed)' and also as 'Whom you do not wish to marry.' In explanation of this verse 'A'ishah states that, in those days, guardians of orphan girls who had any significant inheritance from their parents used to perpetrate many wrongs on their wards. If the girl was both rich and good looking, the guardian desired to marry her and exploit both her attractiveness and wealth without either having to make the bridal-due (mahr) or even having to undertake her maintenance. If the girl was ugly, the guardian would neither marry her nor allow her to get married, for she might thus get a husband who would support her claim to her legitimate rights. (See the commentary of Ibn Kathir on this verse. The tradition is quoted by Ibn Kathir from Bukhari. See also n. 4 above -Ed.) 156. The reference here is to the injunctions regarding the protection of the rights of orphans at the beginning of the surah (see verses 1 ff . and 11 ff. above).
Ayah 4:128

وَ اِنِ امْرَاَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوْزًا اَوْ اِعْرَاضًا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیْهِمَاۤ اَنْ یُّصْلِحَا بَیْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا١ؕ وَ الصُّلْحُ خَیْرٌ١ؕ وَ اُحْضِرَتِ الْاَنْفُسُ الشُّحَّ١ؕ وَ اِنْ تُحْسِنُوْا وَ تَتَّقُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِیْرًا Open ayah 4:128 in the Quran reader

If 157 a woman fears either ill-treatment or aversion from her husband it is not wrong for the husband and wife to bring about reconciliation among themselves (by compromising on their rights), for settlement is better. 158 Man's soul is always prone to selfishness, 159 but if you do good and are God-fearing, then surely Allah is aware of the things you do. 160

157.The actual response to the query begins here. In order to appreciate the response fully one would do well to consider the query itself. In the days of Ignorance a man was free to marry an unlimited number of women, who had virtually no rights. When the preliminary verses of the present surah were revealed (see especially verse 3) this freedom was circumscribed in two ways. First, the maximum number of wives was fixed at four. Second, justice (that is, equal treatment of wives) was laid down as a necessary condition for marrying more than one. This gives rise to the question whether a person is obligated by Islam to feel equally towards each of his wives, to love each to an equal degree, and treat them equally even in respect of sexual relationship. Such questions are especially relevant with regard to a husband one of whose wives might be, say, afflicted with either sterility, permanent sickness or who is incapable of sexual intercourse. Does justice demand that if he fails to live up to the standards of equality mentioned above that he should renounce his first wife in order to marry the second? Moreover, where the first wife is disinclined to agree to annulment of the marriage, is it appropriate for the spouses to make a voluntary accord between themselves, according to which the wife, towards whom the husband feels relatively less attracted, voluntarily surrenders some of her rights, prevailing upon her husband not to repudiate the marriage? Would such an act be against the dictates of justice? It is to questions such as these that these verses are addressed. 158. It is better for the spouses to come to a mutual understanding so that the wife may remain with the same man with whom she has already spent part of her life. 159. The 'selfishness' on the part of the wife is that even though she is conscious of the causes which have contributed to her husband's aversion towards her, she nevertheless expects from him the treatment that a husband accords to the wife that he loves. The 'selfishness' of the husband, on the other hand, lies in suppressing her unduly and curtailing her rights to an intolerable extent, merely because she is keen to continue to live with him even though she has lost her attraction for him. 160. Here, too, God urges the male, as He usually does in such matters, to be magnanimous. God urges a man to treat his wife, who has probably spent a considerable number of years with him as his companion, with kindliness and grace in spite of the aversion that he has come to feel for her. He also urges man to love God, for if He were to deprive him of His loving care and blessing in order to punish him for his shortcomings, what place would he have under the sun?
Ayahs 4:129–133

وَ لَنْ تَسْتَطِیْعُوْۤا اَنْ تَعْدِلُوْا بَیْنَ النِّسَآءِ وَ لَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلَا تَمِیْلُوْا كُلَّ الْمَیْلِ فَتَذَرُوْهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ١ؕ وَ اِنْ تُصْلِحُوْا وَ تَتَّقُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِیْمًا Open ayah 4:129 in the Quran reader

You will not be able to treat your wives with absolute justice not even when you keenly desire to do so. (It suffices in order to follow the Law of Allah that) you incline not wholly to one, leaving the other in suspense. 161 If you act rightly and remain God-fearing, surely Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate. 162

وَ اِنْ یَّتَفَرَّقَا یُغْنِ اللّٰهُ كُلًّا مِّنْ سَعَتِهٖ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ وَاسِعًا حَكِیْمًا Open ayah 4:130 in the Quran reader

But if the two separate, out of His plenty Allah will make each dispense with the other. Indeed Allah is All-Bounteous, All-Wise.

وَ لِلّٰهِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ وَ لَقَدْ وَصَّیْنَا الَّذِیْنَ اُوْتُوا الْكِتٰبَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ اِیَّاكُمْ اَنِ اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ١ؕ وَ اِنْ تَكْفُرُوْا فَاِنَّ لِلّٰهِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ غَنِیًّا حَمِیْدًا Open ayah 4:131 in the Quran reader

All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth belongs to Allah. We enjoined upon those who were given the Book before you, and also yourselves, to have fear of Allah. But if you disbelieve, then bear in mind that all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth belongs to Allah. Allah is Self-Sufficient, Most Praiseworthy.

وَ لِلّٰهِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ وَ كَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ وَكِیْلًا Open ayah 4:132 in the Quran reader

And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; and Allah suffices for help and protection.

اِنْ یَّشَاْ یُذْهِبْكُمْ اَیُّهَا النَّاسُ وَ یَاْتِ بِاٰخَرِیْنَ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى ذٰلِكَ قَدِیْرًا Open ayah 4:133 in the Quran reader

If He wills, He has the full power to remove you, O mankind, and bring in others in your place.

161. This means that it is not possible for a man to accord complete equality of treatment to two or more wives under all circumstances and in all respects. It is possible that one is ugly, the other beautiful; one is old, the other young; one is permanently sick, the other healthy; one is irritable, the other good-tempered. These and other differences are likely to make a person less attracted to one and more to the other. In such circumstances, the Law does not demand that one should necessarily maintain absolute equality between the wives in respect of love, emotional attachment and sexual relationship. What it does demand is that if a husband does not repudiate the marriage despite aversion for his wife, either because of his own desire or out of consideration for the desire of his wife, he should at least maintain a good relationship short of which his wife begins to feel as if she is without a husband. In such circumstances, while it is natural that a person should prefer one wife to the other, this should not go to the extent that the woman remains, as it were, in a state of suspension, as if she were without a husband at all. Some people point out that in this verse the Qur'an in one breath stipulates justice as the necessary condition for plurality of wives and in the other breath declares it to be impossible. On this ground they conclude that the Qur'an has itself revoked the permission to marry more than one wife. There is, however, absolutely no justification for such an inference. Such an inference would have been justified had the Qur'an merely said that 'You will not be able to treat your wives with (absolute) justice.' But this statement has been followed by the directive: ' ... do not allow yourselves to incline wholly to one, leaving the other in suspense.' This leaves no grounds at all for the blind followers of Christian Europe to force an interpretation of their liking on the verse. 162. If a man does not deliberately inflict any wrong and tries earnestly to be just in his dealings God will pardon whatever minor shortcomings take place.
Ayah 4:134

مَنْ كَانَ یُرِیْدُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْیَا فَعِنْدَ اللّٰهِ ثَوَابُ الدُّنْیَا وَ الْاٰخِرَةِ١ؕ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ سَمِیْعًۢا بَصِیْرًا۠ Open ayah 4:134 in the Quran reader

He who desires the reward of this world, let him know that with Allah is the reward of this world and also of the World to Come. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. 163

163. In the Qur'an God often rounds off His enunciation of laws by urging people to reform those aspects of family life and social order in which they are generally liable to commit injustice with admonitions designed to create in people the urge to follow those legal injunctions. Since in the preceding verse the believers were asked to treat women and orphans with justice and kindness it was deemed necessary to bring home to them the following points: First, that people should not entertain the illusion that they have the power to make or mar the destinies of others, that if they were to withdraw their support, people would be left helpless. The fact is that the destinies of all lie in the Hand of God alone and He need not remain dependent upon any single person as the sole instrument for helping any particular creature. The resources of the Lord of the heavens and the earth are limitless and He also knows how to use those resources. Second, that the followers of the Prophet (peace be on him) ought to heed the admonition that was made to them, just as it was made to the followers of the former Prophets: to fear God in all their actions. They are being told in effect that by following God's guidance they will secure their own well-being rather than be the source of any benefit to God, that they can do God no harm by disobeying Him, just as it did not lie in the power of the followers of the former Prophets to cause God any harm. The Lord of the Universe does not need people's obedience. If they disobey He may simply replace them with some other nation, and their dismissal will not diminish the majesty and splendour of His realm in the least. Third, that God alone has the power to dispense the good of this world as well as that of the Hereafter, to lavish transient benefits as well as abiding felicity. It all depends on a man's nature and the extent of his ambition what kind of benefit he seeks from God. If a man is infatuated with the fleeting benefits of this world, and is prepared to sacrifice the benefits of the everlasting life, then God will grant him only the good of this world and he will have no share in the good of the Hereafter. God's benevolence is like a river which never dries up, a river which is both capable of, and geared to, providing abundant water to all who need their tillage watered. It is short-sighted and unambitious to want one's fields to be irrigated only once, and to be prepared thereafter to face the prospect of eternal drought. Anyone with breadth of vision would commit himself to submit to God and obey Him, thereby earning the well-being of both worlds. The section ends with the assertion that God is All-Seeing and All-Hearing. This means that God is fully aware of the actions of His creatures, and is unlike those negligent sovereigns who are blind in lavishing their favours. God governs the universe with full knowledge and awareness. He has an eye on the capacities and ambitions of all human beings and knows their qualities exactly. He is fully aware of the purposes to which people devote their efforts and energies. Anyone who 'wilfully decides to be disobedient to God should therefore not cherish hopes of receiving the favours reserved for those who obey Him.
Ayah 4:135

یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُوْنُوْا قَوّٰمِیْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلّٰهِ وَ لَوْ عَلٰۤى اَنْفُسِكُمْ اَوِ الْوَالِدَیْنِ وَ الْاَقْرَبِیْنَ١ۚ اِنْ یَّكُنْ غَنِیًّا اَوْ فَقِیْرًا فَاللّٰهُ اَوْلٰى بِهِمَا١۫ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوٰۤى اَنْ تَعْدِلُوْا١ۚ وَ اِنْ تَلْوٗۤا اَوْ تُعْرِضُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِیْرًا Open ayah 4:135 in the Quran reader

Believers! Be upholders of justice, 164 and bearers of witness to truth for the sake of Allah, 165 even though it may either be against yourselves or against your parents and kinsmen, or the rich or the poor: for Allah is more concerned with their well-being than you are. Do not, then, follow your own desires lest you keep away from justice. If you twist or turn away from (the truth), know that Allah is well aware of all that you do.

164. It is not enough for believers to uphold justice themselves: they are expected to be its standard-bearers. They are supposed not merely to practise justice in their own dealings but to strive for its triumph. They have to do all within their power to ensure that injustice is eradicated and replaced by equity and justice. A true believer is required to be the pillar supporting the establishment of right and justice. 165. The testimony of the believers should be solely for the sake of God. Their testimony should not be biased in favour of any of the parties concerned, they should not use any opportunity for personal aggrandizement, and they should not seek to please anyone but God.
Ayah 4:136

یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ الْكِتٰبِ الَّذِیْ نَزَّلَ عَلٰى رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ الْكِتٰبِ الَّذِیْۤ اَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ١ؕ وَ مَنْ یَّكْفُرْ بِاللّٰهِ وَ مَلٰٓئِكَتِهٖ وَ كُتُبِهٖ وَ رُسُلِهٖ وَ الْیَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلٰلًۢا بَعِیْدًا Open ayah 4:136 in the Quran reader

Believers! Believe 166 in Allah and His Messenger and in the Book He has revealed to His Messenger, and in the Book He revealed before. And whoever disbelieves 167 in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Messengers and in the Last Day, has indeed strayed far away.

166. To ask believers to believe might at first seem strange. The fact is, however, that belief as used here has two meanings. First, belief denotes that a man has preferred to acknowledge the soundness of true guidance, to distance himself from the fold of those who disbelieve, and to join the camp of the believers. Second, belief denotes faith, a man's believing in the truth with all his heart, with full earnestness and sincerity. It denotes man's sincere determination to mould his way of thinking, his taste and temperament, his likes and dislikes, his conduct and character, his friendship and enmity, and the direction of his efforts and striving, in conformity with the creed which he has resolved to embrace. This verse is addressed to all those who are 'believers' in the first sense of the term, and they are asked to change themselves into true believers, i.e. believers in the second sense. 167. Kufr has two meanings. One signifies categorical rejection. The other signifies that pretence of belief even when either one's heart is not convinced or one's conduct is flagrantly opposed to the demands of one's belief. Here the term Kufr conveys both meanings, and the verse aims at impressing upon people that whichever kind of Kufr they adopt in respect of the fundamental beliefs of Islam, it will only alienate them from the Truth, and lead them instead to falsehood, and ultimately to their tragic failure and destruction.
Ayahs 4:137–138

اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوْا ثُمَّ اٰمَنُوْا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوْا ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوْا كُفْرًا لَّمْ یَكُنِ اللّٰهُ لِیَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَ لَا لِیَهْدِیَهُمْ سَبِیْلًاؕ Open ayah 4:137 in the Quran reader

Allah will neither forgive nor show the right way to those who believed, and then disbelieved, then believed, and again disbelieved, and thenceforth became ever more intense in their disbelief. 168

بَشِّرِ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ بِاَنَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا اَلِیْمَاۙ Open ayah 4:138 in the Quran reader

Give tidings of painful chastisement to the hypocrites.

168. This refers to those for whom religion is no more than an object of casual entertainment, a toy with which they like to play as long as it suits their desires and fancies. One wave carries them to the fold of Islam and the next away to that of disbelief. Whenever Islam appears to suit their interests they become Muslims; and when the glamorous visage of the god of utility leaps up before their eyes they rush off to worship it. To such people God holds out neither the assurance of forgiveness nor of direction to true guidance. The statement that such people 'became even more intense in their disbelief refers to those who are not content with not believing themselves, but also try to undermine the faith of others and to persuade them to disbelief, who engage in secret conspiracies as well as overt activities against Islam, and who devote their energies to the struggle aimed at exalting disbelief and degrading the true religion of God. This is a higher degree of disbelief, involving the progressive heaping of crime upon crime. It is obvious that the punishment for this must be greater than for simple disbelief.
Ayah 4:139

اِ۟لَّذِیْنَ یَتَّخِذُوْنَ الْكٰفِرِیْنَ اَوْلِیَآءَ مِنْ دُوْنِ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ١ؕ اَیَبْتَغُوْنَ عِنْدَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَاِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِیْعًاؕ Open ayah 4:139 in the Quran reader

who take the unbelievers for their allies in preference to the believers. Do they seek honour from them 169 whereas honour altogether belongs to Allah alone?

169. The term 'jzzah denotes a position which is at once exalted and secure. In other words, the term signifies 'inviolable honour and glory'.
Ayah 4:140

وَ قَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَیْكُمْ فِی الْكِتٰبِ اَنْ اِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰهِ یُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَ یُسْتَهْزَاُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوْا مَعَهُمْ حَتّٰى یَخُوْضُوْا فِیْ حَدِیْثٍ غَیْرِهٖۤ١ۖ٘ اِنَّكُمْ اِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ١ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ وَ الْكٰفِرِیْنَ فِیْ جَهَنَّمَ جَمِیْعَاۙ Open ayah 4:140 in the Quran reader

Allah has enjoined upon you in the-Book that when you hear the signs of Allah being rejected and scoffed at, you will not sit with them until they engage in some other talk, or else you will become like them. 170 Know well, Allah will gather the hypocrites and the unbe-lievers in Hell - all together.

170. A person who professes Islam and yet enjoys the company of those who indulge in blasphemy against God, and who bears with equanimity their scoffing at God and His Messenger, is no different' from the unbelievers mentioned here. (For the injunction in this verse, see also Surah al-An'am 6: 68 below.)
Ayah 4:141

اِ۟لَّذِیْنَ یَتَرَبَّصُوْنَ بِكُمْ١ۚ فَاِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ قَالُوْۤا اَلَمْ نَكُنْ مَّعَكُمْ١ۖ٘ وَ اِنْ كَانَ لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ نَصِیْبٌ١ۙ قَالُوْۤا اَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَیْكُمْ وَ نَمْنَعْكُمْ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ١ؕ فَاللّٰهُ یَحْكُمُ بَیْنَكُمْ یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ١ؕ وَ لَنْ یَّجْعَلَ اللّٰهُ لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ سَبِیْلًا۠ Open ayah 4:141 in the Quran reader

These hypocrites watch you closely: if victory is granted to you by Allah, they will say: 'Were we not with you?' And were the unbelievers to gain the upper hand, they will say: 'Did we not have mastery over you, and yet we protected you from the believers?' 171 It is Allah Who will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection, and He will not allow the unbelievers, in any way, to gain advantage over the believers.

171. This is typical of the hypocrites of every age. Such people try to avail themselves of all the benefits which can accrue from a verbal profession of Islam and identification with the Islamic community. They also try to secure the advantages to be obtained by associating with the unbelievers, by assuring them in every possible way about themselves that they are not 'fanatic Muslims', that their association with the Muslims is only nominal. On the other hand, they never fail to assure the unbelievers that their loyalties and concerns are the same as theirs, that in mental outlook, cultural orientation and taste they are in harmony with them, and that if a decisive conflict between Islam and unbelief were to take place, their weight will certainly be on the side of the latter.
Ayah 4:142

اِنَّ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ یُخٰدِعُوْنَ اللّٰهَ وَ هُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ١ۚ وَ اِذَا قَامُوْۤا اِلَى الصَّلٰوةِ قَامُوْا كُسَالٰى١ۙ یُرَآءُوْنَ النَّاسَ وَ لَا یَذْكُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ اِلَّا قَلِیْلًا٘ۙ Open ayah 4:142 in the Quran reader

Behold, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is they who are being deluded by Him. When they rise to Prayer, they rise reluctantly, and only to be seen by men. They remember Allah but little. 172

172. In the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) no one, unless he prayed regularly, could be reckoned as belonging to the Islamic community. We know that secular associations consider the absence of any member from their meetings, without a valid excuse, a sign of lack of interest, and that in the event of continued absence, they cancel his membership. The early Islamic community did the same with those who absented themselves from congregational Prayers. In those days a person's absence from congregational Prayers was considered a clear indication of his indifference towards Islam: if he absented himself from them repeatedly he was no longer held to be a Muslim. In those days, therefore, even the worst hypocrites had to attend the five daily Prayers in the mosque. What distinguished a true believer from the hypocrite was that the former came to the mosque with devotion, fervour and eagerness, came there well before the appointed time for the Prayer, and did not rush out of the mosque as soon as the Prayer was over. In short, everything about him indicated that his heart was in the Prayer. Whereas the call to the Prayer for the hypocrite seemed like the announcement of an unavoidable calamity. When such a person set off for the mosque, he seemed to do so in spite of himself. He walked as if he were dragging the entire weight of his being. No wonder, then, that as soon as the Prayer was over, he escaped like a prisoner released from jail. His entire demeanour testified that the remembrance of God was not what he really had his heart in.
Ayahs 4:143–145

مُّذَبْذَبِیْنَ بَیْنَ ذٰلِكَ١ۖۗ لَاۤ اِلٰى هٰۤؤُلَآءِ وَ لَاۤ اِلٰى هٰۤؤُلَآءِ١ؕ وَ مَنْ یُّضْلِلِ اللّٰهُ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهٗ سَبِیْلًا Open ayah 4:143 in the Quran reader

They dangle between the one and the other (faith and disbelief), and belong neither to these nor to those completely. And he whom Allah lets go astray, for him you can find no way. 173

یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْكٰفِرِیْنَ اَوْلِیَآءَ مِنْ دُوْنِ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ١ؕ اَتُرِیْدُوْنَ اَنْ تَجْعَلُوْا لِلّٰهِ عَلَیْكُمْ سُلْطٰنًا مُّبِیْنًا Open ayah 4:144 in the Quran reader

Believers! Do not take the unbelievers as your allies in preference to the believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a clear proof of guilt against yourselves?

اِنَّ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ فِی الدَّرْكِ الْاَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ١ۚ وَ لَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِیْرًاۙ Open ayah 4:145 in the Quran reader

Surely the hypocrites shall be in the lowest depth of the Fire and you shall find none to come to their help,

173. Here an important fact has been stated about the person who remained unguided to the Truth despite his acquaintance with the Book of God and with the life of His Prophet (peace be on him). He was a person who was so disinclined to the Truth and so infatuated with error that even God let him go forth along the same erroneous direction that he had chosen for himself, a person on whom the door of true guidance had been shut and the way towards error had been made smooth by God. It is virtually beyond the power of human-beings to direct such a person to the Truth. We may be able to grasp this if we consider the case of man's livelihood. God controls all the sources of man's livelihood. Thus, anyone who receives any portion of livelihood receives it from God alone. At the same time, God grants every man livelihood through the means he has himself sought. If a man seeks his livelihood through lawful means and strives accordingly, God opens the door to honest living to him and closes the avenues of dishonest earnings in proportion to his earnestness. On the other hand, there is the person who is bent upon fattening himself on dishonest earnings and strives accordingly. God permits such a person to continue making an unlawful living, and no one has the power to help him secure an honest means of living. The same applies to man's belief and conduct in this life. In this respect too, the ultimate control rests with God. No human being can proceed along any path, whether it be good or evil, unless God lets him proceed along it, and bestows upon him the means to do so. However, it is up to man himself to choose his own path, and after he has made the choice, God will let him proceed along it, and will even pave the way for him. If a person really cares about God, genuinely seeks the truth and earnestly tries to pursue the path charted by God, God permits him to follow his choice, and even provides the means necessary to proceed along his chosen path. On the other hand, God shuts the door of true guidance on the person who chooses error and strives to proceed only along wrong paths, and further enables him to follow the path of his choice. It is beyond the power of any human being to prevent such a person from thinking wrongly, acting wrongly and using up his energies in wrong directions. If a man loses the road to his success and is subsequently deprived of true guidance by God, in whose power does it lie, then, to restore to him his lost treasure?
Ayah 4:146

اِلَّا الَّذِیْنَ تَابُوْا وَ اَصْلَحُوْا وَ اعْتَصَمُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ اَخْلَصُوْا دِیْنَهُمْ لِلّٰهِ فَاُولٰٓئِكَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ١ؕ وَ سَوْفَ یُؤْتِ اللّٰهُ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ اَجْرًا عَظِیْمًا Open ayah 4:146 in the Quran reader

except those who repent and mend their ways and hold fast to Allah and make their faith exclusive to Allah. 174 Those people shall be numbered with the believers and Allah will certainly bestow on the believers a great reward.

174. To make one's faith exclusively to God means to concentrate one's loyalties, concerns, affections, and adorations on God, and not to allow any attachments to strike such deep roots in one's heart that one may cease to be capable of sacrificing them for His sake.