Surat An-Nisa' (41-50)

{فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَـؤُلاء شَهِيداً} [النساء: 41]

41- How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation of the past and a group from each sect a witness (that witness will be their prophet) to bear witness against them and We bring you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) as a witness against your nation?

It was reported in the authentic Hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cried when this Ayah had been read to him. Perhaps the reason behind his crying that he must bear witness against their actions and those actions may not be good, then their final destination will be Hell. Or he may cried for the scourges of the Day of the Recompense and the intercession which he will be responsible for.

{يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَعَصَوُاْ الرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّى بِهِمُ الأَرْضُ وَلاَ يَكْتُمُونَ اللّهَ حَدِيثاً} [النساء: 42]

42- In that Fearful Day, the infidels and those who disobeyed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) such as the hypocrites and others shall wish that the earth would have swallowed them and they did not show up to people for reckoning because of the fear, distress, and sorrow that they would suffer on that Day. They shall be disgraced, rebuked, and admit everything on that Day and will not be able to conceal any of their actions because their organs will bear witness against them.

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّىَ تَعْلَمُواْ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلاَ جُنُباً إِلاَّ عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىَ تَغْتَسِلُواْ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاء أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّن الْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاء فَلَمْ تَجِدُواْ مَاء فَتَيَمَّمُواْ صَعِيداً طَيِّباً فَامْسَحُواْ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَفُوّاً غَفُوراً} [النساء: 43]

43- O believers, it is not permissible for you to offer Salah while you are in the state of intoxication where you will not be able to recognize what you say.

That was a stage in prohibiting alcohol, then a detailed explanation was revealed concerning its absolute prohibition in Allah’s Saying: {O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al Ansâb, and Al Azlâm (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Shaitân’s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.} [Surat Al Ma’idah: 90].

It is not lawful for you to enter the masjids while you are in the state of major ritual impurity except you are passing by from a door to another without sitting in the masjids until you are pure.

If you are sick and fear to use water, travelling, or one of you comes from bathrooms, or touches women (there is a difference among the Qur’an commentators and the leaders of Fiqh schools concerning the meaning of touching women whether it is having sexual intercourse with them or only touching them) and you do not find water to perform ablution or wash up, perform Tayammum. The meaning of Taymmum is dry ablution: which is using of clean dust, sand, trees, rocks, and plants (in details among scholars) in removing filth. When you perform Tayammum, wipe only your faces and hands.

Verily, Allah is All Forgiving for He permitted to you to perform Salah with Tayammum when you are unable to lose water in any circumstantial conditions as a matter of easiness, lenience, concession, mercy, and compassion for you.

{أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيباً مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ يَشْتَرُونَ الضَّلاَلَةَ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن تَضِلُّواْ السَّبِيلَ} [النساء: 44]

44- O Prophet, are not you amazed at the conditions of the Jews who were given some knowledge from the Scriptures that were revealed to them? They turn away from what Allah has revealed to you and leave the knowledge that was in their hands in return for a low price from the pleasures of the worldly life! As a result, they distort and falsify for bribes and presents while they know the danger of what they do.

Despite of their aberrance, denying the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and concealing his attributes, they want you to go astray like them, disbelieve as they did, and to leave the guidance and beneficial knowledge you have.

{وَاللّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَعْدَائِكُمْ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَلِيّاً وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ نَصِيراً} [النساء: 45]

45- Indeed, Allah knows well your enemies, informs you with their enmity, and warns you against their plots and mixture with them. It is enough that Allah will be your Guardian, Keeper, and the One who keeps away evil from you, so trust in Him and rely on Him.

{مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَاعِنَا لَيّاً بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْناً فِي الدِّينِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ اللّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً} [النساء: 46]

46- There is a group of the Jews, the misleading scholars, interpret the Torah unlike its real exact meaning. They interpret its meaning or distort its wordiness intentionally and when they hear the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), they say in disbelief and stubbornness: We hear your words but we disobey your commands. They said in mockery and disrespect: Listen to what we say and respite us. They distort, with their tongues, its meaning because it bears the meaning of respite us, look at us, and the meaning of Ru`una is: recklessness and foolishness with the intention of insult and dispraise, and mockery of religion.

If they have said when they heard the ordinances of Allah: “We have heard and obeyed.” instead of saying “We have heard but disobeyed.” or to say: “Listen and respite us.” instead of saying: "listen! We shall not listen to you and respite us,” it would have been better for them than their first saying and more correct, but they did not say that. However, they continued in their disbelief and aberrance, as a result Allah let them down and cast them away from His Mercy and Guidance; so only a few of them are believers.

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الكِتَابَ آَمِنُوا بِمَا نَزَّلْنَا مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَطْمِسَ وُجُوهًا فَنَرُدَّهَا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهَا أَوْ نَلْعَنَهُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَّا أَصْحَابَ السَّبْتِ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللهِ مَفْعُولًا} [النساء: 47]

47- O People of the Scriptures, believe in that We sent down to our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) i.e., the Qur'an, because it ascertains the news and glad tidings that were mentioned in the Old Testament. Of those glad tidings is the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) where he was mentioned by name, qualities, place, and the time of his mission. Believe in that before we distort the faces of some people and replace them with the nape, so they will be effaced; that distortion in the creation is a scandal and a punishment for them for distorting the Scriptures and because of their disbelief in the things which they were commanded to believe in. Or We expel them from Our Mercy and Our Guidance as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers who used tricks in fishing on their Sabbath, as a result, Allah cursed them by disfiguring them. Both parties of the Jews are partners in the curse despite the difference form of punishment.

The second kind of the divine threaten was achieved which is the curse instead of effacement, so they are cursed by all people and in all times.

When Allah commands something, it must take place and none can stop Him.

{إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا} [النساء: 48]

48- Indeed, Allah does not forgive the sins of those who associate partners with Him because polytheism spoils actions until their doers do not have any good deed. Verily, Allah (Glory be to Him) forgives the sins of whom He wishes of His Servants as long as they do not associate partners with Him in worship.

Whoever associates partners with Allah in worship, fabricates a great lie and commits a major sin that spoils all actions, and all crimes and sins shall be minor in compare to that.

The meaning of polytheism is the absolute disbelief. Despite the distortion, polytheism, and disbelief of the Jews, they hope that they shall be forgiven {and they say: we shall be forgiven.} [Al A`raf: 169]. So, Allah (Exalted be He) explained to them that He shall not forgive those who had disbelieved in Him.

{أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بَلِ اللهُ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا} [النساء: 49]

49- O Prophet of Allah, do not you see those Jews and Christians who claim that their sins are forgiven and they say that they are the beloved ones of Allah in order that Allah will not punish them and none shall enter Paradise except if he was one of them? However, the One who forgives the sins and frees the souls is Allah alone because He is the One who knows well the realities of matters and the intentions of the hearts and none will be oppressed at Him. So, the reward of their actions shall not be decreased even an equal amount of the thin membrane that covers the date-stone. This example is given for the fewness and baseness.

{انْظُرْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللهِ الكَذِبَ وَكَفَى بِهِ إِثْمًا مُبِينًا} [النساء: 50]

50- See how they claim that they are purified of sins because Allah is their Guardian! Certainly, they are liars and sinful by claiming something which they do not know against Allah.