Surat An-Nisa' (61-70)

{وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ رَأَيْتَ المُنَافِقِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْكَ صُدُودًا} [النساء: 61]

61- When it is said to those people who resort to Taghut for arbitration: Come to the Book of Allah and to His Messenger to judge between you in dispute, you shall see the hypocrites turning away from you, O Prophet.

{فَكَيْفَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ جَاءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَا إِلَّا إِحْسَانًا وَتَوْفِيقًا} [النساء: 62]

62- How would they act if a catastrophe hits them to uncover their hypocrisy because of their turning away and because of the sins they committed? They would come to apologize to you while they swearing: We did not mean any harm by resorting to others in arbitration, but we only wanted to reconcile between people and not to turn away from your judgment.

{أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللهُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا} [النساء: 63]

63- Such people are the hypocrites whom Allah knew what is in their hearts, no matter what they say with their tongues. Indeed, nothing is hidden from Him and shall punish them for that. So, do not rebuke them because of what they concealed in their hearts, advise them in public, forbid them from being hypocrites, and advise them with touchy words that may deter them.

{وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللهَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا} [النساء: 64]

64- We have not sent a messenger but to be followed by the command of Allah because he is a conveyer of Allah, so his obedience is obedience to Allah and disobeying him is a disobedience to Allah.

If they made a mistake by resorting to Taghut, admitted their mistake, came to you showing regret, sought the forgiveness of Allah of their sins, and their Prophet (peace be upon him) sought forgiveness for them, Allah would have forgiven them and showed mercy to them.

{فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا} [النساء: 65]

65- By your Lord, O Prophet, they shall not be true believers but after they make you judge between them in all their disputes and in things that they differ about and things that are not clear to them. Whatever judgment you issued, it would be the truth that must be followed. Then, they should not find any doubt or annoy in their hearts against the judgments that you passed and should obey your judgment, inward and outward, and submit to that fully without any objection. It was stated in the authentic Hadith which Ibn Hajar graded its narrator as trustworthy in his book “Fath Al Bary” which says: “None of you shall have perfect belief but after his whim will be in harmony with that (instructions and teachings) I came with.”

{وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ مَا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا} [النساء: 66]

66- If We commanded the people to kill themselves as a retribution to the sins and the crimes which they committed and their disobedience to Allah, as was the case with the Children of Israel, or We commanded them to leave their homes as We commanded the Children of Israel to abandon Egypt, they would not have done it. However, only a few who are loyal and can ransom their religion and their Prophet with their souls.

The Ayah is somehow connected with the previous Ayahs. The meaning is: We commanded them with an easy thing that is to obey the Messenger, follow his arbitration, and be pleased with that. If We commanded them to kill themselves or leave their homes, only few of them would have done that. Let them compare between the two matters and respond to the command of Allah and His Messenger so as not to be afflicted with hard rulings as were ordained on the Children of Israel as a result of their stubbornness and refusal to obey the commands of their Prophets.

Ibn Kathir interpreted it differently when he said: Allah (Glory be to Him) informs the people that if most of them were commanded to commit sins and crimes, they will not do them because their bad nature loves to disobey the command. If they did what they have been commanded and obeyed the ruling of Allah and His Messenger, that would have been better for them.

{وَإِذًا لَآَتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ لَدُنَّا أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا} [النساء: 67]

67- If they obey you and follow your commands, We shall reward them and give them a great reward that cannot be estimated.

{وَلَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا} [النساء: 68]

68- And We will grant them success and make them firm on the Straight Way that will lead them to Paradise.

{وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا} [النساء: 69]

69- As for those who obey the commands of Allah, abstain from His Prohibitions, and obey the Messenger (peace be upon him) in all that he conveyed from his Lord, they are the obedient whose ranks in Paradise are equal to those upon whom Allah bestowed mercy and honor and made the best of mankind. Mainly, His Prophets, His Pious Servants, and martyrs whom Allah reformed their hearts, therefore, their secrets and public affairs were reformed and became good; and how good are those people!

{ذَلِكَ الفَضْلُ مِنَ اللهِ وَكَفَى بِاللهِ عَلِيمًا} [النساء: 70]

70- That is the great reward that Allah has set for them. Indeed, He is All Knowing of those who deserve that reward and its amount.