Surat An-Nisa' (81-90)

{وَيَقُولُونَ طَاعَةٌ فَإِذَا بَرَزُوا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ بَيَّتَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ غَيْرَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ وَاللهُ يَكْتُبُ مَا يُبَيِّتُونَ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللهِ وَكَفَى بِاللهِ وَكِيلًا} [النساء: 81]

81- When the hypocrites attended your sessions, they showed acceptance and obedience to what you say. But, when they left your sessions, a group of them (their leaders) added to your saying and made up their minds to do evil. However, Allah knows what they conceal and He records that in their sheets or reckoning to punish them for, so do not pay attention to them, do not give much interest to their attitudes, be patient for them, rely on Allah in all your affairs, and trust in Him. Verily, Allah is your Supporter, Helper, and He shall avenge you on them.

{أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ القُرْآَنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا} [النساء: 82]

82- Do not they contemplate and reflect on the Glorious Qur’an, its words, meanings, and miracles. Do not they see that it is precise and eloquent, has no conflict or contradiction, but each part of it confirms the other. Its precision proves that it was truly revealed from Allah, the One True God, and if it is revealed or made by anyone, else they will find contradiction between its Ayahs and meanings. It contains lots of news about the Unseen, what the hypocrites conceal in their hearts as well as the history of the People of the Scriptures.

{وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مِنَ الأَمْنِ أَوِ الخَوْفِ أَذَاعُوا بِهِ وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِي الأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا} [النساء: 83]

83- There is a group of people likes to disseminate the news without verification even if they are free of authenticity. They may add to or omit from it, taking no consideration to the impact of those news on the people or on the community that get affected by the biased rumors. If they were to verify the news, came to ask the Messenger of Allah whether it is true or false, or asked his honorable Companions, they would have known the truth because of their smartness and experience in verification; hence, they shall know how to act.

Were it for the mercy of Allah and His Compassion, you would follow the Satan’s way, would be affected by the errors and faults which the Satan’s supporters spread, and you would not be guided to the truth, but for a few of you. Those few are the elite whose minds are enlightened with the profound and firm faith, they know the rulings well, and they are firm on the truth.

The Ayah was revealed when the news was circulated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had divorced his wives. The one who asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and deducted the matter was `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) as was reported in the authentic Hadith.

{فَقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ لَا تُكَلَّفُ إِلَّا نَفْسَكَ وَحَرِّضِ المُؤْمِنِينَ عَسَى اللهُ أَنْ يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَاللهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْسًا وَأَشَدُّ تَنْكِيلًا} [النساء: 84]

84- Do not pay attention to the betrayal of the hypocrites and the negligence of others because you are not charged but with your ownself and you shall not be reckoned for the actions of others. So, advance to Jihad, exhort the believers to it, urge them, and tell them about the retribution of those who lag behind and the reward of those who take part in, perhaps the intentions of the loyal are agitated by this to resist, observe patience, and defend Islam and Muslims. Verily, Allah is Firmest, Most Appreciative, and Severer in applying harm to the infidels.

{مَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ نَصِيبٌ مِنْهَا وَمَنْ يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُنْ لَهُ كِفْلٌ مِنْهَا وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقِيتًا} [النساء: 85]

85- Anyone intends to do good or exhorts others to it, they shall gain the full reward and anyone intends to do harm or exhorts others to it, they shall have the same sin; verily Allah is Custodian and Witness over all things.

{وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا} [النساء: 86]

86- When a Muslim greets you, greet him back with a better salutation than he greeted you with or reply to him with the same salutation. Responding to a salutation is obligatory and the extra greeting is mandatory and preferable.

Salam (peace) is a name of Allah (Exalted be He), so beginning with His Name or with one of His Qualities denotes a wish to cover the one who salutes with peace as it also denotes glad tidings for safety. Responding to that salutation is an exchange to that beautiful supplication and spreading for peace and affection.

Allah shall reckon you for what you say and what you do including responding to the salutations of your Muslim brothers. Beginning others with salutation is desirable, but answering is obligatory.

{اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللهِ حَدِيثًا} [النساء: 87]

87- He is Allah Alone Who is worthy of worship. He shall gather you all in one place on the Day of the Recompense and there is no one more truthful than Allah in His Speech, Promise, and Warning.

{فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي المُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا أَتُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَهْدُوا مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلِ اللهُ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ سَبِيلًا} [النساء: 88]

88- O Muslims, why did you split into two teams in term of your positions toward the hypocrites: some of you said they were Muslims, and the others said they were not? Allah described them as infidels after they had been Muslims as a result of their disobedience, aberrance, and disagreement with the Prophet (peace be upon him). Do you want, by your attitude, to bring them back to guidance after they had gone astray? Indeed, if Allah wants to mislead a group of people by His Wisdom because they deserve that and because of their intentions and determination toward the falsehood, you shall not find a way for them to guidance and faith as you shall not find a convincing plea to their aberrance and to their preference of falsehood to the guidance.

{وَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ كَمَا كَفَرُوا فَتَكُونُونَ سَوَاءً فَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ حَتَّى يُهَاجِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا } [النساء: 89]

89- They love to see you in aberrance as they are, that is because of their hatred and enmity that overwhelmed the faith, purity, and the pure nature in their hearts.

So, do not trust any of them, do not take them as friends, and do not seek their help against the enemy as long as they have these characteristics until you make sure of their faith by emigrating solely to Allah and His Messenger and not for a worldly purpose.

If they do not migrate and show disbelief, take them as captives, if you can, and kill them wherever you find them because the rulings pertaining to them are the same of the infidels: caption and killing. It was said that the meaning is only the killing. Do not take any of them as friends, but keep away from them and do not accept any support or friendship of them.

{إِلَّا الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ مِيثَاقٌ أَوْ جَاءُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَنْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ أَوْ يُقَاتِلُوا قَوْمَهُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوكُمْ فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلًا} [النساء: 90]

90- The following people are exempted from killing:

Those who fled to a group of people whom you had a covenant with them and enter into that covenant by their free will.

Those who hated to encounter you in battlefields and did not want to fight their people with you. Verily, Allah showed mercy to you, and except for that, He would have made them fight you with their people, but He prevented them to do so. If they avoided engaging in war with you, came to you with stretched hands for reconciliation, and liked to have peace with you, you should not kill them as long as that was their status.

It was reported from Ibn `Abbas that this ruling is abrogated by Allah’s saying in the beginning of Surat At-Tawbah: “Freedom from (all) obligations (is declared) from Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him) to those of the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh), with whom you made a treaty.” And by the fifth Ayah that reads: “Then when the Sacred Months (the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islâmic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikûn wherever you find them.”

By referring to the commentary of those two Ayahs, there will be some details in this regard.

The same was said regarding the second Ayah.