English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 4: Al-Nisa — Women (Revealed at Madinah: 24 sections, 176 verses)
Section 16 (Verses 4:105–4:112): Hypocrites are Dishonest
Translation:
اِنَّاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکَ الۡکِتٰبَ بِالۡحَقِّ لِتَحۡکُمَ بَیۡنَ النَّاسِ بِمَاۤ اَرٰىکَ اللّٰہُ ؕ وَ لَا تَکُنۡ لِّلۡخَآئِنِیۡنَ خَصِیۡمًا ﴿۱۰۵﴾ۙ
4:105 Surely We have revealed the Book to you with truth that you may judge between people by means of what Allah has taught you. And do not be one pleading the cause of the dishonest,1
وَّ اسۡتَغۡفِرِ اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ غَفُوۡرًا رَّحِیۡمًا ﴿۱۰۶﴾ۚ
4:106 and ask the forgiveness of Allah.2 Surely Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
وَ لَا تُجَادِلۡ عَنِ الَّذِیۡنَ یَخۡتَانُوۡنَ اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَنۡ کَانَ خَوَّانًا اَثِیۡمًا ﴿۱۰۷﴾ۚۙ
4:107 And do not contend on behalf of those who act unfaithfully to their souls. Surely Allah does not love him who is treacherous, sinful:
یَّسۡتَخۡفُوۡنَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ لَا یَسۡتَخۡفُوۡنَ مِنَ اللّٰہِ وَ ہُوَ مَعَہُمۡ اِذۡ یُبَیِّتُوۡنَ مَا لَا یَرۡضٰی مِنَ الۡقَوۡلِ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ بِمَا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ مُحِیۡطًا ﴿۱۰۸﴾
4:108 They seek to hide from people and they cannot hide from Allah, and He is with them when they counsel by night matters which do not please Him. And Allah ever encompasses what they do.3
ہٰۤاَنۡتُمۡ ہٰۤؤُلَآءِ جٰدَلۡتُمۡ عَنۡہُمۡ فِی الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۟ فَمَنۡ یُّجَادِلُ اللّٰہَ عَنۡہُمۡ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ اَمۡ مَّنۡ یَّکُوۡنُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَکِیۡلًا ﴿۱۰۹﴾
4:109 Look! You are they who may contend on their behalf in this world’s life, but who will contend with Allah on their behalf on the day of Resurrection, or who will have charge of their affairs?
وَ مَنۡ یَّعۡمَلۡ سُوۡٓءًا اَوۡ یَظۡلِمۡ نَفۡسَہٗ ثُمَّ یَسۡتَغۡفِرِ اللّٰہَ یَجِدِ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرًا رَّحِیۡمًا ﴿۱۱۰﴾
4:110 And whoever does evil or wrongs his soul, then asks forgiveness of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.
وَ مَنۡ یَّکۡسِبۡ اِثۡمًا فَاِنَّمَا یَکۡسِبُہٗ عَلٰی نَفۡسِہٖ ؕ وَ کَانَ اللّٰہُ عَلِیۡمًا حَکِیۡمًا ﴿۱۱۱﴾
4:111 And whoever commits a sin, commits it only against himself. And Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.
وَ مَنۡ یَّکۡسِبۡ خَطِیۡٓىـَٔۃً اَوۡ اِثۡمًا ثُمَّ یَرۡمِ بِہٖ بَرِیۡٓــًٔا فَقَدِ احۡتَمَلَ بُہۡتَانًا وَّ اِثۡمًا مُّبِیۡنًا ﴿۱۱۲﴾٪
4:112 And whoever commits a fault or a sin, then accuses of it one innocent, he indeed takes upon himself the burden of a slander and a manifest sin.
Commentary:
- The occasion of the revelation of these verses was a dispute between a Muslim and a Jew, in which judgment was given by the Prophet against the Muslim. It was a time when every Muslim hand was sorely needed for the defence of Islam, and a verdict against a man supported by his whole tribe meant the loss of that tribe. But such considerations did not carry any weight with the Prophet. Thus these verses lay down the broad principle that dishonesty must be punished, and the balance of justice must be held equal between Muslims and non-Muslims and between friends and foes. ↩︎
- The injunction in this as well as the previous verse is meant for every Muslim who is called upon to act as a judge. He must be strictly just as between his own people and aliens, and must further ask the protection of Allah from being guilty of an act of injustice, even unknowingly. ↩︎
- Those who supported the guilty man are condemned here as hypocrites. The same subject is continued in the verses that follow. ↩︎