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 9 (Verses 4:60–4:70): The Prophet must be Obeyed
Translation:
اَلَمۡ تَرَ اِلَی الَّذِیۡنَ یَزۡعُمُوۡنَ اَنَّہُمۡ اٰمَنُوۡا بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ یُرِیۡدُوۡنَ اَنۡ یَّتَحَاکَمُوۡۤا اِلَی الطَّاغُوۡتِ وَ قَدۡ اُمِرُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّکۡفُرُوۡا بِہٖ ؕ وَ یُرِیۡدُ الشَّیۡطٰنُ اَنۡ یُّضِلَّہُمۡ ضَلٰلًۢا بَعِیۡدًا ﴿۶۰﴾
4:60 Have you not seen those who assert that they believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They desire to seek the judgment of the devil, though they have been commanded to deny him. And the devil desires to lead them far astray.
وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ تَعَالَوۡا اِلٰی مَاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ وَ اِلَی الرَّسُوۡلِ رَاَیۡتَ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ یَصُدُّوۡنَ عَنۡکَ صُدُوۡدًا ﴿ۚ۶۱﴾
4:61 And when it is said to them, Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, you see the hypocrites turning away from you with aversion.
فَکَیۡفَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ ثُمَّ جَآءُوۡکَ یَحۡلِفُوۡنَ ٭ۖ بِاللّٰہِ اِنۡ اَرَدۡنَاۤ اِلَّاۤ اِحۡسَانًا وَّ تَوۡفِیۡقًا ﴿۶۲﴾
4:62 But how is it that when a misfortune befalls them on account of what their hands have already done, they come to you swearing by Allah: We desired nothing but good and concord?
اُولٰٓئِکَ الَّذِیۡنَ یَعۡلَمُ اللّٰہُ مَا فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ ٭ فَاَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ وَ عِظۡہُمۡ وَ قُلۡ لَّہُمۡ فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ قَوۡلًۢا بَلِیۡغًا ﴿۶۳﴾
4:63 These are they, the secrets of whose hearts Allah knows; so turn aside from them and admonish them and speak to them effective words concerning themselves.
وَ مَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا لِیُطَاعَ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ لَوۡ اَنَّہُمۡ اِذۡ ظَّلَمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ جَآءُوۡکَ فَاسۡتَغۡفَرُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اسۡتَغۡفَرَ لَہُمُ الرَّسُوۡلُ لَوَجَدُوا اللّٰہَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِیۡمًا ﴿۶۴﴾
4:64 And We sent no messenger but that he should be obeyed by Allah’s command. And if they had, when they wronged themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.
فَلَا وَ رَبِّکَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ حَتّٰی یُحَکِّمُوۡکَ فِیۡمَا شَجَرَ بَیۡنَہُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا یَجِدُوۡا فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَیۡتَ وَ یُسَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِیۡمًا ﴿۶۵﴾
4:65 But no, by your Lord! they do not believe until they make you a judge of what is in dispute between them, then find no reluctance in their hearts as to what you decide and submit with full submission.
وَ لَوۡ اَنَّا کَتَبۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ اَنِ اقۡتُلُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ اَوِ اخۡرُجُوۡا مِنۡ دِیَارِکُمۡ مَّا فَعَلُوۡہُ اِلَّا قَلِیۡلٌ مِّنۡہُمۡ ؕ وَ لَوۡ اَنَّہُمۡ فَعَلُوۡا مَا یُوۡعَظُوۡنَ بِہٖ لَکَانَ خَیۡرًا لَّہُمۡ وَ اَشَدَّ تَثۡبِیۡتًا ﴿ۙ۶۶﴾
4:66 And if We had ordained for them: Lay down your lives or go forth from your homes, they would not have done it except a few of them.1 And if they had done what they are exhorted to do, it would certainly have been better for them and more strengthening,
وَّ اِذًا لَّاٰتَیۡنٰہُمۡ مِّنۡ لَّدُنَّـاۤ اَجۡرًا عَظِیۡمًا ﴿ۙ۶۷﴾
4:67 and then We would certainly have given them from Ourselves a great reward,
وَّ لَہَدَیۡنٰہُمۡ صِرَاطًا مُّسۡتَقِیۡمًا ﴿۶۸﴾
4:68 and We would certainly have guided them in the right path.
وَ مَنۡ یُّطِعِ اللّٰہَ وَ الرَّسُوۡلَ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ مَعَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِمۡ مِّنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ وَ الصِّدِّیۡقِیۡنَ وَ الشُّہَدَآءِ وَ الصّٰلِحِیۡنَ ۚ وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓئِکَ رَفِیۡقًا ﴿ؕ۶۹﴾
4:69 And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favours from among the prophets and the truthful and the faithful and the righteous, and a goodly company are they!2
ذٰلِکَ الۡفَضۡلُ مِنَ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ کَفٰی بِاللّٰہِ عَلِیۡمًا ﴿٪۷۰﴾
4:70 Such is the grace from Allah, and Allah is sufficient as Knower.
Commentary:
- The Companions of the Holy Prophet had to lay down their lives in defence of their faith, and had to leave their homes for the sake of their religion. But the hypocrites at Madinah were too weak of heart to undergo such hardships. They were only required to contribute to the struggle which was being carried on for national defence and to obey the Prophet’s orders which was a far easier task, but they did not do even this. ↩
- Those upon whom Allah has bestowed favours are spoken of as belonging to four classes: (1) the prophets; (2) the truthful — those who are true in their sayings and their belief, and confirm their truth by their deeds or acting; (3) the faithful — those who bear witness to the truth both by words and deeds, and one slain in defence of his religion is included because he too gives evidence of the truth of religion by laying down his life; (4) the righteous or those who stick to the right course in all their deeds, come what may. Those who obey Allah and the Messenger are here told that they are with the perfect ones who belong to these four classes. Thus this verse promises to those who have not attained to perfection the company, in the life to come, of those who have attained to perfection when the former have done their best to obey God and His Messenger. It may be added that no one can become a prophet by obeying the Holy Prophet. If this were true, not only would all the truthful and the faithful and the righteous be prophets, because they perfectly obeyed Allah and His Messenger, but even all those who tried to follow them would also be prophets which is absurd. ↩