Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 4 An-Nisa, Ayat 64-68

وَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا لِـيُـطَاعَ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ ​ؕ وَلَوۡ اَنَّهُمۡ اِذْ ظَّلَمُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ جَآءُوۡكَ فَاسۡتَغۡفَرُوا اللّٰهَ وَاسۡتَغۡفَرَ لَـهُمُ الرَّسُوۡلُ لَوَجَدُوا اللّٰهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيۡمًا‏ ﴿4:64﴾ فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ حَتّٰى يُحَكِّمُوۡكَ فِيۡمَا شَجَرَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوۡا فِىۡۤ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيۡتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوۡا تَسۡلِيۡمًا‏  ﴿4:65﴾ وَلَوۡ اَنَّا كَتَبۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ اَنِ اقۡتُلُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ اَوِ اخۡرُجُوۡا مِنۡ دِيَارِكُمۡ مَّا فَعَلُوۡهُ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلٌ مِّنۡهُمۡ​ ؕ وَلَوۡ اَنَّهُمۡ فَعَلُوۡا مَا يُوۡعَظُوۡنَ بِهٖ لَـكَانَ خَيۡرًا لَّهُمۡ وَاَشَدَّ تَثۡبِيۡتًا ۙ‏ ﴿4:66﴾ وَّاِذًا لَّاٰتَيۡنٰهُمۡ مِّنۡ لَّدُنَّاۤ اَجۡرًا عَظِيۡمًا ۙ‏ ﴿4:67﴾ وَّلَهَدَيۡنٰهُمۡ صِرَاطًا مُّسۡتَقِيۡمًا‏ ﴿4:68﴾

(4:64) (And tell them that) We never sent a Messenger but that he should be obeyed by the leave of Allah.94 If whenever they wronged themselves they had come to you praying to Allah for forgiveness, and had the Messenger prayed for their forgiveness, they would indeed have found Allah All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate. (4:65) But no, by your Lord, they cannot become true be-lievers until they seek your arbitration in all matters on which they disagree among themselves, and then find not the least vexation in their hearts over what you have decided, and accept it in willing submission.95 (4:66) Had We enjoined upon them: 'Slay yourselves', or 'Leave your habitations', very few of them would have done it;96 yet if they had done as they were admonished, it would have been better for them and would have strengthened them;97 (4:67) whereupon We would indeed grant them from Us a mighty reward, (4:68) and guide them to a straight way.98

Notes

94.This is to impress upon us that Prophets are not sent so that people may pay lip-service to their Prophethood, and then obey whoever they wish. The purpose of sending Prophets is that people should follow the laws of God as brought and expounded by them rather than laws devised by man, and that they should obey the commands of God as revealed to the Prophets to the exclusion of the commands of others.

95.The application of the injunction embodied in this verse is not confined to the life-time of the Prophet (peace be on him). It will remain in force until the Day of Judgement. The guidance the Prophet (peace be on him) proclaimed on God's behalf, and the manner in which he followed God's direction and inspiration, will for ever remain the universal touchstone for Muslims. In fact, recognition of that guidance as the final authority is the criterion of true belief. This principle was pronounced by the Prophet (peace be on him) in the following words: 'None of you can become a believer until his desires become subservient to what I have brought (i.e. my teachings).' (Cited by al-Nawawi in al-Arba'in, see the tradition no. 41, transmitted on their authority of Abu al-Qasim Isma'il b. Muhammad al-Isfahani, Kitab al-Hujjah with the opinion that it is a 'good' and 'sound' tradition, with a sound chain of transmission - Ed.)

96. As these people are not prepared to endure even minor losses and inconveniences in order to follow the law of God, they can never be expected to make big sacrifices. If asked either to lay down their lives or to give up their homes and families for the sake of the Truth they would fly straight back to unbelief and disobedience.

97. Had these people been able to free themselves of uncertainty, hesitation and ambivalence, and to resolve firmly to follow and obey the Prophet (peace be on him), their lives would have been spared the instability from which they suffer. Their way of thinking, their morals and their practical dealings would all have found permanent and stable foundations, and they would have enjoyed the blessings granted only to those who follow the one straight path with firmness and resolution. For one who is subject to indecision and hesitation, who keeps changing from one direction to another in a state of uncertainty, life is a continuous exercise in futility.

98. By giving up uncertainty, and deciding with complete faith and conviction to follow the Prophet (peace be on him), the straight path of their endeavours would have opened up before them. They would have been able to perceive clearly the channels into which their energies should be directed, so that each step they took would be a step towards the true goal.