392. The “angels nearest” have, at various times in history, been worshipped by men, hence their inclusion (Ibn Kathir). Some scholars have argued that since in the Arabic language a well-known rule of rhetoric is that the superior (afdal) is always mentioned after the inferior, the verse proves by implication that the angels nearest to Allah are superior to Prophets. This, however, is a minority opinion, since there can be several explanations to the order in the verse. Nonetheless, the best thing in such matters, where reason does not play a role, rather, the dependence is entirely on the received reports, and since, in this case, there is no report (from the Prophet or the Companions), the best course is silence. The sensitiveness of the issue also demands extreme care (Alusi).

393. A hadith of Muslim says:

قَالَ « لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِى قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ ». قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً. قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ.

“Whoever harboured pride equal to a mustard seed in his heart will not enter Paradise.” Upon this someone asked: “Messenger of Allah. A man wishes that his clothes be good, his shoes be good (is that pride)?” He replied: “Allah is beautiful and loves the beautiful. Pride is to counter the truth haughtily and look down upon the people” (Alusi).

394. The “burhan” of the original, translated as “proof” here, has been widely interpreted as alluding to the Prophet, since it is his personality which demands an explanation and is, consequently, a proof of Allah’s existence (Au.).

395. Qatadah and Ibn Jurayj have said that by the word “nur” (light) the allusion is to the Qur’an (Ibn Jarir).

396. Ibn Jurayj has said that the pronoun in the “bihi” of the original refers to the Qur’an (Ibn Jarir). Therefore a variant translation could be: “Those who hold fast unto it,” i.e., “unto the Qur’an.”

397. The expression “Guide them to Himself” means He will guide them to the ways of His worship (Zamakhshari).

398. “The seemingly abrupt transition from the preceding passages - dealing with questions of theology - to this one is in accord with the Qur’anic principle of deliberately interweaving moral exhortation with practical legislation: and this in pursuance of the teaching that man’s life - spiritual and moral, individual and social - is one integral whole, and therefore requires simultaneous consideration of all its aspects if the concept of ‘the good life’ is to be realized” (Asad).

399. For an explanation of the term kalalah see note 54 above. Ibn `Umar has reported that (when `Umar was asked about kalalah when he was on the pulpit), he replied, “People! I wish I had asked the Prophet about three things: (Share of) the grandfather, (who) kalalah (is) and details about riba.” Several other reports say that he had on several occasions asked the Prophet about who kalalah is, but he only directed him to refer to the last verse of surah al-Nisa’. (It was `Umar’s extreme caution in matters of religion that without sufficient grounds, he refused to lend the weight of his personality to an opinion: Manar). And Jabir b. `Abdullah reports that he became the cause of revelation of this verse. He says he was seriously ill. The Prophet visited him. He was unconscious. The Prophet made ablution and then sprinkled water on him from his mouth (some reports say he asked others also to do it). With that Jabir recovered. He asked the Prophet: “How should my wealth be divided?” (According to other versions, he had nine sisters but no brother). Allah revealed this verse (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi). The first and the last of the above mentioned reports are in the Sahihayn while the middle one is in Muslim and others (Ibn Kathir).

400. The other half will http://www.islamicencyclopedia.org/public/admin/index/addTafsir/go to distant relatives known as “`Asabah” (Ibn Jarir); which of course, if the man is parentless (Ibn Kathir). It is reported in Ahmad that a case was brought before Zayd b. Thabit of a man who had left a wife and a sister by the same father and mother. He ruled that both the wife and sister will get one half each and remarked that that is how the Prophet had also judged (Ibn Kathir).

401. However, if she has a father, and is childless, then the father inherits all, to the exclusion of the brother(s) - Ibn Kathir.

402. Bara’ ibn al-`Azib has said (in a report in Muslim) that this was the last verse of the Qur’an to be revealed, although, the last complete surah to be revealed was al-Tawbah (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). The report about this is in the Sahihayn. And, Jalaluddin Suyuti has pointed out that it is significant to note that the last verse to be revealed is concerned with what the last thing a man is concerned with before he dies (Alusi).