Surah 4. An-Nisa

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-14 [2], 15-22 [3], 23-25 [4], 26-33 [5], 34-42 [6], 43-50 [7], 51-56 [8], 57-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-87 [11], 88-91 [12], 92-96 [13], 97-100 [14], 101-104 [15], 105-112 [16], 113-115 [17], 116-126 [18], 127-134 [19], 135-141 [20], 142-152 [21], 153-162 [22], 163-171 [23], 172-176 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 172-176لَنْNeverیَّسْتَنْكِفَwill disdainالْمَسِیْحُthe Messiahاَنْtoیَّكُوْنَbeعَبْدًاa slaveلِّلّٰهِof Allahوَ لَاand notالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsالْمُقَرَّبُوْنَ ؕthe ones who are near (to Allah)وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّسْتَنْكِفْdisdainsعَنْfromعِبَادَتِهٖHis worshipوَ یَسْتَكْبِرْand is arrogantفَسَیَحْشُرُهُمْthen He will gather themاِلَیْهِtowards Himجَمِیْعًا all together فَاَمَّاThen as forالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedوَ عَمِلُواand didالصّٰلِحٰتِthe righteous deedsفَیُوَفِّیْهِمْthen He will give them in fullاُجُوْرَهُمْtheir rewardوَ یَزِیْدُهُمْand give them moreمِّنْfromفَضْلِهٖ ۚHis Bountyوَ اَمَّاAnd as forالَّذِیْنَthose whoاسْتَنْكَفُوْاdisdainedوَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْاand were arrogantفَیُعَذِّبُهُمْthen He will punish themعَذَابًا(with) a punishmentاَلِیْمًا ۙ۬painfulوَّ لَاand notیَجِدُوْنَwill they findلَهُمْfor themselvesمِّنْfromدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahوَلِیًّاany protectorوَّ لَاand notنَصِیْرًا any helper یٰۤاَیُّهَاOالنَّاسُmankindقَدْSurelyجَآءَكُمْhas come to youبُرْهَانٌa convincing proofمِّنْfromرَّبِّكُمْyour Lordوَ اَنْزَلْنَاۤand We (have) sent downاِلَیْكُمْto youنُوْرًاa lightمُّبِیْنًا clear فَاَمَّاSo as forالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelievedبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ اعْتَصَمُوْاand held fastبِهٖto Himفَسَیُدْخِلُهُمْthen He will admit themفِیْinرَحْمَةٍMercyمِّنْهُfrom Himselfوَ فَضْلٍ ۙand Bountyوَّ یَهْدِیْهِمْand will guide themاِلَیْهِto Himselfصِرَاطًا(on) a wayمُّسْتَقِیْمًاؕstraight 4. An-Nisa Page 106یَسْتَفْتُوْنَكَ ؕThey seek your rulingقُلِSayاللّٰهُAllahیُفْتِیْكُمْgives you a rulingفِیconcerningالْكَلٰلَةِ ؕthe Kalalaاِنِifامْرُؤٌاa manهَلَكَdiedلَیْسَ(and) notلَهٗhe hasوَلَدٌa childوَّ لَهٗۤand he hasاُخْتٌa sisterفَلَهَاthen for herنِصْفُ(is) a halfمَا(of) whatتَرَكَ ۚhe leftوَ هُوَAnd heیَرِثُهَاۤwill inherit from herاِنْifلَّمْnotیَكُنْisلَّهَاfor herوَلَدٌ ؕa childفَاِنْBut ifكَانَتَاthere wereاثْنَتَیْنِtwo femalesفَلَهُمَاthen for themالثُّلُثٰنِtwo thirdsمِمَّاof whatتَرَكَ ؕhe leftوَ اِنْBut ifكَانُوْۤاthey wereاِخْوَةًbrothers and sistersرِّجَالًاmenوَّ نِسَآءًand womenفَلِلذَّكَرِthen the male will haveمِثْلُlikeحَظِّshareالْاُنْثَیَیْنِ ؕ(of) the two femalesیُبَیِّنُmakes clearاللّٰهُAllahلَكُمْto youاَنْlestتَضِلُّوْا ؕyou go astrayوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبِكُلِّof everyشَیْءٍthingعَلِیْمٌ۠(is) All-Knower

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Translation of Verse 172-176

(4:172) Masih would never disdain to be a slave of Allah, neither would the angels nearest (to Allah).³⁹² Whosoever disdained to worship Him and waxed proud, He shall surely muster them together to Himself.

(4:173) Then, as for those who believed and worked righteousness, He shall award them their wages in full - granting them more out of His grace. As for those who disdained and waxed proud, He shall chastise them with a painful chastisement.³⁹³ And they shall not find for themselves besides Allah, a friend or helper.

(4:174) O Mankind! Verily, a convincing proof has come to you from your Lord.³⁹⁴ And We have sent down to you a clear Light.³⁹⁵

(4:175) Those then who believed in Allah and held fast unto Him,³⁹⁶ He shall admit them into a mercy from Himself and grace, and shall guide them unto Himself³⁹⁷ (along) a Straight Path.

(4:176) They consult you (O Prophet).³⁹⁸ Tell them Allah directs you thus in the matter of a person without a heir in the direct line:³⁹⁹ If a man dies without leaving a child, but he has a sister, then her share will be one half of what he leaves.⁴⁰⁰ And (conversely) he would inherit her (wholly) if she were (to die) childless.⁴⁰¹ However, if there be two (sisters, to the deceased), then they share two-thirds of what he leaves. But, if they be brothers and sisters then the share of the male shall be twice that of the females. Allah makes clear to you so that you might not run into error. Allah has knowledge of all things.⁴⁰²

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Commentary

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).