Tafsir Maariful Quran
Quran Translation and Commentary by Maulana Mufti Mohammad Shafi. Translation by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof. Muhammad Shamim. Revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi UsmaniQuran Translation
Word for Word by
Dr. Shehnaz Shaikh
& Kausar Khatri
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
اِنَّ Indeed الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ the hypocrites یُخٰدِعُوْنَ (seek to) deceive اللّٰهَ Allah وَ هُوَ and (it is) He خَادِعُهُمْ ۚ who deceives them وَ اِذَا And when قَامُوْۤا they stand اِلَی for الصَّلٰوةِ the prayer قَامُوْا they stand كُسَالٰی ۙ lazily یُرَآءُوْنَ showing off النَّاسَ (to) the people وَ لَا and not یَذْكُرُوْنَ they remember اللّٰهَ Allah اِلَّا except قَلِیْلًاؗۙ a little مُّذَبْذَبِیْنَ Wavering بَیْنَ between ذٰلِكَ ۖۗ that لَاۤ not اِلٰی to هٰۤؤُلَآءِ these وَ لَاۤ and not اِلٰی to هٰۤؤُلَآءِ ؕ those وَ مَنْ And whoever یُّضْلِلِ has been lead astray اللّٰهُ (by) Allah فَلَنْ then never تَجِدَ you will find لَهٗ for him سَبِیْلًا a way یٰۤاَیُّهَا O you الَّذِیْنَ who اٰمَنُوْا believe[d] لَا (Do) not تَتَّخِذُوا take الْكٰفِرِیْنَ the disbelievers اَوْلِیَآءَ (as) allies مِنْ from دُوْنِ instead of الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ؕ the believers اَتُرِیْدُوْنَ Do you wish اَنْ that تَجْعَلُوْا you make لِلّٰهِ for Allah عَلَیْكُمْ against you سُلْطٰنًا an evidence مُّبِیْنًا clear اِنَّ Indeed الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ the hypocrites فِی (will be) in الدَّرْكِ the depths الْاَسْفَلِ the lowest مِنَ of النَّارِ ۚ the Fire وَ لَنْ and never تَجِدَ you will find لَهُمْ for them نَصِیْرًاۙ any helper اِلَّا Except الَّذِیْنَ those who تَابُوْا repent وَ اَصْلَحُوْا and correct (themselves) وَ اعْتَصَمُوْا and hold fast بِاللّٰهِ to Allah وَ اَخْلَصُوْا and are sincere دِیْنَهُمْ (in) their religion لِلّٰهِ for Allah فَاُولٰٓىِٕكَ then those (will be) مَعَ with الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ؕ the believers وَ سَوْفَ And soon یُؤْتِ will be given اللّٰهُ (by) Allah الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers اَجْرًا a reward عَظِیْمًا great مَا What یَفْعَلُ would do اللّٰهُ Allah بِعَذَابِكُمْ by punishing you اِنْ if شَكَرْتُمْ you are grateful وَ اٰمَنْتُمْ ؕ and you believe وَ كَانَ And is اللّٰهُ Allah شَاكِرًا All-Appreciative عَلِیْمًا All-Knowing 4. An-Nisa Page 102 لَا (Does) not یُحِبُّ love اللّٰهُ Allah الْجَهْرَ the public mention بِالسُّوْٓءِ of [the] evil مِنَ [of] الْقَوْلِ [the] words اِلَّا except مَنْ (by the one) who ظُلِمَ ؕ has been wronged وَ كَانَ And is اللّٰهُ Allah سَمِیْعًا All-Hearing عَلِیْمًا All-Knowing اِنْ If تُبْدُوْا you disclose خَیْرًا a good اَوْ or تُخْفُوْهُ you conceal it اَوْ or تَعْفُوْا pardon عَنْ [of] سُوْٓءٍ an evil فَاِنَّ then indeed اللّٰهَ Allah كَانَ is عَفُوًّا Oft-Pardoning قَدِیْرًا All-Powerful اِنَّ Indeed الَّذِیْنَ those who یَكْفُرُوْنَ disbelieve بِاللّٰهِ in Allah وَ رُسُلِهٖ and His Messengers وَ یُرِیْدُوْنَ and they wish اَنْ that یُّفَرِّقُوْا they differentiate بَیْنَ between اللّٰهِ Allah وَ رُسُلِهٖ and His Messengers وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَ and they say نُؤْمِنُ We believe بِبَعْضٍ in some وَّ نَكْفُرُ and we disbelieve بِبَعْضٍ ۙ in others وَّ یُرِیْدُوْنَ And they wish اَنْ that یَّتَّخِذُوْا they take بَیْنَ between ذٰلِكَ that سَبِیْلًۙا a way اُولٰٓىِٕكَ Those هُمُ they الْكٰفِرُوْنَ (are) the disbelievers حَقًّا ۚ truly وَ اَعْتَدْنَا And We have prepared لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ for the disbelievers عَذَابًا a punishment مُّهِیْنًا humiliating وَ الَّذِیْنَ And those who اٰمَنُوْا believe بِاللّٰهِ in Allah وَ رُسُلِهٖ and His Messengers وَ لَمْ and not یُفَرِّقُوْا they differentiate بَیْنَ between اَحَدٍ (any) one مِّنْهُمْ of them اُولٰٓىِٕكَ those سَوْفَ soon یُؤْتِیْهِمْ He will give them اُجُوْرَهُمْ ؕ their reward وَ كَانَ And is اللّٰهُ Allah غَفُوْرًا Oft-Forgiving رَّحِیْمًا۠ Most Merciful
(4:142) Surely, the hypocrites (try to) deceive Allah while He is the One who leaves them in deception. And when they stand for Salāh, they stand up lazily, only to show people, and do not remember Allah but a little
(4:143) wavering between (this and) that, neither here nor there. Whomsoever Allah lets go astray, you shall never find a way for him
(4:144) O you who believe, do not take the disbelievers for friends instead of the believers. Do you want to produce before Allah a clear evidence against yourselves
(4:145) Surely, the hypocrites are in the lowest level of the Fire, and you shall never find for them a helper
(4:146) except those who repent and correct themselves and hold on to Allah and make their Faith pure for Allah. So, those are with the believers, and Allah will give the believers a great reward
(4:147) What would Allah get by punishing you, if you are grateful and believe? Allah is Appreciating, All-Knowing
(4:148) Allah does not like the evil words to be said openly except from anyone wronged. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing
(4:149) If you do a good act openly or do it in secret, or forgive an evil deed, then, Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Powerful
(4:150) Surely those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and wish to make division between Allah and His Messengers, and say, “We believe in some (messengers) and disbelieve in some others” and wish to take a way in between that
(4:151) those are the disbelievers in reality, and We have prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers
(4:152) Those who have believed in Allah and His Messengers, and have made no division between any of them, to them He will give their rewards. Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful
From this stage onwards, the purpose is to state their punishment clearly. Since the inherent effect of such impending punishment generates a sense of fear in a good-natured person which usually becomes the reason for early repentance, therefore, exemption from punishment has been promised to those who repent alongwith the incentive of good reward for them.
The Meaning of sincerity
The statement: وَأَخْلَصُوا دِينَهُمْ (Make their Faith pure for Allah) in verse 146 shows that a deed in order to be acceptable with Allah has to be free of hypocrisy and exclusively for His sake and pleasure, for Muslim jurists have enunciated the meaning of Mukhlis (translated with the weaker equivalent 'sincere' ) as follows:
اَلَّذِی یَعمَلُ للہ لَا یُحِبُّ اَن یُّحمَدَہُ النَّاسُ عَلَیہِ
A sincere person is one who acts for Allah alone and does not like that people praise him for it. (Mazhari)
Out of these verses, the first (148) and the second (149) give a law to eradicate injustice and oppression from the world. But, this is not like the usual worldly laws which are limited to dictatory formulations. This, in turn, is the kind of law which tries a combination of persuasion and awe whereby, on the one hand, the victim of injustice has been permitted to protest against the perpetrator of injustice, or to go to a court of law to seek redress. All this is nothing but the basic demand of justice and, certainly, a source of eradication of crimes. But, along with this option, there is a restriction on it as mentioned in Surah al-Nahl: وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّابِرِينَ ﴿126﴾. It means: 'If a person inflicts injustice on you, you too can retaliate against him for that injustice. But, the condition is that your retaliation should not exceed the unjust aggressive action by him - if so, it is you who would turn into the unjust one.' (16:126) The outcome is that returning an injustice by another injustice is not allowed. Rather, the retaliation to injustice, if any, can be made only through justice. On the other hand alongwith this course of action, comes the instruction that revenge is, though permissible, yet observing patience (Sabr) and forgiving is better.
This verse also tells us that for an oppressed person who goes about complaining to people about the injustice done to him or her, this will not be included under backbiting ghibah غِیبہ ، which is Haram (forbidden) - because it is the oppressor who has given the victim the opportunity to complain. Thus, the Holy Qur'an has, on the one hand, allowed the oppressed person to use the option of 'even retaliation' against the injustice. On the other hand, by teaching the oppressed to practice high morals and to forgive and forget, and by focusing before him the great gain of the life-to-come, the victim of injustice has been persuaded to do a little sacrifice in this matter of his legitimate right and take no revenge for the injustice inflicted. The Holy Qur'an says:
إِن تُبْدُوا خَيْرًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ أَوْ تَعْفُوا عَن سُوءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا ﴿149﴾
If you do good openly or keep it secret or overlook an evil deed, then, Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Powerful - 4:149
It means: If you do a good deed openly or do it secretly or forgive any injustice or evil done by someone, then, this is better, because Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Powerful. Primarily, this verse is concerned with the forgiving of injustice but, by also mentioning the doing of what is good, openly or secretly, the hint given is that this act of over-looking and forgiving is great and anyone who elects to do it shall become deserving of the mercy and forgiveness from Almighty Allah.
Towards the end of the verse, by saying فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا (Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Powerful), it has been made clear that Allah is powerful in the absolute sense. He can punish whomsoever He wills, yet He is All-Forgiving. Now, a human being, who does not have much of power or choice, were to think of taking revenge, it is quite possible that he may just not have the capability to do that. Therefore, for such a person, overlooking and forgiving is far more desirable.
This is the principle which the Holy Qur'an enunciates to eradicate injustice and reform the society. The counsel, befitting of the Sustainer of everything, does, on the one hand permit retaliation in an equal measure, thus upholding justice. On the other hand, it exhorts the aggrieved party to forgive and forgo. The result is what has been described in Qur'an at another place:
فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ
"You will see that he with whom you had enmity has become your closest friend" (41:34).
Court decisions and taking of revenge for injustices do play a role in checking injustice. The fact, however, is that the parties to the dispute are usually left saddled with long term grievances and feelings of abhorrence against each other which can result in further disputes in the future. The impeccable lesson in morality, given by Holy Qur'an results in patch up among quarrelling parties such that even old enmities change into close and lasting friendships.
Now, we move on to verses 150, 151 and 152 where the Holy Qur'an has given the clear verdict that anyone who believes in Allah but does not believe in His messengers (علیہم السلام) ، or believes in some of them and does not believe in some others is not a believer in the sight of Allah. He is, rather, an open and avowed disbeliever for whom there is no road to salvation in the Hereafter. Let us examine this aspect of the verses concerned in some detail.
This clear verdict of the Holy Qur'an has exposed the rudderless and crooked ways of those who, in an effort to appear tolerant in dealings with peoples of other faiths, would like to present their religion and religious beliefs as gifts on a platter. By doing so, they wish to tell - despite and contrary to the clear injunctions of the Qur'an and Sunnah - people of other faiths that Muslims do not think that salvation depends on Islam alone and a Jew could keep to his or her creed and a Christian to his or hers and yet, both could look forward to salvation; though, they deny all prophets or at least some of them, for which reason this verse has declared them to be the kind of disbelievers who are destined for Hell.
There is no doubt about the fact that Islam stands unmatched in its attitude to non-Muslims in matters of justice and fairness, sympathy and goodwill, favour and tolerance. But, good favours can be made within the limits of one's rights and possessions. Religious principles and articles of faith are not our property which we could donate or present to somebody. Of course, Islam is generous and benevolent in its teachings of tolerance and good treatment with non-Muslims, but it is also equally cautious and firm in the defence of its frontiers. It maintains its essential approach of all possible sympathy and maximum tolerance with non-Muslims, but, at the same time, Islam absolves itself decisively from all forms of disbelief and customs woven around it, declaring Muslims as a people distinct from non-Muslims - and yet, it provides full protection to their national hallmarks. In short, Islam prefers to keep not only the acts of worship Muslims perform distinct from those of others, but also its way of life in a society, the examples of which abound in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Had Islam believed in the possibility of salvation through every religion or community, it would have had no right to lay so much stress on spreading the message (Tabligh تَبلِیغ) of Islam, almost to the limit of staking property and life for it. This would have been wrong in principle and quite contrary to dictates of reason. In fact, by accepting such a premise, the very coming of the noble Prophet, may the blessings of Allah and peace be upon him, and the revelation of the glorious Qur'an, is rendered, God forbid, redundant. And, lest we miss, the entire Jihad carried out by the noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the rightly-guided Caliphs ؓ becomes meaningless, rather reduced to nothing but the lust for more land.
In this case, some people have fallen victims to doubt by a misreading of verse 62 in Surah al-Baqarah which is cited below:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿62﴾
Surely, those who believed in Allah, and those who happened to be Jews and Christians, and the Sabeans - whosoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day, and does good deeds - they have their reward with their Lord. And there is no fear for them nor shall they grieve.
Since, in this verse, rather than giving the full detail of what constitutes faith, only belief in Allah and in the Last Day has been considered sufficient, those who try to understand the Qur'an through an incomplete study have misunderstood the whole idea. They assumed that simply believing in Allah and the Last Day is enough for salvation and that believing in prophets is no condition for it: Thus, they failed to understand that the Qur'an has its own terminology in which Belief in Allah, in order to be acceptable, has to be in conjunction with Belief in the Prophet. Otherwise, even the Satan admits that there is a God and that He is One. The Holy Qur'an has itself clarified the real issue in the following words:
فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّـهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ﴿137﴾
So, if they believe in the like of what you believe in, they have certainly found the right path. And if they turn away, they are nothing but in antagonism. Then Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (2:137)
In other words, we can say that their faith will be valid and trust-worthy only when they have the same faith as common Muslims do, a faith in which Belief in the Prophet is indispensably necessary with Belief in Allah. Otherwise, if they do not do that, let it be understood that they are the ones who wish to create dissension. After that, for them, Allah will be sufficient on your behalf, and He is the One who hears everything and He is the One who knows everything.
As for the verses under discussion, it has been clearly declared that anyone who rejects even one of the prophets of Allah is an avowed disbeliever (kafir) and a recipient of the punishment of Hell. So, let us remember that Belief in Allah, in order to be valid, has to be with Belief in the Prophet. If the Belief in the Prophet is not there, even referring to Belief in Allah as such will not be correct.
اِنَ القُرٰانَ یُفَسِرُ بعصُہ بَعضاً
One part of the Qur'an explains the other.
It is not permissible for anyone to explain the Qur'an in any way contrary to the Tafsir of the Qur'an itself.