Wrongfully Throwing One’s Own Fault on others and/or Blaming Others wrongfully

4. Surah an-Nisa

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

هَاأَنتُمْ هَـؤُلاء جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا...   

4: 109. Ah! these are the sort of men on whose behalf ye may contend in this world;

... فَمَن يُجَادِلُ اللّهَ عَنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَم مَّن يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلاً ﴿١٠٩﴾

but who will contend with Allah on their behalf on the Day of Judgment, or who will carry their affairs through?

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللّهَ يَجِدِ اللّهَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿١١٠﴾

4: 110. If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul, but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

وَمَن يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ...   

4: 111. And if anyone earns sin, he earns it against his own soul:

C624. Kasaba: to earn, to gain, to work for something valuable, to lay up a provision for the future life.

We do a day's labour to earn our livelihood: so in a spiritual sense, whatever good or evil we do in this life, earns us good or evil in the life to come.

In verses 110-112 three cases are considered:

1.      if we do ill and repent, Allah will forgive;

2.     if we do ill and do not repent: thinking that we can hide it, we are wrong; nothing is hidden from Allah, and we shall suffer the full consequences in the life to come, for we can never evade our personal responsibility:

3.     if we do ill, great or small, and impute it to another, our original responsibility for the ill remains, but we add to it something else; for we tie round our necks the guilt of falsehood, which converts even our minor fault into a great sin, and in any case brands us even in this life with shame and ignominy.

... وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿١١١﴾  

for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

وَمَن يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا ﴿١١٢﴾

4: 112. But if anyone earns a fault or a sin and throws it on to one that is innocent, He carries (on himself) (both) a falsehood and a flagrant sin.

Others version:

4: 109

Pickthall Lo! ye are they who pleaded for them in the life of the world. But who will plead with Allah for them on the Day of Resurrection, or who will then be their defender?

Transliteration Ha_ antum ha_ ula_'i ja_daltum 'anhum fil haya_tid dunya_, famay yuja_dilulla_ha 'anhum yaumal qiya_mati am may yaku_nu 'alaihum wakila_(n).

4: 110

Pickthall Yet whoso doeth evil or wrongeth his own soul, then seeketh pardon of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.

Transliteration Wa may ya'mal su_'an au yazlim nafsahu_ summa yastagfirilla_ha yajidilla_ha gafu_rar rahima_(n).

4: 111

Asad for he who commits a sin, commits it only to his own hurt [note 137]:

Pickthall Whoso committeth sin committeth it only against himself. Allah is ever Knower, Wise.

Transliteration Wa may yaksib isman fa innama_ yaksibuhu_ 'ala_ nafsih(i), wa ka_nalla_hu 'aliman hakima_(n).

[[ Asad’s note 137 – Lit., “he who earns a sin, earns it only against himself”. ]]

[[ Ali’s note - 624 Kasaba = to earn, to gain, to work for something valuable, to lay up a provision for the future life. We do a day's labor to earn our livelihood: so in a spiritual sense, whatever good or evil we do in this life, earns us good or evil in the life to come. In verses 110-112 three cases are considered: (1) if we do ill and repent, Allah will forgive; (2) if we do ill and do not repent: thinking that we can hide it, we are wrong; nothing is hidden from Allah, and we shall suffer the full consequences in the life to come, for we can never evade our personal responsibility: (3) if we do ill, great or small, and impute it to another, our original responsibility for the ill remains, but we add to it something else; for we tie round our necks the guilt of falsehood, which converts even our minor fault into a great sin, and in any case brands us even in this life with shame and ignominy. (4.111) ]]

4: 112

Pickthall And whoso commit a delinquency or crime, then throws (the blame) thereof upon the innocent, hath burdened himself with falsehood and a flagrant crime.

Transliteration Wa may yaksib khati'atan au isman summa yarmi bihi bari'an fa qadihtamala buhta_naw wa ismam mubina_(n).