4. Surah an-Nisa

 The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَاعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُواْ بِهِ شَيْئًا...   

4:36.  Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him:

... وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى ...

and do good to;

-          parents,  

-          kinsfolk,

-           orphans,

-           those in need,

-           neighbors who are near,

... وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ...

neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side,

the wayfarer (ye meet),

C552. The Companion by your side may be your intimate friends and associates, just as the way-farer you meet may be a casual acquaintance on your travels.

This last is much wider than the "stranger within your gate."

... وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ...

and what your right hands possess:

C553. What your right hands possess: For the meaning of the phrase see n. 537 above. [[C537. Whom your right hands possess: i.e., captives in a Jihad. ]]

... إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُورًا ﴿٣٦﴾

for Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious;

Asad’s version

4:36 and worship God [alone], and do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside Him.

And do good unto your parents, and near of kin, and unto orphans, and the needy, and the neighbor from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the friend by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom you rightfully possess.

Pickthall’s version

And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and into the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin and the fellow traveller and the wayfarer and (the slaves) whom your right hands possess. Lo! Allah loveth not such as are proud and boastful,

[[ Ali’s notes - C550. The essence of Islam is to serve Allah and do good to your fellow-creatures. This is wider and more comprehensive than "Love God and love your neighbour".

For it includes duties to animals as our fellow-creatures, and emphasises practical service rather than sentiment.

C554. Real deeds of service and kindness proceed, not from showing off or from a superior sort of condescension (cf. "White Man's Burden"), but from a frank recognition of our own humility and the real claims, before Allah, of all our fellow-creatures.

For in our mutual needs we are equal before Allah, or perhaps the best of us (as the world sees us) may be worse than the worst of us (from the same point of view).]]

[[ Asad’s note 46 – The expression “shay’an (here rendered as “in any way”) makes it clear that “shirk” (“the ascribing of divinity to anything beside God”) is not confined to a worship of other “deities”, but implies also the attribution of divine or quasi-divine powers to persons or objects not regarded as deities: in other words, it embraces also saint-worshiping, etc.]

47 - ………..The Prophet often stressed a believer’s moral obligation towards his neighbors, whatever their faith…………….]]

[[ Ali’s notes :

550 The essence of Islam is to serve Allah and do good to your fellow-creatures. This is wider and more comprehensive than "Love God and love your neighbour". For it includes duties to animals as our fellow-creatures, and emphasises practical service rather than sentiment. (4.36)

551 Neighbours who are near: that is, in local situation as well as intimate relationships, just as neighbours who are strangers includes those whom we do not know or who live away from us. (4.36)

552 The Companion by your side may be your intimate friends and associates, just as the way-farer you meet may be a casual acquaintance on your travels. This last is much wider than the "stranger within your gate." (4.36)

553 What your right hands possess: For the meaning of the phrase see n. 537 above. (4.36)

554 Real deeds of service and kindness proceed, not from showing off or from a superior sort of condescension (cf. "White Man's Burden"), but from a frank recognition of our own humility and the real claims, before Allah, of all our fellow-creatures. For in our mutual needs we are equal before Allah, or perhaps the best of us (as the world sees us) may be worse than the worst of us (from the same point of view). (4.36) ]]

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