4. Sura an-Nisa
Medina 92 [Hijra 4]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَاعْبُدُواْ
اللّهَ وَلاَ
تُشْرِكُواْ
بِهِ شَيْئًا...
4: 36. Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him:
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.
... وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى ...
and do good to;
- parents,
- kinsfolk,
- orphans,
- those in need,
- neighbors who are near,
C551. Neighbors who are near: that is, in local situation as well as intimate relationships, just as neighbors who are strangers includes those whom we do not know or who live away from us or in a different sphere altogether.
... 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. (R).
... إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُورًا ﴿٣٦﴾
for Allah loveth not the arrogant, the vainglorious;
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).
الَّذِينَ
يَبْخَلُونَ
وَيَأْمُرُونَ
النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ
وَيَكْتُمُونَ
مَا آتَاهُمُ
اللّهُ مِن
فَضْلِهِ...
4: 37. (Nor) those who are niggardly or enjoin niggardliness on others, or hide the bounties which Allah hath bestowed on them;
C555. Arrogance is one reason why our deeds of love and kindness do not thrive.
Another is niggardliness or selfishness.
Allah does not love either the one or the other, for they both proceed from want of love of Allah, or faith in Allah.
Niggardly is the worldly wise man who not only refuses to spend himself in service, but by example and precept prevents others from doing so, as otherwise he would be made odious by comparison, before his fellow-creatures. So he either makes a virtue of his caution, or hides the gifts which have been given him-wealth, position, talent, etc.
... وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا ﴿٣٧﴾
for We have prepared, for those who resist faith, a punishment that steeps them in contempt.
C556. Note how the punishment fits the crime.
The niggard holds other people in contempt, and in doing so, becomes himself contemptible.
وَالَّذِينَ
يُنفِقُونَ
أَمْوَالَهُمْ
رِئَـاء النَّاسِ
وَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
بِاللّهِ وَلاَ
بِالْيَوْمِ
الآخِرِ...
4: 38. (Nor) those who spend of their substance, to be seen of men, but have no faith in Allah and the Last Day:
C557. A fault opposed to niggardliness, and equally opposed to true Charity, is to spend lavishly to be seen of men.
It is mere hypocrisy: there is no love in it, either for Allah or for man.
... وَمَن يَكُنِ الشَّيْطَانُ لَهُ قَرِينًا فَسَاء قِرِينًا ﴿٣٨﴾
if any take the Evil One for their intimate, what a dreadful intimate he is!
أَلَمْ
تَرَ إِلَى
الَّذِينَ
يَزْعُمُونَ
أَنَّهُمْ
آمَنُواْ بِمَا
أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
وَمَا أُنزِلَ
مِن قَبْلِكَ...
4: 60. Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who declare that they believe in the revelations that have come to thee and to those before thee?
... يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُواْ إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُواْ أَن يَكْفُرُواْ بِهِ...
Their (real) wish is to resort together for judgment (in their disputes) to the Evil One, though they were ordered to reject him.
... وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلاَلاً بَعِيدًا ﴿٦٠﴾
But Satan's wish is to lead them astray far away (from the Right).
C581. The immediate reference was to the Hypocrites (Munafiqin) of Madinah but the words are general, and the evil of hypocrisy has to be dealt with in all ages.
The type of these men is what is called Mr. Facing-both-ways in Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress."
Such men declare that they are always with the Right, but calmly intrigue with Evil and Injustice, and even make Injustice their judge if their personal interests are served in that way.
4: 36
Asad And worship God [alone], and do not ascribe divinity, in any way, to aught beside Him [note 46]. And do good unto your parents, and near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy and the neighbor from among your own people, and neighbor who is a stranger [note 47], and the friend by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom you rightfully possess [note 48].
Verily, God does not love any of those who, full of self-conceit, act in a boastful manner.
Pickthall 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,
Transliteration Wa'budulla_ha wa la_ tusyriku_ bihi syai'aw wa bil wa_lidaini ihsa_naw wa bizil qurba_ wal yata_ma_ wal masa_kini wal ja_rizil qurba_ wal ja_ril junubi was sa_hibi bil jambi wabnis sabil(i), wa ma_ malakat aima_nukum, innalla_ha la_ yuhibbu man ka_na mukhta_lan fakhu_ra_(n).
4: 37
Asad [nor] those who are niggardly, and bid others to be niggardly, and conceal whatever God has bestowed upon them out of His bounty; and so We have readied shameful suffering for all who thus deny the truth.
Pickthall Who hoard their wealth and enjoin avarice on others, and hide that which Allah hath bestowed upon them of His bounty. For disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom;
Transliteration Allazina yabkhalu_na wa ya'muru_nan na_sa bil bukhli wa yaktumu_na ma_ a_ta_humulla_hu min fadlih(i), wa a'tadna_ lil ka_firina 'aza_bam muhina_(n).
4: 38
Asad ………..how evil a soul-mate has he!
Pickthall And (also) those who spend their wealth in order to be seen of men, and believe not in Allah nor the Last Day. Whoso taketh Satan for a comrade, a bad comrade hath he.
Transliteration Wallazina yunfiqu_na amwa_lahum ri'a_'an na_si wa la_ yu'minu_na billa_hi wa la_ bil yaumil a_khir(i), wa may yakunisy syaita_nu lahu_qarinan fa sa_'a qarina_(n).
4: 60
Asad Are you not aware of those who claim that they believe in what has been bestowed from on high upon thee, [O Prophet,] as well as in what was bestowed from on high before thee, [and yet] are willing to defer to the rule of the powers of evil [note 79] –although they were bidden to deny it, seeing that Satan but wants to lead them far astray?
Pickthall Hast thou not seen those who pretend that they believe in that which is revealed unto thee and that which was revealed before thee, how they would go for judgment (in their disputes) to false deities when they have been ordered to abjure them? Satan would mislead them far astray.
Transliteration Alam tara ilal lazina yaz'umu_na annahum a_manu_ bima_ unzila ilaika wa ma_ unzila min qablika yuridu_na ay yataha_kamu_ ilat ta_gu_ti wa qad umiru_ ay yakfuru_ bih(i), wa yuridusy syaita_ni ay yudillahum dala_lam ba'ida_(n).
[[ Asad’s notes – 79 -Lit., “who summon one another to the judgment [or “rule”] of the powers of evil (at-taghut): an allusion to people like those mentioned in verse 51 above, who, by their deference to what the Quran describes as at-taghut (see surah 2, note 250), nullify all the good that they could derive from guidance through revelation.