4. Sura an-Nisa

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

لاَّ يُحِبُّ اللّهُ الْجَهْرَ بِالسُّوَءِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ إِلاَّ مَن ظُلِمَ ...  

4: 148. Allah loveth not that evil should be noised abroad in public speech, except where injustice hath been done;

... وَكَانَ اللّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا ﴿١٤٨﴾  

for Allah is He who heareth and knoweth all things.

إِن تُبْدُواْ خَيْرًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ أَوْ تَعْفُواْ عَن سُوَءٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا ﴿١٤٩﴾  

149. Whether ye publish a good deed or conceal it or cover evil with pardon, verily Allah doth blot out (sins) and hath power (in the judgment of values).

Asad’s Version:

4: 148 God does not like any evil to be mentioned openly, unless it be by him who has been wronged [thereby], and God is indeed all-hearing, all-knowing,

4: 149 whether you do good openly or in secret, or pardon others for evil [done unto you]: for, behold God is indeed an absolver of sins, infinite in His power.

[[ Asad’s notes

161 As some of the commentators (e.g., Razi) point out, this may refer to giving currency to earlier sayings or deeds of the repentant sinners - both hypocrites and outright deniers of the truth - mentioned in the preceding two verses: an interpretation which seems to be borne out by the context. However, the above statement has a general import as well: it prohibits the public mention of anybody's evil deeds or sayings, "unless it be by him who has been wronged (thereby)" - which also implies that evil behaviour which affects the society as a whole may be made public if the interests of the wronged party - in this case, the society as such - demand it.

[[ Ali’s notes - C654. We can make a public scandal of evil in many ways.

1.     It may be idle sensation-mongering:

it often leads to more evil by imitation, as where criminal deeds are glorified in a cinema, or talked about shamelessly in a novel or drama.

2.     It may be malicious gossip of a foolish, personal kind:

it does no good, but it hurts people's feelings.

3.     it may be malevolent slander or libel:

it is intended deliberately to cause harm to people's reputation or injure them in other ways, and is rightly punishable under all laws.

4.     It may be a public rebuke or correction or remonstrance, without malice.

1, 2 and 3 are absolutely forbidden.

4 may be by a person in authority; in which case the exception applies, for all wrong or injustice must be corrected openly, to prevent its recurrence. Or

4 may be a person not vested with authority, but acting either from motives of public spirit, or in order to help some one who has been wronged; here again the exception will apply. But if the motive is different, the exception does not apply.

4 would also include a public complaint by a person who has suffered a wrong; he has every right to seek public redress.

C655. Qadir: The root qadara not only implies power, ability, strength, but two other ideas which it is difficult to convey in a single word, viz., the act and power of estimating the true value of a thing or persons, as in 6:91; and the act and power of regulating something so as to bring it into correspondence with something.

"Judgment of values" I think sums up these finer shades of meaning.

Allah forgives what is wrong and is able fully to appreciate and judge of the value of our good deeds whether we publish them or conceal them.]]