4. Sura an-Nisa, Medina 92
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
إِنَّ
اللّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ
أَن تُؤدُّواْ
الأَمَانَاتِ
إِلَى أَهْلِهَا...
4: 58. Allah doth command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due;
... وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُواْ بِالْعَدْلِ...
and when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice:
... إِنَّ اللّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِ...
verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you!
... إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا ﴿٥٨﴾
for Allah is He who heareth and seeth all things.
Transliteration Innalla_ha ya'murukum an tu'addul ama_na_ti ila_ ahliha_, wa iza_ hakamtum bainan na_si an tahkumu_ bil 'adl(i), innalla_ha ni'imma_ ya'izukum bih(i), innalla_ ka_na sami'am basira_(n).
Other Versions
4: 58 [an-Nisa, Medina 92]
Asad Behold, God bids you to deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled thereto, and whenever you judge between people, to judge with justice [note 75]. Verily, most excellent is what God exhorts you to do: verily, God is all-hearing, all-seeing!
Pickthall Lo! Allah command you that ye restore deposits to their owners, and, if ye judge between mankind, that ye judge justly. Lo! comely is this which Allah admonish you. Lo! Allah is ever Hearer, Seer.
إِنَّا
أَنزَلْنَا
إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ
بِالْحَقِّ
لِتَحْكُمَ
بَيْنَ النَّاسِ
بِمَا أَرَاكَ
اللّهُ ...
4: 105. We have sent down to thee the Book in truth, that thou mightest judge between men, as guided by Allah:
... وَلاَ تَكُن لِّلْخَآئِنِينَ خَصِيمًا ﴿١٠٥﴾
so be not (used) as an advocate by those who betray their trust.
C621. The Commentators explain this passage with reference to the case of Taima ibn Ubairaq, who was nominally a Muslim but really a Hypocrite, and given to all sorts of wicked deeds.
He was suspected of having stolen a set of armour, and when the trial was hot, he planted the stolen property into the house of a Jew, where it was found. The Jew denied the charge and accused Taima, but the sympathies of the Muslim community were with Taima on account of his nominal profession of Islam.
The case was brought to the Prophet, who acquitted the Jew according to the strict principle of justice, as "guided by Allah."
Attempts were made to prejudice him and deceive him into using his authority to favour Taima. When Taima realized that his punishment was imminent he fled and turned apostate. (R).
The general lesson is that the righteous man is faced with all sorts of subtle wiles; the wicked will try to appeal to his highest sympathies and most honourable motives to deceive him and use him as an instrument for defeating justice. He should be careful and cautious, and seek the help of Allah for protection against deception and for firmness in dealing the strictest justice without fear or favour.
To do otherwise is to betray a sacred trust; the trustee must defeat all attempts made to mislead him.
وَاسْتَغْفِرِ
اللّهِ إِنَّ
اللّهَ كَانَ
غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
﴿١٠٦﴾
4: 106. But seek the forgiveness of Allah; for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
وَلاَ
تُجَادِلْ عَنِ
الَّذِينَ
يَخْتَانُونَ
أَنفُسَهُمْ...
4: 107. Contend not on behalf of such as betray their own souls:
C622. Own souls are a sort of trust with us. We have to guard them against all temptation. Those who surrender to crime or evil, betray that trust.
We are warned against being deceived into taking their part, induced either by plausible appearances, or by such incentives to partiality as that they belong to our own people or that some link connects them with us, whereas when we are out to do justice, we must not allow any irrelevant considerations to sway us.
... إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا ﴿١٠٧﴾
for Allah loveth not one given to perfidy and crime.
يَسْتَخْفُونَ
مِنَ النَّاسِ
وَلاَ يَسْتَخْفُونَ
مِنَ اللّهِ...
4: 108. They may hide (their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (them) from Allah,
... وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لاَ يَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ...
seeing that He is in their midst when they plot by night, in words that He cannot approve:
... وَكَانَ اللّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطًا ﴿١٠٨﴾
and Allah doth compass round all that they do.
C623. The plots of sinners are known fully to Allah, and He can fully circumvent them if necessary, according to the fullness of His wisdom.
The word used is: Compass them round.- Muhit: not only does Allah know all about it, but He is all round it: if in His wisdom He allows it, it is not because He has not complete control over it, but because, having it as it were enclosed in a complete circle. He can use it to further His own Plan. Even out of evil He can bring good.
Other versions:
4: 58 [ An-Nisaa, Medina # 92 ]
Asad Behold , God bids you to deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled thereto, and whenever you judge between people, to judge with justice. Verily, most excellent is what God exhorts you to do: verily, God is all hearing, all-seeing!
Yusuf Ali Allah do command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due; and when ye judge between man and man that ye judge with justice: verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! for Allah is He who heareth and seeth all things.
Pickthall Lo! Allah commandeth you that ye restore deposits to their owners, and, if ye judge between mankind, that ye judge justly. Lo! comely is this which Allah admonisheth you. Lo! Allah is ever Hearer, Seer.
Transliteration Innalla_ha ya'murukum an tu'addul ama_na_ti ila_ ahliha_, wa iza_ hakamtum bainan na_si an tahkumu_ bil 'adl(i), innalla_ha ni'imma_ ya'izukum bih(i), innalla_ ka_na sami'am basira_(n).
Asad’s version
4: 105, 106..... Hence, do not contend with those who are false to their trust, but pray God to forgive [them]: behold, God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.
4: 107, 108 Yet do not argue in behalf of those who are false to their own selves: verily, God does not love those who betray their trust and persist in sinful ways. They would conceal their doings from men; but from God they cannot conceal them – for He is with them whenever they devise, in the dark of night, all manner of beliefs which He does not approve. And God indeed encompasses [with His knowledge] whatever they do. Asad
[[ Asad’s note 77 – I.e., to the Quran and the sunnah ( the sayings and the practice) of the Prophet. See also verse 65 of this surah.
78 – Rear in conjunction with 3:26, which speaks of God as “the Lord of all dominion” – and therefore the ultimate source of all moral and political authority – the above passage lays down a fundamental rule of conduct for the individual believer as well as the conceptual basis for the conduct of the Islamic state. ………The stress, in this context, on “those from among you who have been entrusted with authority” makes it clear that the holders of authority (ulu ‘I-amr) in an Islamic state must be Muslims.]]
[[ Ruby’s note – I completely disagree with Asad that the meaning of “those from among you who have been entrusted with authority” means the leaders need to be Muslims.
This is a self-evident and unqualified statement which is timeless and very broad in meaning. However, at the time of this revelation in Median, the Prophet had established a constitution of Medina which treated the non-Muslims [Jews, Christians and the Pagans] on equal footing with Muslims in offering the rights and sharing the responsibilities of governance and affairs of the city-State of Medina. This is the context of this injunction. Therefore, the non-Muslims who were trusted with the decision making process are included in that time. For a later time, this contains even more general and universal application.]]
4: 105, 106..... Hence, do not contend with those who are false to their trust, but pray God to forgive [them]: behold, God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.
4: 107, 108 Yet do not argue in behalf of those who are false to their own selves: verily, God does not love those who betray their trust and persist in sinful ways. They would conceal their doings from men; but from God they cannot conceal them – for He is with them whenever they devise, in the dark of night, all manner of beliefs which He does not approve. And God indeed encompasses [with His knowledge] whatever they do. Asad
: 1 O you who believe! Fulfill (all) obligations. Ali
5:1 O you who have attained to faith! Be true to your covenants! Asad
[Note 1: The term ‘aqd’ (covenant) denotes a solemn undertaking or engagement involving more than one party. According to Raghib, the covenant referred to in this verse ‘are of three kinds: the covenants between God and man, between man and his soul, and between the individual and his fellow-men” – thus embracing the entire area of man’s moral and social responsibilities.]
4: 107, 108 Yet do not argue in behalf of those who are false to their own selves: verily, God does not love those who betray their trust and persist in sinful ways. They would conceal their doings from men; but from God they cannot conceal them – for He is with them whenever they devise, in the dark of night, all manner of beliefs which He does not approve. And God indeed encompasses [with His knowledge] whatever they do.
8: 26-27 O you who have attained to faith, do not be false t o God and the Apostle, and do not knowingly be false to the trust that has been reposed in you; and know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation, and that with God there is a tremendous reward. [see asad note 27 re: “amanah”]