Surah 4. An-Nisaa, Ayah 105
| إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا |
| Transliteration | : | 'in(na) -naa anzalnaa 'ilay -ka al- kitaab bi- al- h.aqq li- tah.kum bayna an- naas bi- maa araa -ka 'allaah wa- laa takun li- al- khaa'inen khas.em(an) |
| Pickthall | : | Lo! We reveal unto thee the Scripture with the truth, that thou mayst judge between mankind by that which Allah showeth thee. And be not thou a pleader for the treacherous; |
| Asad | : | BEHOLD, We have bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, setting forth the truth, so that thou mayest judge between people in accordance with what God has taught thee.133 Hence, do no contend with those who are false to their trust, |
| Malik | : | We have revealed to you the Book with the Truth so that you may judge between people in accordance with the Right Way which Allah has shown you, so be not an advocate for those who betray trust; |
| Yusuf Ali | : | We have sent down to thee the Book in truth that thou mightest judge between men as guided by Allah: so be not (used) as an advocate by those who betray their trust. 621 |
Note - 133The "thou" in this and the following two verses - as well
as in verse {113} - refers, on the face of it, to the
Prophet; by implication, however, it is addressed to
everyone who has accepted the guidance of the Qur'an:
this is evident from the use of the plural "you" in verse
{109}. Consequently, the attempt on the part of most of
the commentators to explain this passage in purely
historical terms is not very convincing, the more so as
it imposes an unnecessary limitation on an otherwise
self-explanatory ethical teaching of general purport.
|
Note - 621The 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. 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.
|
Share your thoughts about this with others by posting a comment. Visit our FAQ for some ideas.
Filter Comments 
 |
The "thou" in this and the following two verses - as well as in verse {113} - refers, on the face of it, to the Prophet; by implication, however, it is addressed to everyone who has accepted the guidance of the Qur'an: this is evident from the use of the plural "you" in verse {109}. Consequently, the attempt on the part of most of the commentators to explain this passage in purely historical terms is not very convincing, the more so as it imposes an unnecessary limitation on an otherwise self-explanatory ethical teaching of general purport. |
| |
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. 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. |
