Surah 4. An-Nisaa'

O you who have attained to faith! Hold fast unto your belief in God and His Apostle, and in the divine writ which He has bestowed from on high upon His Apostle, step by step, as well as in the revelation which He sent down aforetime:¹⁵¹ for he who denies God, and His angels, and His revelations, and His apostles, and the Last Day, has indeed gone far astray.¹⁵²

  - Mohammad Asad

What is meant here is belief in the fact of earlier revelation, and not in the earlier-revealed scriptures in their present form, which - as repeatedly stated in the Qur'an - is the outcome of far-reaching corruption of the original texts.

Since it is through the beings or forces described as angels that God conveys His revelations to the prophets, belief in angels is correlated with belief in revelation as such.

O believers! Believe in Allah, His Rasool, the Book which He has revealed to His Rasool, and every Book which He previously revealed. He who denies Allah, His angels, His Books, His Rasools and the Last Day has gone far astray.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His messenger and the Scripture which He hath revealed unto His messenger, and the Scripture which He revealed aforetime. Whoso disbelieveth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily hath wandered far astray.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Behold, as for those who come to believe, and then deny the truth, and again come to believe, and again deny the truth, and thereafter grow stubborn in their denial of the truth¹⁵³ - God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them in any way.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "increase in a denial of the truth".

As for those who accept the faith then renounce it, who again embrace it and again deny it and go on increasing in unbelief; Allah will neither forgive them nor guide them to the Right Way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who believe, then disbelieve and then (again) believe, then disbelieve, and then increase in disbelief, Allah will never pardon them, nor will He guide them unto a way.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Announce thou to such hypocrites that grievous suffering awaits them.

  - Mohammad Asad

Announce the painful punishment to those hypocrites

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Bear unto the hypocrites the tidings that for them there is a painful doom;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

As for those who take the deniers of the truth for their allies in preference to the believers - do they hope to be honoured by them when, behold, all honour belongs to God [alone]?¹⁵⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

See 3:28 . However, the term "allies" (awliya', sing. wali) does not indicate, in this context, merely political alliances. More than anything else, it obviously alludes to a "moral alliance" with the deniers of the truth: that is to say, to an adoption of their way of life in preference to the way of life of the believers, in the hope of being "honoured", or accepted as equals, by the former. Since an imitation of the way of life of confirmed unbelievers must obviously conflict with the moral principles demanded by true faith, it unavoidably leads to a gradual abondonment of those principles.

who choose the unbelievers to be their protectors rather than believers. Are they seeking honor in being with them? Whereas all honor belongs to Allah Alone.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who choose disbelievers for their friends instead of believers! Do they look for power at their hands? Lo! all power appertaineth to Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, indeed, He has enjoined upon you in this divine writ that whenever you hear people deny the truth of God's messages and mock at them, you shall avoid their company until they begin to talk of other things¹⁵⁵ - or else, verily, you will become like them. Behold, together with those who deny the truth God will gather in hell the hypocrites,

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "you shall not sit with them until they immerse themselves in talk other than this". The injunction referred to is found in 6:68 , which was revealed at a much earlier period.

He has already revealed for you in the Book that when you hear Allah's revelations being denied or ridiculed by people, you must not sit with them unless they change the topic of their talk, otherwise you shall be considered guilty like them. Rest assured that Allah is going to gather the hypocrites and the unbelievers all together in hell.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He hath already revealed unto you in the Scripture that, when ye hear the revelations of Allah rejected and derided, (ye) sit not with them (who disbelieve and mock) until they engage in some other conversation. Lo! in that case (if ye stayed) ye would be like unto them. Lo! Allah will gather hypocrites and disbelievers, all together, into hell;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

who but wait to see what betides you: thus, if triumph comes to you from God, they say, "Were we not on your side?" - whereas if those who deny the truth are in luck, they say [to them], "Have we not earned your affection by defending you against those believers?"¹⁵⁶ But God will judge between you all on the Day of Resurrection; and never will God allow those who deny the truth to harm the believers.¹⁵⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "did we not gain mastery over you [i.e., "over your hearts" - cf. Lane II, 664] and defend you against the believers?" The term "believers" has obviously a sarcastic implication here, which justifies the use of the demonstrative pronoun "those" instead of the definite article "the".

This announcement has, of course, a purely spiritual meaning, and does not necessarily apply to the changing fortunes of life - since (as this very verse points out) "those who deny the truth" may on occasion be "in luck", that is to say, may gain temporal supremacy over the believers.

These hypocrites are the ones who wait and watch to see how the wind blows. If Allah grants you a victory, they say: "Were we not with you?" And if the unbelievers gain success, they will say to them: "Were we not strong enough to fight against you? Yet we protected you from the believers (Muslims)." Allah will judge between you and them on the Day of Resurrection. Allah will not leave the way for the unbelievers to triumph over the believers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who wait upon occasion in regard to you and, if a victory cometh unto you from Allah, say: Are we not with you? and if the disbelievers meet with a success say: Had we not the mastery of you, and did we not protect you from the believers? Allah will judge between you at the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will not give the disbelievers any way (of success) against the believers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Behold, the hypocrites seek to deceive God - the while it is He who causes them to be deceived [by themselves].¹⁵⁸ And when they rise to pray, they rise reluctantly, only to be seen and praised by men, remembering God but seldom,

  - Mohammad Asad

Some of the commentators (e.g., Razi) interpret the phrase huwa khadi'uhum (lit., "He is their deceiver") as "He will requite them for their deception". However, the rendering adopted by me seems to be more in tune with 2:9 , where the same type of hypocrisy is spoken of: "They would deceive God and those who have attained to faith - the while they deceive none but themselves, and are not aware of it." See also Manar V, 469 f., where both these interpretations are considered to be mutually complementary.

Surely the hypocrites try to deceive Allah, whereas, in fact, He has reverted their deception to them; when they stand up for Salah they stand reluctantly, merely to be seen by people and do not remember Allah but a little

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! the hypocrites seek to beguile Allah, but it is Allah who beguileth them. When they stand up to worship they perform it languidly and to be seen of men, and are mindful of Allah but little;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

wavering between this and that, [true] neither to these nor those. But for him whom God lets go astray thou canst never find any way.

  - Mohammad Asad

- wavering between belief and disbelief, belonging neither to this nor to that. Whom Allah let go astray, you cannot find a Way for him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Swaying between this (and that), (belonging) neither to these nor to those. He whom Allah causeth to go astray, thou (O Muhammad) wilt not find a way for him:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

0 you who have attained to faith! Do not take the deniers of the truth for your allies in preference to the believers! Do you want to place before God a manifest proof of your guilt?¹⁵⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "a manifest proof against yourselves". See note [154] above.

O believers! Do not choose unbelievers to be your protecting friends instead of believers. Would you like to furnish Allah a clear proof against yourselves?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Choose not disbelievers for (your) friends in place of believers. Would ye give Allah a clear warrant against you?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, the hypocrites shall be in the lowest depth of the fire, and thou wilt find none who could succour them.

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth of hellfire; and you will not find any helper for them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! the hypocrites (will be) in the lowest deep of the fire, and thou wilt find no helper for them;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But excepted shall be they who repent, and live righteously, and hold fast unto God, and grow sincere in their faith in God alone: for these shall be one with the believers - and in time God will grant to all believers a mighty reward.

  - Mohammad Asad

However, those who repent and mend their ways, hold fast to Allah, and become sincere in their devotion to Allah - they are considered to be with the believers. Allah will soon grant the believers a mighty reward.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Save those who repent and amend and hold fast to Allah and make their religion pure for Allah (only). Those are with the believers. And Allah will bestow on the believers an immense reward.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Why would God cause you to suffer [for your past sins] if you are grateful and attain to belief - seeing that God is always responsive to gratitude, all-knowing?¹⁶⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

The gratitude spoken of here is of a general nature - a feeling of thankfulness for being alive and endowed with what is described as a "soul": a feeling which often leads man to the realization that this boon of life and consciousness is not accidental, and thus, in a logical process of thought, to belief in God. According to Zamakhshari, this is the reason why "gratitude" is placed before "belief" in the structure of the above sentence.

Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and a true believer? Allah knows the grateful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

What concern hath Allah for your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him)? Allah was ever Responsive, Aware.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

God does not like any evil to be mentioned openly, unless it be by him who has been wronged [thereby].¹⁶¹ And God is indeed all-hearing, all-knowing,

  - Mohammad Asad

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.

Allah does not like evil words to be uttered except by someone who is truly wronged. Allah hears all and knows all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who hath been wronged. Allah is ever Nearer, Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

  - Mohammad Asad

If you do good deeds openly or in private or forgive an evil, then surely Allah is Pardoning, Powerful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If ye do good openly or keep it secret, or forgive evil, lo ! Allah is Forgiving, Powerful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

VERILY, those who deny God and His apostles by endeavouring to make a distinction between [belief in] God and [belief in] His apostles, and who say, "We believe in the one but we deny the other,"¹⁶² and want to pursue a path in-between -

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "We believe in some and we deny the others" - that is, they believe in God but not in His apostles (Zamakhshari) or, alternatively, they believe in some of the apostles and deny others (Tabari and Zamakhshari). To my mind, the first of these two interpretations is preferable inasmuch as it covers not only a rejection of some of the apostles but also a total rejection of the idea that God may have revealed His will through His chosen message-bearers. In Islam, the rejection of any or all of God's apostles constitutes almost as grave a sin as a denial of God Himself.

Those who deny Allah and his Rasool and those who intend to draw a line between Allah and His Rasools saying: "We believe in some, and reject the rest" - desiring to take a middle way between belief and unbelief

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

it is they, they who are truly denying the truth: and for those who deny the truth We have readied shameful suffering.

  - Mohammad Asad

- these are the real unbelievers and We have prepared for such unbelievers a humiliating punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But as for those who believe in God and His apostles and make no distinction between any of them¹⁶³ - unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full]. And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in point of their being God's message-bearers.

As for those who believe in Allah and His Rasools and do not discriminate between any of them, We shall soon give them their due rewards. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them, unto them Allah will give their wages; and Allah was ever Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THE FOLLOWERS of the Old Testament¹⁶⁴ demand of thee [O Prophet] that thou cause a revelation to be sent down to them from heaven.¹⁶⁵ And an even greater thing than this did they demand of Moses when they said, "Make us see God face to face" - whereupon the thunderbolt of punishment overtook them for this their wickedness.¹⁶⁶ After that, they took to worshipping the [golden] calf - and this after all evidence of the truth had come unto them! Nonetheless, We effaced this [sin of theirs], and vouchsafed unto Moses a clear proof [of the truth],

  - Mohammad Asad

As is evident from the sequence, the term ahl al-kitab ("followers of [earlier] revelation") refers here specifically to the Jews, which justifies its rendering as "followers of the Old Testament".

Sc., "in proof of thy prophethood". Alternatively, the sentence may be understood thus: "They ask thee to bring down unto them an [actual] book from heaven." In view, however, of the oft-repeated Qur'anic statement that the Jews were convinced that they alone could be granted divine revelation, it seems to me that the rendering adopted by me is the more appropriate.

See 2:55 and the corresponding note [40].

The People of the Book ask you to bring down for them a book from Heaven. From Musa they demanded an even harder miracle than that. They asked him: "Make us see Allah with our own eyes." As a result of their wickedness, the thunderbolt overtook them. Then they took the calf for worship after receiving clear revelations. After all that, We still pardoned them and gave to Musa clear authority.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The People of the Scripture ask of thee that thou shouldst cause an (actual) Book to descend upon them from heaven. They asked a greater thing of Moses aforetime, for they said: Show us Allah plainly. The storm of lightning seized them for their wickedness. Then (even after that) they chose the calf (for worship) after clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty) had come unto them. And We forgave them that! And We bestowed on Moses evident authority.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

raising Mount Sinai high above them in witness of their solemn pledge. And We said unto them, "Enter the gate humbly";¹⁶⁷ and We told them, "Do not break the Sabbath-law"; and We accepted from them a most solemn pledge.

  - Mohammad Asad

See {2:58-59} and the corresponding notes.

We lifted the mount of Tur over them and took the covenant from them that they will obey Our commandments. On another occasion We commanded them to enter the gates prostrating in humility. Yet on another occasion We commanded them not to transgress in the matter of the Sabbath and took a solemn commitment from them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We caused the Mount to tower above them at (the taking of) their covenant: and We bade them: Enter the gate, prostrate! and we bade them: Transgress not the Sabbath! and We took from them a firm covenant.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so, [We punished them¹⁶⁸ ] for the breaking of their pledge, and their refusal to acknowledge God's messages, and their slaying of prophets against all right, and their boast, "Our hearts are already full of knowledge" - nay, but God has sealed their hearts in result of their denial of the truth, and [now] they believe in but few things - ;¹⁶⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

The statement relating to their punishment - clearly implied here - is made explicit in verse {160}.

See 2:88 and the corresponding notes.

After all this, they still broke their covenant, rejected the Revelation of Allah, killed the Prophets unjustly. Yet they say: "Our hearts are in secure wrappings which have preserved Allah's Word; we need no more." Nay! It is Allah who has sealed their hearts on account of their disbelief. They have no faith except a little.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelieving in the revelations of Allah, and their slaying of the Prophets wrongfully, and their saying: Our hearts are hardened Nay, but Allah hath set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so that they believe not save a few

  - Marmaduke Pickthall