Verses 155–162
4. An-Nisaa · The Women
Madinan176 verses
فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَٰقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِم بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ ٱلْأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّۢ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَلْ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
4:155Then because of their breaking their covenant, their defiance of Allah’s signs, their killing of the prophets unjustly and for their saying, ‘Our hearts are uncircumcised’… Indeed, Allah has set a seal on them for their unfaith, so they do not have faith except a few.1
وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَٰنًا عَظِيمًۭا
4:156And for their faithlessness, and their uttering a monstrous calumny against Mary,2
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
4:157and for their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the apostle of Allah’—though they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but so it was made to appear to them. Indeed those who differ concerning him are surely in doubt about him: they do not have any knowledge of that beyond following conjectures, and certainly, they did not kill him.
بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًۭا
4:158Indeed, Allah raised him up toward Himself, and Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.
وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِۦ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًۭا
4:159There is none among the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.3
فَبِظُلْمٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَٰتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًۭا
4:160Due to the wrongdoing of the Jews, We prohibited them certain good things that were permitted to them [earlier], and for their barring many [people] from the way of Allah,
وَأَخْذِهِمُ ٱلرِّبَوٰا۟ وَقَدْ نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَأَكْلِهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ ۚ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا
4:161and for their taking usury—though they had been forbidden from it—and for eating up the wealth of the people wrongfully. And We have prepared for the faithless among them a painful punishment.
لَّٰكِنِ ٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ وَٱلْمُقِيمِينَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۚ وَٱلْمُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
4:162But as for those who are firmly grounded in knowledge from among them, and the faithful, they believe in what has been sent down to you, and what was sent down before you—those who maintain the prayer, give the zakat, and believe in Allah and the Last Day—them We shall give a great reward.45
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 155
1.In this auspicious chapter, the Holy Quran has mentioned once again about the sins of Jews. They were the killers of prophets, failed to keep the Word and refused the sign of God and were too obtuse to understand the truth. They blamed Maryam (a.s.) and imagined themselves as the killers of Isa (a.s.). They were usurers and embezzlers. In this way, they were great sinners. It is amazing that after seeing the mention of their sins and besides’ the recitation of the Holy Qur’an every morning and evening, Muslims rely on the chiefs of the Jews and are ready to compromise with them. This shows that they themselves are like Jews by their nature or they are corrupt and plot against Islam.
Verse 157
2.The beginning as well as the ending of Isa’s (a.s.) life is controversial. For the beginning. the abusive Jews criticised the chastity of Isa’s (a.s.) mother and foolish Christians called him the son of God and as for the end the Jews proclaimed that Isa (a.s.) was crucified and buried forever. Christians established the beleif that Isa (a.s.) was crucified and buried but he returned. While no one has any proof for their statements. But the final decision of Quran is that Maryam (a.s.) is pure and Isa (a.s.) is Abdullah. He was neither slain nor crucified but Allah has raised him to the heaven and he will return when Allah wants and pray behind Mahdi (a.s.).
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
The Jews used to jointly tell the Prophet (s.a.) that their hearts were created in such a way that they could not understand anything that he said. The Almighty has told them it was not due to the way they were created but it the result of their disbelief.
- 2
These two ayats announce the disbelief of the Jews from their aspects. And indeed they are the worst infidels. A list of whose crimes is given in these ayats.
- 3
According to some commentators the pronoun is directed towards the people of the Book. That every person will bring faith in the true principles of religion at the last moments of his life. While some exegesists think it denotes Hazrat Isa (a.s.), when he will descend from the sky and pray behind Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.). At that time all the people of the Book will bring faith in all his teachings. One of which is the Imamat of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.).
- 4
Some commentators maintain that believers mean the Muslims while others think that it is the ordinary people of the book.
- 5
The ‘nasb’ of Muqeemeen is a sign of proper noun and the ‘raf’ of ‘Mutoona’ is a sign that they are the true praying ones who pay Zakat and believe in Allah and the Hereafter.