Verses 29–34
4. An-Nisaa · The Women
Madinan176 verses
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَٰطِلِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ تِجَٰرَةً عَن تَرَاضٍۢ مِّنكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًۭا
4:29O you who have faith! Do not eat up your wealth among yourselves unrightfully, but it should be trade by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves. Indeed Allah is most merciful to you.12
وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ عُدْوَٰنًۭا وَظُلْمًۭا فَسَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِ نَارًۭا ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًا
4:30And whoever does that in aggression and injustice, We will soon make him enter the Fire, and that is easy for Allah.
إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا
4:31If you avoid the major sins that you are forbidden, We will absolve you of your misdeeds and admit you to a noble abode.
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا۟ مَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبُوا۟ ۖ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا ٱكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا
4:32Do not covet the advantage, which Allah has given some of you over others. To men belongs a share of what they have earned, and to women a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah for His bounty. Indeed Allah has knowledge of all things.3
وَلِكُلٍّۢ جَعَلْنَا مَوَٰلِىَ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ عَقَدَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ فَـَٔاتُوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدًا
4:33For everyone We have appointed heirs to what the parents and near relatives leave, as well as those with whom you have made a compact; so give them their share [of the heritage]. Indeed Allah is witness to all things.
ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ ۚ فَٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ قَٰنِتَٰتٌ حَٰفِظَٰتٌۭ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَٱلَّٰتِى تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضْرِبُوهُنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّۭا كَبِيرًۭا
4:34Men are the managers of women, because of the advantage Allah has granted some of them over others, and by virtue of their spending out of their wealth. Righteous women are obedient and watchful in the absence [of their husbands] in guarding what Allah has enjoined [them] to guard. As for those [wives] whose misconduct you fear, [first] advise them, and [if ineffective] keep away from them in the bed, and [as the last resort] beat them. Then if they obey you, do not seek any course [of action] against them. Indeed Allah is all-exalted, all-great.45
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 29
1.According to Islamic law, property has great importance. It is unlawful to acquire the property of others without the permission of the owner and whoever does this will be punished and cast into hell.
Verse 31
2.At present it is conceded that there are two types of sins. (i) Mortal sins (ii) And Venial sins. In some places venial sins are considered as evils. In the field of Islam both are mortal and some of them are more severe that is why all the sins are called mortal sins.
Verse 32
3.Psychological excitement, ill will and jealousy can mislead man at any time. Only to desire is not stupidity and stupidity is not unlawful. But at any rate it is morality that a person should keep his eyes on the mercy of Allah instead of training them on the property of others and seek from Allah alone, try to follow His Commands and have faith in Him. Everybody’s condition is at the discretion of Allah. He does not oppress anybody.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
The repetition of word Taubah means that it has been mentioned before that all these laws have been related for your Taubah. Now it is made clear that Allah is demanding Taubah.
- 2
Amirul Mo-mineen Ali (a.s.) says that man is so weak that even a bedbug could cause uneasiness to him, choking could kill him and perspiration could make him detestable.
- 3
Zikr is the exception of proof that equality is not a condition in business. Excess and deficiency is allowed, provided there is no adulteration and cheating.
- 4
It is also possible that it has prohibited from general massacre of humanity as the whole of humanity is like one living entity. It is also possible that it denotes killing of oneself by disobeying the command of Allah.
- 5
This ‘Min’ is not for ‘among’. It is for mention like the ‘Min’ of Mimma Iktasabana. Everyone is the owner of all that he has earned.
Benefit
It should be clear that some sins are called as Major by the Holy Quran and some are called Saiyya or Lemam. And these are the two categories of sins. According to traditions the sign of major sin is that in addition to its prohibition there is promise for Hellfire. And the veiling of smaller sins is subject to the abstaining from greater sins, as man is not exempted from smaller sins also, and he has to abstain from them too.