سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ
Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Ayahs 111–120 of 176
وَمَن يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًۭا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُۥ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا
And whoever commits a sin only earns it against himself. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
Those who commit a minor or major sin will have to face the punishment themselves. No one else will be held responsible. Allah knows the actions of His servants and is Wise in His planning and legislation.
وَمَن يَكْسِبْ خَطِيٓـَٔةً أَوْ إِثْمًۭا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِۦ بَرِيٓـًۭٔا فَقَدِ ٱحْتَمَلَ بُهْتَٰنًۭا وَإِثْمًۭا مُّبِينًۭا
But whoever earns an offense or a sin and then blames it on an innocent [person] has taken upon himself a slander and manifest sin.
If a person does a wrong action unintentionally or a sin intentionally and then accuses an innocent person of the same, they have taken on themselves a serious lie and a clear sin by acting in that manner.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ لَهَمَّت طَّآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۖ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ وَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُن تَعْلَمُ ۚ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًۭا
And if it was not for the favor of Allah upon you, [O Muhammad], and His mercy, a group of them would have determined to mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they will not harm you at all. And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great.
If it were not for Allah’s grace in protecting you, O Messenger, a group of these people who deceive themselves would have tried to mislead you from the truth and you would have passed an unfair judgement. In reality, they only mislead their own selves, because they will have to face the consequences of their crime of misleading others. Allah has revealed the Qur'ān and Sunna to you and He has taught you guidance and light which you did not know before. Allah’s grace on you, by giving you prophethood and protecting you, is great.
۞ لَّا خَيْرَ فِى كَثِيرٍۢ مِّن نَّجْوَىٰهُمْ إِلَّا مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ إِصْلَٰحٍۭ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ ٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا
No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward.
There is no good or benefit in much of the secret talk that people engage in, unless their speech includes an encouragement towards charity, good actions brought by the sacred law or those good actions known and approved off by people, or calling towards reconciliation between arguing parties. Whoever does such good, whilst seeking Allah’s pleasure, He shall give them a great reward.
وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِۦ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًا
And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
Whoever opposes and disobeys what the Messenger has brought after the truth has become clear to them, and follows a path other than that of the believers, I will leave them with what they have chosen; and I will not bring them to the truth, since they have deliberately turned away. I will then enter them into the fire of Hell to suffer in its heat. What an evil place to return to!
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray.
Allah does not forgive the crime of associating partners with Him, for anyone who does so and dies in that state will live eternally in the fire of Hell. He may forgive all other sins besides associating partners with Him for whomever He wills if such people die committing those sins without repentance, out of His mercy and grace. Whoever associates anything as a partner with Allah has gone far away from the truth, as he has made the creation equal with the Creator.
إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ إِنَٰثًۭا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَٰنًۭا مَّرِيدًۭا
They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan.
Instead of Allah, the idolators in Makkah worship female idols which were named with feminine names, such as al-Lāt and al-‘Uzzā, which can neither benefit nor harm anyone. In reality, they only worship Satan, who rebelled and sinned against his Lord, as he is the one who instructed them to worship the idols.
لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًۭا مَّفْرُوضًۭا
Whom Allah has cursed. For he had said, "I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion.
It was for this reason that Allah distanced Satan from His mercy. Satan then took an oath before his Lord saying: I will take a set portion of Your servants, whom I will mislead from the truth.
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ وَلِيًّۭا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًۭا مُّبِينًۭا
And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss.
He also said: I will block them from your straight path. I will give them hopes with false promises that will make their misguidance seem attractive. I will instruct them to cut the ears of cattle, forbid that which Allah has made lawful, and change Allah’s creation and the natural disposition He made within all creatures. Whoever takes Satan as a friend to follow suffers a clear loss by doing so.
يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.
Satan makes false promises and gives them false hopes. In reality, he only promises them lies and inspires in them mere hopes that have no reality.
Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
