سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ
Reading Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti
Ayahs 121–130 of 176
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ عَنْهَا مَحِيصًۭا
The refuge of those will be Hell, and they will not find from it an escape.
For such — their abode shall be Hell and they shall find no refuge from it no alternative to it.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًۭا ۖ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقًّۭا ۚ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ قِيلًۭا
But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allah, [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allah in statement.
But those who believe and perform righteous deeds We shall admit them to Gardens underneath which rivers flow abiding therein for ever; God’s promise in truth that is God promised them this and fulfilled it in truth; and who that is and none is truer in utterance that is in statement than God?
لَّيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَآ أَمَانِىِّ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ۗ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوٓءًۭا يُجْزَ بِهِۦ وَلَا يَجِدْ لَهُۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصِيرًۭا
Paradise is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper.
When the Muslims and the People of the Scripture began to pride themselves upon God’s promise the following was revealed It this matter is not dependent upon your desires nor the desires of the People of the Scripture but upon righteous deeds. Whoever does evil shall be requited for it either in the Hereafter or in this life through trials and tribulations as is stated in hadīth; and he will not find besides God that is other than Him any friend to protect him or helper to defend him against Him.
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًۭا
And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed.
And whoever does any righteous deeds whether male or female and is a believer — such shall be admitted into read passive yudkhalūna or active yadkhulūna ‘they shall enter’ Paradise and not be wronged by as much as the dint in a date-stone.
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًۭا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌۭ وَٱتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًۭا ۗ وَٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ خَلِيلًۭا
And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.
And who that is and none is fairer in religion than he who submits his purpose that is than he who is compliant and offers his deeds sincerely to God and is virtuous and declares God’s Oneness and who follows the creed of Abraham the one that is in accordance with the creed of Islam as a hanīf? hanīfan is a circumstantial qualifier that is to say one inclining away from all religions to the upright religion. And God took Abraham for a close friend as His elect one whose love for Him is pure.
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّحِيطًۭا
And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And ever is Allah, of all things, encompassing.
To God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth as possessions creatures and servants; and God is ever the Encompasser of all things in knowledge and power that is He is ever possessed of such attributes.
وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِى ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ وَمَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ فِى يَتَٰمَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ ٱلَّٰتِى لَا تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ وَٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلْوِلْدَٰنِ وَأَن تَقُومُوا۟ لِلْيَتَٰمَىٰ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمًۭا
And they request from you, [O Muhammad], a [legal] ruling concerning women. Say, "Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is decreed for them - and [yet] you desire to marry them - and concerning the oppressed among children and that you maintain for orphans [their rights] in justice." And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is ever Knowing of it.
They will ask you for a pronouncement concerning the matter of women and their inheritance. Say to them ‘God pronounces to you concerning them and what is recited to you in the Book the Qur’ān in the ‘inheritance’ verse Q. 411 and He also pronounces to you concerning the orphan women to whom you do not give what is prescribed what is obligatory for them of inheritance for you O guardians who desire not to marry them because of their ugliness and you prevent them from marrying others coveting their inheritance in other words God pronounces to you not to do this; and concerning the oppressed young children that you give them what is their due and He also commands you that you deal justly equitably with orphans with respect to inheritance and dowry. Whatever good you do God is ever Knower of it’ and He will requite you for it.
وَإِنِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعْرَاضًۭا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَآ أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًۭا ۚ وَٱلصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌۭ ۗ وَأُحْضِرَتِ ٱلْأَنفُسُ ٱلشُّحَّ ۚ وَإِن تُحْسِنُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا
And if a woman fears from her husband contempt or evasion, there is no sin upon them if they make terms of settlement between them - and settlement is best. And present in [human] souls is stinginess. But if you do good and fear Allah - then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.
And if a woman wa-in imra’atun is in the nominative because of it being the subject of the explicative verb that follows fears anticipates from her husband ill-treatment if he looks down on her by refraining to sleep with her or by not maintaining her adequately because he is averse to her and aspires to one more beautiful than her or rejection turning his face away from her they are not at fault if they are reconciled through some agreement in terms of shares and maintenance expenses so that she concedes something to him in return for continuing companionship; if she agrees to this then that is fine but if she does not then the husband must either give her all her due or part with her an yassālahā ‘they reconcile’ the original tā’ of yatasālahā has been assimilated with the sād; a variant reading has an yuslihā from the fourth form aslaha; reconciliation is better than separation ill-treatment or rejection. God exalted be He in explaining the natural disposition of man says But greed has been made present in the souls al-shuhh is extreme niggardliness meaning that they have a natural propensity for this as if they the souls are ever in its presence never absent from it. The meaning is a woman would scarcely allow another to share her husband with her and a man would scarcely allow her to enjoy him if he were to fall in love with another. If you are virtuous in your conjugal life with women and fear being unjust to them surely God is ever aware of what you do and He will requite you for it.
وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا۟ كُلَّ ٱلْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ وَإِن تُصْلِحُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا
And you will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives, even if you should strive [to do so]. So do not incline completely [toward one] and leave another hanging. And if you amend [your affairs] and fear Allah - then indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
You will never be able to be just to to treat equally your wives in terms of love even if you be eager for this; yet do not turn altogether away towards the one you love with respect to the shares and maintenance expenses so that you leave her the one from whom you turn away like one suspended one that is neither a slavegirl nor a woman with a husband. If you set things right by being just with the shares and fear injustice surely God is ever Forgiving regarding the inclination in your hearts Merciful to you in this respect.
وَإِن يَتَفَرَّقَا يُغْنِ ٱللَّهُ كُلًّۭا مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعًا حَكِيمًۭا
But if they separate [by divorce], Allah will enrich each [of them] from His abundance. And ever is Allah Encompassing and Wise.
But if they the married couple separate by way of divorce God will compensate each of them from the need of the other out of His plenty that is out of His bounty by giving her another as husband and giving him another as wife. God is ever Embracing of His creatures in bounty Wise in what He has ordained for them.
Commentary: Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
