Women — Verse 55
4:55 · an-Nisa`
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فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن صَدَّ عَنۡهُۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِیرًا ٥٥
famin'hum man āmana bihi wamin'hum man ṣadda ʿanhu wakafā bijahannama saʿīra
Women / an-Nisa` (4:55)
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No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
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Q 7:53 (al-A`raf)
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Tafsir al-Tabari 1 verse
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but some of them believed in it and some turned away from it. Hell blazes fiercely enough
famin'hum man āmana bihi wamin'hum man ṣadda ʿanhu wakafā bijahannama saʿīra
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Tafsir Commentary
The Envy and Miserly Conduct of the Jews
Allah asked the Jews if they have a share in the dominion. That is merely a statement of rebuke, since they do not have any share in the dominion. Allah then described them as misers,
فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً
(Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir.) Meaning, if they had a share in the sovereignty and dominion, they would not give anyone anything, especially Muhammad , even if it was the speck on the back of a date-stone, which is the meaning of Naqir according to Ibn `Abbas and the majority of the scholars. This Ayah is similar to another of Allah's statements,
قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ
(Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely withold it out of fear of spending it.) meaning, for fear that what you have might end, although there is no such possibility here. This only demonstrates their greedy and stingy nature. This is why Allah said,
وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا
(And man is ever Qatur) meaning Bakhil (stingy). Allah then said,
أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ
(Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His Bounty) referring to their envy of the Prophet for the great prophethood that Allah entrusted him with. Their envy made them reject him, because he was an Arab and not from the Children of Israel. At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that,
أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ
(Or do they envy men) means, "We are the worthy people, rather than the rest of the people." Allah said,
فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً
(Then, We have already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah, and conferred upon them a great kingdom.) meaning, We gave the prophethood to the tribes of the Children of Israel, who are among the offspring of Ibrahim and sent down the Books to them. These Prophets ruled the Jews with the prophetic tradition, and We made kings among them. Yet,
فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ
(Of them were (some) who believed in it;) referring to Allah's favor and bounty (Prophets, Books, kingship),
وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ
(and of them were (some) who rejected it) by disbelieving in it, ignoring it, and hindering the people from its path, although this bounty was from and for them, the Children of Israel. They disputed with their own Prophets; so what about you, O Muhammad , especially since you are not from the Children of Israel Mujahid said,
فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ
(Of them were (some) who believed in him,) "Muhammad ,
وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ
(and of them were (some) who rejected him.)" Therefore, O Muhammad, the rejection of you because of their disbelief is even more severe and they are even further from the truth that you brought them. This is why Allah threatened them,
وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً
(and enough is Hell for burning (them).), meaning, the Fire is a just punishment for them because of their disbelief, rebellion and defiance of Allah's Books and Messengers.
And there are some of them who believe in him in Muhammad (s) and some of them who bar from him who reject him and do not believe. Hell suffices for a blaze as a chastisement for those who do not believe.
Or have they a share in the kingdomḍ then they would not give the people a single date spot naqīr. Or are they jealous of people for the bounty that God has bestowed upon them. For We gave the House of Abraham the Book and wisdom and We gave them a mighty kingdom. And there are some of them who believe in him and some of them who bar [others] from him. Hell suffices for a blaze. When those prone to avarice receive abundance it only increases their distress at the comfort others receive. It is as if such a person drinks water sparingly drop by drop yet gulps down and even drains the very water of his life. Or are they jealous of people... Indeed out of jealousy they reject the choice of the Real ������ [who has chosen] whom He will for His friends and they do notapproach them withreverence. The way sunna of God������with His friends entails [His] elevation and protection of their honor. The custom of disbelievers is to question and doubt the [divine] power of deliberation so there are some who believe and accept [the friends of God] and some who reject and deny. The punishment of God is sufficient as an avenger to them. And We gave them a mighty kingdom: The mighty kingdom mulk is true knowledge maʿrifa of the King. It is said that it is dominion mulk over the lower self. It is said that it is standing above the secrets of the realm mamlaka so that nothing is hidden. It is said that it is the viewing of the secrets of creation from on high.
Or have they a share in the kingdomḍ then they would not give the people a single date spot naqīr. Or are they jealous of people for the bounty that God has bestowed upon them. For We gave the House of Abraham the Book and wisdom and We gave them a mighty kingdom. And there are some of them who believe in him and some of them who bar [others] from him. Hell suffices for a blaze. When those prone to avarice receive abundance it only increases their distress at the comfort others receive. It is as if such a person drinks water sparingly drop by drop yet gulps down and even drains the very water of his life. Or are they jealous of people... Indeed out of jealousy they reject the choice of the Real ������ [who has chosen] whom He will for His friends and they do notapproach them withreverence. The way sunna of God������with His friends entails [His] elevation and protection of their honor. The custom of disbelievers is to question and doubt the [divine] power of deliberation so there are some who believe and accept [the friends of God] and some who reject and deny. The punishment of God is sufficient as an avenger to them. And We gave them a mighty kingdom: The mighty kingdom mulk is true knowledge maʿrifa of the King. It is said that it is dominion mulk over the lower self. It is said that it is standing above the secrets of the realm mamlaka so that nothing is hidden. It is said that it is the viewing of the secrets of creation from on high.
فمن هؤلاء الذين أوتوا حظًّا من العلم، مَن صدَّق برسالة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وعمل بشرعه، ومنهم مَن أعرض ولم يستجب لدعوته، ومنع الناس من اتباعه. وحسبكم -أيها المكذبون- نار جهنم تسعَّر بكم.
وقال مجاهد: فمنهم من آمن به أي بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ومنهم من صد عنه فالكفرة منهم أشد تكذيبا لك وأبعد عما جئتهم به من الهدى والحق المبين ولهذا قال متوعدا لهم "وكفى بجهنم سعيرا" أي وكفى بالنار عقوبة لهم على كفرهم وعنادهم ومخالفتهم كتب الله ورسله.
ثم بين - سبحانه - عاقبة كل من المحسن والمسئ فقال : ( فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ وكفى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً ) .أى : فمن جنس هؤلاء الحاسدين وآبائهم من آمن وصدق بما أعطاه الله لآل إبراهيم من كتاب وحكمه ، ومنهم من كفر به وأعرض عنه وسعى فى صد الناس عنه . فالضمير فى ( بِهِ ) و ( عَنْهُ ) يعود إلى ما أوتى آل إبراهيم .ويرى بعضهم أن الضمير يعود إلى إبراهيم - عليه السلام . فيكون المعنى :فمن آل إبراهيم من آمن بإبراهيم ومن أعرض عنه ولم يتبع تعاليمه .وفى هذه الآية الكريمة تسلية للنبى صلى الله عليه وسلم عما لقيه من اليهود من أذى .فكأنه - سبحانه - يقول له : إن هؤلاء الحاسدين لك قد اختلفوا على من هم منهم ، وأنت يا محمد لست منهم ، فكيف تنتظر منهم أن يسالموك أو يتبعوك؟وقوله ( وكفى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً ) بيان لما أعده - سبحانه - للكافرين من عذاب .أى : وكفى بجهنم نارا مسعرة أى : موقدة إيقادا شديداً يعذبون بها على كفرهم وعنادهم وصدودهم عن الحق . يقال : سعر النار - كمنع - وسعرها وأسعرها أى : أوقدها .وكفى فعل ماض .وقوله ( بِجَهَنَّمَ ) فاعله على زيادة الباء فيه . وقوله ( سَعِيراً ) تمييز أو حال .وبهذا نرى أن هذه الآيات الكريمة من قوله - تعالى - ( أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الذين أُوتُواْ نَصِيباً مِّنَ الكتاب ) إلى قوله : ( وكفى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً ) قد وبخت اليهود على بيعهم دينهم بدنياهم ، وتحريفهم الكلم عن مواضعه واستهزائهم بدعوة الحق ، وتزكيتهم لأنفسهم بالباطل ، وافترائهم على الله الكذب ، وتفضيلهم عبادة الأوثان على عبادة الله ، وعلى بخلهم وحسدهم للنبى صلى الله عليه وسلم على ما آتاه الله من فضله .وقد توعدتهم على هذه الصفات الذميمة ، والمسالك الخبيثة بأشد أنواع العذاب ، وحذرت المؤمنين من شرورهم ومفاسدهم .
القول في تأويل قوله عز وجل : فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ صَدَّ عَنْهُ وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيرًا (55)قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك جل ثناؤه: فمن الذين أوتوا الكتاب = من يهود بني إسرائيل، الذين قال لهم جل ثناؤه: آمِنُوا بِمَا نَـزَّلْنَا مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَطْمِسَ وُجُوهًا فَنَرُدَّهَا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهَا =" مَنْ آمن به "، يقول: من صدَّق بما أنـزلنا على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم مصدّقًا لما معهم =" ومنهم من صدّ عنه "، ومنهم من أعرَض عن التصديق به، (16) كما:-9831 - حدثني محمد بن عمرو قال، حدثنا أبو عاصم، عن عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد: " فمنهم من آمن به "، قال: بما أنـزل على محمد من يهود =" ومنهم من صدّ عنه ".9832 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا أبو حذيفة قال، حدثنا شبل، عن ابن أبي نجيح، عن مجاهد مثله.* * *قال أبو جعفر: وفي هذه الآية دلالة على أن الذين صدّوا عما أنـزل الله على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، من يهود بني إسرائيل الذين كانوا حوالَيْ مُهاجَر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، إنما رَفعَ عنهم وعيدَ الله الذي توعِّدهم به في قوله: آمِنُوا بِمَا نَـزَّلْنَا مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَطْمِسَ وُجُوهًا فَنَرُدَّهَا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهَا أَوْ نَلْعَنَهُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَّا أَصْحَابَ السَّبْتِ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولا في الدنيا، (17) وأخرت عقوبتهم إلى يوم القيامة، لإيمان من آمن منهم، وأن الوعيدَ لهم من الله بتعجيل العقوبة في الدنيا، إنما كان على مقام جميعهم على الكفر بما أنـزل على نبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم. فلما آمن بَعضُهم، خرجوا من الوعيد الذي توعَّده في عاجل الدنيا، وأخرت عقوبةُ المقيمين على التكذيب إلى الآخرة، فقال لهم: كفاكم بجهنم سعيرًا. (18)* * *ويعني بقوله: " وكفى بجهنم سعيرًا "، وحسبكم، أيها المكذبون بما أنـزلت على محمد نبيي ورسولي =" بجهنم سعيرًا "، يعني: بنار جهنم، تُسعَر عليكم = أي: تُوقدُ عليكم.* * *= وقيل: " سعيرًا "، أصله " مسعورًا "، من " سُعِرت تُسعَر فهي مسعورة "، كما قال الله: وَإِذَا الْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ [سورة التكوير: 12]، ولكنها صرفت إلى " فعيل "، كما قيل: " كف خضيب "، و " لحية دهين "، بمعنى: مخضوبة ومدهونة - و " السعير "، الوقود. (19)--------------الهوامش :(16) انظر تفسير"الصد" فيما سلف 4: 300 / 7: 53.(17) هي الآية السالفة من"سورة النساء" رقم: 47.(18) انظر ما سلف ص: 445س : 4 وما بعده.(19) انظر تفسير"السعير" فيما سلف: 30.
قال الله تعالى : ( فمنهم من آمن به ) يعني : بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وهم عبد الله بن سلام وأصحابه ، ( ومنهم من صد عنه ) أعرض عنه ولم يؤمن به ، ( وكفى بجهنم سعيرا ) وقودا ، وقيل : الملك العظيم : ملك سليمان . وقال السدي : الهاء في قوله ( من آمن به ومنهم من صد عنه ) راجعة إلى إبراهيم ، وذلك أن إبراهيم زرع ذات سنة ، وزرع الناس فهلك زرع الناس وزكا زرع إبراهيم عليه السلام ، فاحتاج إليه الناس فكان يقول : من آمن بي أعطيته فمن آمن به أعطاه ، ومن لم يؤمن به منعه .
وضمير { منهم } يجوز أن يعود إلى ما عاد إليه ضمير { يحسدون } . وضمير { به } يعود إلى الناس المراد منه محمّد عليه السلام : أي فمِنَ الذين أوتوا نصيباً من الكتاب مَن آمن بمحمّد ، ومنهم من أعرض . والتفريع في قوله : { فمنهم } على هذا التفسير ناشيء على قوله { أم يحسدون الناس } . ويجوز أن يعود ضمير { فمنهم } إلى آل إبراهيم ، وضمير { به } إلى إبراهيم ، أي فقد آتيناهم ما ذُكر . ومن آله من آمن به ، ومنهم من كفر مثل أبيه آزر ، وامْرأةِ ابن أخيه لوط ، أي فليس تكذيب اليهود محمّدا بأعجب من ذلك ، { سُنَّة من قد أرسلنا قبلَك من رُسلنا } [ الإسراء : 77 ] ، ليَكون قد حصل الاحتجاج عليهم في الأمرين في إبطال مستند تكذيبهم؛ بإثباتتِ أنّ إتيان النبوءة ليس ببدع ، وأن محمّدا من آل إبراهيم ، فليس إرساله بأعجب من إرسال موسى . وفي تذكيرهم بأنّ هذه سنّة الأنبياء حتى لا يَعُدّوا تكذيبهم محمّدا صلى الله عليه وسلم ثلمة في نبوءته ، إذ لا يعرف رسولا أجمْعَ أهل دعوته على تصديقه من إبراهيم فَمن بعده .وقوله : { وكفى بجهنم سعيراً } تهديد ووعيد للّذين يؤمنون بالجبت والطاغوت . وتفسير هذا التركيب تقدّم آنفاً في قوله تعالى : { وكفى بالله وليّاً } من هذه السورة [ النساء : 45 ] .
{ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ } أي: بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم فنال بذلك السعادة الدنيوية والفلاح الأخروي. { وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ صَدَّ عَنْهُ } عنادًا وبغيًا وحسدًا فحصل لهم من شقاء الدنيا ومصائبها ما هو بعض آثار معاصيهم { وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيرًا } تسعر على من كفر بالله، وجحد نبوة أنبيائه من اليهود والنصارى وغيرهم من أصناف الكفرة.
قوله تعالى : فمنهم من آمن به يعني بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأنه تقدم ذكره وهو [ ص: 219 ] المحسود . ومنهم من صد عنه أعرض فلم يؤمن به . وقيل : الضمير في به راجع إلى إبراهيم . والمعنى : فمن آل إبراهيم من آمن به ومنهم من صد عنه . وقيل : يرجع إلى الكتاب . والله أعلم .
In real life, the hypocrites tread the path of selfish desires and give in to satanic inducements, but outwardly, bearing the label of religion, they think that their actions are truly guided by God’s religion. In such an atmosphere, whenever the pure Truth is presented to them, they become its bitterest opponents. They feel that their religious status is being negated by that call. On the other hand, the existence of non-believers around them poses no such challenge and, therefore, their attitude towards them remains lax. But the preacher of truth cannot expect any leniency from them, for they become infuriated with jealousy over someone else having been granted religious representation, when they alone had formerly had a monopoly of religion. They quite forget that God chooses the representatives of His religion on the basis of purity of soul, inner piety and a sound heart, and not because of any outward show of piety. Being accursed is to be deprived of the grace and succour of God. Just as starvation and thirst wreck one’s physical existence, similarly deprivation of God’s grace and succour wrecks one’s spiritual existence. A cursed person becomes so insensitive that he loses the ability to distinguish between truth and untruth. He fails to recognize and accept explicit signs and cannot differentiate between absurd argumentation and logical argument.
Commentary
Admonishing Jews for being unreasonably envious
The knowledge, the grace, the high rank and the grandeur of mission given by Allah Almighty to the Noble Prophet ﷺ made Jews all too jealous. Verses 53 and 54 strongly admonish this attitude of theirs, giving two reasons why their envy was unreasonable. The first reason appears in verse 53, while the second, in verse 54. But, the outcome of both is the same. The drift of the argument is: 'What is the basis of your envy? If this is because you think you are the real inheritors of the kingdom and what he has been blessed with is actually yours, obviously then, this is all wrong. As it is, right now you have no kingdom. Even if you came to have some of it, you are not the kind to give anything to anybody. If your envy is based on the realization that the kingdom, no doubt, did not pass from you onto him, still, the question remains, why did it have to go to him at all. What relevance does he have with having a kingdom? The answer given was: He too comes from the family of prophets who have ruled over kingdoms before him. So, the kingdom has really not come to a stranger. Your envy, therefore, is unreasonable.'
The definition and rules of envy
` Allamah al-Nawawi, the Commentator of Muslim, defines Hasad as : اَلحَسَدُ تَمَیّ زَوَّالِ النِّعمَۃ (Muslim, v.2). It means that Hasad (envy) is a desire to see the other person's blessing somehow disappear, and this is harm (forbidden).
The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:
لا تباڈضواولا تحاسدوا ولا تدابروا ، وکونوا عباد اللہ اخواناً ، ولا یحل لمسلم ان یھجر اخاہ فوق ثلاث
"Do not hate and do not envy and do not turn your backs on each other. Instead, become servants of Allah, as brothers. And it is not lawful for a Muslim that he abandons his brother for more than three days." (Muslim, v.2)
In another hadith, he has said:
اِیاکم والحسد، فإن الحسد یأکل الحسنات کما تاکل النار الحطب
"Beware of envy, for envy eats up good deeds as the fire eats up wood." (Abu Dwud, cited by Mishkat)
Sayyidna Zubayr ؓ ، narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
عن الزبیر ؓ قال : قال رسول اللہ ﷺ : دب الیکم داء الامم قبلکم، الحسد والبغضاء ھی لحالقۃ، لا إقول تحلق الشعر، ولکن تحلق الدین
"Stealthily creeping into you is the disease of earlier peoples - envy; and hatred, which is a shaver. I do not say that it shaves hair, but it does shave the religion off." (Ahmad and Tirmidhi, cited by Mishkat)
Envy, whether it be on account of someone's worldly, or spiritual excellence, is harem (forbidden) on both counts, as the words أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ (Is it that they have a share in the kingdom?) seem to point out towards worldly excellence, while the words الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ (54) (the Book and the wisdom) are indicative of spiritual excellence.
(And of them) of the Jews (were (some) who believed therein) believed in the Scripture of David and Solomon (and of them were (some) who disbelieved therein. Hell is sufficient for (their) burning) i.e. Ka'b and his followers.