Verse 4:38 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

34 ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّ ٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَاۤءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضࣲ وَبِمَاۤ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنۡ أَمۡوَ ٰلِهِمۡۚ فَٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ قَـٰنِتَـٰتٌ حَـٰفِظَـٰتࣱ لِّلۡغَیۡبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُۚ وَٱلَّـٰتِی تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهۡجُرُوهُنَّ فِی ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضۡرِبُوهُنَّۖ فَإِنۡ أَطَعۡنَكُمۡ فَلَا تَبۡغُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِنَّ سَبِیلًاۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِیࣰّا كَبِیرࣰا ۝٣٤ al-rijālu qawwāmūna ʿalā l-nisāi bimā faḍḍala l-lahu baʿḍahum ʿalā baʿḍin wabimā anfaqū min amwālihim fal-ṣāliḥātu qānitātun ḥāfiẓātun lil'ghaybi bimā ḥafiẓa l-lahu wa-allātī takhāfūna nushūzahunna faʿiẓūhunna wa-uh'jurūhunna fī l-maḍājiʿi wa-iḍ'ribūhunna fa-in aṭaʿnakum falā tabghū ʿalayhinna sabīlan inna l-laha kāna ʿaliyyan kabīra Husbands should take good care of their wives, with [the bounties] God has given to some more than others and with what they spend out of their own money. Righteous wives are devout and guard what God would have them guard in their husbands’ absence. If you fear high-handedness from your wives, remind them [of the teachings of God], then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them.If they obey you, you have no right to act against them: God is most high and great 35 وَإِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ شِقَاقَ بَیۡنِهِمَا فَٱبۡعَثُوا۟ حَكَمࣰا مِّنۡ أَهۡلِهِۦ وَحَكَمࣰا مِّنۡ أَهۡلِهَاۤ إِن یُرِیدَاۤ إِصۡلَـٰحࣰا یُوَفِّقِ ٱللَّهُ بَیۡنَهُمَاۤۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِیمًا خَبِیرࣰا ۝٣٥ wa-in khif'tum shiqāqa baynihimā fa-ib'ʿathū ḥakaman min ahlihi waḥakaman min ahlihā in yurīdā iṣ'lāḥan yuwaffiqi l-lahu baynahumā inna l-laha kāna ʿalīman khabīra If you [believers] fear that a couple may break up, appoint one arbiter from his family and one from hers. Then, if the couple want to put things right, God will bring about a reconciliation between them: He is all knowing, all aware 36 ۞ وَٱعۡبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشۡرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَیۡءࣰاۖ وَبِٱلۡوَ ٰلِدَیۡنِ إِحۡسَـٰنࣰا وَبِذِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡیَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِینِ وَٱلۡجَارِ ذِی ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡجَارِ ٱلۡجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلۡجَنۢبِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِیلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخۡتَالࣰا فَخُورًا ۝٣٦ wa-uʿ'budū l-laha walā tush'rikū bihi shayan wabil-wālidayni iḥ'sānan wabidhī l-qur'bā wal-yatāmā wal-masākīni wal-jāri dhī l-qur'bā wal-jāri l-junubi wal-ṣāḥibi bil-janbi wa-ib'ni l-sabīli wamā malakat aymānukum inna l-laha lā yuḥibbu man kāna mukh'tālan fakhūra Worship God; join nothing with Him. Be good to your parents, to relatives, to orphans, to the needy, to neighbours near and far, to travellers in need, and to your slaves. God does not like arrogant, boastful people 37 ٱلَّذِینَ یَبۡخَلُونَ وَیَأۡمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلۡبُخۡلِ وَیَكۡتُمُونَ مَاۤ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦۗ وَأَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ عَذَابࣰا مُّهِینࣰا ۝٣٧ alladhīna yabkhalūna wayamurūna l-nāsa bil-bukh'li wayaktumūna mā ātāhumu l-lahu min faḍlihi wa-aʿtadnā lil'kāfirīna ʿadhāban muhīna who are miserly and order other people to be the same, hiding the bounty God has given them. We have prepared a humiliating torment for such ungrateful people

38 وَٱلَّذِینَ یُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَ ٰلَهُمۡ رِئَاۤءَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَلَا بِٱلۡیَوۡمِ ٱلۡءَاخِرِۗ وَمَن یَكُنِ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنُ لَهُۥ قَرِینࣰا فَسَاۤءَ قَرِینࣰا ۝٣٨ wa-alladhīna yunfiqūna amwālahum riāa l-nāsi walā yu'minūna bil-lahi walā bil-yawmi l-ākhiri waman yakuni l-shayṭānu lahu qarīnan fasāa qarīna [Nor does He like those] who spend their wealth to show off, who do not believe in Him or the Last Day. Whoever has Satan as his companion has an evil companion

39 وَمَاذَا عَلَیۡهِمۡ لَوۡ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡیَوۡمِ ٱلۡءَاخِرِ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَهُمُ ٱللَّهُۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِمۡ عَلِیمًا ۝٣٩ wamādhā ʿalayhim law āmanū bil-lahi wal-yawmi l-ākhiri wa-anfaqū mimmā razaqahumu l-lahu wakāna l-lahu bihim ʿalīma What harm would it do them to believe in God and the Last Day, and give charitably from the sustenance God has given them? God knows them well 40 إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَظۡلِمُ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةࣲۖ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةࣰ یُضَـٰعِفۡهَا وَیُؤۡتِ مِن لَّدُنۡهُ أَجۡرًا عَظِیمࣰا ۝٤٠ inna l-laha lā yaẓlimu mith'qāla dharratin wa-in taku ḥasanatan yuḍāʿif'hā wayu'ti min ladun'hu ajran ʿaẓīma He does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust: He doubles any good deed and gives a tremendous reward of His own 41 فَكَیۡفَ إِذَا جِئۡنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةِۭ بِشَهِیدࣲ وَجِئۡنَا بِكَ عَلَىٰ هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ شَهِیدࣰا ۝٤١ fakayfa idhā ji'nā min kulli ummatin bishahīdin waji'nā bika ʿalā hāulāi shahīda What will they do when We bring a witness from each community, with you [Muhammad] as a witness against these people 42 یَوۡمَىِٕذࣲ یَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَعَصَوُا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ لَوۡ تُسَوَّىٰ بِهِمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَلَا یَكۡتُمُونَ ٱللَّهَ حَدِیثࣰا ۝٤٢ yawma-idhin yawaddu alladhīna kafarū waʿaṣawū l-rasūla law tusawwā bihimu l-arḍu walā yaktumūna l-laha ḥadītha On that day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Prophet will wish that the earth could swallow them up: they will not be able to hide anything from God