Surah 4. An-Nisaa'

But excepted shall be they who repent, and live righteously, and hold fast unto God, and grow sincere in their faith in God alone: for these shall be one with the believers - and in time God will grant to all believers a mighty reward.

  - Mohammad Asad

However, those who repent and mend their ways, hold fast to Allah, and become sincere in their devotion to Allah - they are considered to be with the believers. Allah will soon grant the believers a mighty reward.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Save those who repent and amend and hold fast to Allah and make their religion pure for Allah (only). Those are with the believers. And Allah will bestow on the believers an immense reward.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Why would God cause you to suffer [for your past sins] if you are grateful and attain to belief - seeing that God is always responsive to gratitude, all-knowing?¹⁶⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

The gratitude spoken of here is of a general nature - a feeling of thankfulness for being alive and endowed with what is described as a "soul": a feeling which often leads man to the realization that this boon of life and consciousness is not accidental, and thus, in a logical process of thought, to belief in God. According to Zamakhshari, this is the reason why "gratitude" is placed before "belief" in the structure of the above sentence.

Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and a true believer? Allah knows the grateful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

What concern hath Allah for your punishment if ye are thankful (for His mercies) and believe (in Him)? Allah was ever Responsive, Aware.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

God does not like any evil to be mentioned openly, unless it be by him who has been wronged [thereby].¹⁶¹ And God is indeed all-hearing, all-knowing,

  - Mohammad Asad

As some of the commentators (e.g., Razi) point out, this may refer to giving currency to earlier sayings or deeds of the repentant sinners - both hypocrites and outright deniers of the truth - mentioned in the preceding two verses: an interpretation which seems to be borne out by the context. However, the above statement has a general import as well: it prohibits the public mention of anybody's evil deeds or sayings, "unless it be by him who has been wronged [thereby]" - which also implies that evil behaviour which affects the society as a whole may be made public if the interests of the wronged party - in this case, the society as such - demand it.

Allah does not like evil words to be uttered except by someone who is truly wronged. Allah hears all and knows all.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah loveth not the utterance of harsh speech save by one who hath been wronged. Allah is ever Nearer, Knower.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

whether you do good openly or in secret, or pardon others for evil [done unto you]: for, behold, God is indeed an absolver of sins, infinite in His power.

  - Mohammad Asad

If you do good deeds openly or in private or forgive an evil, then surely Allah is Pardoning, Powerful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If ye do good openly or keep it secret, or forgive evil, lo ! Allah is Forgiving, Powerful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

VERILY, those who deny God and His apostles by endeavouring to make a distinction between [belief in] God and [belief in] His apostles, and who say, "We believe in the one but we deny the other,"¹⁶² and want to pursue a path in-between -

  - Mohammad Asad

Or: "We believe in some and we deny the others" - that is, they believe in God but not in His apostles (Zamakhshari) or, alternatively, they believe in some of the apostles and deny others (Tabari and Zamakhshari). To my mind, the first of these two interpretations is preferable inasmuch as it covers not only a rejection of some of the apostles but also a total rejection of the idea that God may have revealed His will through His chosen message-bearers. In Islam, the rejection of any or all of God's apostles constitutes almost as grave a sin as a denial of God Himself.

Those who deny Allah and his Rasool and those who intend to draw a line between Allah and His Rasools saying: "We believe in some, and reject the rest" - desiring to take a middle way between belief and unbelief

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

it is they, they who are truly denying the truth: and for those who deny the truth We have readied shameful suffering.

  - Mohammad Asad

- these are the real unbelievers and We have prepared for such unbelievers a humiliating punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But as for those who believe in God and His apostles and make no distinction between any of them¹⁶³ - unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full]. And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in point of their being God's message-bearers.

As for those who believe in Allah and His Rasools and do not discriminate between any of them, We shall soon give them their due rewards. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them, unto them Allah will give their wages; and Allah was ever Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THE FOLLOWERS of the Old Testament¹⁶⁴ demand of thee [O Prophet] that thou cause a revelation to be sent down to them from heaven.¹⁶⁵ And an even greater thing than this did they demand of Moses when they said, "Make us see God face to face" - whereupon the thunderbolt of punishment overtook them for this their wickedness.¹⁶⁶ After that, they took to worshipping the [golden] calf - and this after all evidence of the truth had come unto them! Nonetheless, We effaced this [sin of theirs], and vouchsafed unto Moses a clear proof [of the truth],

  - Mohammad Asad

As is evident from the sequence, the term ahl al-kitab ("followers of [earlier] revelation") refers here specifically to the Jews, which justifies its rendering as "followers of the Old Testament".

Sc., "in proof of thy prophethood". Alternatively, the sentence may be understood thus: "They ask thee to bring down unto them an [actual] book from heaven." In view, however, of the oft-repeated Qur'anic statement that the Jews were convinced that they alone could be granted divine revelation, it seems to me that the rendering adopted by me is the more appropriate.

See 2:55 and the corresponding note [40].

The People of the Book ask you to bring down for them a book from Heaven. From Musa they demanded an even harder miracle than that. They asked him: "Make us see Allah with our own eyes." As a result of their wickedness, the thunderbolt overtook them. Then they took the calf for worship after receiving clear revelations. After all that, We still pardoned them and gave to Musa clear authority.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The People of the Scripture ask of thee that thou shouldst cause an (actual) Book to descend upon them from heaven. They asked a greater thing of Moses aforetime, for they said: Show us Allah plainly. The storm of lightning seized them for their wickedness. Then (even after that) they chose the calf (for worship) after clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty) had come unto them. And We forgave them that! And We bestowed on Moses evident authority.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

raising Mount Sinai high above them in witness of their solemn pledge. And We said unto them, "Enter the gate humbly";¹⁶⁷ and We told them, "Do not break the Sabbath-law"; and We accepted from them a most solemn pledge.

  - Mohammad Asad

See {2:58-59} and the corresponding notes.

We lifted the mount of Tur over them and took the covenant from them that they will obey Our commandments. On another occasion We commanded them to enter the gates prostrating in humility. Yet on another occasion We commanded them not to transgress in the matter of the Sabbath and took a solemn commitment from them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We caused the Mount to tower above them at (the taking of) their covenant: and We bade them: Enter the gate, prostrate! and we bade them: Transgress not the Sabbath! and We took from them a firm covenant.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And so, [We punished them¹⁶⁸ ] for the breaking of their pledge, and their refusal to acknowledge God's messages, and their slaying of prophets against all right, and their boast, "Our hearts are already full of knowledge" - nay, but God has sealed their hearts in result of their denial of the truth, and [now] they believe in but few things - ;¹⁶⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

The statement relating to their punishment - clearly implied here - is made explicit in verse {160}.

See 2:88 and the corresponding notes.

After all this, they still broke their covenant, rejected the Revelation of Allah, killed the Prophets unjustly. Yet they say: "Our hearts are in secure wrappings which have preserved Allah's Word; we need no more." Nay! It is Allah who has sealed their hearts on account of their disbelief. They have no faith except a little.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Then because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelieving in the revelations of Allah, and their slaying of the Prophets wrongfully, and their saying: Our hearts are hardened Nay, but Allah hath set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so that they believe not save a few

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and for their refusal to acknowledge the truth, and the awesome calumny which they utter against Mary,¹⁷⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

The calumny referred to is the popular Jewish assertion that Jesus was an illegitimate child.

They went in their unbelief to such an extent that they uttered terrible slander against Maryam (Mary).

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous calumny;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and their boast, "Behold, we have slain the Christ Jesus, son of Mary, [who claimed to be] an apostle of God!" However, they did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him, but it only seemed to them [as if it had been] so;¹⁷¹ and, verily, those who hold conflicting views thereon are indeed confused, having no [real] knowledge thereof, and following mere conjecture. For, of a certainty, they did not slay him:

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus, the Qur'an categorically denies the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. There exist, among Muslims, many fanciful legends telling us that at the last moment God substituted for Jesus a person closely resembling him (according to some accounts, that person was Judas), who was subsequently crucified in his place. However, none of these legends finds the slightest support in the Qur'an or in authentic Traditions, and the stories produced in this connection by the classical commentators must be summarily rejected. They represent no more than confused attempts at "harmonizing" the Qur'anic statement that Jesus was not crucified with the graphic description, in the Gospels, of his crucifixion. The story of the crucifixion as such has been succinctly explained in the Qur'anic phrase wa-lakin shubbiha lahum, which I render as "but it only appeared to them as if it had been so" - implying that in the course of time, long after the time of Jesus, a legend had somehow grown up (possibly under the then-powerful influence of Mithraistic beliefs) to the effect that he had died on the cross in order to atone for the "original sin" with which mankind is allegedly burdened; and this legend became so firmly established among the latter-day followers of Jesus that even his enemies, the Jews, began to believe it - albeit in a derogatory sense (for crucifixion was, in those times, a heinous form of death-penalty reserved for the lowest of criminals). This, to my mind, is the only satisfactory explanation of the phrase wa-lakin shubbiha lahum, the more so as the expression shubbiha li is idiomatically synonymous with khuyyila li, "[a thing] became a fancied image to me", i.e., "in my mind" - in other words, "[it] seemed to me" (see Qamus, art. khayala, as well as Lane II, 833, and IV, 1500).

They even say: "We have killed the Messiah, Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam, the Rasool of Allah." Whereas in fact, neither did they kill him nor did they crucify him but they thought they did because the matter was made dubious for them. Those who differ therein are only in doubt. They have no real knowledge, they follow nothing but merely a conjecture, certainly they did not kill him (Jesus).

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, Allah's messenger They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture ; they slew him not for certain,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

nay, God exalted him unto Himself¹⁷² - and God is indeed almighty, wise.

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 3:55 , where God says to Jesus, "Verily, I shall cause thee to die, and shall exalt thee unto Me." The verb rafa'ahu (lit., "he raised him" or "elevated him") has always, whenever the act of raf' ("elevating") of a human being is attributed to God, the meaning of "honouring" or "exalting". Nowhere in the Qur'an is there any warrant for the popular belief that God has "taken up" Jesus bodily, in his lifetime, into heaven. The expression "God exalted him unto Himself" in the above verse denotes the elevation of Jesus to the realm of God's special grace - a blessing in which all prophets partake, as is evident from 19:57 , where the verb rafa'nahu ("We exalted him") is used with regard to the Prophet Idris. (See also Muhammad 'Abduh in Manar III, 316 f., and VI, 20f.) The "nay" (bal) at the beginning of the sentence is meant to stress the contrast between the belief of the Jews that they had put Jesus to a shameful death on the cross and the fact of God's having "exalted him unto Himself".

Nay! The fact is that Allah took him up to Himself. Allah is Mighty, Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Yet there is not one of the followers of earlier revelation who does not, at the moment of his death, grasp the truth about Jesus;¹⁷³ and on the Day of Resurrection he [himself] shall bear witness to the truth against them.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "who does not believe in him before his death". According to this verse, all believing Jews and Christians realize at the moment of their death that Jesus was truly a prophet of God - having been neither an impostor nor "the son of God" (Zamakhshari).

There is none of the People of the Book but will believe in this fact before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection Jesus will bear witness against them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So, then, for the wickedness committed by those who followed the Jewish faith did We deny unto them certain of the good things of life which [aforetime] had been allowed to them;¹⁷⁴ and [We did this] for their having so often turned away from the path of God,¹⁷⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Most of the commentators assume that this refers to the severe dietary restrictions imposed on the Jews, which are alluded to in 3:93 and 6:146 . Since, however, 3:93 clearly states that these restrictions and prohibitions were a punishment for evil deeds committed "before the Torah was bestowed from on high", while the verse which we are now discussing relates to their sinful behaviour in later times, we must conclude that the punishment spoken of here has another meaning: namely, the age-long deprivation of the Jewish people of the many "good things of life" which other nations enjoy - in other words, the humiliation and suffering which they have had to undergo throughout most of their recorded history, and particularly after the time of Jesus. It is on the basis of this interpretation that I have rendered the expression harramna 'alayhim (lit., "We forbade them") as "We denied to them".

The verb sadda ("he turned away") can be transitive as well as intransitive, and the same applies to the noun sadd derived from it. In the former case, the sentence would read, "for their having turned away many [others] from the path of God"; in the latter case, "for their having [so] often turned away from the path of God". In view of the repeated stress, in the Qur'an, on the refractory nature of the children of Israel - and the abundant evidence to this effect in the Old Testament - I prefer the intransitive rendering.

Because of the iniquity of those who call themselves Jews, their hindering of many people from the way of Allah ,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews We forbade them good things which were (before) made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah's way,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall