Surah 4. An-Nisaa'

However it be, God [Himself] bears witness to the truth of what He has bestowed from on high upon thee: out of His own wisdom has He bestowed it from on high, with the angels bearing witness thereto - although none can bear witness as God does.

  - Mohammad Asad

People may or may not believe it, but Allah bears witness that what He has sent to you, O Muhammad, He has sent with His own Knowledge and so do the angels; though only Allah's testimony is sufficient.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Yet 'if you are denied, O Prophet,' Allah bears witness to what He has sent down to you- He has sent it with His knowledge. The angels too bear witness. And Allah 'alone' is sufficient as a Witness.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But Allah (Himself) testifieth concerning that which He hath revealed unto thee; in His knowledge hath He revealed it; and the Angels also testify. And Allah is sufficient witness.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But Allah beareth witness that what He hath sent unto thee He hath sent from His (Own) Knowledge and the angels bear witness: but enough is Allah for a Witness. ⁶⁷²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Inspiration, though it is clothed in human language, and shaped to the personality of the inspired one, proceeds from the knowledge of Allah.

Behold, those who are bent on denying the truth and on turning others away from the path of God have indeed gone far astray.

  - Mohammad Asad

Those who reject faith and hinder others from the Way of Allah, have indeed strayed far away from the Path.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who disbelieve and hinder 'others' from the Way of Allah have certainly strayed far away.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! those who disbelieve and hinder (others) from the way of Allah, they verily have wandered far astray.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who reject faith and keep off (men) from the way of Allah have verily strayed far far away from the path.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Behold, those who are bent on denying the truth and on evildoing - God will indeed not forgive them, nor will He guide them onto any road

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely Allah will neither forgive those who reject faith and act unjustly; nor guide them to any way

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those who disbelieve and wrong themselves- surely Allah will neither forgive them nor guide them to any path

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! those who disbelieve and deal in wrong, Allah will never forgive them, neither will He guide them unto a road,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those who reject faith and do wrong Allah will not forgive them nor guide them to any way.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

but the road that leads to hell, therein to abide beyond the count of time: and this is indeed easy for God.

  - Mohammad Asad

other than the path of hell, wherein they will live forever and this is easy for Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

except that of Hell, to stay there for ever and ever. And that is easy for Allah.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Except the road of hell, wherein they will abide for ever. And that is ever easy for Allah.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Except the way of Hell to dwell therein for ever: and this to Allah is easy. ⁶⁷³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Easy-not in the sense that Allah takes any pleasure in any of His creatures going astray. The contrary is the case: for Allah's Grace recognises all good in us to such an extent that it is compared to gratitude in iv. 147: see n. 653. We must understand easy in the sense that Allah is Supreme in knowledge and power; if any forces of rebellion foolishly think that they can evade punishment, they are mistaken. Punishment comes as a matter of course. It is not a matter of difficulty or exertion on the part of Allah.

O mankind! The Apostle has now come unto you with the truth from your Sustainer: believe, then, for your own good! And if you deny the truth - behold, unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and God is indeed all-knowing, wise!

  - Mohammad Asad

O mankind! The Rasool has brought you the Truth from your Rabb, so believe in it, it is for your own benefit. If you disbelieve, then you should know that to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. Allah is the Knowledgeable, Wise.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O humanity! The Messenger has certainly come to you with the truth from your Lord, so believe for your own good. But if you disbelieve, then 'know that' to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

O mankind! The messenger hath come unto you with the truth from your Lord. Therefore believe; (it is) better for you. But if ye disbelieve, still, lo! unto Allah belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. Allah is ever Knower, Wise.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O mankind! the Apostle hath come to you in truth from Allah: believe in him: it is best for you. But if ye reject faith to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on earth: and Allah is All-Knowing All-Wise. ⁶⁷⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's solicitude for us is for our own good, not because He gets any advantage from it. For He is independent of all things, and everything declares His glory and praise.

O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs,¹⁸⁰ and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him.¹⁸¹ Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by raising Jesus to the rank of divinity. Since here the Christians are addressed specifically, I render the term kitab as "Gospel".

Lit., "His word which He conveyed unto Mary and a soul from Him". According to Tabari the "word" (kalimah) was "the announcement (risalah) which God bade the angels to convey to Mary, and God's glad tiding to her" (a reference to 3:45 ) - which justifies the rendering of kalimatuhu as "[the fulfilment of] His promise". (See also surah {3}, note [28].) As regards the expression, "a soul from Him" or "created by Him", it is to be noted that among the various meanings which the word ruh bears in the Qur'an (e.g., "inspiration" in 2:87 and {253]), it is also used in its primary significance of "breath of life", "soul", or "spirit": thus, for instance, in 32:9 , where the ever-recurring evolution of the human embryo is spoken of: "and then He forms him [i.e., man]...and breathes into him of His spirit" - that is, endows him with a conscious soul which represents God's supreme gift to man and is, therefore, described as "a breath of His spirit". In the verse under discussion, which stresses the purely human nature of Jesus and refutes the belief in his divinity, the Qur'an points out that Jesus, like all other human beings, was "a soul created by Him".

O People of the Book! Do not transgress the limits of your religion. Speak nothing but the Truth about Allah. The Messiah, Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) was no more than a Rasool of Allah and His Word "Be" which He bestowed on Maryam and a Spirit from Him which took the shape of a child in her womb. So believe in Allah and His Rasools and do not say: "Trinity"." Stop saying that, it is better for you. Allah is only One Deity. He is far above from the need of having a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the Earth. Allah Alone is sufficient for protection.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about Allah except the truth.¹ The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfilment of His Word through Mary and a spirit 'created by a command' from Him.² So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, 'Trinity.' Stop!- for your own good. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Jews are warned against denying Jesus as the Messiah, while Christians are warned against calling Jesus Allah.

 i.e., Jesus was created by Allah’s Word “Be!” and he was, and life was breathed into Jesus by the holy spirit (the angel Gabriel) at the command of Allah.

O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three". Cease! (it is) better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that he should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O people of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Apostle of Allah and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Apostles. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One Allah: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. ^{675 676}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Just as a foolish servant may go wrong by excess of zeal for his master, so in religion people's excesses may lead them to blasphemy or a spirit the very opposite of religion. The Jewish excesses in the direction of formalism, racialism, exclusiveness, and rejection of Christ Jesus have been denounced in many places. Here the Christian attitude is condemned, which raises Jesus to an equality with Allah: in some cases venerates Mary almost to idolatry: attributes a physical son to Allah: and invents the doctrine of the Trinity, opposed to all reason, which according to the Athanasian Creed, unless a man believes, he is doomed to hell for ever. Let our Muslims also beware lest they fall into excesses either in doctrine or in formalism.

Christ's attributes are mentioned: (1) that he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man; (2) but a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah, and therefore entitied to honour; (3) a Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah's word "Be" (kun), and he was: iii. 59; (4) a spirit proceeding from Allah, but not Allah: his life and his mission were more limited than in the case of some other Messengers, though we must pay equal honour to him as a Prophet of Allah. The doctrines of Trinity, equality with Allah, and sonship, are repudiated as blasphemies. Allah is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs. The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put in a great deal of Alexandrian and Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is simply explained here.

Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself:

  - Mohammad Asad

The Messiah (Jesus) never disdained to be the worshipper of Allah nor do the angels who are nearest to Allah. Whosoever disdains His worship and is arrogant will be brought before Him all together.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The Messiah would never be too proud to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels nearest to Allah. Those who are too proud and arrogant to worship Him will be brought before Him all together.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The Messiah will never scorn to be a slave unto Allah, nor will the favored angels. Whoso scorneth His service and is proud, all such will He assemble unto Him;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Christ disdaineth not to serve and worship Allah nor do the angels those nearest (to Allah): those who disdain His worship and are arrogant He will gather them all together unto himself to (answer). ^{677 678}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Christ often watched and prayed, as a humble worshipper of Allah; and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane was full of human dignity, suffering, and self- humiliation (see Matt. xxvi. 36-45).

The disdainful and the arrogant are the crew of Satan, who will be gathered together before the Supreme Throne for punishment.

whereupon unto those who attained to faith and did good deeds He will grant their just rewards, and give them yet more out of His bounty; whereas those who felt too proud and gloried in their arrogance He will chastise with grievous suffering: and they shall find none to protect them from God, and none to bring them succour.

  - Mohammad Asad

As for those who have faith and do righteous deeds, He will pay them their due compensation and give them more on His own from His grace, but He will inflict painful punishment on those who are disdainful and arrogant, and they will find none (of those on whom they rely) to protect or help them besides Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who believe and do good, He will reward them in full and increase them out of His grace. But those who are too proud and arrogant, He will subject them to a painful punishment. And besides Allah they will find no protector or helper.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then, as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will He pay their wages in full, adding unto them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful and proud, them will He punish with a painful doom. And they will not find for them, against Allah, any protecting friend or helper.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness He will give their (due) rewards and more out of His bounty: but those who are disdainful and arrogant He will punish with a grievous penalty; nor will they find besides Allah any to protect or help them.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O MANKIND! A manifestation of the truth has now come unto you from your Sustainer, and We have sent down unto you a clear light.

  - Mohammad Asad

O mankind! There has come to you convincing proof of Truth from your Rabb. We have sent to you a glorious light (Al-Qur'an) that shows you the Right Way clearly.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O humanity! There has come to you conclusive evidence from your Lord. And We have sent down to you a brilliant light.

  - Mustafa Khattab

O mankind! Now hath a proof from your Lord come unto you, and We have sent down unto you a clear light;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O mankind! verily there hath come to you a convincing proof from your Lord: for We have sent unto you a light (that is) manifest. ⁶⁷⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The disdainful and the arrogant are the crew of Satan, who will be gathered together before the Supreme Throne for punishment.

And as for those who have attained to faith in God and hold fast unto Him - He will enfold them within¹⁸² His grace and bounty, and guide them unto Himself by a straight way.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "cause them to enter into".

Now those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him, Allah will soon cover them with His mercy and grace and will show them the Right Way to Himself.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him, He will admit them into His mercy and grace and guide them to Himself through the Straight Path.

  - Mustafa Khattab

As for those who believe in Allah, and hold fast unto Him, them He will cause to enter into His mercy and grace, and will guide them unto Him by a straight road.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him soon will He admit them to Mercy and Grace from Him and guide them to Himself by a straight Way. ⁶⁸⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Mercy and Grace are expressed here as specially bestowed by Him.

THEY WILL ASK thee to enlighten them.¹⁸³ Say: "God enlightens you [thus] about the laws concerning [inheritance from] those who leave no heir in the direct line: If a man dies childless and has a sister, she shall inherit one-half of what he has left, just as he shall inherit from her if she dies childless. But if there are two sisters, both [together] shall have two-thirds of what he has left; and if there are brothers and sisters,¹⁸⁴ then the male shall have the equal of two females' share." God makes [all this] clear unto you, lest you go astray; and God knows everything.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., about the laws of inheritance mentioned in the next sentence. Regarding the meaning of istifta' ("a request for enlightenment about a [particular] law"), see note [145] of this surah. The seemingly abrupt transition from the preceding passages - dealing with questions of theology - to this one is in accord with the Qur'anic principle of deliberately interweaving moral exhortation with practical legislation: and this in pursuance of the teaching that man's life - spiritual and physical, individual and social - is one integral whole, and therefore requires simultaneous consideration of all its aspects if the concept of "the good life" is to be realized. The above verse completes the series of inheritance laws dealt with early in this surah.

Lit., "brethren (ikhwah), men and women". It is to be noted that the expression ikhwah comprises either brothers, or sisters, or brothers and sisters.

They ask you for a legal decision relating to inheritance in the case of a childless person. Say: Allah gives you His decision about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If a man dies childless and leaves behind a sister, she shall inherit one-half of his estate. If a woman dies childless, her brother will inherit all of her estate. If the childless person leaves behind two sisters, they both shall inherit two-third of his estate; but if he leaves more than two brothers and sisters, the share of each male shall be equal to that of two females. Thus Allah makes His commandments clear to you lest you go astray. Allah has perfect knowledge of everything.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They ask you 'for a ruling, O Prophet'. Say, 'Allah gives you a ruling regarding those who die without children or parents.' If a man dies childless and leaves behind a sister, she will inherit one-half of his estate, whereas her brother will inherit all of her estate if she dies childless. If this person leaves behind two sisters, they together will inherit two-thirds of the estate. But if the deceased leaves male and female siblings, a male's share will be equal to that of two females. Allah makes 'this' clear to you so you do not go astray. And Allah has 'perfect' knowledge of all things.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This verse is placed at the end of the sûrah and not with similar verses at the beginning to connect the end of this sûrah with the next one or, according to Al-Fakhr Ar-Râzi, either to tie the end of the sûrah with its beginning for emphasis, as found in 20:2 and 124 as well as 23:1 and 117, or to emphasize Allah’s knowledge, just like the first verse emphasizes His power.

They ask thee for a pronouncement. Say: Allah hath pronounced for you concerning distant kindred. If a man die childless and he have a sister, hers is half the heritage, and he would have inherited from her had she died childless. And if there be two sisters, then theirs are two-thirds of the heritage, and if they be brethren, men and women, unto the male is the equivalent of the share of two females. Allah expoundeth unto you, so that ye err not. Allah is Knower of all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They ask thee for a legal decision. Say: Allah directs (thus) about those who leave no descendants or ascendants as heirs. If it is a man that dies leaving a sister but no child she shall have half the inheritance: if (such a deceased was) a woman who left no child her brother takes her inheritance: if there are two sisters they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance (between them): if there are brothers and sisters (they share) the male having twice the share of the female. Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His law) lest ye err. And Allah hath knowledge of all things. ⁶⁸¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This verse supplements the rule of inheritance of the estate of a deceased person who has left as heir neither a descendant nor an ascendant. We shall call such a person A, who may be either a male or a female. In iv. 12 (second half), A's case was considered where he had left uterine brothers or sisters. Here A's case is considered where he has left brothers and or sisters by the father's side, whether the mother was the same or not. "Brothers" and "sisters" in this verse must be construed to be such brothers and sisters. For the sake of clearness, I have expanded the terse language of the original in the translation. Let me explain it more concretely in this note. A, and "brother" and "sister" being strictly defined as above, we proceed to consider how A's inheritance would be divided. If A left a widow or widower, the widow's or widower's share would first be calculated as in the first half of iv. 12; if A left no spouse, this calculation would not be necessary. Then if A left a single "sister," she would have a half share, the remaining half (in so for as it, or a part of it, does not fall to a spouse, if any) going to remoter heirs: if a single "brother," he would have the whole (subject to the spouse's right if there is a spouse); if more than one "brother," they divide the whole (subject to etc.). If A left two or more "sisters," they get between them two-thirds, subject to the spouse's right, if any. If A left a "brother" and "sister," or "brothers" and "sisters," they divide on the basis that each "brother's" share is twice that of the "sister" (subject to, etc.). In all cases debts, funeral expenses, and legacies (to the amount allowed) have priority as in n. 522.