Surah an-Nisa' (Women ) 4 : 60

Overview (Verses 60 - 65)

Claims Belied by Action

Now the sūrah refers to those who claim to be believers but who deliberately violate the central condition of faith, trying to refer their disputes to false gods for arbitration, when they have been commanded to reject such false gods. The sūrah wonders at their attitude and warns them against Satan’s attempts to lead them far astray. It describes their reaction when they show their aversion to being called upon to adhere to what God has revealed and to follow His Messenger. The sūrah considers this an act of hypocrisy, and denounces their reference to false gods as a rejection of faith. When their wicked plans end up in misery they try to justify themselves, but their justification is shown to be hollow and false. Nevertheless, God directs His Messenger (peace be upon him) to give them good counsel and to admonish them. The paragraph concludes with a clear statement of God’s purpose in sending Messengers, which shows that they must be obeyed.
 
Are you not aware of those who claim that they believe in what has been bestowed from on high upon you, as well as in what was bestowed from on high before you? They seek the judgement of false gods, although they are bidden to deny them. But Satan wants to lead them far astray. When it is said to them, “Come to that which God has bestowed from on high, and to the Messenger,” you see the hypocrites turn away from you with aversion. But how will it be when calamity befalls them [on the Day of Judgement! because of what their hands have done in this world? They would then come to you, swearing by God, “Our aim was but to do good, and to bring about harmony.” As for them — God knows all that is in their hearts. So leave them alone, and admonish them, and speak to them a word to reach their very souls. We have sent every messenger so that he should be obeyed by God’s leave. If when they have wronged themselves, they would but come to you and pray to God to forgive them, and the Messenger prayed for their forgiveness, they would surely find that God is the One who accepts repentance, Merciful. But no, by your Lord. They do not really believe unless they make you judge in all disputes between them, and then find in their hearts no bar to an acceptance of your decisions and give themselves up in total submission. (Verses 60-65)
 
This description suggests that all this was in the early stages, after Islam first settled in Madinah. At the time, the hypocrites mustered a substantial force and the Jews, who co-operated with the hypocrites, commanded real strength. Those who did not wish to refer their disputes to God’s law, preferring to refer them to false gods instead, might have been a group of hypocrites, as they are clearly described in the second verse in this paragraph. Alternatively, they might have been Jews who, when they needed arbitration in their dealings with the people of Madinah, were invited to refer them to God’s Book, i.e. the Torah, in some cases, or to God’s Messenger in others. They declined and preferred to refer them to the local traditions that prevailed in pre-Islamic Arabia. After consideration, we feel that the first view is more accurate, especially in light of their claims “that they believe in what has been bestowed from on high upon you, as well as in what was bestowed from on high before you.” (Verse 60) The Jews did not claim to have accepted Islam or to have believed in what was revealed to the Prophet. It was the hypocrites who made such claims in the early period of Islam, i.e. before their power was severely curtailed with the victories achieved against the Jews of Quraiżah and Khaybar. This subsequently led to the steady weakening of the hypocrites’ power in Madinah.
 
Whatever the case, our understanding of these verses is that they make absolutely clear the conditions for faith just as they define the meaning of Islam. We see in them a clear declaration that any one who wishes to refer to false gods is a non-believer, because God has ordained that people should disbelieve in such false gods. We also read in them an oath, by God, that such people will not attain to faith and will not be included among the believers until they refer their disputes to the Prophet for arbitration, accept his judgement and put it into force. This must be an obedience inspired by contented acceptance of his rulings.
 
“Are you not aware of those who claim that they believe in what has been bestowed from on high upon you, as well as in what was bestowed from on high before you? They seek the judgement of false gods, although they are bidden to deny them. But Satan wants to lead them far astray.” (Verse 60) Have you seen this most amazing situation? Here are a group of people who profess to believe, but immediately negate their own assertions. They claim to believe in what has been revealed to Muĥammad and in earlier revelations as well, but they will not refer their disputes for arbitration on the basis of such revelations. Instead, they want to refer them to a different system, seeking different rulings based on nothing that is contained in God’s revelations. That means that they refer them to “false gods”, which claim for themselves an essential attribute of Godhead, and, hence, they apply no clear and accurate criteria.
 
Moreover, they do not do so out of ignorance or doubt. They know for certain that they are forbidden to refer to such false gods, as the verse makes clear: “They seek the judgement of false gods, although they are bidden to deny them.” (Verse 60) Hence, their claims to believe in God’s revelations cannot be true. The fact is that Satan tries to steer them far away from God’s guidance, so that they cannot return to it at any time: “But Satan wants to lead them far astray.” (Verse 60) This is, then, the cause behind their reference to false gods and the reason for their violation of the essentials of faith. It is all stated clearly for them so that they may take heed and mend their ways. It is also made clear to the Muslim community so that it realises who inspires and supports such people.
 
The sūrah continues to illustrate their reaction when they are called upon to refer co what they profess to believe of Divine revelations given to Muĥammad and earlier prophets: “When it is said to them, ‘Come to that which God has bestowed from on high, and to the Messenger,’ you see the hypocrites turn away from you with aversion.” (Verse 61)
 
It is a certainty that hypocrisy will out. It will inevitably contradict obvious natural logic. Otherwise it would not be hypocrisy. An obvious and natural result of belief is that a person should refer for arbitration to what and whom he believes in. Hence, when a person professes to believe in God and what He has revealed, and in the Prophet and the revelations he has received, then he is called upon to refer any dispute to them. When he declines and turns away, he contradicts obvious natural logic and reveals his hypocrisy. He belies his own claims of believing in God, His revelations and Messenger.
 
The sūrah then portrays one specific aspect of hypocrisy in their behaviour. That is when they encounter misfortune or calamity as a result of their refusal to refer matters to God’s revelations and to His Messenger, or their reference to false gods. They are certain to come up with excuses, but these are only the excuses of hypocrisy: “But how will it be when calamity befalls them [on the Day of Judgement! because of what their hands have done in this world? They would then come to you, swearing by God, ‘Our aim was but to do good, and to bring about harmony.’” (Verse 62)
 
Such a calamity could have occurred at the time, as a result of their reality being exposed. This would have seen them outcast and boycotted by the Muslim community. That community would not have tolerated having in its midst people asserting to believe in God, the Messenger and revelation, yet who turn away from the same when they are invited to have their disputes adjudged by God’s Messenger. Such an attitude would only be accepted in a society where faith does not exist: a society whose share of faith is nothing more than the claims asserted by such people and whose share of Islam is no more than names and allegations.
 
Another calamity may also befall them, in the form of any injustice they suffer as a result of putting their disputes to a system other than that ordained by God to ensure full justice to all. Thus, their efforts to ensure fair treatment end up in miserable failure. Or they may suffer a calamity as a test to which they are put by God, so that they may once again reflect upon and accept His guidance. ‘Whatever the cause of the calamity, the sūrah wonders at their attitude when it occurs. They realise that they have to make their excuses to the Prophet: “They would then come to you, swearing by God, `Our aim was but to do good, and to bring about harmony.’” (Verse 62)
 
This is a sorrowful state of affairs. They return, aware of the enormity of their action, unable to face the Prophet with the true nature of their motives, yet ready with their false oaths that their action, which may have been arbitration according to pre-Islamic traditions, only aimed at achieving harmony in society and serving its interests. These are the claims of all people who refuse to refer to Divine law and its way of life. They assert that they only want to avoid problems and difficulties and to achieve harmony between different groups and beliefs. Such are the arguments of the hypocrites and those who falsely assert to be believers.
 
Limitless in His glory, God exposes their reality, and tells His Messenger that He knows the reality of what they harbour in their hearts. He, nevertheless, directs him to be gentle with them and to admonish them so that they may stop their double dealings: “As for them — God knows all that is in their hearts. So leave them alone, and admonish them, and speak to them a word to reach their very souls.” (Verse 63) There is no doubt that God knows their real beliefs, motives and intentions, and how false their excuses are. Yet the policy He tells His Messenger to follow is to overlook their real attitude and to continue to treat them gently, so trying to teach and admonish them.
 
Here the verse uses a remarkable expression: “Speak to them a word to reach their very souls.” (Verse 63) A literal translation would render the sentence: “Tell them, in their very souls, something highly effective.” This portrays a very powerful action, showing the words as being directed to their very hearts and souls.
 
Yet in spite of their unacceptable action and their turning away from God’s revelations, they are invited to turn back in repentance and to seek a comfortable and stable life, enjoying the care of God and His Messenger. The door is always open for repentance. It is certainly not too late for turning back to God, seeking His forgiveness. When the Prophet himself requests God to forgive them, they are certain to be forgiven, by God’s leave.
 
Prophets Must Be Obeyed
 
A basic fact needs to be asserted here. God has sent His Messengers in order that they should be obeyed, by His leave. They may not be disobeyed. Their role is not merely that of guides and preachers: “We have sent every messenger so that he should be obeyed by God’s leave. If when they have wronged themselves, they would but come to you and pray to God to forgive them, and the Messenger prayed for their forgiveness, they would surely find that God is the One who accepts repentance, Merciful.” (Verse 64) This is a very important fact. God’s Messenger is not merely a day preacher who speaks fine words to which no one need pay any heed, as claimed by those who try to distort the role of faith and prophets.
 
Religion is a code for practical life, with all its systems, situations, values, morality, and worship. This requires that God’s message should enjoy proper enforcement authority, commanding obedience. In fact, God has sent His messengers so that they be obeyed, by His leave and within His law, so that the Divine way of life is properly implemented. Thus, obedience of God’s messenger is part of obeying God. He certainly has not sent a messenger so that he has only a moral effect on people and gets them to offer worship rituals. That would be an erroneous understanding of religion, which does not fit with the purpose of God sending His messengers. His purpose in so sending them is to establish a proper code in practical life. A world where a messenger has only to speak to people, urging them to mend their ways, and who then leaves them to throw his admonition behind their backs, is far from respectable.
 
This explains the true image of Islam in history: a message to be conveyed, a regime, an authority, and a system of government to implement the Islamic law and constitution after the Prophet has passed away. This ensures continuous obedience of the Prophet, generation after generation, and fulfils God’s purpose behind sending His messengers. There is no other set-up which may be given the name Islam, or which represents the Islamic faith. The essential characteristic of any true Islamic set- up, regardless of the actual form or system it adopts, is complete acceptance of the Divine way of life, referring all matters to God’s law, obeying God’s Messenger in all that he has conveyed to us of God’s message, and acknowledging that Godhead belongs completely to God alone. This makes all sovereignty, with its essential corollary of legislative authority, belong to God. An important result of this is not to refer to false gods in any matter, serious or trivial. Reference must always be to God and His Messenger in any situation that may come up as a result of life development.
 
The sūrah then opens up a way back for those who “wrong themselves” by deviating from God’s way. This is the same chance as offered to the hypocrites of Madinah at the time of the Prophet: “If when they have wronged themselves, they would but come to you and pray to God to forgive them, and the Messenger prayed for their forgiveness, they would surely find that God is the One who accepts repentance, Merciful.” (Verse 64) When repentance is genuine, God will definitely accept it. He is always merciful to those who return to Him. It is He who describes Himself as such and promises those who turn to Him in repentance, seeking His forgiveness, that He will accept their repentance and turn to them in mercy. Those who were the first to he addressed by this statement had the chance of requesting the Prophet to pray for their forgiveness. This chance is no longer there, but God’s door remains open at all times, and His promise will always come true. No one need have any hesitation, once his repentance is sincere.
 
We then have a categorical and decisive statement, with God declaring an oath by His majestic self, that no one can be a true believer until he accepts the Prophet’s rulings over all his life affairs and submits to them willingly, without any hesitation: “But no, by your Lord! They do not really believe unless they make you judge in all disputes between them, and then find in their hearts no bar to an acceptance of your decisions and give themselves up in total submission.” (Verse 65) Again, we have here a reiteration of the conditions of faith and the boundaries of Islam. With such a statement from God, no one can argue about it in any way. Yet, in an attempt that cannot command any degree of respect, some people allege that this applies to a particular period of time, and to a certain group of people. By doing so, they betray their total lack of understanding of Islam and their complete failure to grasp the meaning of the Qur’ānic text.
 
What this verse states is a fundamental Islamic principle, expressed in the form of a confirmed oath, without any qualification. This cannot be construed as meaning that the Prophet, in person, should judge in all disputes between believers at all times. His judgement, as referred to here, means a judgement based on his faith and implementation of the Divine law. Otherwise, God’s law and the Prophet’s sunnah would have no place in the life of the community after the Prophet had passed away. Such was the standpoint of the most hardened apostates at the time of Abū Bakr, who fought them hard. In fact, he fought them for something much less serious, namely their refusal to obey Islam with respect to its obligation of zakāt payment and the Prophet’s ruling on how it is paid after his death.
 
If it is sufficient as a proof of accepting Islam that people should refer their disputes to God’s law and His Messenger’s rulings. However, such referral is not sufficient as proof of having faith, unless it is accompanied by complete satisfaction and total and reassured submission. Such is the meaning of being a Muslim and having faith [i.e. īmān]. Let everyone consider how far it is true in his or her own situation before making any claims under this heading.