4:1 An-Nisaa (The Women)

افتتح تعالى هذه السورة بالأمر بتقواه، والحث على عبادته، والأمر بصلة الأرحام، والحث على ذلك. وبيَّن السبب الداعي الموجب لكل من ذلك، وأن الموجب لتقواه لأنه { رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ } ورزقكم، ورباكم بنعمه العظيمة، التي من جملتها خلقكم { مِن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا } ليناسبها، فيسكن إليها، وتتم بذلك النعمة، ويحصل به السرور، وكذلك من الموجب الداعي لتقواه تساؤلكم به وتعظيمكم، حتى إنكم إذا أردتم قضاء حاجاتكم ومآربكم، توسلتم بـها بالسؤال بالله. فيقول من يريد ذلك لغيره: أسألك بالله أن تفعل الأمر الفلاني؛ لعلمه بما قام في قلبه من تعظيم الله الداعي أن لا يرد من سأله بالله، فكما عظمتموه بذلك فلتعظموه بعبادته وتقواه. وكذلك الإخبار بأنه رقيب، أي: مطلع على العباد في حال حركاتـهم وسكونـهم، وسرهم وعلنهم، وجميع أحوالهم، مراقبا لهم فيها مما يوجب مراقبته، وشدة الحياء منه، بلزوم تقواه. وفي الإخبار بأنه خلقهم من نفس واحدة، وأنه بثهم في أقطار الأرض، مع رجوعهم إلى أصل واحد -ليعطف بعضهم على بعض، ويرقق بعضهم على بعض. وقرن الأمر بتقواه بالأمر ببر الأرحام والنهي عن قطيعتها، ليؤكد هذا الحق، وأنه كما يلزم القيام بحق الله، كذلك يجب القيام بحقوق الخلق، خصوصا الأقربين منهم، بل القيام بحقوقهم هو من حق الله الذي أمر به. وتأمل كيف افتتح هذه السورة بالأمر بالتقوى، وصلة الأرحام والأزواج عموما، ثم بعد ذلك فصل هذه الأمور أتم تفصيل، من أول السورة إلى آخرها. فكأنـها مبنية على هذه الأمور المذكورة، مفصلة لما أجمل منها، موضحة لما أبهم. وفي قوله: { وخلق مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا } تنبيه على مراعاة حق الأزواج والزوجات والقيام به، لكون الزوجات مخلوقات من الأزواج، فبينهم وبينهن أقرب نسب وأشد اتصال، وأقرب علاقة.

سورة النساء قال العوفي عن ابن عباس: نزلت سورة النساء بالمدينة. وكذا روى ابن مردويه عن عبدالله بن الزبير وزيد بن ثابت وروى من طريق عبدالله بن لهيعة عن أخيه عيسى عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس قال: لما نزلت سورة النساء قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "لا حبس" وقال الحاكم في مستدركه: حدثنا أبو العباس محمد بن يعقوب حدثنا أبو البختري عبدالله بن محمد شاكر حدثنا محمد بن بشر العبدي حدثنا مسعر بن كدام عن معن بن عبدالرحمن بن عبدالله بن مسعود قال: إن في سورة النساء لخمس آيات ما يسرني أن لي بها الدنيا وما فيها "إن الله لا يظلم مثقال ذرة" الآية و"إن تجتنبوا كبائر ما تنهون عنه" الآية و"إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء" و"ولو أنهم إذ ظلموا أنفسهم جاءوك" الآية ثم قال: هذا إسناد صحيح إن كان عبدالرحمن سمع من أبيه فقد اختلف في ذلك. وقال عبدالرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن رجل عن ابن مسعود قال: خمس آيات من النساء لهن أحب إلى من الدنيا جميعا "إن تجتنبوا كبائر ما تنهون عنه نكفر عنكم سيئاتكم" وقوله "وإن تك حسنة يضاعفها" وقوله "إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء" وقوله "ومن يعمل سوءا أو يظلم نفسه ثم يستغفر الله يجد الله غفورا رحيما" رواه ابن جرير. ثم روى من طريق صالح المري عن قتادة عن ابن عباس قال: ثماني آيات نزلت في سورة النساء خير لهذه الأمة مما طلعت عليه الشمس وغربت أولهن "يريد الله ليبين لكم ويهديكم سنن الذين من قبلكم ويتوب الله عليكم والله عليم حكيم" والثانية "والله يريد أن يتوب عليكم ويريد الذين يتبعون الشهوات أن تميلوا ميلا عظيما" والثالثة "يريد الله أن يخفف عنكم وخلق الإنسان ضعيفا" ثم ذكر قول ابن مسعود سواء يعني في الخمسة الباقية- وروى الحاكم من طريق أبي نعيم عن سفيان بن عيينة عن عبيدالله بن أبي يزيد عن ابن أبي مليكة سمعت ابن عباس يقول: سلوني عن سورة النساء فإني قرأت القرآن وأنا صغير ثم قال: هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخين ولم يخرجاه. يقول تعالى آمرا خلقه بتقواه وهي عبادته وحده لا شريك له ومنبها لهم على قدرته التي خلقهم بهـا من نفس واحدة وهي آدم عليه السلام "وخلق منها زوجها" وهي حواء عليها السلام خلقت من ضلعه الأيسر من خلقه وهو نائم فاستيقظ فرآها فأعجبته فأنس إليها وأنست إليه. وقال أبن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبي حدثنا محمد بن مقاتل حدثنا وكيع عن أبي هلال عن قتادة عن ابن عباس قال: خلقت المرأة من الرجل فجعلت نهمتها في الرجل وخلق الرجل من الأرض لجعلت نهمته في الأرض فاحبسوا نساءكم. وفي الحديث الصحيح "إن المرأة خلقت من ضلع وإن أعوج شيء في الضلع أعلاه فإن ذهبت تقيمه كسرته وإن استمتعت بها استمتعت بها وفيها عوج" وقوله"وبث منهما رجالا كثيرا ونساء" أي وذرأ منهما أي من آدم وحواء رجالا كثيرا ونساء ونشرهم في أقطار العالم على اختلاف أصنافهم وصفاتهم وألوانهم ولغاتهم ثم إليه بعد ذلك المعاد والمحشر. ثم قال تعالى "واتقوا الله الذي تساءلون به والأرحام" أي واتقوا الله بطاعتكم إياه قال إبراهيم ومجاهد والحسن "الذي تساءلون به" أي كما يقال أسألك بالله وبالرحم. وقال الضحاك: واتقوا الله الذي تعاقدون وتعاهدون به واتقوا الأرحام إن تقطعوها ولكن بروها وصلوها قاله ابن عباس وعكرمة ومجاهد والحسن والضحاك والربيع وغير واحد. وقرأ بعضهم "والأرحام" بالخفض على العطف على الضمير في به أي تساءلون بالله وبالأرحام كما قال مجاهد وغيره. وقوله "إن الله كان عليكم رقيبا" أي هو مراقب لجميع أحوالكم وأعمالكم كما قال "والله على كل شيء شهيد". وفي الحديث الصحيح "اعبدالله كأنك تراه فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراك" وهذا إرشاد وأمر بمراقبة الرقيب. ولهذا ذكر تعالى أن أصل الخلق من أب واحد وأم واحدة ليعطف بعضهم على بعض ويحثهم على ضعفائهم. وقد ثبت في صحيح مسلم من حديث جرير بن عبدالله البجلي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حين قدم عليه أولئك النفر من مضر-. وهم مجتابو النمار أي من عريهم وفقرهم - قام فخطب الناس بعد صلاة الظهر فقال في خطبته"يا أيها الناس اتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة حتى ختم" الآية. ثم قال "يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله ولتنظر نفس ما قدمت لغد" ثم حضهم على الصدقة فقال "تصدق رجل من ديناره من درهمه من صاع بره من صاع تمره". وذكره تمام الحديث وهكذا رواه أحمد وأهل السنن عن ابن مسعود في خطبة الحاجة وفيها ثم يقرأ ثلاث آيات هذه منها "يا أيها الناس اتقوا ربكم" الآية.

Which was revealed in Al-Madina

Virtues of Surat An-Nisa, A Madinan Surah

Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that Surat An-Nisa' was revealed in Al-Madinah. Ibn Marduwyah recorded similar statements from `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr and Zayd bin Thabit. In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "There are five Ayat in Surat An-Nisa' that I would prefer to the life of this world and all that is in it,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ

(Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of an atom,) 4:40,

إِن تَجْتَنِبُواْ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنهَوْنَ عَنْهُ

(If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do) 4:31,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ

(Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills) 4:48,

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآءُوكَ

(If they (hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you) 4:64, and,

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself, but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful) 4:110." Al-Hakim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Ask me about Surat An-Nisa', for I learned the Qur'an when I was still young." Al-Hakim said, "This Hadith is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sahihs, and they did not collect it."

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Command to have Taqwa, a Reminder about Creation, and Being Kind to Relatives

Allah commands His creatures to have Taqwa of Him by worshipping Him Alone without partners. He also reminds to them of His ability, in that He created them all from a single person, Adam, peace be unto him.

وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

(And from him He created his wife) Hawwa' (Eve), who was created from Adam's left rib, from his back while he was sleeping. When Adam woke up and saw Hawwa', he liked her and had affection for her, and she felt the same toward him. An authentic Hadith states,

«إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ، وَإِنَّ أَعْوَجَ شَيْءٍ فِي الضِّلَعِ أَعْلَاهُ، فَإِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهُ كَسَرْتَهُ، وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَج»

(Woman was created from a rib. Verily, the most curved portion of the rib is its upper part, so, if you should try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked.) Allah's statement,

وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَآءً

(And from them both He created many men and women;) means, Allah created from Adam and Hawwa' many men and women and distributed them throughout the world in various shapes, characteristics, colors and languages. In the end, their gathering and return will be to Allah. Allah then said,

وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ الَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالاٌّرْحَامَ

(And have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and revere the wombs), protect yourself from Allah by your acts of obedience to Him. Allah's statement,

الَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِ

(through Whom you demand your mutual (rights)), is in reference to when some people say, "I ask you by Allah, and then by the relation of the Rahim (the womb, i.e. my relationship to you)", according to Ibrahim, Mujahid and Al-Hasan. Ad-Dahhak said; "Fear Allah Whom you invoke when you conduct transactions and contracts." "And revere the womb by not cutting the relations of the womb, but keep and honor them, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi`, and others have stated. Allah's statement,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيباً

(Surely, Allah is always watching over you.) means, He watches all your deeds and sees your every circumstance. In another Ayah, Allah said;

وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

(And Allah is Witness over all things.) 58:6. An authentic Hadith states,

«اعْبُدِاللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ،فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك»

(Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you.) This part of the Ayah encourages having a sense of certainty that Allah is always watching, in a complete and perfect manner. Allah mentioned that He has created mankind from a single father and a single mother, so that they feel compassion for each other and are kind to the weaker among them. In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Jarir bin `Abdullah Al-Bajali said that a delegation from Mudar came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he saw their state, wearing striped woolen clothes due to poverty. After the Zuhr prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and gave a speech in which he recited,

يَٰـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person,) until the end of the Ayah. He also recited,

يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ

(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the tomorrow) 59:18. He also encouraged them to give charity, saying,

«تَصَدَّقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ دِينَارِهِ، مِنْ دِرْهَمِهِ، مِنْ صَاعِ بُرِّهِ، مِنْ صَاعِ تَمْرِه»

(A man gave Sadaqah from his Dinar, from his Dirham, from his Sa` of wheat, from his Sa` of dates) until the end of the Hadith. This narration was also collected by Ahmad and the Sunan compilers from Ibn Mas`ud.

O people of Mecca fear your Lord that is His punishment by being obedient to Him Who created you of a single soul Adam and from it created its mate Eve Hawwā’ from one of his left ribs and from the pair of them Adam and Eve scattered separated and spread many men and many women; and fear God by whom you claim your rights from one another tassā’alūna the original tā’ of tatasā’alūna has been assimilated with the sīn; a variant reading has tasā’alūna so that one of you says to the other ‘I ask you by God…’ or ‘For God’s sake…’; and fear kinship ties lest you sever them a variant reading of wa’l-arhāma ‘and kinship ties’ is wa’l-arhāmi as a supplement to the pronoun contained in bihi sc. God. They used to implore one another by ties of kinship. Surely God has been watchful over you heedful of your deeds for which He will requite you that is to say He is ever possessed of such an attribute.

Sequence _ _

The last verse of Surah 'Al-` Imran was concluded with an exhortation to Taqwa, the fear of Allah. The present Surah begins with Taqwa in the mode of command. The previous Surah mentioned some battles, described the manner of treating antagonists, condemned misappropriation in battle spoils and took up several other matters. In the earlier part of the present Surah, there are injunctions about rights related to one's own people which must be fulfilled while living and inter-acting with them, such as, the rights of orphans, relatives and wives (known as حقُوقُ العباد Huququl-` Ibad: the rights of the servants of Allah). But, there are some rights which are justiciable, that is, their fulfillment can be enforced through law, like common transactions of buying and selling. The rights involved in lease, tenancy and wages can be settled through mutual agreements and arbitration; should a party fall short in fulfilling settled rights, these can be legally retrieved and enforced. But, the fulfillment of the rights of those in one's own charge - children, parents, husband and wife, and orphans - and the rights of other relatives which fall on each other - all depend upon civilized behaviour, respect, loving and caring, and above all on that genuinely heartfelt desire to do what is good for them. These are behaviour patterns which cannot be weighed on a scale of things. That they be determined fully and perfectly through mutual agreements is also much too difficult. Therefore, there is just no other method of their fulfillment except having the fear of Allah and the fear of what would happen in the life to come. This is known as Taqwa and the truth of the matter is that this power of Taqwa is more effective than the combined powers of government and law. Hence, the Surah opens with the command of Taqwa when it says: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَ‌بَّكُمُ ( O men, fear your Lord).

The word, اتَّقُوا 'ittaqu' translated here as 'fear' means 'fear acting against your Lord' which perhaps is the reason why the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to recite this verse as part of his address while solemnizing a marriage. Therefore, reciting it in the Khutbah of Nikah is a perennial revival of the Sunnah. Here, the form of address in the verse is worth attention. It says: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ( O men) which includes all human beings, men or women, and whether they are present at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an or shall continue to be born right through to the Day of Doom. Then, alongwith the command of 'ittaqu' (fear) the word used is 'Rabb' (Lord) which has been selected out of the most fair names of Allah. This is to point out that the fear of Allah so enjoined has a justification and wisdom of its own. The Being totally responsible for man's nurture the manifestations of Whose Lord-worthiness he witnesses every moment of his life, certainly deserves all the awe one is capable of. The very thought that anyone could rise in antagonism and defiance against Allah is terribly dangerous.

Immediately after the text brings into focus the most exalted majesty of the Lord by saying that He created human beings, all of them, in His wisdom and mercy. Here it was quite possible to create and cause to be present, whatever it was to be, in more than one way. But, He chose to have one way and one form, a very particular one, when he created all human beings from the one and only human being, that is, Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) ، and thus it was that He tied all of them in a strong bond of brotherhood. So, it is not only the fear of Allah and the fear of Akhirah (Hereafter) which demand man's alle-giance to the Lord of all creation, but this bond of brotherhood between human beings also requires that rights of humanity - of mutual sympathy, wellbeing and collective good - be fully discharged. And between man and man, let there be no one high or low in race or caste, in colour or language, and that all such distinctions be never made the criterion of good or bad, nobility or meanness. Therefore, it was said: الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِ‌جَالًا كَثِيرً‌ا وَنِسَاءً meaning 'who has created you from a single soul (that is, Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) who is the father of all human beings), and from it created its match (that is, his wife, Hawwa' (Eve), and spread from the two, many men and women (in the world) '.

In short, this verse serves as an introduction to injunctions which are going to appear in this Surah. The purpose here is to dissuade human beings from becoming the usurpers of Divine rights, while at the same time, by telling them that they all are the children of the same father, the wonderful humane dimension of love, mutual sympathy and concern was given as the working hypothesis of common living, so that the mutual rights of relatives, orphans and married couples could be fulfilled right from the heart at the very grass-root level.

Towards the end of verse 1, the exhortation to fear Allah has been beamed at man from yet another angle. Isn’ t it that man demands his rights from others in the name of Allah and exacts what he wants from them? It means that one who expects others to fear Allah should do that himself as well. The last word, وَالْأَرْ‌حَامَ wal-arham, is there to warn that any shortcoming in taking good care of near relations, whether from the side of one's father or mother, should be avoided.

The second verse emphasizes the rights of orphaned children and establishes rules to protect their property.

The commentary which follows takes up the last two aspects of near relations and orphans in some detail.

Commentary

Treating Near Relations Well:

The word, الْأَرْ‌حَامَ 'al-arham' in verse 1 is the plural of رحم rahm. Rahm رحم is womb. The womb of the mother is the home of the child until born. Since this womb is the source of blood relationship, the act of maintaining relations in that line is called ilatur-rahm in Arabic (literally, umbilical link or bond or relationship). The converse of it, that is, showing carelessness and indifference towards natural linkage based on blood relationship is identified as قتل الرحم qat`-al-rahm (literally, umbilical delinkage, meaning cutting off relationship with one's kin).

The noble ahadith have laid great emphasis on bonds of kinship. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:

من احَبَّ ان یبسط لہ فی رزقہ و ینسا لہ فی اثرہ فلیصل رحمۃ

Whoever likes to have his livelihood made plentiful and his age extended for him should maintain good relations with his near of kin. (Mishkat, p. 419)

This hadith tells us about two benefits that issue forth from treating near relations well. The merit of the Hereafter vouchsafed, this fair treatment of one's kin has its benefits in this life as well, that is, it removes straightening from his livelihood and blesses his age with more good years.

Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Salam ؓ says: When the Holy Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah al-Tayyibah and I presented myself before him, the very first words from him which fell into my ears were:

یا ایھا الناس افشوا السلام ط واطعموا الطعام و صلوا الارحام، وصلوا باللیل والناس ینام ، تدخلوا الجنۃ بالسلام

O men, make a practice of greeting each other with salam, and feed people (for the pleasure of Allah), and treat near relations well, and pray by night while people sleep - you will enter Paradise in peace. (Mishkat, p. 108)

In another hadith, it has been reported that اَمُّ المؤمنین Ummul-Mu'minin (the Mother of the Faithful) Sayyidah Maymuna ؓ had freed her bond woman. When she told the Holy Prophet ﷺ about it, he said:

لو اعطیتھا اخوالک کان اعظم لاجرک

Had you given her to your maternal uncle, your reward would have been greater. (Mishkat, p. 171)

Although, Islam motivates people to free slaves and rates it as one of the finest acts of merit, yet the status of treating relatives fairly has been given more importance. There is another narration on the same subject in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said:

الصدقۃ علی المسکین صدقۃ وھی علی ذی الرحم ثنتان ط صدقۃ وصلۃ

Charity to the needy is just charity, while to a near relative it becomes twofold: charity and kinship. (Mishkat, p. 171)

Hence, a simple change in the end-use of charity yields two types of merits.

As opposed to this there is the attitude of cold-shouldering or severing of blood relationships. How stern are the warnings given in hadith reports against this can be imagined from the following two ahadith:

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

1۔ لا یدخل الجنۃ قاطع

1. A breaker of (blood) relationships shall not enter Paradise. (Mishkat, p 419)

2- لا تنزل الرحمۃ علی قوم فیہ قاطع رحم

2. Mercy shall not descend upon a people among whom there is a breaker of (blood) relationships. (Mishkat, p. 420)

The statement in the last sentence of this verse: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَ‌قِيبًا (and surely, Allah is watchful over you) motivates human hearts to fulfill rights as and when they are due because Divine watchfulness implies awareness of whatever there is in human hearts - intentions, scruples, motives - everything. Doing things halfheartedly, formally, or for fear of possible embarrassment, without any genuine desire to serve, shall remain acts unacceptable to Allah. Incidentally, from here we find out why Allah should be feared - because He is watchful over everyone, always. As pointed out elsewhere too, this is typical of the usual style of the Holy Qura'n when it does not introduce laws in sheer cold print like the laws of the governments of this world, but puts them forth in the manner of education, training and affection by not restricting itself to the word of law alone, but by combining it with the grooming of minds and hearts as well.

O people, be wary of your Lord, who created you from one soul, created from it its mate, and scattered forth from the two many men and women. And be wary of God, whom you ask against one another, and of the wombs. Surely God is watcher over you. “O center point of human nature, O attribute of mortal nature, make godwariness your shelter and cling to it, for the life of the servants is through it and the deliverance of the travelers in it.” Godwariness is for the servant to make the commands of the Shariah into his shield so that the arrows of prohibition may not reach him. It has three levels: First, he takes refuge in the sentence of tawḤīd and avoids every associationism. Second he takes refuge in obedience and steps away from the path of disobedience. Third he takes refuge in caution and flees from ambiguity. Anyone who climbs these way stations of godwariness with truthfulness will inescapably reach deliver- ance, for the Qur'an gives this report: “God will deliver those who were godwary in their place of security; ugliness will not touch them, neither shall they sorrow” [39:61]. In another place He says, “Whosoever is wary of God, He will appoint a way out for him and He will provide for him from whence he never reckoned [65:2-3]. Whenever someone takes hold of godwariness, We will ease for him the road of deliverance from every suffering and We will send him provision from whence he has no hope.” It has been said that the sister of Bishr Ḥāfī went to see AḤmad Ḥanbal. She said, “O Imam of the Muslims! I work a spindle on the roof of my house. When the torch of the Tahirids passes by, it may happen that I join threads with the rays of that torch. Is this permissible or not?” AḤmad said, “First tell me who you are. Are you in a walkway of being able to tolerate such godwariness?” She said, “I am the sister of Bishr Ḥāfī.” AḤmad wept and said, “Godwariness like this is permissible only in the household of Bishr Ḥāfī! It is not worthy of you, so be careful not to do it, and Bishr Ḥāfī will be happy with you. Emulate your brother so that perhaps you may be like him.