4:131 An-Nisaa (The Women)

يخبر تعالى عن عموم ملكه العظيم الواسع المستلزم تدبيره بجميع أنواع التدبير، وتصرفه بأنواع التصريف قدرا وشرعا، فتصرفه الشرعي أن وصى الأولين والآخرين أهل الكتب السابقة واللاحقة بالتقوى المتضمنة للأمر والنهي، وتشريع الأحكام، والمجازاة لمن قام بهذه الوصية بالثواب، والمعاقبة لمن أهملها وضيعها بأليم العذاب، ولهذا قال: { وَإِنْ تَكْفُرُوا ْ} بأن تتركوا تقوى الله، وتشركوا بالله ما لم ينزل به عليكم سلطانا، فإنكم لا تضرون بذلك إلا أنفسكم، ولا تضرون الله شيئا ولا تنقصون ملكه، وله عبيد خير منكم وأعظم وأكثر، مطيعون له خاضعون لأمره. ولهذا رتب على ذلك قوله: { وَإِنْ تَكْفُرُوا فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَنِيًّا حَمِيدًا ْ} له الجود الكامل والإحسان الشامل الصادر من خزائن رحمته التي لا ينقصها الإنفاق ولا يغيضها نفقة، سحاء الليل والنهار، لو اجتمع أهل السماوات وأهل الأرض أولهم وآخرهم، فسأل كل [واحد] منهم ما بلغت أمانيه ما نقص من ملكه شيئا، ذلك بأنه جواد واجد ماجد، عطاؤه كلام وعذابه كلام، إنما أمره لشيء إذا أراد أن يقول له كن فيكون. ومن تمام غناه أنه كامل الأوصاف، إذ لو كان فيه نقص بوجه من الوجوه، لكان فيه نوع افتقار إلى ذلك الكمال، بل له كل صفة كمال، ومن تلك الصفة كمالها، ومن تمام غناه أنه لم يتخذ صاحبة ولا ولدا، ولا شريكا في ملكه ولا ظهيرا، ولا معاونا له على شيء من تدابير ملكه. ومن كمال غناه افتقار العالم العلوي والسفلي في جميع أحوالهم وشئونهم إليه وسؤالهم إياه جميع حوائجهم الدقيقة والجليلة، فقام تعالى بتلك المطالب والأسئلة وأغناهم وأقناهم، ومَنَّ عليهم بلطفه وهداهم. وأما الحميد فهو من أسماء الله تعالى الجليلة الدال على أنه [هو] المستحق لكل حمد ومحبة وثناء وإكرام، وذلك لما اتصف به من صفات الحمد، التي هي صفة الجمال والجلال، ولما أنعم به على خلقه من النِّعم الجزال، فهو المحمود على كل حال. وما أحسن اقتران هذين الاسمين الكريمين { الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ ْ}!! فإنه غني محمود، فله كمال من غناه، وكمال من حمده، وكمال من اقتران أحدهما بالآخر.

يخبر تعالى أنه مالك السموات والأرض وأنه الحاكم فيهما ولهذا قال "ولقد وصينا الذين أوتوا الكتاب من قبلكم وإياكم" أي وصيناكم بما وصيناهم به من تقوى الله عز وجل بعبادته وحده لا شريك له ثم قال وإن تكفروا فإن لله ما في السموات وما في الأرض" الآية كما قال تعالى إخبارا عن موسى أنه قال لقومه "إن تكفروا أنتم ومن في الأرض جميعا فإن الله لغني حميد" وقال" فكفروا وتولوا واستغنى الله والله غني حميد" أي غني عن عباده "حميد" أي محمود في جميع ما يقدره ويشرعه.

The Necessity of Taqwa of Allah

Allah states that He is the Owner of the heavens and earth and that He is the Supreme Authority over them. Hence Allah's statement,

وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّـكُمْ

(And verily, We have recommended to the People of the Scripture before you, and to you) meaning, We have recommended to you what We recommended to the People of Scriptures; Taqwa of Allah, by worshipping Him Alone without partners. Allah then said,

وَإِن تَكْفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ للَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(But if you disbelieve, then unto Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth). In another Ayah, Allah said that Musa said to his people,

إِن تَكْفُرُواْ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ

("If you disbelieve, you and all on the earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich (free of any need), Owner of all praise."). Allah said,

فَكَفَرُواْ وَتَوَلَّواْ وَّاسْتَغْنَى اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ

(So they disbelieved and turned away. But Allah was not in need (of them). And Allah is Rich (free of any need), Worthy of all praise) meaning, He is far too Rich than to need His servants, and worthy of all praise in all His decisions and commandments. The meaning of Allah's statement,

وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلاً

(And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is Ever All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.) He has perfect watch over every soul, knowing what it deserves, He is the Watcher, and Witness of all things. Allah's statement,

إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ وَيَأْتِ بِـاخَرِينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى ذلِكَ قَدِيراً

(If He wills, He can take you away, O people, and bring others. And Allah is Ever All-Potent over that.) means, He is able to take you away and replace you with other people if you disobey Him. In a similar Ayah, Allah said,

الْفُقَرَآءُ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْاْ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُونُواْ

(And if you turn away, He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be your likes) Allah's statement,

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ اللَّهِ ثَوَابُ الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ

(Whoever desires the rewards of this life, then with Allah is the reward of this worldly life and of the Hereafter.) means, O those whose ultimate desire is this life, know that Allah owns the rewards of this life and the Hereafter. Therefore, if you ask Allah for both, He will enrich you, award you and suffice for you. As Allah said,

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَـسِكَكُمْ فَاذْكُرُواْ اللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ ءَابَآءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـقٍ - وِمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الاٌّخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ أُولَـئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْ

(But of mankind there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in this world!" and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter. And of them there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!" For them there will be alloted a share for what they have earned),

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الاٌّخِرَةِ نَزِدْ لَهُ فِى حَرْثِهِ

(Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward), and

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَـجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ

(Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like) until,

انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ

(See how We prefer one above another (in this world)). So Allah said here,

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً

(And Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer.)

To God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. We have charged those who were given the Scripture meaning the scriptures before you namely the Jews and Christians and you O people of the Qur’ān ‘Fear God’ fear His punishment by being obedient to Him. And We said to them and to you ‘If you disbelieve in what you have been charged with then to God belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth’ as creatures possessions and servants and He will not be harmed by your disbelief God is ever Independent of the need for His creation or their worship Praised praise-worthy for what He does with them.

Sequence

After having stated the rules of behaviour as related to women and orphans, the text now reminds the promise of rewards for those abiding by these rules, and the warning for those contravening them, which is the usual style of the Holy Qur'an.

Significant Inferences

Readily noticeable here is the repetition of لِّلَّـهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ which means that everything created in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. Repeated thrice, these words signify three shades of meaning. In the first place, the aim is to point out to the limitless scope of Allah's power of creation which lacks nothing. In the second instance, the objective is to focus on Allah's attribute of self sufficiency, self-adequacy and His being need-free. It means: Should one disbelieve, deny or reject the good counsel given, He is in no need of anyone's obedience for He stands ever-praised in His pristine glory.

To God belongs everything in the heavens and everything in the earth, and We have charged those who were given the Book before you, and you, to be wary of God. “You who are worshipers and abstainers, come totally into the street of godwariness and make godwariness your shelter. Leave aside the road of uncertainty and suspicion.” He says this and commands it. Then He gives success to one group, and He puts another group into the road of abandonment. To all of them He gives awareness: “I am without needs. I have no benefit from the obedience of the one given success, nor any loss from the disobedience of the one abandoned. Everything in the heavens and the earth is My possession and kingdom. All are My predetermined things and artifacts. Had I wanted, I would have created all successful, or all abandoned. No one can protest against Me, and there is no turning away from My decree.” In the third verse, He says,