4:175 An-Nisaa (The Women)

انقسم الناس -بحسب الإيمان بالقرآن والانتفاع به- قسمين: { فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ } أي: اعترفوا بوجوده واتصافه بكل وصف كامل، وتنزيهه من كل نقص وعيب. { وَاعْتَصَمُــوا بِـهِ } أي: لجأوا إلى الله واعتمدوا عليه وتبرأوا من حولهم وقوتهم واستعانوا بربهم. { فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ } أي: فسيتغمدهم بالرحمة الخاصة، فيوفقهم للخيرات ويجزل لهم المثوبات، ويدفع عنهم البليات والمكروهات. { وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا } أي: يوفقهم للعلم والعمل، معرفة الحق والعمل به. أي: ومن لم يؤمن بالله ويعتصم به ويتمسك بكتابه، منعهم من رحمته، وحرمهم من فضله، وخلى بينهم وبين أنفسهم، فلم يهتدوا، بل ضلوا ضلالا مبينا، عقوبة لهم على تركهم الإيمان فحصلت لهم الخيبة والحرمان، نسأله تعالى العفو والعافية والمعافاة.

"فأما الذين آمنوا بالله واعتصموا به" أي جمعوا بين مقامي العبادة والتوكل على الله في جميع أمورهم وقال ابن جريج: آمنوا بالله واعتصموا بالقرآن. رواه ابن جرير "فسيدخلهم في رحمة منه وفضل" أي يرحمهم فيدخلهم الجنة ويزيدهم ثوابا ومضاعفة ورفعا في درجاتهم من فضله عليهم وإحسانه إليهم "ويهديهم إليه صراطا مستقيما" أي طريقا واضحا قصدا قواما لا اعوجاج فيه ولا انحراف وهذه صفة المؤمنين في الدنيا والآخرة فهم في الدنيا على منهاج الاستقامة وطريق السلامة في جميع الاعتقادات والعمليات وفي الآخرة على صراط الله المستقيم المفضي إلى روضات الجنات. وفي حديث الحارث الأعور عن علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال "القرآن صراط الله المستقيم وحبل الله المتين". وقد تقدم الحديث بتمامه في أول التفسير ولله الحمد والمنة.

The Description of the Revelation that Came From Allah

Allah informs all people that a plain, unequivocal proof has come to them from Him. One that eradicates all possibility of having an excuse, or falling prey to evil doubts. Allah said,

وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ نُوراً مُّبِيناً

(and We sent down to you a manifest light.) that directs to the Truth. Ibn Jurayj and others said, "It is the Qur'an."

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَاعْتَصَمُواْ بِهِ

(So, as for those who believed in Allah and held fast to depend on Him,) by worshipping Him and relying on Him for each and every thing. Ibn Jurayj said that this part of the Ayah means, "They believe in Allah and hold fast to the Qur'an."

فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِى رَحْمَةٍ مَّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ

(He will admit them to His mercy and grace,) meaning, He will grant them His mercy and admit them into Paradise, and will increase and multiply their rewards and their ranks, as a favor and bounty from Him.

وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَطاً مُّسْتَقِيماً

(and guide them to Himself by a straight path.) and a clear way that has no wickedness in it or deviation. This, indeed, is the description of the believers in this life and the Hereafter, as they are on the straight and safe path in matters of action and creed. In the Hereafter, they are on the straight path of Allah that leads to the gardens of Paradise.

As for those who believe in God and hold fast to Him He will surely admit them to mercy from Him and bounty and He will guide them to Him by a straight path namely the religion of Islam.

After a refutation of beliefs held by Christians, specially those which ascribe Godhood to Jesus, alongwith the promise of reward for those who acknowledge the truth and punishment for those who insist on denying, the text turns to a universal address praising the blessed status and mission of His Messenger who taught what was the truth revealed to him, who conveyed the truth of the Qur'an admirably, and also those who believed in and testified to the truth of the Book and the Messenger.

What is Burhan?

The word, Burhan, appearing in verse قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْ‌هَانٌ مِّن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ proof has come to you from your Lord) lexically means proof refers to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . (Ruh al-Ma` ani)

Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was referred to as 'Burhan' in consideration of his blessed person, his noble morals, his miracles and his being the very recipient of the revelation of the Book of Allah. All these are open proofs of his prophethood beyond which there remains no need for any other proof. Thus, in summation, his person is, in itself, proof personified.

As for the word, وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورً‌ا مُّبِينًا (and We have sent down to you a vivid light) (174), it refers to the Holy Qur'an (Ruh al-Ma` ani) which also seems to be the case in Verse 15 of Surah al-Ma` idah (5): قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّـهِ نُورٌ‌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ (There has come to you from Allah a light and clear Book). In the explanatory translation of Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) in Bayan al-Qur'an, the rendering of this verse appears as: 'There has come to you from Allah a light and (which is) a clear Book (that is) the Qur'an.' In this verse, what has been first identified as 'Nu-r' (light) has later been called 'kitabum-mubin' (clear Book). Let there be no doubt at this point that the conjunction demands dissimilarity, therefore, Nur (light) and Kitab (book) cannot be one and the same thing. The answer is that dissimilarity in expression is sufficient, even though the meanings are the same. (Ruh al-Ma` ani)

And if 'Nur' (light) is taken as referring to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and 'Kitab' (the Book) to the Holy Qur'an - that will also be correct (Ruh al-Ma` ani). But, this does not go on to prove that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was Nur or light in the literal sense, therefore, it is not against his being physically human.

As for those who have faith in God and hold fast to Him, He will make them enter into mercy from Him, and bounty, and He will guide them to Him on a straight path. From the servant come faith and holding fast by way of servanthood, and from the Exalted Lord bounty and mercy in the attribute of loving kindness. Then He says, “He will guide them to Him on a straight path.” He will give them the guidance and rectitude to know that the recompense they find and the generosity they see come from God's bounty and mercy, not from their faith and holding fast. As the Prophet said, “There is none of you who will be saved by his deeds.” They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of God?” He said, “Not even I-unless God envelops me with His mercy.”