4:53 An-Nisaa (The Women)

{ أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِنَ الْمُلْكِ } أي: فيفضِّلون من شاءوا على من شاءوا بمجرد أهوائهم، فيكونون شركاء لله في تدبير المملكة، فلو كانوا كذلك لشحوا وبخلوا أشد البخل، ولهذا قال: { فَإِذًا } أي: لو كان لهم نصيب من الملك { لَا يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيرًا } أي: شيئًا ولا قليلا. وهذا وصف لهم بشدة البخل على تقدير وجود ملكهم المشارك لملك الله. وأخرج هذا مخرج الاستفهام المتقرر إنكاره عند كل أحد.

يقول تعالى أم لهم نصيب من الملك وهذا استفهام إنكارى أي ليس لهم نصيب من الملك ثم وصفهم بالبخل فقال: فإذا لا يؤتون الناس نقيرا أي لأنهم لو كان لهم نصيب في الملك والتصرف لما أعطوا أحدا من الناس ولا سيما محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم شيئا ولا ما يملأ النقير وهو النقطة التي في النواة في قول ابن عباس والأكثرين. وهذه الآية كقوله تعالى "قل لو أنتم تملكون خزائن رحمة ربي إذا لأمسكتم خشية الإنفاق" أي خوف أن يذهب ما بأيدكم مع أنه لا يتصور نفاده وإنما هو من بخلكم وشحكم ولهذا قال تعالى "وكان الإنسان قتورا" أي بخيلا.

The Envy and Miserly Conduct of the Jews

Allah asked the Jews if they have a share in the dominion. That is merely a statement of rebuke, since they do not have any share in the dominion. Allah then described them as misers,

فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً

(Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir.) Meaning, if they had a share in the sovereignty and dominion, they would not give anyone anything, especially Muhammad , even if it was the speck on the back of a date-stone, which is the meaning of Naqir according to Ibn `Abbas and the majority of the scholars. This Ayah is similar to another of Allah's statements,

قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ

(Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely withold it out of fear of spending it.) meaning, for fear that what you have might end, although there is no such possibility here. This only demonstrates their greedy and stingy nature. This is why Allah said,

وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا

(And man is ever Qatur) meaning Bakhil (stingy). Allah then said,

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

(Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His Bounty) referring to their envy of the Prophet for the great prophethood that Allah entrusted him with. Their envy made them reject him, because he was an Arab and not from the Children of Israel. At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that,

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ

(Or do they envy men) means, "We are the worthy people, rather than the rest of the people." Allah said,

فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً

(Then, We have already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah, and conferred upon them a great kingdom.) meaning, We gave the prophethood to the tribes of the Children of Israel, who are among the offspring of Ibrahim and sent down the Books to them. These Prophets ruled the Jews with the prophetic tradition, and We made kings among them. Yet,

فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ

(Of them were (some) who believed in it;) referring to Allah's favor and bounty (Prophets, Books, kingship),

وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ

(and of them were (some) who rejected it) by disbelieving in it, ignoring it, and hindering the people from its path, although this bounty was from and for them, the Children of Israel. They disputed with their own Prophets; so what about you, O Muhammad , especially since you are not from the Children of Israel Mujahid said,

فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ

(Of them were (some) who believed in him,) "Muhammad ,

وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ

(and of them were (some) who rejected him.)" Therefore, O Muhammad, the rejection of you because of their disbelief is even more severe and they are even further from the truth that you brought them. This is why Allah threatened them,

وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً

(and enough is Hell for burning (them).), meaning, the Fire is a just punishment for them because of their disbelief, rebellion and defiance of Allah's Books and Messengers.

Or have they a share in the Kingdom? that is to say they have no share in it whatever and even if they did then they would not give the people a single date-spot that is not even something as worthless as the tiny spot on the back of a date-pit because of the extent of their niggardliness.

Linked with previous verses, the description of Jewish traits of character continues in the present verses as well.