Tafsir of Surah An-Nisa' - Verse 52

Chastising and Cursing the Jews for Claiming Purity for Themselves and Believing in Jibt and Taghut

Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, "This Ayah,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ

(Have you not seen those who claim sanctity for themselves) was revealed about the Jews and Christians when they said, `We are Allah's children and His loved ones."' Ibn Zayd also said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning their statement,

نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ

(We are the children of Allah and His loved ones) and their statement,

لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـرَى

(None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian)." This is why Allah said,

بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّى مَن يَشَآءُ

(Nay, but Allah sanctifies whom He wills,) meaning, the decision in this matter is with Allah Alone, because He has perfect knowledge of the true reality and secrets of all things. Allah then said,

وَلاَ يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً

(And they will not be dealt with injustice even equal to the extent of a Fatil, ) meaning, He does no injustice with anyone's compensation in any part of his reward, even if it was the weight of a Fatil. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Ata', Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others among the Salaf said that Fatil means, "The scalish thread in the long slit of the date-stone." Allah said,

انظُرْ كَيفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الكَذِبَ

(Look, how they invent a lie against Allah,) claiming purity for themselves, their claim that they are Allah's children and His loved ones, their statement;

لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَـرَى

(None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian) their statement;

لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَتٍ

(The Fire shall not touch us but for a number of days) and their reliance on the righteous deeds of their forefathers. Allah has decreed that the good actions of the fathers do not help the children, when He said,

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُم

(That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn). Allah then said,

وَكَفَى بِهِ إِثْماً مُّبِيناً

(and enough is that as a manifest sin. ) meaning, these lies and fabrications of theirs are sufficent. Allah's statement,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيباً مِّنَ الْكِتَـبِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّـغُوتِ

(Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture They believe in Jibt and Taghut). Muhammad bin Ishaq said from Hassan bin Fa'id that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Jibt is sorcery and Taghut is the Shaytan." Abu Nasr Isma`il bin Hammad Al-Jawhari, the renowned scholar, said in his book As-Sihah, "Al-Jibt means idol, soothsayer and sorcerer." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah was asked about Taghut, and he said, "They are soothsayers upon whom the devils descend." Mujahid said "Taghut is a devil in the shape of man, and they refer to him for judgment." Imam Malik said, "Taghut is every object that is worshipped instead of Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored."

Disbelievers Are not Better Guided Than Believers

Allah said,

وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هَـؤُلاءِ أَهْدَى مِنَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ سَبِيلاً

(and say to those who disbelieve, "These people are better guided on the way," than the believers.) preferring the disbelievers over Muslims, because of their ignorance, un-religious nature and disbelief in Allah's Book which is before them. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ikrimah said, "Huyay bin Akhtab and Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf (two Jewish leaders) came to the people of Makkah, who said to them, `You (Jews) are people of the Book and knowledge, so judge us and Muhammad.' They said, `Describe yourselves and describe Muhammad.' They said, `We keep relation with kith and kin, slaughter camels (for the poor), release the indebted and provide water for the pilgrims. As for Muhammad he is without male children, he severed our relations, and the thieves who rob pilgrims (the tribe of) Ghifar follow him. So who is better, we or him' They said, `You are more righteous and better guided.' Thereafter, Allah sent down,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ نَصِيبًا

(Have you not seen those who were given a portion)." This story was also reported from Ibn `Abbas and several others among the Salaf. Allah's Curse on the Jews This Ayah 4:52 contains a curse for the Jews and informs them that they have no supporter in this life or the Hereafter, because they sought the help of the idolators. They uttered this statement in Ayah 4:51 to lure the disbelievers into supporting them, and they ultimately gathered their forces for the battle of Al-Ahzab, forcing the Prophet and his Companions to dig a defensive tunnel around Al-Madinah. But, Allah saved the Muslims from their evil,

وَرَدَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِغَيْظِهِمْ لَمْ يَنَالُواْ خَيْراً وَكَفَى اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْقِتَالَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ قَوِيّاً عَزِيزاً

(And Allah drove back those who disbelieved in their rage, they gained no advantage (booty). Allah sufficed for the believers in the fighting. And Allah is Ever All-Strong, All-Mighty).

The curse of Allah causes disgrace here and hereinafter

The Qur'anic word, 'la'nah' (translated as 'curse' in absence of a more exact equivalent) means being far removed from the mercy of Allah, extremely debased and disgraced. Anyone under 'la'nah' from Allah cannot be close to Allah. For such accursed ones admonitions are very stern. The Holy Qura'n says: مَّلْعُونِينَ ۖ أَيْنَمَا ثُقِفُوا أُخِذُوا وَقُتِّلُوا تَقْتِيلًا ﴿61﴾ (The accursed, wherever they be, are to be caught and killed massacre-like.) (33:61). This is their disgrace in the present life - the disgrace in the Akhirah will be far too grim to contemplate.

Who deserves the 'la'nah' of Allah?

The words of the Holy Qur'an in verse 52: وَمَن يَلْعَنِ اللَّـهُ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ نَصِيرً‌ا state that anyone under the curse of Allah has no helper to help him in that predicament. The point to ponder is: Who are these people who become deserving of this 'la'nah' from Allah?

According to a hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has cursed the giver of interest, the receiver and the consumer of interest, and its writer and the one who bears witness to it, the whole lot of them, all of them equally involved in the sin. (Narrated by Muslim as in Mishkat)

There is another hadith in which he said: مَلعُونُ مَن عَمِلَ عَمَلَ قوم لوط (Cursed is he who does what the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) used to do). Narrated by Razin and appearing in Mishkat, the reference is to the male homosexual. Then, he said: 'Allah sends his curse on the thief who would not stop from stealing even very small things like eggs and ropes, and in retribution to which, his hand is cut off.' (Mishkat) In another hadith, he said:

لَعَنَ اللہُ اکَلَ الرِّبٰوا و مُؤکِلَہ وَ الوَاشِمَۃَ و المسُتَوشِمَۃَ و المصُوِّرَ

"Allah curses the eater of interest, and its feeder, and the woman who tattooes another woman and the woman who tattoos herself, and the picture-maker." (Bukhari, from Mishkat)

In yet another hadith, he has said: 'Allah sends His curse on liquor, its consumer and its server, its seller and purchaser, its squeezers, its handlers, transporters and orderers, on all of them.' (Abu Dawud, ibn Majah, from Mishkat)

In still another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: 'There are six types of people I have cursed and Allah Almighty has also cursed them - and every prophet is blessed with the acceptance of his prayers - those six are:

(1) One who commits excess in the matter of Allah's Book;

(2) and one who rises to power by force and terror, then honours a person disgraced by Allah and brings disgrace on a person honoured by Allah;

(3) the denier of destiny determined by Allah;

(4) one who takes as lawful what has been made unlawful by Allah;

(5) the person in my progeny who rules what has been forbidden as lawful;

(6) and the one who gives up my way-(sunnah).' (Baihaqi in Al-Mudkhal from Mishkat)

In another hadith, he said: لَعَنَ اللہُ اَلنَّاظِرَ و المَنظُورَ اِلَیہِ 'Allah curses the ogler and the ogled at.' It means that the curse of Allah falls on anyone who looks at someone in an evil way, someone who is a non-Mahram, that is, someone outside the count of those in the family he is permitted to see because marriage with them is forbidden forever. This is why such a nazir, the onlooker of the other, comes under the curse of Allah. As for the manzur ilaihi, the one who is looked at lustfully, the same curse will apply subject to his or her having deliberately and invitingly caused such a look to be cast.

Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates:

لَعَنَ رَسول اللہ ﷺ اَلرَّجُلَ یَلبِس لبسَۃَ المرَّأَۃِ ، وَالمَرأَۃَ تلبَس لبسَۃَ الرَّجلِ

"The Holy Prophet ﷺ has cursed the man who dresses like a woman and the woman who dresses like a man. (Mishkat)

The following report from Abu Dawud (رح) appears in Mishkat:

عَن عایٔشۃ ؓ أن امراۃ تلبس النعل، قالت لعن رسول اللہ ﷺ الرجلۃ من النساء

"Someone told Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ about a woman who wore (men's) shoes. Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has cursed the woman who takes to masculine ways.'

A narration from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ reports:

عن ابن عباس ؓ قال : لعن النبی ﷺ المخنثین من الرجال، والمترجلات من النساء، و قال اخرجوھم من بیوتکم (رواہ البخاری بحوالہ مشکوۃ)

"The Holy Prophet ﷺ has cursed the effeminate from among men (who, in dress and looks, emulate women-like transvestites) and he has cursed the masculinized from among women (who, in dress, looks and ways, act man-like). And he said: 'Expel them out of you homes.' " (Bukhari, from Mishkat)

Also from al-Bukhri comes the report that Sayyidna ` Abdullah ib Masud ؓ said:

لعن اللہ الواشمات والمستوشمات والمتنمصات والمتفلجات للحسن المغیرات خلق اللہ

The curse of Allah be on the tattooers and the tattooed, on the pickers of eye-brows and the cleavers of teeth as aids to beauty - they are the makers of alteration in the creation of Allah."

Rules about La'nah

La'nah is the denouncing of something or the calling down of evil on someone. 'Curse' is the most widely used equivalent for it. Two formal substitutes for 'curse' in this sense are 'execration' and 'imprecation'. 'Execration' is the face-to-face denunciation or the ill wished, while 'imprecation' is somewhat privately expressed. Call it by whatever name, the act of invoking 'La` nah' is a terrible thing to do. Because of the amount of evil it releases, corresponding heavy restrictions have been placed against its use. Invoking La'nah against a Muslim is harm (forbidden) and the sole condition when this can be done against a kafir (disbeliever) is that the imprecator must be sure that the disbeliever will die clinging to his disbelief. Given below are some authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ on this subject:

عن ابن مسعود ؓ قال : قال رسول اللہ ﷺ لیس المؤمن بالطعّان ولا باللعان ولا البذی (الترمذی بحوالہ مشکوۃ)

"According to Sayyidna Ibn Masud ؓ عنہما the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'A true Muslim is no taunter or imprecator, nor is he foul-mouthed.'" (Tirmidhi, from Mishkat)

عن ابی الدرداء قال سمعت رسول اللہ ﷺ یقول : إنّ العبد إذا لعن شیٔاً صعدت اللُغۃ إلی السماء، فتغلق ابواب السماء دونھا، ثمّ تھبط الی الارض فتغلق ابوابھا دونھا، ثمّ تاخذ یمیناً وشمالاً ، فاذا لم تجد مساغاً رجعت إلی الّذی لعن فان کان لذلک اھلاً والا رجعت إلی قایٔلھا (رواہ ابو داؤد بحوالہ مشکوۃ)

"Sayyidna Abu al-Darda' (رح) says that he heard the Holy Prophet ﷺ say: 'When a servant of Allah curses something, the curse goes up towards the sky whereupon the doors of the sky are closed on it. After that, it comes down towards the earth whereupon the doors of the earth are closed on it (that is, the earth does not accept this curse). After that, it takes a right, and then a left, but, as it finds no access anywhere, it returns to the one who was cursed. So, if he is really deserving of it, on him it falls; otherwise, it returns back to its pronouncer and falls on him." (Abu Dawud, cited by Mishkat)

عن ابن عباس ان رجلا نازعتہ الریح رداءہ فلعنھا فقال رسول اللہ ﷺ : لا تلعنھا فانھا مامورۃ، و انہ من لعن شیٔا لیس لہ باھل رجعت اللعنۃ علیہ۔ (رواہ الترمذی بحوالہ مشکوۃ) ,

"It has been reported by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، that the wind swooped away the sheet-cloak of a man and he cursed the wind, whereupon the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Do not curse it for it is under orders (from Allah) and (remember) whosoever curses something which does not deserve the curse, then, the curse returns to none but him." (Tirmidhl, cited by Mishkat, p. 413)

Rulings:

1\. Unless it is known about a particular person that he has died in a state of kufr (disbelief), invoking La'nah on him is not permissible - even though he may be a sinful person. Based on this principle, Allamah Ibn ` Abidin has advised against cursing Yazid. But, should it be on a particular kafir whose death in a state of disbelief is certain, for instance, Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab, then, it is permissible. (Shami, v.2, p.836)

2\. Cursing without naming anyone is permissible, for example, saying: 'God's curse upon liars (or tyrants) ! '

Literally, La'nah means being far removed from the mercy of Allah. In the terminology of the Shari’ ah, when applied to disbelievers, it refers to their being far far off from the mercy of Allah; and when it is applied to Muslims, it refers to their having fallen down the level of the righteous (reported by Shami from a1-Quhistani, v.2, p.836). Therefore, praying that the good deeds of a Muslim may decrease is also not permissible.

The Jews were thought to be the representatives of the religion of God. Hence, when non-Jewish Arabs started supporting the Prophet, the Jews became his opponents to save the facade of their religiousness. In this way their being misguided did not remain confined to themselves and they began to raise controversies about the life and teachings of the Prophet. This was to confuse people and to prove that he was not the Messenger of God but a self-proclaimed proponent of religion working towards fulfilling his ambition of becoming a leader. God is, however, not indifferent in this matter: He will surely side with the faithful and make them successful against misguided opponents. Accursedness is, in fact, the extreme form of man’s insensibility. When he becomes too insensitive to distinguish between right and wrong, this has been called the state of being accursed. An individual often hears something without its registering upon him. This happens at a time when he is not serious about heeding the divine message. As this attitude becomes more established, the person becomes irresponsive, as if the features of his face had been obliterated and he is seeing and listening with the back of his head where there are neither eyes nor ears. Such blindness and deafness to the truth and reality indicate that God has deprived that person of His blessings due to his constant negligence of truth and reality. God had provided him with ears, but he could not listen; God had given him eyes, but he failed to observe. God, therefore, made him exactly the same as what the individual had actually turned himself into. This extreme stage of insensitivity takes the form of ‘maskh’, that is, a metamorphosis from a superior state to an extremely inferior state; man, the most superior form of creature, is degraded to the level of the beasts.