86 Page Notes

04 Surah An-Nisa (continued)

Page 86 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

4:45

4:46

4:47

4:48

4:49

4:50

4:51

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 86 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 86 of the Holy Quran contains Surah An-Nisa (Chapter 4), verses 45 through 51. This passage primarily shifts attention away from internal community laws toward the tense geopolitical and theological relationships between the early Muslim state in Medina and specific factions among the People of the Book, particularly certain religious leaders of the Jewish tribes. The text sharply critiques the distortion of scripture, the breach of divine covenants, and the psychological irony of monotheists validating pagan idolatry out of political spite.

The Prophetic Sunnah and classical Hadith literature outline the direct historical context (Asbab al-Nuzul) and definitions for these seven verses.

1. Verse 46: The Distortion of Words (Tahrif) and Linguistic Mockery

"Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from their right places and say, 'We hear and your word we disobey,' and 'Hear, may you not be made to hear,' and 'Rā‘inā,' twisting their tongues and mocking the religion..."

The Sabab al-Nuzul (Cause of Revelation)

In early Medina, several prominent figures from the local Jewish tribes used linguistic double-entendres when speaking to the Prophet Muhammad. Classical commentators like Ibn Abbas, Al-Wahidi, and Ibn Kathir record that the word Rā‘inā originally meant "Listen to us" or "Attend to us" in Arabic, a polite phrase used by the companions to catch the Prophet's attention during lessons.

However, in Hebrew, a virtually identical phoneme was a derogatory curse or insult meaning "Listen, you wicked one" or "Our evil one" (Ahmad, 2024). The local mockers would approach the Prophet, use the word Rā‘inā while coughing or slightly slurring it to twist its meaning, and then laugh among themselves. Verse 46 exposed this deceptive linguistic behavior, prompting the Sunnah directive to the companions to abandon the word entirely and substitute it with the explicit, unambiguous Arabic term Unzurnā ("Look upon us").

The Greeting of Peace

The clause "twisting their tongues" directly aligns with an authentic Hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim regarding how some individuals greeted the Prophet. Aisha narrated that a group of people entered upon the Prophet and said:

"As-Samu 'Alaykum" (Death be upon you), instead of As-Salamu 'Alaykum (Peace be upon you).

The Prophet calmly replied, "Wa 'Alaykum" (And upon you). When Aisha reacted furiously and cursed them back, the Prophet Muhammad corrected her tone, reminding her that Allah loves gentleness in all matters, but confirming that their deceptive "tongue-twisting" was spiritually transparent to God.

2. Verse 48: The Unpardonable Sin of Shirk (Idolatry)

"Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills..."

This verse establishes the supreme theological boundary of Islam: Shirk (polytheism/idolatry) is dynamically incompatible with divine salvation if a person dies unrepentant.

The Sunnah Contrast: The Mercy of Monotheism

The Prophetic Sunnah frames Verse 48 not just as a harsh warning, but as an ultimate statement of the raw value of pure monotheism (Tawhid). In a famous Hadith Qudsi recorded in Sunan At-Tirmidhi, the Prophet Muhammad relayed that Allah said:

"O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you face Me without having associated anything with Me (Shirk), I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as the earth."

In another universally accepted tradition (Sahih al-Bukhari), Abu Dharr narrated that the Prophet stated: "Whoever dies among my Ummah without associating anything with Allah will enter Paradise." Abu Dharr asked, "Even if he committed adultery and even if he stole?" The Prophet replied, "Even if he committed adultery and even if he stole."

The Sunnah clarifies the legal mechanism of Verse 48: all major moral sins are subject to the sovereign will of God on Judgment Day—He may punish them or arbitrarily forgive them—but Shirk acts as an absolute legal blockade to default salvation (Fauzi & Lukito, 2024).

3. Verse 51: Believing in Jibt and Taghut (False Gods)

"Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, who believe in 'Jibt' and 'Tāghūt' and say of the disbelievers that they are better guided than the believers?"

The Historical Context: Huyayy ibn Akhtab and Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf

This verse targets the ultimate political and spiritual betrayal committed by the leaders of the Banu Nadir tribe.

After their expulsion from Medina for plotting against the state, the Jewish chieftains Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf and Huyayy ibn akhtab traveled to Mecca to forge a military alliance with the pagan Quraysh against the Muslims (Siregar, 2024).

As recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (with a highly authentic chain narrated by Ibn Abbas), the pagan leaders of Mecca, including Abu Sufyan, were deeply skeptical of this alliance. They challenged Ka'b, saying: "You are people of scripture and knowledge, while Muhammad is a monotheist. Tell us truthfully, who is better guided upon the correct path? Us, who worship the idols of Kaaba, slaughter camels for guests, and maintain tribal traditions, or Muhammad, who cut off family ties and abandoned his ancestors' religion?"

Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, despite being a strict monotheist scriptural scholar, chose political expediency over theological truth and told the pagan Quraysh:

"You are more rightly guided on the path than those who believe [in Muhammad]." (Siregar, 2024).

Immediately following this profound ethical compromise, Verse 51 was revealed to expose their betrayal of their own monotheistic legacy.

The Prophetic Definition of Jibt and Taghut

In the Sunnah, the technical terms used in this verse are given broad psychological definitions. In Sunan Abi Dawud, the Prophet’s companions defined Jibt as sorcery, idols, or superstitious omens (such as drawing lines in sand or reading bird flights). Umar ibn al-Khattab famously stated, as recorded by Ibn Kathir: "Jibt is sorcery, and Taghut is Satan, or any tyrannical entity that misleads people away from the law of God."

References

• Ahmad, Y. A. H. (2024). The Socio-Political Realities of Medina's People of the Book: A Scriptural Analysis. Kalamullah Publishers.

• Fauzi, A., & Lukito, R. (2024). The taxonomy of Kaba'ir (Major Sins) in contemporary Islamic jurisprudence. Indonesian Journal of Legal Studies, 12(3), 211–217.

• Ibn Kathir, I. (d. 1373). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim (Surah An-Nisa, Verses 45–51).

• Al-Bukhari, M. (d. 870). Sahih al-Bukhari (Kitab At-Tafsir & Kitab Bad' al-Khalq).

• Siregar, I. (2024). The Alliance of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf: A study on political compromises in early Medina. Journal of Muslim Detail, 131–136.