An-Nisa': 149

Ayah

Word by Word

إِن

تُبۡدُواْ

you disclose

خَيۡرًا

a good

أَوۡ

تُخۡفُوهُ

you conceal it

أَوۡ

تَعۡفُواْ

pardon

عَن

[of]

سُوٓءٖ

an evil

فَإِنَّ

then indeed

ٱللَّهَ

Allah

كَانَ

عَفُوّٗا

Oft-Pardoning

قَدِيرًا

All-Powerful

Translation

Whether ye publish a good deed or conceal it or cover evil with pardon, verily Allah doth blot out (sins) and hath power (in the judgment of values).

Tafsir

"The Permission to Utter Evil in Public, For One Who Was Wronged

Allah says;

لااَّ يُحِبُّ اللّهُ الۡجَهۡرَ بِالسُّوَءِ مِنَ الۡقَوۡلِ إِلااَّ مَن ظُلِمَ وَكَانَ اللّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا

Allah does not like that the evil should be uttered in public except by him who has been wronged. And Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah,

لااَّ يُحِبُّ اللّهُ الۡجَهۡرَ بِالسُّوَءِ مِنَ الۡقَوۡلِ

(Allah does not like that the evil should be uttered in public),

""Allah does not like that any one should invoke Him against anyone else, unless one was wronged. In this case, Allah allows one to invoke Him against whoever wronged him. Hence Allah's statement,

إِلاَّ مَن ظُلِمَ

(except by him who has been wronged). Yet, it is better for one if he observes patience.""

Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented,

""One should not invoke Allah (for curses) against whoever wronged him. Rather, he should supplicate, `O Allah! Help me against him and take my right from him.""'

In another narration, Al-Hasan said,

""Allah has allowed one to invoke Him against whoever wronged him without transgressing the limits.""

Abdul-Karim bin Malik Al-Jazari said about this Ayah;

""When a man curses you, you could curse him in retaliation. But if he lies about you, you may not lie about him.

وَلَمَنِ انتَصَرَ بَعۡدَ ظُلۡمِهِ فَأُوۡلَـيِكَ مَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ مِّن سَبِيلٍ

And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way (of blame) against them."" (42:41)

Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

المُسۡتَبَّانِ مَا قَالَا فَعَلَى الۡبَادِي مِنۡهُمَا مَا لَمۡ يَعۡتَدِ الۡمَظۡلُوم

Whatever words are uttered by those who curse each other, then he who started it will carry the burden thereof, unless the one who was wronged transgresses the limit.

Allah said,

إِن تُبۡدُواۡ خَيۡرًا أَوۡ تُخۡفُوهُ أَوۡ تَعۡفُواۡ عَن سُوَءٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا

Whether you disclose a good deed, or conceal it, or pardon an evil; verily, Allah is Ever Pardoning, All-Powerful.

Meaning when you, mankind, admit to a good favor done to you, or conceal it, and forgive those who wrong you, then this will bring you closer to Allah and increase your reward with Him.

Among Allah's attributes is that He forgives and pardons His servants, although He is able to punish them. Hence Allah's statement,

فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا

(Verily, Allah is Ever Pardoning, All-Powerful).

It was reported that some of the angels who carry Allah's Throne praise Him saying,

""All praise is due to You for Your forbearing even though You have perfect knowledge (in all evil committed).""

Some of them supplicate,

""All praise is due to You for Your forgiving even though You have perfect ability (to punish).""

An authentic Hadith states,

مَا نَقَصَ مَالٌ مِنۡ صَدَقَةٍ وَلَاا زَادَ اللهُ عَبۡدًا بِعَفۡوٍ إِلاَّ عِزًّا وَمَنۡ تَوَاضَعَ للهِ رَفَعَهُ الله

No charity shall ever decrease wealth, and Allah will only increase the honor of a servant who pardons, and he who is humble for Allah's sake, then Allah will elevate his grade.

Believing in Some Prophets and Rejecting Others is Pure Kufr

Allah threatens those who disbelieve in Him and in His Messengers, such as the Jews and Christians, who differentiate between Allah and His Messengers regarding faith.

They believe in some Prophets and reject others, following their desires, lusts and the practices of their forefathers. They do not follow any proof for such distinction, because there is no such proof. Rather, they follow their lusts and prejudices.

The Jews, may Allah curse them, believe in the Prophets, except `Isa and Muhammad, peace be upon them.

The Christians believe in the Prophets but reject their Final and Seal, and the most honored among the prophets, Muhammad, peace be upon him.

In addition, the Samirah (Samaritans) do not believe in any Prophet after Yuwsha (Joshua), the successor of Musa bin Imran.

The Majus (Zoroastrians) are said to believe only in a Prophet called Zoroaster, although they do not believe in the law he brought them casting it behind them, and Allah knows best.

Therefore, whoever rejects only one of Allah's Prophets, he will have disbelieved in all of them, because it is required from mankind to believe in every prophet whom Allah sent to the people of the earth. And whoever rejects one Prophet, out of envy, bias and personal whim, he only demonstrates that his faith in other Prophets is not valid, but an act of following desire and whim.

This is why Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكۡفُرُونَ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers...,

Thus, Allah describes these people as disbelievers in Allah and His Messengers;

وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُواۡ بَيۡنَ اللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers, (in faith),

وَيقُولُونَ نُوۡمِنُ بِبَعۡضٍ وَنَكۡفُرُ بِبَعۡضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُواۡ بَيۡنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلً

saying, ""We believe in some but reject others,"" and wish to adopt a way in between.

Allah then describes them

أُوۡلَـيِكَ هُمُ الۡكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا

They are in truth disbelievers.

meaning, their disbelief in the Prophet they claim to believe in is clear. This is because their claimed faith in a certain Messenger is not true, for had they truly believed in him, they would have believed in other Messengers, especially if the other Messenger has a stronger proof for his truthfulness. Or at least, they would have strived hard to acquire knowledge of the truth of the other Messenger.

Allah said,

وَأَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلۡكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا

And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment.

This is just punishment for belittling the Prophets whom they disbelieved in, by ignoring what the Prophet brought to them from Allah, and because they are interested in the insignificant possessions of this world. Or, their behavior could be the result of their disbelief in the Prophet after they were aware of his truth, just as the Jewish rabbis did during the time of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. The Jews envied the Messenger because of the great Prophethood that Allah gave him, and as a consequence, they denied the Messenger, defied him, became his enemies and fought against him. Allah sent humiliation upon them in this life, that shall be followed by disgrace in the Hereafter,

وَضُرِبَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ وَالۡمَسۡكَنَةُ وَبَأوُوۡاۡ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the wrath of Allah), (2:61) in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah's statement

وَالَّذِينَ امَنُواۡ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلَمۡ يُفَرِّقُواۡ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ

And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them,

This refers to the Ummah of Muhammad who believe in every Book that Allah has revealed and in every Prophet whom Allah has sent. Allah said,

ءَامَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَأ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالۡمُوۡمِنُونَ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ

The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. All of them believe in Allah. (2:285)

Allah then states that He has prepared great rewards for them, tremendous favor and a handsome bounty,

أُوۡلَـيِكَ سَوۡفَ يُوۡتِيهِمۡ أُجُورَهُمۡ

We shall give them their rewards;

because of their faith in Allah and His Messengers.

وَكَانَ اللّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

and Allah is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.

for their sin, if they have any."