Qur'anic Studies 1: 6. THE MEANINGS OF النَّفْس (NAFS, SPIRIT) IN THE VERSES OF THE QUR’ĀN

 

6. THE MEANINGS OF النَّفْس (NAFS, SPIRIT) IN

THE VERSES OF THE QUR’ĀN

The term نَفْس (nafs) in Arabic language is originally the coming out of نَسِيْم (nasīm, i.e., breath of air, fresh air; wind, breeze), and from it we have the term التَّنَفُّس (al-tanaffus), i.e., inhaling and exhaling breath, respiration. It has many meanings, among which are: soul; psyche; spirit; mind; animate being, human being, living entity, life-essence, person, individual; inclination, liking, appetite, desire; personal identity, and self (in the sense of personal identity).”[1]

The term nafs and its derivatives are mentioned 295 times in the Qur’ān[2] with various meanings according to the contexts, six meanings mentioned by Muqātil, al-‘Askarī, and Hārūn ibn Mūsá, eight according to Ibn al-Jawzī, namely, آدم (Adam), الأم (the Mother), الجماعة (the Group), الأهل (the Relatives), أهل الدين (the co-religionists), الإنسان (the human beings), البعض (some people), and النفس بعينها (the spirit itself), and ten according to al-Dāmaghānī, namely, : القلب (the heart), منكم (among yourselves), الإنسان (the human being), الروح (the soul), دينكم أهل (your co-religionists), جملة الإنسان (human being in general), and الغيب (the unseen).

The contemporary scholar Dr. Rāniyā Muḥammad Naẓmī mentions eleven meanings of nafs in her writing النفس وحقيقتها في القران الكريم (Nafs and Its Reality in the Noble Qur’ān),[3] but two meanings without example from the Qur’ān, namely, الدَّم  (the blood) and العَيْن (the eye, the evil eye) where many examples are given from the ḥadīths.These meanings are as follows: (1) الذات الإلهية (the Divine Essence), (2)الروح  (the Soul), (3) القلب (the Heart), (4) العند (being with or having), (5) افراد معينين specified individuals),  (6) أهل دينكم وبني جنسكم (your co-religionists and your fellowmen), (7) منكم , منهم (among them, among you) (8) ذات الإنسان  (the human being himself), (9) طوية الإنسان وجوهره وضميره وداخله (the human being’s innermost, essential nature,  conscience, and inner self). I have chosen her classification of meanings here as she gives more examples and more details..

These various meanings given by Dr. Rāniyā Naẓmī are as follows:

1.    الذات الإلهية (the Divine Essence), as in the following verses:

قُلْ لِمَنْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ قُلْ لِلَّهِ كَتَبَ عَلَى

 نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ... (الأنعام:١٢)

Say (O Muhammad): “To whom belongs all that is

in the heavens and the earth?” Say: “To Allah. He

has prescribed Mercy for Himself…. (Q. 6:12)

 

His prescription of Mercy for Himself means that He postpones His punishment, and He accepts forgiveness of His servants (al-Ṭabarī’s interpretation)

 

وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ

 عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ سُوءًا بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ

 مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (الأنعام:٥٤)

When those who believe in Our Ayát (proofs,

evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations,

etc.) come to you, say: Salamun ‘Alaikum”

 (peace be upon you); your Lord has written

(prescribed) Mercy for Himself, so that if any

of you does evil in ignorance, and thereafter

 repents and does righteous good deeds (by

obeying Allah), then surely, He is Oft-

Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Q. 6:54)

       In this verse Allah addressed the Prophet to greet the believers who come to him and give them good news of His mercy and compassion.  Al-Qurṭubī reports that Ibn ‘Abbās states that this verse was revealed in the case of Abū  Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān and ‘Alī whom the Prophet was to start greeting them. If any of the believers disobeys Him in ignorance and then repent not to repeat the same disobedience and does good deeds, He would surely forgive him.

         Besides the above two verses where Allah says that He prescribes Mercy for Himself He stresses further that His Mercy embraces everything (Q. 7:156), and in the Prophet’s tradition Allah says that His Mercy outstrips His Wrath (Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim).

 

(طه:٤١) ... وَاصْطَنَعْتُكَ لِنَفْسِي

“… and I have chosen you for

 Myself,” (Q. 20:41)

     In this verse Allah addressed Prophet Mūsā (Moses) that He had chosen him to be His Messenger according to His will to serve Him.

 

2.    الروح (the Soul), as in the following verses:

اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا فَيُمْسِكُ

الَّتِي قَضَى عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَى إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى إِنَّ فِي

 ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (الزمر:٤٢)

It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time

 of their death, and those that die not during

 their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which

He has ordained death and sends the rest for

 a term appointed.  Verily, in this are signs

 for a people who thinks deeply. (Q. 39:42)

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning rūḥ given by al-Dāmaghānī and Mūsā bin Hārūn . Ibn ‘Abbās gives his commentary on this verse: “He keeps the souls of the dead and sends back the souls of the living, and He does not make any mistakes.”[4]

        The term يَتَوَفَّى (yatawaffá) primarily means “He takes [something] away in full” in in the above verses it means “He takes away all vital impulses (the souls)” in the body temporarily when they dream, and permanently when they die. Then the term means “causing to die”, and in its intransitive form “dying”, and as a noun “death” (وَفَاة, wafāt) used in many verses of the Qur’ān. Although the term anfus (pl. of nafs) is interchangeably translated as “souls,” Muhammad Asad suggests that in the above verses it should be translated as “human beings.” He says:

…. (The popular translation of anfus – pl. of

nafs – as “souls” is certainly inappropriate

 in the above context, since, according to the

fundamental teaching of the Qur’ān, man’s

soul does not “die” at the time of his bodily

death but, on the contrary, lives on

indefinitely. Hence, the term anfus

 must be rendered here as

 “human beings”).[5]

 

The term rūḥ (soul), and nafs (spirit) are different, but are closely related. The nafs can die, as Allah says:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ...

(ال عمران:١٨٥, الأنبياء:٣٥,العنكبوت:٥٧)

Everyone shall (is going to) taste death …

(Q. 3:185, 21:35, 29:57)

In these three verses كُلُّ نَفْسٍ is translated as “everyone” by the Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’ān, published in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. A. Yusuf Ali translates the verse as “Every soul shall have a taste of death. M.M. Pickthall translates it as “Every soul shall taste death.” M. Asad translates it as “Every human being is bound to taste death” where he translates nafs as a human being. Therefore, the term nafs in the above verses should be placed in the category where it means “human being” no. 9 below.

Regarding the term rūḥ it is not bound to death, as we have no knowledge of its true nature, and it will ascend to its Creator, and in  the unknown world.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

        فَلَا تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ

بِهَا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنْفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ

كَافِرُونَ (التوبة:٥٥)

 So, let not their wealth not their children amaze

 you (O Muhammad); in reality Allah’s Plan is to punish

 them with these things in the life of this world, and

 that their souls shall depart (die) while they

 are disbelievers. (Q. 9:55)[6]

 

      This verse is referring to the condition of the hypocrites. According to al-Ḥasan as punishment in this world they must spend their wealth for zakat and sabīl Allah like true believers. According to Zayd if any misfortune or calamity befalls on them, it will be punishment for them, whereas for the believers this misfortune will be rewarded in the Hereafter (al-Ṭabarī’s Tafsīr). According to Ibn ‘Abbās and Qatādah, there is inversion in this verse, so that the verse means “So, let not their wealth not their children amaze you (O Muhammad) in the life of this world; in reality Allah’s Plan is to punish them with these things…” in the Hereafter. (al-Qurṭubī’s Tafsīr).

 

... وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَاسِطُوا

 أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ

 عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنْتُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ (الانعام:٩٣)

… And if you could but see when the Zālimūn

 (polytheists and wrong doers) are in the agonies

 of death, while the angels are stretching forth

 their hands (saying): Deliver your souls! This day

you shall be recompensed with the torment of

 degradation because of what you used to utter

against Allah other than the truth. And you

used to reject His Ayāt (proofs, evidences,

verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)

 with disrespect! (Q. 6:93)

 

            This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning rūḥ given by al-Dāmaghānī, Abū Hilāl al-‘Askarī and Hārūn bin Mūsā. The term “the angels are stretching forth their hands” means (1) “… by beating their faces and their backs.” (2) “… by punishing them” (3) “… by taking out their souls from their bodies when they die.”

 

3.    القلب (the Heart), as in the following verses:

يُنَادُونَهُمْ أَلَمْ نَكُنْ مَعَكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى وَلَكِنَّكُمْ فَتَنْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ

 وَتَرَبَّصْتُمْ وَارْتَبْتُمْ وَغَرَّتْكُمُ الْأَمَانِيُّ حَتَّى جَاءَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ

وَغَرَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ(الحديد:١٤)

(The hypocrites) will call the believers: “Were we

 not with you?” The believers will reply: “Yes! But

 you led yourselves [i.e, your hearts] into temptations,

you looked forward for our destruction; you

 doubted (in Faith) and you were deceived by

 false desires  till the Command of Allah

came to pass. And the chief deceiver

(Satan) deceived you in respect

of Allah.” (Q. 57:14)

      In the Hereafter the hypocrites will remind the believers that they were praying together in the mosque and performing other acts of worship, but they will not attain salvation. The believers will reply that it was because of their lack of faith in their heart and deceiving themselves with false hope that Allah would forgive them.

Miujāhid commented that the hypocrites and the believers will be given light, but the light of the hypocrites will extinguish when they reach the wall, when the two camps separate and part.

ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُعَاسًا يَغْشَى طَائِفَةً مِنْكُمْ

 وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ

الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ مَا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا

مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا قُلْ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ

 كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ... (ال عمران:١٥٤)

Then after the distress, He sent down security

 upon you. Slumber overtook a party of you,

while another party was thinking about

themselves (as how to save their own selves,

ignoring the others and the Prophet) and

thought wrongly upon Allah – the thought of

ignorance. They said, “Have we any part of the

affair?” Say (O Muhammad): “Indeed the affair

belongs wholly to Allah.” They hide within

 themselves what they dare not reveal to you,

saying: “If we have anything to do with the

affair, none of us would have been killed here.”

Say: “Even if you had remained in your homes,

those for whom death was decreed would

certainly have gone forth to the place

of their death,” … (Q. 3:154)

   

Allah reminds the Muslims of their condition in the battle of Uhud. While they were carrying their weapons and feeling distress Allah sent down on them tranquility and slumber that overcome them. This slumber was a security from Allah for them which also happened at the battle of Badr. He said, إِذْ يُغَشِّيكُمُ النُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً مِنْهُ ... (الأنفال:١١)  “(Remember) when He covered you with a slumber as a security from Him… (Q. 8:11). Abū Ṭalḥah said that he was among those who were overcome by slumber during the battle of Uḥud. His sword fell from his hand several times.

The other group were the hypocrites who were not overcome by slumber because of their worry and fear, and they only thought about themselves hiding what they had in their heart. Al-Zubayr said that when fear intensified many of them fell asleep. Like a dream he heard the words of Mu‘attib ibn Qushayr, “If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here.” Later on Allah revealed these words, “saying, ‘If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here.’” So, Allah told to Prophet to say to them that Allah’s appointed destiny and decision will certainly come to pass.

 

فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يُسَارِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَى أَنْ

تُصِيبَنَا دَائِرَةٌ فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَيُصْبِحُوا

عَلَى مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ (المائدة:٥٢)

And you see those in whose hearts there is

a disease (of hypocrisy), they hurry to their

friendship, saying: “We fear lest some misfortune

of a disaster may befall us.” Perhaps Allah may

bring a victory or a decision according to His Will.

Then they will become regretful for what

they have been keeping as a secret

in themselves. (Q. 5:52)

          Allah forbids the Muslims from having Jews and Christians as friends, because they offend the Muslims, and are the enemies of Islam, not as neighbours, colleagues, and fellow citizens. In other words, the loyalty to them is with the expense of the Muslims, and in political term it is called “treason.”[7]

          But the hypocrites rush to offer the Jews and the Christians their friendship and allegiances. They fear that they might defeat the Muslims, and this allegiance is for their benefit in that eventuality. In the event of Muslim victory in the conquest of Makkah, the hypocrites would become regretful.

 

... اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنِّي إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (هود:٣١)

…. Allah knows what is in their inner selves (as

regards belief).[8] In that case, I should, indeed be

one of the Zalimūn (wrong doers,

 oppressors).” (Q. 11:31)

            This is the continuation of the statement of Prophet Nūḥ (Noah) to his people: he is a Messenger of Allah, calling them to worship Allah without asking them for any reward; he has no knowledge of the Unseen, he is not an angel, but merely a messenger aided with miracles. He says further that he does not say about people they (disbelievers) detest that Allah will not reward them for their deeds, and Allah knows best what is in their souls, namely, in their hearts.

.... إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ

مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى. (النجم:٢٣)

 They follow but a guess and that which they

themselves desire, whereas there has surely

 come to them the guidance from

 their Lord! (Q. 53:23)

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning qalb (heart) given by Hārūn bin Mūsā. The idolaters have no proof, except their trust in their forefathers, and their lust to become leaders, whereas guidance from their Lord has come to them, but they did not follow he guidance.

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلَّا

 مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (يوسف:٥٣)

 “And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily,

the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when

my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He

wills).  Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving,

Most Merciful.” (Q. 12:53)

    This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning qalb given by al-Dāmaghānī and Hārūn bin Mūsā. There are three views about the person who said the above statement: (1) Zulayḥā, the wife of al-‘Azīz, the ruler. After admitting that she had unsuccessfully seduced Yūsuf (Joseph), she said that she could not be free herself from blame, because human soul wishes and lusts, except when Allah bestows His Mercy upon him. (2) Yūsuf (Joseph), because he wanted to avoid تزكية النفس  (ascribing purity to himself), which is blameworthy, as Allah said, ... فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ... (النجم:٣٢)   (“… So, ascribe not purity to yourselves … (Q. 53:32).  (3) al-‘Azīz, the ruler who did not ascribe purity to himself from distrusting Yūsuf.  Ibn Kathīr leans to the first view, as when she said it Yūsuf was still absent and came later. (Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr).

 

رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ إِنْ تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ

 فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا (الإسراء:٢٥)

 Your Lord knows best what is in your inner-selves.

 If you are righteous, then, verily, He is Ever Most

 Forgiving to those to turn to Him again and again

 in obedience, and in repentance. (Q. 17:25)

 

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning qalb given by al-Dāmaghānī. Al-Ṭabarī’s commentary is as follows: “Your Lord O people know best what is in yourselves in glorifying the affair of your fathers and mothers, and in honouring, and performing filial piety, as well as believing in not taking their rights seriously, disobeying them, and anything in your heart, either good or bad, is known to Allah, and He will recompense it…”  (Tafsīt al-Ṭabarī)..

    This verse also refers to those who repent after committing sin, obeying Allah and seeking His pleasure, He would forgive them.

4.  العند (being with or having), as in the following verse,

... تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ

 عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ (المائدة:١١٦)

You know what is in my inner self [i.e.,

 with me] though I do not know what is in

 Yours; truly, You, only You are the

All-Knower of all that is hidden

 (and unseen) (Q. 5:116)

This verse is the example given by al-Dāmaghānī and Abū Hilāl al-‘Askarīwhere nafs means ghayb, so that the verse means “You know what is hidden in me and I do not know what is hidden in You (تعلم ما في غيبي و لا أعلم ما في غيبك).” Al-‘Askarī also gives two other meanings, namely, “You know what I know, though I do not know what You know” (تعلم ما أعلم و لا أعلم ما تعلم) and “You know what I hide, though I do not know what You hide” (تعلم ما أخفيه و لا أعلم ما تخفيه)

This verse refers the case of Prophet ‘Īsá Jesus) a.s. being claimed by his followers as having divinity. In the Hereafter Allah will ask him in the presence of those who worshipped him, “O ‘Īsá, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men: ‘Worship me and my mother as two gods beside Allah?’” Prophet ‘Īsá will reply, “Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say. Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it.” Then he will continue saying, as in the above verse, that Allah knows what is in his mind, as He knows everything. He says only what he is ordered to say, namely, to worship Allah Alone. (Q. 5:116-117)

5. افراد معينين (specified individuals, Adam etc.), as in the following verses:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ... (النساء:١)

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you

from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He

created his wife [Hawwā (Eve)], and from them both He

 created many men and women… (Q. 4:1).

 

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ

 قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ (الانعام:٩٨)

It is He Wno created you from a single person

 (Adam) and has given you a place of residing (on

the earth or in your mother’s wombs) and a place

 of storage [in the earth (in your graves) or in your

 gather’s loins]. Indeed We have explained in

detail Our Revelations (this Qur’ān) for

 a people who understand. (Q. 6:98)

 

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

 لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا... (الأعراف:١٨٩)

 It is He Who has created you from a single person

(Adam), and (then) He has created from him his wife

  [Hawwā’ (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the

 pleasure of living with her… (Q. 7:189)

 

    The above verses are also the example of the term nafs wāḥidah meaning Ādam given by Ibn al-Jawzī and Abū Hilāl al-‘Askarī . Commentators of the Qur’ān such as al-Suddī, Qatādah and Mujāhid unanimously say that نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ (a single person) is Adam, and his wife is Ḥawwā’ (Eve). Commenting the verse (Q. 4:1) above al-Qurṭubī, although the term nafs is in feminine gender, it could mean masculine in meaning, namely, Adam, as in the above verses. Therefore, we can also say نَفْسٍ وَاحِدٍ in masculine gender, and this is the isolated reading of Ibn Abī ‘Ablah.[9] (Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī).

     

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ إِنْ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا

 بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا (الكهف:٦)

 Perhaps you would kill yourself (O Muhammad)

in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away

 from you), because they believe not in this

narration (the Qur’ān). (Q. 18:6)

            Allah consoles the Prophet for his sorrow and says not to destroy himself with regret, (anxiety, Mujāhid’s interpretation), (anger and grief, Qatādah’s interpretation) over the idolaters because they would not believe and keep away from him. Those who go the right way, they do it for their own benefit, and those who go the wrong way, they do it at their own loss, and do not feel sorry for them.

لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ (الشعراء:٣)

 It may be that you (O Muhammad) are

 Going  to kill yourself [i.e., Muhammad] with

grief, that they do not become  believers [in

your Risālah  (Messengership), i.e., in

Your Message of Islamic

 Monotheism]. (Q. 26:3)

 

This is another consolation to the Prophet for the lack of faith of those among disbelievers. Calling them to Islam is not an easy work.  In another verse Allah consoled the Prophet, as follows:

أَفَمَنْ زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسَنًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ

 وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ

 إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ (فاطر:٨)

 Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made

fair-seeming, so that he considers it as good (equal

 to one who is rightly guided)? Verily, Allah sends

 astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills.

 So destroy not yourself (O Muhammad) in

 sorrow for them. Truly, Allah is All-Knower

 of what they do! (Q. 35:8)

 

M. Asad’s commentary on such verse as above is this: “… man’s ‘going astray’ is a consequence of his own attitudes and inclinations and not as a result of an arbitrary ‘predestination’ in the popular sense of this word…”[10]

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ

يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ

 الدُّنْيَا وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ

هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا (الكهف:٢٨)

 And keep yourself (O Muhammad) patiently with

 those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions

 who remember their Lord with glorification, praising

 in prayers, and other righteous deeds) morning and

afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes

 overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the

 life of the world; and obey not him whose heart

 We have made heedless of Our Remembrance,

 and who follows his own lusts, and whose

 affair (deeds) has been lost. (Q. 18:28)

          The nobles of Quraysh idolaters asked the Prophet when they sat with him not to let his weak companions, such as Bilāl, ‘Ammār, Ṣuhayb, and Ibn Mas‘ūd sit with them. But Allah did not allow this segregation to happen,[11] and commanded him to keep himself patiently sit with them He revealed the above verse. Allah told him not to favour those noble Quraysh disbelievers over weak poor believers, and not to obey those who are distracted by this world from being committed to Islam and from worshipping Him, as well as those whose deeds and actions are foolish and waste of time.

 

قُلْ لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ

أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ

 أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ (الأعراف:١٨٨)

Say (O Muhammad): “I possess no power over

 benefit or harm to myself [i.e., Muhammad]

except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of

 the Ghaib (Unseen), I should have secured for

myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil

 should have touched me. I am but a warner,

 and bringer of glad tidings to a people

who believe.” (Q. 7:188)

            Allah commanded the Prophet to entrust all matters to Him, and that he does not know the unseen; he knows only what Allah informs him. Had he known the unseen, he would have knowledge of how much profit he would make    with what he buys and what he sells, and he would never become poor (Ibn ‘Abbās’s commentary). Al-Ṭabarī  mentions another commentary, that had he known the unseen then he would have prepared for the years of famine during the prosperous years, and in the time of high cost, he would have prepared for it, and he would have saved himself from any harm before he had it. 

مَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا

 نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ

 نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ (ال عمران:٦١)

Then whoever disputes with you concerning

him [‘Īsā (Jesus)] after (all this) knowledge that

 has come to you [i.e. ‘Īsā (Jesus) being a slave

 of Allah, and having no share in Divinity],

say (O Muhammad): “Come, let us call our

sons and your sons, our women and your

 women, ourselves and yourselves – then we

 pray and invoke (sincerely) the Curse of

Allah upon those who lie.” (Q. 3:61)

 

          This above verse is referring to the mubāhalah[12] between the Prophet and the Christian delegation from Najrān in the month of Dhū’l-Ḥijjah, 10 AH (October, 631 CE). The delegation consisted of sixty horsemen, including fourteen of their chiefs, among them were: ‘al-‘Āqib (also known as ’Abd al-Masīḥ), their leader, advisor and decision maker, al-Sayyid (also known as al-Ayham), their scholar and leader in their journeys and social gathering, and Abū Ḥārithah ibn ‘Alqamah, their patriarch, priest and religious leader.

In a long religious discussion between the Prophet and the delegation they refused to accept his teachings about ‘Īsá (Jesus) as a messenger and a prophet and insisted on his divinity, and their refusal to believe in him as Allah’s messenger, the above verse was revealed. Allah commanded him to conduct a mubāhalah as they still refused the truth. It is invoking Allah a curse to reveal who was lying about their religious differences.

They left the Prophet and asked the advice of al-‘Āqib who said: “If he challenges us with his people we accept the challenge, but if he challenges us with his family we do no challenge him, for he is not going to put forward his family unless he is truthful.”

When the Prophet emerge on the morning of 24^th of Dhū’l-Ḥijjah carrying al-Ḥusayn in his arm and with al-Ḥasan holding his hand, followed by Fāṭimah and ‘Alī, they decided not to invoke a curse on the Prophet and his family, and therefore cancel the imprecation. Some narratives suggest that they would have perished by the end of the year if they did it. 

          كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَى

 نَفْسِهِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا

 إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ (ال عمران:٩٣)

All food was lawful to the Children of Israel,

except what Israel made unlawful for himself

 [i.e. Israel, also called Ya ‘qūb] before the

 Taurāt (Torah) was revealed. Say (O

 Muhammad): “Bring here the Taurāt

 (Torah) and recite it, if you are

 truthful.” (Q. 3:93)

 

The above verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. to respond to the statement of the Jews of Madinah, as follows:

“You claim that you are following the religion of Abraham, but as Abraham did not eat camel meat and milk, and you eat them, then you are not following his religion.”

The Prophet said: “They were lawful for Abraham.”

They said: “Everything we make unlawful today has also been unlawful for Noah and Abraham until this rule reaches us.” So, Allah revealed, “All food was lawful to the Children of Israel” meaning except carrion and blood which had never been lawful for them, “except what Israel made unlawful for himself” meaning Prophet Ya‘qūb (Jacob) a.s., “before the Taurāt (Torah) was revealed,” meaning, what they said that they are unlawful for Abraham was not true, but rather they are lawful for him and for the Children of Israel. It was Israel (Jacob) himself who made them unlawful for before the Torah was revealed. It means that they are not unlawful in the Torah. The food he made unlawful for himself, according to Abū ’l-‘Āliyah, ‘Aṭā, Muqātil, and al-Kalbī, are camel meat and milk. He was sick and vowed to Allah that if He healed him, he would make the best food he liked to become unlawful for himself, namely, meat and milk of camels.  (Tafsīr al-Baghawī).

According to Mujāhid and Qatādah the food made unlawful by Prophet Ya‘qūb (Jacob) a.s. was the veins of meat, and al-Ṭabarī mentions both views. He said that Ya‘qūb (Israel) was suffering from sciatica (neuralgia of the nerve extending through the hip and thigh) at night and was so painful, so that it made him unable to sleep. He vowed that if Allah healed him from it, he would make the vein to be unlawful for himself. Al-Ṭabarī also mentions that Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr reported from Ibn ‘Abbās that they are meat and milk of camels and nerves.[13]

 

وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَغَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوَابَ

 وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِّي أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَايَ 

إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ (يوسف:٢٣)

And she, in whose house he was, sought to

seduce him [i.e., Yūsuf (Joseph)] (to do an evil

 act), and she closed the doors and said:

 “Come on, O you.” He said: “I seek refuge in

 Allah! Truly, he is my Rabb! He made my

 living in a great comfort!  Verily, the

 wrongdoers will never be

 successful.” (Q. 12:23)

 

      This verse is referring to the wife of the ‘Azīz of Egypt who tried to seduce Yūsuf (Joseph), but he refused. He told her that her husband was his master who provided him with comfortable living and was kind to him, and therefore, he would not betray him.

 

قَالَ هِيَ رَاوَدَتْنِي عَنْ نَفْسِي وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا إِنْ كَانَ

قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِنْ قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ (يوسف:٢٦)

 He [Yūsuf (Joseph) said: “It was she that sought

to seduce me,” and a witness of her household

 bore witness (saying): “If it be that his shirt is

torn from the front, then her tale is true

and he is a liar!” (Q. 12:26)

 

            When she accused him of seeking to seduce her, he defended himself and said that it was she who sought to seduce him. A witness of her household bore witness and said that if his shirt was torn from the front, it means that that she pushed him away, and she was right. But if his shirt was torn from the back, it means that she pulled him to her

when he tried to avoid her, and he was right, and this was

what really happened (Q. 12:27-28).[14]

 

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا

وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ (المائدة:٢٥)

He [Mūsā (Moses)] said: “O my Lord! I have

 power only over myself and my brother, so

separate us from the people who are the

 Fāsiqūn (rebellious and disobedient

 to Allah)!” (Q. 5:25)

 

            This verse is referring to the supplication of Prophet Mūsá (Moses) to Allah against the Jews who refused to join him and his brother Hārūn (Aron) to fight to enter Jerusalem. They said that they would not enter the city until the strong men there would leave it. Two righteous men among them – Joshua (Yūsha‘) bin Nūn and Caleb (Kālib) bin  Yūfnā -- advised them to assault their enemy through the gate, put their trust in Allah, and they would be victorious. But they declined to join the fight and told Mūsá (Moses) to fight with his brother Hārūn (Aron), while they would be sitting right there. As the consequence, Allah forbade them from entering the land for forty years. (Q. 5:21-26).

During this time Allah sent clouds that shaded them, manna and quails for their food, and brought water springs from solid rock. He also revealed the Tawrāt (Torah), established the Law for the Children of Israel, and the Tabernacle of the Covenant was erected.

6. أهل دينكم وبني جنسكم (your co-religionists and your own kind), as in the following verses:

... وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ

 بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (الحجرات:١١)

… Nor defame one another, nor insult one another

 by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one’s brother

 after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother

 (a faithful believer) as “O sinner,” or “O wicked”].

 And whosoever does not repent, then such are

indeed Zalimun (wrongdoers) (Q. 49:11)

 

            This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning ahl al-dīn (co-religionist) given by Ibn-Jawzī and Hārūn bin Mūsā.  Allah forbids scoffing at people, humiliating, and belittling them, as it may be the scoffed, the humiliated that the belittled are better, more honoured and dearer to Allah than the scoffer, the humiliator and the belittler. Nor let women scoff other women, as the latter may be better than the former.

              Then Allah continues with the above verse, prohibiting people from defaming each other, nor insulting one another by nicknames they dislike. After becoming a believers, it is evil to use the nicknames used in the time of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic) era.[15]

 

... وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا (النساء:٢٩)

And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one

another). Surely, Allah is Merciful

to you (Q. 4:29)

    This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning ahl al-dīn given by al-Dāmaghānī. This verse is referring to: (1) killing oneself (committing suicide), either directly or indirectly, such as excessive physical activity, such as working too hard, excessive emotion, such as being too happy, too sad, or not taking enough precaution against impending danger[16]; (2) killing one another, killing a Muslim brother or sister.

وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ

 بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً وَرَزَقَكُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ

 وَبِنِعْمَتِ اللَّهِ هُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ (النحل:٧٢)

And Allah has made for you mates

of your own kind, and has made for you,

from your mates, sons and grandsons, and

 has granted you good provisions. Do they

then believe in false deities and deny the

favour of Allah (by not worshipping

 Allah Alone)? (Q. 16:72)

              In this verse Allah mentions His Blessings and signs to human beings. He gives them mates of their own kind, then children and grandchildren and good provisions, namely, food and drink. Yet, after all these, He denounces those who associate others in worship with Him.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا

 وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ

يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (الروم:٢١)

 And among His Signs is that He created for you

 wives from among yourselves, that you may find

repose in them, and He has put between you

affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed

 signs for a people who reflect. (Q. 30:21)

Among Allah’s Signs is the creation of men with mates from their own kind so that they enjoy the pleasure of living with her and creates love and kindness between them.

لَيْسَ عَلَى الْأَعْمَى حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى الْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ

حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا مِنْ بُيُوتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ آبَائِكُمْ أَوْ

بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ إِخْوَانِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَاتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ

 أَعْمَامِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ عَمَّاتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخْوَالِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ خَالَاتِكُمْ

 أَوْ مَا مَلَكْتُمْ مَفَاتِحَهُ أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا

جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًا فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمْ بُيُوتًا فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً

 مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ

 لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (النور:٦١)

There is no restriction in the blind, nor any

restriction on the lame, nor any restriction on the

 sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses,

or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your

 mothers, or the houses of your brothers, or the houses

of your sisters, or the houses of your father’s brothers,

or the houses of your father’s sisters, or the houses

of your mother’s brothers, or the houses of your

mother’s sisters or (from that) whereof you hold

keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin on you

 whether you eat together or apart. But when you

 enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting

 from Allah (i.e. say As-Salāmu ‘Alaikum wa

 Rahmatullāhi wa Barakātuhu – peace be on

 you and Allah’s Mercy and His Blessings),

 blessed and good. Thus Allah makes clear

 the Ayāt (these Verses or your religious

 symbols and signs, etc.) to you that you

 may understand. (Q. 24:61)

        This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning ahl dīnikum given by Hārūn bin Mūsā, and ikhwānikum (your brother in faith) by al-‘Askarī. This long verse is referring to eating with the blind, the lame, the sick, and from one’s relatives’ houses. One may feel uncomfortable to eat with the blind because they cannot see the food, the lame because they cannot sit properly, the sick because they cannot eat properly and as much as others. Here Allah states that there is no restriction on the blind, the lame, the sick etc, to eat with people. There is also no restriction to eat from our close relatives mentioned in the verse.

      Although sons’ houses are not mentioned in this verse they are included, as the son’s wealth is like his father’s, as the Prophet said, “You and your wealth belong to your father” (Reported by Aḥmad and Ibn Mājah).

      “… or (from that) whereof you hold keys …” refers, according to Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr and al-Suddī, to servants or otherwise. They can eat from the food that is stored with them, within reason.  Moreover, when the Muslims went out on military expedition with the Prophet, they used to give their keys to people they trusted and say, “We allow you eat whatever you need,” but they were reluctant. So, Allah revealed the verse to give that permission.

“… or (from the house) of a friend” so long as you do not upset them and do not dislike it.

      “…No sin on you whether you eat together or apart…” Qatādah said that a clan of Banī Kinānah in the pre-Islamic (Jāhiliyyah) period thought that it was shame to eat alone, to the extent that a man might drive his camel although he was hungry until he could find someone to eat and drink with him. So, Allah revealed to give them permission to eat alone, although eating with other is more blessed. (Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr).

      There are several occasions which led to the revelation of this verse, as follows:

(1) Qatādah, al-Ḍaḥḥāk said that the verse was reveal in the case of Banī Layth ibn ‘Amr, a district of Banī Kinānah, when a man among them would not eat alone until he found a guest to eat with him; he might have set with food from morning till evening, he might have his camels with him, but would not drink the milk until he found someone who would drink with him.

(2) Ibn ‘Abbās as reported by ‘Aṭā’ said that the rich people when they were invited by their poor relatives and friends for meal, they felt uncomfortable to accept the invitation.

(3) ‘Ikriman and Abū Ṣāliḥ said that a group of people among the anṣār (people of Madinah) who would not like to have meal if he had a guest unless with him.  (Tafsīr al-Baghawī)

ضَرَبَ لَكُمْ مَثَلًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ هَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ

 مِنْ شُرَكَاءَ فِي مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ فَأَنْتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ

 أَنْفُسَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ (الروم:٢٨)

He sets forth for you a parable from yourselves.

 Do you have partners among those whom your

right hands possess (i.e. your slaves) to share

 as equals in the wealth We have bestowed on

 you, whom you fear as you fear each other?

 Thus do We explain the signs in detail to

 a people who have sense. (Q. 30:28)

    This is a parable of tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah). The idolaters worship others (idols) beside Him, and yet they admit that these idols themselves belong to Him.[17] It is like having a servant as a partner in his wealth with equal share which he fears. Since no one would not like this idea, it would be unacceptable for Allah to have partners or rivals in His creation.

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ يَا قَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ بِاتِّخَاذِكُمُ

 الْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوا إِلَى بَارِئِكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ

بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ (البقرة:٥٤)

And (remember) when Mūsā (Moses) said to

his people: “O my people! Verily, you have

wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf.

So turn in repentance to your Creator and kill

yourselves (the innocent kill the wrong doers

among you), that will be better for you with

your Creator.” Then He accepted your

repentance. Truly, He is the One Who

accepts repentance, the Most

Merciful. (Q. 2:54)

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning ahl (family) given by Ibn al-Jawzī, and ba‘ḍukum ba‘ḍan (each other) by al-Dāmaghānī. Ibn ‘Abbās said that Prophet was ordered by Allah to command his people to repent for worshipping the calf, and to kill the sinners by the innocents who did not worship the calf. When they started the killing, suddenly darkness overcame them. When the darkness was lifted, they had killed seventy thousands of them. Those who were killed and who were still alive were forgiven. However, according to the Bible, Moses ordered the Levites (sons of Levi) to kill the sinners among them, and they were three thousands of them (Exodus 32:28).  Since this huge number was not mentioned in the Qur’ān, there is no need to accept this Jewish legend.

According to M. Asad the expression “kill yourselves” in the above verse is used in a metaphorical sense, namely, “mortify yourselves.”[18]

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ

 مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ (البقرة:٨٤)

And (remember) when We took your covenant

 (saying): Shed not the blood of your (people), nor

 turn out your own people from their dwellings.

 Then, (this) you ratified and (to this)

you bear witness. (Q. 2:84)

            In the Jewish covenant the Jews are not allowed to kill each other, nor expel one another from their homes, nor participate in fighting against them. In the following verse they did the opposite.

ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ

 تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ... (البقرة:٨٥)

After this, it is you who kill one another and

drive out a party of you from their homes,

 assist (their enemies) against them, in

sin and transgression…. (Q. 2:85)

            Before Islam there were two tribes in Madinah who worshipped idols, namely, Aws and Khazraj, and there were three Jewish tribes:  Banū Qurayẓah (and Banū ’l-Nadhīr, according to al-Ṭabarī), the allies of Aws, and Banū Qaynuqā‘  (and Banū ’l-Nadhīr, according to Ibn Kathīr), the allies of Khazraj. When war erupted between the two Arab tribes, their Jewish allies assisted them. The Jews killed not only their Arab enemies, but also the Jews who assisted them. Therefore, the Jews killing other Jews and driving them from their homes were sin and transgression, breaking the Mosaic Law.

... يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ مَتَاعَ

 الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا... (يونس:٢٣)

….O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience

 to Allah) is only against your own selves,-- a brief

 enjoyment of this worldly life, … (Q. 10:23)

          After mentioning the case of the people who forgot Allah’s blessing after they had been saved by Him during the storm at sea. He addressed people in general, that their disobedience to Him is only against themselves. They  themselves will bear the consequence of their own  transgression.

لَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ

 خَيْرًا وَقَالُوا هَذَا إِفْكٌ مُبِينٌ (النور:١٢)

Why then did not the believers, men and

women, when you heard it (the slander),

think good of their own people and

say: “This (charge) is an

obvious lie? (Q. 24:12)[19]

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning umm (mother) given by al-Dāmaghānī and Ibn al-Jawzī. Therefore, the above verse means “ think good of their own mothers” instead of “think good of their own people.”

 This verse is referring to the ifk (the lie), slandering ‘Ā’ishah, the wife of the Prophet of unchastity. She accompanied him in his campaign against the tribe of Banī ’l-Muṣṭaliq in 5AH. Upon his return from the campaign, she was accidentally left behind by the army. Ṣafwān ibn Mu‘aṭṭal al-Sulamī found her; without talking to her, he exclaimed, “Truly, to Allah we belong, and truly, to Allah we shall return”  (إنا لله و إنا إليه راجعون),  brought his camel, and made it kneel so that she could ride upon it. He led the camel and set out until they caught up with the army.

            A group of people, especially the hypocrites led by ‘Abd Allah bin Ubayy bin Salūl and those who were not happy with ‘Ā’shah, spread slander against her. She kept silent and patient, expecting that the Prophet would see a dream to prove her innocence. Instead, after about one month waiting, Allah revealed her innocence to the Prophet, not in a single verse, but in ten verses, from verse 11 till verse 22 in sūrat al-Nūr.

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ... (الأحزاب:٦)

 The Prophet is closer to the believers than their

 own selves, and his wives are their (believers’)

 mothers (as regards respect and

 marriage)… (Q. 33:6)

“…and his wives are their mothers” means that like their mothers they are not allowed to marry them. However, it is lawful to marry their sisters and daughters.

  This verse is referring to the Muslims’ love and loyalty to the Prophet and honouring his wives like their own mothers.  They love him more than any other human beings. Abū Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet s.a.w. said:

مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ إِلَّا وَأَنَا أَوْلَى بِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ اقْرَءُوا

 إِنْ شِئْتُمْ {النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ} فَأَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ

 مَاتَ وَتَرَكَ مَالًا فَلْيَرِثْهُ عَصَبَتُهُ مَنْ كَانُوا وَمَنْ تَرَكَ دَيْنًا

أَوْ ضَيَاعًا فَلْيَأْتِنِي فَأَنَا مَوْلَاهُ (رواه البخارى)

There is no believer except I am the closest of all

 people to him in this world and in the Hereafter.

Recite, if you wish: “The Prophet is closer to the

 believers than themselves” If any believer leaves

 behind any wealth, let his own relatives inherit

 it, but if he leaves behind any debt or orphans,

bring them to me and I will take care of them.

(Reported by al-Bukhārī)

          The Prophet also said:

لا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ والِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ

 وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعينَ (رواه البخارى)

None of you truly believes until I am dearer

 to him than his own self, his wealth, his children

 and all the people. (Reported by al-Bukhārī).

 

          When ‘Umar told the Prophet that he was dearer to him than anything except himself, the Prophet told him to be dearer to him (the Prophet) than himself, which he did.

 

The believers must accept his judgment over their own, as in the following verse:

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا

فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (النساء:٦٥)

But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith,

 until they make you judge in all disputes between

 them, and find in themselves no resistance

 against your decisions, and accept with

 full submission. (Q. 4:65)

      This verse lays down the obligation of every Muslim to follow the ordinances of the Prophet in the sunnah (lit. way) of the Prophet, the second source of Islamic law after the Qur’ān.

 

7. مِنْكُمْ ، مِنْهُم  (among them, among you), الْجَمَاعَة (al-jamā‘ah), group, (or jins, kind),  as in the following verses:

لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ

 يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا

مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ (ال عمران:١٦٤)  

Indeed, Allah conferred a great favour on the

 believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting to

them His Verses (the Qur'ān), and purifying them

 (from sins by their following him), and instructing

 them (in) the Book[MS1]  (the Qur'ān) and Al-Hikmah

 [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet

 (i.e. his legal ways , statements and acts

of worship)], while before that they had

 been in manifest error. (Q. 3:164)

It is a great favour from Allah that He sent a Messenger from his own kind, a human being rather than an angel, so that they can talk to him, ask him questions, especially dealing with their religion, and associate with him. He will instruct them the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. Before that, they were in error and ignorance.

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ

 عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ (التوبة:١٢٨)

Verily, there has come to you a Messenger

(Muhammad) from amongst yourselves (i.e.

whom you know well). It grieves him that you

should receive any injury or difficulty. He

(Muhammad) is anxious over you (to be rightly

guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon

and forgive your sins in order that you may enter

Paradise and be saved from the punishment of

the Hellfire); for the believers (he is) full

of pity, kind, and merciful.  (Q. 9:128)

 

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning  minkum (from yourselves) given by Hārūn bin Mūsā,  and jamā‘ah (a group of people, i.e., human kind ) given by al-Dāmaghānī and Ibn al-Jawzī. It means that there has come to you a Messenger from among you, a human being like yourselves, speaking your language, whose family lineage, description, and honesty are known to you. It grieves him whatever would cause hardship and difficulty to his people. He is eager for you that you might be guided and get benefit in this life and in the Hereafter. He is full of pity and merciful for the believers. But if they turn away from the Law that you (Muhammad) brought them, then say that Allah is sufficient for you, there is no god but He, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne (al-‘arsh al-‘aẓīm)

8. ذات الإنسان (the human being himself), as in the following verses:

وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالْأَنْفَ

 بِالْأَنْفِ وَالْأُذُنَ بِالْأُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ فَمَنْ

 تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ

 فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُون (المائدة:٤٥)

And We ordained therein for them: “Life for life,

eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for

tooth, and wounds equal for equal.” But if anymore

 remits the retaliation by way of charity, it shall be

for him an expiation. And whosoever does

 not judge by that which Allah has revealed,

 such are the unjust. (Q. 5:45)

This verse is also the example of the term nafs meaning insān (human being)) given by al-Dāmaghānī, Mūsā bin Hārūn, al-‘Askarī, and Ibn al-Jawzī. This verse is referring to the law in the Tawrāt (Torah), but the Jews defied this ruling. It runs as follows: “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” (Exodus 21:23-25).

When a person from Banī ’l-Naḍīr was killed by a person from Banī Qurayẓah, they applied this ruling, but when the opposite occurred (a person from Banī Qurayẓah was killed by a person from Banī ’l-Naḍīr), they did not apply the ruling, Instead, they paid diyah (blood money). They also ignored the ruling of stoning the adulterer. Instead, they made their own form of punishment, such as flogging, humiliating, and parading them in public.

                This ruling for the Jews is also applicable to Muslims. The retaliation for wounds should be implemented only after the wound healed.  A man was stabbed by another man in his leg with a horn. He came to the Prophet asking for retaliation. The Prophet told him to wait until he healed.  He came again to the Prophet asking for retaliation, and the Prophet allowed it. Later, he came again to the Prophet complaining that he limped and asked for compensation. The Prophet told him that because he had disobeyed him, Allah had cast him away, and that there was no compensation for his limp. But if the victim pardons the retaliation by way of charity, it will be an expiation for the aggressor and a reward for the victim.

                This verse ends with a warning to the Jews that whoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, they are unjust (ẓālimūn). It also mentioned in the previous verse (Q. 5:44) it is said that they are the disbelievers (kāfirūn), and in Q.4:47, they are the rebellious (fāsiqūn), because they did not apply the laws revealed by Allah in the Torah. The commentary of Ibn ‘Abbās on these three verses is as follows: “Whoever rejects what Allah has revealed, will have committed kufr, and whoever accepts what Allah has revealed, but did not rule by it, is a ẓālim (unjust) and a fāsiq (rebellious) and a sinner.”

‘Aṭā’ said that that there is kufr (disbelief) and kufr  which is less than kufr, ẓulm (injustice) and ẓulm which is less than ẓulm, fisq (rebellion) and fisq which is less than fisq. Ṭāwūs said that kufr in the above verse (Q. 5:44) is not the one that annuls one’s religion. (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī)

 

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَى

 رَبَّنَا لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْا عُتُوًّا كَبِيرًا (الفرقان:٢١)

And those who expect not[20] a meeting with

Us I(i.e. those who deny the Day of Resurrection

 and the life of the Hereafter) said: “Why are not

 the angels sent down to us [so that they would confirm

that Muhammad was right in his claim], or why do we

not see our Lord [so that He would confirm that He has

 sent Muhammad to them]?” Indeed they think too

 highly of themselves, and are scornful

with great pride. (Q. 25:21)

                The disbelievers were very stubborn. They asked that the angels come so that they could see them and that they would confirm that Prophet Muhammad was a real prophet. They even wanted to see Allah. Allah said that they were too arrogant and too stubborn.

 

يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا

 أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ (البقرة:٩)

They (think to) deceive Allah and those who

believe, while they only deceive themselves,

 and perceive (it) not. (Q. 2:9)

                The hypocrites pretend to be believers. In this way they tried to deceive Allah. Allah stated that they only cheat themselves. In another verse Allah says:

إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ... (البقرة:١٤٢)

Verily, the hypocrites try to deceive Allah,

but it is He Who deceives them… (Q. 4:142)

 

      Al-Ḥasan gives an example how Allah “cheats” the hypocrites in the Hereafter. He gives light to believers as well as hypocrites, so that the hypocrites would be happy and think that they would be safe. But when they reach the Ṣirāṭ (the bridge that will be laid across Hell-fire for the people to pass over on the Day of Judgment) the light of each of them would be turned off. Then they would say to the believers,

... انْظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِنْ نُورِكُمْ... (الحديد:١٣)

“Wait for us! Let us get something from

 your Light! …"   (Q. 57:13)

 

مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا

 بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

 وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ... (المائدة:٣٢)

Because of that, We ordained for the Children

 of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in

 retaliation of murder, or to spread mischief

 in the land – it would be as if he killed all

 mankind, and if anyone saved a life,

it would be as if he saved the

 life of all mankind… (Q. 5:32)

Adam’s son Qābil (Cain) killed his brother Hābil (Abel) out of jealousy. Because of this, Allah legislated for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul without justification (sch as in retaliation for murder or for causing mischief) will be as if he has killed all mankind, as there is no difference between one life and another. And if anyone saved a life by preventing him from being killed, then all people will have been saved from him, as if he saved the lives of the whole mankind.

Some commentaries of this verse are as follow:

Sa‘īd bin Jubayr:

Anyone who allowed himself to shed the blood of a Muslim, it would be as he who allowed shedding the blood of all people. Anyone who forbade shedding the blood of one Muslim, it would be as he who forbade shedding the blood of all people.

Ibn ‘Abbās:

-        Anyone who killed a prophet or a just leader, it would be as he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved his life by supporting him, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.

-        Anyone who killed a person and violated his sanctity, it would be as he killed all mankind, and any anyone who protected his sanctity and saved his life for fear of Allah, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. 

Mujāhid: 

-        A person who killed a believer intentionally, Allah would punish him in the Hell-fire, His anger would be upon him, He has cursed him and prepared painful punishment for him. Anyone who does not kill, people would stay alive with him. 

Ibn Zayd:

              Anyone who killed a person punishment and retaliation would be imposed on him like killing all mankind, and anyone who saved the life of a person from persecution, it would be like saving the life of all mankind. 

Anonymous:           

-        Anyone killed a person, the whole believers would be his adversaries, because he had wronged all people, and anyone who saved a life, all people had to thank him.

-        This rule was special for the Children of Israel as harsh treatment. But according to al-Ḥasan this rule is also applied to the Muslims. 

Al- Ṭabarī:

                Anyone killed a person, not in retaliation of murder, he would deserve punishment and killing as retaliation, -- or without spreading mischief in the land by  waging war against Allah and His Messenger and the believers – it would be as if he killed all mankind, where he would deserve severe punishment from Allah,  as He said, “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.” (Q. 4:93) (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī).

 

... هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ أَنْتُمْ

أَجِنَّةٌ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ هُوَ

 أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَى (النجم:٣٢)

… He knows you well when He created you

 from the earth (Adam), and when you were

 fetuses in your mothers’ womb. So, ascribe

 not purity to yourselves. He knows best

him who fears Allah and keeps his duty

 to Him [i.e. those who are Al-Muttaqūn

 (the pious). (Q. 53:32)

               

Allah knows us well, more than we know ourselves. Therefore, we are not allowed to claim purity for ourselves, praising ourselves, and being arrogant, but remain humble. A similar verse is as follows:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّي

 مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا (النساء:٤٩)

Have you not seen those (Jews and Christians)

 who claim sanctity for themselves? Nay, but Allah

 sanctifies whom He wills, and they will not be

dealt with injustice even equal to the extent of

 a Fatīlā (a scalish thread in the long slit

 of a date stone). (Q. 4:49)

There are several occasions which led to the revelation of the above verse (i.e., asbāb al-nuzūl), among which are as follows:

-        Al-Kalbī: A group of Jews came to the Prophet with their children asking him whether their children were sinful. When the Prophet said “no” they said that they were also sinless, as what they committed in the daytime, and what they committed in the nighttime would be forgiven in the daytime.  This was also the view of al-Ḍaḥḥāk and al-Suddī according to al-Qurṭubī.

-        Mujāhid and ‘Ikrimah: They (the Jews) when they prayed put their children at the front, thinking that they were sinless.

-        Al-Ḥasan, al-Ḍaḥḥāk, Qatādah, and Muqātil: The Jews and the Christians said that they were the children of Allah and His beloved ones. They also said that none shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian (Q. 2:111).

-        Ibn Mas‘ūd:  The Jews and the Christians claimed sanctity for each other.

-        Ibn ‘Abbās: They thought that their deceased fore-fathers interceded and claimed sanctity for them.

 

 Allah states that He is the only one who has the right to claim sanctity for someone, and therefore a person who sanctifies himself and claiming to be pure should be ignored. When a person called his daughter Barrah (a pious girl) he was told to change her name with Zaynab,  as the Prophet did not like that name.[21]

 

                The Jews consider themselves to be “God’s chosen people” and the Christians believe in the “vicarious atonement” of Jesus for their sins of mankind in general.

A man said to the Prophet that he had a daughter called Barrah (the pious one). The Prophet said: “Do not ascribe purity to yourselves; Allah knows best who the pious people among you are.” He was asked, “What should we call her?” He said: “Call her Zaynab.”

يَوْمَ تَأْتِي كُلُّ نَفْسٍ تُجَادِلُ عَنْ نَفْسِهَا وَتُوَفَّى كُلُّ

 نَفْسٍ مَا عَمِلَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ (النحل:١١١)

(Remember) the Day when every person

will come up pleading for himself, and every

one will be paid in full for what he did (good

 or evil, belief or disbelief in the life of this

 world) and they will not be dealt

 with unjustly.  (Q. 16:111)

            It is on the Judgment day where every person will be rewarded or punished for what he did in this world.  He will not be dealt unjustly.[22]

9. طَوِيَّةُ اْلإنْسَانِ وَجَوْهَرُهُ وَضَمِيْرُهُ وَدَاخِلُهُ (the human being’s innermost, essential nature, conscience, and inner self), as in the following verses:

وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً فَإِنْ طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ

نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيئًا مَرِيئًا (النساء:٤)

And give to the women (whom you marry

 their Mahr (obligatory bridal money given

 by the husband to his wife at the time of

marriage) with good heart; but if they, of

 their own good pleasure, remit any part of

 it to you, take it, and enjoy it without

 fear of any harm (as Allah has

 made it lawful). (Q. 4:4)

            Paying mahr (dowry) is one of the conditions for the validity of Islamic marriage. The nature of this dowry is niḥlah which means: “obligatory” (according to ‘Ā’ishah, Muqātil, Qatādah, and Ibn Jurayj; “specified” (according to Ibn Jurayj, beside “obligatory”); “what is necessary” (according to Ibn Zayd from Arabic).[23] The husband has to give the dowry with a good heart, just like giving her a gift. If the wife gives him a part of the dowry with a good heart, he will be allowed to take it and to enjoy it, because it is lawful.

وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ مَا كَانَ يُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ

مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةً فِي نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَاهَا

وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ

لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (يوسف:٦٨)

And when they entered according to

 their father’s advice, it did not avail them

 in the least against (the Will of) Allah; it

 was but a need of Ya‘qūb’s (Jacob) inner

 self which he discharged. And verily, he

was endowed with knowledge because

 We had taught him, but most men

 know not. (Q. 12:68)

            Before entering Egypt, Prophet Ya‘qūb (Jacob) said to his sons to enter by different gates, rather than entering from one gate as precaution. According to Ibn ‘Abbās and many other commentators he feared the evil eyes for them, because they were handsome and graceful. However, he knew that this precaution would not resist Allah’s decision and decree. He had knowledge taught directly by Allah, known as عِلْمٌ لَدُنِّي (‘ilm ladunnī), but most people do not know it.

            وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ

 أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ (ق:١٦)

 And indeed We have created man, and We

 know what his own self whispers to him.

 And We are nearer to him than his juglar

vein (by Our Knowledge) (Q. 50:16)

 

            Allah the creator of everything has complete knowledge of it including all thoughts in the minds of man, either good or bad. His knowledge is nearer to him than his jugular vein.

 

رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ إِنْ تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ

كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا (الإسراء:٢٥)

Your Lord knows best what is in your inner

selves. If you are righteous, then, verily, He

 is Ever Most Forgiving to those who turn

 to Him again and again in obedience,

 and in repentance.  (Q. 17:25)

 

            After commanding us to worship Him (Allah) Alone and to be dutiful to our parents, honouring them, talking to them gently, kindly, and politely (Q. 17:23-24), He said that He knew if we talk to our parent offensively, either intentionally or unintentionally. If we are righteous and repent for our sins, then He will forgive us.

“… He  is Ever Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again in obedience, and in repentance “

means, according to some commentators are as follows:

1.    Sa’īd ibn al-Musayyib:  This verse refers to those who commit sin, then repent, and commit sin then repent.

2.    Āṭā’ ibn Yasār, Sa’īd ibn Jubayr, and Mujāhid: They are the ones  who return to goodness.

3.    ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr: It refers to those who remember Allah when they are alone, they seek Allah’s forgiveness (Mujāhid agrees this view).

 

4.    Al-Ṭabarī: The best view on this matter is that it refers to those who repent after committing sin, those who come back from disobedience to obedience, and those who leave  that which Allah hates for that which He loves and is pleased with. (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, tafsīr al-Qurṭbī).

لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا

 كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَى أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا

كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ (المائدة:٧٠)

 Verily, We took the covenant of the Children of

Israel and sent Messengers to them. Whenever

 there came to them a Messenger with what

they themselves desired not, -- a group of

 them they called liars, and others among

 them they killed. (Q. 5:70)

 

        Allah reminds that the Children of Israel broke the pledges and covenants they had taken from Him. Instead of following the law they followed their lusts and desires they took parts of the law they agreed with, and abandoned what they did not like, disregarding any consequence of these evil deeds. Some of them called their prophets liars, and they killed some others.[24]

 أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَى أَنْفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ…

فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ (البقرة:٨٧)

 … . Is it that whenever there came to you

 a Messenger with what you yourselves

 desired not, you grew arrogant? Some

 you disbelieved and some

 you killed. (Q. 2:87)

                In this verse Allah talked directly to the Children of Israel denouncing them for their arrogance, treating their prophets in the worst manner, rejecting some of them, and killing some of them. These prophets ordered them with what was different from their desires and opinions. They also upheld the rulings the Jews had changed in the Torah. Among those whom they disbelieved were ‘Īsā (Jesus) and Muḥammad, and among whom they killed were Zacharias (Zakariyyā) and ‘Yaḥyā (John the Baptist), peace be upon them

إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا

مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ

جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَى (النجم:٢٣)

  They are but names which you have

 named – you and your fathers – for which
 Allah has sent down no authority, they

 follow not but a guess and that which

 they themselves desire, whereas there

 has surely come to them the guidance

 from their Lord! (Q. 53:23)

            The idolaters believed in idols as rivals to Allah, among which mentioned in the Qur’ān were: al-Lāt, al-‘Izzá, and Manāt. They also believed that the angels were the daughters of Allah, while they had sons. Allah asked them, “Do you choose female offspring and give preference to yourselves with the males? It would be an unjust division (قِسْمَةٌ ضِيْزَى).”[25] (Q. 53: 21-22)

            Then Allah states further that these names of idols are only invented names by them and their forefathers. They have no proof, except that they trust and follow their forefathers, and their desire to become leaders of their people, and to be honored by them, whereas Allah has sent them Messengers to guide them. Yet, they do not follow the guidance from Allah through the Prophets.

إِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعْرَاضًا فَلَا جُنَاحَ

عَلَيْهِمَا أَنْ يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ وَأُحْضِرَتِ

 الْأَنْفُسُ الشُّحَّ وَإِنْ تُحْسِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ

 بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا (النساء:١٢٨)

And if a woman fears cruelty or desertion

 on her husband’s part, there is no sin on

 them both if they make terms of peace

 between themselves; and making peace

 is better. And human inner selves are

 swayed by greed. But if you do good

and keep away from evil, verily, Allah

is Ever Well-Acquainted  with

what you do. (Q. 4:128)

            If a wife fears that her husband is turning away from her or feels that he is deserting her, to save their marriage, instead of divorce, she is allowed to forfeit all or part of her rights, such as provisions, dwelling and clothing, and the husband is allowed to accept such concession from her. Ibn ‘Abbās said that Sawdah feared that the Prophet might divorce her, so she said to him not to divorce her, but giver her night to ‘Ā’ishah which he agreed and did it. Then the above verse was revealed to him.

            The Prophet’s wife Ā’ishah r.a. comments the above verse that it refers to a married man who does not desire his wife and wants to divorce her because she is an old woman. She says to him that she forfeits her right on him. So, this verse was revealed.

Allah says that making peace is better than divorce. Be patient with the wife you do not like, and treat her as you treat your other wives, and He will know it and will reward you for it perfectly. [26]

Besides the nine various meanings of nafs with examples mentioned above, there is one more meaning of it with one example given by Ibn al-Jawzī and al-Dāmaghānī, as follows:

   النَّفْسُ بعَيْنِهَا (al-nafsu bi ‘aynihā), the self itself, according to Ibn al-Jawzī, and  نَفْسُ الإنْسَانِ جُمْلَتِه(the man himself in general) according to al-Dāmaghānī, as in the following verse:

وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ

مَا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ

 خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا (النساء:٦٦)

And if We had ordered them (saying), “Kill

yourselves (i.e. the innocent ones kill the guilty

 ones) or leave your homes,” very few of them

 would have done it; but if they had done what

 they were told, it would have been better for

 them, and would have strengthened

 their conviction. (Q. 4:66) 

‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr said that when the above verse was revealed Abū Bakr said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah, if you order me to kill myself I would do it,” and the Prophet said to him, “You are telling the truth.”  Other reports stated that ‘Abd Allāh Ibn Rawāḥah[27] and Ibn Umm ‘Abd[28] were among the few of those who would obey this order. (Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr).[29]

  A man is not truly a believer until he makes the Prophet judge in all disputes with people and accepts his decision with total submission. Many people disobey what they are ordered, even if they are ordered to do what they are prohibited from doing it, they still do not obey the order except a few of them. They are not allowed to kill themselves (kill each other), and leave their homes, but if they are ordered to do so, they still do not obey the order.

Conclusion:

We have seen here various interpretations of the term nafs in the verses of the Qur’ān based on their contexts. Despite these differences, instead of being contradictory, they are more likely to be complementary to each other, so that they increase our understanding and widen perception of its verses. Moreover, I include some asbāb al-nuzūl, ḥadīths of the Prophet and some commentaries of the mufassirīn that may indicate which of these interpretations is closer to the context.                                     (Turner, 4 June, 2021)

المراجع:

تفسير الطبري (ت. ٣١٠/۹٢٢)

تفسير القرطبى (٦١١ - ٦٧١ هـ / ١٢١٤ - ١٢٧٣ م)

تفسير ابن كثير (ت. ٧٧٤/ ١٣٧٣)

تفسير البغوي (ت. ٥١٦ هـ).

الراغب الأصفهاني. (ت. ٥٠٢/١١٠۹) مُفْرَدَاتُ أَلْفَاظِ الْقُرْآن

محمد الدامغاني (ت. ٤٧٨ هـ). قاموس القرآن أو إصلاح الوجوه والنظائر

مقاتل بن سليمان (ت. ١٥٠هـ). الوجوه والنظائر في القرآن العظيم

أبو هلال العسكري المعتزلي (ت. ۳۹٥ هـ). كتاب الوجوه والنظائر

عبد الرحمن ابن الجوزي (ت. ٥٩٧ هـ). نزهة الأعين النواظر

د. رانيا محمد عزيز نظمي. النفس وحقيقتها في القران الكريم. مجلة علمية محكمة. جامعة المنوفية, كلية الأداب, فبراير ٢٠٠٦.      

هارون بن موسى القارئ (ت. ١٧٠هـ). الوجوه والنظائر في القرآن الكريم

الدكتور فاضل السامرائي. لمَسَات بَيَانِيَّة.

Muhammad Asad. The Message of the Qur’ān

Bible. New International Version

https://www.almrsal.com/post/529342

 

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[1] Dr. Rāniyā Muḥammad Naẓmī mentions some of the meanings of nafs in Arabic in her book النفس وحقيقتها في القران الكريم p. 8, as follows: العين ، الدم ، الجسد ، نفس الشئ عينه وذاته ، الروح ، العند ، العقل ، العظمة ، الكبر ، العزة ، الهمة، الأنفة ، الإرادة ، الإنسان جملة روحاً وجسداً ، القوة والجلد ، الغيب ، العقوبة ، الحقيقة ، قدر دبغة ، الأخ ، القرب قدر دبغة ، الأخ ، القرب

[2] وردت كلمة  نفس ٧٥ مرة ، نفسك ١٠ مرات ، نفسه ٤٠ مرة ، نفسها ٢ مرة ، نفسي ١٣ مرة ، النفوس ١ مرة واحدة، نفوسكم ١ مرة واحدة، الأنفس ٦ مرات ، أنفسكم ٤٩ مرة ، أنفسهم ٩١ مرة ، أنفسنا ٣ مرات ، المجموع ٢٩٥ مرة, see ibid.,n (*)

[3]م بحث فردي تم نشره ضمن بحوث مجلة كلية الآداب، جامعة المنوفية, ٢٠٠٦ 

[4] In another verse of the Qur’ān Allah mentions two kinds of death, the lesser and the greater death, as follow: هُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُمْ بِالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَى أَجَلٌ ُسَمًّى ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (الانعام:٦٠)

“It is He, Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep), and has knowledge of all that you have done by day, then He raises (wakes) you up again that a term appointed be fulfilled, then (in the end) unto Him will be your return. Then He will inform you of that which you used to do.”  (Q. 6:60). Prof. Arthur Allison of the University of London and President of British Society for Psychological and Spiritual Studies states that the idea of the separation of the soul from the body in sleep and death is in line with the study of parapsychology. He converted to Islam in 1985. For further details, see Khutab iii, p. 107, Prof. Arthur (Abdullah) Allison.

[5] M. Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, p. 711, n. 44

[6] A similar verse is Q. 9:85.

[7]For further details, see Khutab V, p. 42.  Shaykh Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī’s Commentyry on Making Friendship (Alliance, Loyalty) to Non-Muslims, pp. 42-47 (2013)

[8]Asad translates the above verse as “… God is fully aware of what is in their hearts” where literally it means “… God is fully aware of all that is within themselves.” M. Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, p. 317, and n. 53.

[9] Ibrāhīm ibn Abī ‘Ablah (d. 152/ 769) was one of the late tābi‘īn (people belonging to the generation after that of the ṣaḥābah) and a traditionist.

[10] M. Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, p. 371, n. 4.

[11] Allah revealed to the Prophet the following verse: وَلَا تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (الانعام:٥٢) “And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon seeking His Face. You are not accountable for you in anything, and they are not accountable for you in anything, that you may turn them away, and thus become of the Zālimūn (unjust).” (Q. 6:52).

[12] The term مُبَاهَلَة (mubāhalah) is derived from the word بَهْلَة (bahlah, “curse”), its root verse is بَهَلَ (bahala, “to curse”). It means “cursing one another, a trial through prayer.” It is praying to Allah to curse the liar regarding a dispute, in this case, the true nature of Jesus, whether he was “the son of God,” i.e., God incarnate, or a Messenger of Allah.

[13] There are two main different interpretations of the verse: (a) al-Ḍaḥḥāk: There was nothing unlawful for them, neither Allah made it unlawful in the Torah. Instead, they made it unlawful by themselves following their father, Israel. Then they claimed that Allah made it unlawful. So, Allah denied it and told the Prophet to ask them to find them in the Torah if they told the truth. But they could not find them in the Torah (because it was not there); (b) Ibn ‘Aṭiyyah: It becomes unlawful for them, because Israel said that if Allah healed him, he would make it unlawful for himself and his children, although they are not unlawful in the Torah.  In another verse Allah made unlawful for them which had been lawful for them because of the wrongs committed by them. Allah says, فَبِظُلْمٍ مِنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَاتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَأَكْلِهِمْ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ ... (النساء:١٦٠-١٦١) "For the wrongdoing of the Jews, We made unlawful for them certain good foods which had been lawful for them – and their hindering many from Allah’s way; And their taking of Riba (usury) though they were forbidden from taking it and their devouring of men’s substance wrongfully (bribery)…” (Q. 4:160-161). 

[14] There are different views about the identity of witness in the story: an adult male, the king’s entourage, and a young boy who lived in the same house. Al-Ṭabarī preferred the last view. (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī). According to the Biblical account, “… the husband immediately believed the false accusation and cast Joseph into prison, …,” see M. Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, p. 340, n. 25, and Genesis xxxix, 19-20.

[15] The examples of insulting one another by nicknames given by ‘Ikrimah are: “O, you sinner, O you hypocrite, O you disbeliever ( يا فاسق يا منافق ياكافر), and  by al-Ḥasan calling the converted Jew and Christian, “O you Jew, O you  Christian”  ( يا يهودي يا نصراني) , (Tafsīr al-Baghawī)

[16] When ‘Amr bin al-‘Āṣ was sent by the Prophet for the battle of Dhāt al-Salāsil he had a wet dream during a very cold night and did not bathe for fear for his life. He performed tayammum (with pure earth) and led his company in the fajr (dawn) prayer. In Madinah he met the Prophet who asked him, “O ‘Amr! Have you led your people in prayer while you were in a state of sexual impurity?” ‘Amr said: “O Messenger of Allah! I had a wet dream on a very cold night and feared that if I bathed, I would perish, and I remembered Allah’s statement, وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا ‘And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allah is Merciful to you.’” The Prophet smiled and did not say anything (Reported by Abū Dā’ūd)

[17] The Arab idolaters in their talbiyyah during the ḥajj (major pilgrimage) and ‘umrah (minor pilgrimage) as reported by Ibn ‘Abbās, they said: لبيك اللهم لبيك ، لبيك لا شريك لك إلا شريك هو لك تملكه وما ملك  “At Your service, You have no partner except the partner that You have, You own him and whatever he owns.”

[18]M. Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, p. 12, n. 39.

[19] Al-Dāmaghānī and Ibn al-Jawzī place the above verse as an example of the term nafs meaning umm (mother), so that instead of “… think good of their own people” they say “… think good of their own mothers.”

[20] The term رَجَاء  (hope, wish, expect) if it is preceded by negation , such as لَمْ يَرْجُ (“he did not expect), it could mean “he did not care” in the language of Hudhayl, Khuzā‘ah, Muḍar, and also al-Ḥijāz as asserted by Quṭrub. According to al-Farrā’ it means “I did not fear.” Al-Ṭabarī himself explains وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا   in the above verse as  وقال المشركون الذين لا يخافون لقاءنا، ولا يَخْشَون عقابنا (“And the idolaters who are not afraid of meeting Us, and do not fear Our punishment”).  Al-Qurṭubī also says that the expression    لَا يَرْجُونَ in the above verse means   لا يخافون. The example from poetry is the poem of Abū Dhu;ayb al-Hudhyalī,  إِذَا لَيَعَتْهُ النَّحْلُ لِمْ يَرْجَ لَسْعَهَا “When the bees sting him he cares not (or fears not) their stings.” Therefore, the translation “those who expect not” in the above verse could also means “those who care not” and “those who fear not.”

[21] Al-0urṭubī denounced people in Egypt who had names indicating sanctity for themselves, such as زَكِىُّ الدِّيْن  (Zakiyyuddīn, i.e., “a person who practices his religion purely”), and مُحْيِيِ الدِّيْن   (Muḥyiddīn, i.e., “a person who revives the religion of Islam”), but later became tolerated.

[22] It is reported that in the Hereafter that everybody would care about himself only and would say. “myself, myself,” because of the extreme horror at that time, except Prophet Muhammad who would care about his community. It was reported that the caliph ‘Umar asked the converted Jewish scholar Ka‘b al-Aḥbār about the condition in the Hereafter. He said: “O, the Prince of the believers, by the One in Whose hands is my soul, if you come to the Hereafter with very good deeds equal to those of seventy prophets, you would have cared about yourself only due to the horrible condition on that day, and that, there would be a blow of the Hell that would scare everybody, even the closest angel to Allah (like Gabriel) and the elected prophets (like Moses and  Abraham) would fall on their knees, even Prophet Abraham, “the friend of Allah” would implore  Allah to save him, and would say, ‘O Allah, I am your friend Abraham, today I only ask you to spare me.’”  When ‘Umar asked him where he found it in the Qur’ān, he cited the above verse (Q.  16:111) (Tafsīr al-Baghawī, Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī).

[23] According to Arabic English Dictionary by Hans Wehr the term نِحْلَة (niḥlah), means: present, gift, donation; creed, faith, and sect.

[24] According to the New Testament, Jesus says: “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wisemen and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town…. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, …” (Matthew 23:33, 34, 37)

[25] According to Ibn ‘Abbās, there are many words in the Qur’ān derived from non-Arabic languages, among which is the Chinese word ضِيْزَى (ḍīzá), which means unjust, unfair, in meaning, and not eloquent in articulating. It is in line with the unfair and strange statement that Allah has daughters (the angels), while the idolaters have sons. It is the only word derived from Chinese, but as there are many Chinese languages, we do not know which of these languages this word is originated from.

[26] But Allah says that you will never be able to be perfectly just between your wives, especially concerning love, desire and intimacy. Therefore, do not exaggerate in treating her, so that the other wives would not feel that they are neither divorced nor married. (see Q. 4:129)

[27] Ibn Rawāḥah (d. 8/629) was the third commander of the Muslim army in the battle of Mu’tah against the forces of Byzantine empire where he was martyred.

[28] Ibn Umm ‘Abd (“Son of the Mother of a Slave”) is another name given to ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd (d. 33/653) who gave up tending sheep in exchange of serving the Prophet inside and outside of his house, accompanied him on  his journeys and expedition.

[29] However, it is also reported that among the few who would obey Allah in the above verse were Thābit ibn Qays of the Khazraj tribe, and that ‘Umar, ‘Ammār bin Yāsir, Ibn Mas‘ūd, and some of the companions of the Prophet vowed to obey Allah unconditionally. When the Prophet heard this, he said, إنّ من أمتي لرجالا,الإيمانُ في قلوبهم أثبت من الجبال الرواسي   “Verily, among my ummah there are men whose faith is firmer than stable mountains.” (Tafsīr al-Baghawī).

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