Sūrat an-Nisāʾ
Section 25 of 28 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
The Jews of Madīnah, and the Christians
Through the rest of this sūrah — both in Sūrat al-Nisāʾ and then in Sūrat al-Māʾidah, which follows — there is a large discussion of the Christians and the Jews, and some of the munāfiqīn as well; much more is said, and some of the incidents that took place, and why these verses had to be revealed, are explained. After the munāfiqīn, then: one of the greatest difficulties that the Muslims and the Prophet (peace be upon him) faced at that time came from the Jewish tribes of Madīnah Munawwarah. Much of the time they would join together on many issues: the munāfiqīn, the hypocrites, would join with the Banū Isrāʾīl of the time. After that comes a discussion of the Christians — a sustained one. Indeed, a great deal is said here about the Christians and their false belief, and especially the one belief that is most condemned here, that of taking the Masīḥ, the Messiah, ʿĪsā (peace be upon him), to be God — to be the son of God. That is a large discussion, and Allah (swt) clarifies it right at the beginning, in great detail; it is something that needs to be covered, as was promised a few juzʾ earlier.
يَسْـَٔلُكَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَن تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا۟ مُوسَىٰٓ أَكْبَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَرِنَا ٱللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ ٱلصَّـٰعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ ۚ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ فَعَفَوْنَا عَن ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ سُلْطَـٰنًا مُّبِينًا وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ ٱلطُّورَ بِمِيثَـٰقِهِمْ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لَا تَعْدُوا۟ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُم مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظًا
“The People of the Book ask you to bring down upon them a Book from the heavens, (which is not strange,) as they had asked Mūsā something greater than that when they said, “Make us see Allah openly.” So, the thunderbolt took them for the wrong they did. Later, they took to themselves the calf, even after the clear signs had come to them. Then, We forgave them, and gave Mūsā an open authority. We raised the (Mount of) Tūr high over them for binding them to the pledge, and We said to them, “Do not transgress in (the matter of) the Sabbath.” We took from them a firm pledge.” (4:153–154)
Allah says yasʾaluka ahlu al-kitābi an tunazzila ʿalayhim kitāban mina al-samāʾ — verse 153. The People of the Book ask you to reveal — to bring about — a book from the heavens. They asked Mūsā (peace be upon him) for something greater than that, something graver: they asked Mūsā (peace be upon him): let us see Allah openly; let us see Allah for ourselves, directly. So fa-akhadhat-humu al-ṣāʿiqatu bi-ẓulmihim: because of their oppression, they were struck. Then, even after clear signs had come to them, they took the calf as an object of worship. We forgave even that. Allah is setting out a whole history. Wa-ātaynā Mūsā sulṭānan mubīnā. Wa-rafaʿnā fawqahumu al-ṭūra bi-mīthāqihim: We raised the Mount, Ṭūr, above them, as a display for them. We then told them to enter the door in prostration, but they did not; they did it another way. We said: do not be excessive with regard to Saturdays.
فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَـٰقَهُمْ وَكُفْرِهِم بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتْلِهِمُ ٱلْأَنۢبِيَآءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَقَوْلِهِمْ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَلْ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَـٰنًا عَظِيمًا
“So, (they met their fate) for breaking their pledge, and for their disbelief in the verses of Allah, and for their slaying of the prophets unjustly, and for their saying, “Our hearts are sealed” - rather, Allah has set a seal over them for their disbelief, so they do not believe but a little - and for their disbelief and for what they said against Maryam as a grim imputation,” (4:155–156)
Then it mentions fa-bimā naqḍihim mīthāqahum: they broke a number of their treaties and covenants; and because of their disbelief in the words, in the verses of Allah, in the āyāt of Allah, the signs of Allah; and their killing of prophets without any right; and their saying that our hearts are closed and sealed — whereas it is Allah who has sealed them because of their disbelief. That is why very few of them will believe. Then the interesting part: wa-bi-kufrihim wa-qawlihim ʿalā Maryama buhtānan ʿaẓīmā. They slandered Mary. That is verse 156: because of their kufr, and their slander — a mighty slander upon Mary — and their saying: we have killed ʿĪsā ibn Maryam; ʿĪsā the son of Mary — we have killed him.