Part 18

' The reference to this verse is incorrect in sirat al-Nisa’, Chapter 4, Verse 92 in MI.2. However, the correct reference is as indicated above.

not disobey you in any just matter . . .” (60:12). Disobedience in this verse has a specific connotation; it is interpreted to mean the loud wailing of women. Ibn “Abbas as well as Zayd Ibn Aslam’ relate on the authority of the Prophet (pbuh): “Do not wail loudly, do not beat your cheeks, do not uncover your hair, and do not tear your clothes [in grief].” Others, such as Abu Sulayman al-Dimashqj, said: “Disobeying Allah in any just matter means disobeying Him in all of what he commands [i.e., Islamic legislation and guidelines].” Accordingly, believing women do not disobey the Messenger in any just matters. Disobedience to him cannot be ignored in any just matter, as he does not command evil. This is an indication that being obedient to those of authority requires kindness, as exemplified in the following hadith: “Obedience is in kindness.” Similar to this is the saying of Allah: “. .. Obey Allah and the Messenger when He calls you to that to which you will give your life . . .” (8:24). Allah calls you only, for there is no call except for that purpose and no command without kindness, as in the saying of Allah: “. .. Force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity...” (24:33). However, if they do not desire chastity, the forcing is negated. This makes it clear that the judgment is suitable in this regard. Allah also says: “If anyone invokes any other god besides Allah, he has no authority thereof and his reckoning is only with his Lord. Lo! the unbelievers will not be successful” (23:117) and: “... And they slay His Messengers without cause . . .” (2:61). The specifications indicated in all the above citations are used simply for clarification and for no other purpose. Grammarians state that definite attributes are used for the purposes of clarification and specification, whereas indefinite attributes are used for specification only. This means that definite attributes [or adjectives] do not need any specification, as in Allah’s saying: “Praise the name of your Lord the Most High who created and has given order and proportion” (87:1-2). He also says: “And those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own Scriptures, in the Torah, and the Gospel . . .” (7:157); and: “Praise be to Allah! Lord of the Worlds, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful” (1:1~2). Attributes of the indefinite kind, when specified, are simply used for the purpose of clarification. In the following verse the word “rebellion” is being used in conjunction with the words “unbelief” and “sin,” as in His saying: “._. Allah has made. hateful to you unbelief, sin, and rebellion . . .” (49:7). In conclusion, it is known that the sinner is also rebellious.

? Zayd ibn Aslam, Abu Usdmah (?-136 A.H.), was the author of an early commentary on the Qur?an and was also a transmitter of hadith. [a/-Fihrist, vol. 1, p. 75 and vol. 2. p. 1132.]

Wrong: Its Kinds and Meaning

Self-wrong consists of wronging one’s self. When used in an absolute sense, this includes all sins, which in turn are considered as wronging one’s self. Allah says: “These are some of the stories of towns [communities] which We relate to you [Oh, Muhammad]: Of them some are standing, and some have been destroyed. We did not wrong them, but they did wrong themselves; and their gods on whom they call beside Allah did not profit them when there came the Command of your Lord, nor did they add anything [to their lot] but destruction!” (1 1:100-101). Allah also says: “And remember Moses said to his people: ‘Oh, my people! You have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: so turn [in repentance] to your Maker. . .”” (2:54); and He says on killing one’s self: “Oh, my Lord! I have indeed wronged myself! Do You then forgive me? . . .” (28:16). Balqis said: “... Oh, my Lord! I have indeed wronged myself: I do [now] submit [in Islam], with Solomon, to the Lord of the Worlds” (27:44). Adam (pbuh) said: “... Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves: If You will not forgive us and bestow Your Mercy upon us, we shall certainly be among the losers” (7:23). The concept of wrong may be joined to some [but not all] sins, as Allah, the Exalted, says: “And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves . . .” (3:135); and “And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterward seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah readily forgiving, Most Merciful” (4:110).

As for the meaning of the term al-zulm, unrestricted wrong, when used in an absolute sense, it includes unbelief plus all other sins. Allah says: “Gather those who wronged, along with their wives and the things they worshiped, besides Allah, and lead them to the Way to the [fierce] Fire! But stop them, for they must be asked: What is the matter with you that you do not help each other?” (37:22-25). In this verse, the term, their wives, has the following interpretations:

The mate of a thing is its match. The word al-sanf, category,’ is also called “pair” due to the similarity of its mates, Allah says: “. .. Noble things of every pair We have produced therein” (26:7) and “And everything We have created is in pairs: that you may reflect” (51:49). Indeed, different interpreters have explained the word “pairs” as referring to two different categories. Examples are: sky and earth, sun and moon, night and day, land and sea, plain and mountain, winter and summer, jinns and humans, unbelief and the faith, happiness and misery, truth and falsehood, male and female, light and dark, sweet and bitter; and other such pairs. The second part of the last verse, namely, “that you may reflect,” means that you may understand that He who creates the pairs is One. However, the previously mentioned verse, ‘Gather those who wronged, along with their wives .. .” does not mean that every husband will be joined with his wife. For a righteous wife may have an unchaste or even an unbelieving husband, as in the case of Pharaoh’s wife. A righteous husband may likewise have an unchaste or even an unbelieving wife,

' Al-Rabi‘ ibn Khuthaym, Abu Yazid (?-63 A.H.), was a scholar of and transmitter of hadith. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 80 and al-Fihrist, vol. 2, p. 1081.]

? In the MKZ and MI.2 editions, the word al-nisf, half, is used. However, in MKH the word is alsanf.

WRONG: ITS KINDS AND MEANING 77

as in the case of the wives of Noah and Lot. However, if a wife happens to be of her husband’s religion, then they will be included in the general category of partners. That is why al-Hassan al-Basti said: “The word ‘wives’ mentioned in the verse refers only to the unbelieving wives.” There is no doubt that this verse refers to the unbelievers, as the context of the verse indicates: The fornicators will be joined with the fornicators and the people of wine will be joined with the people of wine. The same is true of the following narration: “On the Day of Judgement, it will be said: Where are the wrongdoers and their assistants [i.e., those who resemble them]? They will be joined together in coffins of fire and then they will be cast into Hell.” Some interpreters believe that the term “wrongdoer’s assistants’ refers to those who provide any kind of help to wrongdoers, even if he gives them an ink pot or sharpens a pencil for them. Others used to say that it refers to their [the wrongdoers’] wives, who wash their clothes that is, their helpers are their mates, as suggested in the verse. It is clear that whoever helps a good cause becomes one of the good people and whoever helps a bad cause becomes one of the bad people. For Allah says: “Whoever intercedes in a good cause becomes a partner therein; and whoever recommends and helps an evil cause, shares in its burden . . .” (4:85). In this verse, the person who “intercedes and helps a good cause” refers to one who helps another person and becomes an intercessor after he has been alone. Hence, ‘good cause’ is interpreted by Ibn Jarir and Abu Sulayman as helping the believers to fight against unbelievers, and ‘bad cause’ as helping unbelievers to fight against the believers. However, al-Hassan, Mujahid, Qatadah, and Ibn Zayd interpret the term ‘good cause’ as helping another person, either by doing him a favor or by rescuing him from a calamity. Thus, the good cause is helping [another] to do good, which Allah and H is Messenger approve, benefitting whoever deserves benefit and rescuing from evil whoever deserves to be rescued. On the other hand, the bad cause is helping someone to do what Allah and His Messenger hate, such as oppressing others or preventing them from receiving the charity that they deserve. Other interpreters explain the term ‘good cause’ to mean praying for the believers, and the bad cause means cursing them; or they interpret the good cause as meaning reconciliation between two people. Thus, the helper is the mate of the one who seeks help; for a helper either helps the help seeker fora good cause or for a bad cause. If one went to the Prophet (pbuh) seeking help, he [the Prophet] used to tell his Companions: “Help and recommend a good cause in order to be rewarded by Allah. The sayings of His Prophet are fulfilled in accordance with Allah’s wish.”