Surah Nisa ayat 1 Tafsir Quran 4:1

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا﴾
[ النساء: 1]

4:1 O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.

O people of Mecca fear your Lord that is His punishment by being obedient to Him Who created you of a single soul Adam and from it created its mate Eve Hawwā’ from one of his left ribs and from the pair of them Adam and Eve scattered separated and spread many men and many women; and fear God by whom you claim your rights from one another tassā’alūna the original tā’ of tatasā’alūna has been assimilated with the sīn; a variant reading has tasā’alūna so that one of you says to the other ‘I ask you by God…’ or ‘For God’s sake…’; and fear kinship ties lest you sever them a variant reading of wa’l-arhāma ‘and kinship ties’ is wa’l-arhāmi as a supplement to the pronoun contained in bihi sc. God. They used to implore one another by ties of kinship. Surely God has been watchful over you heedful of your deeds for which He will requite you that is to say He is ever possessed of such an attribute.

O you people: revere Allah your Creator, and entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Him, Who brought you -into being from one single soul-Adam- and from him did He create his mate -Eve-, and from joining both in matrimony did He propagate multitudes of men and women. And revere Allah Whom you invoke for aid and protection and to Whom you appeal in witness that a statement or the like is true, and revere the wombs. That bore you and regard them as having a divine and sacred character; Allah has always been Raqibun (Omnipresent), He has always kept a vigilant eye upon you

Which was revealed in Al-Madina Virtues of Surat An-Nisa, A Madinan Surah Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that Surat An-Nisa' was revealed in Al-Madinah.
Ibn Marduwyah recorded similar statements from `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr and Zayd bin Thabit.
In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "There are five Ayat in Surat An-Nisa' that I would prefer to the life of this world and all that is in it, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ( Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of an atom, ) 4:40, إِن تَجْتَنِبُواْ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنهَوْنَ عَنْهُ ( If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do ) 4:31, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ( Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship ), but He forgives except that ( anything else ) to whom He wills) 4:48, وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآءُوكَ ( If they (hypocrites ), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you) 4:64, and, وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً ( And whoever does evil or wrongs himself, but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful ) 4:110." Al-Hakim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Ask me about Surat An-Nisa', for I learned the Qur'an when I was still young." Al-Hakim said, "This Hadith is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sahihs, and they did not collect it." بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful The Command to have Taqwa, a Reminder about Creation, and Being Kind to Relatives Allah commands His creatures to have Taqwa of Him by worshipping Him Alone without partners.
He also reminds to them of His ability, in that He created them all from a single person, Adam, peace be unto him. وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا ( And from him He created his wife ) Hawwa' ( Eve ), who was created from Adam's left rib, from his back while he was sleeping.
When Adam woke up and saw Hawwa', he liked her and had affection for her, and she felt the same toward him.
An authentic Hadith states,
«إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ، وَإِنَّ أَعْوَجَ شَيْءٍ فِي الضِّلَعِ أَعْلَاهُ، فَإِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهُ كَسَرْتَهُ، وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَج»
( Woman was created from a rib.
Verily, the most curved portion of the rib is its upper part, so, if you should try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. ) Allah's statement, وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَآءً ( And from them both He created many men and women; ) means, Allah created from Adam and Hawwa' many men and women and distributed them throughout the world in various shapes, characteristics, colors and languages.
In the end, their gathering and return will be to Allah.
Allah then said, وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ الَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالاٌّرْحَامَ ( And have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights ) and revere the wombs), protect yourself from Allah by your acts of obedience to Him.
Allah's statement, الَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِ ( through Whom you demand your mutual (rights )), is in reference to when some people say, "I ask you by Allah, and then by the relation of the Rahim ( the womb, i.e.
my relationship to you )", according to Ibrahim, Mujahid and Al-Hasan.
Ad-Dahhak said; "Fear Allah Whom you invoke when you conduct transactions and contracts." "And revere the womb by not cutting the relations of the womb, but keep and honor them, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi`, and others have stated.
Allah's statement, إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيباً ( Surely, Allah is always watching over you. ) means, He watches all your deeds and sees your every circumstance.
In another Ayah, Allah said; وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ( And Allah is Witness over all things. ) 58:6.
An authentic Hadith states,
«اعْبُدِاللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ،فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك»
( Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you. ) This part of the Ayah encourages having a sense of certainty that Allah is always watching, in a complete and perfect manner.
Allah mentioned that He has created mankind from a single father and a single mother, so that they feel compassion for each other and are kind to the weaker among them.
In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Jarir bin `Abdullah Al-Bajali said that a delegation from Mudar came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he saw their state, wearing striped woolen clothes due to poverty.
After the Zuhr prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and gave a speech in which he recited, يَٰـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ ( O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, ) until the end of the Ayah.
He also recited, يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ ( O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah.
And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the tomorrow ) 59:18.
He also encouraged them to give charity, saying,
«تَصَدَّقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ دِينَارِهِ، مِنْ دِرْهَمِهِ، مِنْ صَاعِ بُرِّهِ، مِنْ صَاعِ تَمْرِه»
( A man gave Sadaqah from his Dinar, from his Dirham, from his Sa` of wheat, from his Sa` of dates ) until the end of the Hadith.
This narration was also collected by Ahmad and the Sunan compilers from Ibn Mas`ud.

(4:1) O men! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate; and out of the two spread many men and women. *1 Fear Allah in Whose name you plead for rights, and heed the ties of kinship. Surely, Allah is ever watchful over you.

O mankind, fear your Lord, who created meaning

*1).
What are the mutual rights of human beings, what are the principles on which a sound and stable family life can be established, are questions that are discussed a little further on in this surah.
As an appropriate introduction to the subject, the surah opens by exhorting the believers to fear God and to avoid courting His displeasure, and by urging them to recognize that all human beings have sprung from the same root and that all of them are, therefore, of one another's flesh and blood.
The expression 'Who created you from a single being ( nafs )' indicates that the creation of the human species began with the creation of one individual.
At another place, the Qur'an specifies that the one person from whom the human race spread in the world was Adam.
( For Adam being the progenitor of mankind see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Surah 2, verses 31 f.
and Surah al-A'raf: 11, etc.
- Ed. )
The details how out of that 'being' its mate was created are not known to us.
The explanation which is generally given by the commentators of the Qur'an and which is also found in the Bible is that Eve was, created out of a rib of Adam.
( The Talmud is even more detailed in that it states that Eve was created out of Adam's thirteenth rib on the left side. ) The Qur'an, however, is silent on the matter and the tradition which is adduced in support of this statement does not mean what it is often thought to be.
It is thus better that we leave the matter in the same state of ambiguity in which it was left by God, rather than waste our time trying to determine, in detail, the actual process of the creation of man's mate.*
'The author alludes to, but does not quote, the text of the following tradition:
Muslim, 'Rida'ah', 61 and 62; Tirmidhi, 'Talaq'' 12; Ahmad b.
Hanbal, Musnad, vol.
2, pp.
428, 449, 497, 530 and vol.
6, p.
279 - Ed.

 

Which was revealed in Al-Madina Virtues of Surat An-Nisa, A Madinan Surah Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that Surat An-Nisa' was revealed in Al-Madinah.
Ibn Marduwyah recorded similar statements from `Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr and Zayd bin Thabit.
In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "There are five Ayat in Surat An-Nisa' that I would prefer to the life of this world and all that is in it, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ( Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of an atom, ) 4:40, إِن تَجْتَنِبُواْ كَبَآئِرَ مَا تُنهَوْنَ عَنْهُ ( If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do ) 4:31, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ( Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship ), but He forgives except that ( anything else ) to whom He wills) 4:48, وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآءُوكَ ( If they (hypocrites ), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you) 4:64, and, وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءاً أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً ( And whoever does evil or wrongs himself, but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful ) 4:110." Al-Hakim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Ask me about Surat An-Nisa', for I learned the Qur'an when I was still young." Al-Hakim said, "This Hadith is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sahihs, and they did not collect it." بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful The Command to have Taqwa, a Reminder about Creation, and Being Kind to Relatives Allah commands His creatures to have Taqwa of Him by worshipping Him Alone without partners.
He also reminds to them of His ability, in that He created them all from a single person, Adam, peace be unto him. وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا ( And from him He created his wife ) Hawwa' ( Eve ), who was created from Adam's left rib, from his back while he was sleeping.
When Adam woke up and saw Hawwa', he liked her and had affection for her, and she felt the same toward him.
An authentic Hadith states, «إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ، وَإِنَّ أَعْوَجَ شَيْءٍ فِي الضِّلَعِ أَعْلَاهُ، فَإِنْ ذَهَبْتَ تُقِيمُهُ كَسَرْتَهُ، وَإِنِ اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا اسْتَمْتَعْتَ بِهَا وَفِيهَا عِوَج» ( Woman was created from a rib.
Verily, the most curved portion of the rib is its upper part, so, if you should try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. ) Allah's statement, وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَآءً ( And from them both He created many men and women; ) means, Allah created from Adam and Hawwa' many men and women and distributed them throughout the world in various shapes, characteristics, colors and languages.
In the end, their gathering and return will be to Allah.
Allah then said, وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ الَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالاٌّرْحَامَ ( And have Taqwa of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights ) and revere the wombs), protect yourself from Allah by your acts of obedience to Him.
Allah's statement, الَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِ ( through Whom you demand your mutual (rights )), is in reference to when some people say, "I ask you by Allah, and then by the relation of the Rahim ( the womb, i.e.
my relationship to you )", according to Ibrahim, Mujahid and Al-Hasan.
Ad-Dahhak said; "Fear Allah Whom you invoke when you conduct transactions and contracts." "And revere the womb by not cutting the relations of the womb, but keep and honor them, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi`, and others have stated.
Allah's statement, إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيباً ( Surely, Allah is always watching over you. ) means, He watches all your deeds and sees your every circumstance.
In another Ayah, Allah said; وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ( And Allah is Witness over all things. ) 58:6.
An authentic Hadith states, «اعْبُدِاللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ،فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك» ( Worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you. ) This part of the Ayah encourages having a sense of certainty that Allah is always watching, in a complete and perfect manner.
Allah mentioned that He has created mankind from a single father and a single mother, so that they feel compassion for each other and are kind to the weaker among them.
In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Jarir bin `Abdullah Al-Bajali said that a delegation from Mudar came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he saw their state, wearing striped woolen clothes due to poverty.
After the Zuhr prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and gave a speech in which he recited, يَٰـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ ( O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, ) until the end of the Ayah.
He also recited, يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ ( O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah.
And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the tomorrow ) 59:18.
He also encouraged them to give charity, saying, «تَصَدَّقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ دِينَارِهِ، مِنْ دِرْهَمِهِ، مِنْ صَاعِ بُرِّهِ، مِنْ صَاعِ تَمْرِه» ( A man gave Sadaqah from his Dinar, from his Dirham, from his Sa` of wheat, from his Sa` of dates ) until the end of the Hadith.
This narration was also collected by Ahmad and the Sunan compilers from Ibn Mas`ud.

And on his authority from Ibn ’Abbas on Allah’s saying: ( O mankind! ) [ he said: ] ’This is an expression of general applicability, but it could also be of particular applicability. ( Be careful of your duty to your Lord ) obey your Lord ( Who created you ) by means of copulation ( from a single soul ) from the soul of Adam alone, for the soul of Eve was included in his ( and from it ) from the soul of Adam ( created its mate ) Eve ( and from them twain has spread abroad ) He created through the copulation of Adam and Eve ( a multitude of men and women ) scores of human beings: male and female. ( Be careful of your duty towards Allah ) obey Allah ( in Whom ye claim (your rights ) of one another) your stuff and rights by Allah’s right, ( and towards the wombs (that bare you )) and also by the right of kinship and filiation; or it could also mean: keep the ties of kinship and do not sever them. ( Lo! Allah hath been a Watcher over you ) He has been a Protector: He shall ask you about that which He has commanded you of acts of obedience and keeping ties of kinship.

O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you.

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