Surah Nisa ayat 32 Tafsir Quran 4:32

﴿وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا ۖ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا﴾
[ النساء: 32]

4:32 And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of his bounty. Indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.

Do not covet that in which God has preferred some of you above others in the way of worldly affairs or religion lest it lead to mutual envy and hatred. To men a share from a reward for what they have earned for their acts in the struggle and so on and to women a share from what they have earned by way of being obedient to their spouses and guarding their private parts this was revealed when Umm Salama said ‘Would that we were men so that we could join the struggle and receive the reward they receive!’ And ask read wa-s’alū or wa-salū God of His bounty what you need and He will give it to you; God is ever Knower of all things including where merit is deserved and that for which you ask.

Do not have a longing to the superior advantages or privileges Allah has gifted some of you above others. Men have a rightful claim to be apportioned the proper share of what they have earned (by labour or inheritance), and women have a rightful claim to be apportioned the proper share of what they have earned (by labour or inheritance) therefore, do not express yearning in an emotional voice after the privileges of others, nor suggest it secretly to the mind, but long for the bounty of Providence and show that you have fulfilled the requirements for deserving what you prayed for; Allah is ever Alimun of all in all

Do Not Wish for the Things Which Allah has Made Some Others to Excel In Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah said, "O Messenger of Allah! Men go to battle, but we do not go to battle, and we earn one-half of the inheritance ( that men get )." Allah sent down, وَلاَ تَتَمَنَّوْاْ مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ ( And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others ).
At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith.
Allah's statement, لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُواْ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ( For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise ) for women there is reward for what they have earned,) indicates, according to Ibn Jarir, that each person will earn his wages for his works, a reward if his deeds are good, and punishment if his deeds are evil.
It was also reported that this Ayah is talking about inheritance, indicating the fact that each person will get his due share of the inheritance, as Al-Walibi reported from Ibn `Abbas.
Allah then directed the servants to what benefits them, وَاسْأَلُواْ اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ ( and ask Allah of His Bounty. )Therefore, the Ayah states, "Do not wish for what other people were endowed with over you, for this is a decision that will come to pass, and wishing does not change its decree.
However, ask Me of My favor and I will grant it to you, for I Am Most Generous and Most Giving." Allah then said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً ( Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything. ) meaning, Allah knows who deserves this life, and so He gives him riches, and whoever deserves poverty, He makes him poor.
He also knows who deserves the Hereafter, and He directs him to perform the deeds that will help him to be sucessful in it, and whoever deserves failure, He prevents him from achieving righteousness and what leads to it.
Hence, Allah said, m إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً ( Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything ).

(4:32) Do not covet what Allah has conferred more abundantly on some of you than others. Men shall have a share according to what they have earned, and women shall have a share according to what they have earned. Do ask of Allah His bounty. Allah has full knowledge of everything. *54

And do not wish for that by meaning

*54).
This verse embodies a very important directive.
By heeding it, man would be able to achieve a great measure of peace and tranquillity.
God has not created all men alike.
Some are handsome while others are ugly.
The voices of some are sweet and those of others repulsive.
Some are physically strong others are weak.
Some have sound limbs others have inherent deformities.
Some possess outstanding physical and mental abilities while others lack them.
Some are born in favourable circumstances and others not.
Some have been endowed with more resources than others.
It is this diversity which gives variety to human civilization, and hence serves a useful purpose.
Whenever man superimposes distinctions of his own over and above this natural inequality he disrupts the natural order of things, and paves the way for corruption.
Likewise, when anyone attempts to obliterate all differences between human beings he in fact engages in a war against nature and inflicts wrongs of another kind.
Man is naturally inclined to feel uneasy whenever he sees someone else ahead of him.
This is the root of jealousy and envy, of cut-throat competition and animosity, of mutual strife and conflict.
These feelings often obsess a person to such a degree that whenever fair means do not prove effective, he resorts to unfair means to achieve his ambitions.
In the present verse, God directs us not to allow this kind of mentality to take hold of us.
The import of the directive is that one should not yearn for the good that God has bestowed on others.
One should rather pray to God to bestow upon one the good which is in one's best interests according to God's wisdom and knowledge.

The statement that 'men shall have a share according to what they have earned and women shall have a share according to what they have earned' seems to mean, to the best of my understanding, that men and women shall have their shares of good and evil, depending on the good and evil they have earned in using the resources bestowed upon them by God.

 

Do Not Wish for the Things Which Allah has Made Some Others to Excel In Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah said, "O Messenger of Allah! Men go to battle, but we do not go to battle, and we earn one-half of the inheritance ( that men get )." Allah sent down, وَلاَ تَتَمَنَّوْاْ مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ ( And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others ).
At-Tirmidhi also recorded this Hadith.
Allah's statement, لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُواْ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ( For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise ) for women there is reward for what they have earned,) indicates, according to Ibn Jarir, that each person will earn his wages for his works, a reward if his deeds are good, and punishment if his deeds are evil.
It was also reported that this Ayah is talking about inheritance, indicating the fact that each person will get his due share of the inheritance, as Al-Walibi reported from Ibn `Abbas.
Allah then directed the servants to what benefits them, وَاسْأَلُواْ اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ ( and ask Allah of His Bounty. )Therefore, the Ayah states, "Do not wish for what other people were endowed with over you, for this is a decision that will come to pass, and wishing does not change its decree.
However, ask Me of My favor and I will grant it to you, for I Am Most Generous and Most Giving." Allah then said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً ( Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything. ) meaning, Allah knows who deserves this life, and so He gives him riches, and whoever deserves poverty, He makes him poor.
He also knows who deserves the Hereafter, and He directs him to perform the deeds that will help him to be sucessful in it, and whoever deserves failure, He prevents him from achieving righteousness and what leads to it.
Hence, Allah said, m إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً ( Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything ).

( And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others ) Allah says: a man should not covet the wealth, mount or wife of his brother nor, in fact, anything that his brother may possess. Rather you should ask of Allah abundant bounty and say: O Allah provide us with the like of, or better than, what you have provided him with, while consigning the matter to Allah. It is also said that this verse was revealed about Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet ( pbuh ) because she said to him: if only it is prescribed unto us as it is prescribed unto men so that we get rewarded as men do. Allah prohibited such talk, saying: covet not the thing in which Allah has made a group of you excel over others, such as praying in congregation, attending the Friday Prayer, participating in military expeditions, jihad, enjoining good and forbidding evil. In this verse ( some of you ) and ( others ) refers to men and women. Allah then explained the reward that men and women earn for their works, saying: ( Unto men a fortune ) a reward ( from that which they have earned ) of works of goodness, ( and unto women a fortune ) a reward ( from that which they have earned ) of works of goodness in their homes. ( But ask Allah of His bounty ) Ask Allah to give you success and protection. ( Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things ) good and bad, reward and punishment, success and otherwise.

And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything.

Page 83 English transliteration