Surah Nisa ayat 54 Tafsir Quran 4:54

﴿أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۖ فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَآتَيْنَاهُم مُّلْكًا عَظِيمًا﴾
[ النساء: 54]

4:54 Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.

Or nay are they jealous of people namely of the Prophet s for the bounty that God has bestowed upon them in the way of prophethood and abundance of women? In other words they wish that he be deprived of such things saying ‘If he were truly a prophet he would not be concerned with women’. For We gave the House of Abraham his forefather the likes of Moses David and Solomon the Book and wisdom and prophethood and We gave them a mighty kingdom David had ninety–nine women and Solomon had a thousand free women and slavegirls.

Or do they envy people and regard their divine-given privileges with discontent! But We bestowed on Ibrahim (Abraham) and his family the divine prerogative of Prophethood, the Book and the wisdom that go with it and privileged them with sovereignty and a great kingdom

The Envy and Miserly Conduct of the Jews Allah asked the Jews if they have a share in the dominion.
That is merely a statement of rebuke, since they do not have any share in the dominion.
Allah then described them as misers, فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً ( Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir. ) Meaning, if they had a share in the sovereignty and dominion, they would not give anyone anything, especially Muhammad , even if it was the speck on the back of a date-stone, which is the meaning of Naqir according to Ibn `Abbas and the majority of the scholars.
This Ayah is similar to another of Allah's statements, قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ ( Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely withold it out of fear of spending it. ) meaning, for fear that what you have might end, although there is no such possibility here.
This only demonstrates their greedy and stingy nature.
This is why Allah said, وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا ( And man is ever Qatur ) meaning Bakhil ( stingy ).
Allah then said, أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ( Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His Bounty ) referring to their envy of the Prophet for the great prophethood that Allah entrusted him with.
Their envy made them reject him, because he was an Arab and not from the Children of Israel.
At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that, أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ ( Or do they envy men ) means, "We are the worthy people, rather than the rest of the people." Allah said, فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً ( Then, We have already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah, and conferred upon them a great kingdom. ) meaning, We gave the prophethood to the tribes of the Children of Israel, who are among the offspring of Ibrahim and sent down the Books to them.
These Prophets ruled the Jews with the prophetic tradition, and We made kings among them.
Yet, فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ ( Of them were (some ) who believed in it;) referring to Allah's favor and bounty ( Prophets, Books, kingship ), وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ ( and of them were (some ) who rejected it) by disbelieving in it, ignoring it, and hindering the people from its path, although this bounty was from and for them, the Children of Israel.
They disputed with their own Prophets; so what about you, O Muhammad , especially since you are not from the Children of Israel Mujahid said, فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ ( Of them were (some ) who believed in him,) "Muhammad , وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ ( and of them were (some ) who rejected him.)" Therefore, O Muhammad, the rejection of you because of their disbelief is even more severe and they are even further from the truth that you brought them.
This is why Allah threatened them, وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً ( and enough is Hell for burning (them ).), meaning, the Fire is a just punishment for them because of their disbelief, rebellion and defiance of Allah's Books and Messengers.

(4:54) Do they envy others for the bounty that Allah has bestowed upon them? *85 (Let them bear in mind that) We bestowed upon the house of Abraham the Book and Wis-dom, and We bestowed upon them a mighty dominion, *86

Or do they envy people for what meaning

*85).
By implication, this query accurately portrays the state of mind of the Jews.
They saw the Muslims being endowed with the grace and reward of God which they, notwithstanding their own unworthiness had expected to fall to their share.
By virtue of the advent of a great Prophet among the ummis of Arabia, a spiritual, moral and intellectual revolution had taken place which totally changed their practical life and ultimately led them to greatness and glory.
It is this which aroused their spite and envy, and which was reflected in their unjustifiable remarks about the Muslims.

*86).
This 'mighty dominion' refers to the position of world leadership and authority which a people attain by virtue of receiving the knowledge in the Book of God and acting according to its dictates.

 

The Envy and Miserly Conduct of the Jews Allah asked the Jews if they have a share in the dominion.
That is merely a statement of rebuke, since they do not have any share in the dominion.
Allah then described them as misers, فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً ( Then in that case they would not give mankind even a Naqir. ) Meaning, if they had a share in the sovereignty and dominion, they would not give anyone anything, especially Muhammad , even if it was the speck on the back of a date-stone, which is the meaning of Naqir according to Ibn `Abbas and the majority of the scholars.
This Ayah is similar to another of Allah's statements, قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ ( Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord, then you would surely withold it out of fear of spending it. ) meaning, for fear that what you have might end, although there is no such possibility here.
This only demonstrates their greedy and stingy nature.
This is why Allah said, وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا ( And man is ever Qatur ) meaning Bakhil ( stingy ).
Allah then said, أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ( Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His Bounty ) referring to their envy of the Prophet for the great prophethood that Allah entrusted him with.
Their envy made them reject him, because he was an Arab and not from the Children of Israel.
At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that, أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ ( Or do they envy men ) means, "We are the worthy people, rather than the rest of the people." Allah said, فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً ( Then, We have already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah, and conferred upon them a great kingdom. ) meaning, We gave the prophethood to the tribes of the Children of Israel, who are among the offspring of Ibrahim and sent down the Books to them.
These Prophets ruled the Jews with the prophetic tradition, and We made kings among them.
Yet, فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ ( Of them were (some ) who believed in it;) referring to Allah's favor and bounty ( Prophets, Books, kingship ), وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ ( and of them were (some ) who rejected it) by disbelieving in it, ignoring it, and hindering the people from its path, although this bounty was from and for them, the Children of Israel.
They disputed with their own Prophets; so what about you, O Muhammad , especially since you are not from the Children of Israel Mujahid said, فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ ( Of them were (some ) who believed in him,) "Muhammad , وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ ( and of them were (some ) who rejected him.)" Therefore, O Muhammad, the rejection of you because of their disbelief is even more severe and they are even further from the truth that you brought them.
This is why Allah threatened them, وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً ( and enough is Hell for burning (them ).), meaning, the Fire is a just punishment for them because of their disbelief, rebellion and defiance of Allah's Books and Messengers.

( Or are they jealous ) nay, they are jealous ( of mankind ) of Muhammad and his Companions ( because of that which Allah of His bounty hath bestowed upon them? ) the Scripture, prophethood and marrying many wives. ( For We bestowed upon the house of Abraham ) David and Solomon ( (of old ) the Scripture and Wisdom) knowledge, understanding and prophethood, ( and We bestowed on them a mighty kingdom ) We honoured them with prophethood and Islam and bestowed upon them sovereignty over the Children of Israel. David had 100 legitimate wives, and Solomon had 300 legitimate wives plus 700 concubines.

Or do they envy men (Muhammad SAW and his followers) for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? Then We had already given the family of Ibrahim (Abraham) the Book and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah - Divine Inspiration to those Prophets not written in the form of a book), and conferred upon them a great kingdom.

Page 87 English transliteration