Surah Nisa ayat 63 Tafsir Quran 4:63

﴿أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا﴾
[ النساء: 63]

4:63 Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts, so turn away from them but admonish them and speak to them a far-reaching word.

Those — God knows what is in their hearts in the way of hypocrisy and the mendacity of their excuses; so turn away from them with forgiveness and admonish them make them fear God and say to them regarding the issue of their souls penetrating words affecting them in other words reprimand them so that they repent of their unbelief.

These and such persons are they upon whom wickedness prevails; Allah is Alimun of the irreverence mustering to their hearts. Therefore, disregard O Muhammad what they say and exhort them and discourse them on practical divinity by words piercing their ears, their hearts and their feelings and touching their innermost being

Referring to Other than the Qur'an and Sunnah for Judgment is Characteristic of Non-Muslims Allah chastises those who claim to believe in what Allah has sent down to His Messenger and to the earlier Prophets, yet they refer to other than the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger for judgment in various disputes.
It was reported that the reason behind revealing this Ayah was that a man from the Ansar and a Jew had a dispute, and the Jew said, "Let us refer to Muhammad to judge between us." However, the Muslim man said, "Let us refer to Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf ( a Jew ) to judge between us." It was also reported that the Ayah was revealed about some hypocrites who pretended to be Muslims, yet they sought to refer to the judgment of Jahiliyyah.
Other reasons were also reported behind the revelation of the Ayah.
However, the Ayah has a general meaning, as it chastises all those who refrain from referring to the Qur'an and Sunnah for judgment and prefer the judgment of whatever they chose of falsehood, which befits the description of Taghut here.
This is why Allah said, يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُواْ إِلَى الطَّـغُوتِ ( and they wish to go for judgment to the Taghut ) until the end of the Ayah.
Allah's statement, يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُوداً ( turn away from you with aversion ) means, they turn away from you in arrogance, just as Allah described the polytheists, وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَا ( When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." ) This is different from the conduct of the faithful believers, whom Allah describes as, إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُواْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ( The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: "We hear and we obey." ) Chastising the Hypocrites Chastising the hypocrites, Allah said, فَكَيْفَ إِذَآ أَصَـبَتْهُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ( How then, when a catastrophe befalls them because of what their hands have sent forth, ) meaning, how about it if they feel compelled to join you because of disasters that they suffer due to their sins, then they will be in need of you. ثُمَّ جَآءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلاَّ إِحْسَاناً وَتَوْفِيقاً ( They come to you swearing by Allah, "We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!" ) apologizing and swearing that they only sought goodwill and reconciliation when they referred to other than the Prophet for judgment, not that they believe in such alternative judgment, as they claim.
Allah describes these people to us further in His statement, فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَى ( And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy ), they hurry to their friendship, saying: "We fear"), until, فَيُصْبِحُواْ عَلَى مَآ أَسَرُّواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ نَـدِمِينَ ( Then they will become regretful for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves ).
At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Barzah Al-Aslami used to be a soothsayer who judged between the Jews in their disputes.
When some Muslims came to him to judge between them, Allah sent down, أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواْ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ( Have you not seen those (hyprocrites ) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before you), until, إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلاَّ إِحْسَاناً وَتَوْفِيقاً ( "We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!" ) Allah then said, أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( They (hypocrites ) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts;) These people are hypocrites, and Allah knows what is in their hearts and will punish them accordingly, for nothing escapes Allah's watch.
Consequently, O Muhammad! Let Allah be sufficient for you in this regard, because He has perfect knowledge of their apparent and hidden affairs.
This is why Allah said, فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ( so turn aside from them (do not punish them )) meaning, do not punish them because of what is in their hearts. وَعِظْهُمْ ( but admonish them ) means, advise them against the hypocrisy and evil that reside in their hearts, وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلاً بَلِيغاً ( and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves ) advise them, between you and them, using effective words that might benefit them.

Referring to Other than the Qur'an and Sunnah for Judgment is Characteristic of Non-Muslims Allah chastises those who claim to believe in what Allah has sent down to His Messenger and to the earlier Prophets, yet they refer to other than the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger for judgment in various disputes.
It was reported that the reason behind revealing this Ayah was that a man from the Ansar and a Jew had a dispute, and the Jew said, "Let us refer to Muhammad to judge between us." However, the Muslim man said, "Let us refer to Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf ( a Jew ) to judge between us." It was also reported that the Ayah was revealed about some hypocrites who pretended to be Muslims, yet they sought to refer to the judgment of Jahiliyyah.
Other reasons were also reported behind the revelation of the Ayah.
However, the Ayah has a general meaning, as it chastises all those who refrain from referring to the Qur'an and Sunnah for judgment and prefer the judgment of whatever they chose of falsehood, which befits the description of Taghut here.
This is why Allah said, يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُواْ إِلَى الطَّـغُوتِ ( and they wish to go for judgment to the Taghut ) until the end of the Ayah.
Allah's statement, يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُوداً ( turn away from you with aversion ) means, they turn away from you in arrogance, just as Allah described the polytheists, وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَا ( When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." ) This is different from the conduct of the faithful believers, whom Allah describes as, إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُواْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ( The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: "We hear and we obey." ) Chastising the Hypocrites Chastising the hypocrites, Allah said, فَكَيْفَ إِذَآ أَصَـبَتْهُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ( How then, when a catastrophe befalls them because of what their hands have sent forth, ) meaning, how about it if they feel compelled to join you because of disasters that they suffer due to their sins, then they will be in need of you. ثُمَّ جَآءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلاَّ إِحْسَاناً وَتَوْفِيقاً ( They come to you swearing by Allah, "We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!" ) apologizing and swearing that they only sought goodwill and reconciliation when they referred to other than the Prophet for judgment, not that they believe in such alternative judgment, as they claim.
Allah describes these people to us further in His statement, فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَى ( And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy ), they hurry to their friendship, saying: "We fear"), until, فَيُصْبِحُواْ عَلَى مَآ أَسَرُّواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ نَـدِمِينَ ( Then they will become regretful for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves ).
At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Barzah Al-Aslami used to be a soothsayer who judged between the Jews in their disputes.
When some Muslims came to him to judge between them, Allah sent down, أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواْ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ( Have you not seen those (hyprocrites ) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before you), until, إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلاَّ إِحْسَاناً وَتَوْفِيقاً ( "We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!" ) Allah then said, أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ( They (hypocrites ) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts;) These people are hypocrites, and Allah knows what is in their hearts and will punish them accordingly, for nothing escapes Allah's watch.
Consequently, O Muhammad! Let Allah be sufficient for you in this regard, because He has perfect knowledge of their apparent and hidden affairs.
This is why Allah said, فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ ( so turn aside from them (do not punish them )) meaning, do not punish them because of what is in their hearts. وَعِظْهُمْ ( but admonish them ) means, advise them against the hypocrisy and evil that reside in their hearts, وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلاً بَلِيغاً ( and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves ) advise them, between you and them, using effective words that might benefit them.

( Those are they ) i.e. him who did turn away from the Prophet ( pbuh ) ( the secrets of whose hearts Allah knoweth ) He knows the hypocrisy in the heart of Hatib Ibn Abi Balta’ah. Another interpretation of the above verse is: How shall they do-those who established a counter mosque-when a punishment strikes them, because of the counter mosque they built, and then afterward came to you-Tha’labah and Hatib-swearing by Allah that they did not intend by the building of the mosque except kindness to the believers and religious harmony, so that you send us a man of knowledge to teach us? Allah knows the hypocrisy and antagonism in the hearts of those who built this counter mosque. ( So oppose them ) leave them and do not punish them this time ( and admonish them ) with your words so that they do not do it again, ( and address them in plain terms about their souls ) threaten them in an unequivocal way that you will punish them if they do it again.

They (hypocrites) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts; so turn aside from them (do not punish them) but admonish them, and speak to them an effective word (i.e. to believe in Allah, worship Him, obey Him, and be afraid of Him) to reach their innerselves.

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