Fahal AAasaytum in tawallaytum an tufsidoo fee al-ardi watuqattiAAoo arhamakum (surah Muhammad: 22)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(47:22) Now, if you were to turn away, *33 what else can be expected but that you will work corruption in the land and fly at each other's throats? *34

Fahal `asaitum in tawallaitum an tufsidoo fil ardi wa tuqatti`ooo arhaamakum

*33) Another translation of the words in the original can be; "If you became rulers over the people, "
*34) Its one meaning is; 'If at this time you shirk supporting and defending Islam and refrain from fighting with your life and wealth for the cause of me great reformist revolution which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and his Companions are struggling to bring about, there will be no other consequence of this than that you would return to the same system of ignorance in which you have been cutting each other's throat since centuries, burying your children alive and filling God's earth with injustice and wickedness." Its other meaning is: 'You are a people of depraved character. You are not at aII sincere in your claim of having affirmed the Faith, because you are not prepared to make any sacrifice in its cause. Now, is AIIah gives you power in the land and entrusts the affairs of the world to you when morally you are unsound and unreliable, what else can be expected of you than that you would commit tyranny and mischief and resort to killing of your own near and dear ones.
This verse clearly points out that Islam forbids severing of relations with the kindred. On the other hand, in positive terms also, at several places in the Qur'an, treating the relatives kindly and well has been enjoined and counted among the major virtues. (For instance, see AI-Baqarah: 83, 177: An-Nisa': 8, 36; An-Nahl: 90. Bani Isra'il: 26; An-Nur: 22). The word rahm in Arabic is used far kinship and relationship by blood metaphorically. AII the relations of a person, whether near or distant, are his kinsmen (dhwil-arham). The nearer the relationship the greater the right one has upon the other and graver the sin of severing the ties of blood. To treat the kindred well implies that one should do one's utmost in doing whatever good one possibly can to one's relative, should avoid doing any iII or harm to him. Reasoning from this very verse Hadrat 'Umar had forbidden as unlawful selling of the slave girl who had given birth to a child from her master, and the Companions had concurred with him in this. Hakim in his Musradrik has related on the authority of Hadrat Buraidah that one day when he was sitting among the audience of Hadrat 'Umar, suddenly a clamour arose in the street. On inquiring it was known that a slave girl was being sold and her daughter was crying, Hadrat 'Umar immediately got the Ansar and the Muhajirin together and put before them the question: 'Do you find in the Religion that Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) has brought any room for severing of relations between the blood relationships?" Everybody replied in the negative. Thereupon, Hadrat 'Umar said: Then, how is it that in your houses a mother is being separated from her daughter? Could there be a greater and more serious instance of the cutting of these relationships? Then he recited this verse. The people said: You may adopt whatever measure you deem fit to stop this practice. At this Hadrat 'Umar issued this decree for enforcement in all the Islamic territories: "No slave-girl who has given birth to a child from her master is to be sold because this is breaking of kinship ties which is not lawful."