Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:14

(And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger) in what He has commanded of the rulings, or in what He has obligated of the obligatory duties. Ibn Jurayj said: It means whoever does not believe in what He, Glory be to Him, has detailed regarding the inheritance, and the same was narrated from Ibn Jubayr.

(And transgresses His limits) which His Messenger, may Allah bless and grant him peace, has brought—among which is what was narrated to us previously—or transgresses His limits regarding the aforementioned division while deeming it lawful, as was narrated from al-Kalbi.

(He will enter him) — Nafi’ and Ibn ‘Amir read it with the noon (i.e., nudkhiluhu) in both instances — (into a Fire), meaning a great, terrifying one, (wherein he will abide forever). This is a circumstantial qualifier (hal), as preceded. It is singular here while it was plural there (in the previous verse regarding those who obey), because the people of obedience are the people of intercession; if one of them intercedes for another, he enters (Paradise) with him, whereas the people of disobedience do not intercede, so no one else enters with them, and they remain alone. Alternatively, it is to indicate that abiding in the abode of reward is expressed in the plural form, which is more conducive to comfort, while abiding in the abode of punishment is in the singular form, which is more severe in inducing desolation. Al-Zajjaj and al-Tabrizi permitted that khalidina (abiding forever, plural) there and khalidan (abiding forever, singular) here are adjectives for "Gardens" or "Fire." This was objected to on the grounds that if this were the case, it would be necessary to bring out the pronoun (the explicit subject), because they function as adjectives for something other than the one they refer to. Abu Hayyan refuted this by stating that this applies to the school of the Basrans, whereas the school of the Kufans permits such adjectival usage without the need to bring out the pronoun, as there is no ambiguity.

(And for him is a punishment), meaning a great, unfathomable one, (humiliating), meaning one that degrades him. The sentence is a circumstantial clause. The intent is to combine two matters for the disobedient transgressors: a physical punishment and a spiritual punishment—we ask Allah the Exalted for well-being.

The verse has been cited as evidence by those who claim that the disobedient believer will abide forever in the Fire. The answer is that it does not apply to him: either because it pertains to the disbeliever, as you heard from al-Kalbi, Ibn Jubayr, and Ibn Jurayj; or because the intent of "the limits of Allah" is all of His limits, for the validity of the exception, and the disobedient believer stops at the limit of Monotheism (Tawhid); or because that is conditional upon the absence of pardon, just as it is conditional upon the absence of repentance according to the claimant.

Concluding the verses of inheritance with this verse is an indication of the gravity of the matter of inheritance, the necessity of caution and precision, and the avoidance of injustice therein. Ibn Majah narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and grant him peace, said: "Whoever cuts off an inheritance that Allah and His Messenger have ordained, Allah will cut off his inheritance from Paradise."

Abu Mansur narrated a similar report from Sulayman bin Musa, and al-Bayhaqi from Abu Hurairah. Al-Hakim narrated from Ibn Mas’ud that the Hour will not be established until inheritance is no longer divided and no one rejoices over the spoils of an enemy. It seems that the lack of division is either due to negligence in religion, indifference, and the prevalence of injustice among the people, or due to the spread of ignorance and the absence of those who know the laws of inheritance. It has been reported from Abu Hurairah in a marfu’ (elevated) manner: "The knowledge of inheritance is the first thing to be snatched away from the nation." Al-Bayhaqi and al-Hakim narrated from Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and grant him peace, said: "Learn the laws of inheritance and teach them to the people, for I am a man who will be taken (die), and knowledge will be taken, and tribulations will appear until two people differ over an inheritance and find no one to judge between them." Perhaps the first possibility is more apparent.

This is while we have closed the door to symbolic interpretation (ishara) in these verses, due to the affectation involved in opening it; we have left it for those to whom it belongs.