Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:147

(What would Allah gain by your punishment if you are grateful and believe?) This is an address to the hypocrites, though it has been said it is addressed to the believers. It is directed toward clarifying that the pivot upon which their punishment rests—in terms of its existence or non-existence—is their disbelief and nothing else. Thus, the sentence serves as a confirmation of the preceding statement regarding their steadfastness upon their repentance.

The mā (what) is interrogative, intended to convey negation in the most eloquent and emphatic manner. It is also said to be a negation itself, with the bā (in bi-ʿadhābikum) indicating causality, or it is considered redundant—meaning: "What does Allah, Exalted is He, gain by punishing you? Does He quench His rage through it? Does He exact revenge through it? Does He secure a benefit or ward off harm through it, as is the habit of kings?" He is the Absolute Wealthy, Exalted far above such things. It is merely a matter necessitated by the sickness of your disbelief and hypocrisy; so if you protect yourselves from hypocrisy and purify your souls with the draught of faith and gratitude in this world, you will be healed and safe. Otherwise, you will perish with an inescapable destruction through eternity in the Fire.

Gratitude is mentioned first, despite the fact that, ostensibly, it should be delayed (as it is not considered valid until after faith), because it is a path leading to faith in its initial stages. The mystic Abu Ismail al-Ansari stated that gratitude, in its origin, is a name for the recognition of a favor, because it is the way to know the Favored-One. It has three degrees: When one looks upon a favor, such as provision and creation, a longing arises within him to know the Favored-One. This movement is called "awakening," "heartfelt gratitude," or "vague gratitude," because the identity of the Favored-One has not yet become clear to him; he only knows that there is a Favored-One. Once he awakens to this, he is granted success in attaining a greater favor: the knowledge that the Favored-One is the Eternal Refuge, the Boundless in Mercy, the Rewarder, and the Punisher. Then his limbs are moved to exalt Him, and he adds to the gratitude of the heart the gratitude of the limbs. He then proclaims this beauty with the tongue, saying: "The favors have bestowed upon me three: my hands, my tongue, and my hidden conscience."

Thus, what is mentioned in the verse is this "vague gratitude," which precedes faith. Therefore, there is no need for what the Imam assumed—that the speech involves a reversal of order (i.e., "you believed and were grateful"). As for the assertion that this question only arises if the waw (and) implies sequence, and that if it does not, there is no issue—this is something that should not be uttered by anyone who possesses the slightest taste for the science of eloquence and rhetoric. For even if the waw does not inherently signify sequence, placing that which is not primary before that which is primary is not appropriate in eloquent speech, let alone the miraculous. That is why you see them providing a reason and a point for any deviation from this.

Al-Naysaburi mentioned another aspect regarding the ordering, though he based it upon the waw indicating sequence. He said: "Perhaps the best approach is that the verse is directed at the condition of the hypocrites. There is no dispute regarding their apparent faith, but the dispute concerns their inward states and the actions proceeding from them that do not conform to their verbal claims. Thus, prioritizing gratitude here is more significant, for it refers to spending everything God has given in the purpose for which it was created, so that one’s actions and words are on the path of soundness and rectitude." It is not hidden that he did not interpret gratitude in the verse as "vague gratitude," and his view is not devoid of a clear, evident merit.

The most pleasing thought that has settled in my heart—and I later saw that the scholar al-Tayyibi, may mercy be upon him, explicitly stated it—is that what the sublime structure necessitates is that this address is to the hypocrites, and that His saying, "What would Allah gain by your punishment," is connected to His saying, "The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire, and you will not find for them any helper," etc. It is an alert to them that what has led them into this predicament is their ingratitude for the blessings of Allah, their negligence in thanking Him for what they were granted, and their forfeiture of the greatest desire through their hypocrisy: the felicity of the company of the best of creation (peace be upon him) and being joined into the ranks of those who are described in the Torah and the Gospel.

If they repent, correct themselves, hold fast to Allah, and make their religion sincerely for Him, then the ruling for them is to be organized into the string of those happy believers, after having been entitled to the lowest levels of the Fire. Then He turns to them as an insinuation that this punishment was of their own making, due to their recalcitrance and ingratitude for that exalted blessing, and their forfeiture of that precious opportunity. Otherwise, Allah is absolutely wealthy, independent of their punishment, let alone causing them to fall into such predicaments.

Therefore, His saying, "if you are grateful," is a summary of the meaning of returning from corruption on earth to correction therein, from seeking refuge in the creation to holding fast to Allah, and from hypocrisy in religion to sincerity therein. His saying, "and believe," is an interpretation and confirmation of its meaning—that is, "and believe with that faith which possesses those high excellences and gathers those perfect characteristics." The prioritization of gratitude over faith, while its rightful place in origin is delay, is an announcement that the speech concerns it, and that the preceding verse was meant to state the ingratitude for the greatest blessing of Allah, and that disbelief is a consequence. Thus, gratitude is delayed for these secrets and subtleties.

Hence, He concluded the verse by way of explanation, saying, "And Allah is Ever-Appreciative (Shākir), All-Knowing (ʿAlīm)." Meaning: He rewards for gratitude, and is All-Knowing of all particulars and universals, so nothing escapes His knowledge, and He delivers the reward completely to the grateful. The Imam favored this view. Many others have said that "The Appreciative" (al-Shākir), as well as "The Most Appreciative" (al-Shakūr), are among His names, meaning He who rewards minor acts of obedience with degrees of high value and gives, for actions in numbered days, unlimited blessings in the Hereafter. Under both interpretations, it returns to an attribute of action; it is also said that it means "The One who praises the one who holds fast to His obedience," which returns to an attribute of speech.