Tafsir Ibn Kathir on An-Nisa' 4:49

Surah An-Nisa' 4:49

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ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ

Have you not seen those who claim themselves to be pure? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills, and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed].

Chastising and Cursing the Jews for Claiming Purity for Themselves and Believing in Jibt and Taghut Allah

ألم تر إلى الذين يزكون أنفسهم

Have you not seen those who claim sanctity for themselves! Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, "This Ayah, was revealed about the Jews and Christians when they said, `We are Allah's children and His loved ones.''' Ibn Zayd also said, "This Ayah was revealed concerning their statement,

نحن أبناء الله وأحباوه

(We are the children of Allah and His loved ones) (5:18) and their statement,

لن يدخل الجنة إﻻ من كان هودا أو نصارى

(None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian).'' (2:111) This is why Allah said,

بل الله يزكي من يشاء

Nay, but Allah sanctifies whom He wills, meaning, the decision in this matter is with Allah Alone, because He has perfect knowledge of the true reality and secrets of all things. Allah then said,

وﻻ يظلمون فتيﻼ

And they will not be dealt with injustice even equal to the extent of a Fatil, meaning, He does no injustice with anyone's compensation in any part of his reward, even if it was the weight of a Fatil. Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Ata, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others among the Salaf said that; Fatil means, "The scalish thread in the long slit of the date-stone.'' Allah said,

Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:49

Tafsir Ibn Kathir