Surah An-Nisa (The Women) - Verse 1

Number of Verses: 176 Revelation Period: Medinan

1. "O mankind! Fear your Lord" (ياأيها الناس اتقوا ربكم):
   • This addresses all people, not just the believers, indicating the universal nature of the command to fear God (Taqwa).

2. "Who created you from a single soul (نفس واحدة)":
   • This refers to Adam (آدم). This establishes the fundamental unity of humanity.
   • Significance: This unity serves as the primary basis for the subsequent commands regarding social responsibility and justice, as all humans share a common origin.

3. "And from it created its mate (وخلق منها زوجها)":
   • This refers to Eve (حواء), created from Adam.
   • This reinforces the concept of shared origin and mutual connection between the sexes.

4. "And from them twain hath spread forth a multitude of men and women (وبث منهما رجالا كثيرا ونسآء)":
   • This describes the propagation of humanity through procreation.
   • Implication: Since all people descend from this single pair, they are all related, necessitating kindness and mutual rights among them.

5. "And fear Allah, in Whom ye ask (your rights) (واتقوا الله الذى تسآءلون به)":
   • This is the second command for Taqwa, specifically directed toward Allah.
   • The phrase تسآءلون به (you ask by Him) has several interpretations:
     • Interpretation 1 (Most common): You ask one another by invoking Allah's name (e.g., "I ask you by Allah..."). Therefore, fear Him by honoring the oaths and requests made in His name.
     • Interpretation 2: You ask Allah for your needs and rights. Therefore, fear Him by fulfilling the duties He has commanded.

6. "And (fear) the wombs (kinship) (والارحام)":
   • This is the third object of fear/reverence, linked by the conjunction (و).
   • This commands the maintenance of kinship ties (صلة الرحم). Fear of Allah necessitates respecting the bonds established by blood relations, as these ties are also established by God.

7. "Lo! Allah alway is an Watcher over you (إن الله كان عليكم رقيبا)":
   • This serves as the ultimate motivation for fulfilling the preceding commands (Taqwa of the Lord, honoring oaths, and maintaining kinship).
   • The use of the past continuous tense (كان) emphasizes that Allah's observation is constant and eternal—He has always been, and remains, watchful over all human actions.

Surah An-Nisa (The Women): Verse 1

[1] O mankind! Be conscious of your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from them both has He caused to spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And be conscious of Allah, in Whom you ask one another, and of the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.

Commentary by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi

This Surah encompasses numerous injunctions. At its beginning, the Exalted [Allah] commands people to be kind, compassionate, and just towards their wives, children, and orphans, ensuring their rights and safeguarding their wealth. This theme is echoed at the end of the Surah: {They ask you for a ruling. Say, "Allah gives you a ruling concerning al-Kalalah..."} (4:176).

Interspersed within the Surah are other obligations, such as purification, prayer, and fighting the polytheists. Since these obligations are weighty and difficult for the natural disposition, the Surah opens with the very reason why one must bear these burdens: recognizing the Lord who created us and the Deity who brought us into existence. Hence, the verse begins: {O mankind! Be conscious of your Lord...}

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Al-Wahidi narrated from Ibn Abbas that this address is specifically for the people of Mecca. However, the Usuliyyun (scholars of jurisprudence/principles) among the exegetes unanimously agree that the address is general, encompassing all accountable beings. This latter view is stronger for several reasons:

1. The word al-Nas (mankind) is a plural definite noun (with al-), indicating totality and encompassing everyone.
2. Allah justifies the command for piety by stating He created them from a single soul. This reason is universal for all accountable beings, as they all originate from Adam (peace be upon him) and his entire lineage. If the reason is general, the ruling must be general.
3. The command for piety is not exclusive to the people of Mecca but is general for all creation. Since the term al-Nas is general, the command for piety is general, and the reason (creation from one soul) is general, asserting specificity [to Mecca] is highly improbable.

Ibn Abbas's argument for specificity rests on the subsequent phrase: {...and be conscious of Allah, in Whom you ask one another, and of the wombs.} He argues that invoking Allah and the wombs (al-Arham) in oaths is a custom specific to the Arabs (e.g., "I ask you by Allah and by the womb"). If this part is specific to the Arabs, the beginning of the verse, {O mankind!}, must also be specific to them, as the two commands for piety are directed at one audience.

Response: It is established in the principles of jurisprudence that the specificity of the end of a verse does not negate the generality of its beginning. Thus, {O mankind!} remains general for all, while the phrase {...and of the wombs} is specific to the Arabs.

Allah made this opening the beginning of two Surahs in the Qur'an: this Surah (An-Nisa, the fourth Surah in the first half of the Qur'an), and Surah Al-Hajj (the fourth Surah in the second half of the Qur'an).

In this Surah, the command for piety is justified by a proof pointing to the knowledge of the Origin (Mabda'): creation from a single soul. This demonstrates the Creator's perfect power, knowledge, wisdom, and majesty.

In Surah Al-Hajj, the command for piety is justified by a proof pointing to the knowledge of the Return (Ma'ad): {Indeed, the earthquake of the Hour is a terrible thing} (22:1).

Thus, the opening of these two Surahs serves as a sign pointing to the knowledge of the Origin and the Return. Furthermore, the Surah pointing to the Origin is presented before the one pointing to the Return, a sequence containing many profound secrets.

Allah commands piety and immediately follows it by mentioning creation from a single soul. This implies that the command for piety is reasoned by this fact. We must explain the connection between this ruling and this description.

The statement {He created you from a single soul} contains two elements:

1. The fact that He created us.
2. The manner of that creation: that He created us from a single soul.

Each element has an effect on the obligation of piety.

Element 1: The Fact That He Created Us

This fact undeniably serves as the reason why we must submit to Allah's commands and prohibitions. This is explained in several ways:

1. Servitude and Lordship: Since He is our Creator and the bringer of our existence, we are His servants, and He is our Master. Lordship necessitates the execution of His commands upon His servants, and servitude necessitates submission to the Lord, the Originator, and the Creator.
2. Ultimate Benevolence: Creation is the pinnacle of grace and ultimate kindness. You were non-existent, and He brought you into being; you were dead, and He gave you life; you were incapable, and He empowered you; you were ignorant, and He taught you, as Abraham (peace be upon him) said: {Who created me, and He guides me, And it is He who feeds me and gives me to drink} (26:78-79). Since all blessings originate from Allah, the servant must respond to these blessings by showing submission and obedience, abandoning rebellion and obstinacy. This is alluded to in: {How can you disbelieve in Allah while you were dead and He gave you life? Then He will give you death, then He will give you life [again]...} (2:28).
3. Obligation of Worship and Avoidance of Prohibition: Since His status as our Creator, Deity, and Lord is established, we must dedicate ourselves to His worship and avoid everything He has forbidden or warned against. Furthermore, these acts of obedience cannot inherently merit reward, because they are due in return for His prior blessings. Fulfilling a due right does not necessitate another reward, if we assume the servant performed these acts entirely by his own initiative—which is impossible. Obedience only occurs if Allah creates the ability and the motivation for obedience within the servant. If the ability and motivation exist, their combination necessitates the act from the servant. Therefore, that obedience is itself a grace from Allah upon His servant. When a Master bestows a grace upon His servant, that grace does not obligate another grace upon the Master. This explains why being our Creator necessitates our servitude and abstention from His prohibitions.

Element 2: The Specificity of Creation from a Single Soul

The fact that He created us from a single soul necessitates obedience and avoidance of sin. This is explained in several ways:

1. Proof of Perfect Power (Against Naturalism): Creating all human forms from one individual demonstrates the perfection of His power. If creation were merely a matter of nature or inherent property, all descendants from one human would be uniform in appearance and nature. However, we see variation—white, black, red, brown, beautiful, ugly, tall, short. This variation proves that the Director and Creator is an Active Will (Fa'il Mukhtar), not an effective nature or a necessary cause. Since this subtle point proves the world's Director is an active, willing agent, capable of all possibilities and knowing all things, submission to His commands and prohibitions becomes necessary. Thus, the connection between {Be conscious of your Lord} and {Who created you from a single soul} is perfectly elegant and ordered.
2. Encouraging Kindness to the Weak: Following the command for piety, Allah immediately commands kindness to orphans, women, and the weak. The fact that all creation stems from one soul has an impact here. Relatives naturally share a bond and familiarity that fosters greater love. A person rejoices in the praise of his kin and grieves at their condemnation. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Fatimah is a piece of me; what harms her harms me." The benefit of mentioning this fact is to make it a cause for increased compassion among people toward one another.
3. Abandoning Pride: When people recognize that all originate from one person, they abandon boasting and arrogance, displaying humility and good character.
4. Proof of the Resurrection (Ma'ad): Since Allah was capable of bringing forth diverse individuals from the loins of one person, and creating a complex, finely structured being from a drop of fluid, how can the resurrection of the dead be deemed improbable? Thus, the verse points to the Resurrection. {...that He may recompense those who do evil with what they have done, and recompense those who do good with the best [reward]} (53:31).
5. Proof of Prophethood (Nubuwwah): Al-Asamm stated that the benefit here is that reason alone cannot prove that creation must originate from a single soul; this is known only through transmitted evidence (Sam'iyyah). The Prophet (PBUH) was illiterate, having read no books and studied under no teacher. His reporting of this fact is a report of the unseen, thus constituting a miracle. In summary: {He created you} is evidence for the knowledge of Tawhid (Oneness of God), and {from a single soul} is evidence for the knowledge of Nubuwwah (Prophethood).

Objection: How can it be valid that all creation stems from one soul, given their vast numbers and the smallness of that initial soul?

Response: Allah clarified the meaning: when the mate of Adam was created from a part of him, and then his children were created from their semen, and so on perpetually, it is permissible to attribute the entirety of creation back to Adam.

The Muslims are unanimous that the "single soul" here refers to Adam (peace be upon him). The description is feminized based on the word Nafs (soul). This is analogous to His saying: {Did you kill a pure soul for other than a pure soul?} (18:74). A poet said:

Your father was a successor whom another bore, So you are the successor of that perfection. They explain this feminization is based on the word Khalifah (successor).

There are several issues here:

Issue 1: The Identity of the Mate

The mate refers to Eve (Hawa). There are two opinions regarding Eve's creation from Adam:

1. The Majority View: When Allah created Adam, He cast sleep upon him, then created Eve from a rib in his left side. When he awoke, he saw her, inclined toward her, and felt familiarity with her because she was created from a part of him. They use the Prophet's saying as evidence: "Woman was created from a crooked rib. If you try to straighten it, you will break it, but if you leave it, it remains crooked, and you can enjoy her."
2. Abu Muslim al-Isfahani's View: The meaning of {and from it created its mate} is "from its kind," similar to {And Allah has made for you from yourselves mates} (16:72) and {He sent among them a Messenger from themselves} (3:164).

The Stronger View (The First): The first view is stronger because if Eve were created independently, people would have been created from two souls, not one single soul, as stated earlier.

Counter-Argument: One could argue that the preposition min (from) indicates the starting point of origin. Since the beginning of creation and existence was Adam, it is valid to say creation proceeded "from a single soul." Furthermore, since Allah was capable of creating Adam from dust, He was equally capable of creating Eve from dust. If so, what is the benefit of creating her from Adam's rib?

Issue 2: The Etymology of Adam and Eve

Ibn Abbas said Adam was named so because Allah created him from the surface of the entire earth (adeem al-ard), its red, black, good, and bad parts. This is why his progeny includes the red, black, good, and bad. Woman was named Hawa because she was created from a living part (a rib) of Adam, hence she was created from something living (hayy).

Issue 3: Proof Against Materialism

A group of naturalists used this verse to argue that all human beings originate from the single soul (Adam), and the mate was created from him. Furthermore, regarding Adam, Allah says: {He created him from dust} (3:59), and regarding the progeny: {From it We created you} (20:55). They claim these verses prove that any new entity must arise from a pre-existing material substance, and creation ex nihilo (from absolute nothingness) is impossible.

The Theologians' Response: Creation of a thing from another thing is logically impossible. If the created thing is identical to the pre-existing thing, it is not created at all. If it is different, then this new entity arose from absolute nothingness. Therefore, creation from something else is logically impossible. The word min (from) here signifies the starting point of origin, meaning the beginning of their emergence is linked to those entities, but not out of necessity or dependence, but merely as a point of occurrence.

Issue 4: A Reading in Al-Kashshaf

The author of Al-Kashshaf mentioned that the phrase {and from it created its mate, and spread from them both...} was read by some using the active participle form, implying: "He is the Creator."

There are several issues here:

Issue 1: The Meaning of Baththa (Spread/Scattered)

Al-Wahidi said Baththa means to disperse and spread out. Ibn al-Muzzaffar said Bathth is the scattering of things, like scattering horses in a raid or a hunter scattering his dogs. Allah created the creation and scattered them upon the earth. Al-Fara' and Al-Zajjaj said some Arabs use the verb Abaththa (Allah scattered the creation).

Issue 2: Why Not "Men and Women" (Definite)?

The text does not say: "and spread from them both the men and the women." This is because that phrasing would imply they originated as fully formed men and women, which is impossible. Therefore, the phrasing {a multitude of men and women} (indefinite) was chosen.

Objection: Why is the adjective of multitude (kathiran) applied only to men, not women? (i.e., why not "many men and many women"?)

Response: The reason, Allah knows best, is that the prominence and visibility of men are greater, so their multitude is more apparent. Thus, they were specifically qualified by multitude. This suggests that what is fitting for men is prominence, going out, and visibility, while what is fitting for women is concealment and quietude.

Issue 3: Interpretation of "Spreading"

Those who hold that all human individuals existed like atoms gathered in Adam's loins interpret {and spread from them both...} literally. Those who deny this interpret it metaphorically: He spread their children, and from their children, other groups, attributing the spreading to Adam and Eve metaphorically.

There are several issues here:

Issue 1: The Reading of Tatasā'alūn (Ask One Another)

'Asim, Hamzah, and Al-Kisā'ī read it as {tasā'alūn} (with sin and lightened ta). The rest read it with the shaddah ({tatasā'alūn}).

• The Shaddah Reading: Implies tatasā'alūn where the tā' is assimilated into the sīn due to both being articulated near the tongue's tip and sharing the quality of whispering (hams).
• The Lightened Reading: Omits the tā' from tatafā'alūn due to the proximity of similar letters, treating it as a simplification, just as the first group used assimilation. When similar letters meet, they are sometimes simplified by omission and sometimes by assimilation.

Issue 2: The Reading of Wa-l-Arhām (And the Wombs)

Hamzah alone reads it with a genitive case ({wa-l-arhāmi}). The rest of the reciters read it with an accusative case ({wa-l-arhāma}).

The majority of grammarians consider Hamzah's reading flawed, arguing it involves conjoining an explicit noun (al-arham) to a suffixed pronoun in the genitive case (bihi), which is impermissible. They offer justifications:

1. The suffixed pronoun in the genitive case is like a particle; thus, an explicit noun cannot be conjoined to it. (Justification: The pronoun cannot be separated, unlike tanwīn.)
2. They avoid conjoining an explicit noun to a suffixed pronoun in the nominative case (e.g., saying Idhhab anta wa Zayd instead of Idhhab wa Zayd). If this is disallowed for the separable pronoun, it is more so for the inseparable one.
3. The conjoined term must share the same grammatical status as the term it follows. You cannot say Marartu bi-Zaydika (I passed by your Zayd), so you cannot say Marartu bika wa Zayd (I passed by you and Zayd).

Critique of Grammatical Objections: These arguments are weak against established linguistic evidence. Hamzah is one of the seven major reciters, and he would not have adopted this reading without transmission from the Prophet (PBUH), establishing its validity. Logic yields to established transmission, especially when the logic is as fragile as a spider's web. Furthermore, this reading has two possible justifications:

1. It implies repetition of the preposition: "You ask by Him [Allah] and by the wombs."
2. It is attested in poetry.

It is strange that grammarians accept this structure based on two obscure poems but reject it based on the recitation of Hamzah and Mujahid, both towering figures in early Islamic scholarship.

Al-Zajjaj argued against this reading based on meaning, citing the Prophet's saying: "Do not swear by your fathers." Conjoining the wombs to the pronoun referring to Allah might imply that swearing by the wombs is permissible.

Response: This can be answered by noting that the verse recounts a practice from the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) where they would say, "I ask you by Allah and the womb." Recounting this past action does not negate the subsequent prohibition. Moreover, the Hadith specifically forbids swearing by fathers, which is not the case here; rather, it is swearing by Allah first, followed by mentioning the womb.

Readings with Accusative Case (Nasb): There are two interpretations:

1. It is conjoined to the position of the prepositional phrase (i.e., the object of the implied verb), similar to: {So we are not mountains, nor are we iron} (57:25).
2. The majority of exegetes hold that the implied meaning is: "And be conscious of the wombs, lest you sever them." Thus, al-Arham is in the accusative case by being conjoined to Allah (i.e., "Be conscious of Allah, and be conscious of the rights of the wombs, maintain them and do not sever them"). Al-Wahidi added that it could also be in the accusative case due to Ighra' (incitement/exhortation), meaning: "And the wombs—maintain them and connect them," which establishes the prohibition of severing kinship ties.

**Reading with Nominative Case (Raf')**: The author of Al-Kashshaf suggests the nominative case implies it is a subject whose predicate is omitted, as if saying: "And the wombs are likewise to be feared/respected," or "are what one asks by."

Issue 3: Repetition of the Command for Piety

Allah first says {Be conscious of your Lord} and then {And be conscious of Allah}. This repetition serves several purposes:

1. Emphasis: To reinforce the command, like saying, "Hurry, hurry!"
2. Different Reasons: The first command is due to the grace of creation, etc. The second command is due to the practice of invoking Allah and the wombs when seeking something from others.
3. Combining Hope and Fear: Rabb (Lord) implies nurturing and benevolence (encouragement/hope). Allah implies overwhelming power and majesty (awe/fear). He commands piety based on hope first, then reiterates it based on fear, similar to {They call upon their Lord in fear and aspiration} (32:16). It is as if He says: He nurtured you and favored you, so fear disobeying Him, for He is severe in punishment and mighty in might.

Issue 4: The Meaning of Invoking by Allah and Wombs

Invoking by Allah means saying, "I ask you by Allah," "I intercede to you by Allah," etc., used to emphasize one's request or seek favor. The reading with the genitive case ({wa-l-arhāmi}) is clear in meaning: "And be conscious of Allah, by Whom you ask one another, and [be conscious of] the wombs." Arabs customarily used the womb to soften the heart of the person being asked, saying, "I ask you by Allah and the womb," or sometimes just, "I ask you by the womb." The polytheists would write to the Prophet (PBUH): "We appeal to you by Allah and the womb not to send such-and-such against us."

The reading with the accusative case ({wa-l-arhāma}) leads to the meaning: "Be conscious of Allah, and be conscious of the wombs (i.e., maintain them)." The Judge noted that this shows one word can imply different meanings: piety towards Allah (obeying Him) is different from piety towards wombs (maintaining kinship). This apparent contradiction is resolved if we assume Allah mentioned the command twice, once for Allah and once for the wombs.

Issue 5: Etymology of Rahm (Womb/Kinship)

Some say the word Rahm (womb/kinship) is derived from Rahmah (Mercy), citing the Hadith: "Allah says, 'I am the Most Merciful, and this is the Womb; I derived its name from My Name.' For this reason, mercy is shown between people through this connection." Others say it is derived from the womb (the organ) where sustenance originates. Others say they are independent roots. Such disputes are minor.

Issue 6: Permissibility of Asking by Allah

The verse indicates the permissibility of asking by Allah. Mujahid narrated from 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Whoever asks you by Allah, give him." Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded us regarding seven things, one of which was fulfilling oaths.

Issue 7: The Greatness of Kinship Ties

The phrase {and of the wombs} emphasizes the sanctity of kinship ties and reinforces the prohibition against severing them. Allah says: {Then perhaps, if you turned away, you would cause corruption in the land and sever your relations?} (47:22). He also commanded kindness to relatives in other verses (e.g., 4:36, 17:23).

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Allah says, 'I am the Most Merciful, and this is the Womb; I derived its name from My Name. Whoever connects it, I connect him, and whoever severs it, I sever him.'" Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "No act of obedience to Allah is rewarded more swiftly than maintaining kinship, and no act of disobedience is punished more swiftly than aggression and false oaths." Anas narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Charity and maintaining kinship increase one's lifespan, avert a bad death, and repel harm and dislike." He also said: "The best charity is given to a hostile relative (al-kāshiḥ)."

Thus, the Book and the Sunnah establish the obligation of maintaining kinship and the reward for doing so. Based on this principle, the companions of Abu Hanifa derived two rulings:

1. If a man possesses a close, unmarriageable relative (like a brother or uncle), that relative is freed upon ownership, because if ownership persisted, it would permit using them for service, which causes alienation leading to the severing of kinship—an act forbidden by this principle. Therefore, ownership must cease.
2. It is impermissible to revoke a gift given to a close, unmarriageable relative, because revoking it causes alienation leading to the severing of kinship.

Finally, Allah concludes this verse with what serves as a promise, a warning, encouragement, and deterrence: {Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.} Raqīb means an overseer who records all your actions. Since He possesses this attribute, He must be feared and hoped for. Allah clarifies that He knows the secret and what is more hidden, and therefore, one must be cautious and fearful in all actions taken or left undone.