ﱁ ﱂ ﱃ ﱄ ﱅ ﱆ ﱇ ﱈ ﱉ ﱊ ﱋ ﱌ ﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ ﱔ ﱕ ﱖ ﱗ ﱘ ﱙ ﱚ ﱛ ﱜ
No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for those who enjoin charity or that which is right or conciliation between people. And whoever does that seeking means to the approval of Allah - then We are going to give him a great reward.
Tafsir
Verse range: 4:114
And know that this is an allusion to what they used to whisper among themselves when they plotted what was displeasing [of speech]. And in this [verse] are several issues:
Al-Wahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: An-Najwā (secrecy/confidential talk) in language means a secret between two people. It is said: nājaytu ar-rajul munājātan wa najā’an (I conferred secretly with the man). It is also said: najawtu ar-rajul anjū najwā meaning I conferred secretly with him. An-Najwā can also be a verbal noun (masdar) equivalent to al-munājāh (conferring). Allah, the Exalted, says:
{There is no secret conference of three but that He is the fourth of them} (Al-Mujadila: 7). And it can mean the people who are conferring secretly, as Allah says: {And when they are in secret conference} (Al-Isra: 47).
Regarding His saying {except one who enjoins charity...}, the grammarians mentioned several possibilities for the grammatical position of man (one who). These possibilities depend on the meaning of najwā in this verse.
Except the young goats, and except the camels.
If we take najwā to mean the people who are conferring secretly, then man is in the accusative case as an exception of one category from another. It is also possible for man to be in the genitive case (khafd) in two ways:
Although this verse was revealed concerning the secret consultation of some of the thief's people with others, its meaning is general. It means: There is no good in what people confer about or engage in conversation about, except what pertains to good deeds.
Then, Allah, the Exalted, mentioned three types of good deeds: enjoining charity, enjoining what is right, and making peace between people.
Allah mentioned these three categories because good deeds are either about conveying benefit or averting harm.
{And Allah is Ever Knowing, Wise.}
{And whoever commits a sin or an iniquity and then casts it upon an innocent person, has burdened himself with a falsehood and a manifest sin.}
{And were it not for the grace of Allah upon you and His mercy, a group of them would have tried to lead you astray. But they lead none astray except themselves, and they will not harm you in anything. And Allah has sent down to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you what you did not know. And great is the grace of Allah upon you.}
{There is no good in much of their secret talk} — this is exactly what is meant. Have you not heard Allah say: {By the Time, Indeed, mankind is in loss} (Al-'Asr: 1-2)? This is exactly what is meant.
Then Allah, the Exalted, said:
{And whoever does that seeking the pleasure of Allah, We will give him a great reward.}
The meaning is that although these three categories of obedience are of the utmost honor and majesty, a person only benefits from them if he performs them for the sake of Allah and to seek His pleasure. If he performs them for ostentation (riyā’) or reputation, the matter reverses, and they become among the greatest corruptions.
This verse is one of the strongest proofs that what is required in outward actions is the observance of the state of the heart in sincerity of intention and purifying the motive from any regard for a purpose other than seeking the pleasure of Allah. Similar to this are His saying: {And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion} (Al-Bayyinah: 5), and {And that there is not for man except that for which he strives} (An-Najm: 39), and the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Actions are only by intentions."
Here are two questions:
The First Question: Why is ibtighā’a marḍāt Allāh (seeking the pleasure of Allah) in the accusative case (mansūb)?
Answer: Because it is an object of cause (maf'ūl lah), meaning: "because of seeking the pleasure of Allah."
The Second Question: How did He say {except one who enjoins...} and then say {And whoever does that...}?
Answer: He mentioned enjoining good to indicate the doer of good, because when enjoining good enters the category of the good-doers, it is more fitting that the doer of good enters that category. Alternatively, it could mean: "And whoever enjoins that," thus using the command to refer to the action, because commanding is also an action.
