Surah An-Nisa (4:123): "Not by your wishes, nor..."
Verse: { لَيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ }
(Not by your wishes, nor by the wishes of the People of the Book.)
There are several points concerning this verse:
Issue 1: The Meaning of *Umniyyah* (Wishes/Desires)
The word *Umniyyah* (أمنية) is derived from *Maniyyah* (منية). A full discussion of this term is found in the Almighty's saying: {إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ} (Except when he recited, Satan cast therein [a suggestion]). (Al-Hajj: 52).
Issue 2: The Subject of the Negation (*Laysa*)
The word {لَيْسَ} (is not) is a verb, so it must refer back to a subject (the *Ism*). There are several interpretations:
- The Reward Mentioned Previously: The reward previously mentioned in the verse before this one, {سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي} (We will admit them into Gardens beneath which rivers flow...), is not attained by your wishes or the wishes of the People of the Book. Rather, it is attained through faith (Iman) and righteous deeds.
- The Religion Itself: The religion is not established upon your wishes.
- Reward and Punishment: Reward and punishment are not based on mere wishes.
The first interpretation is the strongest because attributing {لَيْسَ} to something previously mentioned is preferable to attributing it to something unmentioned.
Issue 3: The Addressee of the Statement
Who is being addressed in {لَيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ} (Not by your wishes)? There are two opinions:
- The Idol Worshippers: Their wish is that there be no resurrection, no judgment, no reward, and no punishment. Even if they acknowledge these concepts, they claim their idols are their intercessors with God. As for the wishes of the People of the Book, it is their saying: {لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى} (And they say, "None will enter Paradise except those who were Jews or Christians"). (Al-Baqarah: 111), and their claim: {نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ} (We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones) (Al-Ma'idah: 18), meaning they will not be punished. Also, their saying: {لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَةً} (The Fire will not touch us except for a few days). (Al-Baqarah: 80).
- The Muslims: Their wish is that they be forgiven even if they commit major sins. This is not the case, as God singles out whomever He wills for pardon and mercy, as He said: {وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ} (And He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills). (An-Nisa: 116). It is narrated that Muslims and the People of the Book boasted to each other. The People of the Book said: Our Prophet preceded yours, and our Book preceded yours; we are more deserving of God than you. The Muslims replied: Our Prophet is the Seal of the Prophets, and our Book supersedes previous scriptures. Then God revealed this verse.
Verse: { مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ }
(Whoever does evil, he will be recompensed for it.)
There are several issues concerning this statement:
Issue 1: The Scope of Recompense (The Mu'tazila View and Responses)
The Mu'tazila argue that this verse proves God does not pardon *any* evil deed. If one objects that this contradicts the forgiveness of minor sins, they offer two responses:
1. A general statement remains authoritative even after specific exceptions have been made (the principle of *al-'Aam ba'd al-Takhsis*).
2. Even the perpetrator of a minor sin has had the reward of their obedience diminished by the measure of punishment due for that sin; thus, the recompense for that sin has reached them.
Our Companions (Ahl al-Sunnah) respond by stating that the discussion regarding the generality of the verse was already covered when interpreting {بَلَى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ} (Nay, whoever earns an evil deed and is encompassed by his sin—those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein forever). (Al-Baqarah: 81). What we add here are several points:
First Point (Recompense in this World): Why can it not be that this recompense refers to the grief, sorrow, pain, illness, and affliction that befalls a person in this world? Evidence for this is found in the Quran and Hadith.
- Quranic Evidence: God says regarding theft: {وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمَا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَسَبَا} (As for the thief, both male and female, amputate their hands as a recompense for what they have earned). (Al-Ma'idah: 38). He named the amputation a Jaza' (recompense).
- Hadith Evidence: When this verse was revealed, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RA) asked: "What hope remains after this verse?" The Prophet (PBUH) replied: "May God forgive you, O Abu Bakr! Do you not fall ill? Are you not afflicted by harm? That is what you are recompensed with." It is narrated from 'A'ishah (RA) that a man read this verse and said: "Are we to be recompensed for everything we do? We are ruined!" When the Prophet (PBUH) heard this, he said: "The believer is recompensed in this world for afflictions to his body and what harms him." It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that when this verse was revealed, we wept and grieved, saying: "O Messenger of God, what has this verse left for us?" He (PBUH) replied: "Rejoice! For nothing afflicts a believer in this world except that God makes it expiation for him, even the thorn that pierces his foot."
Second Point (Reduction of Reward): Even if the recompense is only received on the Day of Resurrection, why can it not be that the recompense occurs through the reduction of the reward for his faith and other acts of obedience? Evidence for this is found in the Quran, Hadith, and reason.
- Quranic Evidence: {إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ} (Indeed, good deeds drive away bad deeds). (Hud: 114).
- Hadith Evidence: Al-Kalbī narrated from Abū Ṣāliḥ from Ibn 'Abbās (RA) that when this verse was revealed, it weighed heavily on the believers. They said: "O Messenger of God, is there anyone among us who has not done evil? How then will the recompense be?" He (PBUH) replied: "Indeed, God promised ten rewards for one act of obedience and one penalty for one sin. So, whoever is recompensed for a bad deed, one is subtracted from ten, and nine good deeds remain for him. Woe to him whose ones outweigh his tens!"
- Rational Evidence: The reward for faith and all acts of obedience is certainly greater than the punishment for a single major sin. Justice requires that the lesser amount be deducted from the greater amount, leaving a surplus from the greater amount, by which he enters Paradise.
Third Point (Context of Disbelievers): This verse was revealed concerning the disbelievers. Evidence for this is that God immediately follows it with: {وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ} (And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer—those will enter Paradise). (An-Nisa: 124). A believer who obeyed God for seventy years and then drank a drop of wine is still a believer who has done righteous deeds, so he must enter Paradise based on this verse. The claim that he ceases to be a believer is false, based on evidence showing that the perpetrator of a major sin remains a believer, such as: {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا} (And if two factions of believers fight) (Al-Hujurat: 9), where the aggressor is still called a believer. Also: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى} (O you who have believed, prescribed for you is retribution for [the case of] the slain) (Al-Baqarah: 187), where the intentional killer is called a believer. Also: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ} (O you who have believed, repent to Allah) (At-Tahrim: 8), where he is called a believer while being commanded to repent. Thus, it is established that the perpetrator of a major sin is a believer. If he is a believer, then the verse {وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ} proves that the believer who commits a major sin is among the people of Paradise. Therefore, the statement {مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ} must be specific to the disbelievers.
Fourth Point (Specificity over Generality): Even if the text generally applies to both believers and disbelievers, the verse {وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ} (And He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills) (An-Nisa: 48) is more specific than this general statement, and the specific takes precedence over the general. Furthermore, it is more appropriate to apply interpretation (qualification) to the general threats than to the general promises, because fulfilling a promise is generosity, while overlooking a threat and interpreting it as a mere possibility is grace and benevolence.
Issue 2: Accountability of Disbelievers for Branches of Law
This verse indicates that disbelievers are addressed by the detailed rulings of the Sharia, because {مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا} (Whoever does evil) encompasses all prohibitions, including those committed by disbelievers that are forbidden in Islam. Then, {يُجْزَ بِهِ} (he will be recompensed for it) indicates that the recompense for all of that reaches them.
Objection: Why can this recompense not be the worries and sorrows they experience in this world?
Response: Their good deeds must also receive their recompense in this world, as there is no way to deliver that reward to them in the Hereafter. If this is the case, it implies that their enjoyment and pleasures in this world are greater. This is why the Prophet (PBUH) said: "This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever." If this is true, it becomes impossible to say that the recompense for their forbidden actions reaches them in this world. Therefore, it must be concluded that the recompense reaches them in the Hereafter.
Issue 3: Free Will and Divine Creation of Actions
The Mu'tazila argue that this verse proves:
1. The servant is the doer (*Fa'il*).
2. By doing evil, he deserves recompense.
If the verse proves both these points, it proves that God does not create the actions of the servants, for two reasons:
1. Since it is an action of the servant, it cannot be an action of God, as it is impossible for one single outcome to be produced by two agents.
2. If it were produced by God's creation, the servant would not deserve any recompense for it whatsoever. This is false, as the verse proves the servant deserves recompense for his action. (Note: The discussion on this type of inference is repeated elsewhere in this book.)
Verse: { وَلَا يَجِدُ لَهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا }
(And he will find for himself no protector or helper besides Allah.)
The Mu'tazila argue that this verse negates intercession (Shafa'ah). The response is twofold:
- We have already stated that this verse pertains to the disbelievers.
- The intercession of prophets and angels for sinners occurs only by the permission of God. If this is the case, no one has a protector or helper except God, the Exalted.
Verse: { وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا }
(And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer—those will enter Paradise, and they will not be wronged, not even as much as a speck on a date seed.)
