Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:48

Surah An-Nisa (4): Verse 48

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرِكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ} (Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.)

Know that when Allah Almighty threatened the Children of Israel for their disbelief, and clarified that this threat must inevitably occur, He then distinguished this specific threat as being characteristic of disbelief (kufr). As for other sins that differ from disbelief, their situation is not the same; rather, Allah Almighty may pardon them. Hence, He stated: {Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.}

There are several issues concerning this verse:

This verse indicates that, according to the terminology of the Sharia, a Jew is termed a polytheist (mushrik). This is supported by two arguments:

1. Argument by Exclusion: The verse states that everything other than Shirk is forgivable. If Judaism were distinct from Shirk, it would necessarily be forgivable according to this verse. However, by consensus (ijma'), Judaism is not forgivable (without repentance). Therefore, it must fall under the category of Shirk.
2. Contextual Link: The connection of this verse to the preceding verses was specifically to address the threat against the Jews. If Judaism were not included under the name of Shirk, this contextual link would not be appropriate.

Objection: The verse in Surah Al-Hajj states: {Indeed, those who believed, and those who were Jews, and the Sabeans, and the Christians, and those who associated others [with Allah]...} (22:17), where the polytheist (al-mushrik) is mentioned separately from the Jew, implying a difference.

Response: The difference exists based on linguistic understanding, while the unity exists based on the legal (Sharia) understanding. We must adhere to the latter to avoid contradiction.

Application to Jurisprudence: Once this premise is established (that Jews are considered polytheists in this context), we consider the legal ruling:

• Imam Al-Shafi'i held that a Muslim is not executed for killing a Dhimmi (non-Muslim subject). His proof is that the Dhimmi is a polytheist, as established above. Since the polytheist's blood is permissible to shed (based on the command to fight polytheists), the Dhimmi is also permissible to kill in this sense. Permissibility of killing means that Qisas (retaliation) is not obligatory upon the killer, and the prohibition against killing him is lifted. Since the prohibition is lifted, the ruling regarding the removal of Qisas remains in effect.
• Imam Abu Hanifa held that the Muslim is executed for killing the Dhimmi.

This verse is one of the strongest proofs for us (the Sunni position) regarding the forgiveness of major sins committed by believers before repentance.

This is demonstrated in several ways:

1. Interpretation of Negation and Affirmation: The phrase {Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him} means He does not forgive Shirk as an act of grace (tafaddul), because by consensus, Shirk is not forgiven if the polytheist repents (i.e., forgiveness is not obligatory upon Allah when repentance occurs). If the negation applies to forgiveness as grace, then the affirmation {but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills} must also apply to forgiveness as grace. If one said, "So-and-so does not give anyone out of grace, but he gives Zayd," it is understood that he gives Zayd out of grace. If one were to explicitly say, "He does not give anyone anything out of grace, but he gives Zayd out of obligation," any rational person would deem this statement awkward. Thus, {and He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills} must refer to forgiveness by grace.
   • If this is established, the intended meaning must be the major sins committed before repentance. This is because the Mu'tazila argue that the forgiveness of minor sins and the forgiveness of major sins after repentance are rationally obligatory. The verse cannot refer to these, as they are not contingent upon Allah's will (mashī’ah). Therefore, the verse must refer to the forgiveness of major sins before repentance, which is what we seek to prove.

2. Division of Prohibitions: Allah divided prohibitions into two categories: Shirk and everything else. The category "everything else" includes major sins before repentance, major sins after repentance, and minor sins. Allah decreed that Shirk is absolutely unforgivable, while everything else is conditionally forgivable, contingent upon His will. The verse thus implies: Allah forgives everything except Shirk, but He does so for whomever He wills. Since the verse indicates that everything other than Shirk is forgivable, major sins committed before repentance must also be forgivable.

3. Contingency on Will (Mashī’ah): Allah linked this forgiveness to His will ({for whom He wills}). The forgiveness of major sins after repentance and the forgiveness of minor sins are definite and not contingent upon His will. Therefore, the forgiveness mentioned in this verse must be the forgiveness of major sins committed before repentance, which is the desired conclusion.
   • Objection to the Third Argument: Some object that linking something to the will does not negate its obligation. For example, Allah says after this verse: {Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills} (4:49). We know that Allah only purifies those fit for purification; otherwise, it would imply falsehood, which is impossible for Allah. The same applies here.

We hold that the Mu'tazila have no significant counter-argument to these points except by citing general verses threatening punishment (wa'īd). We counter these with general verses promising reward (wa'd). A detailed discussion on this matter is found in Surah Al-Baqarah, concerning the verse: {Yes, whoever earns an evil and his sin encompasses him—those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally} (2:81). Thus, repetition is unnecessary.

Narrations Supporting Forgiveness of Major Sins:

• Al-Wahidi narrated in Al-Basit with his chain from Ibn Umar: "During the time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), when one of us died having committed a major sin, we would testify that he was among the people of the Fire. This continued until this verse was revealed, and then we refrained from giving such testimony."
• Ibn Abbas said: "I hope that just as no deed benefits a polytheist alongside Shirk, no sin harms a monotheist alongside Tawhid (monotheism)." This was mentioned in the presence of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who remained silent.
• It is narrated in a Marfu' report (attributed to the Prophet PBUH): "Adorn yourselves with faith and draw near to it, for just as the good deeds of a polytheist do not remove him from his polytheism, the sins of a believer do not remove him from his faith."

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that when Wahshi killed Hamza during the Battle of Uhud (having been promised freedom for it, which the pagans later failed to grant), he and his companions regretted their actions. They wrote to the Prophet (PBUH) about their sin, stating that nothing prevented them from entering Islam except the verse: {And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity...} (Al-Furqan: 68), as they had committed all the sins mentioned.

Then, the verse {Except for one who repents, believes and does righteous work...} (Al-Furqan: 70) was revealed. They replied that this condition was too severe, and they feared they could not fulfill it. Then, {Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills} was revealed. They then said they feared not being among those whom Allah wills to forgive. Finally, {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning]...} (Az-Zumar: 53) was revealed, whereupon they entered Islam.

The Judge's Objection: The Qadi (Judge) criticized this narration, arguing that someone intending faith should not retract their commitment to such an extent. Furthermore, if the verse {Indeed, Allah forgives all sins} (Az-Zumar: 53) were absolute, it would encourage them to persist in their state.

Response: It is not unlikely that they greatly feared the gravity of killing Hamza and harming the Prophet (PBUH) to that degree, causing doubt in their hearts as to whether it could be forgiven. This is why they sought clarification. As for the claim that this encourages evil: this argument holds true only according to their doctrine (Mu'tazila). However, according to our position—that Allah is the absolute Doer of what He wills—the objection falls away. And Allah knows best.

{وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا} (And whoever associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.)

This means he has invented a sin that is unforgivable. The phrase iftarā (fabricated) is used when someone commits or invents a lie. Its root, al-farī, means to cut off.

{أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُم ۚ بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا * انظُرْ كَيْفَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِ إِثْمًا مُّبِينًا} (Have you not seen those who claim purity for themselves? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills, and they will not be wronged, not even by a speck on a date seed. Look how they invent lies about Allah! And sufficient for them is that as a manifest sin.)