Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:147

"Why should God punish you..."

Does He seek to quench His rage through it? Or does He seek to exact revenge? Or does He seek to acquire a benefit or ward off harm through it, as kings do with their punishments? He is the Self-Sufficient (al-Ghani), to whom none of that can be attributed.

Rather, it is a matter necessitated by wisdom: that the wrongdoer be punished. If you fulfill the gratitude for His blessings and believe in Him, you have removed from yourselves the desert of punishment.

"...and God is Appreciative (Shakir)..."

Rewarding, fulfilling your wages.

"...All-Knowing."

Of the reality of your gratitude and your faith.

If you ask: Why was gratitude (shukr) placed before faith (iman)?

I say: Because the rational person looks at the immense blessing upon him in his creation and his exposure to benefits, so he offers a general gratitude. When his reflection leads him to know the Bestower of blessings, he believes in Him, then offers a detailed gratitude. Thus, gratitude precedes faith, as if it were the foundation of religious obligation and its axis.