Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:49

"Have you not seen those who purify themselves?"

The Jews and the Christians said: "We are the sons of God and His beloved." They also said: "None shall enter Paradise except those who are Jews or Christians."

It is said that some Jewish men came to the Messenger of God (ﷺ) with their children and asked: "Is there any sin upon these?" He replied: "No." They said: "By God, we are just like them; what we do by day is expiated by night, and what we do by night is expiated by day." Thereupon, this verse was revealed.

(Al-Wahidi mentioned this in his Asbāb [al-Nuzūl] via al-Kalbi without a chain of narration, and al-Kalbi is accused of lying.)

This verse includes everyone who purifies himself and describes his soul as having pure deeds, an abundance of obedience, piety, and closeness to God.

If you ask: Did the Messenger of God (ﷺ) not say: "By God, I am the trustworthy one in heaven and the trustworthy one on earth"?

(The hadith the author refers to is the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri regarding the description of the Khawarij.)

I say: He only said that when the hypocrites told him to "be just in the distribution," in order to refute them, as they described him as the opposite of what his Lord described him. How vast is the difference between one whom God has testified to as pure, and one who testifies to his own purity or is testified for by one who does not know!

"But God purifies whom He wills"

This is an announcement that God’s purification is the only one that counts, not the purification of others, for He is the One who knows who is worthy of purification. The meaning of "purifies whom He wills" is that He purifies the chosen among His servants, those from whom He knows purity, and thus He describes them with it.

"And they will not be wronged [even as much as] a speck on a date seed"

This means that those who purify themselves will be punished for their self-purification with the justice they deserve, or that those whom He wills are rewarded for their purity, and nothing is diminished from their reward. Similar to this is: "So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him" (An-Najm: 32).

"How they invent lies about God!"

In their claim that they are pure in the sight of God.

"And sufficient is that"

By this claim of theirs.

"As a clear sin"

Among all their other sins.