Surah al-Nisa

It is narrated from Abu al-Muhallab (may Allah have mercy on him) that he travelled to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to ask about the interpretation of this blessed verse: "It will not be according to your wishful thinking, nor the wishful thinking of the People of the Book. Whoever does evil will be recompensed for it" [Surah al-Nisa: 123]. She said: "This recompense means the hardships, illnesses and afflictions that befall you in this very world (so that they become an expiation for your sins)."
Hadith no. 3584: Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh said: Sulayman bin Harb informed us, from Hammad bin Zayd, from Hajjaj al-Sawwaf, from Ayyub, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu al-Muhallab, who narrated this report.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "The major sins are seven: associating partners with Allah; killing a soul that Allah has made sacred, except by right; disobedience to parents; fleeing from the battlefield when facing the enemy; slandering a chaste woman; consuming usury (riba); and consuming the wealth of an orphan (wrongfully)."
This chain is hasan (good).

It is narrated from Taysalah bin Mayyas al-Hudhali that he said: I was with the Najdat (a sect of the Khawarij), and I committed some sins that I considered to be nothing other than major sins. So I came to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he said: "They are nine," and he enumerated them: "Associating partners with Allah; killing a soul without right; turning one's back and fleeing from the enemy on the battlefield; slandering a chaste woman; consuming usury (riba); devouring the wealth of an orphan; committing ilhad (that is, violating the sanctity of the Haram, or deviation) in the Sacred Mosque; practising magic; and making one's parents weep through disobedience." When Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) saw my alarm and distress, he asked: "Do you fear entering the Fire?" I said: Yes. He asked: "Do you wish to enter Paradise?" I said: Yes. He asked: "Are your parents alive?" Then he mentioned the full hadith.
Imam al-Bukhari recorded this report in al-Adab al-Mufrad (8) and Imam al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, and its chain is sahih (authentic).

It is narrated from Sa'id bin Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna al-Miqdad bin al-Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him) set out on a military expedition. They passed by a tribe of polytheists and they all fled, but one man stayed with his family and wealth and called out: "Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah (I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah)," but Sayyiduna al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him) killed him. It was said to him: "Did you kill him while he was bearing witness to the oneness of Allah?" He replied: "He only wished to escape with his family and wealth." The people said: "Here is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); ask him." So they came to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and related the whole incident, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Did you kill him while he was bearing witness to the oneness of Allah?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah! He only wanted to flee with his wealth and family." The narrator says: Then this verse was revealed: "O you who believe, when you go forth in the way of Allah, verify," up to the words of Allah Almighty, "Thus were you before" [Surah al-Nisa: 94].
That is: you too (in Makkah) used to conceal your faith in the same way while living among the polytheists; then Allah Almighty favoured you and gave Islam dominance, so investigate and verify thoroughly.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Falatan bin Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: We were sitting in the gathering of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when revelation began to descend upon him (peace and blessings be upon him). His (peace and blessings be upon him) state was such that when revelation came down upon him, his gaze would become fixed, his eyes would remain open, and his hearing and sight would be wholly devoted to the message coming from Allah Almighty. When the revelation was complete, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the scribe of revelation: "Write: 'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home), other than those who are disabled, and those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives' [Surah al-Nisa: 95]." The narrator says: On hearing this, Sayyiduna Ibn Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him), who was blind, stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! What is our sin?" (that is, why should we be deprived of this virtue because of our disability). Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, sent down further revelation. We told the blind Companion that revelation was descending upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he kept standing, pleading: "Allahumma inni atubu ilayk (O Allah, I turn to You in repentance)." When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was relieved of the state of revelation, he (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed the scribe: "Write down the words 'other than those who are disabled' (in the verse)."
Imam Ibn Hibban recorded it in his Sahih through Abu Ya'la.

It is narrated from Muhammad bin al-Muntashir that a man said to Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): "I know the most severe and most difficult verse in the Book of Allah Almighty (the Noble Qur'an)." On hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) lunged at him, struck him with his whip and said: "What is the matter with you? Did you dig into it so much that you came to know it?" Then the man went away, until, when the next day came, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: "Which is the verse you mentioned yesterday?" He said: "Did you give me a chance to tell you about it?" Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "I could not sleep the whole of last night because of this worry." The man said: "O Commander of the Believers! Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: 'Whoever does evil will be recompensed for it' [Surah al-Nisa: 123]." (He explained that) there is none of us who does an evil deed except that he is recompensed for it. On hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Indeed, when this verse was revealed, (out of fear of Allah) neither food nor drink benefited us, until after that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, granted a concession and ease by revealing (another verse), saying: 'And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then seeks Allah's forgiveness will find Allah Most Forgiving, Most Merciful' [Surah al-Nisa: 110]."
The chain of this report is jayyid (good), and Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh recorded it in his Musnad.

It is narrated from Khalid bin Ar'arah that when Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred (the narrator related a long hadith in which it is mentioned that) another man then stood up and asked Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) about the words of Allah Almighty: "And if a woman fears ill-conduct or desertion from her husband, there is no sin upon them if they make a settlement between themselves" [Surah al-Nisa: 128]. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Ask (me) about such matters of knowledge. What is meant is a man who has two wives, and one of them becomes incapable (of fulfilling marital rights due to old age or some other excuse), or she is unattractive (in appearance), so the woman makes a settlement with her husband that he will come to her once every two or three nights (in the allotment of turns)."
Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded this report in al-Sunan al-Kubra, and the narrators in its chain are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyiduna al-Zubayr bin al-Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him) had a dispute with a man over some matter, and they brought their case to the court of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). (At his (peace and blessings be upon him) judgement) that man said (objecting): "You (peace and blessings be upon him) judged in his favour only because he is your paternal aunt's son." Thereupon Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed this noble verse: "So (O Prophet!), by your Lord, they cannot be (true) believers until they make you judge and arbiter in their mutual disputes" [Surah al-Nisa: 65].
Imam al-Humaydi recorded this report in his Musnad, and the basis of this incident is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari (4585) from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both).

It is narrated from a man among the descendants of Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that he said: I think that the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), stated that Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) and a man had a dispute, so they took their case to the court of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) judged in favour of Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him). Thereupon that man said (insolently): "You (peace and blessings be upon him) judged in his favour only because he is your paternal aunt's son," and he taunted with his tongue. Seeing this, a Jew spoke up: "Look at this man! He is finding fault with his own Prophet, whereas we are far more obedient to our Prophet than these people; our Prophet commanded us to kill ourselves, and we killed ourselves (in compliance with the divine command 'So kill yourselves' [Surah al-Baqarah: 54])."
Takhrij: This report is found in Musnad Ishaq bin Rahwayh (hadith: 1843), and the basis of this story is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari (2359) and Sahih Muslim (2357) from Sayyiduna al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him); however, this comment of the Jew has also been transmitted by Ibn Abi Hatim and other imams in their Tafsirs.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Fighting (martyrdom) in the way of Allah Almighty becomes an expiation for all sins except the trust. The one martyred in the way of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will be brought (on the Day of Resurrection) and it will be said to him: Fulfil your trust. He will say: O my Lord! How can I fulfil it when the world has come to an end? Then it will be said: Take him to al-Hawiyah (Hell). Then, when he has been taken to the deepest depth of al-Hawiyah, that trust of his will be presented before him in exactly the same state as it was on the day it was lost (in the world). He will lift it, load it on his shoulder and climb upward in the Fire, until, when he thinks he is just about to get out of the Fire, that trust will fall down again, and that person too will keep falling down after it for ever and ever." Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) recited this blessed verse: "Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to their rightful owners" [Surah al-Nisa: 58].
The chain of this report is jayyid (good), and Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded it in Shu'ab al-Iman and Imam al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "When this verse, 'They ask you for a ruling. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning kalalah' [Surah al-Nisa: 176], was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in his house. He (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his gaze and saw that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) was there, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse to him and made Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) commit it well to memory. Then Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) looked and saw that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was there, so he recited this verse to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and made him memorise it too. Then, when Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed the office of caliph and intended to give a ruling concerning kalalah, he met Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about it, whereupon Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'By Allah! I would be very foolish indeed if I thought that your rule would place any pressure or shackle upon me, and now you are saying to me, "Teach me this verse again," whereas the reality is what I told you before.' Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah have mercy on you),' that was not my intention. Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'This verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and he (peace and blessings be upon him) made me memorise it; then I made you memorise it just as I had been taught it. So by Allah! I will never add anything at all to this teaching.'"
Imam Ibn Abi Umar al-Adani recorded this athar in his Musnad, and all its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will raise (from the graves) people from whose mouths flames of fire will be blazing." It was asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who are they? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said (in reply): "Have you not seen that Allah Almighty says: 'Indeed, those who devour the wealth of orphans unjustly (only fill their bellies with fire)' [Surah al-Nisa: 10]?"
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this hadith in his Musnad; there is weakness in its chain because of a narrator named Ziyad bin al-Mundhir; however, its meaning is established and correct by the text of the Noble Qur'an.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, admonishing: "Fear Allah Almighty and ensure that trusts are fulfilled, for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says (in the Noble Qur'an): 'Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to their rightful owners' [Surah al-Nisa: 58]."
Imam Sa'id bin Mansur recorded this athar in his Sunan, and its narrator is Isa bin Sadaqah al-Basri, about whom the hadith scholars have criticism.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Sayyiduna Damrah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) set out from his house with the intention of emigrating, and he said to his family: "Carry me and take me out of this land of the polytheists to the blessed presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." Then this revelation came down from Allah Almighty: "And whoever leaves his house as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger, and then death overtakes him (on the way itself), his reward has surely become due with Allah" [Surah al-Nisa: 100].
This report is of great importance in explaining the occasions of revelation; Imam Ibn Abi Hatim and other hadith scholars have narrated it through various chains.

It is narrated from Ka'b bin Dhuhl al-Iyadi (may Allah have mercy on him) that he used to visit Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him). He says: I heard him narrating this hadith from the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A messenger came to me from my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, and conveyed this revelation: 'And whoever does evil or wrongs himself and then seeks Allah's forgiveness will find Allah Most Forgiving, Most Merciful' [Surah al-Nisa: 110]." In fact, the verse revealed before it, "Whoever does evil will be recompensed for it" [Surah al-Nisa: 123], had weighed very heavily and grievously on the Companions, so I wished to give my Companions good news (through this new verse). (Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) says:) I said: O Messenger of Allah! Even if he has committed adultery and even if he has stolen, and then seeks forgiveness from Allah, will Allah forgive him? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes." I asked again, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, even though the nose of Uwaymir (Abu al-Darda') be rubbed in the dust (that is, contrary to what Abu al-Darda' supposed, Allah will forgive him)." Ka'b bin Dhuhl (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I saw Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) striking his own nose with his finger (to emphasise this).
In the chain of this hadith, the narrator Tammam bin Najih is da'if (weak); however, the theme of forgiveness mentioned in it is established by other sahih hadiths and Qur'anic verses.