Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 36

(Ayah 36) ➊ {وَ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ :} After the matters of husband and wife, the mention of kindness to others who have rights comes, but the beginning is with the command to worship Allah and the prohibition of associating partners with Him, because every action begins with this. Just as the general subject of this surah is the issues of women, yet the surah begins with «{ اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَكُمْ }». (Ibn Ashur)
➋ { وَ لَا تُشْرِكُوْا بِهٖ شَيْـًٔا:} That is, in no way should anything be made His partner. Not making Him a partner means to acknowledge Allah as the Owner and Controller of everything and not to associate any living or dead creature in any of His attributes, and to ask all needs and desires only from Him, for He alone is the Disposer in the universe, no one else.
➌ {وَ بِالْوَالِدَيْنِ۠ اِحْسَانًا:} After commanding monotheism, the rights of relatives and other people are mentioned step by step. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "First is the right of Allah, then of the parents, and then of all others in order." (Muwaddih) After Allah, parents are the means for a person to come from non-existence into existence, so their right is mentioned first.
➍ {وَ بِذِي الْقُرْبٰى:} The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Charity to a poor person is only charity, but charity to a relative is both charity and maintaining family ties." [ ترمذی، الزکاۃ، باب ما جاء فی الصدقۃ… :۶۵۸ ] And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever wishes that his provision be expanded for him and his life be prolonged, let him maintain his family ties." [ مسلم، البر والصلۃ، باب صلۃ الرحم… : 2557/21 ]
➎ { وَ الْيَتٰمٰى:} The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I and the one who takes care of an orphan will be in Paradise like this." He joined his index and middle fingers together. [ بخاری، الأدب، باب فضل من یعول یتیمًا : ۶۰۰۵، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]
➏ For the explanation of "miskin" (the needy), see Surah Tawbah, Ayah (60).
➐ { وَ الْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبٰى وَ الْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ:} The neighbor who is a relative means a neighbor who is a relative, and the stranger neighbor means a non-relative neighbor. Many hadiths have been narrated regarding the observance of neighbors' rights. In one hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jibreel (peace be upon him) kept advising me about the neighbor so much that I thought he would make him an heir." [ بخاری، الأدب، باب الوصاءۃ بالجار : ۶۰۱۵، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما ] And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said three times: "By Allah! He does not believe." The companions asked: "Who, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The one whose neighbor is not safe from his harm." [ بخاری، الأدب ، باب إثم من لا یأمن جارہ بوائقہ : ۶۰۱۶، عن أبی شریح رضی اللہ عنہ ]
➑ { وَ الصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْۢبِ:} The companion at your side refers to a close friend, a travel companion, a wife, someone who comes to learn knowledge, or someone who sits near you for business purposes—all are meant.
➒ { وَ ابْنِ السَّبِيْلِ:} According to most of the predecessors, the traveler also refers to a guest. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest." [ بخاری، الأدب، باب من کان یؤمن… : ۶۰۱۸، عن أبی ہریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]
➓ {وَ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُكُمْ:} This refers to slaves and slave-girls, because being in ownership, they are completely helpless. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in his last advice, said: "(Take care of) the prayer and your slaves." [ أبو داوٗد، الأدب، باب فی حق المملوک : ۵۱۵۶، عن علی رضی اللہ عنہ ] Nowadays, although the disbelievers have abolished slavery to spread adultery and for other reprehensible purposes, and instead of giving women captured in wars to individual ownership as slaves, they keep them in camps, opening the door to soldiers' oppression, coercion, and violation of honor, and then neither do those poor women have any sympathizer or guardian, nor do their children have any father. Whereas in the case of slavery, by being in the ownership of one master, they gain honor by becoming the mother of his children. However, to act upon this verse, those under a person's authority, even if they are not slaves, are deserving of good treatment, such as household, shop, and factory workers and servants, etc. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is enough of a sin for a man that he withholds food from those whose food he owns." [ مسلم، الزکوٰۃ، باب فضل النفقۃ… : ۹۹۶، عن ابن عمرو رضی اللہ عنھما ]
⓫ { مُخْتَالًا فَخُوْرًا: ”مُخْتَالًا“ } The one who is arrogant before spending, and {”فَخُوْرًا“} the one who boasts after spending. It is clear that the arrogant and boastful person will spend for fame and show, but cannot spend for the sake of Allah, so Allah does not love him either. It is also clear that the arrogant and boastful are miserly, they do not consider anyone equal to themselves to spend on them. Truly generous people are humble. Jabir bin Salim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Advise me." So he (after mentioning some important matters) said: "Do not let your lower garment hang down, for letting the lower garment (below the ankles) is a sign of arrogance, and Allah does not like arrogance." [ أحمد : 64/5، ح : ۲۰۶۶۳ ]