سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 64
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآءُوكَ فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿64﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allâh’s Leave. If they (hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) and begged Allâh’s Forgiveness, and the Messenger had begged forgiveness for them: indeed, they would have found Allâh All-Forgiving (One Who forgives and accepts repentance), Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
أَرْسَلْنَا
arsalnā
We sent
مِن
min
any
رَّسُولٍ
rasūlin
Messenger
إِلَّا
illā
except
لِيُطَاعَ
liyuṭāʿa
to be obeyed
بِإِذْنِ
bi-idh'ni
by (the) permission
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَنَّهُمْ
annahum
[that] they
إِذ
idh
when
ظَّلَمُوٓا۟
ẓalamū
they wronged
أَنفُسَهُمْ
anfusahum
themselves
جَآءُوكَ
jāūka
(had) come to you
فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟
fa-is'taghfarū
and asked forgiveness
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
(of) Allah
وَٱسْتَغْفَرَ
wa-is'taghfara
and asked forgiveness
لَهُمُ
lahumu
for them
ٱلرَّسُولُ
l-rasūlu
the Messenger
لَوَجَدُوا۟
lawajadū
surely they would have found
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
تَوَّابًۭا
tawwāban
Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمًۭا
raḥīman
Most Merciful
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 64) ➊ {وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ … :} The exhortation to obey the Messenger has been given again, meaning that Allah’s Messengers come to the world so that, in all matters, they are obeyed according to Allah’s command. The meaning of {”بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ“} has also been taken as Allah’s granting of success and assistance, which is also correct. It is understood from this that every Messenger is obligatory to obey.
➋ { وَ لَوْ اَنَّهُمْ اِذْ ظَّلَمُوْۤا......:} Coming to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after wronging oneself and having him seek forgiveness was specific to his lifetime. After his passing, it is not established from any companion that he came to the Prophet’s blessed grave and requested him to make supplication. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned here an account of a Bedouin who came to the grave of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), recited this verse, read some poetry, and said, “I seek forgiveness from Allah and make you an intercessor.” Upon this, a person sitting by the blessed grave said, “In a dream, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told me: ‘This Bedouin has been forgiven.’” But this is just an account that has been mentioned in relation to the verse; it is neither the interpretation of the verse nor a hadith. In “As-Sarim Al-Munki (p. 238),” it is written that the chain of this account is extremely weak, and apart from the Prophet’s dream, no one’s dream is a proof in religion. The verse proves that during the blessed life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), one could have him supplicate for forgiveness, but after his passing, according to this verse, going to the grave and requesting intercession and supplication in any way is not correct.
➌ { جَآءُوْكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللّٰهَ وَ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ:} In order to obtain Allah’s forgiveness, repentance and seeking forgiveness before Allah is necessary and sufficient. However, what is said here, that “O Prophet! If they had come to you and sought forgiveness from Allah, and you had also sought forgiveness for them,” is because, since they had turned to others for judgment and acted in a manner inappropriate to your status, to make amends for this, they were instructed to come to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
➋ { وَ لَوْ اَنَّهُمْ اِذْ ظَّلَمُوْۤا......:} Coming to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after wronging oneself and having him seek forgiveness was specific to his lifetime. After his passing, it is not established from any companion that he came to the Prophet’s blessed grave and requested him to make supplication. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned here an account of a Bedouin who came to the grave of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), recited this verse, read some poetry, and said, “I seek forgiveness from Allah and make you an intercessor.” Upon this, a person sitting by the blessed grave said, “In a dream, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told me: ‘This Bedouin has been forgiven.’” But this is just an account that has been mentioned in relation to the verse; it is neither the interpretation of the verse nor a hadith. In “As-Sarim Al-Munki (p. 238),” it is written that the chain of this account is extremely weak, and apart from the Prophet’s dream, no one’s dream is a proof in religion. The verse proves that during the blessed life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), one could have him supplicate for forgiveness, but after his passing, according to this verse, going to the grave and requesting intercession and supplication in any way is not correct.
➌ { جَآءُوْكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللّٰهَ وَ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ:} In order to obtain Allah’s forgiveness, repentance and seeking forgiveness before Allah is necessary and sufficient. However, what is said here, that “O Prophet! If they had come to you and sought forgiveness from Allah, and you had also sought forgiveness for them,” is because, since they had turned to others for judgment and acted in a manner inappropriate to your status, to make amends for this, they were instructed to come to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
