سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 48
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا ﴿48﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allâh in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَغْفِرُ
yaghfiru
forgive
أَن
an
that
يُشْرَكَ
yush'raka
partners be associated
بِهِۦ
bihi
with Him
وَيَغْفِرُ
wayaghfiru
but He forgives
مَا
mā
from
دُونَ
dūna
other than
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لِمَن
liman
for whom
يَشَآءُ ۚ
yashāu
He wills
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يُشْرِكْ
yush'rik
associates partners
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
with Allah
فَقَدِ
faqadi
then surely
ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ
if'tarā
he has fabricated
إِثْمًا
ith'man
a sin
عَظِيمًا
ʿaẓīman
tremendous
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
48. Surely Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him [80], but He forgives anything less than that for whom He wills. And whoever associates partners with Allah has indeed fabricated a tremendous sin and committed a grave offense.
[80]
Shirk is an Unforgivable Crime:
Shirk is mentioned here because both the Jews and the Christians were polytheists. Although they claimed monotheism, shirk is the greatest of all sins, regarding which Allah Almighty has definitively warned that it is an unforgivable crime. Now, consider a few hadiths related to shirk:
1. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ narrates that I asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Which is the greatest sin?" He ﷺ replied, "That you associate a partner with Allah, while He created you."
[بخاری، کتاب المحاربین۔ باب اثم الزناۃ، مسلم کتاب الایمان باب بیان کون الشرک اقبح الذنوب]
2. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "I am most free from needing any partners. Whoever does an act in which he associates others with Me, I abandon him and his act (says Allah, the Exalted)."
[بخاری، کتاب الزکوٰۃ، باب قول اللہ تعالیٰ : __QUR_0__ مسلم، کتاب الزہد۔ باب تحریم الربٰو]
3. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah Almighty says, "Whoever meets Me with sins as much as the earth, but has not associated anything with Me, I will meet him with as much forgiveness." [مسلم، كتاب الذكر، باب فضل الذ كر والدعاء]
4. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah Almighty will say to the person in Hell with the least punishment, "If you had all the things of the earth, would you give them to be saved from this punishment?" He will say, 'Yes!' Allah Almighty will say, "I had asked you for something much easier than this when you were in the loins of Adam: that you should not associate anything with Me, but you did not refrain from shirk."
[بخاری، کتاب بدء الخلق۔ باب __QUR_1__ صفۃ القیامۃ، باب طلب الکافر الفداء]
In this verse, in fact, there are two proclamations. One is that Allah Almighty will never forgive shirk, as is also clear from the aforementioned hadiths. And the second proclamation is that all other sins besides shirk are forgivable. Therefore, O People of the Book! Even now, if you refrain from shirk and abandon stubbornness and obstinacy and accept Islam, Allah will forgive all your sins.
[80]
Shirk is an Unforgivable Crime:
Shirk is mentioned here because both the Jews and the Christians were polytheists. Although they claimed monotheism, shirk is the greatest of all sins, regarding which Allah Almighty has definitively warned that it is an unforgivable crime. Now, consider a few hadiths related to shirk:
1. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ narrates that I asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Which is the greatest sin?" He ﷺ replied, "That you associate a partner with Allah, while He created you."
[بخاری، کتاب المحاربین۔ باب اثم الزناۃ، مسلم کتاب الایمان باب بیان کون الشرک اقبح الذنوب]
2. Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said, "I am most free from needing any partners. Whoever does an act in which he associates others with Me, I abandon him and his act (says Allah, the Exalted)."
[بخاری، کتاب الزکوٰۃ، باب قول اللہ تعالیٰ : __QUR_0__ مسلم، کتاب الزہد۔ باب تحریم الربٰو]
3. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah Almighty says, "Whoever meets Me with sins as much as the earth, but has not associated anything with Me, I will meet him with as much forgiveness." [مسلم، كتاب الذكر، باب فضل الذ كر والدعاء]
4. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah Almighty will say to the person in Hell with the least punishment, "If you had all the things of the earth, would you give them to be saved from this punishment?" He will say, 'Yes!' Allah Almighty will say, "I had asked you for something much easier than this when you were in the loins of Adam: that you should not associate anything with Me, but you did not refrain from shirk."
[بخاری، کتاب بدء الخلق۔ باب __QUR_1__ صفۃ القیامۃ، باب طلب الکافر الفداء]
In this verse, in fact, there are two proclamations. One is that Allah Almighty will never forgive shirk, as is also clear from the aforementioned hadiths. And the second proclamation is that all other sins besides shirk are forgivable. Therefore, O People of the Book! Even now, if you refrain from shirk and abandon stubbornness and obstinacy and accept Islam, Allah will forgive all your sins.
