سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 22
فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟ أَرْحَامَكُمْ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَهَلْ
fahal
Then would
عَسَيْتُمْ
ʿasaytum
you perhaps
إِن
in
if
تَوَلَّيْتُمْ
tawallaytum
you are given authority
أَن
an
that
تُفْسِدُوا۟
tuf'sidū
you cause corruption
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟
watuqaṭṭiʿū
and cut off
أَرْحَامَكُمْ
arḥāmakum
your ties of kinship
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.
22. Then (O hypocrites!) what is to stop you, if you gain authority, from spreading corruption on the earth [26] and severing the ties of kinship?
[26]
It is Impossible to Expect Any Good from the Hypocrites:
Jihad was only unpleasant to the hypocrites because they valued their own lives and wealth more than Islam and its interests. That is, their primary objective was to acquire wealth and save their own lives. About such people, Allah says that even if they are given authority in the world, no good can be expected from them; they will only cause turmoil and corruption in the land for the sake of their personal interests. In this matter, they will not hesitate to slaughter their own relatives. And if the meaning of ﴿تَوَلَيْتُمْ﴾ is taken as turning away and avoiding, then it would mean that if you shy away from jihad and turn away from Islam, it can only be expected of you that the pre-Islamic state will return upon you. You will fall back into those same tribal wars from which you saw no way out; you will resume the same old looting, killing, and spreading of corruption.
The Prohibition of Severing Ties of Kinship and the Sale of Umm Walad:
From this verse, as well as some other verses of the Quran, it is understood that severing ties of kinship is a major sin. Keeping in view the command of this very verse, Sayyiduna Umarؓ, after consulting his council (Shura), declared the sale of Umm Walad to be forbidden. Sayyiduna Buraydah says that one day he was sitting in the assembly of Sayyiduna Umarؓ when suddenly there was an uproar in the neighborhood. Upon inquiry, it was found that a slave woman was being sold while her daughter was standing and crying. Sayyiduna Umarؓ immediately presented this issue to his Shura to see if there was any justification for such severing of kinship in the entire Shariah. All replied in the negative, so he said, "What could be a greater act of severing kinship than separating a mother from her daughter?" At that time, he recited this very verse. The Companions submitted that for the prevention of this issue, he may adopt whatever measure he deemed appropriate. Accordingly, he issued a decree throughout all the Islamic lands that any slave woman who bore children for her master could not be sold. Although some commentators have recorded this narration, its reference is not mentioned. Moreover, this narration does not seem correct in itself, because the prohibition of selling Umm Walad is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet. In this regard, consider the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that the Messenger of Allahﷺ said: "Whoever has intercourse with his slave woman, and she bears him a child, then after his death, she will be free." [احمد۔ ابن ماجہ۔ بحوالہ نیل الاوطار ج 6 ص 231]
2. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I mentioned Umm Ibrahim (Maria al-Qibtiyya) to the Messenger of Allah. He said: "Her child has become the cause of her freedom." [ابن ماجہ، دارقطنی بحوالہ ایضاً]
3. Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: The Prophet forbade the sale of slave women who had borne children and said that they can neither be sold, nor gifted, nor counted as inheritance. As long as the owner is alive, he may benefit from her, and when he dies, she is free. [موطا امام مالک، دارقطنی بحوالہ ایضاً]
Among these hadiths, Muwatta Imam Malik is counted among the first-class books, Ibn Majah is second-class, and Dar Qutni is third-class. However, all these hadiths support each other and are marfu‘ (attributed to the Prophet). They shed light on all aspects of this issue, i.e., the owner of such a slave woman cannot sell her or gift her even during his lifetime.
[26]
It is Impossible to Expect Any Good from the Hypocrites:
Jihad was only unpleasant to the hypocrites because they valued their own lives and wealth more than Islam and its interests. That is, their primary objective was to acquire wealth and save their own lives. About such people, Allah says that even if they are given authority in the world, no good can be expected from them; they will only cause turmoil and corruption in the land for the sake of their personal interests. In this matter, they will not hesitate to slaughter their own relatives. And if the meaning of ﴿تَوَلَيْتُمْ﴾ is taken as turning away and avoiding, then it would mean that if you shy away from jihad and turn away from Islam, it can only be expected of you that the pre-Islamic state will return upon you. You will fall back into those same tribal wars from which you saw no way out; you will resume the same old looting, killing, and spreading of corruption.
The Prohibition of Severing Ties of Kinship and the Sale of Umm Walad:
From this verse, as well as some other verses of the Quran, it is understood that severing ties of kinship is a major sin. Keeping in view the command of this very verse, Sayyiduna Umarؓ, after consulting his council (Shura), declared the sale of Umm Walad to be forbidden. Sayyiduna Buraydah says that one day he was sitting in the assembly of Sayyiduna Umarؓ when suddenly there was an uproar in the neighborhood. Upon inquiry, it was found that a slave woman was being sold while her daughter was standing and crying. Sayyiduna Umarؓ immediately presented this issue to his Shura to see if there was any justification for such severing of kinship in the entire Shariah. All replied in the negative, so he said, "What could be a greater act of severing kinship than separating a mother from her daughter?" At that time, he recited this very verse. The Companions submitted that for the prevention of this issue, he may adopt whatever measure he deemed appropriate. Accordingly, he issued a decree throughout all the Islamic lands that any slave woman who bore children for her master could not be sold. Although some commentators have recorded this narration, its reference is not mentioned. Moreover, this narration does not seem correct in itself, because the prohibition of selling Umm Walad is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet. In this regard, consider the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that the Messenger of Allahﷺ said: "Whoever has intercourse with his slave woman, and she bears him a child, then after his death, she will be free." [احمد۔ ابن ماجہ۔ بحوالہ نیل الاوطار ج 6 ص 231]
2. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: I mentioned Umm Ibrahim (Maria al-Qibtiyya) to the Messenger of Allah. He said: "Her child has become the cause of her freedom." [ابن ماجہ، دارقطنی بحوالہ ایضاً]
3. Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: The Prophet forbade the sale of slave women who had borne children and said that they can neither be sold, nor gifted, nor counted as inheritance. As long as the owner is alive, he may benefit from her, and when he dies, she is free. [موطا امام مالک، دارقطنی بحوالہ ایضاً]
Among these hadiths, Muwatta Imam Malik is counted among the first-class books, Ibn Majah is second-class, and Dar Qutni is third-class. However, all these hadiths support each other and are marfu‘ (attributed to the Prophet). They shed light on all aspects of this issue, i.e., the owner of such a slave woman cannot sell her or gift her even during his lifetime.
