Surah An-Nisa • Ayah 61

Referring to Other than the Qur'an and Sunnah for Judgment is Characteristic of Non-MuslimsAllah chastises those who claim to believe in what Allah has sent down to His Messenger and to the earlier Prophets, yet they refer to other than the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger for judgment in various disputes. It was reported that the reason behind revealing this Ayah was that a man from the Ansar and a Jew had a dispute, and the Jew said, "Let us refer to Muhammad to judge between us." However, the Muslim man said, "Let us refer to Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf (a Jew) to judge between us." It was also reported that the Ayah was revealed about some hypocrites who pretended to be Muslims, yet they sought to refer to the judgment of Jahiliyyah. Other reasons were also reported behind the revelation of the Ayah. However, the Ayah has a general meaning, as it chastises all those who refrain from referring to the Qur'an and Sunnah for judgment and prefer the judgment of whatever they chose of falsehood, which befits the description of Taghut here. This is why Allah said,يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُواْ إِلَى الطَّـغُوتِ(and they wish to go for judgment to the Taghut) until the end of the Ayah. Allah's statement,يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُوداً(turn away from you with aversion) means, they turn away from you in arrogance, just as Allah described the polytheists,وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَا(When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.") This is different from the conduct of the faithful believers, whom Allah describes as,إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُواْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا(The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say: "We hear and we obey.")Chastising the HypocritesChastising the hypocrites, Allah said,فَكَيْفَ إِذَآ أَصَـبَتْهُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ(How then, when a catastrophe befalls them because of what their hands have sent forth,) meaning, how about it if they feel compelled to join you because of disasters that they suffer due to their sins, then they will be in need of you.ثُمَّ جَآءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلاَّ إِحْسَاناً وَتَوْفِيقاً(They come to you swearing by Allah, "We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!") apologizing and swearing that they only sought goodwill and reconciliation when they referred to other than the Prophet for judgment, not that they believe in such alternative judgment, as they claim. Allah describes these people to us further in His statement,فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يُسَـرِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَى(And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy), they hurry to their friendship, saying: "We fear"), until,فَيُصْبِحُواْ عَلَى مَآ أَسَرُّواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ نَـدِمِينَ(Then they will become regretful for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves). At-Tabarani recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Abu Barzah Al-Aslami used to be a soothsayer who judged between the Jews in their disputes. When some Muslims came to him to judge between them, Allah sent down,أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُواْ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ(Have you not seen those (hyprocrites) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before you), until,إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلاَّ إِحْسَاناً وَتَوْفِيقاً("We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!") Allah then said,أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ(They (hypocrites) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts;) These people are hypocrites, and Allah knows what is in their hearts and will punish them accordingly, for nothing escapes Allah's watch. Consequently, O Muhammad! Let Allah be sufficient for you in this regard, because He has perfect knowledge of their apparent and hidden affairs. This is why Allah said,فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ(so turn aside from them (do not punish them)) meaning, do not punish them because of what is in their hearts.وَعِظْهُمْ(but admonish them) means, advise them against the hypocrisy and evil that reside in their hearts,وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلاً بَلِيغاً(and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves) advise them, between you and them, using effective words that might benefit them.

حسن سلوک اور دوغلے لوگ ٭٭اوپر کی آیت میں اللہ تعالیٰ نے ان لوگوں کے دعوے کو جھٹلایا ہے جو زبانی تو اقرار کرتے ہیں کہ اللہ تعالیٰ کی تمام اگلی کتابوں پر اور اس قرآن پر بھی ہمارا ایمان ہے۔ لیکن جب کبھی کسی مسئلہ کی تحقیق کرنی ہو، جب کبھی کسی اختلاف کو سمیٹنا ہو، جب کبھی کسی جھگڑےکا فیصلہ کرنا ہو تو قرآن و حدیث کی طرف رجوع نہیں کرتے بلکہ کسی اور طرف لے جاتے ہیں۔ چنانچہ یہ آیت ان دو شخصوں کے بارے میں نازل ہوئی جن میں کچھ اختلاف تھا ایک تو یہودی تھا دوسرا انصاری تھا، یہودی تو کہتا تھا کہ چل محمد صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم سے فیصلہ کرا لیں اور انصاری کہتا تھا کعب بن اشرف کے پاس چلو۔ یہ بھی کہا گیا ہے کہ یہ آیت ان منافقوں کے بارے میں اتری ہے بظاہر مسلمان کہلاتے ہیں ان منافقوں کے بارے میں اتری ہے جو اسلام کو ظاہر کرتے تھے لیکن درپردہ احکام جاہلیت کی طرف جھکنا چاہتے تھے۔ اس کے سوا اور اقوال بھی ہیں، آیت اپنے حکم اور الفاظ کے اعتبار سے عام ہے ان تمام واقعات پر مشتمل ہے ہر اس شخص کی مذمت اور برائی کا اظہار کرتی ہے جو کتاب و سنت سے ہٹ کر کسی اور باطل کی طرف اپنا فیصلہ لے جائے اور یہی مراد یہاں طاغوت سے ہے (‏یعنی قرآن و حدیث کے سوا کی چیز یا شخص) صدور سے مراد تکبر سے منہ موڑ لینا۔ جیسے اور آیت میں ہے «وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا» [31-لقمان:21] ‏ یعنی ” جب ان سے کہا جائے کہ اللہ کی اتاری ہوئی وحی کی فرمانبرداری کرو تو جواب دیتے ہیں کہ ہم تو اپنے باپ دادا کی پیروی پر ہی اڑے رہیں گے۔ “ ایمان والوں کو جواب یہ نہیں ہوتا بلکہ ان کا جواب دوسری آیت میں اس طرح مذکور ہے «اِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اِذَا دُعُوْٓا اِلَى اللّٰهِ وَرَسُوْلِهٖ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ اَنْ يَّقُوْلُوْا سَمِعْنَا وَاَطَعْنَا ۭ وَاُولٰۗىِٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ» ‏ [24-النور:51] ‏ یعنی ” ایمان والوں کو جب اللہ رسول کے فیصلے اور حکم کی طرف بلایا جائے تو ان کا جواب یہی ہوتا ہے کہ ہم نے سنا اور ہم نے تہہ دل سے قبول کیا “۔صفحہ نمبر1786

آیت 61 وَاِذَا قِیْلَ لَہُمْ تَعَالَوْا اِلٰی مَآ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰہُ وَاِلَی الرَّسُوْلِ اپنے مقدمات کے فیصلے اللہ کے رسول ﷺ سے کراؤ۔رَاَیْتَ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ یَصُدُّوْنَ عَنْکَ صُدُوْدًا صَدَّ یَصُدُّ کے بارے میں عرض کرچکا ہوں کہ یہ رکنے کے معنی میں بھی آتا ہے اور روکنے کے معنی میں بھی۔

The second verse (61) tells us that turning away from the decision of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، given under the dictates of the Shari’ ah in matters relating to mutual quarrels and disputes, can never be the response of a Muslim. One who does it has to be a munafiq (hypocrite). Thus, when the disbelief of this hypocrite was practically exposed through his dissatisfaction with the decision of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، his being killed by Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ became all the more justified, because he no more remained a munafiq (hypocrite) and, in fact, became an open Kafir (or apostate). Therefore, it was said; And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allah has revealed, and to the Messenger," you will see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion.'