Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Social Sciences and Religion:

What Relationship?

By: Mustapha Achoui

International conference organized by:

The association of Muslim Social Scientists

Vergenia (USA) 25-27 October, 1996

Table of Contents

Introduction: 3

The nature of the relationship between the social sciences and philosophy. 5

1) Philosophy's status within the Islamic civilisation framework. 5

The classification of knowledge in Islamic thought. 8

The relationship between social sciences and religious sciences. 12

Introduction:

When we mention psychology today, the first thing that comes to the mind of a great deal of Muslims, particularly those who are not specialized in the field, is 'Freud'; from then on a succession of ideas leads to the fact that this 'Freud' was born a Jew, and is furthermore, an atheist who wrote books against religion. As for sociology, when it is mentioned, it is instantly associated with Durkheim and Marx, and the fact that they were also Jewish, atheist, and against religion, is also recollected.

This kind of relationship between certain branches of the social sciences and religion, which is so palpably engraved in the minds of our intellectuals and Muslim thinkers, explains the reason why some of these thinkers, and some of the Muslim scholars ( ulema ) have taken a negative stand, if not an opposing one, vis-a-vis the social sciences; especially towards psychology and sociology. Undeniably, quite a number of psychologists and sociologists are in fact atheists, and have indeed made religion the object of their criticism, disrespect, and have assigned themselves the task of refuting all that appertains to religion, whether it be institutions or thought. Whereas some have extended their negative position towards religion, and have disputed its origin, function and the role it plays in society altogether. We will exhibit some of these views in the forthcoming pages

However much this may be true, we should not brand all psychologists, sociologists and social scientists as being atheistic, irreligious and determined to fight religion; neither should this state of affairs, in my opinion, allow us to not  distinguish between the social sciences on the one hand, with the subject matters and methodologies pertaining to them; and the thinkers on the other hand, as people with their own tendencies, beliefs, ideologies, and even desires and caprices. So, the aim of this study is confined to the nature of the relationship between the social sciences and religion, within the framework of Islamic thought, and also in Western thought. It takes into account the intellectual changes that have taken place in the West and in the Muslim world throughout the course of history, especially in those aspects related to the progress of the sciences, and their subsequent attempts at separating themselves from philosophy and religion. It also looks at the intellectual changes that began in the nineteenth century and reached their peak in the twentieth. During this process we will look closely at the high status enjoyed by the social sciences, and the role they have played in society, especially in the West.

To delineate the core of this relationship (i.e.. between the social sciences and religion) I envisage the following questions to be relevant to our topic:

1) What relationship is there between the social sciences and philosophy in the context of Islamic civilization?

2) What relationship is there between the social sciences and the Islamic  sciences?

3) What type of relationships do the social sciences and religion enjoy in the context of Western thought?

4) What relationship is there between the social sciences and values in general?

5) What is the future of the relationship between the social sciences and religion overall?

I would like to quickly draw your attention to the fact that the answers to these questions require long discussions and exhaustive research. My aim is only to raise these issues to be debated amongst the specialists, in the hope that Muslim scholars specializing in the field of social sciences would, on the one hand, provide us with ways to get out of the Lizard's hole; and on the other would keep us from erring into nonsensical myth, delusion and obscure Sufi 'theopathetic locutions' and babble talk; all of which do not provide Muslims with the framework with which to surmount long centuries of underdevelopment.

This brief study is, actually, an introduction to auto-criticism of academic theses that are brought forward today by Muslim scholars and specialists in social sciences. This criticism is not aiming to underestimate these efforts, nor is it aiming to refute them. On the contrary, these steps are taken in an endeavor to try to urge those endowed with enthusiasm to increase their efforts towards producing more scientific and practical alternatives, to enable us to diagnose our shortcomings. Also for them to suggest ways of advancement to us, rather than us being led  up the garden path and being presented with empty slogans, which only cause us to stray further away from our final aspirations and goals. Aspirations and goals can be shown to be within arm's reach, when in fact what is really being shown is a mirage, and only a mirage.

Before undertaking this task, I should emphasize that what is meant by religion in this study is Islam, whenever we are discussing religion in the context of Islamic thought; whereas in the context of Western thought, it refers then to any belief system. Furthermore, the approach of this study is not based upon unilateral visions and opinions, neither is the bilateral approach applicable. What we have here is, in fact, an attempt to examine the social sciences and their relationship with religion, from various angles, through discussing views in relation to Islamic thought and Western thought, using relevant examples.

The nature of the relationship between the social sciences and philosophy.

What is agreed between men of science, scholars and philosophers alike, is that philosophy was the 'mother of science'. However, this belief which prevails in Western culture does not have a place in an Islamic setting. Thus, philosophy has never been regarded as the 'mother of science' in the field of Islam. Here it is the judicio-religious sciences based on the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet (thesunnah), which are the supreme sciences, and the basis of all the sciences.

Greek philosophy passed through many phases during the course of history, i.e.. during the pre-Christian period, the post-Christian period, the Islamic period, and finally its recent development during the contemporary Western period. We will confine our attention to the latter two phases. In the following paragraphs a brief account of the position of philosophy and its relationship with the other sciences during these two phases is given.

1) Philosophy's status within the Islamic civilisation framework.

Philosophy or wisdom (hikmah) had not gained much importance in the history of the Arabs prior to Islam. As a matter of fact, philosophy did not occupy any scientific seat during the first chapter of Islamic history, which covered the Prophetic period and the Caliphates of the rightly guided Caliphs. This was simply because the Holy Qur'an and the honorablesunnah, as origins of faith and jurisprudence, amply sufficed the early Muslims to answer their questions related to the universe, its Creator, life and death, the creation of man, and his nature and his mission. However the rapidly spreading conquests, and extensions of the boundaries of the Caliphate resulted in the Arab Muslims coming in contact with a number of different cultures and philosophies, such as the Greek, Persian, Indian, and Judeo-Christian philosophies and  other religions and philosophical sects. It is against this background that the science of scholastic theology (kalam) emerged during the Abbasid period. Indeed, the Mutazilites came into existence in response to the deviated streams and false trends that appeared as the Muslims came in contact with the Magians of Persia and the Hindus. In order to defend the Islamic beliefs (aqida) the Mutazilites resorted to Greek philosophy, which was at the time gradually being translated into Arabic (Kasim, 1969). Whilst there is no need to dwell upon the various schools ofkalam here, it is perhaps worth noting that their intellectual exertions and struggles ended with the loss of the Mutazilites to the Asharites, the victory of the  'People of thesunnah' (Ahli al-sunnah), and the Jabarite (determinist) trend succeeding over the supporters of the rationalist school and the school of free arbitration (Kasim, 1969. Bintu Shati, 1983). This win has been one of the biggest causes of the underdevelopment amongst the Muslims during the last few centuries.

The nature of the struggle between the various schools was such that theulema , being so absorbed in the issue ofaqida , did not show enough interest in the psychological, sociological, economic and political problems of the Muslim society. Instead, more often than not, their intellectual exertions served as a disguise for a struggle for power and a concealment of real social and economic issues. Kasim (1969)  pointed to this fact when he said: "The Ummayad sided with the Jabarites because their protagonist views suited, and endorsed the ruling class against their opponents, explaining that the transition of the Caliphate to them was only by  God's Destiny." (p.7)

Coincidentally, these were the same tactics followed by the French colonialists in Algeria, as they too mobilized the Sheikhs of some Sufi orders to spread theJabarite (determinism) trend among the population, to make them believe that the French colonization was a predestined that could not be revoked, afait accompli! Imam Abdul-Hamid ben Badis fought with great courage and decisiveness against the defeatist attitude which was predominant as a result of that campaign.

The position of philosophy in comparison to the other sciences remained weak in the context of Islamic thought, until the time ofMaimonides who founded a library,Dar-al Hikmah , for the translation of the Greek philosophical heritage, which, as it is known, was an ensemble of philosophy, medicine and mathematics. There is no doubt that the logic of Aristotle and his views on the soul, the physical world and metaphysics, ran through the works of many Muslim philosophers, doctors and mathematicians. However, despite the indisputable impact of Aristotle, Plato and other Greek philosophers, we find that a number of Muslim philosophers found the courage to be critical of these great masters, and, being inspired by the Qur'an, thesunnah, and also by the civilization progress, they added to their works concepts that could never have occurred to the Greeks. Admittedly, it was the topics related to metaphysics and the unseen that the Muslims were most fervent about; but the topic of the soul (al nafs ) gradually gained momentum among the philosophers and doctors, some of whom had different concepts of the soul from Aristotle's. Thus, Al-Kindi, in opposition to Aristotle, asserted that  the soul is an entity separate from the body  (Kasim, p.15). Similarly, Al-Farabi whose opinion on the soul combines both the views of Aristotle and Plato, as, in his eyes, the human being is made up of two entities: the body and the soul. Al-Farabi however did not agree with Plato's position regarding the transmigration of the souls (ibid, p.16). Yet, despite these additions made by the Muslim philosophers particularly by Razi and Ibn Al-Qiyam on the concepts of the soul and the spirit, their addendum were not considered as topics that stood apart from philosophy. The same happened to Muslim scholars who wrote about ethics, for example Ibn-Miskawayah's in hisTahdib Al - Akhlaq wa Tatyib Al - A'raq, and Ibn-Hazm in hisMudawatu - nufus , although the influence on these subjects derived more from the Qur'an and thesunnah, than from Greek philosophy.

What I am trying to convey through this brief account of the status of philosophy in the domain of Islamic thought, which started with Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina, and ended with Al-Ghazzali, Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Rushd, is the emphasis that was placed on science during this period of Islamic civilization, which demarcated their place from those established during the reign of Greek philosophy. At this time there were also developments in the fields of mathematics, logic, natural sciences, and theology by Muslim philosophers using as their main sources the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions (Hadith). In addition to the gains made from Greek and other philosophies, there appeared new disciplines in the sciences of the Qur'an  and Hadith, and other disciplines that developed from them, for example, the study of the Arabic language and literature. While some philosophers like Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina were trying to reconcile the views of Aristotle with the Islamicaqida , others such as Al-Ghazzali accused this group of heresy and disbelief. After refuting the science ofkalam and philosophy, he concluded that the Sufi path was the way to attain 'true knowledge' (Kasim, 1969); whereas Ibn Rushd endeavored to reconcile philosophy with religious law (shari'a ).

Whilstulema like Ibn Taymiyyah, who concentrated on jurisprudence, refuted Greek logic, he said: "I always knew that Greek logic is not needed by an intelligent person and not beneficial to a stupid one." (p.29)

Ibn Taymiyyah criticized the Greek philosophers by showing the corruption of their ideas in metaphysics and logic, due to the corruption of their principles, and their restricting the means to achieve knowledge to definitions and 'syllogistic demonstrations'. He goes even further and refutes their arguments about 'the definitions' with which 'concepts' are known and also the various forms of 'syllogisms' and their components 'the invariables'. Ibn Taymiyyah also criticized the use of Greek logic by Al-Ghazzali in such works asAl-Mustasfa andMi'yar Al-ilm andMihaku Nadhar . Briefly, Ibn Taymiyyah's refutation of Greek logic is specifically a refutation of Greek "formal logic", due to its sterility, a view that has just recently been agreed to by Western scholars, too.

When we look at Ibn Khaldun's work, we see that he reserved a whole chapter of hisAl-Muqadima to "the refutation of philosophy and the corruption of its source." He highlighted the predicament in which Aristotle, his disciple Plato and the Muslim philosophers who followed them, fell into, especially those Muslim philosophers who shaped their metaphysics obsequiously on Aristotle (excepting Al-Farabi and Ibn  Sina).  Ibn Khaldun dismissed the philosophers' contention glorifying reason and rational thinking, summing up his views he said that "Philosophy does not correspond with its aims, furthermore, it contradicts Divine law."

Despite his harsh criticism, he does remain objective, and fair towards philosophy by stating the positive aspects of this science such as:

- Nurturing mind,

- Training in organizing one's argumentation,

- Training in arriving to the point of an intellectual discussion, by means of arguments and proofs (critical thinking).

 In his final point, however, he advises the students of philosophy to resort to the status of  "religious" law, and to adhere to Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir ) and jurisprudence (fiqh ). If such was the position of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Khaldun vis-a-vis philosophy and Greek logic, what place then did they, and other Muslim thinkers reserve for sciences in their classifications of knowledge?

The classification of knowledge in Islamic thought.

After Ibn Khaldun insisted that sciences prosper when urbanization and civilization develop, he produced a classification of knowledge organizing the sciences of his time. According to his classification, sciences form into two groups: one is natural, human beings attain it through intellectual acquisition; the other is traditional, they inherit it from revealed sources. The first one refers to philosophical sciences and the second one refers to natural sciences transmitted through revealed knowledge information. Following this overview, he delved into the details of these sciences and organized them as follows:

1)Traditional religious sciences, which are divided into: exegesis, Qur'anic recitation, science of the Hadith, science of the foundation of the law (usul al fiqh) and he adds to them mysticism (tasawwuf) and dream interpretation.

2)Kalam , which explains religious beliefs and defends them by means of rational arguments.

3)Linguistics , the study of language, grammar, rhetoric, and literature.

4)Rational sciences , which he classified as those sciences, known (during his time) under the name of the 'philosophical sciences', into four groups: logic, physics (to which is attached medicine and agriculture), metaphysics, and mathematics (to which is attached arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music). To these groups Ibn Khaldun added the science of magic and talismans, and the science of chemistry. After he identified all of these sciences and exposed their benefits and their harms, only then did he reserve a chapter to "The refutation of philosophy and the corruption of its origin" as mentioned above.

What we observe regarding this classification is as follows:

1) Ibn Khaldun classified the various sciences of his time into two distinct groups by virtue of the source (revealed and rational), by virtue of the topic (law,aqida , language, logic, physics, astronomy, geometry, music, agriculture etc.) and finally by virtue of their methodology (based on revealed knowledge or reflection).

2) Despite Ibn Khaldun's distinction between the "revealed sciences" and the "rational sciences", it is worth noting that he does not, however, separate the natural sciences from philosophy andhikmah .

3) Ibn Khaldun invented a new science, with its own subject matter and

method (sociology), but he did not mention it in his classification.

There are, however, a great many Muslim thinkers who, in producing their classifications of knowledge, have shown that the majority of non-religious sciences and linguistics are intimately attached to philosophy. When speaking of the classification of knowledge in the field of Islamic thought, Al Najjar (1987) commented that the final purpose of science was "to be a servant of religious truth, which is the ultimate objective for the emergence of sciences and their progress." This seemingly elegant expression leaves us, in actual fact, with a number of unanswered problems that Al Najjar did not attend to.

1) He did not explain the concept of 'religious truth' in his paper.

2) He asserted that this 'truth' "is the ultimate objective for the emergence of sciences and their progress." Which sciences are referred to here? and have all sciences really progressed to the level of this ultimate truth "the service of religious truth"?

After describing the classification of knowledge of numerous Muslim thinkers such as Ibn Nadim, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Khaldun and Ahmed ibn Mustapha; Al Najjar raises questions and levels a criticism at these classifications and claims that in the main they were based on  descriptions of science as they "were in reality", and not as "they really ought to be."

The crux of the problem here is Al Najjar's desire for pure rationality which revolves around 'how things ought to be'. This is an instance of philosophical and ethical reasoning, being to the detriment of attempts to come to terms with reality, and trying to change it or reform it in the light of "how things really are". In fact, this escapism from reality and its portrayal in the above terms, as well as escapism  from the study of  causal and correlational relationships among the different phenomena, amounts, although indirectly, to a refutation of the inductive experimental method which is founded upon investigation. The renunciation of the experimental method, dwelling upon Greek logic or on Sufi thought, limiting ourselves to interpretation of the sacred texts (i.e.. the Qur'an and thesunnah ) are factors which have led to the underdevelopment of the Muslim nations,  and is still draining their mental energies.

These energies and efforts that often start with good intentions, end up generating ethical and idealistic concepts that are far from the reality of the Muslim society at large. They are also far from providing us with practical means to escape this retrogressiveness, and tackle the issues through a grasp of the psychological and sociological aspects of the Muslims' condition as it is today.

Therefore, the majority of publications now tend to come under the heading of "the way things ought to be", thereby ignoring reality. However, it is impossible to alter behavioral and social phenomena to "the way things ought to be", if these phenomena are not comprehended "as they really are".

Perhaps, mentioning psychology as an example of a social science that endeavors to study and describe "reality as it is", as much as possible, may assist us in discerning the aims of philosophy and ethics from those of social sciences when analyzing behavioral phenomena.

Some of the aims of psychology as mentioned by Zimbardo (1980) are as follows:

1) To describe behavior, activities and experiments following gathering the data and information related to the area which is under study.

2) To interpret given behavior within either a cultural framework or model, or a particular theory.

3) To predict anticipated behavior based on prior information and data, and then to understand the possible relationships between them to enable conception of new relationships between certain variables.

4) To control behavior so that it becomes possible to monitor different variables and also to change some types of "deviated" or abnormal behaviors.

5) To ameliorate people's standard of living starting with an improvement in the various sectors including: the health, education and social sectors.

Thus, although psychology is a science that occupies itself with the study and reporting of behavior 'as it is', it should not be labeled as a science that cannot actually help in modifying behavior, and elevating it to the level of 'the way things ought to be'. Altering and improving behavior is precisely one of its aims and that is achieved by means of training, education, learning and at times, treatment.

At this conjuncture I would like to indicate that one of the aims of psychology from an Islamic viewpoint, may well be to fill the gap between that which is 'ideal' and that which is 'real', primarily at the conceptual level, and secondly at the behavioral level.

Before embarking on the topic of psychology in general, and psychology from an Islamic perspective in particular, I wish to make reference to the classification of the sciences by Ibn Khaldun and others. The topics which form the social sciences at present, were not, in the estimation of the earlyulema,   topics which were distinguished from philosophy, ethics, or religious sciences. On the contrary, we notice that  subjects relevant to the social sciences were scattered either under the category ofkalam, as in the case of the concepts of freedom and responsibility; or under the category of philosophy and ethics, as in the concept of the soul, its potentialities, its actions, and the scope of its knowledge; or in the case of  "illnesses of the heart", they were included under the headings of ethics ortasawwuf .

Although this may have been the general trend, we know that tentatively some topics began to enjoy increasing appeal to the point that they appeared as categories of their own. This included tax and financing in economy, and power, its delegation and execution in politics. Others dealt with various psychological and spiritual disturbances and their respective cures (spiritual healing), as well as topics covering the field of nature, education and sociology. This specialization and show of interest, and most importantly innovation in some cases, reflects (as Ibn Khaldun indicated) the spread of civilization in the Islamic cities, as well as an expressed need to arrive at practical solutions to the diverse problems faced in these cities, in the intellectual fields and other areas of life.          Despite there being no conflict to speak of between science and religion as such in Islamic civilization; we find that there were some major differences between someulema in the field offiqh and some philosophers, and that these were not rare. These conflicts however need to be viewed in the context of intellectual exchange. We have for instance, the discussion between Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal and the Mutazilites over the issue of the creation of the Qur'an, and the arguments that took place between Imam Al-Ghazzali and Ibn-Rushd which were compiled in the famousTahafut al-falasifa (The Refutation of the Philosophers) andTahafut-u-Tahafut  (The Refutation of the Refutation). Some scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah may have, indeed, accused scholars like Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina of disbelief, but this charge was not put forward during the philosopher's lifetime, nor did it lead to punishment.

What we hope to retain from these discussions is the manifestation of different subjects and methods of dealing with them from the examples of the Muslim scholars, as they studied the situations that were facing them; especially in the areas ofaqida , fiqh , logic and situations related to political power. In the field of physics, there was no fundamental conflict between Muslim thinkers, as they did not mix matters of faith with those that pertained to the physical sciences. In the domain of history, the innovation of Ibn Khaldun for instance, revolves primarily around his criticism of the methods followed by his predecessors. He presented their mistakes and mishaps objectively and eventually suggested a new subject and method for study, which he called the sciences of civilization (sociology).

Interestingly, scholars like Ibn Khaldun, innovators of new topics and disciplines, who extended their own ideas, as well as gaining expertise in the field of education and learning, did not call for a detachment or a separation between their area of specialization and the rest of the sciences, such as the religious sciences. In spite of the lack of a background to the claim for separation in the history of Islamic thought, the dismemberment of the various disciplines of knowledge is, however, being proposed today.

Is it really their detachment from other disciplines that has impeded the advancement of the social sciences in the Muslim world? Is there a definite need to detach the social sciences from the rest of the Islamic sciences? And what is the real difference between 'detachment' and the 'dismemberment' of the sciences?

To answer these questions, however, briefly, we need to address the following issue of the relationship between the topics of modern social sciences and those of religious sciences (aqida , law andfiqh ) in the Islamic setting.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Not All English Versions of Quran Are Acceptable12

What is a 'Commentary'?13

The Current Commentary 14

Attributes Needed for Working on This Kind of Commentary 15

The Problems in Translating 15

Translators Note16

Editor's Note17

Notes19

Acknowledgment20

Notes20

References21

Arabic, Farsi Commentaries21

English Translations of Qur'an 21

Supporting Technical References22

Phraseological and Philological Sources22

A Presentation to Muslims24

Notes25

Surah An-Nisa', Chapter 4, Section 4 26

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 24 26

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 25 26

Section 5: Woman's rights over her property 29

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 26 29

What Are These Limitations for?29

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 27 29

Explanations30

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 28 30

Explanation 30

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 29 30

Explanation 30

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 30 31

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 31 31

Explanations31

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 32 32

Occasion of Revelation 33

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 33 33

Explanations34

Section 6: Disagreement and reconciliation between husband and wife35

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 34 35

Guardianship in the System of a Family 35

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 35 36

The Family Peace Court36

Section 7 38

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 36 38

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 37 39

Hypocritical and Godly Charities40

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 38 40

Explanations40

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 39 41

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 40 41

Why Does Allah not Do Injustice?41

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 41 41

Explanations42

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 42 42

Explanations43

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 43 43

A Few Legal Ordinances43

Dry Ablution for the Excused 44

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 44 44

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 45 45

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 46 45

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 47 46

The People of Sabbath 46

Explanations46

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 48 47

Explanations47

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 49 47

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 50 48

Notes48

Section 8: Leaning to injustice and evil to be avoided 49

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 51 49

Explanations49

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 52 49

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 53 50

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 54 50

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 55 51

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 56 51

Explanations52

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 57 52

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 58 52

Occasion of Revelation 52

Deposit and Justice in Islam 53

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 59 53

Who are 'Those Charged with Authority'?54

Explanations54

Notes56

Section 9: Hypocrites refuse to accept the Messenger's judgement57

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 60 57

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 61 57

Explanations58

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 62 58

Explanations58

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 63 59

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 64 59

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 65 60

Occasion of Revelation 60

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 66 61

Surah An-Nisa', Verses 67 - 68 61

Surah An-Nisa', Verses 69 - 70 62

Occasion of Revelation 62

Companions in Heaven 62

Notes63

Section 10: Believers64

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 71 64

Explanations64

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 72 64

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 73 65

Surah An-Nisa', Verse74 65

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 75 66

Seeking Assistance through Human Affections66

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 76 67

Note67

Section 11: The Hypocrites' Attitude towards the Believers68

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 77 68

Occasion of Revelation 68

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 78 69

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 79 70

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 80 70

Practice of the Prophet is Just like the Revelation of Allah 70

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 81 71

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 82 71

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 83 72

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 84 73

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 85 73

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 86 74

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 87 74

Notes75

Section 12: Dealing with Hypocrites76

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 88 76

Occasion of Revelation 76

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 89 77

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 90 77

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 91 78

Section 13: Murder and its punishment80

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 92 80

Occasion of Revelation 80

Some Ordinances upon Manslaughter80

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 93 81

Explanations82

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 94 82

Occasion of Revelation 82

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 95 83

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 96 84

Section 14: Believers remaining with the enemy 85

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 97 85

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 98 85

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 99 86

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 100 86

Occasion of Revelation 86

Emigration, an Islamic Constructive Instruction 86

Notes87

Section 15: To cut short prayer while travelling 88

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 101 88

Explanations88

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 102 88

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 103 90

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 104 91

The Occasion of Revelation 91

Notes92

Section 16: Not to side the dishonest93

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 105 93

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 106 93

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 107 94

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 108 94

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 109 94

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 110 95

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 111 95

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 112 95

Calumny is a Crime96

Notes96

Section 17: Secret counsels of the Hypocrites97

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 113 97

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 114 97

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 115 98

Section 18 100

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 116 100

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 117 100

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 118 100

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 119 100

Satan has sworn to persuade some programs101

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 120 101

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 121 102

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 122 102

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 123 102

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 124 103

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 125 103

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 126 104

Notes105

Section 19: Dealings with Orphans and Women 106

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 127 106

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 128 106

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 129 107

Heavenly Law Has no Contradiction with Natural Disposition 107

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 130 108

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 131 108

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 132 109

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 133 109

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 134 109

Note110

Section 20: Equity to everyone -The Jewish Hypocrisy Condemned 111

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 135 111

Social Justice111

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 136 112

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 137 112

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 138 113

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 139 113

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 140 114

Explanations114

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 141 115

The Qualities of Hypocrites115

Section 21: Fate of the Hypocrites117

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 142 117

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 143 117

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 144 118

Explanations118

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 145 118

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 146 119

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 147 119

The End of Part Five120

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 148 120

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 149 120

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 152 121

Notes122

Section 22: Violation of the Covenant by the Jews123

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 153 123

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 154 123

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 155 124

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 156 125

Surah An-Nisa', Verses 157 - 158 125

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 159 126

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 160 127

Explanations127

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 161 127

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 162 128

Notes128

Section 23: The Qur'an testified in the previous heavenly Books129

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 163 129

Explanations129

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 164 129

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 165 130

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 166 131

Surah An-Nisa', Verses 167 - 169 131

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 170 132

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 171 133

Notes134

Section 24: Messengership of Jesus -Law of Inheritance135

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 172 135

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 173 135

The Way to Felicity Is both Faith and Good Deed 135

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 174 136

Explanations136

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 175 136

Surah An-Nisa', Verse 176 137

Occasion of Revelation 137

Notes138

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Chapter 5, Introduction 139

Introduction to the Surah 139

Section 1: General Discipline140

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 1 140

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 2 141

Eight Divine Ordinances in a Verse141

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 3 143

Moderation in the Usage of Meat144

Explanations146

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 4 146

Occasion of Revelation 146

A Lawful Hunting 147

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 5 147

Consuming Food of the People of the Book and marrying them 148

Marrying with Non-Muslim Women 148

Notes149

Section 2: Special cleanliness for Prayer -Equity enjoined 150

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 6 150

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 7 151

Divine Convictions151

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 8 152

An Earnest Invitation unto Justice152

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 9 - 10 152

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 11 153

Explanations154

Notes154

Section 3: The Covenants with the Jews and the Christians155

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 12 155

Explanations155

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 13 156

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 14 156

Explanation 157

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 15 157

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 16 157

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 17 158

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 18 159

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 19 160

Notes161

Section 4: The Israelites breaking the Covenant162

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 20 162

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 21 162

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 22 163

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 23 163

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 24 164

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 25 164

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 26 164

Explanations165

Notes165

Section 5: Jews warned against their wicked plots166

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 27 166

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 28 166

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 29 - 30 167

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 31 167

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 32 168

The Oneness of Human Beings168

Explanations169

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 33 170

Explanations171

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 34 171

Notes172

Section 6: Penal Regulations against Offenders173

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 35 173

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 36 - 37 173

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 38 174

Explanations175

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 39 175

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 40 176

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 41 176

Prophets Are Sympathetic unto the Misguided 176

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 42 177

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 43 177

Notes178

Section 7: Relation of the Quran to the previous heavenly Books179

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 44 179

Explanation 179

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 45 180

Retaliation and Remittal180

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 46 181

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 47 181

Those Who Do not Judge on the Divine Law 181

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 48 182

Explanation 183

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 49 183

Occasion of Revelation 183

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 50 183

Section 8: The relation of the Muslims with their opponents185

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 51 185

To Dissociate from Enemy is the Condition of Faith 185

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 52 185

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 53 186

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 54 186

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 55 187

Explanations188

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 56 189

Section 9: Mockers190

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 57 190

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 58 190

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 59 190

Occasion of Revelation 191

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 60 191

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 61 192

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 62 192

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 63 193

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 64 194

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 65 195

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 66 196

Section 10: The Christian Deviation from the Truth 197

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 67 197

Appointment of the Successor as the Final Point of Prophetic Mission 197

Ghadeer Khumm in Brief197

An Explanation 199

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 68 200

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 69 201

Explanation: What is the Objective Meaning of the Sabians?201

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 70 201

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 71 202

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 72 203

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 73 203

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 74 204

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 75 204

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 76 205

Explanations205

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 77 205

Note206

Section 11: Christian nearness to Islam 208

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 78 208

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 79 208

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 80 208

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 81 209

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 82 209

The End of Part Six 210

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verse 83 210

Surah Al-Ma'idah, Verses 84 - 86 211

Note211