The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 191
PT. 4 AN-NISA' CH. 4 وَالَّذِنِ يَأْتِينِهَا مِنْكُمْ فَأَذُوهُمَا فَإِنْ تَابَا And if two men from among. 17 you are guilty of it, punish them وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمَا إِنَّ اللهَ كَانَ both. And if they repent and تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا amend, then leave them alone; surely, Allah is Oft-Returning with compassion Merciful. 497 and إِنَّمَا التَّوْبَةُ عَلَى اللهِ لِلَّذِيْنَ يَعْمَلُونَ Verily, “Allah undertakes to. 18 accept the repentance of only السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِنْ قَرِيبٍ those who do evil ignorantly فَأُولَيكَ يَتُوبُ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَانَ اللهُ and then repent soon after These are they to whom Allah turns with mercy; and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise. 498 "6:55; 16:120; 24:6. عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا deed). In none of these verses does does is an act of ignorance, born of the word at mean adultery. 497. Commentary: The verse refers to two males who are guilty of an unnatural offence or something approaching it. What particular form the punishment mentioned here should take has been left to the discretion of the authorities concerned. Both this verse and the preceding one refer to offences for which no (punishment definitely fixed by the Law) has been prescribed, the matter having been left to the discretion of the authorities to be decided according to circumstances. 498. Commentary: The expression as (ignorantly) does not mean that the offenders do evil without knowing that it is evil. In fact, every evil deed which a man 631 lack of true knowledge. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "There are some kinds of 'knowledge' which are really 'ignorance" ", i. e. the learning of which is injurious to man (Biḥār). So the expression as (ignorantly) has been added to point to the philosophy of sin and to exhort people to acquire true knowledge with a view to avoiding sin. The words (soon after) here mean "before death" which may come at any time and is thus always near. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "Allah accepts the repentance of man till the agonies of death" Muslim, ch. on Taubah). This explanation is corroborated by what is said in the next verse (4:19), viz. who continue to do evil until when death faces one of them, he says, I do repent now. This shows that