The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 249
PT. 5 AN-NISA' of this life, but with Allah are good things in plenty. Such CH. 4 كَثِيرَةٌ كَذَلِكَ كُنْتُمُ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ b اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُوا إِنَّ اللهَ كَانَ بِمَا were you before this, but Allah okabór conferred His favour on you; so do make proper investigation. Surely, Allah is well aware of what you do. 563 تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا latter. The father would have nothing peaceful attitude towards Muslims, to do with such a man. 563. Important Words: (peace) means the Islamic salutation of salām; peace; security; submission, etc. (Aqrab & Lane). See also 2:113, 209; 3:20. (good things) is derived from meaning, he got or took spoil, or got a thing as spoil; he acquired or gained a thing without difficulty or سلام the latter should respect that attitude and refrain from hostility. The word (peace) may also mean submission or security. Similarly, the word (believer) may also be rendered as giver of security or offerer or afforder of peace. The word (good things) does not mean only the spoils of war. It also means the good things of the world. In Bukhārī (ch. on Tafsir) we ,means مغنم or غنيمة. inconvenience لحق ناس من المسلمين رجلا معه غنيمة له have spoil, booty or plunder; the acquisition of a thing without difficulty or inconvenience; the thing so acquired; what is obtained from disbelievers in war (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This verse does not mean that if any person greets a Muslim with the Islamic formula of salutation, he should be regarded as a believer. Many non-Muslims nowadays, and many Jews in the days of the Holy Prophet, greeted Muslims with the prescribed salutation but they cannot be, and indeed never were, regarded as Muslims merely on that ground. What the verse means is that when a people offers peace or shows a 689 i. e. "some of the Muslims met a man who had with him some good things belonging to him. " As explained under Important Words, any thing acquired without difficulty غنيمه is also (such were you) كذالك كنتم The words embody a very strong appeal to both sentiment and reason. The expression signifies that, like disbelievers, Muslims too were disbelievers at first, but God gave them time and opportunity and they were at last able to see the truth. So they should be patient with, and lenient to, others and give them time, so that they too may ponder over the truth and accept it if they choose.