The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 274
CH. 4 AN-NISA' PT. 5 يَا يُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَمِنُوا بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ O ye who believe! believe. 137 in Allah and His Messenger, وَالْكِتُبِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ and in the Book which He has revealed to His Messenger, and وَالْكِتَبِ الَّذِى اَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمَنْ the Book which He revealed b before it. And whoso dis- believes in Allah and His يَكْفُرُ بِاللهِ وَمَلَكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَللَّا بَعِيدًا angels, and His Books, and His Messengers, and the Last Day, "has surely strayed far away. 601 اِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ أَمَنُوا ثُمَّ Those who believe, then. 138 كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا كُفْرً ا لَّمْ يَكُنِ الله then لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ سَبِيلًات disbelieve, then again believe, then disbelieve, and increase in disbelief, Allah will never forgive them nor will He guide them to the way. 602 2:5, 137; 4:163; 5:60. 4:151. 4:117. d3:91; 63:4. evidence in all cases, even against the members of one's own community or one's near relations or even when one's own honour or property is at stake. The words, parents or kindred, have been added to increase the force of the injunction, i. e. you should give true evidence not only against the members of your own community, but even against those who are closely related to you by blood your own parents and others near and dear. As one has to more often bear witness against other people than against near relatives, therefore, the former class of persons has been put before the latter. 601. Commentary: believe in Allah and His Messenger. . . the first-mentioned belief refers to lip-profession and the second to true and genuine belief which really matters. The words thus show that sometimes expressions like "O ye who believe" or "believers" may be used for those who profess to be believers in Islam but do not live up to its teachings by carrying out faithfully its precepts into practice. Their assertion is a mere lip- profession that carries no weight. 602. Commentary: The verse incidentally refutes the allegation that apostasy in Islam is punishable with death. If such had been the law of Islam, apostates In the clause: O ye who believe, would have had no opportunity of 714