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The Quranic verse (4:65)

Question

Under what circumstance was the below Aayah revealed ? [Nisa 4:65] So O dear Prophet (Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him), by oath of your Lord, they will not be Muslims until they appoint you a judge for the disputes between them - and then whatever you have decided, they should not find opposition to it within their hearts, and accept it wholeheartedly. Jazaak Allaahu Khairan

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them differed into two opinions in regard to the occasion of revelation of the following verse in which Allaah Says (what means): {But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention )) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.}[Quran 4:65]. The most preponderant view is that it was revealed about the following story of Az-Zubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him and one of the Ansaar (the residents of Madeenah who helped the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention )). An Ansaari man quarrelled with Az-Zubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him about the Harrah irrigation Canals. The Ansaari man said to Az-Zubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him "Let the water pass'' but the latter refused to do so. Therefore, the case was brought before the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) who said to Az-Zubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him "O Zubayr! Irrigate (your land) and then let the water pass to your neighbour." On that, the Ansaari got angry and said to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) "Is it because he (i.e. Az-Zubayr) is your aunt's son?" Thereupon, the color of the face of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) was changed (because of anger) and he said, "O Zubayr! Irrigate (your land) and then withhold the water till it reaches the walls between the pits round the trees." Then Az-Zubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said: "I swear by Allaah, I think that the following verse was revealed on this occasion: {But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention )) judge in all disputes between them.}.

The second opinion is that the verse was revealed on a story between 'Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him and one of the hypocrites. However, after mentioning the story, Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said: 'This narration is strange and its chain of narrators between the successor and the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is missing a link, and Ibn Lahee'ah, [one of the narrators] is weak.'

Allaah Knows best.

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