Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterExplanation of Qur'anic verses (Surah Nisa' 4:28-32)
Question
Can you please explain Ayah No. 28 and 32 of Surah Nisa'?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Allah (may He be Exalted) Says (interpretation of meaning): {Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak.}[4:28]. This means: "Allah The Almighty likes to make things for His worshippers easy and convenient while performing all of the religious duties and obligations. This is realized through the religious permits He grants His slaves in abiding by Shariah (Islamic) rulings without any difficulty or strictness". Since man is weak and liable to be easily overcome by whims, desires and anger, he is in dire need for these permits and licenses. In verse: 32 {And covet not the thing in which Allah has made some of you excel others} Allah prohibits His slaves from coveting any privilege or bless He bestows upon some of His slaves, for this is a kind of discontent with the way Allah metes out His favour and grace among His slaves according to His Will and Wisdom. This wishfulness or craving involves some kind of envy, which is strictly condemned and rejected if intended to eradicate the bliss or favour endowed upon those slaves. This greedy wishfulness (or envy) involves excessive preoccupation and obsession with mundane life, forgetting about the notions of divine fate and destiny. The reason behind the revelation of this verse is that Um Salamah , may Allah be pleased with her, said: O Prophet of Allah! Why is it that only men are entitled to fight in the Cause of Allah, while we (women) are not, and why is it that we are entitled to get only half of the heritage?" In answer to this inquiry, Allah revealed this verse: And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others . [Narrated by Ahmad , al-Hakim and Abu Ya'la ; and judged as authentic by al-Hakim and Ath-Thahabi ] This verse means that Allah has allocated for both men and women a share of privileges (or deeds) according to His Will and Infinite Wisdom. He calls this share or allocation "the endowed share" and has prohibited each group (of men/ women) from coveting the share of the other group as this entails envy. Allah Almighty is the most Cognizant of the human beings' interests which necessitate this differentiation between the two sexes in terms of sustenance and privileges. Furthermore, Allah directs His slaves to the proper way to earn sustenance when He Says: {(envy not one another) but ask Allah from His bounty}[4:32], for it is only Him to give sustenance without measure, being the Sustainer. Coveting and aspiring for what grace or favour Allah has bestowed on others does never lead to getting what is in Allah's Hand. The only way to get Allah's grace and favour is humbly entreating Him and asking for His bounties. Allah concludes the verse with a clear indication that His grace is distributed according to His infinite Wisdom and Justice, being Cognizant of what is in the interest of His worshippers and what is against their interests: {Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things.}[4:32]. Allah knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
