64:14 O you who
believe, truly, among your wives and children there is an enemy to you; so
beware of them. And if you pardon, overlook, and forgive, then surely Allah is
All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.
64:15 Your wealth and
your children are only a trial, and with Allah is a great reward.
64:16 So fear Allah
as much as you can; and listen, obey, and spend, that is better for yourselves.
And whoever is guarded against the avarice of his soul, those—they are the
successful.
64:17 If you lend to
Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. And Allah is
All-Thankful, All-Forbearing.
64:18 He is the
Knower of the unseen and the seen; He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
Relationship
with the Previous Part
In the previous part, the believers
were commanded to obey Allah and His Messenger Muhammad. In this part, they are
warned about the trial of wives and children if these relationships lead them
to neglect righteous deeds. Furthermore, the believers are informed that their
wealth and children are a trial. Therefore, they should beware of giving them
priority over fulfilling their religious duties. They are also commanded to
fear Allah and spend for His sake as much as they can. By doing so, they will
attain Allah's forgiveness and abundant reward.
Cause
of Revelation
Imam Muhammad Bin Jarir At-Tabari
mentions that the following Ayah was revealed concerning some believers who
intended to emigrate to Al-Madinah for the sake of Allah. However, their wives
and children discouraged them from doing so. Thus, Allah, Exalted be He,
revealed:
[64:14 O you who
believe, truly, among your wives and children there is an enemy to you; so
beware of them. And if you pardon, overlook, and forgive, then surely Allah is
All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.]
Abdul Allah Bin Abbas, may Allah be
pleased with them, was asked about the following Ayah:
[64:14 O you who
believe, truly, among your wives and children there is an enemy to you; so
beware of them. And if you pardon, overlook, and forgive, then surely Allah is
All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.]
He said,
"These were men who embraced Islam
in Makkah and wished to join Messenger Muhammad in Al-Madinah. However, their
wives and children discouraged them from doing so and refused to accompany them
to Al-Madinah. When they later joined Messenger Muhammad in Al-Madinah, they
found that the believers had learned much about Islam. Consequently, they
wanted to punish their wives and children. Then Allah, Exalted be He, revealed:
[64:14 O you who
believe, truly, among your wives and children there is an enemy to you; so
beware of them. And if you pardon, overlook, and forgive, then surely Allah is
All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.]"
Tafsir
64:14 O
you who believe, truly, among your wives and children there is an enemy to you;
so beware of them. And if you pardon, overlook, and forgive, then surely Allah
is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.
O you who believe in Allah and His
Messenger Muhammad, truly, among your wives and children are those who become
enemies to you when they cause you to neglect righteous deeds that will benefit
you in the Hereafter. Therefore, beware of them, and do not allow them to
discourage you from seeking the pleasure of Allah. Beware of giving preference
to your wives and children over obeying the commands of Allah and performing
righteous deeds for His sake.
The enmity referred to in this Ayah
includes both religious and worldly enmity. In other words, wives and children
may have harmful intentions toward their husbands and fathers because of
differences in creed, character, or disposition.
In other words, O you who believe in
Allah and His Messenger Muhammad, some of your wives and children may oppose
you in matters relating to religion or worldly affairs. Therefore, beware of
them, and do not obey them in matters that contradict the teachings of Islam,
for no created being should be obeyed at the expense of disobeying the Creator,
Allah.
And if you
pardon, overlook, and forgive, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving,
All-Merciful.
O believers, if you pardon your wives
and children, overlook their mistakes, and forgive them, then surely Allah is
All-Forgiving and All-Merciful. He will reward you immensely, for He loves
those who forgive others and show mercy.
64:15 Your
wealth and your children are only a trial, and with Allah is a great reward.
O people, your wealth and your
children are nothing but a trial and a test. They may lead you to disobey Allah
by encouraging you to seek unlawful earnings, neglect His rights, and commit
sins and unrighteous deeds. Therefore, you should remember that with Allah is a
great reward for those who give preference to obeying Him over satisfying their
attachment to wealth and children.
64:16 So
fear Allah as much as you can; and listen, obey, and spend, that is better for
yourselves. And whoever is guarded against the avarice of his soul, those—they
are the successful.
O believers, beware of Allah's
punishment and strive to protect yourselves from it by fulfilling His commands
and avoiding His prohibitions. Fear Allah to the best of your ability. Listen
attentively to the commands of Allah, obey Allah and His Messenger Muhammad,
and spend from what Allah has provided you for His sake. Do not be stingy in
spending on righteous causes. This is better for yourselves, as it will bring
you happiness in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.
Qatada said,
"[64:16
So fear Allah as much as you can; and listen…] This is permission Allah has given to His slaves, and He is
Merciful towards His slaves. [O you who believe! Fear
Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.] [Q. 3:102] This Ayah was revealed earlier. Then Allah, Exalted be He,
lightened the matter for His slaves and subsequently revealed: [64:16
So fear Allah as much as you can; and listen…] As much as you can, O son of Adam. Messenger Muhammad took
the pledge of allegiance from the believers to listen and obey according to
their ability."
And
whoever is guarded against the avarice of his soul, those—they are the
successful.
Whoever Allah protects from the
avarice of his own soul and enables to spend on righteous causes for His sake
will be among the successful.
64:17 If you lend to Allah a
goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. And Allah is
All-Thankful, All-Forbearing.
If you sincerely and willingly
spend some of your wealth on righteous causes that please Allah, He will
multiply your reward. Out of His generosity, He multiplies one good deed
tenfold, seven hundredfold, or even more. He will also forgive your sins.
Allah is All-Thankful and
All-Forbearing. He grants immense reward for even the smallest righteous deed
and forgives and pardons sins. Furthermore, Allah does not hasten to punish
sinners. Rather, He gives them time to repent sincerely and amend their
mistakes.
64:18 He
is the Knower of the unseen and the seen; He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
Allah is the Knower of the unseen
and the seen. His knowledge is perfect, and nothing is hidden from Him.
Allah is the All-Mighty and the
All-Wise. Nothing can stand against His perfect will and power, and He manages
the affairs of the universe with perfect wisdom.
The Learned
Lessons from Surah At-Taghabun Ayah 14–18
·
Allah, Exalted be He,
warns the believers of the potential danger posed by their wives and children.
They may become a source of religious or worldly harm by encouraging them to
neglect the commands of Allah. For example, they may discourage them from
spending for the sake of Allah or from emigrating in His cause.
·
A person's wife and
children are not enemies in themselves. Rather, their unrighteous influence
becomes harmful if a believer obeys them at the expense of obeying the commands
of Allah.
·
Forgiveness and pardon are
better than punishment and revenge. Allah encourages the believers to overlook
the mistakes of others and respond with mercy whenever appropriate.
·
Allah is All-Forgiving and
All-Merciful. He forgives those who sincerely repent of their sins and perform
righteous deeds. Out of His mercy and generosity, He does not hasten to punish
sinners; rather, He grants them opportunities to repent and return to Him.
·
With Allah is the greatest
reward: Paradise and its everlasting bliss.
·
True fear of Allah is
demonstrated by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions to the best
of one's ability.
·
The believers are required
to listen to, obey, and adhere to the commands of Allah and His Messenger
Muhammad.
·
The believers are
encouraged to spend part of their wealth for the sake of Allah. Their spending
will be rewarded abundantly, for Allah multiplies the reward of righteous deeds
many times over.
·
Success belongs to those
whom Allah protects from the avarice and greed of their own souls, enabling
them to give generously for His sake.
·
Allah is All-Knowing. He
knows both the unseen and the seen, and nothing is hidden from His perfect
knowledge.
·
Allah is the All-Mighty.
Nothing can overcome His perfect power or prevent the fulfillment of His will.
·
Allah is the All-Wise. He
manages the affairs of the universe with perfect wisdom, and all His decrees
are based on absolute justice and wisdom.
