Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:135
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His word: O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against your own selves, or against the parents and the near kinsfolk. Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man, Allah stands nearer to both. So do not follow desire, that you may act justly (4:135).
This is a command (in fact: a prohibition) from Allah — exalted be His mention — to His servants who believe in Him and in His Messenger, that they should not act as those did who turned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the matter of the Banū Ubayriq, to plead an excuse for them before his Companions, to defend them, and to present their case more favorably by claiming that they were people of need and poverty. Allah says to them: "O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice (al-qisṭ)." He says: let it be among your traits of character and your qualities that you uphold justice — that is to say: with equity — "witnesses for Allah."
* * *
And "al-shuhadāʾ" (the witnesses) is the plural of "shahīd" (witness).
* * *
And "al-shuhadāʾ" stands in the accusative on account of the qaṭʿ (its separation as a ḥāl) from what is contained in His word "qawwāmīn" (upholders) by way of mention of "those who believe." Its meaning is: uphold justice for the sake of Allah in your testimony — or: at the time of your testimony.
"Even if it be against your own selves," He says: even if your testimony be against your own selves, or against your parents or your near kinsfolk, then uphold therein justice and equity, and render it correctly by speaking the truth therein. Do not incline therein in favor of a rich man because of his wealth to the detriment of a poor man, nor in favor of a poor man because of his poverty to the detriment of a rich man, so that you would commit injustice. For Allah, Who has made the judgment concerning the rich man and the poor man equal in what He has imposed upon you, O people — namely the rendering of testimony with respect to each of the two with equity — "stands nearer to both" and has more right over them than you, because He is their Owner and stands nearer to them than you. He knows better than you what serves the welfare of each of the two in this matter, and likewise in all other affairs. Therefore He has commanded you to equate between the two in testifying for them and against them. "So do not follow desire, that you may act justly." He says: do not follow the desires of your souls by inclining in your testimony, when you render it — in favor of a rich man to the detriment of a poor man, or in favor of a poor man to the detriment of a rich man, to the advantage of one of the two parties — so that you would speak something other than the truth. Rather uphold justice therein, and render the testimony as Allah has commanded you to render it, with equity toward the one for whom and against whom you testify.
* * *
If someone were to say: how can the witness render testimony with equity against himself? And does a witness (actually) testify against himself?
Then it is answered: yes. And that is when there is incumbent upon him a right in favor of another, and he acknowledges it. That acknowledgment is a form of his rendering testimony against himself.
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: This verse, in my view, is an admonition from Allah — exalted be His praise — to His believing servants, that they should not do what those did who excused the Banū Ubayriq — concerning their theft of what they stole, and their treachery in what they betrayed, at the expense of those whom we mentioned earlier — before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and who testified in their favor before him concerning their uprightness. So He said to them: when you render testimony for or against a person, speak therein with equity, even if your testimony be against your own selves, your fathers, your mothers, and your near kinsfolk. Let neither the wealth of the one for whom you testify, nor his poverty, nor his kinship and blood-tie with you, incite you to testify falsely in his favor, nor to neglect testifying truthfully against him and to conceal that.
* * *
And it has been said that it was revealed as an admonition to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Mention of who said that:
10678 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word: "O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah," he said: It was revealed concerning the Prophet ﷺ. Two men brought a dispute before him: a rich man and a poor man. And his inclination went toward the poor man, for he supposed that the poor man would not wrong the rich man. But Allah refused anything other than that he should uphold justice toward the rich man and the poor man, and He said: "Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man, Allah stands nearer to both. So do not follow desire, that you may act justly," the verse.
* * *
And others said concerning this something along the lines of our position: that it was revealed concerning testimony, as a command from Allah to the believers that they — when rendering their testimonies in favor of those for whom they render them — should practice equation between the rich man and the poor man.
Mention of who said that:
10679 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: "Be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against your own selves, or against the parents and the near kinsfolk," he said: Allah commanded the believers to speak the truth, even if it were against themselves, or against their fathers or their sons, and not to show preference for a rich man because of his wealth, nor to have compassion on a needy man because of his neediness. That is His word: "Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man, Allah stands nearer to both. So do not follow desire, that you may act justly," so that you would abandon the truth and commit injustice.
10680 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Suwayd ibn Naṣr related to us, saying: Ibn al-Mubārak informed us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of Ibn Shihāb, concerning the testimony of the father in favor of his child and of the blood relative, he said: That was in the past among the transmitted custom (al-sunna) among the predecessors of the Muslims, and they interpreted therein the word of Allah: "O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against your own selves, or against the parents and the near kinsfolk. Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man, Allah stands nearer to both," the verse. The righteous predecessors of the Muslims were not suspected in the testimony of the father in favor of his child, nor of the child in favor of his father, nor of the brother in favor of his brother, nor of the man in favor of his wife. But afterward the people became corrupted, and there came forth from them matters that led the rulers to suspect them. Then the testimony of whoever was suspected was rejected, if it came from his near kinsfolk. And that became so with the child and the father, and the brother, the husband and the wife: at the end of times only these were still suspected.
10681 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: "O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah," to the end of the verse, he said: Let not the poverty of this (person) lead you to have compassion on him so that you do not render the testimony against him. He said: this He says to the witness.
10682 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah," the verse, this concerns testimony. So render the testimony, O son of Ādam, even if it be against yourself, or against the parents, or against your near kinsfolk, or the notables of your people. For the testimony is for Allah and not for the people, and Allah has deemed justice pleasing for Himself. Equity and justice are the balance of Allah on earth; by them Allah wards off (injustice) of the strong against the weak, and of the liar against the truthful, and of the wrongdoer against the one who is in his right. And through justice He confirms the truthful, gives the lie to the liar, and rejects the transgressor and humiliates him. Exalted and blessed be our Lord. And through justice comes the welfare of the people, O son of Ādam. "Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man, Allah stands nearer to both," He says: He stands nearer to your rich man and your poor man. He (Qatāda) said: And it has been related to us that the prophet of Allah, Mūsā — peace be upon him — said: "O Lord, what thing have You placed in the least measure upon the earth?" He said: "Justice is the least of what I have placed upon the earth." So let neither the wealth of a rich man nor the poverty of a poor man prevent you from testifying against him with what you know, for that is among the truth that is incumbent upon you. And He — exalted be His praise — said: "Allah stands nearer to both."
* * *
And it has been said: "Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man," the verse, what is meant is: Allah stands nearer to the wealth of the rich man and the poverty of the poor man. For that comes from Him, not from another. Therefore He said: "to both (bihimā)," and did not say "to him (bihi)."
* * *
And others said: only "to both (bihimā)" was said because He said: "Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man" — and He did not thereby intend a particular poor man nor a particular rich man, and that is indefinite. And when something is indefinite, the back-reference to it is permissible in the singular, the dual, and the plural.
* * *
The adherents of this position mentioned that in the reading of Ubayy it reads: (Allah stands nearer to them — bihim).
* * *
And others said: "or (aw)" in this place has the meaning of "and (al-wāw)."
* * *
And others said: the dual in His word "to both (bihimā)" is permissible, because both have already been mentioned, as it is said: And he has a brother or a sister, then for each one of the two of them (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 12).
* * *
And it has been said: it is permissible, because therein the word "whoever (man)" is supposed, as if it were said: if the one who conducts the dispute is a rich man or a poor man — in the meaning of: two rich men or two poor men — "then Allah stands nearer to both."
* * *
And the explanation of His word: "So do not follow desire, that you may act justly," that is to say: (that you may deviate) from the truth, so that you would commit injustice through the neglect of rendering the testimony truthfully. And if one were to take it in the meaning: do not follow the desires of your souls out of fear that you would deviate from the truth in rendering the testimony with equity — then that too would be an acceptable explanation.
* * *
And it has been said: the meaning of it is: do not follow desire, that you may act justly — as one says: "do not follow your desire, that you may be pleasing to your Lord," in the meaning of: I forbid it to you, just as you are pleasing to your Lord by abandoning it.
* * *
The explanation of His word: And if you distort or refuse (the testimony), then Allah is indeed well-informed of what you do (4:135).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The exegetes differed concerning the explanation of it.
Some of them said: He meant: "and if you distort (talwū)," O judges, in the judgment in favor of one of the two litigant parties against the other — "or refuse (the testimony), then Allah is indeed well-informed of what you do."
And they directed the meaning of the verse to its having been revealed concerning the judges, in accordance with the position which we mentioned from al-Suddī, namely his statement that the verse was revealed concerning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as we mentioned earlier.
Mention of who said that:
10683 — Ibn Ḥumayd and Ibn Wakīʿ both related to us, they said: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Qābūs ibn Abī Ẓabyān, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the word of Allah: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," he said: Those are the two men who sit before the judge, and then the distortion (lay) and the turning away of the judge in favor of the one against the other takes place.
* * *
And others said: the meaning of it is: and if you distort, O witnesses, in your testimonies, so that you bend them and do not render them correctly — or if you refuse (the testimony), so that you neglect it.
Mention of who said that:
10684 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," he says: if you distort the testimony with your tongues, or refuse it.
10685 — Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: O you who believe, be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah up to His word: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," he says: you twist your tongue away from the truth — and that is the stammering (al-lajlaja) — so that you do not render the testimony in the correct manner. And "the refusing (al-iʿrāḍ)" is the neglecting.
10686 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: "And if you distort," that is to say: you change the testimony. "Or refuse (the testimony)," he said: you conceal it.
10687 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "And if you distort," he said: by changing the testimony. And "the refusing" is the concealing of it.
10688 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: my father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," he said: if you bend (it) or neglect (it).
10689 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," he said: you stammer, or you conceal. And this concerns testimony.
10690 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," as for "you distort": you bend the testimony and change it so that you do not render it correctly. And as for "you refuse": you turn away from it and conceal it, and you say: I have no testimony!
10691 — Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: "And if you distort," so that you conceal the testimony, in that one distorts a part of it — or one turns away from it and conceals it, and refuses to testify against him, while saying: I conceal it in his favor, because he is needy and I have compassion on him! And one says: I do not render the testimony against him. And one says: this one is rich, I spare him and hope for what he (can give me), so I do not testify against him! And that is His word: Whether it concerns a rich man or a poor man.
10692 — Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "And if you distort," you bend — "or refuse (the testimony)," you neglect.
10693 — Muḥammad ibn ʿUmāra related to us, saying: Ḥasan ibn ʿAṭiyya related to us, saying: Fuḍayl ibn Marzūq related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭiyya, concerning His word: "And if you distort," he said: if you stammer in the testimony so that you spoil it. "Or refuse (the testimony)," he said: you neglect it.
10694 — Al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn ʿAwn related to us, saying: Hushaym informed us, on the authority of Juwaybir, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, concerning His word: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," he said: if you distort in the testimony, so that you do not render it in the correct manner. "Or refuse (the testimony)," he said: you conceal the testimony.
10695 — Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥammād related to us, saying: Shaybān related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, that he used to say: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," that is to say: you stammer. "Or refuse (the testimony)," he said: you abandon it and do not testify.
10696 — It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: "And if you distort or refuse (the testimony)," as for "you distort": that is that the man turns his tongue away from the truth — namely: in the testimony.
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: And the most correct of the two explanations concerning this is the explanation of the one who explained it as the distorting (lay) by the witness of his testimony in favor of or against the one about whom he testifies, and that is the bending of it with his tongue and the neglecting to render it correctly, in order thereby to nullify his testimony in favor of the one for whom and against the one against whom he testifies.
And as for his turning away (iʿrāḍ) from it: that is his neglecting to render it and to uphold it, so that he does not testify with it.
And we have said only: this explanation is the most correct, because Allah — exalted be His praise — said: Be steadfast upholders of justice, witnesses for Allah, and He thus commanded them to uphold justice as witnesses. And the most obvious meaning of "al-shuhadāʾ (the witnesses)" is what we mentioned, namely that they are characterized by testifying.
* * *
And the readers differed concerning the reading of His word: "And if you distort (talwū)."
Most of the readers of the (various) regions, with the exception of Kūfa, read it as (wa-in talwū) with two wāws, derived from: "lawānī al-rajulu ḥaqqī, wa-al-qawmu yalwūnanī daynī" (the man withheld my right from me by delay, and the people withhold my debt from me) — and that is when they postpone the payment of it — "layyan" (delay, distortion).
* * *
And a group of the readers of Kūfa read it as (wa-in talū) with a single wāw.
* * *
And for the reading of the one who read it thus, there are two possibilities:
The first: that its reader intended to hamzate the "wāw" because of its ḍamma, and then dropped the hamza, so that the vowel-mark of the hamza passed onto the lām when he dropped it, and one wāw remained. As if he intended: "talʾūā," and then removed the hamza. And when this possibility is intended, then its meaning is equal to the meaning of the one who read: "wa-in talwū" with two wāws, except that this deviates from what is known from the speech of the Arabs. That is because the second "wāw" in His word "talwū" is the wāw of the plural, and it is a marker for a meaning; therefore it is not correct to hamzate it and then drop it after the hamzation, for then the marker of the meaning for which the dropped "wāw" was inserted would lapse.
And the other possibility: that the reader who read it thus intended that "talū" is derived from "al-wilāya" (the governance), so that the meaning would be: and if you govern the affairs of the people and neglect (the testimony). And this meaning — when the reader directs his reading to what we have described — falls outside the meanings of the exegetes, and outside that to which the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Followers (al-tābiʿūn) directed the explanation of the verse.
* * *
Abū Jaʿfar said: Since its incorrectness is evident in both possibilities, the correct reading — which according to us cannot be otherwise — is that one reads it as: (Wa-in talwū aw tuʿriḍū), in the meaning of "al-layy" (the distortion), which is delay.
* * *
So that the explanation of the words is: and if you defer the correct upholding of the testimony in favor of the one for whom the upholding of it is incumbent upon you, so that you change it and bend it, or you turn away from it and neglect the upholding of it in his favor — as a man defers the debt of another and holds him off from the payment of it to him according to what (Allah) has imposed upon him as an obligation toward him, by delay toward him — as al-Aʿshā said:
"My debtors defer me by day, and I did not collect my debt until sleep felled the sleepers."
* * *
And as for the explanation of His word "then Allah is indeed well-informed of what you do": He meant: "then Allah is indeed concerning what you do" — at the correct or incorrect rendering of the testimony, the distorting of it, and the turning away from it by concealing it — "well-informed (khabīran)," that is to say: possessor of knowledge and aware of it, Who preserves that from you against you, until He will requite you for it with your requital in the Hereafter: the doer of good among you for his doing good, and the doer of evil for his doing evil. He says: so fear your Lord concerning that.
