Tafseer of The Women · An-Nisaa · 4:150
Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allah and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between -
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: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلا (4:150) (Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and who wish to make a separation between Allah and His messengers, and who say, "We believe in part and we disbelieve in part," and who wish to take a way in between.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: By His word, exalted is His praise, "Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers" — among the Jews and the Christians — "and who wish to make a separation between Allah and His messengers," He means: by denying the messengers of Allah, whom He sent to His creation with His revelation, and by claiming that they have fabricated against their Lord. And that is the meaning of their wish to make a separation between Allah and His messengers: by attributing to them the lie and the inventions against Allah, and by asserting false things about them. "And who say, 'We believe in part and we disbelieve in part,'" means: that they say, "We believe in this and we deny that," as the Jews did by their denial of ʿĪsā and Muḥammad — the peace of Allah be upon them both — and their belief, according to their claim, in Mūsā and all the prophets before him; and as the Christians did by their denial of Muḥammad — the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him — and their belief, according to their claim, in ʿĪsā and all the prophets before him. "And who wish to take a way in between," He says: and those who make a separation between Allah and His messengers, who claim that they believe in part and disbelieve in part, wish, in the midst of their statement "we believe in part of the prophets and disbelieve in part," to take a "way," that is to say: a path to the misguidance that they have introduced and the innovation (bidʿa) that they have invented, to which they invite the ignorant among the people.
