6.152
Abbas - Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(And approach not the wealth of the orphan save with that which is better) through protecting it and making it grow; (till he reach maturity) legal age and shows righteousness in his character. (Give full measure and full weight, in justice. We task not any soul) upon measuring and weighing (beyond its scope) beyond its effort to establish justice. (And if you give your word, do justice thereunto) be truthful, (even though it be (against) a kinsman) you should be truthful and say what is true; (and fulfil the covenant of Allah. This He commandeth you that haply ye may remember) haply you may heed the admonition.
And that you do not approach the property of the orphan save with that approach which is fairer namely the one wherein lie his best interests until he is of age when he is sexually mature. And give full measure and full weight in justice fairly desisting from any fraud. We do not charge any soul beyond its capacity what it can bear in such matters so that if one makes a mistake in a measure or weight and God knows that his intention had been well-meaning then he suffers no blame as is stated in one hadīth. And if you speak to pass a judgement or otherwise then be just by being truthful even if he the person receiving the statement or the one being accused in it should be a kinsman. And fulfil God’s covenant. This is what He has charged you with that perhaps you will remember read tadhakkarūn or tadhkurūn you will be admonished.
And that you do not approach the property of the orphan, in any way whatsoever, save with that which is fairer, except through that trait which is more virtuous, in the way of preserving that [property] or making it multiply, until he is of age, and profits from it, as opposed to [approaching it] by consuming it and spending it for your use or wasting it, since that is most vile. Then after He has illustrated the illicitness of the four genera of vice in their entirety in detail, He enjoins the obligation of the four virtues in a generalised form, because the detailing of the vices avails of the need to detail their counterparts [from among the virtues] since they are included all of them in [the virtue of] justice and so He has enjoined it in all of its aspects, whether in acts or speech, saying: And give full measure and full weight in justice, that is, observe justice between you and [other] creatures in an absolute way. And if you speak, then be just, in other words, say only what is the truth, even if he, the one concerning whom it is spoken, should be a kinsman: so do not be biased in speaking for him or against him by adding or withholding [facts]. And fulfil God's covenant, that is, the affirmation of Oneness and obedience and all that is between you and God in terms of what the former covenant entails for the subsequent one. And since the wayfaring upon the path of virtue, that is the path of the unity and the orienting of oneself towards the Truth, is difficult - being, as they say, 'finer than a hair and sharper than [the edge of] a sword' - especially [difficult] in terms of acts, since to be mindful of moderation regarding them without inclining in some way to the side of excess or immoderation is extremely difficult, He, after saying And give full measure and full weight in justice, says, We do not charge any soul beyond its capacity, illustrating that in this instance [of the QurÌān] He has combined the prohibition against all vices and the enjoining of all virtues in their entirety in such a way that no particulars of the subdivisions of these [two categories of vice and virtue] have been omitted, which is why Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be satisfied with him, said: 'Verily these are clear verses of which nothing has been abrogated by anything in any of the scriptures'.
The followers of the two scriptures and all of the sects and creeds are in agreement over his words. Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, 'By the One in whose hand lies the soul of Kaʿb, these were the first [verses] of the Torah'. This, what has been mentioned in terms of the obligation to desist from all vices and to acquire all virtues, is what He has charged you with, in all scriptures by the tongues of all messengers, that perhaps you will remember, upon hearing them, what God has endowed you with of perfection and deposited in your preparedness from pre-eternity.
(Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans.) those who were guardians of orphans separated their food from the orphans' food and their drink from their drink. When any of that food or drink remained, they used to keep it for the orphan until he or she ate it or it spoiled. This became difficult for the companions and they talked about it to the Messenger of Allah, and Allah sent down the Ayah,
(And they ask you about orphans. Say: "The best thing is to work honestly in their property, and if you mix your affairs with theirs, then they are your brothers.") 2:220 Thereafter, they mixed their food and drink with food and drink of the orphans.'' Abu Dawud collected this statement. Allah's statement,
حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ
(until he (or she) attains the age of full strength;), refers to reaching the age of adolescence, according to Ash-Sha`bi, Malik and several others among the Salaf.
The Command to Give Full Measure and Full Weight with Justice
Allah's statement,
وَأَوْفُواْ الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ
(and give full measure and full weight with justice.) is a command to establish justice while giving and taking. Allah has also warned against abandoning this commandment, when He said,
(Woe to Al-Mutaffifin. Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, demand full measure. And when they have to give by measure or weight to (other) men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be resurrected (for reckoning). On a Great Day The Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of all that exists) 83:1-6. Allah destroyed an entire nation that was accustomed to giving less in weights and measures. Allah said next,
لاَ نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا
(We burden not any person, but that which he can bear.) that is, whoever strives while pursuing his rights and giving other peoples' full rights, then there is no sin on him if he commits an honest mistake after trying his best and striving to do what is right.
(O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah as just witnesses.) 5:8 And there is a similar Ayah in Surat An-Nisa'. So Allah commands justice in action and statement, with both near relatives and distant relatives. Indeed, Allah orders justice for everyone at all times and in all situations.
The Command to Follow Allah's Straight Path and to Avoid All Other Paths
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statements,
((Saying) that you should establish religion and make no divisions in it.) 42:13, and similar Ayat in the Qur'an, "Allah commanded the believers to adhere to the Jama`ah and forbade them from causing divisions and disputes. He informed them that those before them were destroyed because of divisions and disputes in the religion of Allah.'' Similar was said by Mujahid and several others. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah drew a line with his hand (in the sand) and said,
«هَذَا سَبِيلُ اللهِ مُسْتَقِيمًا»
(This is Allah's path, leading straight.) He then drew lines to the right and left of that line and said,
(And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path.)6:153'' Al-Hakim also recorded this Hadith and said; "Its chain is Sahih, but they did not record it.'' Imam Ahmad and `Abd bin Humayd recorded (and this is the wording of Ahmad) that Jabir said; "We were sitting with the Prophet when he drew a line in front of him and said,
«هَذَا سَبِيلُ الله»
(This is Allah's path.) He also drew two lines to its right and two lines to its left and said,
«هَذِهِ سُبُلُ الشَّيْطَان»
(These are the paths of Shaytan.) He then placed his hand on the middle path and recited this Ayah;
6.151-153
Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an
That is, "The limits set by your Lord are not those which you have imposed on yourselves, but they are the following which Allah has set for the regulation of human life and which have always been the fundamental basis of all Divine Laws." (Please compare these precepts with those contained in Exodus chapter 20).
One is guilty of shirk if: (a) one sets up another besides Allah as god, or (b) one attributes to another any of those attributes that naturally and exclusively belong to Allah, or (c) one sets up a partner with Allah in His powers, or (d) in His rights. According to (a), all those creeds which set up partners with Allah in the essence of His Godhead shall be shirk, e.g., the creed of Trinity of the Christians, the creed of musrhik Arabs to believe in the angels to be daughters of God and to attribute "Godhead" to their gods and goddesses and the members of the royal families. According to (b), all those, who believe that someone other than Allah also possesses one or some or all of the attributes which exclusively belong to Allah, shall be guilty of shirk. For instance, it will be shirk if one believes that someone knows all about everything including the "unseen" or hears everything or is completely free from each and every defect and weakness, and is infallible like Allah. According to (c), one shall be guilty of shirk, if one believes that someone else besides Allah is able to wield any one or all of those powers that exclusively belong to Him. For instance, one shall be committing shirk, if one believes that someone else besides Allah can, in a supernatural way, benefit or harm or fulfill heeds or help or protect or defend, or hear prayers, or make or mar destinies, or set the limits of lawful or unlawful, proper or improper, or prescribe laws (shar a) for human life. These shall be shirk, for all these things are the exclusive characteristics of Godhead. It shall be shirk under (d) if one surrenders to another any or all of those rights to which Allah alone is entitled. For instance, Allah alone has the right that man should stand with bound hands, bow and prostrate before Him, or he should make vows and give offerings in His name alone or make sacrifices as a mark of gratitude in acknowledgment of His greatness; He alone has the right that He should be invoked to ward off troubles etc. Likewise, Allah alone is entitled to all forms of worship, devotion and glory and He alone has the right to be loved more than anyone or anything else and all other affections should be sacrificed for His love. He alone should be feared so that one would not dare displease or disobey Him openly and secretly. He alone has the right to be obeyed unconditionally and unreservedly; and His Guidance alone should be made the sole standard of judging right from wrong and none else should be obeyed except in accordance with the obedience to Allah. If ever one of these rights is surrendered to someone other than Allah, it will be setting that one as a partner with Him, whether that one is given the title of god or not.
"Kind treatment" includes respect and honor, obedience and desire to please and serve parents etc., This right of the parents has been stated in the Qur'an at several places immediately after the rights of Allah. This is a clear proof that this right of the parents is only next to the right of Allah and has priority over all human rights.
The Arabic word fawahish applies to all kinds of impure acts, whose obscenity is absolutely obvious. The Qur'an declares adultery, sodomy, nudism, calumny, marriage with father's wife as "indecencies." Besides these, theft, drinking and beggary have also been included in the list of indecencies in the Traditions. Likewise, all other obscene acts are also indecencies and the Divine Commandment demands that such acts should neither be committed openly nor secretly.
This is the declaration of the sanctity of human life by Allah Who has made it inviolable as a basic principle. As regards its destruction "by right", the Qur'an allows this in three cases and the Holy Prophet added two more to these. The Qur'an makes it lawful to take the life of the one: (1) who is proved guilty of the intentional murder of another person. (2) who opposes Islam and obstructs its establishment so as to leave no other alternative than to fight with him, (3) who spreads disorder within the Islamic territory or exerts to overthrow the established Islamic government. Besides these, the Holy Prophet has made it lawful to.take the life of the one: (4) who, in spite of being married, is proved guilty of adultery, (5) who becomes an apostate and deserts the Islamic Community. These five are the only cases in which it becomes lawful to take human life and there is no other case in which it becomes lawful to take human life and there is no other case besides these in which human life may be taken, be it that of a Muslim, or of a dhimmi, or of an unbeliever.
"The best way" will be the one which is based on selflessness, good intentions and the welfare of the concerned orphan, and which is not objectionable in the sight of God or man.
"You shall use full measure and a just balance,'' is a fundamental principle of the Divine Law: Allah has added, "We charge one.....one can bear," to assure people that whoever tries his very best to be just and right in measuring, weighing and carrying out other trade transactions, will be absolved from his responsibility and will not be taken to account, if in spite of his best efforts, there happens to be an unintentional error.
"Covenant with Allah" is: (i) The solemn agreement which man makes with Allah, (i!) the solemn pledge which he makes with another man in the name of Allah, and (iii) the natural compact that comes into force as soon as one is born in the human society on Allah's earth. The first two kinds of covenants are intentional and optional, but the third one is a moral and natural obligation. Though man has no option in the choice of the third compact, yet it is as binding as the first two and should be honored as 'much. This is because Allah has given him life with extraordinary physical and mental faculties and furnished the earth for his habitation and provided nourishment, and limitless resources etc., for him. Naturally all this entails some rights of Allah on him. Likewise it entails some, rights of the mother who gives birth to and nourishes him and of the father who brings him up and of the society that affords him many kinds of facilities and opportunities. All these rights become, by their very nature, obligatory on him in varying degrees. It is true that this "Covenant" of man with God and society has not been written in any statute book, nevertheless it has been ingrained by Nature in each and every particle of his body, which itself owes its very existence to this Covenant. A reference to this has been made in Al-Baqarah, ti: 27: "....who break Allah's Covenant after ratifying it: who cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined and who produce chaos on the earth." It has again been mentioned in Al-A'raf, VII: 172 to this effect: At the time of the creation of Adam, Allah brought forth all his would-be descendants up to the Last Day, from the loins of mankind, and trade them stand witnesses to the Covenant that He is their Lord.
"..... you should follow this way because this is the Right Way." This "Natural Covenant" demands that man should follow the Way shown by Allah, because any deviation from it into the paths of rebellion or independence or in the worship of another than Allah will be the first violation against that Covenant, and will mislead one into other violations one after the other. Besides, no man can fulfill the obligations of this most delicate, vast and intricate Covenant unless one accepts Divine Guidance and follows it in every aspect of life. "...... you should not follow other ways" because they will turn you away from His Right Way which is the only Way which leads to His nearness, pleasure and approval. Moreover, when the people deviate from His High Way, each man has to make his own choice out of the hundreds of other ways. Thus the people are scattered in all directions and there is bewilderment, confusion and disorder among all mankind and this becomes a hindrance in the way of its real progress and development (Please see also E.N. 35, Al-Ma'idah).
…And if you speak, be just...He said:The people of veracity (ṣidq) speak in four ways: they speak in God, through God, for God or with God. There are other people who speak to themselves and for themselves, and so they are preserved from the evil of speech. Yet other people speak about others and forget themselves, and so they innovate and go astray. Wretched is that which they have produced for themselves! So abandon speech for knowledge, and then only speak when it is necessary, and you will be preserved from the ills of speech. What is meant [by ‘when it is necessary’] is that you should not speak unless you are afraid that you will otherwise fall into sin.Then he said:Whoever makes a [false] assumption (ẓann) will be deprived of certainty, and whoever speaks about that which does not concern him will be deprived of veracity. Furthermore, whoever occupies his bodily members for other than the sake of God, Exalted is He, will be deprived of scrupulous piety (waraʿ). If a servant is deprived of these three he is ruined. Furthermore, he will be set down in the records as being among the enemies [of God].Truly, it was related from al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym, may God have mercy on him, ⸢that no one ever heard him speak about matters of the world (amr al-dunya). Someone asked him ‘Why do you not mention people (al-nās), may God have mercy on you?’⸣ He replied, ‘I am not satisfied with myself to the extent that I should be done with censuring myself, and turn to the the censure (dhamm) of others. [Yet people] fear God with regard to the sins of His servants, and leap into their own sins.’ His words, Mighty and Majestic is He:
