Reflecting on Nisa 4:1

There are many men and women in the Muslim community graduating from high school and heading off to college, while others are graduating from college and are in the process of courting to find their future spouse. Every parent, caregiver or guardian has a responsibility to explain Ayat 1 of Surah Nisa, the incredibly detailed chapter on Women, to their sons and daughters. We have to change the ills of our community with sound education, knowledge and wisdom, including premarital counselling with professionals, who have sound knowledge in both Islam and psychology.

This verse should be familiar to all of us because many of Jummuah khutub (Friday congregational sermons), begin with it. Unfortunately, often it is not translated or reflected upon.

يٰٓاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَّاحِدَةٍ وَّخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيْرًا وَّنِسَاۤءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ الَّذِيْ تَسَاۤءَلُوْنَ بِهٖ وَالْاَرْحَامَ ۗ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيْبًا

“O Mankind, be mindful/conscious/heedful your Lord Who has created you from a single soul, and created its mate from it, and propagated so many men and women from them both. Be mindful/conscious/heedful of Allah, through Whom you ask [with it], [the rights] of wombs. God is Watching over you.”

[Surah Nisa, Verse 1]

Reflections:

1. We are warned to have taqwa - to be heedful, conscious, mindful of the Lord of the Worlds because from the first self (nafs-al-wahidah) was created its mate (zawj) and from these two (Adam and Eve), spread countless men and women across the earth, including ourselves who have relationships and dealings with one another.

2. We are warned to have taqwa again - to be heedful, conscious, mindful of the God of the worlds, in relation to gender relationships on all levels when it comes to the rights and responsibilities of each other through the wombs (‘arham’), derived directly from the Attribute of God Ar-Rahman, the Entirely Merciful to All of His Creation.

3. We are warned that God is ever watchful over us. Part of our aqeedah (creed) is to worship God as if we see Him and if we don’t, to know that He sees us.

4. There are three distinct and clear warnings in this verse about gender relationships and our dealings with one another. It behoves us to pay attention to this and teach our children this at a very early age. This will form the solid foundation upon which all relationships are built.

And Allah and the Messenger know Best