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ʾinna llāha yaʾmuru bi-l-ʿadli wa-l-ʾiḥsāni wa-ʾītāʾi dhī l-qurbā wa-yanhā ʿani l-faḥshāʾi wa-l-munkari wa-l-baghyi yaʿiẓukum laʿallakum tadhakkarūna
Indeed Allah enjoins justice and kindness, and generosity towards relatives, and He forbids indecency, wrongdoing, and aggression. He advises you, so that you may take admonition.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nahl – Verse 90
90. “Verily, Allah enjoins justice and kindness (to others) and giving (the right of) the kindred, and forbids lewdness, and evil and insolence; He admonishes you so that you might remember.”
This verse provides a thorough explanation and the most comprehensive picture of the Islamic teachings in the spheres of social problems, the humanitarian issues, and the ethical matters. At first, the Qur’an implies that Allah commands all to involve themselves in justice and to be generous and forgiving with regard to one’s family members and those who are around them. The verse says:
“Verily, Allah enjoins justice and kindness (to others) and giving (the right of) the kindred…”
Justice is that universal law around the axis of which the totality of the system of creation runs. In the true sense of the word, it implies that everything takes its own proper place. Therefore, whatever deviation, excess and defect, extremism to the right or left, and violation of other people’s rights run contrary to the principle of justice. However, as justice, despite all its splendour, power, and its deep impact is not workable in times of crises and in exceptional circumstances, the Qur’an brings the command of kindness with regard to generosity and forgiveness immediately next to it.
In a tradition, Ali (as) says:
“Justice is achieved once you provide people with their due rights, and kindness is applied when you do them a favour.” 1
After completing these three positive principles, the Qur’an refers to three negative principles which the people must be dissuaded from. It says:
“…and forbids lewdness, and evil and insolence…”
‘Lewdness’ alludes to latent and secret sins, /munkar/ (abominable acts) refers to overt and open sinful acts, and /baqy/ (insolence) refers to whatever violation of one’s own rights, and oppression and self-admiration with regards to others. At the end of the verse, to re-emphasize once again the above six principles, the Qur’an says:
“…He admonishes you so that you might remember.”
The revival and revitalization of the three principles of: justice, generosity and provision of the due rights of one’s next of kinds, as well as campaigning against the three-fold deviations of lewdness, forbidden matters, and oppression, at the world level, provide sufficient grounds for creating a well-developed kind of world quiet and devoid of all calamities and corruption. Once we find the famous Companion, Ibn-i-Mas‘ūd, has been quoted as saying:
“This verse is the most comprehensive of all the Qur’anic verses regarding the good and the evil,” it is not to be regarded as an exaggeration.
Explanations
This verse is the universal investiture charter of Islam and the bill of rights which Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) used to recite in his sermons during the Friday Prayer rituals; and according to Tafsir-us-Safi:
Were there only this single verse to be found in the Qur’an we had sufficient grounds to declare that the Qur’an is explanatory Book for everything. The commandments as well as the forbidden matters of this verse have been included in all religions and have never been abrogated.
Walid-Ibn-Muqayrah was so attracted and magnetized by this verse that he declared: The sweetness, beauty, and the content of this verse is such that it can not be regarded as an expression uttered by any human being. Othman Ibn Maz‘ūn says:
“Upon hearing this verse, Islam exerted such a deep impact on me that I embraced it whole-heartedly.”
‘Justice’ /‘adl/, refers to the cases where the concerning equalization process is comprehended with insight, while /‘idl/ signifies that case during which its equalization process is perceived through the senses. The concept of /‘adl/ (justice) indicates ‘equality which exists in parts’, while /’ihsan/ (kindness or ‘generosity’) refers to multiplication or ‘increase’ in the amount of reward. The Arabic term /‘adl/ also implies distancing oneself from both excess and defect with regard to creeds as well as to the personal behavior and the social ones. Thus, the recommendation of this verse encompasses both the individuals as well as governments.
Justice, in the realm of creation, is the secret of its resistance, while in the realm of religious affairs it crowns itself on top of all the prophets’ mission. The Arabic term /’ihsan/ (benevolence) refers to a blessed word which includes financial, mental, cultural, and emotional services rendered generously. The Qur’anic term /fahša’/ (lewdness) refers to a sin which is a capital one and is coupled with a scandal. The term /munkar/ ‘forbidden’ signifies that act which is rejected by reason, runs contrary to inherent human nature and is refused by religious laws.
According to ‘Tafsir-Fi-Zalal’, once the despotic rulers, introducing corrupt procedures of propaganda, seek to present sinful acts as insignificant in the eyes of the people thus make people insensitive regarding sins, the ultimate criterion for differentiating ‘right’ from ‘wrong’ are religious laws.
Footnotes