An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 111 of 176

An-Nisa 4:111

وَمَن يَكْسِبْ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُۥ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

“And whoever earns [i.e., commits] a sin only earns it against himself. And Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Every sin is earned against the one who commits it, and the All-Knowing, All-Wise never lets it land on the wrong account.

A reflection

No sin lands on the wrong account

Wa-kāna Allāhu ʿalīman ḥakīmā: and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise. So ends the ayah that says whoever earns a sin earns it only against himself.

The ayah closes with two of Allah's names. One classical commentator explains them in context. He knows what you are doing, you who argue for the betrayers, and He counts it. He is wise in governing you and all His creation.

Another commentator links the names to a principle stated elsewhere: no bearer of burdens bears another's burden (35:18). Part of His wisdom is that each sin is placed exactly where it belongs.

This cuts against a deep human habit. We think in groups. A clan's honour is shared, so its shame must be shared too. That is why the clan in this story fought so hard. If their man was a thief, they felt, they were all thieves.

The ayah breaks that equation. Their kinsman's sin was his. Pride in the clan's name had them carrying a weight that was never theirs. Then they made it theirs, by defending him.

A sceptic might ask why the Quran keeps naming Allah's knowledge and wisdom. Is that self-praise? Consider who these two names protect. The innocent man needed a judge who knew. The clan needed a judge who would not punish them for their cousin's theft. Both needed exactly these two names.

Picture an exam board that discovers one candidate has cheated. A careless board cancels the whole school's results. A wise one investigates, identifies the one script, and leaves two hundred honest students untouched.

The ego wants to rise and fall with its group. This ayah lets it do neither. You will answer for what you did, and only that. That is humbling. It is also a great relief.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.