An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 113 of 176

An-Nisa 4:113

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ لَهَمَّت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُضِلُّوكَ وَمَا يُضِلُّونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۖ وَمَا يَضُرُّونَكَ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ وَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُن تَعْلَمُ ۚ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا

“And if it was not for the favor of Allāh upon you, [O Muḥammad], and His mercy, a group of them would have determined to mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they will not harm you at all. And Allāh has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allāh upon you been great.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Allah's favour shielded His Prophet from a plot to mislead him, and taught him what he did not know; the plotters misled only themselves.

A reflection

Your best escapes were gifts

Wa-lawlā faḍlu Allāhi ʿalayka wa-raḥmatuh: and were it not for Allah's favour upon you and His mercy.

The ayah opens with a quiet 'were it not'. Were it not for Allah, a group would have succeeded in misleading even the Prophet ﷺ. One classical commentator explains the favour concretely. Allah protected him by guiding him and making the traitor's case clear, so he held back from defending him.

The root of faḍl holds a precise picture. One lexicon defines it as what goes beyond the measured amount: a gift the giver was never bound to give.

This is where the ego shrinks. When we avoid a mistake, we tend to credit our own judgement. I had a feeling. I saw through him. I am not easily fooled. The ayah gently corrects that habit. If the Prophet's ﷺ escape from a skilful deception is called Allah's favour, then so is ours.

A sceptic may wonder why Allah reminds His Prophet of His favour at all. Is it a demand for thanks? One classical commentator answers in effect: remember the favour, and thank Him by holding firm to obedience. Gratitude is not a fee paid to Allah. It keeps the grateful person steady.

Picture a man about to sign a large contract with a firm that seems perfect. On the morning of the meeting his daughter wakes with a fever, and he cancels. A few months later the firm collapses amid fraud charges. At the office he tells the story as proof of his instinct. That evening his wife smiles and says: it was a fever, not an instinct.

She is right, and so is the ayah. Many of our narrowest escapes came wrapped in something we did not choose.

So tonight, recall one mistake you were spared. Then thank the One who spared you, not your own sharpness.

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.