An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 140 of 176

An-Nisa 4:140

وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا

“And it has already come down to you in the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] that when you hear the verses of Allāh [recited], they are denied [by them] and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them.[226] Indeed, Allāh will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together -”

Saheeh International

Essence

When Allah's verses are mocked in your hearing, rise from that gathering until the talk turns; staying put makes you a partner in it.

A reflection

The Gatherer decides the final seating

Inna Allāha jāmiʿu l-munāfiqīna wa-l-kāfirīna fī jahannama jamīʿā: Allah will gather the hypocrites and the disbelievers in Hell, all together.

The root of jāmiʿ means scattered things drawn close, part to part, until they form one crowd. A torrent was said to gather when water ran in from every side. Muzdalifa is called Jamʿ, the Gathering, because people come together there.

Picture a pilgrim lying on the gravel at Muzdalifa at two in the morning. He props himself on one elbow and looks across the plain. Millions of people, from every country he can name and many he cannot, asleep under one sky. Nobody organised this seating. No one chose their neighbour. It is the most humbling crowd he has ever seen.

That is a small picture of what Allah does as al-Jāmiʿ. Every generation, every corner of the earth, brought into one place on one Day. Commentators note the matching here. As the hypocrites and disbelievers gathered in this world for mockery, so they are gathered together in the next.

The ego likes to think it chooses where it belongs. We curate our circles, our tables, our group chats. We sit with whoever flatters us or entertains us. But the final gathering is not arranged by us. It is arranged by the One who saw every gathering we chose.

A sceptic may ask why Allah needs to announce this. He does not need it at all. He is the Free of need (35:15). The announcement is for us, given while our choices are still open. Pride assumes its seat is secure. Humility checks which gathering it is sitting in tonight.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.