An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 62 of 176

An-Nisa 4:62

فَكَيْفَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ جَآءُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّآ إِحْسَـٰنًا وَتَوْفِيقًا

“So how [will it be] when disaster strikes them because of what their hands have put forth and then they come to you swearing by Allāh, "We intended nothing but good conduct and accommodation."”

Saheeh International

Essence

Those who fled the truth in comfort come back to its door in hardship, carrying not repentance but the finest-sounding excuse: we only meant well.

A reflection

The most beautiful words used as cover

Listen to the excuse they chose. Not 'we were confused', not 'we made a mistake'. They said: we intended only iḥsān and tawfīq. Goodness, and reconciliation. Two of the most beautiful words in the language.

A classical commentary spells out what they may have meant. You, Messenger, judge only by the bitter truth. Other judges steer a middle course. They tell each side to be generous and bring the two wishes closer, until both can live with the result. We only wanted that kind of harmony.

It sounds reasonable, even kind. That is what makes it dangerous.

A junior employee complains that a star salesman keeps belittling her in meetings. The manager settles it quietly 'for the sake of the team'. She is moved to another desk. He keeps his bonus. Everyone is told the matter is resolved, and that the manager meant only to keep the peace.

The word iḥsān comes from a root whose one meaning is beauty, the opposite of ugliness. It means doing a thing well, giving more than is owed. It does not mean making the difficulty disappear by burying the person who raised it. One modern summary of this ayah puts it bluntly: the real iḥsān is in judging by what Allah revealed.

The first image of goodness for many people is smoothness: no raised voices, no losers. The Quran's picture is harder and truer. Goodness sometimes means a verdict that someone will not like. Reconciliation built on a buried wrong is not harmony. It is a quieter injustice, wearing the clothes of kindness.

So when you hear yourself say 'I just wanted to keep the peace', pause. Ask whose peace was kept, and who paid for it.

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.