Q&A regarding verse 141 of An-Nisa

The following is a draft translation of an Arabic Q&A:


Question: Regarding the verse: ]ولن يجعل الله للكافرين على المؤمنين سبيلاً[ ‘And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.’ Some say this refers to Hereafter because it comes after: ]فالله يحكم بينكم يوم القيامة[ ‘Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection.’ [an-Nisaa:141]


Answer:

Your statement is correct that:

]ولن يجعل الله للكافرين على المؤمنين سبيلاً[

‘And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.’ [an-Nisaa:141] has come attached to :

]فالله يحكم بينكم يوم القيامة[

‘Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection.’ [an-Nisaa:141] This does not mean the ma’toof (linked) comes under the rule, time and place of the ma’toof ‘alayh (linked to) and this is because the conjunctive ‘waw’ is only an absolute conjunction in the Arabic language, it may be linked to its two things joined together (musaahibihi), something which came before (saabiqihi) or something which came after (laahiqihi). The wajib may be linked to the mandoob or the mubaah….and so on and so forth. So it is purely to link only but it is the qareenah (indication) which determines if two joined things have the same hukm, time or place. For this reason, the former section of the ayah referring to the Day of Judgment does not mean that the former part is also in the Day of judgment. Rather, it is the qareenah and the context of the speech which determines the meaning.

As for the qareenah which clarifies that:

ولن يجعل الله للكافرين على المؤمنين سبيلاً

‘And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.’ [an-Nisaa:141] is not referring to the Day of judgment but the Dunya; it is the use of the word sabeela (way) i.e. authority (sultaan). The presence of a group of people having authority over another group is in the dunya (world). There is no authority for anyone over the creation because the authority is for Allah (swt).

Thus the ayah:

ولن يجعل الله للكافرين على المؤمنين سبيلاً

‘And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.’ [an-Nisaa:141] is in the dunya. This does not contradict the fact that it is linked before it to the Day of Judgement:

فالله يحكم بينكم يوم القيامة

’ Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection.’ [an-Nisaa:141] this is because the ma’toof (linked) does not come under the ma’toof ilayh (linked to) without a qareenah. And the qareenah makes the ma’toof, which is:

ولن يجعل الله للكافرين على المؤمنين سبيلاً

‘And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers.’ [an-Nisaa:141] which is in the dunya. So its textual indication is the required meaning (dalaalatul iqtidaa`) which is necessary to maintain the truthfulness of Allah. So we move from understanding it as a report to one of decisive prohibition (nahi jaazim) i.e. it is forbidden for you O Muslims to allow the kaafireen (disbelievers) to have a sabeela (way) i.e. authority over you.