Surah 4

Surah 4:14

"But whoever disobeys God and His messenger, and transgresses His limits – He will cause him to enter the Fire, there to remain. For him (there is) a humiliating punishment."
Warning Against Transgressing the Limits for Inheritance Verses 4:13-14
Show Full Scripture Context (4:13-14) — 2 Verses
Verse 13

تِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ يُدۡخِلۡهُ جَنَّـٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ وَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

Those are the limits (set by) God. Whoever obeys God and His messenger – He will cause him to enter Gardens through which rivers flow, there to remain. That is the great triumph!

Verse 14

وَمَن يَعۡصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُۥ يُدۡخِلۡهُ نَارًا خَٰلِدٗا فِيهَا وَلَهُۥ عَذَابٞ مُّهِينٞ

But whoever disobeys God and His messenger, and transgresses His limits – He will cause him to enter the Fire, there to remain. For him (there is) a humiliating punishment.

Meaning, the Fara'id are Allah's set limits. This includes what Allah has alloted for the heirs, according to the degree of relation they have to the deceased, and their degree of dependency on him. Therefore, do not transgress or violate them. So Allah said;

Quoted Scripture
"And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger,"

regarding the inheritance, and does not add or decrease any of these fixed shares by use of tricks and plots. Rather, he gives each his appointed share as Allah commanded, ordained and decided,

Quoted Scripture
"Will be admitted to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein, and is the great success. And whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, and transgresses His (set) limits. He will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment."

This is because he changed what Allah has ordained and disputed with His judgment. Indeed, this is the behavior of those who do not agree with what Allah has decided and divided, and this is why Allah punishes them with humiliation in the eternal, painful torment.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that, the Messenger of Allah said,

"A man might perform the actions of righteous people for seventy years, but when it is time to compile his will, he commits injustice. So his final work will be his worst, and he thus enters the Fire. A man might perform the deeds of evil people for seventy years, yet he is fair in his will. So his final work will be his best, and he thus enters Paradise."

Abu Hurayrah said, "Read, if you will,

{These are the limits (set by) Allah} until,

{a disgraceful torment.}"

In the chapter on injustice in the will, Abu Dawud recorded in his Sunan that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

"A man or a woman might perform actions in obedience to Allah for sixty years. Yet, when they are near death, they leave an unfair will and thus acquire the Fire."
Abu Hurayrah then recited the Ayah,

{After payment of legacies he (or she) may have bequeathed or debts, so that no loss is caused}, until,

Quoted Scripture
"and that is the great success."

This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib".

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 2, Page 397-399)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.