Commentary
Allah intends to make clear to you. His intention is that Allah wants to clarify for you. The لام (lam) has been added for emphasis on the intention of clarification, just as it has been added in: 'I do not care for you,' to emphasize the addition of the father. The meaning is: Allah wants to clarify for you what is hidden from you of your interests and the best of your deeds. He wants to guide you to the paths of those who came before you from the prophets and the righteous, and the ways they followed in their religion so that you may emulate them. And He wants to accept your repentance and guide you to acts of obedience. If you perform them, they will be expiations for your misdeeds, and He will accept your repentance and forgive you. And Allah wants to accept your repentance, meaning that you do what you deserve for Him to accept your repentance. And He wants the wicked, those who follow their desires, to lead you astray greatly, which is the deviation from the truth and the right path. There is no greater deviation than assisting them and agreeing with them in following desires. It is said that they are the Jews. It is also said that they are the Magians: they used to permit marriage to sisters from the father and the daughters of the brother and the daughters of the sister. When Allah prohibited them, they said: 'You permit the daughter of the maternal aunt and the paternal aunt, while the maternal aunt and paternal aunt are forbidden to you. So marry the daughters of the brother and sister.' Thus, it was revealed. Allah says: They want you to be fornicators like them. Allah wants to lighten for you the permissibility of marrying female slaves and other concessions. And mankind has been created weak; he cannot endure desires and the hardships of obedience. From Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib: The devil has never despaired of the children of Adam except that he approaches them through women. He has come to me for eighty years, and one of my eyes has gone while I see with the other. And the thing I fear most for myself is the temptation of women. It has been read: 'that they may deviate' with a ياء (ya). The pronoun refers to those who follow desires. Ibn Abbas read (and mankind has been created) in the active form and made 'mankind' accusative. And from him, may Allah be pleased with him: Eight verses in Surah An-Nisa are better for this nation than what the sun has risen upon and set: (Allah intends to make clear to you), (and Allah wants to accept your repentance), (Allah wants to lighten for you), (if you avoid the major sins of what you are forbidden), (indeed, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him), (indeed, Allah does not do injustice even to the weight of an atom), and (whoever does evil or wrongs himself), (what does Allah gain from your punishment).
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