The interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And if only, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and sought forgiveness from Allah, and the Messenger had sought forgiveness for them”
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
[An-Nisa 4:64] Is it prescribed for one who has committed a major sin to travel to al-Madinah and come to the grave of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to seek forgiveness from Allah and ask the Messenger to intercede for him and forgive him?
Answer:
The fact that the Companions and the blessed generations did not do this indicates that the verse does not mean that this practice continues, because of His saying:[An-Nisa 4:64] and “when” refers to what has passed in time. This concerns a group who sought to have judgment by someone other than the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in a case; they sought to have judgment by Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf.
Because they knew that he would take a bribe. A dispute arose between a Jew and a Muslim. The Jew said, “Let us go to Muhammad for judgment,” because he knew that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not take a bribe. The hypocrite said, “Let us go to Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf for judgment.”
So this verse was revealed regarding[An-Nisa 4:60] up to the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:64] meaning that from this crime they came to the Messenger. This was during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him) and in a specific case.
[An-Nisa 4:64] Yes, it is not general after his death. Yes, as indicated by “when” and “when” referring to what has passed in time. Yes, He did not say “if only, when they wronged,” because “when” refers to what is to come in the future. Yes.
And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you, [O Muhammad], and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُAnswer:
The fact that the Companions and the blessed generations did not do this indicates that the verse does not mean that this practice continues, because of His saying:
when they wronged themselves
إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْBecause they knew that he would take a bribe. A dispute arose between a Jew and a Muslim. The Jew said, “Let us go to Muhammad for judgment,” because he knew that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not take a bribe. The hypocrite said, “Let us go to Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf for judgment.”
So this verse was revealed regarding
you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer legislation to Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it
تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِAnd if, when they wronged themselves,
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْthey had come to you, [O Muhammad], and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them
جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، تفسير قول الله تعالى ﴿ولو أنّهم إذ ظّلموا أنفسهم جآؤوك فاستغفروا اللّه واستغفر لهم الرّسول﴾ ؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.