Doubting Allah's Laws

Here are some important words to ponder from Imam at-Tabari, who expounds upon the powerful choice of words from Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى said:

وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits - He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment. [4:14]

Allah said this after He laid out the inheritance laws in the previous ayahs (4:11-12).

Imam at-Tabari in his commentary states:

فإن قال قائل: أوَ مُخَلَّدٌ في النار من عصى الله ورسوله في قسمة المواريث؟ قيل: نعم، إذا جمع إلى معصيتهما في ذلك شكًّا في أن الله فرض عليه ما فرض على عباده في هاتين الآيتين، أو علم ذلك فحادَّ الله ورسوله في أمرهما.

ذكر ابن عباس من قول من قالَ حين نـزل على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قول الله تبارك وتعالى: يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الأُنْثَيَيْنِ إلى تمام الآيتين: أيُورَّث من لا يركب الفرس ولا يقاتل العدوَّ ولا يحوز الغنيمة، نصفَ المال أو جميع المال؟

استنكارًا منهم قسمةَ الله…

فهو من أهل الخلود في النار، لأنه باستنكاره حكمَ الله في تلك، يصير بالله كافرًا، ومن ملة الإسلام خارجًا.

“If it is said: “Is the one who disobeys Allah and His Messenger in the matter of allotting inheritance bound to dwell in hell for eternity?” It is said to him in turn: Yes, if his disobedience is coupled with doubting in regards to what Allah has obligated on His servants in these two ayat [i.e., 4:11-12], or if he knew [that Allah obligated this], yet opposed Allah and His Messenger in the matter of what they commanded.

Ibn Abbas relayed the story of the man who when the following ayah, “Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females.” [4:11] until the completion of the two ayahs was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: Shall [she the female] who does not ride the horse, nor fights the enemy and attains war booty, inherit wealth, be it half of it or completely?

He asked this in a tone of condemnation of what Allah allotted to each person...

For he is from the people of those who dwell in hellfire for eternity. This is because he has censured the ruling of Allah, and on that basis became a kafir who leaves the fold of Islam.” END QUOTE

Back then, culture and “human logic” dictated that women were not entitled to any inheritance. Today, culture and “human logic” dictates that women are entitled to an equal share of the inheritance as men in situations when they are only entitled to half. 

There will always be people doubting the laws of Allah ‘azza wa-jall. May Allah protect us from being amongst them, Ameen.