Sr Haniya wrote:

مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقِيتًا

Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have the reward thereof, and whosoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a share in its burden. And Allah is Ever All-Able to do (and also an All-Witness to) everything.

Have a look at these 2 separate words نصيب and كفل in the above ayah

They both mean the same thing – they both mean ‘ portion’ or ‘a part of something’.

But why the 2 different words if they both mean the same thing? Well, do they mean exactly the same thing? Let’s take a look

Kifl:

The word ‘kifl’ is very ‘muhaddad’ – restricted and bounded. In language it means: a portion that is equal in all spheres, as they say النصيب المساوي – an equal portion, no shortcoming therein nor any ‘ziyaada’ – increase.

Allaah `azza wa jall used this word here to inform us that the one who does intercede for an evil cause will only receive an equal portion thereof – there is no injustice. As He says in Soorah al-Ghafir

مَنْ عَمِلَ سَيِّئَةً فَلَا يُجْزَىٰ إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا
“Whosoever does an evil deed, will not be requited except the like thereof

Naseeb:

As for the word ‘naseeb’ then again it also means ‘ portion’ but amazingly it has an added meaning of ‘ziyaada’ (increase) and that the portion can be multiplied. It is for this reason that when speaking of the reward/portion of the one who intercedes for a good cause, Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aala uses the word ‘naseeb’. As is known, out of the mercy, favour and generosity of Allaah, the reward for good deeds are multiplied by ten times and more (up to 700 times)whereas the evil deed is only written down once and this is highlighted ever so subtly and yet so profoundly in the simple ayah above:

“Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have a ‘naseeb’ thereof, and whosoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a ‘kifl’ of it. And Allah is Ever All-Able to do everything.” [al-Nisaa: 85]

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