Verses 1–5
4. An-Nisaa · The Women
Madinan176 verses
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا
4:1O mankind! Be wary of your Lord who created you from a single soul, and created its mate from it, and from the two of them scattered numerous men and women. Be wary of Allah, in whose Name you adjure one another and [of severing ties with] blood relations. Indeed Allah is watchful over you.2
وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا۟ ٱلْخَبِيثَ بِٱلطَّيِّبِ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حُوبًۭا كَبِيرًۭا
4:2Give the orphans their property, and do not replace the good with the bad, and do not eat up their property [by mingling it] with your own property, for that is indeed a great sin.
وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا۟ فِى ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ فَٱنكِحُوا۟ مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَٰثَ وَرُبَٰعَ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ فَوَٰحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا۟
4:3If you fear that you may not deal justly with the orphans, then marry [other] women that you like, two, three, or four. But if you fear that you may not treat them fairly, then [marry only] one, or [marry from among] your slave-women. That makes it likelier that you will not be unfair.
وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ صَدُقَٰتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةًۭ ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَىْءٍۢ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًۭا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيٓـًۭٔا مَّرِيٓـًۭٔا
4:4Give women their dowries, handing it over to them; but if they remit anything of it of their own accord, then consume it as [something] lawful and wholesome.3
وَلَا تُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلسُّفَهَآءَ أَمْوَٰلَكُمُ ٱلَّتِى جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ قِيَٰمًۭا وَٱرْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَٱكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ لَهُمْ قَوْلًۭا مَّعْرُوفًۭا
4:5Do not give the feeble-minded your property, which Allah has assigned you to manage: provide for them out of it and clothe them, and speak to them honourable words.4
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 1
1.At the onset, people turned their attention towards the original principal, to quell all feelings of pride and exhibition and the orphans, the beggars and the urchin can be considered brothers and this feeling of brotherly relationship becomes common in people. As people gauge its responsibility, the relationship recreates itself into brotherhood. People can be careful to their duty and should create fear of Allah in the mind.
Verse 2
2.The orphans being the children of Adam and Hawwa (a.s.) were included in their group and arrangement is made of safeguarding of their property and drawing their attention towards this reinforcement,The Holy Quran says :
(i) Handover their property
(ii) Do not transfer the pure and impure i.e. giving your lawful property and taking away their unlawful is unlawful for you.
(iii) Do not devour their property and do not mix-up with your own property and keep account for it.
(iv) If you feel danger of injustice to marry orphan women, then marry some another woman. If you fear you will not do justice between them then marry only one and pay them their dower. This is more proper that you may not deviate from the right course.
(v) Those who are immature among the orphaned and are incapable of effective arrangement, then keep their property in your possession.
(vi) Do not use their property extravagantly and hastily. Use your own property.
Verse 3
3.The conditional permission of polygamy is the masterpiece of Islamic law. After the quarrels and massacre of humanity of the present time, the state of affairs will appear and then the whole world will need it and feel it necessary. It is of surprise to say that the western countries allow sodomy but make fun of polygamy.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
This is a Medinan Surah (Revealed in Medina), having 176 verses. It was revealed after Surah Mumtahena. The writer of Majmaul Bayan says that two of its verses were revealed in Mecca also. The chapter begins with the practical for women, it is thus named ‘women’.
- 2
It means, Adam (a.s.) from whom the human beings have descended. And Hawwa the wife of Adam (a.s.) was also created from his genus. Thus, the Man is not for Tabeez it is for genus.
- 3
The Maher (dower) is compared to a gift. It is a duty as well as a gift, but it is not the price paid for enjoyment, for both the parties derive enjoyment.
- 4
It is a warning to the guardians of orphans, not to spend from his property. They should try to increase it as much as possible and to consider it just as a center and a source. Benefit: The Alif of Allah upon Arhaam shows the importance of Arhaam and it also shows that everyone is the descendant and relative of Adam and Hawwa. According to Raghib lsfahani it is a need that invites towards a sin. That is even need cannot legalize a sin. Both the two parts of 3rd ayat are absolutely related to each other that there is chance of oppression in case we marry an orphan of society. To think there is Tahreef, therein is absolutely wrong.