Surah 4. An-Nisa

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-14 [2], 15-22 [3], 23-25 [4], 26-33 [5], 34-42 [6], 43-50 [7], 51-56 [8], 57-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-87 [11], 88-91 [12], 92-96 [13], 97-100 [14], 101-104 [15], 105-112 [16], 113-115 [17], 116-126 [18], 127-134 [19], 135-141 [20], 142-152 [21], 153-162 [22], 163-171 [23], 172-176 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-104. An-Nisa Page 774. An-Nisaبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِیٰۤاَیُّهَاOالنَّاسُmankindاتَّقُوْاFearرَبَّكُمُyour Lordالَّذِیْthe One Whoخَلَقَكُمْcreated youمِّنْfromنَّفْسٍa soulوَّاحِدَةٍsingleوَّ خَلَقَand createdمِنْهَاfrom itزَوْجَهَاits mateوَ بَثَّand dispersedمِنْهُمَاfrom both of themرِجَالًاmenكَثِیْرًاmanyوَّ نِسَآءً ۚand womenوَ اتَّقُواAnd fearاللّٰهَAllahالَّذِیْ(through) Whomتَسَآءَلُوْنَyou askبِهٖ[with it]وَ الْاَرْحَامَ ؕand the wombsاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisعَلَیْكُمْover youرَقِیْبًا Ever-Watchful وَ اٰتُواAnd giveالْیَتٰمٰۤی(to) the orphansاَمْوَالَهُمْtheir wealthوَ لَاand (do) notتَتَبَدَّلُواexchangeالْخَبِیْثَthe badبِالطَّیِّبِ ۪with the goodوَ لَاand (do) notتَاْكُلُوْۤاconsumeاَمْوَالَهُمْtheir wealthاِلٰۤیwithاَمْوَالِكُمْ ؕyour wealthاِنَّهٗIndeed itكَانَisحُوْبًاa sinكَبِیْرًا great وَ اِنْAnd ifخِفْتُمْyou fearاَلَّاthat notتُقْسِطُوْاyou will be able to do justiceفِیwithالْیَتٰمٰیthe orphansفَانْكِحُوْاthen marryمَاwhatطَابَseems suitableلَكُمْto youمِّنَfromالنِّسَآءِthe womenمَثْنٰیtwoوَ ثُلٰثَor threeوَ رُبٰعَ ۚor fourفَاِنْBut ifخِفْتُمْyou fearاَلَّاthat notتَعْدِلُوْاyou can do justiceفَوَاحِدَةًthen (marry) oneاَوْorمَاwhatمَلَكَتْpossessesاَیْمَانُكُمْ ؕyour right handذٰلِكَThatاَدْنٰۤی(is) more appropriateاَلَّاthat (may) notتَعُوْلُوْاؕyou oppress وَ اٰتُواAnd giveالنِّسَآءَthe womenصَدُقٰتِهِنَّtheir dowerنِحْلَةً ؕgraciouslyفَاِنْBut ifطِبْنَthey remitلَكُمْto youعَنْofشَیْءٍanythingمِّنْهُof itنَفْسًا(on their) ownفَكُلُوْهُthen eat itهَنِیْٓـًٔا(in) satisfactionمَّرِیْٓـًٔا (and) ease وَ لَاAnd (do) notتُؤْتُواgiveالسُّفَهَآءَthe foolishاَمْوَالَكُمُyour wealthالَّتِیْwhichجَعَلَ(was) madeاللّٰهُ(by) Allahلَكُمْfor youقِیٰمًاa means of supportوَّ ارْزُقُوْهُمْ(but) provide (for) themفِیْهَاwith itوَ اكْسُوْهُمْand clothe themوَ قُوْلُوْاand speakلَهُمْto themقَوْلًاwordsمَّعْرُوْفًا (of) kindness وَ ابْتَلُواAnd testالْیَتٰمٰیthe orphansحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَا[when]بَلَغُواthey reach[ed]النِّكَاحَ ۚ(the age of) marriageفَاِنْthen ifاٰنَسْتُمْyou perceiveمِّنْهُمْin themرُشْدًاsound judgementفَادْفَعُوْۤاthen deliverاِلَیْهِمْto themاَمْوَالَهُمْ ۚtheir wealthوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَاْكُلُوْهَاۤeat itاِسْرَافًاextravagantlyوَّ بِدَارًاand hastilyاَنْ(fearing) thatیَّكْبَرُوْا ؕthey will grow upوَ مَنْAnd whoeverكَانَisغَنِیًّاrichفَلْیَسْتَعْفِفْ ۚthen he should refrainوَ مَنْand whoeverكَانَisفَقِیْرًاpoorفَلْیَاْكُلْthen let him eat (of it)بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ؕin a fair mannerفَاِذَاThen whenدَفَعْتُمْyou deliverاِلَیْهِمْto themاَمْوَالَهُمْtheir wealthفَاَشْهِدُوْاthen take witnessesعَلَیْهِمْ ؕon themوَ كَفٰیAnd is sufficientبِاللّٰهِAllahحَسِیْبًا (as) a Reckoner 4. An-Nisa Page 78لِلرِّجَالِFor the menنَصِیْبٌa portionمِّمَّاof whatتَرَكَ(is) leftالْوَالِدٰنِ(by) the parentsوَ الْاَقْرَبُوْنَ ۪and the near relativesوَ لِلنِّسَآءِand for the womenنَصِیْبٌa portionمِّمَّاof whatتَرَكَ(is) leftالْوَالِدٰنِ(by) parentsوَ الْاَقْرَبُوْنَand the near relativesمِمَّاof whatقَلَّ(is) littleمِنْهُof itاَوْorكَثُرَ ؕmuchنَصِیْبًاa portionمَّفْرُوْضًا obligatory وَ اِذَاAnd whenحَضَرَpresentالْقِسْمَةَ(at) the (time of) divisionاُولُوا(of)الْقُرْبٰیthe relativesوَ الْیَتٰمٰیand the orphansوَ الْمَسٰكِیْنُand the poorفَارْزُقُوْهُمْthen provide themمِّنْهُfrom itوَ قُوْلُوْاand speakلَهُمْto themقَوْلًاwordsمَّعْرُوْفًا (of) kindness وَ لْیَخْشَAnd let fearالَّذِیْنَthose whoلَوْifتَرَكُوْاthey leftمِنْfromخَلْفِهِمْbehindذُرِّیَّةًoffspringضِعٰفًاweakخَافُوْا(and) they would have fearedعَلَیْهِمْ ۪about themفَلْیَتَّقُواSo let them fearاللّٰهَAllahوَ لْیَقُوْلُوْاand let them speakقَوْلًاwordsسَدِیْدًا appropriate اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَاْكُلُوْنَconsumeاَمْوَالَwealthالْیَتٰمٰی(of) the orphansظُلْمًاwrongfullyاِنَّمَاonlyیَاْكُلُوْنَthey consumeفِیْinبُطُوْنِهِمْtheir belliesنَارًا ؕfireوَ سَیَصْلَوْنَand they will be burnedسَعِیْرًا۠(in) a Blazing Fire

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Surah Introduction

This sûrah focuses on the rights of women (hence the sûrah's name), the law of inheritance, care for orphans, lawful and unlawful women to marry, and standing for justice (see the remarkable example of justice to a Jew in verses 105-112). As the sûrah progresses, the focus shifts to the etiquette of striving in the cause of Allah and the relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book, culminating in a rebuttal to the claims about the crucifixion and divinity of Jesus ( ﷺ ) . Like the previous and the next sûrahs, this sûrah also deals with the issue of hypocrisy-a common theme in many other Medinian sûrahs.

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Translation of Verse 1-101. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate, ¹⁷⁰ and through both He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah-in Whose Name you appeal to one another-and ˹honour˺ family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you.

2. Give orphans their wealth ˹when they reach maturity˺, and do not exchange your worthless possessions for their valuables, nor cheat them by mixing their wealth with your own. For this would indeed be a great sin.

3. If you fear you might fail to give orphan women their ˹due˺ rights ˹if you were to marry them˺, then marry other women of your choice- two, three, or four. But if you are afraid you will fail to maintain justice, then ˹content yourselves with˺ one ¹⁷¹ or those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession. ¹⁷² This way you are less likely to commit injustice.

4. Give women ˹you wed˺ their due dowries graciously. But if they waive some of it willingly, then you may enjoy it freely with a clear conscience.

5. Do not entrust the incapable ˹among your dependants˺ with your wealth which Allah has made a means of support for you-but feed and clothe them from it, and speak to them kindly.

6. Test ˹the competence of˺ the orphans until they reach a marriageable age. Then if you feel they are capable of sound judgment, return their wealth to them. And do not consume it wastefully and hastily before they grow up ˹to demand it˺. If the guardian is well-off, they should not take compensation; but if the guardian is poor, let them take a reasonable provision. When you give orphans back their property, call in witnesses. And sufficient is Allah as a ˹vigilant˺ Reckoner.

7. For men there is a share in what their parents and close relatives leave, and for women there is a share in what their parents and close relatives leave-whether it is little or much. ˹These are˺ obligatory shares.

8. If ˹non-inheriting˺ relatives, orphans, ¹⁷⁴ or the needy are present at the time of distribution, offer them a ˹small˺ provision from it and speak to them kindly.

9. Let the guardians be as concerned ˹for the orphans˺ as they would if they were to ˹die and˺ leave ˹their own˺ helpless children behind. So let them be mindful of Allah and speak equitably.

10. Indeed, those who unjustly consume orphans' wealth ˹in fact˺ consume nothing but fire into their bellies. And they will be burned in a blazing Hell!

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Commentary

170. i.e., Adam and Eve.

171. The Quran is the only scripture that says marry only one. Unlike any previous faith, Islam puts a limit on the number of wives a man can have. Under certain circumstances, a Muslim man may marry up to four wives as long as he is able to provide for them and maintain justice among them-otherwise it is unlawful. With the exception of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist (neither of whom were married), almost all religious figures in the Bible had more than one wife. According to the Bible, Solomon ( ﷺ ) had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3) and his father, David ( ﷺ ) , had many wives and concubines (2 Samuel 5:13).

172. A bondwoman is a female slave that a man owned either through purchase or taking her captive in war-a common ancient practice in many parts of the world. Islam opened the door for ending slavery by making it an act of charity to free slaves. Many sins (such as breaking one's oath, unintentional killing, and intercourse with one's wife during the day of fasting in Ramaḍân) can be atoned by freeing a slave. According to Islamic teachings, no free person can be enslaved. Islam also improved the condition of slaves. It was unlawful to separate a mother from her child. Children born to a slave-master were deemed free, and their mother would gain her freedom upon the death of her master. With regards to slaves, Prophet Muḥammad ( ﷺ ) says, "Feed them from what you eat, clothe them from what you wear, and do not overwhelm them with work unless you assist them." He ( ﷺ ) also says, "Whoever kills his slave will be killed and whoever injures his slave will be injured." In recent times, slavery has been outlawed in all countries-including the Muslim world.

173. Inheritance entitlements of immediate family members (children, parents, full- and half-brothers and sisters, and spouses) are given in the following verses: 7, 11-13, 32-33, and 176. Shares are determined mainly according to the closeness of the heir to the deceased (i.e., close relatives get more than distant relatives), age (i.e., those who are young get more than those who are old), and -to a lesser degree-gender.

174. For example, in the case of orphaned children whose grandfather then dies, leaving behind other children, some scholars rule that an obligatory bequest should be made to them despite not having a share in inheritance.