Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 4 An-Nisa, Ayat 127-127

وَيَسۡتَفۡتُوۡنَكَ فِى النِّسَآءِ ​ؕ قُلِ اللّٰهُ يُفۡتِيۡكُمۡ فِيۡهِنَّ ۙ وَمَا يُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِى الۡكِتٰبِ فِىۡ يَتٰمَى النِّسَآءِ الّٰتِىۡ لَا تُؤۡتُوۡنَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَتَرۡغَبُوۡنَ اَنۡ تَـنۡكِحُوۡهُنَّ وَالۡمُسۡتَضۡعَفِيۡنَ مِنَ الۡوِلۡدَانِ ۙ وَاَنۡ تَقُوۡمُوۡا لِلۡيَتٰمٰى بِالۡقِسۡطِ​ ؕ وَمَا تَفۡعَلُوۡا مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِهٖ عَلِيۡمًا‏ ﴿4:127﴾

(4:127) They ask you to pronounce laws concerning women,152 say: 'Allah pronounces to you concerning them,153 and reminds you of the injunctions which were recited to you in the Book about female orphans whom you do not give what has been ordained for them154 and whom you wish to marry (out of greed)',155 and the commandments relating to the children who are weak and helpless.156 Allah directs you to treat the orphans with justice. Allah is well aware of whatever good you do.

Notes

152. The actual query about women is not spelled out directly. The judgement pronounced a little later on in response to that query, however, makes it abundantly clear what the query was.

153. This is not a response to the query itself. Before attending to this, God once again emphasizes that people should implement His directives regarding orphans in general, and orphan girls in particular, as mentioned at the beginning of this surah see (verses 2 ff). above). This shows the importance of the rights of orphans in the sight of God. The protection of their rights, as we have pointed out, had already been stressed forcefully (see beginning of the surah, (verses 1-14). But that was not deemed sufficient. Hence, when problems of family life came up for discussion, the question of the well-being of orphans automatically arose even before answering the questions people raised.

154. This alludes to (verse 3 of this surah): 'And if you fear that you might not treat the orphans justly, then marry the women that seem good to you. '

155. The words of the text ( ) may be interpreted as: 'Whom you wish to marry (out of greed)' and also as 'Whom you do not wish to marry.' In explanation of this verse 'A'ishah states that, in those days, guardians of orphan girls who had any significant inheritance from their parents used to perpetrate many wrongs on their wards. If the girl was both rich and good looking, the guardian desired to marry her and exploit both her attractiveness and wealth without either having to make the bridal-due (mahr) or even having to undertake her maintenance. If the girl was ugly, the guardian would neither marry her nor allow her to get married, for she might thus get a husband who would support her claim to her legitimate rights. (See the commentary of Ibn Kathir on this verse. The tradition is quoted by Ibn Kathir from Bukhari. See also( n. 4 )above -Ed.)

156. The reference here is to the injunctions regarding the protection of the rights of orphans at the beginning of the surah see (verses 1 ff . and 11) ff. above).