Surah 4. An-Nisaa, Ayah 127
| وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِي النِّسَاءِ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ وَمَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ فِي يَتَامَى النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لَا تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَانِ وَأَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلْيَتَامَىٰ بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِ عَلِيمًا |
| Transliteration | : | wa- yastafton -ka fe an- nisaa' qul 'allaah yufte -kum fe -hinna wa- maa yutlaa calay -kum fe al- kitaab fe yataamaa an- nisaa' 'allaate laa tu'ton -hunna maa kutiba la- -hunna wa- targhabon 'an tankih.o -hunna wa- al- mustad.cafen min al- wildaan wa- 'an taqomo li- al- yataamaa bi- al- qist. wa- maa tafcalo min khayr fa- 'inna 'allaah kaana bi- -hi calem(an) |
| Pickthall | : | They consult thee concerning women. Say: Allah give to you decree concerning them, and the Scripture which hath been recited unto you (giveth decree), concerning female orphans unto whom ye give not that which is ordained for them though ye desire to marry them, and (concerning) the weak among children, and that ye should deal justly with orphans. Whatever good ye do, lo! Allah is ever Aware of it. |
| Asad | : | AND THEY will ask thee to enlighten them about the laws concerning women.145 Say: "God [Himself] lightens you about the laws concerning them" - for [His will is shown] in what is being conveyed unto you through this divine writ about orphan women [in your charge], to whom - because you yourselves may be desirous of marrying them - you do not give that which has been ordained for them;146 and about helpless children; and about your duty to treat orphans with equity. And whatever good you may do - behold, God has indeed full knowledge thereof. |
| Malik | : | They ask your decision concerning the women. Tell them: Allah makes His decision concerning them and along with it reminds you about those commandments, recited to you in the Book (The Qur'an), relating to orphan girls to whom you do not give their lawful rights and to whom you do not wish to marry. He also reminds you regarding the helpless children, and to stand firm for justice to orphans. Whatever good you do, Allah surely knows it. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | They ask thy instruction concerning the women. Say: Allah doth instruct you about them: and (remember) what hath been rehearsed unto you in the Book concerning the orphans of women to whom ye give not the portions prescribed and yet whom ye desire to marry as also concerning the children who are weak and oppressed: that ye stand firm for justice to orphans. There is not a good deed which ye do but Allah is well-acquainted therewith. 636 637 |
Note - 145I.e., the laws relating to marital relations, women's
share in inheritance, etc. A fatwa or ifta' denotes the
"clarification of a legal injunction" given in reply to a
question; correspondingly, the verb istaftahu means "he
asked him to give a legal decision", or "to enlighten him
about a [particular] law". Since the laws alluded to in
the above passage have already been dealt with early in
this surah, the repeated reference to them is meant to
stress the great importance of the problems involved, as
well as the responsibility which men bear towards their
physiologically weaker counterparts. In accordance with
the system prevailing throughout the Qur'an, a lengthy
passage dealing with purely moral or ethical questions is
usually - as in the present case - followed by verses
relating to social legislation, and this with a view to
bringing out the intimate connection between man's
spiritual life and his social behaviour.
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Note - 146Cf. verse {3} of this surah, "If you have reason to fear
that you might not act equitably towards orphans...", and
'A'ishah's explanation quoted in the corresponding note
[3].
|
Note - 636Again and again is it impressed on the community of Islam
to be just in their dealings with women, orphans,
children, and all whose weakness requires special
consideration. The law about widows and orphans,
inheritance, dower, and marriage had already been
declared in iv. 2-35 and further instructions are now
given on a further reference. It was not right that
anyone should take advantage of their helpless position
to deprive them of dower or of their portion in
inheritance.
|
Note - 637Cf. iv. 75. n. 592. Both widows and orphans are to be
helped because they are ordinarily weak, ill-treated, and
oppressed. In communities which base their civil rights
on brute strength, the weaker go to the wall, and public
opinion expects nothing else. In Nietzsche's philosophy
of the Superman that doctrine is stressed strongly, and
some of the militarist nations in our own time seem
inclined to support this reversion to our primitive
instincts. Even in modern democracies of the saner sort,
we are often told that it is the fate of minorities to
suffer; strength of numbers here becomes the passport to
power and privilege. Islam, while upholding sane manly
views in general, enjoins the most solicitous care for
the weak and oppressed in every way-in rights of
property, in social rights, and in the right to
opportunities of development. Spiritual strength or
weakness does not necessarily go with physical or
numerical strength.
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I.e., the laws relating to marital relations, women's share in inheritance, etc. A fatwa or ifta' denotes the "clarification of a legal injunction" given in reply to a question; correspondingly, the verb istaftahu means "he asked him to give a legal decision", or "to enlighten him about a [particular] law". Since the laws alluded to in the above passage have already been dealt with early in this surah, the repeated reference to them is meant to stress the great importance of the problems involved, as well as the responsibility which men bear towards their physiologically weaker counterparts. In accordance with the system prevailing throughout the Qur'an, a lengthy passage dealing with purely moral or ethical questions is usually - as in the present case - followed by verses relating to social legislation, and this with a view to bringing out the intimate connection between man's spiritual life and his social behaviour. |
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Again and again is it impressed on the community of Islam to be just in their dealings with women, orphans, children, and all whose weakness requires special consideration. The law about widows and orphans, inheritance, dower, and marriage had already been declared in iv. 2-35 and further instructions are now given on a further reference. It was not right that anyone should take advantage of their helpless position to deprive them of dower or of their portion in inheritance. |
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Cf. iv. 75. n. 592. Both widows and orphans are to be helped because they are ordinarily weak, ill-treated, and oppressed. In communities which base their civil rights on brute strength, the weaker go to the wall, and public opinion expects nothing else. In Nietzsche's philosophy of the Superman that doctrine is stressed strongly, and some of the militarist nations in our own time seem inclined to support this reversion to our primitive instincts. Even in modern democracies of the saner sort, we are often told that it is the fate of minorities to suffer; strength of numbers here becomes the passport to power and privilege. Islam, while upholding sane manly views in general, enjoins the most solicitous care for the weak and oppressed in every way-in rights of property, in social rights, and in the right to opportunities of development. Spiritual strength or weakness does not necessarily go with physical or numerical strength. |
