4:127 An-Nisaa (The Women)

الاستفتاء: طلب السائل من المسئول بيان الحكم الشرعي في ذلك المسئول عنه. فأخبر عن المؤمنين أنهم يستفتون الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم في حكم النساء المتعلق بهم، فتولى الله هذه الفتوى بنفسه فقال: { قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ ْ} فاعملوا على ما أفتاكم به في جميع شئون النساء، من القيام بحقوقهن وترك ظلمهن عموما وخصوصا. وهذا أمر عام يشمل جميع ما شرع الله أمرا ونهيا في حق النساء الزوجات وغيرهن، الصغار والكبار، ثم خص -بعد التعميم- الوصية بالضعاف من اليتامى والولدان اهتماما بهم وزجرا عن التفريط في حقوقهم فقال: { وَمَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ فِي يَتَامَى النِّسَاءِ ْ} أي: ويفتيكم أيضا بما يتلى عليكم في الكتاب في شأن اليتامى من النساء. { اللَّاتِي لَا تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ ْ} وهذا إخبار عن الحالة الموجودة الواقعة في ذلك الوقت، فإن اليتيمة إذا كانت تحت ولاية الرجل بخسها حقها وظلمها، إما بأكل مالها الذي لها أو بعضه، أو منعها من التزوج لينتفع بمالها، خوفا من استخراجه من يده إنْ زوَّجها، أو يأخذ من مهرها الذي تتزوج به بشرط أو غيره، هذا إذا كان راغبا عنها، أو يرغب فيها وهي ذات جمال ومال ولا يقسط في مهرها، بل يعطيها دون ما تستحق، فكل هذا ظلم يدخل تحت هذا النص ولهذا قال: { وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ ْ} أي: ترغبون عن نكاحهن أو في نكاحهن كما ذكرنا تمثيله. { وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَان ْ} أي: ويفتيكم في المستضعفين من الولدان الصغار، أن تعطوهم حقهم من الميراث وغيره وأن لا تستولوا على أموالهم على وجه الظلم والاستبداد. { وَأَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلْيَتَامَى بِالْقِسْطِ ْ} أي: بالعدل التام، وهذا يشمل القيام عليهم بإلزامهم أمر الله وما أوجبه على عباده، فيكون الأولياء مكلفين بذلك، يلزمونهم بما أوجبه الله. ويشمل القيام عليهم في مصالحهم الدنيوية بتنمية أموالهم وطلب الأحظ لهم فيها، وأن لا يقربوها إلا بالتي هي أحسن، وكذلك لا يحابون فيهم صديقا ولا غيره، في تزوج وغيره، على وجه الهضم لحقوقهم. وهذا من رحمته تعالى بعباده، حيث حثّ غاية الحث على القيام بمصالح من لا يقوم بمصلحة نفسه لضعفه وفقد أبيه. ثم حثّ على الإحسان عموما فقال: { وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ ْ} لليتامى ولغيرهم سواء كان الخير متعديا أو لازما { فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِ عَلِيمًا ْ} أي: قد أحاط علمه بعمل العاملين للخير، قلة وكثرة، حسنا وضده، فيجازي كُلًّا بحسب عمله.

قال البخاري: حدثنا عبيد بن إسماعيل حدثنا أبو أسامة قال: حدثنا هشام بن عروة عن أبيه عن عائشة رضي الله عنها "ويسـتفتونك في النساء قل الله يفتيكم فيهن -إلى قوله - وترغبون أن تنكحوهن" قالت عائشة: هو الرجل تكون عنده اليتمية هو وليها ووارثها فأشركته في ماله حتى في العذق فيرغب أن ينكحها ويكره أن يزوجها رجلا فيشركه في ماله بما شركته فيعضلها فنزلت هذه الآية وكذلك رواه مسلم عن أبي كريب ابن أبي شيبة كلاهما عن أبي أسامة وقال ابن أبي حاتم: قرأت على محمد بن عبدالله بن عبدالحكم أخبرنا ابن وهب أخبرني يونس عن ابن شهاب أخبرني عروة بن الزبير قالت عائشة: ثم إن الناس استفتوا رسول الله صلى بعد هذه الآية فيهن فأنزل الله ويستفتونك في النساء قل الله يفتيكم فيهن وما يتلى عليكم في الكتاب الآية قالت: والذي ذكر الله أنه يتلى عليه في الكتاب. الآية الأولى التي قال الله وإن خفتم أن لا تقسطوا في اليتامى فانكحوا ما طاب لكم من النساء وبهذا الإسناد عن عائشة قالت: وقول الله عز وجل وترغبون أن تنكحوهن رغبة أحدكم عن يتيمته التي تكون في حجره حتى تكون قليلة المال والجمال فنهوا أن ينكحوا من رغبوا في مالها وجمالها من يتامى النساء إلا بالقسط من أجل رغبتهم عنهن وأصله ثابت في الصحيحين من طريق يونس بن يزيد الأبلي به والمقصود أن الرجل إذا كان في حجره يتيمة يحل له تزويجها فتارة يرغب في أن يتزوجها فأمره الله أن يمهرها أسوة أمثالها من النساء فإن لم يفعل فليعدل إلى غيرها من النساء فقد وسع الله عز وجل وهذا المعنى في الآية الأولى التي في أول السورة وتارة لا يكون فيها رغبة لدمامتها عنده أو في نفس الأمر فنهاه الله عز وجل أن يعضلها عن الأزواج خشية أن يشركوه في ماله الذي بينه وبينها كما قال على بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس في الآية وهي قوله في يتامى النساء الآية كان الرجل في الجاهلية تكون عنده اليتيمة فيلقى عليها ثوبه فإذا فعل ذلك فلم يقدر أحد أن يتزوجها أبدا فإن كانت جميلة وهويها تزوجها وأكل مالها وإن كانت دميمة منعها الرجال أبدا حتى تموت فإذا ماتت ورثها. فحرم الله ذلك ونهى عنه وقال في قوله "والمستضعفين من الولدان كانوا في الجاهلية لا يورثون" الصغار ولا البنات وذلك قوله لا تؤتوهن ما كتب لهن فنهى الله عن ذلك وبين لكل ذي سهم سهمه فقال للذكر مثل حظ الأنثيين صغيرا أو كبيرا وكذا قال سعيد بن جبير وغيره. قال سعيد بن جبير في قوله وأن تقوموا لليتامى بالقسط كما إذا كانت ذات جمال ومال نكحتها واستأثرت بها كذلك إذا لم تكن ذات مال ولا جمال فأنكحها واستأثر بها وقوله وما تفعلوا من خير فإن الله كان به عليما تهيجا على فعل الخيرات وامتثالا للأوامر وأن الله عز وجل عالم بجميع ذلك وسيجزي عليه أوفر الجزاء وأتمه.

The Ruling Concerning Female Orphans

Al-Bukhari recorded that `A'ishah said about the Ayah,

وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِى النِّسَآءِ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ

(They ask your instruction concerning women. Say, "Allah instructs you about them...) until,

وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ

(whom you desire to marry...) "It is about the man who is taking care of a female orphan, being her caretaker and inheritor. Her money is joined with his money to such an extent, that she shares with him even the branch of a date that he has. So he likes (for material gain) to marry her himself, and hates to marry her to another man who would have a share in his money, on account of her share in his money. Therefore, he refuses to let her marry anyone else. So, this Ayah was revealed." Muslim also recorded it. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `A'ishah said, "The people asked Allah's Messenger ﷺ (about orphan girls), so Allah revealed,

وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِى النِّسَآءِ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ وَمَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فِى الْكِتَـبِ

(They ask your instruction concerning women. Say, "Allah instructs you about them and about what is recited unto you in the Book...") What is meant by Allah's saying, `And about what is recited unto you in the Book' is the former verse which said,

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تُقْسِطُواْ فِى الْيَتَـمَى فَانكِحُواْ مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ النِّسَآءِ

(If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice.)" `A'ishah said, "Allah's statement,

وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ

(whom you desire to marry...) also refers to the desire of the guardian not to marry an orphan girl under his supervision when she lacks property or beauty. The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy)." The basis of this is recorded in Two Sahihs. Consequently, when a man is the caretaker of a female orphan, he might like to marry her himself. In this case, Allah commands him to give her a suitable dowry that other women of her status get. If he does not want to do that, then let him marry other women, for Allah has made this matter easy for Muslims. Sometimes, the caretaker does not desire to marry the orphan under his care, because she is not attractive to his eye. In this case, Allah forbids the caretaker from preventing the female orphan from marrying another man for fear that her husband would share in the money that is mutually shared between the caretaker and the girl. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "During the time of Jahiliyyah, the caretaker of a female orphan would cover her with his rope, and when he did that, no man would marry her. If she was beautiful and he desired to marry her, he married her and took control of her wealth. If she was not beautiful, he did not allow her to marry until she died, and when she died he inherited her money. Allah prohibited and outlawed this practice. " He also said about Allah's statement,

وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَنِ

(and the children who are weak and oppressed,) that during the time of Jahiliyyah, they used to deny young children and females a share of inheritance. So Allah's statement,

لاَ تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ

(you give not what they deserve) thus prohibiting this practice and designating a fixed share for each,

لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الاٍّنْثَيَيْنِ

(To the male, a portion equal to that of two females..) whether they were young or old, as Sa`id bin Jubayr and others stated. Sa`id bin Jubayr said about Allah's statement,

وَأَن تَقُومُواْ لِلْيَتَـمَى بِالْقِسْطِ

(and that you stand firm for justice to orphans.) "Just as when she is beautiful and wealthy you would want to marry her and have her for yourself, so when she is not wealthy or beautiful, marry her and have her for yourself." Allah's statement,

وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِ عَلِيماً

r(And whatever good you do, Allah is Ever All-Aware of it.) encourages performing the good deeds and fulfilling the commandments, and states that Allah is knowledgeable of all of this and He will reward for it in the best and most perfect manner.

وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَـفَتْ مِن بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْرَاضاً فَلاَ جُنَاْحَ عَلَيْهِمَآ أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحاً وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ وَأُحْضِرَتِ الأنفُسُ الشُّحَّ وَإِن تُحْسِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً

They will ask you for a pronouncement concerning the matter of women and their inheritance. Say to them ‘God pronounces to you concerning them and what is recited to you in the Book the Qur’ān in the ‘inheritance’ verse Q. 411 and He also pronounces to you concerning the orphan women to whom you do not give what is prescribed what is obligatory for them of inheritance for you O guardians who desire not to marry them because of their ugliness and you prevent them from marrying others coveting their inheritance in other words God pronounces to you not to do this; and concerning the oppressed young children that you give them what is their due and He also commands you that you deal justly equitably with orphans with respect to inheritance and dowry. Whatever good you do God is ever Knower of it’ and He will requite you for it.

1. The Qur'anic words وَتَرْ‌غَبُونَ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ admit two possible translations: First, and tend to marry them," which refers to the people who, attracted to the beauty of the orphan girls, used to marry them without giving them the due rights- of a wife. The second possible translation is: and you avoid marrying them". It refers to the people who did not marry the orphan girls because of their unattractive features, but at the same time did not let them marry others, because they wanted that their wealth should remain in their hands.

At the beginning of this Surah, particular injunctions relating to orphans and women were mentioned. Also stressed there was the mandatory nature of the need to fulfill their rights. The reason was that, during the days of Jahiliyyah, some people would simply refuse to give any part of the inheritance to them, others would unlawfully eat up what they got in inheritance or through any other alternate source, still others would marry them but avoided paying full dower they were entitled to; these were practices prohibited as stated earlier. This caused different situations to arise. There were those who thought that women and children are not entitled to inherit as a matter of right - may be, this injunction had come as an expedient measure for some people only and it was likely that it will be abrogated later. Some of them even waited for this to happen. But, when there was no abrogation, they decided among themselves that they should go directly to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and ask him. This they did. According to Ibn Jarir and Ibn al-Mundhir, this very question was the reason behind the revelation of this verse and the verses which followed carried additional rulings relating to women (Bayan al-Qur'an).

(They consult thee concerning women�) [4:127]. The judge Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Hasan informed us> Muhammad ibn Ya'qub>> Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Hakam> Ibn Wahb> Yunus> Ibn Shihab> 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr> 'A'ishah who said: �People asked the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, for the legal ruling concerning them after the revelation of this verse about them, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse (They consult thee concerning women. Say: Allah giveth you decree concerning them, and the Scripture which hath been recited unto you (giveth decree)�)�. That which has been recited unto him in the Scripture refers to the first verse in which He says (And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans�) [4:3]. And Allah, exalted is He, says in the other verse (though ye desire to marry them), i.e. one of you desires to marry the orphan under his care when she is not of great beauty or possesses a lot of wealth. Thus, men were warned against marrying the orphaned because of their beauty or out of desire for their wealth, unless one was prepared to deal with them fairly, for the trend was that men shunned those orphans who had no wealth or were not beautiful. This was narrated by Muslim from Harmalah from Ibn Wahb.