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4. An-Nisaa

The Women · Medinan · 176 ayahs

سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ

Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Ayahs 1–10 of 176

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

1

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

O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.

O people, be mindful of your Lord, for it is He Who created you from a single soul: your father Adam; and from Adam He created his wife Eve, your mother. From the two of them, He spread many people, both male and female, all over the earth. Be mindful of Allah when requesting others by Him, such as: ‘I ask you, by Allah, to do such-and-such. Also, be mindful of breaking relations with your blood ties. Allah watches over you and nothing you do escapes Him; rather, He takes it into account and repays you accordingly.

An-Nisaa 4:1Listen in Qur'an →
2

وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا۟ ٱلْخَبِيثَ بِٱلطَّيِّبِ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حُوبًۭا كَبِيرًۭا

And give to the orphans their properties and do not substitute the defective [of your own] for the good [of theirs]. And do not consume their properties into your own. Indeed, that is ever a great sin.

Guardians, give orphans (whose fathers have died and who have not yet reached maturity) their wealth in full when they come of age and have sound judgement. Do not exchange what is permitted for what is prohibited: taking what is good and valuable from the property of the orphans and replacing it with something bad and of little worth from your own property. Also, do not take the property of the orphans and combine it with your own wealth – that is a great crime before Allah.

An-Nisaa 4:2Listen in Qur'an →
3

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

And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].

If you fear that you will not be just in marrying the female orphans under your guardianship – fearing that you will not give them an appropriate dowry or will not treat them well – then do not marry them, and marry other women you choose. You may marry two, three or four; but if you fear that you will be unjust between them, then marry just one, or suffice with what you possess of slave women, for their rights are not the same as the rights of wives. This is the best way to avoid being unjust or biased.

An-Nisaa 4:3Listen in Qur'an →
4

وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ صَدُقَٰتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةًۭ ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَىْءٍۢ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًۭا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيٓـًۭٔا مَّرِيٓـًۭٔا

And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.

Give women their dowries with good will. Yet if they gladly give up a part of the dowry to you, of their own free will, then there is nothing to stop you enjoying it.

An-Nisaa 4:4Listen in Qur'an →
5

وَلَا تُؤْتُوا۟ ٱلسُّفَهَآءَ أَمْوَٰلَكُمُ ٱلَّتِى جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ قِيَٰمًۭا وَٱرْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَٱكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ لَهُمْ قَوْلًۭا مَّعْرُوفًۭا

And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you, but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.

Guardians, do not give property to those who do not know how to manage it well. Allah made this property a way to serve the interests of people and for them to live on it, and such people are not able to manage their wealth well. Provide for them, clothe them and speak to them in a good way. Make a firm commitment to give them their property if they get sound judgement and become able to manage it well.

An-Nisaa 4:5Listen in Qur'an →
6

وَٱبْتَلُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغُوا۟ ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ ءَانَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًۭا فَٱدْفَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَآ إِسْرَافًۭا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّۭا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًۭا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبًۭا

And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgement, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, [anticipating] that they will grow up. And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant.

Guardians, test the orphans when they are near to reaching maturity, by giving them a part of their wealth to see how they manage it. If they manage it well, and show you their sound judgement, hand over their property in full. Do not use up their wealth, overstepping the limits which Allah has approved for you: use their wealth only when necessary. Do not rush to use it up for fear that they will take it when they reach maturity. Whoever is wealthy should not use up the property of the orphan; and whoever is poor and has no wealth should only use what is necessary. When you hand over their property to them, upon their reaching maturity and showing sound judgement, have it witnessed; to protect rights and to prevent causes of disagreement. Allah is sufficient as a witness for that, and takes account of all that people do.

An-Nisaa 4:6Listen in Qur'an →
7

لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ٱلْوَٰلِدَانِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ ۚ نَصِيبًۭا مَّفْرُوضًۭا

For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much - an obligatory share.

Men are to have a share of what their parents or relatives – such as brothers and sisters or uncles and aunts – leave when they die, whether it is much or little. Women are also to have a share of what they leave, which was not the way that things were in the time of ignorance before Islam, when women and children were left out of the inheritance. This share is a right and its amount is clearly set out – as made obligatory by Allah.

An-Nisaa 4:7Listen in Qur'an →
8

وَإِذَا حَضَرَ ٱلْقِسْمَةَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَٰكِينُ فَٱرْزُقُوهُم مِّنْهُ وَقُولُوا۟ لَهُمْ قَوْلًۭا مَّعْرُوفًۭا

And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate and speak to them words of appropriate kindness.

If relatives, orphans and the poor, who do not inherit, are present at the time the inheritance is divided, then give them, out of kindness, some of this wealth before it is divided, for they may be looking at it with desire for a share; and it came to you without you doing anything. Also, speak to them in a kind way, without any meanness.

An-Nisaa 4:8Listen in Qur'an →
9

وَلْيَخْشَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَكُوا۟ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ ضِعَٰفًا خَافُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلْيَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلْيَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًۭا سَدِيدًا

And let those [executors and guardians] fear [injustice] as if they [themselves] had left weak offspring behind and feared for them. So let them fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice.

Let those executors and guardians fear in the manner they would if they had died and left young, weak children behind them, fearing they would be ruined. Let them be mindful of orphans under their guardianship, not doing any wrong to them. So that Allah brings about others to treat well their own children after they die, as they treated the orphans well. Let whoever is present at the making of will, say what is right for the children, so that the heirs are not wronged in the will. Nor should the giver deprive himself of this good deed by not leaving a will.

An-Nisaa 4:9Listen in Qur'an →
10

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًۭا ۖ وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًۭا

Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming into their bellies fire. And they will be burned in a Blaze.

Those who take the property of orphans and spend it wrongly and unjustly, they only swallow fire into themselves: they will burn in the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement.

An-Nisaa 4:10Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.