سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 127
وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِى ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ وَمَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ فِى يَتَـٰمَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ ٱلَّـٰتِى لَا تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ وَٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلْوِلْدَٰنِ وَأَن تَقُومُوا۟ لِلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا۟ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمًا ﴿127﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They ask your legal instruction concerning women, say: Allâh instructs you about them, and about what is recited unto you in the Book concerning the orphan girls whom you give not the prescribed portions (as regards Mahr and inheritance) and yet whom you desire to marry, and (concerning) the children who are weak and oppressed, and that you stand firm for justice to orphans. And whatever good you do, Allâh is Ever All-Aware of it.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ
wayastaftūnaka
And they seek your ruling
فِى
fī
concerning
ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ
l-nisāi
the women
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
يُفْتِيكُمْ
yuf'tīkum
gives you the ruling
فِيهِنَّ
fīhinna
about them
وَمَا
wamā
and what
يُتْلَىٰ
yut'lā
is recited
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
to you
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Book
فِى
fī
concerning
يَتَـٰمَى
yatāmā
orphans
ٱلنِّسَآءِ
l-nisāi
(of) girls
ٱلَّـٰتِى
allātī
(to) whom
لَا
lā
not
تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ
tu'tūnahunna
(do) you give them
مَا
mā
what
كُتِبَ
kutiba
is ordained
لَهُنَّ
lahunna
for them
وَتَرْغَبُونَ
watarghabūna
and you desire
أَن
an
to
تَنكِحُوهُنَّ
tankiḥūhunna
marry them
وَٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ
wal-mus'taḍʿafīna
and the ones who are weak
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْوِلْدَٰنِ
l-wil'dāni
the children
وَأَن
wa-an
and to
تَقُومُوا۟
taqūmū
stand
لِلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ
lil'yatāmā
for orphans
بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ
bil-qis'ṭi
with justice
وَمَا
wamā
And whatever
تَفْعَلُوا۟
tafʿalū
you do
مِنْ
min
of
خَيْرٍۢ
khayrin
good
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
كَانَ
kāna
is
بِهِۦ
bihi
about it
عَلِيمًۭا
ʿalīman
All-Knowing
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 127) ➊ {وَ يَسْتَفْتُوْنَكَ فِي النِّسَآءِ … :} Although it is not explicitly stated here what question was being asked about women, the answer given in the next four verses makes the question itself clear.
➋ { قُلِ اللّٰهُ يُفْتِيْكُمْ فِيْهِنَّ وَ مَا يُتْلٰى عَلَيْكُمْ … :} Here, in fact, reference is made to previous verses for answers to some questions, that what is recited in this very surah of the Book is related to this, for example, verse (3) and the verses after it are about the marriage of orphan girls, then about the rights of women, the care of minor children, refraining from consuming their wealth, and giving them their inheritance—all of this is about the same matter.
➌ {وَ تَرْغَبُوْنَ اَنْ تَنْكِحُوْهُنَّ:} "And you desire to marry them"—this translation is in the case where the object of {”تَرْغَبُوْنَ“} is considered omitted as {’’ فِيْ ‘‘}, which means "to desire," and if its preposition is considered omitted as { ’’ عَنْ ‘‘ }, then the translation would be "you do not like to marry them." The hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) supports this second translation. In the time of ignorance, orphan girls were subjected to both kinds of oppression. The details of this have already been mentioned at the beginning of the surah. (Qurtubi) Regarding the meaning of this verse, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "At the beginning of this surah, the right of the orphan was mentioned, and it was said that if an orphan girl has no guardian except her paternal cousin, and he thinks that he cannot fulfill her right, then he should not marry her himself, but marry her to someone else and become her guardian. Now, Muslims stopped marrying such women, then it was seen that sometimes it is better for the girl’s guardian himself to keep her in his own marriage, so permission was sought from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and then this verse was revealed and permission was granted, and it was said that what was forbidden in the Book was in the case when her right was not fulfilled, but if you intend to improve their rights, then permission is granted." (Muwadhih)
➍ { وَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِيْنَ :} That is, He also reminds you of His commands regarding them which were given at the beginning of this surah under the subject of inheritance. See Surah An-Nisa (10, 11).
➋ { قُلِ اللّٰهُ يُفْتِيْكُمْ فِيْهِنَّ وَ مَا يُتْلٰى عَلَيْكُمْ … :} Here, in fact, reference is made to previous verses for answers to some questions, that what is recited in this very surah of the Book is related to this, for example, verse (3) and the verses after it are about the marriage of orphan girls, then about the rights of women, the care of minor children, refraining from consuming their wealth, and giving them their inheritance—all of this is about the same matter.
➌ {وَ تَرْغَبُوْنَ اَنْ تَنْكِحُوْهُنَّ:} "And you desire to marry them"—this translation is in the case where the object of {”تَرْغَبُوْنَ“} is considered omitted as {’’ فِيْ ‘‘}, which means "to desire," and if its preposition is considered omitted as { ’’ عَنْ ‘‘ }, then the translation would be "you do not like to marry them." The hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) supports this second translation. In the time of ignorance, orphan girls were subjected to both kinds of oppression. The details of this have already been mentioned at the beginning of the surah. (Qurtubi) Regarding the meaning of this verse, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "At the beginning of this surah, the right of the orphan was mentioned, and it was said that if an orphan girl has no guardian except her paternal cousin, and he thinks that he cannot fulfill her right, then he should not marry her himself, but marry her to someone else and become her guardian. Now, Muslims stopped marrying such women, then it was seen that sometimes it is better for the girl’s guardian himself to keep her in his own marriage, so permission was sought from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and then this verse was revealed and permission was granted, and it was said that what was forbidden in the Book was in the case when her right was not fulfilled, but if you intend to improve their rights, then permission is granted." (Muwadhih)
➍ { وَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِيْنَ :} That is, He also reminds you of His commands regarding them which were given at the beginning of this surah under the subject of inheritance. See Surah An-Nisa (10, 11).
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
127. 1 Regarding the questions that are often asked about women, from here their answers are being given.
127. 2 وَمَا یُتلَیٰ عَلَیْکُمْ its connection is to اللہ یفتیکُمْ, meaning Allah clarifies about them and the verses of the Book of Allah clarify those matters which have already been revealed regarding orphan girls. The reference is to Surah An-Nisa, verse 3, in which people were stopped from the injustice that they would marry orphan girls because of their beauty, but would avoid giving them their due dowry.
127. 2 Two translations have been made of this: one is the same as the late translator has done, in which the word فی is omitted; the second translation is made by considering the word عن as omitted, i.e., ترغبون عن ان تنکحوھن, "you do not desire to marry them." When رغبت is followed by عن, it means aversion and lack of interest. As in (وَمَنْ يَّرْغَبُ عَنْ مِّلَّةِ اِبْرٰھٖمَ) 2:130, this is as if the second situation is being described: sometimes the orphan girl would be unattractive, so her guardian or other heirs who shared in the inheritance would themselves not want to marry her, nor would they marry her elsewhere, so that no one else would share in her portion of the inheritance. Allah forbade this second form of injustice just as He forbade the first.
127. 3 Its connection is also to یتامی النساء, i.e., وما یتلی علیکم فی یتامی النساء وفی المستضعفین من الولدان. What is recited to you regarding orphan girls (Surah An-Nisa, verse 3) and what is recited regarding weak children refers to the command of the Quran (يُوْصِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْٓ اَوْلَادِكُمْ) 4:11, in which daughters, along with sons, have also been made heirs in inheritance. Whereas in the time of ignorance, only the elder sons were considered heirs; the younger, weaker children and women were deprived of inheritance. The Shariah has made all of them heirs.
127. 4 Its connection is also to یَتَامَی النِّسآءِ, i.e., the command of the Book of Allah is also recited to you that you should deal justly with orphans. Whether the orphan girl is beautiful or unattractive, in both cases, do justice (as detailed above).
127. 2 وَمَا یُتلَیٰ عَلَیْکُمْ its connection is to اللہ یفتیکُمْ, meaning Allah clarifies about them and the verses of the Book of Allah clarify those matters which have already been revealed regarding orphan girls. The reference is to Surah An-Nisa, verse 3, in which people were stopped from the injustice that they would marry orphan girls because of their beauty, but would avoid giving them their due dowry.
127. 2 Two translations have been made of this: one is the same as the late translator has done, in which the word فی is omitted; the second translation is made by considering the word عن as omitted, i.e., ترغبون عن ان تنکحوھن, "you do not desire to marry them." When رغبت is followed by عن, it means aversion and lack of interest. As in (وَمَنْ يَّرْغَبُ عَنْ مِّلَّةِ اِبْرٰھٖمَ) 2:130, this is as if the second situation is being described: sometimes the orphan girl would be unattractive, so her guardian or other heirs who shared in the inheritance would themselves not want to marry her, nor would they marry her elsewhere, so that no one else would share in her portion of the inheritance. Allah forbade this second form of injustice just as He forbade the first.
127. 3 Its connection is also to یتامی النساء, i.e., وما یتلی علیکم فی یتامی النساء وفی المستضعفین من الولدان. What is recited to you regarding orphan girls (Surah An-Nisa, verse 3) and what is recited regarding weak children refers to the command of the Quran (يُوْصِيْكُمُ اللّٰهُ فِيْٓ اَوْلَادِكُمْ) 4:11, in which daughters, along with sons, have also been made heirs in inheritance. Whereas in the time of ignorance, only the elder sons were considered heirs; the younger, weaker children and women were deprived of inheritance. The Shariah has made all of them heirs.
127. 4 Its connection is also to یَتَامَی النِّسآءِ, i.e., the command of the Book of Allah is also recited to you that you should deal justly with orphans. Whether the orphan girl is beautiful or unattractive, in both cases, do justice (as detailed above).
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
127. People ask you for a ruling concerning women. Say, "Allah gives you a ruling about them, and about what has already been recited to you in the Book [166] concerning orphan women to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them (such as inheritance, etc.), yet you desire to marry them, and also concerning the weak children [167]." Allah instructs you to uphold justice for orphans. Whatever good you do, surely Allah is fully aware of it.
[166]
Injustice Towards Orphan Girls:
The rulings regarding orphan girls that have already been mentioned are found in verse 3 of this very Surah An-Nisa, and this verse has a deep connection with that verse. What used to happen was that the guardians of orphan girls would commit various injustices regarding marrying them, the details of which have already been explained under verse 3 of this Surah. To avoid these injustices, the guardians of such orphan girls adopted a cautious approach by refraining from marrying them altogether, so that no injustice would be committed against the rights of these orphan girls. However, even this sometimes resulted in harm, which was that the degree of brotherhood and better treatment that could be available to them by marrying their guardians could not be achieved by marrying outsiders, and sometimes their lives would become bitter. Through this verse, the guardians have been permitted to marry the orphan girls under their care, but with the condition that, firstly, do not reduce their dowry, and secondly, whatever you agree upon, be sure to pay it, and also fulfill their other rights such as inheritance, etc. Some commentators have taken this verse to mean the share of orphan girls in inheritance, the rulings of which have already been mentioned in verse 11 of this Surah. The custom of the Age of Ignorance was that they would neither give anything from the inheritance to the deceased's wife nor to the orphan girls. Rather, only those boys were considered heirs who were capable of fighting and taking revenge. Allah Almighty, through the verse of inheritance, made widows, orphan girls, and even small children entitled to inheritance, and in this verse, the words "ma kataba lahunna" indicate this very point.
[167] That is, such orphan children who are under the care of their guardian, their rights must also be fully fulfilled, and in no way should any injustice be done to them. The details regarding good treatment of orphans have already been mentioned at the beginning of Surah An-Nisa.
[166]
Injustice Towards Orphan Girls:
The rulings regarding orphan girls that have already been mentioned are found in verse 3 of this very Surah An-Nisa, and this verse has a deep connection with that verse. What used to happen was that the guardians of orphan girls would commit various injustices regarding marrying them, the details of which have already been explained under verse 3 of this Surah. To avoid these injustices, the guardians of such orphan girls adopted a cautious approach by refraining from marrying them altogether, so that no injustice would be committed against the rights of these orphan girls. However, even this sometimes resulted in harm, which was that the degree of brotherhood and better treatment that could be available to them by marrying their guardians could not be achieved by marrying outsiders, and sometimes their lives would become bitter. Through this verse, the guardians have been permitted to marry the orphan girls under their care, but with the condition that, firstly, do not reduce their dowry, and secondly, whatever you agree upon, be sure to pay it, and also fulfill their other rights such as inheritance, etc. Some commentators have taken this verse to mean the share of orphan girls in inheritance, the rulings of which have already been mentioned in verse 11 of this Surah. The custom of the Age of Ignorance was that they would neither give anything from the inheritance to the deceased's wife nor to the orphan girls. Rather, only those boys were considered heirs who were capable of fighting and taking revenge. Allah Almighty, through the verse of inheritance, made widows, orphan girls, and even small children entitled to inheritance, and in this verse, the words "ma kataba lahunna" indicate this very point.
[167] That is, such orphan children who are under the care of their guardian, their rights must also be fully fulfilled, and in no way should any injustice be done to them. The details regarding good treatment of orphans have already been mentioned at the beginning of Surah An-Nisa.
