سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 129
وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا۟ كُلَّ ٱلْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ وَإِن تُصْلِحُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿129﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
You will never be able to do perfect justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire, so do not incline too much to one of them (by giving her more of your time and provision) so as to leave the other hanging (i.e. neither divorced nor married). And if you do justice, and do all that is right and fear Allâh by keeping away from all that is wrong, then Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَن
walan
And never
تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟
tastaṭīʿū
will you be able
أَن
an
to
تَعْدِلُوا۟
taʿdilū
deal justly
بَيْنَ
bayna
between
ٱلنِّسَآءِ
l-nisāi
[the] women
وَلَوْ
walaw
even if
حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ
ḥaraṣtum
you desired
فَلَا
falā
but (do) not
تَمِيلُوا۟
tamīlū
incline
كُلَّ
kulla
(with) all
ٱلْمَيْلِ
l-mayli
the inclination
فَتَذَرُوهَا
fatadharūhā
and leave her (the other)
كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ
kal-muʿalaqati
like the suspended one
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تُصْلِحُوا۟
tuṣ'liḥū
you reconcile
وَتَتَّقُوا۟
watattaqū
and fear (Allah)
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
كَانَ
kāna
is
غَفُورًۭا
ghafūran
Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمًۭا
raḥīman
Most Merciful
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.
129. 1. This is another situation where a person has more than one wife, so he cannot treat all of them equally in terms of heartfelt affection and love. Because love is an act of the heart over which no one has control—even the Prophet ﷺ loved Aisha more than his other wives. The meaning of failing to do justice despite the desire is this inequality in heartfelt inclination and love. If this heartfelt love does not prevent equality in outward rights, then there is no accountability before Allah. Just as the Prophet ﷺ presented an excellent example of this. But most people, due to this heartfelt love, greatly neglect the rights of the other wives and do not fulfill their rights outwardly as they do for the beloved wife, and they leave her hanging (suspended in between)—neither divorcing her nor fulfilling the rights of marriage. This is extreme injustice, which is forbidden here, and the Prophet ﷺ also said, "If a person has two wives and inclines towards one (i.e., neglects the other), then on the Day of Resurrection he will come with one side of his body (i.e., half) fallen." (Tirmidhi, Book of Marriage)
