سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 19
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ كَرْهًا ۖ وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا۟ بِبَعْضِ مَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّآ أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَـٰحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ ۚ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will; and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse; and live with them honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allâh brings through it a great deal of good.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
Not
يَحِلُّ
yaḥillu
(is) lawful
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
أَن
an
that
تَرِثُوا۟
tarithū
you inherit
ٱلنِّسَآءَ
l-nisāa
the women
كَرْهًۭا ۖ
karhan
(by) force
وَلَا
walā
And not
تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ
taʿḍulūhunna
you constraint them
لِتَذْهَبُوا۟
litadhhabū
so that you may take
بِبَعْضِ
bibaʿḍi
a part
مَآ
mā
(of) what
ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ
ātaytumūhunna
you have given them
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَن
an
that
يَأْتِينَ
yatīna
they commit
بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢ
bifāḥishatin
immorality
مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ ۚ
mubayyinatin
open
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ
waʿāshirūhunna
And live with them
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ
bil-maʿrūfi
in kindness
فَإِن
fa-in
But if
كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ
karih'tumūhunna
you dislike them
فَعَسَىٰٓ
faʿasā
then perhaps
أَن
an
that
تَكْرَهُوا۟
takrahū
you dislike
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
a thing
وَيَجْعَلَ
wayajʿala
and has placed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
good
كَثِيرًۭا
kathīran
much
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.
19. 1 Before Islam, another injustice done to women was that after the husband's death, the people of his household would forcibly become heirs of his wife just like his wealth, and would, of their own will and without her consent, marry her themselves or marry her off to their brothers or nephews. Even a stepson would marry his deceased father's wife, and if they wished, they would not allow her to marry elsewhere. She would be forced to live like this her entire life. Islam forbade all these forms of oppression.
19. 2 Another injustice was that if the husband did not like his wife and wanted to get rid of her, he would not divorce her himself but would trouble her so much that she would be compelled to return the dowry he had given her and prefer to free herself from him. Islam also declared this act as oppression.
19. 3 By open indecency is meant adultery, foul language, or disobedience. In both these cases, permission is given for the husband to behave in such a way that she is compelled to return the dowry he gave her and seek khula, as in the case of khula, the right to take back the dowry is given (see Surah Baqarah verse 229).
19. 4 This is the command for good conduct with the wife, which the Quran has greatly emphasized, and in the hadiths, the Prophet ﷺ has also explained it in detail that a believing man (husband) should not harbor hatred against a believing woman (wife). If he likes one of her habits, another of her habits will be pleasing. Oppressing women and ruining the lives of children, in addition, also brings disrepute to Islam in such a way that by giving the right of divorce to men, it is portrayed as if Islam has given men the authority to oppress women. In this way, a great virtue of Islam is presented as a flaw and oppression.
19. 2 Another injustice was that if the husband did not like his wife and wanted to get rid of her, he would not divorce her himself but would trouble her so much that she would be compelled to return the dowry he had given her and prefer to free herself from him. Islam also declared this act as oppression.
19. 3 By open indecency is meant adultery, foul language, or disobedience. In both these cases, permission is given for the husband to behave in such a way that she is compelled to return the dowry he gave her and seek khula, as in the case of khula, the right to take back the dowry is given (see Surah Baqarah verse 229).
19. 4 This is the command for good conduct with the wife, which the Quran has greatly emphasized, and in the hadiths, the Prophet ﷺ has also explained it in detail that a believing man (husband) should not harbor hatred against a believing woman (wife). If he likes one of her habits, another of her habits will be pleasing. Oppressing women and ruining the lives of children, in addition, also brings disrepute to Islam in such a way that by giving the right of divorce to men, it is portrayed as if Islam has given men the authority to oppress women. In this way, a great virtue of Islam is presented as a flaw and oppression.
