سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 6
وَٱبْتَلُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغُوا۟ ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ ءَانَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَٱدْفَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَآ إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبًا ﴿6﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them, but consume it not wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever (amongst guardians) is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labour). And when you release their property to them, take witness in their presence; and Allâh is All-Sufficient in taking account.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱبْتَلُوا۟
wa-ib'talū
And test
ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ
l-yatāmā
the orphans
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَا
idhā
[when]
بَلَغُوا۟
balaghū
they reach[ed]
ٱلنِّكَاحَ
l-nikāḥa
(the age of) marriage
فَإِنْ
fa-in
then if
ءَانَسْتُم
ānastum
you perceive
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
in them
رُشْدًۭا
rush'dan
sound judgement
فَٱدْفَعُوٓا۟
fa-id'faʿū
then deliver
إِلَيْهِمْ
ilayhim
to them
أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ
amwālahum
their wealth
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَأْكُلُوهَآ
takulūhā
eat it
إِسْرَافًۭا
is'rāfan
extravagantly
وَبِدَارًا
wabidāran
and hastily
أَن
an
(fearing) that
يَكْبَرُوا۟ ۚ
yakbarū
they will grow up
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
كَانَ
kāna
is
غَنِيًّۭا
ghaniyyan
rich
فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ ۖ
falyastaʿfif
then he should refrain
وَمَن
waman
and whoever
كَانَ
kāna
is
فَقِيرًۭا
faqīran
poor
فَلْيَأْكُلْ
falyakul
then let him eat (of it)
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ
bil-maʿrūfi
in a fair manner
فَإِذَا
fa-idhā
Then when
دَفَعْتُمْ
dafaʿtum
you deliver
إِلَيْهِمْ
ilayhim
to them
أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ
amwālahum
their wealth
فَأَشْهِدُوا۟
fa-ashhidū
then take witnesses
عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ
ʿalayhim
on them
وَكَفَىٰ
wakafā
And is sufficient
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
Allah
حَسِيبًۭا
ḥasīban
(as) a Reckoner
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 6) ➊ {وَ ابْتَلُوا الْيَتٰمٰى … :} The sign of puberty for a man is a wet dream, and for a woman it is menstruation. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I have remembered (regarding puberty) from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that after a wet dream, there is no orphanhood, and from day to night, there is no silence.” [ أبو داوٗد، الوصایا، باب ما جاء متی ینقطع الیتم : ۲۸۷۳، و قال الألبانی صحیح ]
Atiyyah Qarazi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: “On the day of Qurayzah, we were presented before the Prophet (peace be upon him), so whoever had grown (pubic) hair was killed, and whoever had not grown hair was not killed. I was among those who had not yet grown hair, so I was spared.” [ أبو داوٗد، الحدود، باب فی الغلام یصیب الحد : ۴۴۰۴، و قال الألبانی صحیح ]
For participation in battle, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not permit Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) to participate in Uhud at the age of fourteen. He was examined at Khandaq, and he was fifteen years old, so he was permitted. Nafi’ conveyed this hadith to Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him), so he said: “This is the difference between a child and an adult.” [ بخاری، الشہادات، باب بلوغ الصبیان… : ۲۶۶۴ ] However, it is clear that this difference is between a child and that adult who is permitted to participate in battle. The sole sign of puberty is a wet dream; if this is not known, then the growth of pubic hair is the sign.
➋ {فَاِنْ اٰنَسْتُمْ مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا:} That is, keep testing and training the orphans, one way of which is to give them a small amount of wealth and assign them a task to see whether they increase the wealth or not. Then, when they reach puberty and possess sound judgment, hand over their wealth to them without delay. {’’ رُشْدًا ‘‘ } refers to intellectual and religious capability. Thus, in addition to puberty, sound judgment is also a condition for the entrustment of wealth. If a person does not possess sound judgment, then even if he becomes old, the guardian or executor should not hand over the wealth to him. (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir)
➌ The meaning of { ”فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ“ ”عَفَّ يَعِفُّ (ض)“ } is to avoid, and in the form of { ”فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ“ } in the pattern of istif‘al, due to the addition of letters, it is translated as “avoid much.”
➍ {وَ مَنْ كَانَ فَقِيْرًا … :} The well-known method is that he should take the customary wage for supervising the wealth. The second is that he should take only as much as fulfills his need.
➎ {فَاَشْهِدُوْا عَلَيْهِمْ:} The guardian or executor of the orphan is commanded to return the wealth in the presence of witnesses, so that no accusation may be made against him in the future. The meaning of {”وَ كَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ حَسِيْبًا“} is that you may satisfy the people, but the real reckoning will be taken by Allah Almighty, so pay special attention to that.
Atiyyah Qarazi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: “On the day of Qurayzah, we were presented before the Prophet (peace be upon him), so whoever had grown (pubic) hair was killed, and whoever had not grown hair was not killed. I was among those who had not yet grown hair, so I was spared.” [ أبو داوٗد، الحدود، باب فی الغلام یصیب الحد : ۴۴۰۴، و قال الألبانی صحیح ]
For participation in battle, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not permit Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) to participate in Uhud at the age of fourteen. He was examined at Khandaq, and he was fifteen years old, so he was permitted. Nafi’ conveyed this hadith to Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him), so he said: “This is the difference between a child and an adult.” [ بخاری، الشہادات، باب بلوغ الصبیان… : ۲۶۶۴ ] However, it is clear that this difference is between a child and that adult who is permitted to participate in battle. The sole sign of puberty is a wet dream; if this is not known, then the growth of pubic hair is the sign.
➋ {فَاِنْ اٰنَسْتُمْ مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا:} That is, keep testing and training the orphans, one way of which is to give them a small amount of wealth and assign them a task to see whether they increase the wealth or not. Then, when they reach puberty and possess sound judgment, hand over their wealth to them without delay. {’’ رُشْدًا ‘‘ } refers to intellectual and religious capability. Thus, in addition to puberty, sound judgment is also a condition for the entrustment of wealth. If a person does not possess sound judgment, then even if he becomes old, the guardian or executor should not hand over the wealth to him. (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir)
➌ The meaning of { ”فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ“ ”عَفَّ يَعِفُّ (ض)“ } is to avoid, and in the form of { ”فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ“ } in the pattern of istif‘al, due to the addition of letters, it is translated as “avoid much.”
➍ {وَ مَنْ كَانَ فَقِيْرًا … :} The well-known method is that he should take the customary wage for supervising the wealth. The second is that he should take only as much as fulfills his need.
➎ {فَاَشْهِدُوْا عَلَيْهِمْ:} The guardian or executor of the orphan is commanded to return the wealth in the presence of witnesses, so that no accusation may be made against him in the future. The meaning of {”وَ كَفٰى بِاللّٰهِ حَسِيْبًا“} is that you may satisfy the people, but the real reckoning will be taken by Allah Almighty, so pay special attention to that.
