Tafsir Al-Jalalayn: An-Nisaa, Ayah 3
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
(And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans) and if you fear that you will not preserve orphans' wealth, you should also fear not dealing fairly with women in relation to providing sustenance and apportionment. This was because they used to marry as many women as they liked, as many as nine or ten. Qays Ibn al-Harth for example had eight wives. Allah forbade them from doing so and prohibited them from marrying more than four wives, saying: (marry of the women, who seem good to you) marry that which Allah has made lawful for you, (two or three or four) marry one, two, three or four but do not marry more than four wives; (and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice) to four wives in relation to apportionment and providing sustenance (then one (only)) then marry only one free woman (or that your right hands possess) of captives, and in that case you do not owe them any apportionment, and they need not observe any waiting period. (Thus it) marrying just one woman (is more likely that ye will not do injustice) that you will not incline to some at the expense of others or that you transgress regarding the provision of sustenance and apportionment to four wives.
Related Hadiths
" If you fear that you will not be able to maintain equity amongst the orphan girls, then marry (those) you like from amongst the women two, three or four." She said: O, the son of my sister, the orph...
that he asked `Aisha about the Statement of Allah: 'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ...
" If you fear that you would not be able to observe equity in case of orphan girls)," it was revealed in reference to a person who had an orphan girl (as his ward) and he was her guardian, and her hei...
"And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls then marry (other) women of your choice." She said: "O son of my sister, this refers to a female orphan who is in the c...
(regarding) the Verse: 'And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans...' (4.3) It is about the orphan girl who is in the custody of a man who is her guardian, and he int...
That he had asked `Aisha about the meaning of the Statement of Allah: "If you fear that you shall not Be able to deal justly With the orphan girls, then Marry (Other) women of your choice Two or thre...
`Urwa bin Az-Zubair said that he asked `Aisha about the meaning of the Qur'anic Verse:-- "And if you fear that you will not deal fairly with the orphan girls then marry (other) women of your choice....
There was an orphan (girl) under the care of a man. He married her and she owned a date palm (garden). He married her just because of that and not because he loved her. So the Divine Verse came rega...
That he asked `Aisha regarding the Verse: 'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, marry (other) women of your choice.' (4.3) `Aisha said, "It is about an orphan ...
Ibn Shihab said “’Urwah bin Al Zubair asked A’ishah , wife of the Prophet(ﷺ) about the Qur’anic verse “And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to ...
Al-Jalalayn Commentary
If you fear that you will not act justly that you will not be equitable towards the orphans and are thus distressed in this matter then also fear lest you be unjust towards women when you marry them; marry such mā means man women as seem good to you two or three or four that is each man may marry two or three or four but do not exceed this; but if you fear you will not be equitable towards them in terms of their expenses and individual share; then marry only one or restrict yourself to what your right hands own of slavegirls since these do not have the same rights as wives; thus by that marrying of only four or only one or resorting to slavegirls it is likelier it is nearer in outcome that you will not be unjust that you will not be inequitable.