[0:05]This Dars/Lecture was recorded on June 20, 2009
[0:28]Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah Rabbul Alameen, Was Salatu Was Salam Ala Muhammadil Ameen.
[0:36]Fauzubillah Minashaitanirrajim Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Hazraat, this is Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 4. We are starting our study of the Quran with this. Before this, some instructions were being given regarding orphans. In this Surah, since Muslims are being addressed and given commands for their purification and to lay the foundations of a good society for them, the problem of orphans has been addressed first. I have mentioned earlier that people used to usurp their wealth or create excuses to mix their wealth with their own. They would display administrative convenience but would misappropriate their wealth, so the Quran said not to do that. Then it was said that if you need the help of their mother or any other relative in managing their financial affairs, then marry two, three, or four of those women so that they also become part of your family and the affairs of the orphans can be managed justly. When this was said, the issue of these women, who were married for the benefit of the orphans, came under discussion. Would they also be treated justly? It was said that it must be done. That is, it cannot happen that if a step is being taken to avoid injustice in one matter, then injustice happens in another. When that injustice was highlighted, another problem arose. The problem was that people were thinking that on one hand, we are being appealed to marry, and to marry for the benefit of orphans. It is not like a person choosing a woman he likes and marrying her. This is an appeal, so after this, do we also have to give dowry in the same way? In our society, this issue may not be of much importance, people's conditions are good, but among Arabs, this was a big problem that we have to marry, take care, and manage affairs. So, do these women, who are married for the sake of the orphans, and to take care of their children, also have to be given dowry? So it was said, "And give women their dowries as a free gift." Meaning, if you are going to do a good deed, then do it generously. Do it as it should be done. If you act stingily in this matter, then as a result, the status of these women will fall after coming into the house. This should not happen at all. That is, the first thing said was that you will have to be just with them. If you don't have the courage or patience to be just, then please don't follow this advice. Then it is better that there is only one wife. And if you are marrying for their benefit, then regardless of that, you have to give dowry and with the same respect. Yes, if they, out of their own free will and consideration, forgo a part of their dowry, then you may eat it with pleasure. That is, this law has been stated in this matter. The emphasis on dowry here was given because, as I said, people might ask, and you will see later that when the chapter on questions begins, people were not easily convinced by this despite it. They asked more questions. Then Allah answered it. So, it was emphasized here that dowry must be given. That is, the rights of women, the law we have established regarding marriage, that law is established. There is no amendment in it. When the appeal for marriage was made, it was immediately stated that these are the limits that must be observed. Justice must be done in every situation, rights must be fulfilled in every situation, and dowry must be given in every situation. There is no concession in this. That is, this excuse should not be made that Allah has appealed. We are going to marry to answer the appeal, for the benefit of orphans. We had no desire. So, a concession should be given in this. So, it was said that if that woman is willing to give concession willingly, then Allah has no objection to it, but you must step forward and give dowry, and this is what is fitting for you, and good people should deal in this way. And do not give your wealth to the foolish, which Allah has made a means of support for you. You see, Allah said earlier that you should hand over the orphans' wealth to them. The conversation started from here, right? Hand over the orphans' wealth to them. Avoid mixing their wealth with yours. Do not act dishonestly in the matter of good and bad wealth. All this was said. One consequence of this could be that the orphans are not yet capable of managing wealth, and you have handed it over and are free. There is this aspect, isn't there? That is, one aspect is that you should not eat the orphan's wealth. Another aspect is that they are not yet capable of managing wealth, so should you hand it over to them now and be free? So it was said, no, this is not the intention. And if the orphan is still ignorant and foolish, then do not hand over your wealth, which Allah has made a means of sustenance and survival for you, to these foolish people. That is, as long as the orphan is not capable of managing wealth, until then, the orphan's wealth should remain under your care. This is not the intention, Allah says, when I said that you should hand over the orphan's wealth to him, it means when he is capable of managing it. This is the same thing that I try to explain many times, that when we speak a sentence or say something or give guidance, there are some logical implications within the sentence. When Allah said that hand over the orphan's wealth to them, it did not mean, and it should not mean, that if the orphan is a two-year-old child, you should hand over his wealth and be free. Because this would actually be equivalent to destroying his wealth. So, these logical implications that are present sometimes cause misunderstanding for the addressee. So, this was clarified further, that no, if he is foolish and not yet capable of managing his wealth, then do not hand over this wealth to him now. Why? The reason was stated that Allah has made wealth a means of sustenance and survival in society. Regarding wealth, there are Sufi concepts, which are commonly expressed in the Sufi interpretation of religion. If you read the books of those who have given Sufi interpretations of religion, you will find a specific attitude and approach towards wealth and economics. When the Holy Quran mentions wealth, even here, see from what perspective it is mentioned. Allah made it a means of sustenance. That is, wealth is not a small thing. It is a great blessing from God, and it is a means of sustenance and survival for life. Therefore, it is not something to be thrown away. That is, it is not carrion, or a corpse. As Sufi people often say, "The world is carrion, and those who eat it are dogs." So, you should throw it in front of them and be done with it. No, Allah says that I have made it a means of living and sustenance. Society is based on it. This is a very good phrase. This matter of wealth is not just about it being the orphan's wealth. Another aspect of it is that its destruction would actually be harmful to society. It would be harmful to the family. This is not a small matter. Now you see, for example, we have industry. In ancient times, people used to work in fields, take caravans. So if you destroyed one business, how many people's livelihoods did you jeopardize?
[9:00]So, the attitude of the Holy Quran towards wealth is completely different. It speaks from a different perspective. So, even here, you can see that it said to hand over wealth, surrender it to them, not to consume it, not to cause harm. These were moral aspects. But also, do not hand it over to the foolish. What reason was given? That Allah has made wealth a means of sustenance and survival for society. Society stands on its foundation. Plans are made on its foundation. Humans live their lives on its foundation. This is a blessing created by God. That is why the Quran describes it as a bounty and goodness from God everywhere. He considers it one of His blessings. So, there should be no wrong attitude towards it. This is the philosophy, the foundation, on which Allah has established the wealth of society. And it was instructed that if an orphan is ignorant and foolish, then it is the duty of their guardians to keep their wealth under their protection and supervision. They should never hand it over to them, otherwise, there is a risk that they will squander this wealth, which Allah has made a means of sustenance and survival for people. This is the point. So, the whole thing is what? That wealth is not for eating. Not for digesting, not for harming. It should remain in your possession due to the orphan's foolishness. But as soon as he becomes capable of managing his wealth, hand it over to him. That is the complete statement. And you can involve the mother, involve the sister. You can form a family, which the Quran mentions elsewhere, that if you can create opposition, that is, if you can improve supervision by bringing them into one family, then you can take that step. But if you do that, then don't let injustice happen there. If you think about it, you will realize that Allah is very concerned about one thing, and that is that nothing should go against justice and fairness among humans. That is, if you look at this whole verse, where did the conversation start? Fear Allah. It started from here. Be the offspring of one Adam and Eve, have one God. Therefore, fear Him. Fear that God whose name you use to appeal to others, on whose foundation you establish relationships, and fear breaking ties. Hand over the orphan's wealth to him, but let the matter be just here and just there. In every measure, justice and fairness are fundamental. There should be no slightest flaw in this. Now it was revealed that do not hand over the orphans' wealth until they are mature, because Allah has made it a means of your sustenance and survival, and provide for them and clothe them. This is another aspect. That is, you have not handed over the orphan's wealth to the orphan. You have kept it under your care. You are also very trustworthy. But now, in the matter of the orphan, since you are taking care, you think that you have to hand it over to him tomorrow, and no blame should come upon you, so you make his life difficult. That is, stinginess, greed, and sometimes excessive strictness. So, it was said that this is their wealth. Whatever their financial needs are, they should be fulfilled with great generosity. Their food, drink, and clothing. And similarly, if any demand comes from them, any attitude comes from them, then speak to them with kindness.
[12:29]That is, the conversation should be with generosity. People who are familiar with the Arabic language know that the Quran did not say here, "and provide for them from it," but rather, "and provide for them in it." That is, if it were so, then it would mean that you should give them something to eat and drink from it. The Quran said, no, fulfill their needs with generosity. Just as a father should do, with the same affection, with the same love, fulfill their needs. And trust them. Keep track of everything, keep everything in mind. This attitude should not be adopted. You see, there is a matter where sometimes you give instructions for justice and equity, and there are flaws and some extremism can arise in that too. So, justice must be done in every situation, but no ill-treatment should be done to the orphans as a result. This was stated. And examine the orphans. Now it was said that after this, when this wealth is under your care, and they are still foolish, then until the age of marriage, that is, until they reach maturity, until they reach the age of marriage, keep testing them. How? By entrusting them with some small or big responsibility and see if they are developing an understanding of matters and the ability to bear responsibilities or not. Sexual maturity does not necessarily imply intellectual maturity. It is possible for a person to reach physical maturity but not yet be capable of handling matters intellectually. Since the care of orphan's wealth is the main topic of the verses, it was said to keep testing them until they reach the age of marriage. Then if you find in them sound judgment, then hand over their wealth to them. That is, hand over their wealth to them penny by penny. Now the time has come after which your responsibility ends. And do not consume it excessively and hastily. And fearing that they will grow up, and I will have to hand over the wealth, I should create a situation where I quickly squander the wealth and eat something. Never do this. That is, when it was said once that hand over the orphan's wealth to them, then it was said that do not hand it over until then. Then it was said that when you are not going to hand it over until then, then you have to fulfill their expenses, but you are not allowed to squander it. This is not what is meant. No one should squander wealth and act hastily to eat it. This should not be done. Then another question arose on this. That question arose that a person is taking care of the orphans' wealth, looking after their business, looking after their herds, looking after their trade. This takes time, doesn't it? Good deed, that's a good thing. You did it. But the person's own circumstances are not good.
[15:20]It can happen, can't it? One is that the person's own circumstances are good. But if the person's own circumstances are not good, a wealthy brother has passed away. So, can you take any compensation for this care? This question arose. So, it was said that whoever is rich among the orphans' guardians, he should abstain from their wealth. That is, if Allah has given him, then he should do this service voluntarily.
[15:53]This is what is fitting for him. But whoever is poor, then he can take from the orphan's wealth according to custom, as a fee for his service.
[16:35]And custom means what is the nature of the responsibilities, what is the status of the property, what are the local conditions, what is the standard of living of the guardian, considering all these things, you can decide what you can fix for yourself. And it was also said that it should be within the bounds of reasonableness, and its nature should not become such that while providing service, you end up usurping all the orphan's wealth. According to custom, by fixing a rule, by informing people, which everyone calls justice, if you want to fix some service fee, some compensation for yourself, then you can fix it.
[17:10]And whoever is poor, he should take from the orphan's wealth according to custom, as a fee for his service. And custom means what is the nature of the responsibilities, what is the status of the property, what are the local conditions, what is the standard of living of the guardian, considering all these things, you can decide what you can fix for yourself. Then when you hand over their wealth to them, bring witnesses against them.
[17:47]That is, appoint righteous people from within society as witnesses so that no dispute arises about you, no accusation is made. And remember that Allah is sufficient as a reckoner. Remember this, you will have to render account to Allah one day. Here, even by following all these instructions, you might create some situation for yourself that leads to corruption. So, it was finally warned that Allah is sufficient as a reckoner. When a law is stated in the Holy Quran, the main point is usually stated here too. You see, the beginning of this narrative was to fear Allah. And the verse was, "Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." Remember this. That is, the true knowledge of God and the awareness of God's supervision and then presenting oneself before Him and giving account there. This reminder will be given necessarily because it is actually the foundation of all His laws and all moral guidance. So, it was stated that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Nothing can be hidden from Him. Therefore, deal with complete justice and remember that He is sufficient for reckoning. For men there is a share from what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women there is a share from what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much, a determined share.
[19:21]A person has passed away from the world. So, on one hand, the problem of his orphan children arises, and on the other hand, the problem of his inheritance also arises. That is, the content of "Aaf" emerged from it. And it was said that Allah has now fixed shares in it. This is an indication. The matter will become clear later when the whole matter is explained. That is, this refers to those shares of inheritance that will be clarified further when you reach verse 11. There it will become clear that Allah Himself has fixed it. And the reason stated there is that man does not have the ability to make this decision himself. That is, he has no basic foundation. This matter can only be settled under the guidance of Allah. Otherwise, what used to happen was that powerful heirs would seize all the property and wealth of the deceased, leaving no opportunity. So, when a person died, on one hand, the problem of orphan children arose, and on the other hand, whatever wealth belonged to the orphans, you were managing it, but there were other rightful heirs present, weren't there? So, it was said, what about those other rightful heirs? The person passed away. Imagine, what problem arose? That is, people would state this, although the Holy Quran does not need to state this, but it will be easy to understand the matter in terms of reality, that at the time of Uhud, when many people were martyred, Allah gave these instructions at that time. So, now there were 60-70 people who passed away from the world. Their wives were widows, their children were orphans. And if there was wealth, then it also had to be distributed. That is, was all the wealth only for the orphan children? Brothers and sisters also have a right. Parents also have a right. All these would be issues. So, the issue of inheritance arose from that. So, it was said that in that matter, we have already fixed all the shares. Those shares, according to them, all this will happen. And all property and wealth, whatever it is, will be distributed according to that rule. Before Islam, the nature of Arab society, if you read it in their poetry, in their literature, you see it from the indications of the Holy Quran, it is mentioned in detail in the hadiths as well. So, it is known that what to say about orphans and women, even the weak heirs were at the mercy of the powerful heirs. That is, if, for example, there is an heir, brothers and sisters, if someone among them is weak, then the one who has power would take whatever he wanted. The Quran mentioned this elsewhere, "And you consume inheritance, devouring it altogether." Whatever came to hand, they took it. This situation was to be eliminated by the Quran by fixing the shares of all heirs. For men and for women. When a person recites the above verses and reaches this verse, he feels that by the blessing of the orphans, the way for others' rights to be fixed has also opened. They themselves were deprived of rights. They also obtained their rights, and through them, others also obtained rights. Especially the mention of women here is specific. That is, if you read this verse, you will know that your parents and relatives, whatever they leave behind, men also have a share in it, and your parents and relatives, whatever they leave behind, women also have a share in it, whether it is little or much, in a fixed proportion.
[23:08]But at the time of distribution, when close relatives, and orphans, and the poor come there, then give them something from it as well, and speak to them kindly.
[23:36]And say good words to them. Do not scold them, do not rebuke them, but speak to them with kindness. That is, regardless of whether they have a legal right or not, by giving and taking something, by speaking kindly at that time, you should send them off. Small-minded and narrow-minded people adopt an attitude at such occasions. The wealth is yours, you have the right to decide, but if the wife is present, or the parents are present, or the close relatives are present, then there should also be a good attitude towards them. So, do this. Speak kindly to them.
[24:59]And when you are dealing, then deal straightforwardly. That is, speak with compassion, speak straightforwardly in the matter. Both things have been stated, that your behavior in human matters should be of compassion and mercy, and there should be no talk that deviates from justice.
[26:10]Observe this, and remember that those who consume the wealth of orphans consume fire in their bellies, and they will soon enter a blazing fire. These verses have a simple translation.
[28:57]It was said, "And give women their dowries as a free gift. Then if they, of their own free will, forgo something of it for you, then consume it with pleasure and ease." "And if you find in them sound judgment, then hand over their wealth to them. And do not consume it excessively and hastily, fearing that they will grow up. And whoever is rich, let him abstain from their wealth. And whoever is poor, let him take thereof in a reasonable manner."
[29:46]"Then when you hand over their wealth to them, call witnesses over them. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant." (Your) parents and relatives, whatever they leave, men also have a share in it, and (your) parents and relatives, whatever they leave, women also have a share in it, whether it is little or much, a determined share. But at the time of distribution, when close relatives, and orphans, and the poor come there, then give them something from it as well, and speak to them kindly. Those people should fear who, if they leave behind weak offspring, they would fear for them. So, let them fear Allah and speak words of appropriate counsel. (Listen, beware!) This is a reality that those who consume the wealth of orphans unjustly, they only fill their bellies with fire, and they will soon enter a blazing fire. I say this, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, and for all Muslims.
