بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا
“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.”
One Body; One Womb - A Thematic Overview of Surah Al Nisa
People! Protect the rights of your Master, the one who created you from one soul and then created from it, its spouse, spreading from the pair of them many men - and women!
Protect the rights of Allah in whose name you request each other - and the wombs! Allah is by your necks!
This Surah focuses on kind and honorable treatment of the oppressed in the society, especially orphans and women- and calls to maintain and impart justice. Standing up for the oppressed and the weak is the epitome of justice. It will go on to call maintaining Justice as the basic and most fundamental command of Islam so much so that injustice is called as disbelieving in God, His messengers, His angels and His books.
It begins with the mention of Adam, then his wife and then the creation of all mankind through them. The opening passage of the Surah is critical in understanding how Allah conveys justice and kind treatment of others, especially the weak and oppressed.
Mankind originally came from only one body, Adam. From Adam, God created his wife. From them both, God created all of mankind. At the very root, all mankind was just one body, Adam, before God created his wife from his ribs.
There are a couple of grammatical aspects to be noted here. First the word ‘women’ in the sentence - “and then created from it its spouse, spreading from the pair of them many men and women!”
Notice I put an exclamation mark after the word ‘women.’ The word women acts as a “Jumla Itradiyah.” One way of explaining what this means is if one reads the whole sentence from “and then created from it its spouse, spreading from the pair of them many men and’ in a normal tone but significantly raises his voice when he reads the word “women.’ This creates emphasis on the word. God created men and WOMEN BOTH. Women belong to God just as men do. They are no different.
Secondly, the phrase ‘and the wombs’ in the sentence "Protect the rights of Allah in whose name you request each other - and the wombs! “ acts as another “Jumla Itradiyah.” It is interjected at the end of an already completed sentence, creating special emphasis on it.
So there are two Jumla Itradiyah in this ayah.
The word ‘women’ in the sentence - and then created from it its spouse, spreading from the pair of them many men and women!
The phrase ‘and the wombs!” in - Protect the rights of Allah in whose name you request each other - and the wombs!
Before going further, let us note this hadith.
Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever would love to be delivered from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, let him meet his end with faith in Allah and the Last Day, and let him treat people as he would love to be treated.” (Sahih Muslim 1844)
This Hadith summarizes the religion of Islam. The rights of Allah and the rights of people upon each other summarized in one sentence. One should die while he believes in Allah and does actions that prepare him for meeting with Allah on the last day and he should treat others the way he would like others to treat him. We do not like to be lied to, so we should not lie to others. We do not want to be backbited, slandered, dealt with unjustly, even as small as being frowned on, and want to be treated kindly and with love, so we should not do these to others and be kind and loving to others as well. This summarizes the rights of people in one sentence. Do to others what you would have them do to you. All commands in Islam with regards to the rights of people, are just an explanation of this one sentence. This is called the golden rule.
This ayah answers why the golden rule is in place. Why should we treat others the way we would want to be treated by them? Because mankind was originally one body, Adam. There was a time when every person on this Earth was in fact just one body. We were all inside Adam. There was a time when the person sitting or standing next to you was literally you as Adam. The person next to you, was in fact you at a point in time. So treat them as you would be treated yourself because you are all the same one body and soul at the very root.
Why the Emphasis on the Word ‘Women?’
We mentioned that the word “women’ contains emphasis in the manner in which it comes in the ayah. Allah is emphasizing to men that the golden rule applies to women just as it does to men. Women are no different in this regard and they were one body together with men. They too came from Adam just like men. So treat them the same way as you would want to be treated yourselves. Just as a man would desire to be loved and to be treated with love and kindness in his normal daily life, so should you treat them with the same kindness and love that you desire for yourselves. Women are generally weak and need support. If a man was weak and in need of support, would he not desire that he be taken care of and be supported? Then take care of women in the same way and treat them in everything small or big, like you would want to be treated yourselves.
The Emphasis on the phrase “and the Wombs!”
If that is too difficult for one to grasp and understand, then perhaps then they would understand it better in terms of the concept of the womb. Originally we were all one body but after that, all mankind has come from the womb of Hawaa, the wife of Adam. This makes all mankind brothers and sisters of each other since they all share a common mother. Just as one would desire kindness and justice for the persons related to him, so should he desire the same kindness and justice for the persons not related to him or her, because originally, all mankind is related to each other by the means of Hawaa and her husband. We all have the same mother and father. We are all each others siblings.
The Warnings
Both warnings come in terms of kind of treatment to women specifically. The phrase “ and the wombs!” comes only after both the warnings. Taking care of the women and treating them equally to men in terms of love, kindness and justice is called the right of Allah Himself. One would think it is a right of women but Allah calls this a right that men owe to Allah Himself first before women. Breaking this command subjects a man to the rod of God Himself. To make men realize the severity of breaking this command, Allah again warns with the same words “Protect the rights of Allah in whose name you request each other.”
One might assume that this command related to women applies to big matters. Such as maintaining justice for them on societal level and taking care of the widows etc... but Allah says something that is very unique to the Quran itself. The Quran often repeats itself but the last sentence “ God is watching you over your necks” is not repeated anywhere.
When somebody is watching another person from over their necks, they can see every small little thing that they are doing and with detail. It is not the same as watching them from a distance afar because then many things are not clear to the observer. When one watches somebody from right over their necks, he can see every small little thing they are doing. Men are to be extremely careful with regards to women. The command to apply the golden rule equally to them does not mean to apply it generally and on societal level only. It applies to every single interaction with women, small or big, in personal lives as well. And God is watching this carefully and prudently that you do not violate this on the smallest and biggest scale, every little interaction. He is watching this by being right over your neck which means that he is seeing every small little interaction. If that was not enough, the word “ كان” is added which means ‘always.’ Every single interaction at every single time. So you better be careful. As mentioned before, it is a right of God himself before that of women.
وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا۟ ٱلْخَبِيثَ بِٱلطَّيِّبِ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حُوبًۭا كَبِيرًۭا
Give the Orphans their wealth. Do not exchange purity for filth by not doing so. Do not consume their wealth with your own. For this creates great sorrow.
The word “Khabees” is translated as filth. It comes from the root Kha Ba Sa, which means something disgusting and impure that is repulsive and disliked naturally by people. (Mu'jam Ishtiqaaqi)
The wealth of an orphan becomes filthy when consumed. This act also goes against the natural human tendency as this action is naturally repulsive. One does not need to be well learned to know and realize that an orphans wealth is sacred and consuming it is a disgusting act. It is ingrained in human essence itself. In this ayah, Allah promises people pure and good wealth if they take care of the orphans and that is why consuming an orphans wealth is called as exchanging purity with filth. Taking care of an orphan is a financial burden but Allah promises to reward such a person with pure and good wealth. The moment he consumes the orphans wealth, the promise of Allah to give him pure and good wealth is lifted and he chooses to rather have impure and filthy wealth instead of the wealth Allah promised him.
Another meaning is that consuming an orphans wealth makes one filthy himself and people will naturally dislike and be drawn away from such people. A phenomenon we ourselves can experience easily in our lives.
Undoubtedly taking the orphans wealth creates a great burden on the orphan. The orphan is helpless and needs support. When his wealth is gone, it causes further pain, creates great sorrow and worry for him. There is an interesting play of words here. The word “Hawb” is translated as “great burden and sorrow.” It comes from the root Ha Waw Ba. The word Hawbah from the same root meant a chronically ill woman. This root was also used to mean every duty that is neglected with regards to women specifically.
The core meaning is inability or burden due to weakness
(Mu'jam Ishtiqaqi)
An orphan is incapable and weak and a burden gets further added on him when his wealth is consumed. This creates great worry and sorrow for him. This word is normally translated as “sin’ in most translations but that is only a secondary meaning because every sin is in fact a burden.
Going back to the previous ayah which mentions the Golden rule, if one were in the place of an orphan would he like his wealth to be consumed? Then he should not do the same to the orphan and if one were in a weak and delicate spot as an orphan would he not desire that he be shown kindness and taken care? Therefore, take care of the orphans. Imagine yourselves in their place and treat them accordingly.
The Transition from Women to Orphans
There are many other words for burden used in the Quran as well as for sorrow but this word is unique. As mentioned, it was used to mean a duty neglected in taking care of women specifically and not men. Why use this word in place of others? The previous ayah mentioned women. This ayah mentions orphans. There is an interesting connection between the two.
The first ayah mentioned the wombs. An orphan is one whose father or both parents have passed away which means that the orphan's womb has been cut off from him. The womb of the orphan, his primary relationship of blood, his father and mother, is no more. When a woman gets married, she leaves the house of her parents (her wombs) and goes to the house of her husband. Her relationship with her womb gets cut off as well and she now will live the rest of her life without them. The women and the orphans are the same. Both have their connection to the wombs cut off.
The first ayah mentioned the wombs. To treat those not related to you with the same love and kindness that one would show to his or her own relatives because ultimately, we all come from the same womb. The orphans and the women no longer have their wombs. But once upon a time they were related to you by blood, so be kind and loving to them and take care of them because they are your relatives by blood. Be their wombs. They lost their wombs but you should become their wombs because at the very root, you all have come from the same womb.
These first two verses summarize the basic message and theme of this Surah. This surah will go on to include women in inheritance, and guide men how to live with their wives. The basic concept remains the same. The Golden rule and the fact that we are all one body and come from the same womb at the very root.
A thematic overview of this Surah is as such in order:
This will be followed by a remarkable ayah
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا۟ ٱلْأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا۟ بِٱلْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم
بِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًۭا
Allah commands you to deliver trusts back to their owners; and when you judge between the people, that you judge with justice. Good is the counsel Allah gives you; Allah is All-hearing, All-seeing.
The things entrusted to someone in this ayah means the rights of the other party. Allah commands you to fulfil the rights of those who deserve it. This includes everyone. Allah has rights over us so we need to give him his rights. The women, orphans, men, all people have rights over each other. The book of Allah has its rights. These rights are called trusts and Allah commands people to return these trust to their owners, to give each their rights. Summarizing this religion in one sentence. This is why the next sentence “Good is the counsel Allah gives you” comes.
The commands to fight in the path of Allah. It will do so with an interesting choice of word that carries the theme of the Surah.
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْوِلْدَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِ e
ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَٱجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّۭا وَٱجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا
How is it with you, that you do not fight in the way of Allah, and for the men, women, and children who, being oppressed, say, ´Our Lord, bring us forth from this city whose people are evildoers, and appoint to us a protector from You, and appoint to us from You a helper?
The Surah started with command of kind and loving treatment of women and orphans who are naturally weak and in need of support. Based on the same principle of helping the weak and needy - women and orphans, these people oppressed in their towns by the oppressive people in them deserve to be helped because they too are weak and in need of support. So to live this principle, you must fight.
This will be followed by a very large passage that contains further encouragement to fight and will also contain rules and instructions on how to manage affairs during military campaigns for the maintenance, protection and unity of the army
A brief and scathing criticism of those who remain back from fighting. Called as hypocrites. The principle of helping and needy is the very essence of Islam as we will see shortly. If one does not live by this and fulfil this, he has collapsed the very core of Islam.
It will conclude the whole discussion with these verses..
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًۭا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا
Believers, be you securers of justice, witnesses for God, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents and kinsmen, whether the man be rich or poor; God stands closest to either. Then follow not weightless thoughts, so as to swerve; for if you twist or turn, God is aware of the things you do.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا ١٣٦
Believers, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book He has sent down on His Messenger and the Book which He sent down before. Whoever disbelieves in God and His angels and His Books, and His Messengers, and the Last Day, has surely gone astray into far error.
Believers uphold Justice. Maintain Justice and you will have believed in Allah. If you are unjust, you have disbelieved in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the last day. The whole Surah comes down to these two verses. Helping the oppressed, taking care of the needy is Justice. This ties in perfectly with the theme of the Surah.
Allah will then say in verse number 127,
وَ یَسْتَفْتُوْنَكَ فِی النِّسَآءِؕ-قُلِ اللّٰهُ یُفْتِیْكُمْ فِیْهِنَّۙ-وَ مَا یُتْلٰى عَلَیْكُمْ فِی الْكِتٰبِ فِیْ یَتٰمَى النِّسَآءِ الّٰتِیْ لَا تُؤْتُوْنَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَ تَرْغَبُوْنَ اَنْ تَنْكِحُوْهُنَّ وَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِیْنَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَانِۙ-وَ اَنْ تَقُوْمُوْا لِلْیَتٰمٰى بِالْقِسْطِؕ-وَ مَا تَفْعَلُوْا مِنْ خَیْرٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِهٖ عَلِیْمًا
They will ask you for rulings concerning women. Say: Allah himself pronounces to you rulings concerning them, and what is recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan women to whom you give not what is prescribed for them, and yet desire to marry them, and the oppressed children, and that you secure justice for orphans. Whatever good you do, Allah knows of it.
Allah attributes rulings concerning women to Himself. He takes it away even from His Prophet. Rulings and judgements regarding women, to take care of them, to give them their rightful dues and rights, are attributed directly to Allah himself to communicate their importance, centrality to Islam, and the grave penalties one will incur if he does not imply.
After summarizing the religion of Islam here, Allah will say some verses down.
۞ إِنَّآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ كَمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ نُوحٍۢ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَىٰ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَـٰرُونَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ زَبُورًۭاody,
We sent revelation to you just as we revealed to Nuh and prophets after him. We revealed to Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq, the tribes, Eesa, Ayub, Yunus, Harun and Suleiman. We gave Dawud the Zabur.
Revelation has carried on in the same manner as with the previous prophets and with the same commands. To maintain justice and to stand with the weak, this was the core of revelation before and it is the core now as well. We have revealed to you the same that we revealed to the prophets before. There is a special mention of the Zabur. Instead of just saying that Allah revealed to Dawud as he did with other prophets, he specially mentions the book by name, Zabur.
If one reads the Zabur or the book of Psalms, all it is about is Dawud crying out to God for Justice and help.
This is followed by a brief discourse to the Christians regarding Jesus. This was the revelation before and this is the revelation now. What is said here is what was said before. Jesus was just a man and a messenger. This is in this revelation and the same is in the previous scriptures.
The Surah will conclude with a verse on inheritance law. Notice how the last ayah starts
يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِى ٱلْكَلَـٰلَةِ ۚ إِن ٱمْرُؤٌا۟ هَلَكَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ وَلَهُۥٓ أُخْتٌۭ فَلَهَا نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ ۚ وَهُوَ يَرِثُهَآ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهَا وَلَدٌۭ ۚ فَإِن كَانَتَا ٱثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُمَا ٱلثُّلُثَانِ مِمَّا تَرَكَ ۚ وَإِن كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَةًۭ رِّجَالًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ فَلِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۗ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَن تَضِلُّوا۟ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۢ
... They seek your ruling. Say, "Allah himself gives you a ruling concerning indirect heirs
The Surah is concluded with what it started. Other topics were brought up but this serves as a reminder to not forget where everything started. The central topic remains the same - standing uo for justice. Justice entails standing with oppressed and the weak. It mentions many types of oppressed and weak people but the one it highlights the most are women.
I mentioned in the first ayah that not giving women their rights was first and foremost an offense against God Himself rather than women. Notice how this ayah is phrased - Say; Allah Himself gives you a ruling
This again is an endorsement that these commands related to women, be it their kind treatment or inheritance among other things; are a direct command of God Himself and going against them is an offense to God first