Sūrah al-Nisāʾ

Overview

Sūrah al-Nisāʾ is a Madinan sūrah with 176 āyāt. The word nisāʾ means ‘women’, and the sūrah takes its title due to the ample rulings and legislations concerning women within it. Sūrah al-Nisāʾ is a prime example of how Islam protects the weak as one of its main objectives. Women, especially orphaned girls, were among the groups taken advantage of the most in pre-Islamic Arabia. Islam came with clear parameters in terms of what a man can and cannot do with his womenfolk. After what is now referred to as Khuṭbat al-Ḥājah, the sūrah begins with very detailed legislations regarding inheritance law. Marriage and divorce, especially regulations on how to resolve marital disputes, are discussed thereafter. Allah further emphasises the importance of empowering the downtrodden via enjoining jihad. He lambasts the hypocrites for their cowardice, and rebukes us for not “fighting for the sake of Allah and the feeble men, women, and children who say, ‘Our Lord, deliver us from this city whose people are oppressive, and appoint for us from Your own a guardian and appoint for us from Your own a supporter!’” Again, the People of Scripture are spoken of towards the end of the sūrah, where Allah dispels false notions about Maryam and ʿĪsā. The Jews are especially rebuked for breaking their covenant with Allah, indulging in usurious transactions.

Context

Pre-Islamic Arabia, known as the Jāhiliyyah, was governed by tribal vendetta codes intermingled with idolatrous and superstitious practices. An element of this was a generic prejudice against women. Some Arabs would even bury their new-born daughters out of shame. Islam emphatically and uncompromisingly eradicated this fanatical tribalism along with its misguided hate for female progeny. It protected the rights of orphans and their inheritance, and legislated: “Consume not their wealth with yours, for it is a grave sin”; and: “For men is a share of what parents and relatives left behind, and for women is a share of what parents and relatives left behind—be it little or much—an obligated share!” (4:7).

Vindictive murder was also prohibited: “It is not for a believer to kill another except in error… and whoever deliberately kills a believer then his recompense is Hellfire” (4:92–93); and upright testimony, even if against one’s own clan, was ordained: “You who believe, stand for justice as witnesses for the sake of Allah even if against yourselves, parents, or kindred” (4:135).

Being a Madinan sūrah, jihad and consequently nifāq—hypocrisy—are a topical discussion. The hypocrites were always lurking in the background, avoiding battle and lying in wait for the day a heavy loss is incurred.

The all-embracing message of monotheism is highlighted towards the end of the sūrah. Allah joins the Prophet ﷺ with a noble lineage of messengers to whom He sent revelations. ʿĪsā is one of these messengers, and he “shan’t ever scorn to be a slave of Allah” (4:172).

Themes

• Marriage as a cornerstone of a successful and prosperous social system.
• The rights of women, orphans, and inheritance law in general.
• Resolving disputes and the course of action necessary if either a man or woman wish to separate from their spouse.
• The mustaḍʿafīn—oppressed and downtrodden folk—are referenced multiple times in the sūrah.
• Fighting for the sake of Allah and migrating for His cause are discussed at length in the sūrah.
• Ṣalāt al-Khawf—a special prayer performed in jihad—and its modality is expatiated in a long āyah.
• The hypocrites and their treachery are often coupled with mentions of jihad due to the latter exposing the former. Other than Sūrah al-Tawbah, Sūrah al-Nisāʾ probably contains some of the harshest rebukes of the munāfiqīn.
• The People of the Scripture and their naqḍ al-mīthāq—nullifying their covenant with Allah—is discussed towards the end of sūrah. The Jews accused Maryam of lewdness, and the Christians claimed that ʿĪsā was crucified. Both allegations are denied.

Unique Features

• Sūrah al-Nisāʾ is the second longest sūrah in the Qur’an, spanning almost 1.5 juzʾ.
• The sūrah invokes date-related imagery, using terms like fatīl and naqīr more than once to refer to something very slight and insignificant. Sūrah Fāṭir employs the third of these qur’anic references with the word qiṭmīr. In terms of meaning:
  • Fatīl: the thread-like fibre extending across the date stone
  • Naqīr: the pointy top of the stone
  • Qiṭmīr: the thin translucent layer that covers it
• There’s a curiosity, perhaps a hidden secret, in terms of rhyme within Sūrah al-Nisāʾ. The sūrah has the alif sound -ā as its rhyming pattern, with all its āyāt concluding with this vowel except the 44th which ends with: al-sabīl. What’s fascinating is that this also takes place with two more sūrahs and with exactly the same word: the 4th āyah of Sūrah al-Aḥzāb and the 17th āyah of Sūrah al-Furqān also end with al-sabīl as an exception to the generic pattern of -ā.

Lessons

• Unity is imperative for us. We ought to remember this not solely at a pragmatic level of activism, but also at a metaphysical level—we are all created from a single soul, and from that comes immense plurality and beauty: “He created you from a single soul, then from it its mate, then spread therefrom countless men and women.” (4:1)
• Men are responsible caretakers, protectors, and providers of women. Allah says: “Men are in charge of women” (4:34). The Prophet ﷺ said: “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.”
• “They are not equal those who stay behind without a debilitating excuse and those who fight in the path of Allah with their wealth and their selves.” (4:95)

Virtues and Valuable Information

• Ibn Masʿūd is reported to have said: “There are five āyāt in Sūrah al-Nisāʾ which I would not trade for the world and all that’s in it.” They are:
  • (4:31) “If you avoid the major sins which you are forbidden, We will remit from you your misdeeds and make you enter a noble entrance.”
  • (4:40) “Indeed, Allah does not do an atom’s weight of injustice. And if it is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.”
  • (4:48) “Surely, Allah does not forgive that a partner be ascribed to Him, and He forgives anything short of that for whomsoever He wills.”
  • (4:64) “Had they, after having wronged themselves, come to you and sought forgiveness from Allah, and had the Messenger prayed for their forgiveness, they would certainly have found Allah relenting, merciful.”
  • (4:110) “Whoever acts evil or wrongs himself then seeks forgiveness from Allah shall find Allah forgiving, merciful.”