Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...
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Chapter 4: Surah <strong>al</strong>-Nisa’<br />
(Unto the men (of a family) belongeth a share of that which parents and near kindred<br />
leave…) [4:7].<br />
<strong>The</strong> commentators of the Qur’an said: “Aws ibn Thabit <strong>al</strong>-Ansari died and was survived by a wife whose<br />
name was Umm Kujjah and three daughters he had from her. Two men, who were the cousins and executors<br />
of Thabit, whose names were Suwayd and ‘Arfajah, took <strong>al</strong>l his we<strong>al</strong>th and failed to give anything to<br />
his wife or daughters. This is because in the pre-<strong>Islamic</strong> period women and children, even if they were<br />
m<strong>al</strong>e, did not inherit anything, for only older man did. <strong>The</strong>y used to say: ‘Only those who fight riding<br />
horses and capture booty are entitled to inherit’. Umm Kujjah went to the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless<br />
him and give him peace, and said: ‘O Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah! I am the widow of Aws ibn M<strong>al</strong>ik and he has<br />
left me with daughters on whom I do not have anything to spend. <strong>The</strong>ir father had left behind a considerable<br />
fortune which is now with Suwayd and ‘Arfajah who have failed to give me, or my daughters,<br />
anything when they are still under my care. <strong>The</strong>y do not feed me or even care about them’. <strong>The</strong> Messenger<br />
of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, summoned them, and in their defence they said: ‘O Messenger<br />
of <strong>Al</strong>lah! Her children cannot ride a horse, withstand any responsibility or harm an enemy!’ <strong>The</strong><br />
Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘Leave for now, I sh<strong>al</strong>l wait for what <strong>Al</strong>lah<br />
relates to me concerning their matter’, and they left. <strong>The</strong>n <strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse”.<br />
(Lo! Those who devour the we<strong>al</strong>th of orphans wrongfully…) [4:10].<br />
Said Muqatil ibn Hayyan: “This verse was reve<strong>al</strong>ed about a man from Ghatafan c<strong>al</strong>led Marthad ibn Zayd.<br />
This man had devoured the fortune of his young, orphaned nephew who was under his charge, and so<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah, ex<strong>al</strong>ted is He, reve<strong>al</strong>ed this verse about him”. 4<br />
(<strong>Al</strong>lah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children…) [4:11].<br />
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far informed us> <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn Ahmad <strong>al</strong>-Makhladi> <strong>al</strong>-<br />
Mu’ammil ibn <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn ‘Isa> <strong>al</strong>-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn <strong>al</strong>-Sabbah> Hajjaj> Ibn Jurayj> Ibn <strong>al</strong>-<br />
Munkadir> Jabir who said: “<strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, and Abu Bakr<br />
came on foot to visit me at Banu S<strong>al</strong>amah when I was sick. He found me unconscious. He asked for some<br />
water, performed minor ritu<strong>al</strong> ablution and then sprinkled some of the water on me and I woke up. I<br />
said: ‘O Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah! What sh<strong>al</strong>l I do with my we<strong>al</strong>th’ And so the verse (<strong>Al</strong>lah chargeth you concerning<br />
(the provision for) your children: to the m<strong>al</strong>e the equiv<strong>al</strong>ent of the portion of two fem<strong>al</strong>es…)”. This<br />
was narrated by Bukhari> Ibrahim ibn Musa> Hisham, and <strong>al</strong>so by Muslim> Muhammad ibn Hatim><br />
Hajjaj; and both Hisham and Hajjaj related this tradition from Ibn Jurayj. 5<br />
Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Muhammad <strong>al</strong>-Mansuri informed us> ‘<strong>Al</strong>i ibn ‘Umar ibn Mahdi> Yahya<br />
ibn Sa‘id>> Ahmad ibn <strong>al</strong>-Miqdam> Bishr ibn <strong>al</strong>-Mufadd<strong>al</strong>> ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Aqil> Jabir<br />
ibn ‘Abd <strong>Al</strong>lah who said: “A woman came to the Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace,<br />
with her two daughters and said: ‘O Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah! <strong>The</strong>se are the daughters of Thabit ibn Qays, or<br />
perhaps she said Sa‘d ibn <strong>al</strong>-Rabi‘, who was killed fighting on your side at the Battle of Uhud. <strong>The</strong>ir uncle<br />
has taken possession of their fortune and inheritance and did not leave anything belonging to them except<br />
that he took it to himself, so what do you think, O Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah For by <strong>Al</strong>lah, they will never<br />
get married unless they have some money’. <strong>The</strong> Messenger of <strong>Al</strong>lah said to her: ‘<strong>Al</strong>lah will judge for you<br />
concerning this’. And so Surah <strong>al</strong>-Nisa’ was reve<strong>al</strong>ed which contains (<strong>Al</strong>lah chargeth you concerning (the<br />
provision for) your children: to the m<strong>al</strong>e the equiv<strong>al</strong>ent of the portion of two fem<strong>al</strong>es…). <strong>The</strong> Messenger of<br />
<strong>Al</strong>lah, <strong>Al</strong>lah bless him and give him peace, then said to me: ‘Summon for me the woman and her adversary’.<br />
He said to the uncle of the girls: ‘Give the girls two third of the fortune, their mother one eighth<br />
and keep the remainder’ ”. 6<br />
4<br />
Qurtubi, :53.<br />
5<br />
Tabari, :276; Qurtubi, :57; Durr, :444.<br />
6<br />
Durr, :445.<br />
69
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