| Number: | 4 |
| An-Nisāʾ | |
| Name-Ar: | Arabic: ٱلنِّسَاء |
| Name-En: | The Women |
| Prev Sura: | Quran 3 |
| Next Sura: | Quran 5 |
| Classification: | Medinan |
| Juz: | 4–5 |
| Rukus: | 24 |
| Verses: | 176 |
| Words: | 3763 |
| Letters: | 16332 |
An-Nisa' (Arabic: ٱلنِّسَاء, ; The Women) is the fourth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 176 verses (āyāt). The title derives from the numerous references to women throughout the chapter, including verse 34 and verses .[1]
This Medinan surah aims at protecting the newly formed Muslim community by outlining acceptable behavior for Muslims. It illustrates the Quran's role as an authoritative legal source[3] and its ability to shape the community. The surah aims to eradicate the earlier practices of pagan, Arab communities that are no longer considered moral in the Muslim society. For example, the section of this surah about dealing fairly with orphan girls addresses the pre-Islamic Arabic practice of marrying orphan girls to take their property.[4]
Shirk (refer and) is held to be the worst form of disbelief, and it is identified in the Quran as the only sin that God will not pardon.[5]
Thematically, "an-Nisā" not only addresses concerns about women, but also discusses inheritance, marriage laws, how to deal with children and orphans, legal practices, jihād, relations between Muslim communities and People of the Book, war, and the role of Jesus as a prophet, rather than the son of God as Christians claimed. Furthermore, in discussing war, this surah encourages the Muslim community to fight for the vulnerable in war,[4] as demonstrated by 4:75: "Why should you not fight in God's cause and for those oppressed men, women, and children who cry out, ‘Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors! By Your grace, give us a protector and give us a helper!’?"[6] The surah addresses a multitude of issues faced by the early Muslim community and responds to the challenges the community faced. The wide variety of issues addressed in the surah and the length of the surah make it difficult to divide into literary structures. However, based on a study of themes present in each section of the Surah, Amīn Ahsan Islāhī divides the surah into three thematically-based sections: social reform, the Islamic community and its opponents, and a conclusion.[7] Mathias Zahniser presents an alternative means of looking at the structure of this surah. He claims that the central theme of this surah is the address to the Christians. He has come to this conclusion based on examination of the structure of the surah based on such devices as parallels, repetition, and ring composition.[8] However, Carl Ernst admits that more works needs to be done in this type of structural analysis to more fully understand the composition of such extensive suras.[8]
In Qur'an and Woman, Amina Wadud places interpretations of the Quran into three categories: traditional, reactive, and holistic.[9] The type of interpretation one applies to surah 4 greatly influences one's perspective on the role of women within Muslim society. Taking the third approach, a holistic approach allows for a feminist reading of the Quran,[10] which is particularly relevant to an-Nisā and can reshape the understanding of this surah.
Regarding the timing and contextual background of the believed revelation (Asbāb al-nuzūl), it is a Medinan surah[1] as confirmed by Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, who states that the sura must have been revealed after the hijrah based on the subject matter.[11]
Although an-Nisā typically appears as the fourth surah, according to the Nöldeke classification of surahs, based on Islamic traditions, "The Women" was approximately revealed as the hundredth surah.[12] Amir-Ali places it as the 94th surah, while Hz. Osman and Ibn`Abbas believe it is the 92nd.[13] Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq places it as the 91st surah revealed.[13] Based on the legislation concerning orphans, the surah was most likely revealed after many Muslims were killed at the Battle of Uhud, leaving numerous dependants in the new Muslim community.[14] The revelation, therefore, began around the year three, according to the Islamic calendar, but was not completed until the year eight. Consequently, parts of this surah, the second-longest in the Quran, were revealed concurrently with portions of "The Examined Woman," sura 60.[15] However, the surah shows some thematic coherence, despite its disjointed and ongoing revelation.[16]
Furthermore, as relates to the placement of this surah within the Quran as a whole, Neal Robinson notes what he refers to as the "dovetailing" of surahs.[17] Based on this idea of structure, one surah ends with a topic that is immediately picked up in the next surah.[17] The Family of 'Imran, surah 3, includes a discussion of male and female near the end of the surah .[17] This theme continues at the beginning of surah 4:[17] "People, be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide; be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another."[18] This dovetailing may indicate a complex editorial process involved in ordering the surahs.[19]
See main article: Marriage in Islam and Polygyny in Islam.
A detailed explanation of this verse is given in the 'interpretation' (Tafsir) of Ibn Kathir, a scholar of the Mamluk era:
Al-Jalalayn, says:
In verses, the first, preliminary directives for the punishment for unlawful sexual intercourse are stated. The first verse deals with women. The punishment laid down was to confine them until further directives were revealed. The second verse (i.e. 16) relates to both sexes. The injunction lays down that they should be punished – that is, they should be kept refined to houses..[20]
See main article: Mahram. Verses 4:22-23 cover which classes of women within one's family with whom marriage or sexual intercourse would be considered haram.
These relationships and limitations are defined and elaborated on within Tafsir al-Jalalayn.[21] [22]
See main article: article and An-Nisa, 34. There are a number of interpretations of the original Arabic 4:34.[23] The Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World terms Verse 4:34 the Quran's least egalitarian verse.[24]
Some Muslims, such as Islamic feminist groups, argue that Muslim men use the text as an excuse for domestic violence.[25]
See main article: Shirk (Islam).
Tafsir, Ibn Kathir says, Allah said that He, "forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship)", meaning, He does not forgive a servant if he meets Him while he is associating partners with Him". The Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur'an says, "Polytheism is the worst form of sins and it is a barrier against the Divine forgiveness."[26]
See main article: Obedience Verse.
Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Ibn Majah and Nasa'i narrated a hadith transmitted by Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, that believed by some scholars as the Asbab al-Nuzul (cause of revelation) of the Sura of An Nisa verse 65.[27] However, there are contemporary Fatwa that the revelation of this verse were attributed to az-Zubayr were weak, as the stronger Hadith which attributed to the revelation of this verse were instead attributed to the tradition of Umar, the second Rashidun Caliph[28]
Muhammad ibn Sulayman recorded that al-Sadiq relayed to his elderly father, Abu Muhammad ibn Sulayman, concerning the following verse: "And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions." (4:69) stating, "The Messenger of Allah in this verse is from of the prophets, and we (Ahl al-Bayt) in this subject are the truthful and the martyrs and you all, (our followers), are the righteous, so adopt this name."
See also: Sword Verse. According to Ibn Kathir: "Therefore, the believers fight in obedience to Allah and to gain His pleasure, while the disbelievers fight in obedience to Shaytan. Allah then encourages the believers to fight His enemies". Islam allows war in self-defense (Quran), to defend Islam (rather than to spread it), to protect those who have been removed from their homes by force because they are Muslims (Q), and to protect the innocent who are being oppressed (Q).
The verse discusses a group of people who nominally became Muslims and secretly supported the enemies of Muslims. For those hypocrites to prove their loyalty, they were commanded to emigrate and join the ranks of the believers, or they would be considered enemies.[29] Muhammad advises his companions to avoid taking these individuals as helpers or guardians.[30]
See also: Shirk (Islam).
Tafsir Ibn Kathir says: "Shirk shall not be forgiven, in reality the idolators worship shaytan".
These verses cover issues associated with female orphans; desertion by the husband and the desirability of marital peace.[31]
In Kitab al-Kafi, Ja'far al-Sadiq writes a letter to his companions stressing the importance of obeying Allah, his Messenger, and the "Wali al Amr" (Progeny of Muhammad)- going so far as to say that those who disobey and deny their virtues are "liars and hypocrites". He asserts that these are the individuals described as "hypocrites" in the verse, "Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire – and never will you find for them a helper."
See main article: Islamic views on Jesus' death.
An explanation of the Islamic view of Jesus as a prophet, rather than as the son of God as Christians claim, is given in Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
See main article: Islamic view of the Trinity.