The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 179
PT. 4 AN-NISA' CH. 4 your property which Allah has وَلَا تُؤْتُوا السُّفَهَاء أَمْوَالَكُمُ الَّتِي جَعَلَ And give not to the foolish. 6 اللهُ لَكُمْ قِيمًا وَارْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا means of وَاكْسُوهُمْ وَقُوْلُوْا لَهُمْ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا them made for you support; but a feed therewith and clothe them and speak to them words of kind advice. 488 Commentary: The verse may be taken to be addressed to both the husband and the relations of the wife. In the latter case, it would mean that the relations of a woman should not spend her dowry received from the husband to meet their own needs, but should faithfully hand it over to her. Some persons receive the dowry of their female wards from their husbands and then, instead of giving it to them, keep it for themselves. Primarily, however, the verse is addressed to the husband whom it requires to pay the agreed dowry to his wife willingly, cheerfully and without demur. Some people fix dowries for their wives and then hesitate or even refuse to pay them, expecting them and even urging them to forego the right. The verse condemns this evil practice. The word as (paying the dowry willingly and cheerfully) also points to the amount of the dowry being reasonable it should be well within the means of the husband so that its payment may not be a painful burden to him. He should be in a position to pay it willingly and cheerfully. pleasure, remit to you a part thereof, applies to those wives who voluntarily and willingly give up or pay back anything out of the agreed dowry. It does not apply to a case in which the wife is asked or made to relinquish the whole or part of the dowry before it has been actually paid to her. According to 'Umar, a woman might claim back her dowry even after she has given it up, if she has done so under any vestige of pressure. The words, then enjoy it as something pleasant and wholesome, imply a compliment to such husbands as evoke a willing and voluntary response from their wives owing to them. In such cases the wives are so their kind and loving treatment of pleased with their husbands that they offer to them a part of their dowry out of their own free will, as a token of the true love that exists between them. 488. Important Words: Les (means of support) is derived from i. e. he stood up. means, he undertook or managed the affair. means, he took care of him or he ,means قام باليتيم. it The clause, if they, of their own supported or maintained the orphan 619