The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 570
CH. 17 BANI ISRĀ'ĪL PT. 15 VIZUJIJKKKÝ, وَلَا تَقْرَبُوْا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ And come not near the. 35 property of the orphan, except أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاَوْفُوا in the best way, until he attains بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا his maturity, and fulfil the covenant; for the covenant shall be questioned about. 1964 4:7, 11; 6:153. 5:2; 16:92. upon this rule. The murderer is to suffer the extreme penalty of the law only when the dictates of equity, retaliation, public peace and morality absolutely demand it. His life should be spared if this act of grace is calculated to lead to his moral reformation. In the words, for therein he is helped by law, the aggrieved person is reminded of his responsibilities. He is told that he, too, is responsible for the maintenance of peace. As God has safeguarded his rights, he should have regard for the rights of others- he should not always insist upon his "pound of flesh". 1964. Commentary: Besides the every-day incidence of death, sudden and accidental happenings, among which may be included epidemics, murders, etc. leave children orphans. Hence, after having laid down the law about the punishment of murder, which leaves orphans in two families in the family of the murderer and that of the murdered Quran proceeds to give directions about the rights of orphans. One of the most important of these is with regard to their property. person-the that the property of orphans is to be handled in such a way that it may increase and produce the best results for them. In this as in many other respects the teaching of Islam is clearly superior to that of other religions. In no other religious system have such detailed instructions been given to safeguard the property of orphans as are given by Islam. The present verse institutes, as it were, a general Court of Wards, a department designed for the protection of the property of orphaned minors. It is generally considered to be a western institution, but it was conceived and brought into being by Islam no less than 1350 years ago. The words, until he attains his maturity, signify that the guardianship of orphans' property is not to be given up before they are physically and mentally mature enough to take proper care of it; nor is it to be retained a minute longer after that. The word (covenant) also means an obligation and it has been used here in this sense to emphasize the fact that taking proper care of orphans' property constitutes no favour to them but is a responsibility and a duty to be discharged fully and The present verse clearly lays down honestly. Orphans are powerless to 1778