The Holy Quran, akin to a radiant lamp, serves as humanitys guide on the path of justice and salvation. This celestial book, with profound and sagacious expression, addresses social and human issues and provides solutions to eradicate oppression and inequality. Verse 127 of Surah An-Nis, which is the focal point of this discourse, shines like a brilliant gem among divine verses, addressing the condition of women and orphans and offering a divine decree for the reform of these vulnerable groups. These reflections, through an in-depth examination of the meanings of this verse and its connection with other Quranic verses, endeavour to elucidate divine directives aimed at supporting the underprivileged and realising social justice. The present text, utilising eloquent language and an organised structure, explores these verses and related analyses to cast light upon the path of understanding and practising the divine word.
وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِي النِّسَاءِ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ وَمَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ فِي يَتَامَى النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لَا تُؤْتُونَهُنَّ مَا كُتِبَ لَهُنَّ وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَانِ وَأَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلْيَتَامَىٰ بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِ عَلِيمًا
And they ask you concerning women. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning them, and (also) what is recited to you in the Book concerning the orphans who do not receive what is appointed for them, and (concerning) those with whom you desire to marry, and the weak among children, and that you maintain justice towards orphans. And whatever good you do, indeed Allah is ever Knowing of it.
This noble verse, like a heavenly proclamation, responds to the inquiry regarding rulings about women, presenting a direct divine decree. This decree addresses not only women but also orphans and vulnerable children, emphasising the imperative of justice in dealings with these groups. The phrase Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning them indicates the unmediated divine intervention in guiding society towards justice, as though the Almighty Himself wields the pen of equity to rectify social injustices.
This verse was revealed amid the questions of the faithful concerning women, underscoring the rectification of conduct towards orphaned women and helpless children. The term orphans of women refers to women who are themselves orphaned or those who have orphaned children. Due to lack of social support, these women were vulnerable to oppression and exploitation. The Holy Quran, by referring to this group, calls on believers to fulfil the rights prescribed for these women and to deal justly with them and their offspring.
The phrase And whatever good you do, indeed Allah is ever Knowing of it resonates as a divine melody, encouraging believers to engage in righteous deeds. While God is cognisant of evil as well, this verse, addressed specifically to the believers, highlights only good to incline hearts towards virtue. This expression, like a gentle breeze stirring flowers into dance, directs believers towards just and benevolent conduct.
Divine awareness of all actions is like a mirror reflecting every human deed. This knowledge heightens human responsibility for their behaviour, as though Gods words warn that no act escapes His sight. This concept aligns with verse 148 of Surah An-Nis:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
Indeed, nothing is hidden from Allah in the earth or in the heaven.
Section One, focusing on verse 127 of Surah An-Nis, demonstrates that the Holy Quran, through a divine decree, addresses the reform of conditions for orphaned women and vulnerable children. This ruling not only emphasises the observance of their rights but also, by highlighting goodness and divine awareness, calls upon believers to justice and benevolence. These verses, like guiding stars in the sky of guidance, illuminate the path to establishing a just society.
Prior to the revelation of the Holy Quran, women in the Jahiliyyah society were like birds without wings and feathers trapped in the cage of oppression. They were not only deprived of human rights but were treated like commodities subject to exploitation. The death of husbands in wars left women without guardians and their children orphaned. These women were either taken captive by enemies or coveted within their own society due to their beauty or wealth. The Holy Quran, with verses such as 127 of Surah An-Nis, condemned these injustices and opened a path for reform.
The lecture text likens the condition of women to that of sex workers who, deprived of social support, suffered the worst exploitation. This depiction, like a dark painting of Jahiliyyah society, reveals the depth of womens deprivation. Verse 19 of Surah An-Nis prohibits such injustice:
وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ
And do not hold them back, seeking to take back some of what you gave them.
The lecture highlights the exploitation of orphaned women due to their beauty or wealth and regards this behaviour as incompatible with the Quranic spirit of justice. In Jahiliyyah society, men, driven by greed for the property or beauty of orphaned women, married them without fulfilling their rights and abandoned their children. Such conduct, like a destructive storm, shattered the foundations of orphan families. The Holy Quran, by emphasising justice in verse 127 of Surah An-Nis, condemns this injustice and urges believers to treat orphaned women and their children with fairness and equity.
The text mentions a case of religious scholars who assumed responsibility for the children of a widowed woman and financed their needs. This act, like a flower in the garden of justice, manifests practical adherence to the Quranic decree. This example is consonant with verse 3 of Surah An-Nis:
فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً
And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry only one.
Section Two, by exploring the status of women in the Jahiliyyah society, demonstrated that the Holy Quran, through revelations such as verse 127 of Surah An-Nis, addressed the rectification of social injustices. These verses, like a merciful rain upon the parched land of Jahiliyyah, brought justice and protection for women and orphans. The critique of exploitation of orphaned women underscores the necessity of commitment to Quranic justice, while practical examples pave the way for implementing this divine decree.
The lecture, referring to a contemporary example of a widowed woman who raised her children under hardship, shows that the problems of orphaned and widowed women persist in modern societies. These women, like travellers in a barren desert, grapple with social and economic obstacles. The need for guardian permission for their childrens marriages or lack of social support places them under severe constraint. This situation corresponds with verse 127 of Surah An-Nis which stresses support for orphaned women and their children.
The text draws attention to the continued oppression of widowed women who, due to their responsibility for children, are less considered for remarriage unless they possess beauty or wealth. This behaviour, like a dark shadow over society, reveals a lack of social justice. The Holy Quran, with its divine ruling, condemns this injustice and indicates the path for reform.
The lecture refers to women who lack beauty, wealth, or support and consequently face the risk of becoming sex workers or leading miserable lives. This condition, like a terrifying whirlpool, drags women towards destruction. The text notes the existence of prostitution in both Jahiliyyah and even contemporary societies as a consequence of the absence of social support. This issue aligns with verse 32 of Surah An-Nis:
وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ
And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others.
This verse, by forbidding greed and injustice, emphasises the necessity of supporting deprived groups. The lecture points to the condition of sex workers in modern societies who, even where legalised, suffer from lack of social support. This phenomenon demonstrates the persistence of social challenges which the Holy Quran, through its divine decree, sought to eliminate.
Section Three, by examining the challenges of widowed and orphaned women in contemporary societies, demonstrated that social injustices persist. The Holy Quran, by emphasising justice and benevolence, provides solutions for supporting these groups. These verses, like a steadfast bridge, lead humanity from the darkness of oppression to the light of justice.
The lecture addresses the exploitation of religion to justify oppression against women and condemns behaviours such as the actions of extremist groups or historical abuses. These acts, like a dark cloud, have tarnished the visage of religion and deviated from Quranic principles
