Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:2

The Orphans (al-yatāmā) They are those whose fathers have died, leaving them isolated. Yutm (orphanhood) means isolation; from this comes the "solitary sand dune" (al-ramla al-yatīma) and the "solitary pearl" (al-durra al-yatīma). It is said that yutm in humans is defined by the loss of the father, while in animals, it is defined by the loss of the mother.

Linguistic Note on the Plural If you ask: "How is yatīm (which is on the pattern of faʿīl, like marīḍ) pluralized as yatāmā?" I say: There are two views.

1. It is pluralized as yatamā like asrā (captives), because yutm belongs to the category of afflictions and pains; thus, faʿlā is pluralized as faʿālā like asārā.
2. It is pluralized as faʿāʾil because yutm is treated like a noun (like ṣāḥib or fāris), resulting in yatāʾim, then yatāmā through metathesis (qalb).

The Scope of the Term Properly, this name applies to both the young and the old, as the meaning of "isolation from fathers" remains. However, it has become customary to use it only for those who have not yet reached manhood. Once they become self-sufficient, independent of a guardian, and capable of supporting others, the name is removed from them. The Quraysh used to call the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) "the orphan of Abū Ṭālib," either according to the linguistic rule or as a description of his state as a youth growing up under his uncle’s care. As for his (ﷺ) saying: "There is no orphanhood after puberty," this is a legal instruction, not a linguistic one; it means that once one reaches puberty, the legal rulings pertaining to minors no longer apply.

Interpretation of the Verse If you ask: "What is the meaning of 'And give the orphans their wealth'?" I say: It either means the young, and the command to give them their wealth is an instruction to guardians and judges not to covet it, but to keep their grasping hands away until the orphans reach maturity and receive it intact. Or, it refers to the adults, calling them orphans either by linguistic rule or because they have only recently emerged from childhood, just as a camel is called ʿashrāʾ (pregnant) even after she has given birth.

There is also an indication here not to delay the delivery of their wealth beyond the age of puberty, nor to procrastinate if they show signs of maturity, and to give it to them before the name "orphan" or "minor" is even removed from them.

Historical Context It is said this was revealed regarding a man from Ghaṭafān who held much wealth for his orphaned nephew. When the boy reached maturity, he asked for his wealth, but the uncle refused. They took the dispute to the Prophet (ﷺ), and this verse was revealed. Upon hearing it, the uncle said, "We obey Allah and His Messenger; we seek refuge in Allah from a great sin (ḥūb)." He handed over the wealth. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul and obeys his Lord in this manner, he shall inhabit His abode (Paradise)." When the boy later spent the wealth in the way of Allah, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The reward is established, but the sin remains." When asked how the sin remained if he spent it in the way of Allah, he replied: "The reward is established for the boy, but the sin remains upon his father."

And do not exchange the corrupt for the good Do not exchange the forbidden—which is the wealth of the orphans—for the lawful—which is your own wealth and the earnings permitted to you, and the provision of Allah spread upon the earth—by consuming it in its place.

Alternatively: Do not exchange the corrupt act—the misappropriation of orphans' wealth—for the good act—preserving it and exercising piety regarding it. The use of the form tafaʿʿul to mean istifʿāl (seeking/doing) is not rare; examples include taʿajjul (hastening) for istiʿjāl, and taʾakhur (delaying) for istiʾkhār.

And do not consume their wealth into your wealth Do not spend it alongside your own. Its true meaning is: do not mix them together in expenditure, so that you do not distinguish between your wealth and theirs, due to a lack of concern for what is forbidden to you, and treating it as equal to what is lawful.

If you ask: "Since consuming the orphan's wealth alone is already forbidden, why is the prohibition specifically against consuming it with their wealth?" I say: Because when they are already self-sufficient with the lawful wealth Allah has provided them, yet they still covet the orphans' wealth, the ugliness is more profound and the blame more deserved. Furthermore, because they were actually doing this, the prohibition was directed at their specific behavior to serve as a stronger deterrent.

Al-ḥūb is a great sin; from this is the Prophet’s (ﷺ) saying: "Indeed, the divorce of Umm Ayyūb is a ḥūb (great sin)." It is as if it were said: "It was a great sin." Al-Ḥasan read it as ḥūban (with a fatḥa on the ḥāʾ), which is the verbal noun of ḥāba. It is also read as ḥāban. Similar pairs include qawl/qāl and ṭard/ṭirād.