“And do not exchange the bad for the good”—that is, do not take their property, which is unlawful for you, in exchange for the lawful property that is yours. They differed concerning this exchange. Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, al-Nakha‘i, al-Zuhri, and al-Suddi said: The guardians of orphans would take the good items from an orphan’s property and replace them with inferior ones. Thus, one of them might take a fat sheep from the orphan’s property and put a lean one in its place, or take a sound dirham and replace it with a counterfeit one, saying, “A dirham for a dirham.” They were therefore forbidden from doing so.

It was also said: The people of the pre-Islamic era would not allow women and children to inherit; rather, the eldest would take the inheritance. His own share of the inheritance was lawful, whereas what he took from theirs was unlawful. Mujahid said: Do not hasten to obtain unlawful provision before lawful provision comes to you.

“And do not consume their property along with your own”—that is, together with your own property, as in His saying: “Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?”—that is, with Allah. “Indeed, it is a grave sin”—that is, an immense sin.

“And if you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls, then marry such women as please you: two, three, or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one, or those whom your right hands possess. That is more likely to prevent you from committing injustice.” (3)

His saying, Exalted is He: “And if you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls, then marry such women as please you: two, three, or four,” to the end of the verse. They differed over its interpretation. Some said: Its meaning is: If you, guardians of orphan girls, fear that you will not deal fairly with them should you marry them, then marry other, unrelated women, two, three, or four.

‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il informed us; Abu al-Yaman informed us; Shu‘ayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr used to relate that he had asked ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, about the verse, “And if you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls, then marry such women as please you.” She said: This refers to an orphan girl in the care of her guardian. He may be attracted by her beauty and wealth and wish to marry her for less than the customary dowry of women like her. They were therefore forbidden from marrying them unless they dealt justly with them by giving them their bridal due in full, and they were instructed to marry other women instead.

‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: Then the people sought a legal ruling from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and Allah the Exalted revealed: “They ask you for a ruling concerning women. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning them,” up to His saying, “and whom you desire to marry.” (1) In this verse, Allah the Exalted made clear that when an orphan girl possessed beauty or wealth, they wished to marry her but did not give her the customary dowry in full. But when they had no desire for her because of her lack of wealth or beauty, they would leave her and seek other women. He said: Thus, just as they would leave her when they had no desire for her, they were not entitled to marry her when they did desire her unless they gave her the fullest dowry and granted her her due.