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An-Nisa (The Women)

Verse 19of 176

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ كَرْهًۭا ۖ وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا۟ بِبَعْضِ مَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّآ أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ ۚ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًۭٔا وَيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًۭا كَثِيرًۭا﴿١٩

Translation (Sahih International)

O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.

Word-by-word meaning

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاyāayyuhāO you
ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnawho
ءَامَنُوا۟āmanūbelieve[d]
لَاNot
يَحِلُّyaḥillu(is) lawful
لَكُمْlakumfor you
أَنanthat
تَرِثُوا۟tarithūyou inherit
ٱلنِّسَآءَl-nisāathe women
كَرْهًۭا ۖkarhan(by) force
وَلَاwalāAnd not
تَعْضُلُوهُنَّtaʿḍulūhunnayou constraint them
لِتَذْهَبُوا۟litadhhabūso that you may take
بِبَعْضِbibaʿḍia part
مَآ(of) what
ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّātaytumūhunnayou have given them
إِلَّآillāexcept
أَنanthat
يَأْتِينَyatīnathey commit
بِفَـٰحِشَةٍۢbifāḥishatinimmorality
مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ ۚmubayyinatinopen
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّwaʿāshirūhunnaAnd live with them
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚbil-maʿrūfiin kindness
فَإِنfa-inBut if
كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّkarih'tumūhunnayou dislike them
فَعَسَىٰٓfaʿasāthen perhaps
أَنanthat
تَكْرَهُوا۟takrahūyou dislike
شَيْـًۭٔاshayana thing
وَيَجْعَلَwayajʿalaand has placed
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
فِيهِfīhiin it
خَيْرًۭاkhayrangood
كَثِيرًۭاkathīranmuch

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Meaning of `Inheriting Women Against Their WillAl-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah,يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُواْ النِّسَآءَ كَرْهاً(O you who believe! You are not permitted to inherit women against their will,) "Before, the practice was that when a man dies, his male relatives used to have the right to do whatever they wanted with his wife.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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