Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْعَامِرِيُّ الأُوَيْسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى {وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ} إِلَى {وَرُبَاعَ}. فَقَالَتْ يَا ابْنَ أُخْتِي هِيَ الْيَتِيمَةُ تَكُونُ فِي حَجْرِ وَلِيِّهَا تُشَارِكُهُ فِي مَالِهِ، فَيُعْجِبُهُ مَالُهَا وَجَمَالُهَا، فَيُرِيدُ وَلِيُّهَا أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا بِغَيْرِ أَنْ يُقْسِطَ فِي صَدَاقِهَا، فَيُعْطِيهَا مِثْلَ مَا يُعْطِيهَا غَيْرُهُ، فَنُهُوا أَنْ يَنْكِحُوهُنَّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُقْسِطُوا لَهُنَّ وَيَبْلُغُوا بِهِنَّ أَعْلَى سُنَّتِهِنَّ مِنَ الصَّدَاقِ، وَأُمِرُوا أَنْ يَنْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَهُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ سِوَاهُنَّ. قَالَ عُرْوَةُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ثُمَّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ اسْتَفْتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِي النِّسَاءِ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ} وَالَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ الآيَةُ الأُولَى الَّتِي قَالَ فِيهَا {وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ لاَ تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ} قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَقَوْلُ اللَّهِ فِي الآيَةِ الأُخْرَى {وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ} يَعْنِي هِيَ رَغْبَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ لِيَتِيمَتِهِ الَّتِي تَكُونُ فِي حَجْرِهِ، حِينَ تَكُونُ قَلِيلَةَ الْمَالِ وَالْجَمَالِ، فَنُهُوا أَنْ يَنْكِحُوا مَا رَغِبُوا فِي مَالِهَا وَجَمَالِهَا مِنْ يَتَامَى النِّسَاءِ إِلاَّ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنْ، أَجْلِ رَغْبَتِهِمْ عَنْهُنَّ.
That he had asked `Aisha about the meaning of the Statement of Allah: "If you fear that you shall not Be able to deal justly With the orphan girls, then Marry (Other) women of your choice Two or three or four." (4.3) She said, "O my nephew! This is about the orphan girl who lives with her guardian and shares his property. Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (bridal-money) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr; otherwise they were ordered to marry any other woman." `Aisha further said, "After that verse the people again asked the Prophet (about the marriage with orphan 'girls), so Allah revealed the following verses:-- 'They ask your instruction Concerning the women. Say: Allah Instructs you about them And about what is Recited unto you In the Book, concerning The orphan girls to whom You give not the prescribed portions and yet whom you Desire to marry..." (4.127) What is meant by Allah's Saying:-- 'And about what is Recited unto you is the former verse which goes:-- 'If you fear that you shall not Be able to deal justly With the orphan girls, then Marry (other) women of your choice.' (4.3) `Aisha said, "Allah's saying in the other verse:--'Yet whom you desire to marry' (4.127) means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his supervision when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy).