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Ayah
Word by Word
وَٱبۡتَلُواْ
And test
ٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ
the orphans
حَتَّىٰٓ
until
إِذَا
[when]
بَلَغُواْ
they reach[ed]
ٱلنِّكَاحَ
(the age of) marriage
فَإِنۡ
then if
ءَانَسۡتُم
you perceive
مِّنۡهُمۡ
in them
رُشۡدٗا
sound judgement
فَٱدۡفَعُوٓاْ
then deliver
إِلَيۡهِمۡ
to them
أَمۡوَٰلَهُمۡۖ
their wealth
وَلَا
And (do) not
تَأۡكُلُوهَآ
eat it
إِسۡرَافٗا
extravagantly
وَبِدَارًا
and hastily
أَن
(fearing) that
يَكۡبَرُواْۚ
they will grow up
وَمَن
And whoever
كَانَ
is
غَنِيّٗا
rich
فَلۡيَسۡتَعۡفِفۡۖ
then he should refrain
وَمَن
and whoever
كَانَ
is
فَقِيرٗا
poor
فَلۡيَأۡكُلۡ
then let him eat (of it)
بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ
in a fair manner
فَإِذَا
Then when
دَفَعۡتُمۡ
you deliver
إِلَيۡهِمۡ
to them
أَمۡوَٰلَهُمۡ
their wealth
فَأَشۡهِدُواْ
then take witnesses
عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ
on them
وَكَفَىٰ
And is sufficient
بِٱللَّهِ
Allah
حَسِيبٗا
(as) a Reckoner
وَٱبۡتَلُواْ
And test
ٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ
the orphans
حَتَّىٰٓ
until
إِذَا
[when]
بَلَغُواْ
they reach[ed]
ٱلنِّكَاحَ
(the age of) marriage
فَإِنۡ
then if
ءَانَسۡتُم
you perceive
مِّنۡهُمۡ
in them
رُشۡدٗا
sound judgement
فَٱدۡفَعُوٓاْ
then deliver
إِلَيۡهِمۡ
to them
أَمۡوَٰلَهُمۡۖ
their wealth
وَلَا
And (do) not
تَأۡكُلُوهَآ
eat it
إِسۡرَافٗا
extravagantly
وَبِدَارًا
and hastily
أَن
(fearing) that
يَكۡبَرُواْۚ
they will grow up
وَمَن
And whoever
كَانَ
is
غَنِيّٗا
rich
فَلۡيَسۡتَعۡفِفۡۖ
then he should refrain
وَمَن
and whoever
كَانَ
is
فَقِيرٗا
poor
فَلۡيَأۡكُلۡ
then let him eat (of it)
بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ
in a fair manner
فَإِذَا
Then when
دَفَعۡتُمۡ
you deliver
إِلَيۡهِمۡ
to them
أَمۡوَٰلَهُمۡ
their wealth
فَأَشۡهِدُواْ
then take witnesses
عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ
on them
وَكَفَىٰ
And is sufficient
بِٱللَّهِ
Allah
حَسِيبٗا
(as) a Reckoner
Translation
And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgement, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, [anticipating] that they will grow up. And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allāh as Accountant.
Tafsir
Try, test, well the orphans, before reaching maturity with regard [the duties of] religion and [before] they can [legally] manage their own affairs, until they reach the age of marrying, that is, until they have become eligible for it through puberty or [legal] age, which, according to al-Shaafi'ee, is the completion of fifteen years; then, if you perceive in them maturity, that is, right [judgement] in matters of religion and their property, deliver their property to them; consume it not, O guardians, wastefully, without due merit, and in haste, that is, hastening to expend it, fearing, lest they should grow up, and become mature, at which time you will be obliged to hand it over to them. If any man, who is a guardian, is rich, let him be abstinent, that is, let him abstain from the orphan's property and refrain from consuming it; if he is poor, let him consume, of it, honourably, that is, in line with the wage for his work. And when you deliver to them, the orphans, their property, take witnesses over them, that they have received it and that you are absolved [of the obligation], so that if any dispute occurs, you are able to refer to a clear proof: this is a command [intended] for guidance. God suffices as a reckoner, as a guardian of His creatures' deeds and as a reckoner of these [deeds] (the baa' [in bi'Llaahi] is extra).
"
Holding the Property of the Unwise in Escrow
Allah
وَلَا تُوْتُواْ السُّفَهَاء أَمْوَالَكُمُ الَّتِي جَعَلَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ قِيَاماً
And give not unto the unwise your wealth which Allah has made a means of support for you,
Allah prohibited giving the unwise the freedom to do as they wish with wealth, which Allah has made as a means of support for people.
This ruling sometimes applies because of being young, as young people are incapable of making wise decisions.
It also applies in cases of insanity, erratic behavior and having a weak intellect or religious practice.
It applies in cases of bankruptcy, when the debtors ask that the property of a bankrupt person is put in escrow, when his debts cannot be paid off with his money.
Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said that Allah's statement,
وَلَا تُوْتُواْ السُّفَهَاء أَمْوَالَكُمُ
(And give not unto the unwise your property)
refers to children and women.
Similar was also said by Ibn Mas`ud, Al-Hakam bin Uyaynah, Al-Hasan and Ad-Dahhak:
""Women and boys.""
Sa`id bin Jubayr said that
`the unwise' refers to the orphans.
Mujahid, Ikrimah and Qatadah said;
""They are women.""
Spending on the Unwise with Fairness
Allah said,
وَارْزُقُوهُمْ فِيهَا وَاكْسُوهُمْ وَقُولُواْ لَهُمْ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفًا
but feed and clothe them therewith, and speak to them words of kindness and justice.
Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas commented,
""Do not give your wealth, what Allah has made you responsible for and made a means of sustenance to you, to your wife or children. Rather, hold on to your money, take care of it, and be the one who spends on them for clothes, food and provision.""
Mujahid said that the Ayah,
وَقُولُواْ لَهُمْ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفًا
(and speak to them words of kindness and justice),
refers to kindness and keeping good relations.
This honorable Ayah commands kind treatment, in deed, with family and those under one's care. One should spend on them for clothes and provisions, and be good to them, such as saying good words to them.
Giving Back the Property of the Orphans When They Reach Adulthood
Allah said
وَابْتَلُواْ الْيَتَامَى
And test orphans,
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, As-Suddi and Muqatil bin Hayyan stated,
meaning, test their intelligence.
حَتَّىَ إِذَا بَلَغُواْ النِّكَاحَ
until they reach the age of marriage,
According to Mujahid,
the age of puberty.
The age of puberty according to the majority of scholars comes when the child has a wet dream.
In his Sunan, Abu Dawud recorded that Ali said,
""I memorized these words from the Messenger of Allah ,
لَاا يُتْمَ بَعْدَ احْتِلَامٍ وَلَاا صُمَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِلَى اللَّيْل
There is no orphan after the age of puberty nor vowing to be silent throughout the day to the night.
In another Hadith, Aishah and other Companions said that;
the Prophet said,
رُفِعَ الْقَلَمُ عَنْ ثَلَثَةٍ
عَنِ الصَّبِيِّ حَتَّى يَحْتَلِمَ
وَعَنِ النَّايِمِ حَتَّى يَسْتَيْقِظَ
وَعَنِ الْمَجْنُونِ حَتَّى يُفِيق
The pen does not record the deeds of three persons:
the child until the age of puberty,
the sleeping person until waking up, and
the senile until sane.
Or, the age of fifteen is considered the age of adolescence.
In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Ibn Umar said,
""I was presented in front of the Prophet on the eve of the battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age, and he did not allow me to take part in that battle. But I was presented in front of him on the eve of the battle of Al-Khandaq (The Trench) when I was fifteen years old, and he allowed me (to join that battle).""
Umar bin Abdul-Aziz commented when this Hadith reached him,
""This is the difference between a child and an adult.""
There is a difference of opinion over whether pubic hair is considered a sign of adulthood, and the correct opinion is that it is.
The Sunnah supports this view, according to a Hadith collected by Imam Ahmad from Atiyah Al-Qurazi who said,
We were presented to the Prophet on the day of Qurizah, whoever had pubic hair was killed, whoever did not was left free to go, I was one of those who did not, so I was left free.""
The Four Sunan compilers also recorded similar to it.
At-Tirmidhi said, ""Hasan Sahih.""
Allah's statement,
فَإِنْ انَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُواْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ
if then you find sound judgment in them, release their property to them,
Sa`id bin Jubayr said that this portion of the Ayah means,
when you find them to be good in the religion and wise with their money.
Similar was reported from Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others among the Imams.
The scholars of Fiqh stated that;
when the child becomes good in the religion and wise concerning with money, then the money that his caretaker was keeping for him should be surrendered to him.
Poor Caretakers are Allowed to Wisely Spend from the Money of the Orphan Under Their Care, to Compensate for Their Work
Allah said,
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُواْ
But consume it not wastefully and hastily, fearing that they should grow up.
Allah commands that the money of the orphan should not be spent unnecessarily,
إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا
(Wastefully and hastily) for fear they might grow up.
Allah also commands,
وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ
And whoever among guardians is rich, he should take no wages,
Hence, the guardian who is rich and does not need the orphan's money, should not take any of it as wages.
وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Aishah said,
""This Ayah,
وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
(And whoever among guardians is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable) was revealed about the guardian of the orphan and pertains to whatever work he does for the orphan's estate.""
Al-Bukhari also collected this Hadith.
Imam Ahmad recorded that `Amr bin Shu`ayb said that his father said that his father told him that;
a man asked the Messenger of Allah, ""I do not have money, but I have an orphan under my care.""
The Messenger said,
كُلْ مِنْ مَالِ يَتِيمِكَ غَيْرَ مُسْرِفٍ وَلَا مُبَذِّرٍ وَلَا مُتَأَثِّلٍ مَالاً وَمِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَقِيَ مَالَكَ أَوْ قَالَ تَفْدِيَ مَالَكَ بِمَالِه
Eat from your orphan's wealth without extravagance or wastefulness, or mixing it, and without saving your money by spending his.""
Allah said,
فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ
And when you release their property to them.
after they become adults, and you see that they are wise, then,
فَأَشْهِدُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ
take a witness in their presence;
Allah commands the guardians of orphans to surrender the property of the orphans who become consenting adults, in the presence of witnesses, so that none of them denies the fact that he received his money.
Allah said next,
وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ حَسِيبًا
and Allah is All-Sufficient in taking account.
meaning, Allah is sufficient as Witness, Reckoner and Watcher over their work for orphans, and when they surrender their money to them, whether their property was complete and whole, or deficient and less. Indeed, Allah knows all of that.
In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
يَا أَبَا ذَرَ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفًا وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِي لَاا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ وَلَاا تَلِيَنَّ مَالَ يَتِيم
O Abu Dharr! Verily, you are weak, and I love for you what I love for myself. Do not become a leader of two nor assume guardianship of an orphan's property."
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