004:004

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                                 004:004

 وَاِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ اَلَّا تُقۡسِطُوۡا فِى الۡيَتٰمٰى فَانْكِحُوۡا مَا طَابَ لَـكُمۡ مِّنَ النِّسَآءِ مَثۡنٰى وَثُلٰثَ وَرُبٰعَ‌ ‌ۚ فَاِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ اَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوۡا فَوَاحِدَةً اَوۡ مَا مَلَـكَتۡ اَيۡمَانُكُمۡ‌ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ اَدۡنٰٓى اَلَّا تَعُوۡلُوۡا ؕ‏   

Wa  in  khif  toom  ul-laa   tooq-say-too                                                                                            Fay  il-ya-taa-maa  fa  un-kay-hoo                                                                                                  Maa  taa-ba  la  koom  may  nun  nay-saa-aiy                                                                              Mauth-naa  wa  tho-laa-tha  wa  ro-baa-aa

Fa  in  khif  toom  ul-laa  tau-day-loo                                                                                                  Fa  waa-hay-da-ton  auo  maa  ma-la-cut  aiy-maa-no  koom                                                    Zaa-lay-ka  ud-naa  ul-laa  ta-oo-loo

And if you fear that you can’t be fair                                                                                   In the matters of orphans then marry                                                                              From among the women who looked good to you                                                          A second time, and a third time, and a fourth time.

Then if you fear that you can’t be just                                                                             Then only one, or what your right hands had owned.                                                  This is closer to your not crossing the line.

• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اِنۡ — In — If (= In case; under the circumstances; when; when situation arises; whenever)
• خِفۡ — Khif — Fear (= v., pres., 2^nd person. Apprehend; suspect. Are afraid, scared or exposed to conditions beyond control such as a calamity, danger, disaster, disorder, disturbance, enemy, flood, law and order situation, mischief or war)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pro., pl., 2^nd person. You all men)
• اَ لَّا — Ul-laa — That not (= Combination of two words. اَنۡ (un) means if, in case;  under the circumstances, when, when situation arises  or whenever.  لَا Laa (laa) means absolutely not, never, no, not at all, total negation. The combination of the two words means that can’t, won’t or unable to)
• تُقۡسِطُواْ — Tooq-say-too — Be fair (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Act properly. Deal equitably. Deliver honestly. Perform adequately. Treat fairly and evenly. Refers to conducting the affairs like a parent would balancing all demands and needs, dealing with all pressures with an even keel, delivering best results, doing whatever becomes necessary, producing the maximum benefits and showing genuine concern. Also keeping in mind the interests of orphans in proceeding cautiously and attending to all tasks in appropriate measures and maintaining equilibrium. See Note 004:004 below. A/t/a, some authors have also introduced in translating this word the elements of …                  — Ability … ‘be able to deal justly’ and ‘be able to deal fairly.’                                                — Capability…’you cannot do justice.’                                                                                           — Actuality… ‘fair in dealing with,’  ‘ye will not deal fairly by the orphans’ and ‘you will not be just in dealing with.‘)
• فِى — F…(il) — In (= Concerning; in reference, regarding relative to. Also, about; amidst; among. The word also means belonging; contained or inside a duration, event, time, place, period, thing or situation. A/t/a, ‘to’ and ‘ with.’)
• ٱلۡيَتَـٰمَىٰٓ — Ya-taa-maa — The orphans (= n., pl., Kids with no parent; Children without one or both parents. Generally refers to the helpless or destitute. A/t/a, ‘orphan girls’)
• فَ — Fa…(un) — Then (= Hence; so; thus; after all this; at the end; in conclusion;  consequently; finally; resultantly; thereafter; therefore)
•  ٱنكِحُواْ — (U)n-kay-hoo — Marry (= v., pres., pl., m., 2^nd person. Contract marriage; Wed)
• مَاۤ  — Maa — Who (= Whoso; whomever. Also, what, whatever, whatsoever )
• طَا بَ — Taa-ba — Looked good (= v., past., 3^rd person. Appealed, became, proved, turned or were acceptable, agreeable, attractive, beautiful, pious, pleasing, proper or righteous. The Holy Qor-aan has used this verb in the past tense; so to translate this verb in the present tense as ‘who seem good to you’ and ‘may be agreeable’ or as a noun as ‘of your choice’ are not accurate)
• لَ — La — To / For (= For the object, purpose or reason of; intended for; concerning; regarding; relative to. to; towards)
• كُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person., You. See تُمۡ  above)
• مِّنَ — May-na…(un) — From among (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind or several articles, things, persons or phenomenon)
• ٱلنِّسَآءِ — Nay-saa-aiy — The women (= n., Females of the mankind. A/t/a, ‘other women’)
• مَثۡنَىٰ  — Muth-naa  — A second time (= Translation ‘You marry of women as may be agreeable to you two, or three, or four’ or ‘Marry women of your choice two, or three, or four’ appears is a big stretch as shown in the Note 004:004 below)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
•  ثُلَـٰثَ  — Tho-laa-tha — A third time (= See the Note 004:004 below)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• رُبَـٰعَ‌ — Ro-baa-a — A fourth time (= See the Note 004:004 below)
• فَ — Fa — Then (= Hence; so; thus; after all this. See فَ  above)
• اِنۡ —  In — If (= In case; under the circumstances; when. See اِنۡ above)
• خِفۡ — Khif — Fear (= v., pres., 2^nd person. Apprehend. See خِفۡ above )
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person., You. See تُمۡ  above)
• اَ لَّا — Ul-laa — That not (= Combination of two words. See اَ لَّا above)
• تَعۡدِلُواْ — Tau-day-loo —  You be just (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Be fair. Give in equal measures or weights. Keep scales in balance. Stay equitable and just among contesting claims. See 004:004. It includes the meaning to maintain an equilibrium if contesting, conflicting and contradicting interests try to pull the scales of justice in    their favor. Opposing husband and wife trying to tip the balance in their favor by causing injustice, impropriety, inequity and unfairness to the opponent is just an example. A/t/a, some authors have introduced in translating this word the elements of …                                      — The ability … ‘be able to deal justly,’  ‘be able to do justice’ and ‘be able to deal (with all of them) equitably,’                                                                                                                     — The capability …’cannot maintain equality among them’ and ‘ye cannot do justice (to so many)’ and                                                                                                                               — The actuality … ‘will not deal justly,’  ‘will not be equitable (between them)’ and ‘you will not do justice’)
• فَ — Fa — Then (= Hence; so; thus; after all this. See فَ  above)
•  وَٲحِدَةً — Waa-hay-da-ton — One female (= n., f gender., one woman. A/t/a, ‘(confine yourselves to only) one’)
• اَوۡ — Auo — Or else (= Alternatively; in substitution)
• مَاۤ — Maa — What (= All that; whatever; whatsoever; whom; whomever. Everything of value including one’s time, talent,  energy, abilities, potentials and every kind of physical assets, money, property, possessions and wealth)
• مَلَكَتۡ — Ma-la-kut — Had owned (= v., past., f., 3^rd person. Held in ownership or in some sort of servitude. The phrase made up four words is used in the Holy Qor-aan in verses such as 004:004, 004:025, 004:026, 004:037, 023:007, 024:034 and 070:031. The simple and straightforward translation of this phrase is given above. The Holy Qor-aan described the action in this phrase by a verb in the past tense, but some authors translated it wrongly in the present tense. The disgrace of slavery deprecated universally is discussed in our our Commentary The Slavery, but its continuation has been insinuated by translating this phrase as follows:-
  — ‘slave girls you own’  [N J Dawood],                                                                                          — ‘(slaves) … your right hands possess’ [M Muhsin Khan, Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali],            — ‘(a captive) that your right hands possess’  [A Yusuf Ali],                                                      — ‘(the captives) that your right hands possess’ [Marmaduke Pickthall],                              — ‘what your right hands possess’ [Maulwi Sher Ali, Dr Ahmad Zidan],                                 — ‘ that which your right hands possess’  [M Muhammad Ali],                                              — ‘those over whom you have the authority’ [M Zafrulla Khan] and                                        — ‘that whom your right hands possess (- your female captives of war)’ [A Rahman Omar].
• اَيۡمَانُ — Aiy-maa-no — Right hands (= n., pl., The word refers to all that one owns, possesses, controls or over what one has the controlling authority. Since everyone can have only one right hand, the word ‘right hands’ in plural really reflects two persons who have mutually agreed and confirmed by shaking their right hands and acknowledged as to what each of them had owned or would do)
• كُمۡ — Koom — Your (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person., You. See تُمۡ  above)
• ذٰلِكَ — Zaa-lay-ka — This (= Here; refers to an aforesaid fact, person or statement; it was because; right here; such is this; that is how it is)
• أَدۡنَىْ — Ud-naa — Closer (= adj., Lower; inferior; nearer; poorer; worse; more diminished A/t/a, ‘more suitable,’  ‘more proper,’  ‘more likely’ or ‘best way’)
• اَ لَّا — Ul-laa — That not (= Combination of two words. See اَ لَّا above)
• تَعُولُوا — Ta-aa-loo — Crossing line (= v., pres., m., 2^nd person. Committing wrong. Crossing  over to the wrong side. Exceeding the limit. Going beyond the permissible extent. Transgressing. A/t/a, ‘prevent you from doing injustice,’  ‘you may not be unjust,’, ‘ye will not do injustice,’  ‘you will not do injustice,’  ‘you may not do injustice,’  ‘to avoid doing injustice’ and ‘to obviate injustice’)

** Note 004:004. The primary purpose of this verse is the interests of orphans and not a carte blanche permission to have multiple wives. Yet the religious scholars have translated this verse to promote polygamy and touted for unchecked number of marriages to please their kings, caliphs and chiefs as shown in the Wikipedia online.

Most authors have translated almost identically the verbs تُقۡسِطُوۡا  (= tooq-say-too) used in Section I and تَعۡدِلُوۡا (= tau-day-loo) used in Section II. They translated Tooq-say-too (تُقۡسِطُوۡا) among other as ‘do justice,’ ‘deal justly’ and ‘deal fairly.’ They translated Tau-day-loo (تَعۡدِلُوۡا) among other as ‘do justice,’ ‘deal justly,’ ‘deal equitably’ and ‘maintain equality.’

Really تُقۡسِطُوۡا (= tooq-say-too) means you be fair as the custodian or guardian of orphans to honestly look after the interests of orphans by meeting the needs, filling the demands, producing the results and delivering maximum benefits from their assets.

But تَعۡدِلُوۡا (= tau-day-loo) means you do justice like an honest judge who is just, fair and equitable in every case before him in an adversarial system where two contestants pull the scales of justice in their favor, regardless of what happens to the opposing side.

The simple and straightforward translation of this verse is as follows.

Section I

            The controlling clause mandates that the paramount interest is the welfare of the orphans and only a fear of imbalance in that triggers the mechanism that entails permission to remarry.

1. The text وَاِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ اَلَّا تُقۡسِطُوۡا فِى الۡيَتٰمٰى ( = And if you fear that you won’t be fair regarding the interests of the orphans) is the controlling clause.

2. The next in text فَانْكِحُوۡا (= Then you marry) is the controlled clause or Commandment.

3. The next in the text مَا طَابَ لَـكُمۡ مِّنَ النِّسَآءِ (= Who among the women appealed to you) is the qualification of the Commandment. Universally accepted term marriage or really any cohabitation establishing conjugal relationship of a man with a women is the only way continuation of life by procreation This phenomenon is underscored in almost all known scriptures.

4. The next in the text مَثۡنٰى وَثُلٰثَ وَرُبٰعَ‌ (= A second time and third time and fourth time) is a further clarification of the qualification. These three words signify the stages or reasons to implement aforesaid Commandment. First a man must a find a woman …    — Who attracts him and appeals to him,                                                                                      — Who holds his attention,                                                                                                              — Who leads him to bear a conviction that she is the one he wants, wishes, dreams and is prepared to woo her and live with her for the rest of his life, and                                      — Who is willing to be the mother of his future children by marrying him

Does the verse state the number of times a man can take a second, third or fourth wife? Do the words allow a man to marry repetitively again and again by waiting for the death, divorce or disease of a current wife to get back to have four wives? Do the words imply turns allowing a 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th wife in rank or turn? Do they show order or sequence like the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th king or caliph? Do they permit multiplicity like a teacher during my college days said that they allow taking two two, three three and four four wives in one go? Everyone can answer these questions in light of what is stated herein.

The first element or controlling clause is the interest of orphans that is the starting point of this section. Wars, epidemics, famines and similar events usually increase orphans’ number. The rich in a civilized society must take care of the orphans instead of letting them roam around.

The interests of orphans includes among other things the following.

• Their food, clothing, shelter and what their bodies need.
• The management of their lands and operation of their businesses if the parents left any.
• Their education, vocational training and providing them mentors and role models.

All activities in the interests of orphans tax time, talent and till of their guardian, but most of them are for what the Nature has equipped a women better to tend as their mother.

Taking care of the interests of orphans can create situations that make the remarriage a necessity. Status of men with means may get magnified. Female workers may be hired to look after the young orphans better. Female orphans may grow up to become irresistible temptations. Attractive female teenager’s aggressive ways may ignite mutual infatuation. Many reasons can ignite the frozen-fat-near-warmth-will-melt phenomenon. Even without any of above reasons, a mere presence of a wife in the house by itself is best in the interest of orphans.

The second element or the controlled clause is the command to marry.

The third element is to marry the woman who has pleased the man and that applies to a first marriage also. Good marriage means a husband continually wooing his wife. The life today has created new needs such as the rights to spousal pension-benefits, retirement accounts and medical insurances which have pioneered, permitted and promoted civil unions which labeled as same-sex marriages are mere man-made situations that can’t procreate or simulate real life.

The fourth element is that the marriage must be a rational decision after a man has found an appealing woman. A second look to think hard, a third look to be sure, and the final fourth to reach the belief that she is the right person should precede every marriage. This key to successful marriage also works in the arranged marriages in segregated societies where the spouses meet for the first time after they have been married.

Illegal, illicit or immoral relations seldom stay secret and most cultures frown upon them and Islam too spurs man to avoid angering Allah as his ultimate goal. No wonder the valve of controlled and limited multiple marriages is provided to let out the pressure. But the provision was not for the Clergy to sanction Harems for their overlords.

Section II

            The remarrying allowance is limited. The clause  فَاِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ اَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوۡا فَوَاحِدَةً  (= Then if you fear you can’t do justice among so many) restrictively permits polygamy. This tight and narrow situation-permission has been translated, interpreted and extrapolated to create justifications for taking and keeping many wives at a time. The spirit of the Commandment has been flouted by the very clergy in place to safeguard it by its accurate translation and interpretation.

The clergy has construed every possible permutation and combination in the meanings to expand the permission to re-marry. Mullah-spread unlimited practice of polygamy is popular and rampant. History shows that Moslem clergy served their kings, caliphs and chief to enjoy taking many wives simultaneously and successively. Wikipedia shows the royal harems of kings with untold number of wives. Procreating successors to throne has not been the only reason.

Modern times have shown some changes. Pakistani Law in 1961 curtailed polygamy by requiring a written permission from a current wife to allow her husband to take another wife. Similar provisions have been codified in Egypt and some other Moslem jurisdictions.

Section III

            The clause اَوۡ مَا مَلَـكَتۡ اَيۡمَانُكُمۡ‌   has been interpreted by the Clergy and several translators to inject Islam with another vice, the slavery. See 004:004, 004:025, 004:026, 004:037, 023:007, 024:034 and 070:031 and our Commentary The Slavery.