فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۗ وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ ۖ قُلْ إِصْلَاحٌ لَّهُمْ خَيْرٌ ۖ وَإِن تُخَالِطُوهُمْ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدَ مِنَ ٱلْمُصْلِحِ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَأَعْنَتَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ 220
Translations
To this world and the Hereafter. And they ask you about orphans. Say, "Improvement for them is best. And if you mix your affairs with theirs - they are your brothers. And Allāh knows the corrupter from the amender. And if Allāh had willed, He could have put you in difficulty. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Wise."
Transliteration
Fi al-dunya wa-al-akhirah. Wa-yasa'alunaka 'an al-yatama. Qul islahun lahum khayrun. Wa-in tukhaliṭuhum fa-ikhwanukum. Wa-Allah ya'lamu al-mufsida min al-mislih. Wa-law sha'a Allah la-a'antakum. Inna Allah 'azizun hakimun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the proper treatment of orphans and their wealth, clarifying that reforming (islah) their affairs is better than mixing their wealth with one's own, though if mixing occurs they remain your brothers in faith. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the verse emphasizes that Allah knows those who act corruptly versus those who reform, and Allah's wisdom has made this guidance easy for the believers rather than burdensome—demonstrating divine mercy in legislation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of a series addressing the rights and responsibilities toward orphans and their estates, revealed in the Medinan period when the Islamic community needed clear legal guidance on protecting vulnerable populations. The question about orphans (yatama) was posed to the Prophet, reflecting real concerns among believers about proper management of orphan property.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The best house among the Muslims is the house in which orphans are treated well, and the worst house among the Muslims is the house in which orphans are treated badly.' Also relevant is the hadith about the reward for those who guard orphans' property: 'Whoever guards the property of an orphan until he reaches maturity, Allah will make it easy for him on the Day of Judgment.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that sincere intentions to reform orphans' affairs and protect their rights is more important than rigid adherence to separation, while reminding believers that Allah alone judges the sincerity of our hearts—encouraging us to act with integrity knowing that our actions are known to the All-Knowing God.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allāh has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُمْ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوا۟ مِنَّا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ ٱللَّهُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ حَسَرَٰتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَمَا هُم بِخَـٰرِجِينَ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ
Those who followed will say, "If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us." Thus will Allāh show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.
وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِّأَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ وَتُصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
And do not make [your oath by] Allāh an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allāh and making peace among people. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِى ٱلسِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
O you who have believed, enter into Islām completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.