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
۞ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكُم مُّوسَىٰ بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَـٰلِمُونَ
And Moses had certainly brought you clear proofs. Then you took the calf [in worship] after that, while you were wrongdoers.
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥٓ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
When his Lord said to him, "Submit," he said, "I have submitted [in Islām] to the Lord of the worlds."
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا۟ بَقَرَةً ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا ۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "Indeed, Allāh commands you to slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you take us in ridicule?" He said, "I seek refuge in Allāh from being among the ignorant."
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَٱعْفُوا۟ وَٱصْفَحُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allāh delivers His command. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent.