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
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ءَايَةَ مُلْكِهِۦٓ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَـٰرُونَ تَحْمِلُهُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers."
مَّا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَلَا ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture [i.e., the Jews and Christians] nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allāh selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allāh is the possessor of great bounty.
۞ سَيَقُولُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَا وَلَّىٰهُمْ عَن قِبْلَتِهِمُ ٱلَّتِى كَانُوا۟ عَلَيْهَا ۚ قُل لِّلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allāh belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِى ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ ٱلْغَمَامِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ ۚ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ ٱلْأُمُورُ
Do they await but that Allāh should come to them in covers of clouds and the angels [as well] and the matter is [then] decided? And to Allāh [all] matters are returned.