وَلْيَخْشَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَكُوا۟ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةً ضِعَـٰفًا خَافُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلْيَتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلْيَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا 9
Translations
And let those [executors and guardians] fear [injustice] as if they [themselves] had left weak offspring behind and feared for them. So let them fear Allāh and speak words of appropriate justice.
Transliteration
Wa-l-yakhsha alladhina law tarakoo min khalfihim dhurriyyatan dhu'afa khafoo 'alayhim fa-l-yattaqoo Allah wa-l-yaqooloo qawlan sadida
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the living to fear Allah and speak justly regarding orphans and vulnerable dependents, as if they themselves would fear for their own weak children left behind. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as an empathy-based directive: just as one would be deeply concerned for one's own orphaned children, so too must one show utmost care and justice toward all orphans and vulnerable dependents in society. The ayah emphasizes both piety (taqwa) and ethical conduct (qawl sadid—right speech and dealings) as the proper response to this responsibility.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nisa (revealed in Madinah), which extensively addresses the rights and protection of orphans, women, and vulnerable members of society. The broader context of this surah deals with inheritance laws, guardianship of orphans, and equitable treatment—all issues that gained urgency in early Muslim society where conflicts over orphans' property were common.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'I and the guardian of the orphan are like these two in Paradise,' while pointing to his index and middle fingers together (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the Prophet ﷺ warned: 'Whoever wrongs an orphan or a widow, I will dispute with him on the Day of Judgment' (Sunan An-Nasa'i).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that protecting the weak and orphaned is not merely a social obligation but a spiritual one rooted in compassion and God-consciousness; believers should treat orphans and dependents with the same care and urgency they would show their own children. In modern context, this extends to advocacy for vulnerable populations and ensuring that power imbalances do not lead to exploitation.