Surah Nisa ayat 19 Tafsir Quran 4:19

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُوا النِّسَاءَ كَرْهًا ۖ وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ ۚ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا﴾
[ النساء: 19]

4:19 O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.

O you who believe it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will read either karhan or kurhan as alternative forms that is to say coercing them into this. In pre-Islamic times they used to inherit women from their kin and if they so wished they could marry a woman without a dowry or marry her off and take the dowry for themselves or prevent her from marriage until she gave up what she had inherited or until she died and they could inherit from her. They were thus forbidden such practices; neither debar them your former wives from marrying others by retaining them while you have no desire for them yourselves only to harm them; so that you may go off with part of what you have given them of the dowry except when they commit flagrant read mubayyina ‘making it clear’ or mubayyana ‘clear’ lewdness such as adultery or rebellion then you have the right to coerce them until they redeem themselves to you or forfeit their dowries. Consort with them in kindness that is being decent in speaking to them with regard to their expenditure and lodging; for if you hate them then be patient; it may happen that you hate a thing wherein God has set much good that is to say perhaps He does this when He provides you with a righteous child through them.

O you who have conformed to Islam women are not a property to be inherited against their will following the death of their husbands; you are forbidden to copy this pagan custom, nor are you allowed to ill treat them to force them to give up a part of the dower or of the property you have given them, unless they have been proven guilty of an evil line of conduct. And you must live with them in equity and honour according to the manner and the Islamic laws of matrimony. And should you take to them so much dislike; it may happen that you dislike something whereby Allah makes all grace abound

(4:19) Believers! It is not lawful for you to become heirs to women against their will. *28 It is not lawful that you should put constraint upon them that you may take away anything of what you have given them; (you may not put constraint upon them) unless they are guilty of brazenly immoral conduct. *29 Live with your wives in a good manner. If you dislike them in any manner, it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good for you. *30

O you who have believed, it is meaning

*28).
This means that the relatives of the husband should not treat the widow of the deceased as if she were a part of the inheritance and begin imposing their will on her.
Upon the death of her husband a woman becomes independent.
As soon as her legally-prescribed period of waiting ends, she is free to go to wherever she likes and to marry anyone she wishes.

*29).
This permission is intended not in order to provide them with an excuse to misappropriate her property but to exercise a restraint on her conduct and prevent her from lewdness.

*30).
This means that if the wife is either not beautiful or has some shortcoming because of which she does not seem attractive enough to her husband, the latter should not suddenly decide, in a fit of rage and disgust, to part with her.
Rather he should act with patience and forbearance.
It often happens that a woman lacks physical attraction but has other qualities which are of much greater value for the success of married life.
Hence if such a woman finds the opportunity to express her qualities, the same husband who initially felt revulsion towards her becomes captivated by her attractive conduct and character.
Sometimes in the early stages of married life a husband dislikes certain things in his wife, and this initial dislike may even grow to revulsion.
Were a man to be patient and allow all the potentialities of the woman to be realized, it would become evident to him that her merits outweighed her weaknesses.
Hence a man's haste in taking the decision to rupture the matrimonial bond is not praiseworthy.
Repudiation of marriage should be a man's last resort, a resort towards which he should turn only in unavoidable circumstances.
The Prophet ( peace be on him ) has said: For God, divorce is the most reprehensible of all lawful things.' ( Abu Da'ud, Talaq', 3; Ibn Majah, 'Talaq', 1 - Ed. ) In another tradition the Prophet ( peace be on him ) said: 'Marry and do not go about divorcing.
For God does not like men and women who keep on changing partners merely for a change of taste.' ( al-Tabrani, cited by 'Ajluni in Kashf al-Khifa.
vol.
1, p.
304 - Ed. )
 

( O ye who believe! It is not lawful for you forcibly ) coercively ( to inherit the women (of your deceased kinsmen )) the women of your fathers, ( nor (that ) ye should put constraint upon them) by preventing them from marrying again. This verse was revealed about Kabshah Bint Ma’an al-Ansariyyah and Muhsin Ibn Abi Qays al-Ansari; for before the advent of Islam, they used to inherit the women of their fathers ( that ye may take away a part of that which ye have given them ) take away part of that which your fathers gave them, ( unless they be guilty of flagrant lewdness ) unless they are guilty of fornication by the testimony of witnesses in which case they should be imprisoned. However, imprisoning fornicators was abrogated by the verse on stoning. In the pre-Islamic period, men used to inherit the wives of their fathers in the same way as they inherited their properties. The wife of a deceased father used to be inherited by the eldest son. If the woman was rich and beautiful, the eldest son would marry her without giving her any dowry. If, however, she was neither rich, young nor beautiful, he would not marry her but instead leave her untouched until she ransomed herself with her own money. Allah forbade them from indulging in such a practice. Then He showed them how one must treat women, saying: ( But consort with them ) keep their company ( in kindness ) with beneficence and goodness, ( for if ye hate them ) i.e. hate their company ( it may happen that ye hate a thing ) their company ( wherein Allah hath placed much good ) Allah may provide you with righteous children from them.

O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will, and you should not treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the Mahr you have given them, unless they commit open illegal sexual intercourse. And live with them honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good.

Page 80 English transliteration