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220. " (ponder) over this world and the hereafter.
and they ask you concerning orphans. say:
` to set right for them (their affairs) is best; and if you become
co-partner with them, they are your brethren.
allah knows well the mischief-maker from the peace-maker;
and had he willed, he would have surely made, it hard for you.
verily allah is the mighty, the wise."
commentary:
the initial phrase of the verse: `over this world and the hereafter'
refers either to the subject of charity, which was mentioned at the end
of the previous verse, meaning that your charity is for your happiness in
this world and the next. this act of spending should, of course, be
neither in a manner that you donate your whole wealth so that you fall
into trouble in your life, nor in a form of stinginess that causes your
deprivation of the divine rewards in hereafter. 1
or, it refers to pondering over that which was mentioned in the
former verse. if so, it means that everybody should think about the
affairs of this world and the next, because we have to obtain the
spiritual rewards of the next world only in this very world. this
pondering can simply be contemplating over the problems such as unity
of allah, resurrection, the secrets of creation, and the dominating laws
of nature in order to understand them and to accept them, although the
acceptance of the creed is not conditioned to the recognition of all
secrets perfectly. so, the verse says:
" (ponder) over this world and the hereafter. ..."
concerning the question about orphans, the commentary books
denote that: when the tenth verse of sura an-nisa' no. 4, was
revealed announcing that those who swallow the property of the
orphans unjustly, swallow fire into their bellies, the families who had
orphans in their houses felt anxious so that some of them even exiled
the orphans from their houses and some others separated the dishes of
the orphans' food from those of theirs. in that situation both the
orphans and the householders encountered several annexing difficulties.
therefore, they went to the prophet (p.b.u.h.) and asked him
about the quality of their manner towards the orphans. the prophet
(p.b.u.h.) replied to them that if they tried to improve the affairs of
orphans it would be better for them. they should not dismiss the
orphans and shirk the responsibility of managing them for that their
wealth could be mixed with that of theirs while the orphans are
religiously their brethren. so, it did not matter that they might mix their
properties with each other in the case that their intention in living with
orphans was not to swallow their wealth.
"...and they ask you concerning orphans. say:
` to set right for them (their affairs) is best; and if you become
co-partner with them, they are your brethren. ..."
they should also be aware that allah recognizes good doers
from evil doers; and his will is not to ordain hardship for the believers;
and he is, of course, almighty and all-wise.
"...allah knows well the mischief-maker from the peace-maker;
and had he willed, he would have surely made, it hard for you.
verily allah is the mighty, the wise."
explanations:
1- orphans are neither our sons nor our servants, but they are our
younger brothers and are counted with us in number: " they are your
brethren "; so, they must live with us and be inside our lives.
2- to shirk the affairs of orphans is not right, but public interest is
that we, as a custom, endeavour justly for them with a good intention
and brotherly.
3- it is not important that some individuals claim for improvement,
because allah knows who is a peace-maker and who is a mischief-
maker. so, beware not to swallow the wealth of orphans under the
pretext of improvement, nor to evade it for the fear of mischief.
|4- there is no unbearable duty in islam, (considering the occasion
of revelation of the verse cited in the above).
5- any improvement given in the life of orphans is valuable. the
term ` improvement ', mentioned in the verse, has come in an absolute
form to encompass all sorts of improvement including: scientific,
financial, practical, educational and theological aspects.
1
'ilahi-qumshih-'ie, translation of the qur'an, persian version
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