An-Nisa · Madani · ayah 6 of 176

An-Nisa 4:6

وَٱبْتَلُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغُوا۟ ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ ءَانَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَٱدْفَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَآ إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبًا

“And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgement, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, [anticipating] that they will grow up. And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allāh as Accountant.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Test the orphan's judgement, hand over their wealth at the first clear sign of maturity, take nothing in haste: the final audit is His.

A reflection

Paperwork passes, the Reckoner does not need it

An executor closes an estate after six years. His accounts balance to the penny. Two witnesses sign that the heirs received everything. Only he knows that two of those years' car repairs were quietly charged to the estate.

The ayah builds a careful human system. Test the orphans. Hand over their wealth when they mature. Bring witnesses to the handover. Then it ends with a sentence that stands above every system: and Allah is sufficient as Reckoner.

The word ḥasīb holds two ideas in one root, as the lexicons note. It is counting, and it is sufficiency. A host would feed a guest until he said ḥasbī: enough. Accounts were called ḥisāb because by them you know what is enough, with nothing over and nothing short. So Allah is the One who counts everything, and the One whose counting is enough. No further audit is needed after His.

This is where the ego shrinks. We take pride in clean paperwork. We imagine that a balanced ledger and two signatures settle the matter. They settle it for people. One classical commentator draws the lesson from this last phrase: so be truthful with one another, and beware of lying.

The same phrase is also a mercy. Some orphans were cheated with no witness and no record. They grew up knowing something was missing and could never prove it. For them, the ayah's last line is not a threat. It is a promise. Nothing was lost to the One who counts.

Keep your records honest, then. But keep them as someone who knows the real ledger is already written.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.