Only 20 minutes of your listening time to learn the audio summary of chapter 4 of Al Quran

Audio link

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/094a5025-cacf-4e7e-994b-cd947ea7569b/audio

Mesmerizing recitation of the chapter with translation:

https://surahquran.com/sorah-english-4.html

Here is a comprehensive summary of **Surah An-Nisā** (Chapter 4 of the Quran) based on *Tafheemul Quran* by Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, focusing on its themes, structure, and key teachings:

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### 📜 **1. Introduction and Context**  

– **Title**: “The Women” (An-Nisā), emphasizing women’s rights and social justice.  

– **Revelation Period**: Revealed in Madinah between the end of AH 3 and early AH 5, addressing post-Battle of Uhud challenges (e.g., inheritance disputes, orphan welfare) .  

– **Core Objective**: Consolidating the nascent Muslim community through moral, social, and legal reforms .  

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### ⚖️ **2. Major Themes and Rulings**  

#### **A. Women’s Rights and Family Law**  

– **Dower (Mahr)**: Mandates giving brides their dower cheerfully (*niḥlah*). If wives voluntarily return part of it, husbands may accept it *only* if done willingly .  

– **Polygamy**: Permits marrying up to four women *only* if justice is ensured; otherwise, monogamy is prescribed .  

– **Marital Relations**:  

  – Men are guardians (*qawwāmūn*) due to their financial responsibilities .  

  – For rebellious wives, a three-step resolution is prescribed: advice → temporary separation → non-harmful physical discipline (*ḍarb*) as a last resort .  

– **Inheritance**: Guarantees shares for women, orphans, and relatives, rejecting pre-Islamic practices of disinheriting them .  

#### **B. Orphan Welfare and Economic Justice**  

– **Orphans’ Property**: Forbids usurping orphans’ wealth. Custodians must return assets when orphans reach maturity and display sound judgment .  

– **Economic Ethics**: Condemns consuming wealth wrongfully (e.g., fraud, interest), warning that such acts “fill the belly with Hellfire” .  

#### **C. Social and Moral Duties**  

– **Kin and Neighbors**:  

  – Prioritize kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy .  

  – Neighbors have rights based on proximity, kinship, and faith (Muslim neighbors hold higher priority) .  

– **Tawhid (Monotheism)**: Opens with a call to worship Allah alone, linking piety to social responsibility .  

#### **D. Legal and Theological Directives**  

– **Repentance (Tawbah)**: Accepted if sincere and offered before death throes. Delaying repentance until deathbed is rejected .  

– **Justice**: Commanded even against oneself or hostile parties .  

– **Hypocrites and People of the Book**: Critiques Jewish tribes for breaking covenants and demanding supernatural proofs, as seen in their history with Prophet Musa (Moses) .  

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### ⚔️ **3. Community Defense and Spiritual Discipline**  

– **Military Context**: Guidelines for prayer during war (*Salat al-Khawf*), short prayers during travel, and using clean earth for ablution (*tayammum*) when water is scarce .  

– **Moral Preparation**: Urges Muslims to cultivate courage, appoint trustworthy leaders, and avoid hypocrisy .  

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### 🌟 **4. Eschatological Promises**  

– **Companionship in Paradise**: Those obedient to Allah and His Messenger will join the ranks of prophets, martyrs (*shuhadā*), truthful ones (*ṣiddīqīn*), and the righteous (*ṣāliḥīn*) .  

– **Divine Warning**: Oppressors, especially those who abuse orphans, face a “Blazing Fire” .  

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### 💎 **5. Key Lessons from Tafheemul Quran**  

– **Social Equilibrium**: The Surah balances rights/duties across genders, classes, and faiths, elevating women’s status in 7th-century Arabia .  

– **Historical Relevance**: Laws on inheritance and orphans addressed post-war crises among Muslims .  

– **Universal Morality**: Emphasis on justice, kindness to neighbors, and economic equity remains timeless .  

> “Men are the protectors of women because Allah has given some more than others and because they support them from their wealth.” (Quran 4:34, *Tafheem* ).

This summary captures Surah An-Nisā’s role as a **constitutional framework** for Muslim society, intertwining faith with social justice. For deeper exploration, refer to *Tafheemul Quran*’s full exegesis.