English translation
4574. Narrated 'Urwa bin Az-Zubair that he asked 'Āishah رضي الله عنها regarding the Statement of Allāh تعالى: "And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls..." (V.4:3) She said, "O son of my sister! An orphan girl used to be under the care of a guardian with whom she shared property. Her guardian, being attracted by her wealth and beauty, would intend to marry her without giving her a just Mahr (bridal-money), i.e., the same Mahr as any other person might give her (in case he married her). So, such guardians were forbidden to do that unless they did justice to their female wards and gave them the highest Mahr their peers might get. They were ordered (by Allāh) to marry women of their choice other than those orphan girls." 'Āishah added, "The people asked Allāh's Messenger's, instructions after the revelation of this Divine Verse; whereupon Allāh revealed: 'They ask your legal instruction concerning women'." (V.4:127) Āishah further said, "And the Statement of Allāh تعالى: '...And yet whom you desire to marry...' (V.4:127) as anyone of you refrains from marrying an orphan girl (under his guardianship) when she is lacking in property and beauty." 'Āishah added, "So, they were forbidden to marry those orphan girls for whose wealth and beauty they had a desire unless with justice, and that was because they would refrain from marrying them if they were lacking in property and beauty."
