"And if you fear that you will not deal justly," meaning: that you will not act with justice, "with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you," meaning: what is lawful for you of women. Qatadah said: He is saying, just as you feared injustice regarding the orphans and were concerned by that, likewise fear it concerning all women. A man in the Jahiliyyah would marry ten or fewer, so Allah made four lawful for him. Thus He said: "Then marry those that please you of women, two or three or four." He is saying: If you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with four, then marry three; and if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with three, then marry two; and if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly with
﴿وَإِن خِفْتُمْ أَلا تقسطوا﴾ أَي: تعدلوا ﴿فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لكم﴾ يَعْنِي: مَا حل لكم من النِّسَاء قَالَ قَتَادَة: يَقُول: كَمَا خِفْتُمْ الْجور فِي الْيَتَامَى، وأهمكم ذَلِك، فَكَذَلِك فخافوه فِي جَمِيع النِّسَاء، وَكَانَ الرجل فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّة يتَزَوَّج الْعشْر فَمَا دون ذَلِك، فأحل الله لَهُ أَرْبعا؛ فَقَالَ: ﴿فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاء مثنى وَثَلَاث وَربَاع﴾ يَقُول: إِن خفت أَلا تعدل فِي أَربع فانكح ثَلَاثًا، فَإِن خفت أَلا تعدل فِي ثَلَاث فانكح اثْنَتَيْنِ، فَإِن خفت أَلا تعدل فِي
