His saying, the Exalted: "two, or three, or four"

4755 - My father narrated to us, Abu Hudhayfah narrated to us, Sufyan narrated to us, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Tawus, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: He limited men to four women on account of the wealth of orphans.

4756 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: In the pre-Islamic period (Jahiliyyah), they would marry ten women who were widows (or bereft of husbands). They used to venerate the status of the orphan, so they examined the status of orphans within their religion, and abandoned what they used to marry in the pre-Islamic period. He said: "And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphans, then marry those that please you of the women, two, or three, or four," so He forbade them from what they used to marry in the pre-Islamic period.

4757 - My father narrated to us, Ahmad ibn 'Abdah narrated to us, Hammad informed us, from Ayyub, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, he said: Allah the Exalted sent Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) while the people were in their state of pre-Islamic affairs, except that they would be commanded with something or forbidden from it. They used to be asked about orphans, and "And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphans, then marry those that please you of the women, two, or three, or four," so He limited them to four.

His saying, the Exalted: "But if you fear that you will not be just"

4758 - My father narrated to us, Musa ibn Isma'il narrated to us, Mubarak narrated to us, from al-Hasan, he said: Justice regarding women is that you do not incline [towards one more than others].

His saying, the Exalted: "Then only one"

4759 - My father narrated to us, 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn al-Mughirah narrated to us, Yazid ibn Zuray' narrated to us, from Sa'id, from Qatadah, regarding his saying: "But if you fear that you will not be just, then only one," he says: If you fear that you will not be just with four, then three, otherwise two, and otherwise one.

His saying, the Exalted: "Or those that your right hands possess"

4760 - Ahmad ibn 'Uthman ibn Hakim al-Awdi narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal narrated to us, Asbat narrated to us, from al-Suddi, regarding his saying: "But if you fear that you will not be just, then one or those that your right hands possess," he said: Concubines. It was narrated from Muqatil ibn Hayyan similar to that.