"And give to the orphans their property," meaning: when they reach maturity. "And do not substitute the defective for the good," Al-Hasan said: The defective is consuming the wealth of orphans unjustly, and the good is that which Allah has provided for you. He is saying: Do not abandon the good and consume the defective. "And do not consume their wealth into your wealth," meaning: along with your wealth. "Indeed, that is ever a great sin [hūban kabīran]," meaning: a sin.
Muhammad said: There is another dialect for it: hawban, with a fathah on the letter ha, and it has been recited that way.
﴿وَآتوا الْيَتَامَى أَمْوَالهم﴾ يَعْنِي: إِذا بلغُوا ﴿وَلا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبيث بالطيب﴾ قَالَ الْحسن: الْخَبيث: أكل أَمْوَال الْيَتَامَى ظلما، وَالطّيب: الَّذِي رزقكم الله؛ يَقُول: لَا تذروا الطّيب، وتأكلوا الْخَبيث ﴿وَلا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَى أَمْوَالكُم﴾ يَعْنِي: مَعَ أَمْوَالكُم ﴿إِنَّهُ كَانَ حوبا كَبِيرا﴾ أَي: ذَنبا.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: وَفِيه لُغَة أُخْرَى: حَوْبًا بِفَتْح الْحَاء، وَقد قرئَ بهَا.
