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.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: مَثْنَى وَثُلاثَ وَرُبَاعَ
٤٧٥٥ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا أَبُو حُذَيْفَةَ، ثنا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَصَرَ الرِّجَالَ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ نِسْوَةٍ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَمْوَالِ الْيَتَامَى.
٤٧٥٦ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كَانُوا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَنْكِحُونَ عَشْراً مِنَ النِّسَاءِ الأَيَامَى، وَكَانُوا يُعَظِّمُونَ شَأْنَ الْيَتِيمِ، فَتَفَقَّدُوا مِنْ دِينِهِمْ شَأْنَ الْيَتَامَى، وَتَرَكُوا مَا كَانُوا يَنْكِحُونَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ. قَالَ: وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَنَهَاهُمْ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَنْكِحُونَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
٤٧٥٧ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، أَنْبَأَ حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ: بَعَثَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالنَّاسُ عَلَى أَمْرِ جَاهِلِيَّتِهِمْ، إِلا أَنْ يُؤْمَرُوا بِشَيْءٍ وَيُنْهَوْا عَنْهُ، وَكَانُوا يُسْأَلُونَ عَنِ الْيَتَامَى وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَقَصَرَهُمْ عَلَى الأَرْبَعَةِ.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تَعْدِلُوا
٤٧٥٨ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، ثنا مُبَارَكٌ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ: الْعَدْلُ فِي النِّسَاءِ أَلا تَمِيلُوا.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: فَوَاحِدَةً
٤٧٥٩ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، ثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَوْلَهُ: فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً يَقُولُ: إِنْ خِفْتَ أَلا تَعْدِلَ فِي أَرْبَعٍ فَثَلاثٌ وَإِلا فَاثْنَتَيْنِ وَإِلا فَوَاحِدَةً.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ
٤٧٦٠ - حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ الأَوْدِيُّ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُفَضَّلٍ، ثنا أَسْبَاطٌ، عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ قَوْلَهُ: فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أو ما ملكت أَيْمَانُكُمْ قَالَ:
السَّرَارِيُّ- وَرُوِيَ عَنِ مُقَاتِلِ بْنِ حَيَّانَ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ.
