[6018] Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-'Awfi reported to us in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my uncle narrated to me, my father narrated to me, from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "And they ask you for a legal ruling concerning women. Say, 'Allah gives you a ruling about them'"—meaning the obligatory shares (fara'id) that were ordained regarding the matter of women.

[6019] It was mentioned from Qays, from Salim, from Sa'id who said: There was a man who had a wife who had grown old and had ceased menstruating, and he had children from her. He wanted to divorce her and get married (to another). She said: "Do not divorce me; let me look after my children and divide your nights as you wish, or more than that if you wish." He said: "If this is permissible, it is more beloved to me." So he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mentioned that to him. He (the Prophet) said: "Allah has heard what you say, and if He wills, He will answer you." He said: And Allah, the Almighty, revealed: "And they ask you for a legal ruling concerning women. Say, 'Allah gives you a ruling about them'"—so He gave them a ruling concerning that which they did not ask about.

His saying, the Almighty: "And [about] what has been recited to you in the Book."

[6020] I read to Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, Ibn Wahb informed us, Yunus informed me, from Ibn Shihab, 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed me, that 'A'ishah said: Then the people asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for a legal ruling after this verse regarding them, so Allah, the Almighty, revealed: "And they ask you for a legal ruling concerning women. Say, 'Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book..."—the verse. He said: And that which Allah mentioned as being recited to them in the Book is the first verse in which Allah said: "And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women."

His saying, the Almighty: "concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them."

[6021] 'Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Hisinjani narrated to us, 'Abd al-Hamid ibn Salih narrated to us, Abu al-Ahwas—the uncle of 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib—narrated to us, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr who said: The people of the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) would not grant inheritance to children until they reached puberty, so Allah, the Almighty, revealed: "And [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them"—and so Allah revealed the obligatory shares (fara'id) at the beginning of Surat al-Nisa'.

[6022] Hajjaj ibn Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, regarding His saying: "concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them," he said: The people of the...