Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) would not grant inheritance to women or young boys at all. They would say, "They do not fight in battle and do not provide booty"—or he said, "They do not provide for others." So Allah ordained for them an inheritance as a binding right.
His saying, the Almighty: "what is prescribed for them."
[6023] Sulayman ibn Dawud ibn Nusayr, the freed slave of 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, narrated to us, Sahl ibn 'Uthman narrated to us, Yahya ibn Abi Za'idah narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to me from al-Suddi, from Abu Malik, regarding His saying: "to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them," he said: The inheritance.
His saying, the Almighty: "And [that] you desire to marry them."
[6024] Harun ibn Ishaq narrated to us, 'Abdah narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah regarding the saying of Allah, the Almighty: "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 [that] you desire to marry them," she said: It was revealed regarding the orphan girl who is under the care of a man; she shares with him in his wealth, so he desires not to marry her (due to lack of interest), yet he dislikes to let anyone else marry her. Thus, she shares with him in his wealth, and he prevents her from marriage, neither marrying her himself nor allowing her to marry another.
[6025] I read to Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Hakam, Ibn Wahb informed us, Yunus informed us, from Ibn Shihab, 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed me that 'A'ishah said: And the saying of Allah, the Almighty: "And [that] you desire to marry them" refers to the desire of one of you to avoid his orphan girl who is under his guardianship when she is of little wealth and beauty. They were forbidden from marrying those orphan girls in whom they desired their wealth and beauty, except with fairness, due to their previous avoidance of them.
[6026] 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 regarding his saying: "concerning the orphan girls to whom you do not give what is prescribed for them and [that] you desire to marry them," he said: In the Jahiliyyah, a man would have an orphan girl in his care and would cast his garment over her. If he did that to her, no one could ever marry her. If she were beautiful and he desired her, he would marry her and consume her wealth. If she were unattractive, he would prevent men from her forever until she died. When she died, he would inherit from her. So Allah forbade that and prohibited it.
[6027] 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: "And [that] you desire to marry them," he said: Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah...
