Holy Prophet. It is unacceptable for another reason too. Verse 127 of this very chapter, which is admittedly a further explanation of the verse under discussion, is thus explained by ‘Ā’ishah: “It is the man who has got an orphan girl of whom he is a guardian and an inheritor, so she becomes his partner in his property, even in the palm trees, and he is disinclined to marry her, nor does he like that she should marry another person who would thus become his partner in his property on account of her partnership and therefore prevents her from marrying” (ibid.). Admittedly the latter verse explains the previous one, but ‘Ā’ishah’s explanation of the latter is just the opposite of her explanation of the former. The guardian is described as desiring to marry his girl ward in the first case, and the first verse is said to be a prohibition against it, while in the case of the latter verse he is said to be disinclined to marry her himself or to anybody else.

Hence it is that the commentators have suggested three other explanations. The first of these is that this verse (4:3) is only meant to prohibit the marrying of more wives than four, so that not having too many wives they may not be tempted to embezzle the property of the orphans, when their own proved insufficient. The second is that if you fear that you cannot be just to orphans, you should also fear that you cannot be just to too many wives. The third is that if you fear that you cannot be just to orphans, you should also fear the great sin of adultery, and to shun it you are allowed up to four wives.

It will be seen that these explanations are even less satisfactory than the one given in the Bukhārī. The meaning of this verse is really explained by 4:127: “And they ask thee a decision about women. Say: Allāh makes known to you His decision concerning them; and that which is recited to you in the Book is concerning widowed women whom you give not what is appointed for them, while you are not inclined to marry them, nor to the weak among children, and that you should deal justly with orphans.” The reference to “that which is recited in the Book” is admittedly to 4:3. And the reference in “whom you give not what is appointed for them nor to the weak among children” is to the Arab custom, according to which women and minor children did not get a share of inheritance, the recognized