Surah An-Nisa is one of the seven long surahs given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Torah, and he ﷺ said: “Whoever takes up the first seven surahs of the Qur’an is a scholar.” He recited it in the night prayer with Al-Baqarah and Al ’Imran. The surah of obligatory rulings and inheritance, it sets out many major sins and contains verses of hope that Ibn Mas’ud valued above the whole world.
Hudhayfah prayed one night with the Prophet ﷺ, who recited at a measured pace Al-Baqarah, then An-Nisa, then Al ’Imran; and Aishah reported that he would spend whole nights with Al-Baqarah, Al ’Imran and An-Nisa, supplicating at verses of glad tidings and seeking refuge at verses of warning.
Authentic (sahih)Muslim (772), Abu Dawud (871) and At-Tirmidhi (262) Good (hasan)Ahmad (6/119) and Abu Ya’la (4842)
It is one of the seven long surahs given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Torah, and he ﷺ said: “Whoever takes up the first seven surahs of the Qur’an is a learned scholar (habr).”
Authentic (sahih)Ahmad (6/82) and Al-Hakim Good (hasan)At-Tayalisi (Musnad, 1012) and Ahmad (4/107)
Umar ibn al-Khattab said: “Learn Surahs Al-Baqarah, An-Nisa, Al-Ma’idah, Al-Hajj and An-Nur, for they contain the obligatory rulings.” An-Nisa stands out in particular for the verses on inheritance.
Authentic (sahih)Al-Hakim, and Al-Bayhaqi (Shu’ab al-Iman, 2451)
Asked about the major sins, Ibn Mas’ud said: what lies between the beginning of An-Nisa and the thirtieth verse; then Allah promises whoever avoids them: “If you avoid the major sins you are forbidden, We will remove your misdeeds from you and admit you to a noble entrance.”
Authentic (sahih)Al-Bazzar (1532) and At-Tabarani (Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, 8504)
Ibn Mas’ud said: “In An-Nisa there are five verses I would not exchange for the world and all it contains”, among them: “Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him, but He forgives what is less than that to whom He wills.” Qatadah reported from Ibn Abbas that eight of its verses are better for this nation than all the sun rises and sets upon.
The Prophet ﷺ asked Abdullah ibn Mas’ud to recite the Qur’an to him; he recited An-Nisa until “How will it be when We bring from every nation a witness, and bring you as a witness against these?”; raising his head, he saw the Prophet’s ﷺ eyes flowing with tears.
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
صليت مع النبي ﷺ ذات ليلة، فافتتح البقرة، فقلت: يركع عند المائة ثم مضى، فقلت: يصلي بها في ركعة فمضى، فقلت: يركع بها، ثم افتتح النساء فقرأها، ثم افتتح آل عمران فقرأها، يقرأ مترسلًا …
“I prayed with the Prophet ﷺ one night. He began Al-Baqarah; I thought he would bow at a hundred verses, but he went on; I thought he would complete it in one rak’ah, but he went on; then he began An-Nisa and recited it, then Al ’Imran and recited it, reading at a measured pace…”
كان رسول اللّه ﷺ يقوم الليلة التمام فيقرأ سورة البقرة، وسورة آل عمران، وسورة النساء، لا يمر بآية فيها استبشار إلا دعا اللّه عز وجل ورغب، ولا يمر بآية فيها تخويف إلا دعا الله عز وجل واستعاذ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would spend the whole night in prayer reciting Al-Baqarah, Al ’Imran and An-Nisa; he did not pass a verse of glad tidings without supplicating Allah in hope, nor a verse of warning without supplicating Allah and seeking refuge in Him.
من أخذ السبع الأول من القرآن فهو حبر
“Whoever takes up the first seven surahs of the Qur’an is a learned scholar (habr).”
أعطيت مكان التوراة السبع الطوال، ومكان الزبور المئين، ومكان الإنجيل المثاني، وفضِّلت بالمفصل
“I was given the seven long ones in place of the Torah, the Mi’un in place of the Psalms, the Mathani in place of the Gospel, and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
ما بين أول سورة النساء إلى رأس الثلاثين
Asked about the major sins, Ibn Mas’ud said: “What lies between the beginning of Surah An-Nisa and the thirtieth verse.”
تعلموا سورة البقرة، وسورة النساء، وسورة المائدة، وسورة الحج، وسورة النور؛ فإن فيهن الفرائض
“Learn Surahs Al-Baqarah, An-Nisa, Al-Ma’idah, Al-Hajj and An-Nur, for they contain the obligatory rulings.”
من قرأ البقرة وآل عمران والنساء في ليلة كتب من القانتين
“Whoever recites Al-Baqarah, Al ’Imran and An-Nisa in one night is recorded among the devoutly obedient (al-qanitin).”
Main purpose: To organise Muslim society and its relations, protect rights, urge striving in Allah’s way and refute the claim that the Messiah was killed.
An-Nisa is a Medinan surah, the 4th in the order of the Qur’an and the longest Medinan surah after Al-Baqarah; it was revealed after Al-Mumtahanah. Its Medinan origin is supported by the words of Aishah reported by Al-Bukhari: “Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa were only revealed when I was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” It is named after its many rulings on women, and is called “the greater Surah of Women”, as distinct from At-Talaq, “the lesser”.
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
