Sūrah An-Nisāʾ The Women
سورة النساء
A Madīnan sūrah of 176 verses on family law, inheritance, and the treatment of women. Al-Ṭabarī presents competing narrations on inheritance shares, the meaning of "qawwāmūn," and the treatment of Ahlu l-Kitāb, adjudicating through isnād strength and linguistic analysis.
Surah Overview
Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī
On inheritance (4:11–12), al-Ṭabarī meticulously collects all narrations on the division of shares, presenting the views of Ibn ʿAbbās, Zayd ibn Thābit, and the other great fuqahāʾ among the Companions. He notes where their chains agree and where they diverge, using agreement (tawātur or widespread transmission) as evidence for the stronger view. This section of his tafsīr became a foundational reference for later fiqh scholars of all four madhāhib.
Al-Ṭabarī's treatment of "ar-rijālu qawwāmūna ʿalā n-nisāʾ" (4:34) is notably careful. He presents the view that qiwāmah is grounded in two things (divine decree + financial provision) and that it does not imply absolute superiority of men over women in all matters. He then collects Companion narrations on what "striking" means and prioritizes the prophetic clarification that it must be ghayra mubarriḥ (not injurious/severe).
- Inheritance precision: Al-Ṭabarī's detailed isnād analysis of the ʿaṣabah (agnate) rules and ḍawū l-arḥām (maternal relatives) shares became a reference for all later fiqh schools.
- Qiwāmah as function: Guardianship/maintenance (qiwāmah) is grounded in specific conditions it is not a blanket authority but a responsibility conditional on fulfillment.
- Prophetic limits: The Prophet's own ḥadīth clarifying limits on marital discipline (ghayra mubarriḥ) is placed by al-Ṭabarī above all Companion interpretations.
- Fiqh application: Al-Ṭabarī occasionally notes which Companion views were adopted by major early jurists (Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, and Aḥmad) as context for their rulings.
- Women's testimony: On 4:135, al-Ṭabarī presents Companion narrations on women's testimony in different contexts, noting the range of scholarly applications.