Texts of Islam

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 4. an-Nisa': W...

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This is a partial excerpt from Surah An-Nisa' (Chapter 4: "Women") of the Quran, presented in M.M. Pickthall's English translation — a landmark 1930 rendering notable for being the first by a native English-speaking Muslim. The passage covers an extensive range of legal and ethical injunctions revealed in Medina, addressing family law, inheritance, marriage regulations, and social conduct. Core content includes precise inheritance shares allocated to men, women, children, and parents; rules forbidding marriage to specified categories of relatives; and guidelines on polygamy, dowry (mahr), and the treatment of wives. The chapter also addresses obligations toward orphans, the poor, and enslaved persons, alongside theological reminders about accountability on Judgment Day and the consequences of disobedience. The text's most distinctive and contested feature is verse 34, which asserts male authority over women and sanctions physical discipline of wives deemed disobedient — a passage that has generated extensive scholarly debate across centuries of Islamic jurisprudence and modern feminist commentary. Pickthall's translation renders classical Quranic Arabic in an archaic English register (thee/thou/ye) intended to convey the text's solemnity, making this excerpt valuable for readers seeking a historically significant, Muslim-authored English translation of foundational Islamic legal scripture.

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 4. an-Nisa': W...

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