What is the meaning of the hadith "There is no imprisonment after Surat An-Nisa," which was mentioned after the revelation of Surat An-Nisa?
The Hadith "No confinement after Surat An-Nisa" is weak. Al-Uqayli, Al-Daraqutni, and Ibn Hazm consider its narrators weak. Ibn Hazm believes it is a fabricated Hadith because the Companions were confined after the revelation of Surat An-Nisa, and the Prophet was aware of it. Al-Tahawi held that the Hadith means that an endowment (waqf) is not binding because the obligatory shares (fara'id) abrogated the endowment. As for the majority of scholars, they deemed the Hadith weak and affirmed the permissibility and binding nature of endowments. Scholars differed in interpreting the Hadith, assuming its authenticity. Some said it refers to the type of confinement customary in the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah). Others said it refers to the confinement of women in homes mentioned in Surat An-Nisa, which was then abrogated by the prescribed punishment for adultery. It was also said that it refers to the prohibition of the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah, and Hami, which were practices of the Jahiliyyah.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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