What is the difference between the words "نساء" (nisa') and "نسوة" (niswah) in the Noble Quran, as in "قال نسوة..." and "يا نساء النبي..."?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Oct 24, 2026
The difference between "nisāʾ" (نساء) and "niswah" (نسوة) is that "niswah" is a plural of paucity, indicating a small number, while "nisāʾ" is a plural of multitude, and it is the plural of "niswah." Al-Alusi mentioned that "niswah" is a broken plural for scarcity, and Abu Hayyan clarified that they are five women.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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