Derivation of the Justification of Legal Commands through the Principle of Justice in Sūrah al-Nisāʾ

سورت النسآء میں استنباط کے ذریعہ تعلیل احکام

Abstract

Sūrah al-Nisāʾ is a Madinan sūrah consisting of 176 verses and 24 rukūʿāt. It is the fourth chapter of the Holy Qurʾān and derives its name from the extensive discussion of rulings related to women contained within it. The explanation of the underlying reason or cause of a matter is termed taʿlīl, and when applied to legal injunctions, it is referred to as taʿlīl al-aḥkām. In Islamic legal theory, an unspecified ruling may be determined by drawing an analogy (qiyās) with a specified ruling, based on a shared effective cause (ʿillah). Another important dimension of taʿlīl is the recognition that Sharīʿah rulings are grounded in wisdom and benefit (maṣlaḥah) for humanity. The causes underlying legal rulings are generally categorized into two types: explicit (manṣūṣ) causes, which are directly stated in the text, and derived (mustanbaṭ) causes, which are inferred through juristic reasoning. Through an analytical examination of various classical and contemporary exegeses of Sūrah al-Nisāʾ, this study identifies approximately twelve derived causes associated with its legal injunctions. These have been systematically compiled and analyzed in the research. The study offers a novel methodological contribution by organizing and presenting the inferred rationales identified by Qurʾānic commentators in a structured and coherent manner, thereby providing a fresh perspective on the jurisprudential analysis of the sūrah’s legal directives.