We may now understand why it was necessary to prepare the...

We may now understand why it was necessary to prepare the minds before promulgating the laws for these subjects which concerned the whole society and which were enmeshed with the roots of the social system.

It is really not an easy thing to divert the people from the social norms which they are accustomed to and which have nurtured their ideas and ideals; to make them discard the systems which they grew up believing in, and which the generations of ancestors had sanctified by faithful adherence; to cast off the customs and traditions which had molded their character and outlook. It was in this difficult situation that the laws revealed at the beginning of this chapter were promulgated.

It may easily be appreciated if we look just briefly at the world's situation at that time, and particularly at the condition of Arabia - the place of the revelation of the Qur'an and rise of Islam. Also, it will make it clear why the Qur'an was sent down piecemeal, and why the Islamic laws were promulgated gradually. COMMENTARY QUR'AN: And give to the orphans their property . . .

a great crime: It is an order to return to the orphans their property, and it paves the way for the next two sentences (and do not substitute. . .. and do not devour. . .); or the latter two serve as explanation of the former. But as the reason given at the end (this is surely a great crime) refers to the latter two or the last one sentence, it supports the view that the first sentence is put here as a prologue to the next two.

The main prohibition that one should not use an orphan's property in a manner detrimental to his interest, in itself prepares the ground for the soon-coming laws of inheritance, and of the marriage described in the next verse. The words, "and do not substitute worthless for good", mean: Do not substitute your worthless things for their good ones; if there is any good property belonging to them, you should not keep it for yourself returning to them some worthless property of yours in exchange.

Some people have explained it as follows: Do not substitute unlawful things for lawful ones. But the former meaning is more obvious, because apparently the two sentences (do not substitute. . ., and do not devour. . .) describe a particular type of unlawful management, and the first sentence (And give the orphans. . .) paves the way for both. In the last clause, "this is surely a great crime ", al-hub (sin; crime) is infinitive verb and also verbal noun.