peace all,
Sorry for the brevity, but is the info I came across:
It started with realising it is not "sparing" but "shaming" women/nisa in 2:49,7:127,141,14:6,28:4,40:25. See the word usage here:
http://corpus.quran.com/search.jsp?q=pos:v+(X)+root:Hyy7:127,40:25 are not about the Israelites. The 2 verses speak of Firon's punishments inflicted on those around him in his assembly who believed in Musa's prophethood after he performed the miracles: their sons were slain and their women kept alive to serve Firon and those with him.
The verses say "We will slay their sons and spare/nastahyy their women/nisaa'ahum, and surely we are masters over them". "al-Istihya" means to wish someone to remain alive. The word also carries the meaning of indecency towards the women. It is clear from the verse, that are only concerned in mentioning the punishements, that Firon kept their women alive for himself, to humiliate their husbands who betrayed him.
The other verses 2:49,7:141,14:6,28:4 come in the context of the favors bestowed on the Israelites. The verses are a reminder of the cruel torments and abasements they endured under Firon; their sons were slain and, just like the men in Firon's assembly who became Muslims after witnessing Musa's miracles, their women were kept alive as a humiliation and abasement, to serve Firon and his people "And when We delivered you from Pharaoh's people, who subjected you/yasumunakum to severe torment, killing your sons and sparing/yastahyuna your women/nisaa'akum". "al-Istihya" carries the same meaning as in 7:127,40:25 and with "yasumunakum" the Quran stresses the severity of these torments that were "imposed" on them in addition to their state of slavery.
The "favor" of Firon, of sparing the Israelites' daughters has nothing to do in those verses because they speak only of the torments and humiliations they were inflicted with; their sons were slain and their women kept alive and taken by Firon and his people.
2:49"And when We delivered you from Firon?s people, who subjected you to severe torment, killing your sons and sparing your women"
2:49"And when We delivered you from Firon?s people, who subjected you to severe torment, killing your sons and sparing your women"
14:6"And when Musa said to his people: Call to mind Allah?s favor to you when He delivered you from Firon?s people, who subjected you to severe torment, and slew your sons and spared your women"
28:4"Surely Firon exalted himself in the land and made its people into parties, weakening one party from among them; he slaughtered their sons and let their women live"
Sparing the Israelites' daughters is not a "severe torment" nor can it be considered a "weakening/abasement" which is why it is not mentioned in those verses.
Your argument and those with you, fails on both counts:
- the linguistic absurdity of claiming that nisaa' means anything else than women
- the attempted parallel of the Quran account and the Biblical account
Then realising that Reformist Quran Translation likely has it wrong with 4:127, and it is not "mother of orphans" but rather "orphan women/nisa", and refers to when the guardian desires to marry his orphan nisa/women (who are now physically and mentally mature, see 4:6) then he cannot withhold/consume unjustly what is rightfully theirs, which includes their inheritance/dowries. In Classical Arabic, an orphan can be an adult woman without a father and unmarried, hence the usage, see:
http://www.baheth.info/all.jsp?term=يتيميقال للمرأة يَتيمةٌ لا يزول عنها اسمُ اليُتْمِ أَبداً؛ وأَنشدوا: وينْكِح الأَرامِل اليَتامى وقال أَبو عبيدة: تُدْعى يتيمةً ما لم تَتزوج، فإِذا تَزوَّجت زال عنها اسمُ اليُتْم؛
Translation: a woman is referred to as an orphan and she never loses the title; and it has been said: "and orphan widows (re)marry" and Abu Ubaida said: a woman is called an orphan as long as she did not marry yet, and if she married, the title of orphanage is gone.
The verse could be referring to dower as well as inheritance, but interestingly if someone makes the argument, like some commentators/translators do, and say it means marrying "orphan girls" in 4:127, then it will contradict 4:6 as they are not to be given their wealth until they are physically and mentally mature! Thus, the man/guardian would not be in the wrong by withholding, but he clearly is in 4:127! So the only option left without causing a contradiction is to say it is about giving dower only and not inheritance, but then they will have to explain why AQ mentions their orphan status, as this would be irrelevant. Also, dower is given upon marriage, not before. Not to mention 4:127 clearly implies this ruling is referring to something already existing in the writ/book, which of course is 4:6, hence once this is clarified, it goes onto remind us of the duties to weak children (masculine plural). This withholding of wealth and situation also links perfectly to 4:128, see my article on DaRaBa.
As we can see, the internal logic and precision clarifies without a doubt issues such as marriageable age, meaning of nisa/women, other words etc. AQ continues to amaze me.
