What is the difference between (And they request a ruling) and (And they ask)? The first one refers to asking about instruction and rulings as in the verses:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ
(And they ask you about menstruation.) (Al-Baqara: 222)
Then the answer comes:
قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَطْهُرْنَ ۖ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
(Say, “It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.”) (Al-Baqara: 222)
And:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ
(They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons.) (Al-Baqara: 189)
The answer comes:
قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ
(Say, “They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.”) (Al-Baqara: 189)
Whereas (And they request a ruling) is asking about a ruling already revealed, but they want to have more explanations and details about. Accordingly, when we say that a person gives a ruling about a matter, it means that he explains the ruling which already exists.
So here, they request a ruling concerning women in general.
At the beginning of this Surah, the question was about women, about inheritance and marriage, and what is related to them of what is permissible and what is forbidden. It is known that before Islam, women were a possession in all parts of the earth, an adornment and a tool, and they used to bury girls alive while women had no rights. And when Islam came, it gave women their rights. In this verse, there is an answer to a young men’s question about women:
(… قُلِ اللَّهُ يُفْتِيكُمْ فِيهِنَّ وَمَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ فِي يَتَامَى النِّسَاءِ …) (…Say, “Allah gives you a ruling about them and [about] what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the orphan girls …): Allah (swt) clarifies and gives instruction about them what comes in the beginning of this Surah. But why (the orphan girls)?
Allah (swt) mentions the weak element, which is the weakness of the orphan:
وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَىٰ فَانكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا
(And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].) (An-Nisaa: 2)
Even polygamy, which was mentioned at the beginning of this Surah, began with the issue of orphans, because preserving the rights of orphans is a priority. The guardian in the pre-Islamic era either married the girl and took her money or get her married her and withheld the money from her. So Islam came to correct these matters and give women their rights, so the first right to draw attention to it is the rights of orphans.
(… وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الْوِلْدَانِ …) (…and concerning the oppressed among children …): That during the time of Pre-Islam, they used to deny young children and females a share of inheritance, this what Islam has forbidden.
(… وَأَن تَقُومُوا لِلْيَتَامَىٰ بِالْقِسْطِ …) (…and that you maintain for orphans [their rights] in justice.”…): Society must be based on justice for orphans. The Prophet (saws) said:
“I will be like this in Jannah with the person who takes care of an orphan”. Messenger of Allah (saws) raised his forefinger and middle finger by way of illustration.[1]
He (saws) used to wipe the head of the orphan, and even considered this wiping is a reason to enter Paradise. Therefore, the application of justice with orphans is to preserve their money and rights, prevent abuse and prevent the marriage of orphans in order to seizure their money.
( وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِهِ عَلِيمًا … ) (…And whatever you do of good – indeed, Allah is ever Knowing of it): It suffices that doing good is known to Allah (swt), so do not make doing good for the sake of praise by humans, but you must put in yourself, your mind, and your heart, the Lord of mankind. Some people in this era are trying to attribute to religion what Allah (swt), His Messenger, or all religions did not say. Religions came as a mercy to the worlds and for the good of man.
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari: The Book of Divorce, Hadith No. 4998.