لِّلَّذِينَ يُؤْلُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمْ تَرَبُّصُ أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْهُرٍ ۖ فَإِن فَآءُو فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 226
Translations
For those who swear not to have sexual relations with their wives is a waiting time of four months, but if they return [to normal relations] - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Lilladhīna yu'lūna min nisā'ihim tarabbusu arba'ati ashhurin fa-in fā'ū fa-inna Allāha ghafūrun rahīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the waiting period (tarabbuṣ) of four months for men who take an oath to abstain from sexual relations with their wives (known as īlā' in Islamic jurisprudence). According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurṭubī, if the husband breaks his oath and returns to his wife within this period, Allah is forgiving and merciful; if he does not, the marriage contract requires resolution. This verse strikes a balance between preserving marital bonds and protecting women's rights by imposing a time limit on such oaths.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Medina during the early Islamic period to address a pre-Islamic Arabian custom where men would abandon their wives through vows of abstinence. The broader context in Surah Al-Baqarah addresses various marital matters, establishing Islamic guidelines for marriage rights and responsibilities. This verse establishes legal protections against indefinite separation without divorce.
Related Hadiths
The hadith of 'Ā'ishah (Sahih Bukhari) discusses the ruling on īlā' and marital disputes. Additionally, the hadith in Abu Dawud regarding the Prophet's ﷺ handling of cases where men took such oaths illustrates the practical application of this principle in early Islamic jurisprudence.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that while Islamic law provides time for reconciliation and reflection in marital disputes, it does not permit indefinite harm or abandonment of spouses; it emphasizes that God's mercy encompasses those who repent and rectify their actions. For modern Muslims, this underscores the importance of honoring marital commitments and resolving disputes with compassion rather than through harmful vows or prolonged separation.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُوا۟ نُؤْمِنُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَآءَهُۥ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنۢبِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ مِن قَبْلُ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And when it is said to them, "Believe in what Allāh has revealed," they say, "We believe [only] in what was revealed to us." And they disbelieve in what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them. Say, "Then why did you kill the prophets of Allāh before, if you are [indeed] believers?"
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا نَكَـٰلًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
And We made it a deterrent punishment for those who were present and those who succeeded [them] and a lesson for those who fear Allāh.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ
And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe.