for this reason Allah the Exalted says: “There is no blame upon the two of them if they make terms of settlement between themselves, and reconciliation is best” (Qur’an 4:128)—that is, reconciliation is better than separation.

4 – The course of action chosen by the Mother of the Believers Sawdah was exceedingly wise. It is authentically reported that ʿĀʾishah said, “Of all people, there is no one whose place I would rather take than Sawdah’s.” Sawdah passed away toward the end of ʿUmar’s caliphate.

5 – The jurists have stated: When a wife donates her day and night to her co-wife, the husband is not thereby obliged to abide by that arrangement. He may still spend the night with the donor if he wishes and decline to substitute another for her; but if he consents to the arrangement, it is permissible.

6 – The donating wife may retract her gift of her turn whenever she wishes, because a gift (hibah) may be taken back so long as what was given has not yet been delivered, and the future portion has not yet been taken.

7 – If the husband has several wives and the donor assigns her turn to one specific wife, that turn becomes exclusively hers, as occurred with Sawdah and ʿĀʾishah. If, however, she relinquishes her share of the nightly rotation without designating any particular co-wife, the husband should divide his time equally among the remaining wives while the donor is excluded from the allotment.