toward the customs of the Jāhiliyyah, refining whatever could still be refined and abolishing outright whatever was sheer corruption.

4. ʾIlāʾ serves as a disciplinary measure for a wife who defiantly disobeys her husband. It is therefore permitted only to the extent of actual need—namely, four months. Anything beyond that is tyranny and injustice, and may even drive the woman, or both spouses, to sin; for that reason Islamic law set it aside.

5. The people of the pre-Islamic age were harsh and oppressive toward their weak—women and girls in particular. Part of that harshness was their practice of ʾilāʾ for a year or two, swearing not to have intercourse with the woman during that entire period. This was a grave wrong and blatant injustice that could pave the way to many evils and invite separation and discord. Islam therefore abolished it and retained only what necessity required, fixing the period at four months, as Allah says: “For those who forswear their wives, a waiting period of four months [is ordained]” (Qurʾan 2:226).

6. The phrase “they halt the muʾlī” means that they set for him the lawful limit of ʾilāʾ—four months. When that time elapses, he is stopped at that boundary: he must either revoke his oath and resume marital relations or pronounce divorce. A husband may not harm his wife by withholding intimacy; whoever harms others, Allah will harm him.

7. The statement “If it is less than four months, it is not ʾilāʾ” must be read alongside ʿĀʾishah’s report that the Prophet ﷺ observed an ʾilāʾ from his wives for one month; what is meant is that it is not a prohibited form of ʾilāʾ.

ʾIlāʾ is an oath to abstain from marital relations. If the period sworn is under four months, this is a permissible form of ʾilāʾ and none of the legal consequences apply—no claim may be lodged, no suit brought before a judge, and the husband cannot be compelled either to resume relations or to divorce.