Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (الكتاب/160)

Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor may you oppress them so that you might reclaim part of what you had given them—unless they commit a flagrant indecency. And live with them honorably; for if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good” (Qur’an 4:19) up to His words, “a solemn covenant” (4:21).

• In the Days of Ignorance, when a man died his wife was treated like an item of inheritance: a near male relative—such as the deceased’s brother or paternal cousin—considered himself more entitled to her than she was to herself. He would bar her from marrying anyone else. If he wanted her, he married her without a dowry, or for a dowry that suited him but not her. If he did not want to marry her, he simply kept her in suspension, refusing to release her to another suitor unless he—or she—paid him compensation.

• Some men would also torment a wife who was still under their authority, withholding her rights and refusing to spend on her, in order to force her to ransom herself and secure a divorce.

Allah therefore forbade the believers to engage in these vile and unjust practices. “Unless they commit a flagrant indecency” (4:19)—such as adultery, obscene speech, or harm directed at the husband or his relatives—then, in that circumstance, it is permissible for the husband to restrict her until she ransoms herself, for in that case the ransom is taken rightfully, not oppressively.

• Next He said, “And live with them honorably.” This embraces both words and deeds: the husband must maintain his wife by providing spending money, clothing, and suitable housing in keeping with his means; he must keep her company kindly—by refraining from harm, extending kindness, dealing with her well, and not delaying her rightful dues. She, for her part, owes him the same standard of good companionship.

All of this is governed by customary practice in every time, place, and circumstance, in a manner appropriate to it. The Almighty says, “Let a man of ample means spend according to his means, and the one whose provision is limited should spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does not burden a soul with more than He has given it” (Qur’an 65:7).

٢ - ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَرِثُوا النِّسَاءَ كَرْهًا وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِنْ كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا﴾ [النساء: ١٩] إلى قولهِ: ﴿مِيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا﴾ [النساء: ٢١]. * كان أهلُ الجاهليةِ إذا ماتَ أحدُهم وُرِثَتْ زوجتهُ عنهُ كما يُورَثُ مالهُ، فرأى قريبهُ -كأخيهِ وابنِ عمهِ- أنهُ أحقُّ بها من نفسِها، ويحجرُها عن غيرهِ، فإنْ رضِيَ بها تزوَّجَها على غيرِ صَداقٍ، أو على صَداقٍ يحبهُ هوَ دونَها، وإنْ لم يرضَ بزواجِها عضَلَها ومنعَها من الأزواجِ إلا بعِوضٍ من الزوجِ أو منها. وكان منهم أيضًا مَنْ يعضلُ زوجتَهُ التي هيَ في حبالهِ، فيمنعُها من حقوقِها، ومن التوسعةِ لها؛ لتفتديَ منهُ. فنهَى اللهُ المؤمنينَ عن هذهِ الأحوالِ القبيحةِ الجائرةِ، ﴿إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ﴾ [النساء: ١٩] كالزِّنَى والكلامِ الفاحشِ وأذيتِها لزوجِها ومَن يتصلُ بهِ؛ فيجوزُ في هذهِ الحالِ أنْ يعضلَها مقابلةً لها على فعلِها؛ لتفتديَ منهُ؛ فإنَّ هذا الافتداءَ بحقٍّ لا بظلمٍ. * ثم قالَ: ﴿وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾ وهذا يشملُ المعاشرةَ القوليةَ والفعليةَ، فعلى الزوجِ أنْ يعاشرَ زوجتَهُ ببذلِ النفقةِ والكسوةِ والمسكنِ اللائقِ بحالهِ، ويصاحبُها صحبةً جميلةً؛ بكفِّ الأذَى، وبذلِ الإحسانِ، وحسنِ المعاملةِ والخلقِ، وألَّا يمطُلَها بحقِّها، وهيَ كذلكَ عليها ما عليهِ من العشرةِ. وكلُّ ذلكَ يتبعُ العرفَ في كلِّ زمانٍ ومكانٍ وحالٍ ما يليقُ بهِ، قالَ تعالى: ﴿لِيُنْفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ وَمَنْ قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنْفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا﴾ [الطلاق: ٧].