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“You may defer whomsoever of them you wish, and receive unto yourself whomsoever you wish. And if you desire any whom you had set aside, there is no blame upon you. That is more likely to comfort their eyes, keep them from grieving, and cause all of them to be content with what you have given them. And Allah knows what is in your hearts; and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.” (51)
“You may defer”—that is, postpone—“whomsoever of them you wish, and receive”—that is, draw near—“unto yourself whomsoever you wish.”
The exegetes differed concerning the meaning of this verse. The best-known view is that it concerns the apportionment of time among them, for equal treatment among them
﴿تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ وَلَا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا (٥١) ﴾
﴿تُرْجِي﴾ أَيْ: تُؤَخِّرُ، ﴿مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي﴾ أَيْ: تَضُمُّ، ﴿إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ﴾
اخْتَلَفَ الْمُفَسِّرُونَ فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ: فَأَشْهَرُ الْأَقَاوِيلِ أَنَّهُ فِي الْقَسْمِ بَيْنَهُنَّ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ التَّسْوِيَةَ بَيْنَهُنَّ