Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (2/295)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Sulayman ibn Yasar related from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, concerning this verse: If she reaches a settlement with him by relinquishing some of her rights to an equitable share of his time and to maintenance, this is permissible as long as she consents. But if, after the settlement, she withdraws from it, she may do so, and her full rights are hers. (1)

Muqatil ibn Hayyan said concerning this verse: A man may have an elderly wife and then marry a younger woman in addition to her. He says to the older wife, “I have given you [from] (2) my wealth a share, on condition that I allocate more time to this younger woman than I allocate to you.” If she is content with the arrangement they have agreed upon, then so be it; but if she refuses to accept it, he must treat them equitably in the division of time.

It is related from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning this verse: A woman may be married to a man, but his eye turns away from her because of her unattractiveness or old age, while she dislikes being separated from him. If she gives him some of her wealth, it is lawful for him; and if she gives him some of her allotted days, it is lawful for him. (3) “Settlement is best,” meaning: her remaining with him after he has given her the choice. Reaching a settlement by relinquishing some of her rights to an equitable share of time and to maintenance is better than separation.

This is as related of Sawdah, may Allah be pleased with her, who had grown old, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, wished to separate from her. She said, “Do not divorce me. My only wish is to be raised among your wives, and I have assigned my allotted turn to Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.” So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, kept her as his wife, and he allotted to Aishah both her day and Sawdah’s day. (4)

His saying, exalted is He: “Human souls are ever inclined to selfishness,” means the selfishness of each spouse regarding his or her share from the other. Selfishness is the ugliest form of miserliness; its true nature is eagerness to withhold what is good. “If you do good,” that is, if you set matters right, “and are mindful of Allah,” by avoiding injustice. It is also said that this is addressed to husbands: if you act kindly by remaining with her despite your aversion, and fear wronging her, “then Allah is surely All-Aware of what you do,” and He will recompense you for your deeds.

“You will never be able to maintain equal treatment between wives, however keen you may be. So do not let your inclination be so excessive that you leave one of them suspended. But if you reconcile and are mindful of Allah, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (129)”

His saying, exalted is He: “You will never be able to maintain equal treatment between wives,” means: you will never be able to make wives equal in love and the inclination of the heart, “however keen you may be” to be just. “So do not let your inclination be so excessive,” that is, toward the one whom you love, “that you leave one of them suspended.” This refers to excessive preference in the division of time and in maintenance: do not make your actions follow your desires, lest you leave the other like one suspended—neither without a husband nor truly a wife. Qatadah said: like one imprisoned. In the recitation of Ubayy ibn Ka'b: “as though she were imprisoned.”

(1) See: Al-Durr al-Manthur, 2:712. (2) In manuscript A: “I give you [this] on the condition that I allot from . . .” (3) Narrated by Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Tabari. See: Tafsir al-Tabari, 9:268-269; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 1:564. (4) See: Tabaqat Ibn Sad, 8:53, 169. It is established that Sawdah gave her allotted day to Aishah, as narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Marriage, chapter “A Woman Giving Her Day to Her Co-Wife,” 9:312; Muslim in the Book of Breastfeeding, chapter “The Permissibility of a Woman Giving Her Turn to Her Co-Wife,” no. 1462, 2:1085; and Sharh al-Sunnah, 9:152.

وَقَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ﵄: فَإِنْ صَالَحَتْهُ عَنْ بَعْضِ حَقِّهَا مِنَ الْقَسْمِ وَالنَّفَقَةِ فَذَلِكَ جَائِزٌ مَا رَضِيَتْ، فَإِنْ أَنْكَرَتْهُ بَعْدَ الصُّلْحِ فَذَلِكَ لَهَا وَلَهَا حَقُّهَا (١) . وَقَالَ مُقَاتِلُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ: هُوَ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ يَكُونُ تَحْتَهُ الْمَرْأَةُ الْكَبِيرَةُ فَيَتَزَوَّجُ عَلَيْهَا الشَّابَّةَ، فَيَقُولُ لِلْكَبِيرَةِ: [أَعْطَيْتُكِ مِنْ] (٢) مَالِي نَصِيبًا عَلَى أَنْ أَقْسِمَ لِهَذِهِ الشَّابَّةِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَقْسِمُ لَكِ فَتَرْضَى بِمَا اصْطَلَحَا عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ أَبَتْ أَنْ تَرْضَى فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَعْدِلَ بَيْنَهُمَا فِي الْقَسْمِ. وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ ﵁ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ قَالَ: تَكُونُ الْمَرْأَةُ عِنْدَ الرَّجُلِ فَتَنْبُو عَيْنُهُ عَنْهَا مِنْ دَمَامَةٍ أَوْ كِبَرٍ فَتَكْرَهُ فُرْقَتَهُ، فَإِنْ أَعْطَتْهُ مِنْ مَالِهَا فَهُوَ لَهُ حِلٌّ، وَإِنْ أَعْطَتْهُ مِنْ أَيَّامِهَا فَهُوَ لَهُ حِلٌّ (٣) ﴿وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ﴾ يَعْنِي: إِقَامَتَهَا بَعْدَ تَخْيِيرِهِ إِيَّاهَا، وَالْمُصَالَحَةُ عَلَى تَرْكِ بَعْضِ حَقِّهَا مِنَ الْقَسْمِ وَالنَّفَقَةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْفُرْقَةِ، كَمَا يُرْوَى أَنَّ سَوْدَةَ ﵂ كَانَتِ امْرَأَةً كَبِيرَةً وَأَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يُفَارِقَهَا، فَقَالَتْ: لَا تُطَلِّقْنِي وَإِنَّمَا بِي أَنْ أُبْعَثَ فِي نِسَائِكَ وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُ نَوْبَتِي لِعَائِشَةَ ﵂ فَأَمْسَكَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَكَانَ يَقْسِمُ لِعَائِشَةَ يَوْمَهَا وَيَوْمَ سَوْدَةَ ﵂ (٤) . قَوْلُهُ ﵎: ﴿وَأُحْضِرَتِ الْأَنْفُسُ الشُّحَّ﴾ يُرِيدُ: شُحَّ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ بِنَصِيبِهِ مِنَ الْآخَرِ، وَالشُّحُّ: أَقْبَحُ الْبُخْلِ، وَحَقِيقَتُهُ. الْحِرْصُ عَلَى مَنْعِ الْخَيْرِ، ﴿وَإِنْ تُحْسِنُوا﴾ أَيْ: تُصْلِحُوا ﴿وَتَتَّقُوا﴾ الْجَوْرَ، وَقِيلَ: هَذَا خِطَابٌ مَعَ الْأَزْوَاجِ، أَيْ: وَإِنْ تُحْسِنُوا بِالْإِقَامَةِ مَعَهَا عَلَى الْكَرَاهَةِ وَتَتَّقُوا ظُلْمَهَا ﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا﴾ فَيَجْزِيكُمْ بِأَعْمَالِكُمْ. ﴿وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ وَإِنْ تُصْلِحُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا (١٢٩) ﴾ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ﴾ أَيْ: لَنْ تَقْدِرُوا أَنْ تُسَوُّوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ فِي الْحُبِّ وَمَيْلِ الْقَلْبِ، ﴿وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ﴾ عَلَى الْعَدْلِ، ﴿فَلَا تَمِيلُوا﴾ أَيْ: إِلَى الَّتِي تُحِبُّونَهَا، ﴿كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ﴾ فِي الْقَسْمِ وَالنَّفَقَةِ، أَيْ: لَا تُتْبِعُوا أَهْوَاءَكُمْ أَفْعَالَكُمْ، ﴿فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ﴾ أَيْ فَتَدَعُوا الْأُخْرَى كَالْمَنُوطَةِ لَا أَيِّمًا وَلَا ذَاتَ بَعْلٍ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: كَالْمَحْبُوسَةِ، وَفِي قِرَاءَةِ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ: كَأَنَّهَا مَسْجُونَةٌ.

(١) انظر: الدر المنثور: ٢ / ٧١٢. (٢) في أ: (أعطيك على أن أقسم من. .) . (٣) أخرجه أبو داود الطيالسي وابن أبي حاتم والطبري. انظر: الطبري: ٩ / ٢٦٨ - ٢٦٩، ابن كثير: ١ / ٥٦٤. (٤) انظر طبقات ابن سعد: ٨ / ٥٣، ١٦٩، وثبت أن سودة وهبت يومها لعائشة فيما أخرجه البخاري في النكاح، باب المرأة تهب يومها من زوجها لضرتها: ٩ / ٣١٢، ومسلم في الرضاع، باب جواز هبتها نوبتها لضرتها برقم (١٤٦٢) : ٢ / ١٠٨٥، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ٩ / ١٥٢.