Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (669)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(51) “You may defer any of them you wish and take to yourself any you wish; and there is no blame upon you if you desire any of those you had set aside. That is more conducive to their contentment, freedom from grief, and their all being pleased with what you have given them. Allah knows what is in your hearts, and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.”

This too is part of Allah’s gracious latitude toward His Messenger and His mercy to him: He made it permissible for him not to divide his time among his wives as an obligation. If he did observe such a division, it was voluntary on his part. Even so, he—peace and blessings be upon him—would strive to divide everything equitably among them, saying, “O Allah, this is my division regarding what I control, so do not blame me for what I do not control.”

He therefore says here, “You may defer any of them you wish,” [meaning: you may postpone whichever of your wives you wish, neither taking her to yourself nor spending the night with her] (1), “and take to yourself any you wish,” meaning that you may bring her close and spend the night with her.

“And”—even so, this arrangement is not binding—“any whom you desire,” meaning that you wish to take to yourself, “there is no blame upon you.” The meaning is that the choice in all of this rests with you. [Many commentators have said that this applies specifically to women who offer themselves to him: he may defer whomever he wishes and take to himself whomever he wishes. That is, he may accept a woman who offers herself to him if he wishes, or decline to accept her if he wishes. Allah knows best] (2).

He then explained the wisdom behind this, saying: “That”—meaning the latitude granted to you, the matter being left to your discretion, and whatever you give them being voluntary on your part—“is more conducive to their contentment, freedom from grief, and their all being pleased with what you have given them,” because they know that you have neither neglected an obligation nor fallen short in any binding right.

⦗670⦘

“Allah knows what is in your hearts,” meaning what arises within them while obligatory and recommended rights are being fulfilled and when there is competition over those rights. For this reason, O Messenger of Allah, He has granted you latitude so that your wives’ hearts may be reassured.

“And Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing,” meaning vast in knowledge and abundant in forbearance. It is part of His knowledge that He has prescribed for you what is best for your affairs and brings you the greatest reward. It is part of His forbearance that He does not punish you for what proceeds from you or for the evil upon which your hearts persist.

(1) An addition from B. (2) An addition from the margin of B. Some words were unclear and have been corrected based on the Salafiyya edition.

﴿٥١﴾ ﴿تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ وَلا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا﴾ . وهذا أيضًا من توسعة الله على رسوله ورحمته به، أن أباح له ترك القسم بين زوجاته، على وجه الوجوب، وأنه إن فعل ذلك، فهو تبرع منه، ومع ذلك، فقد كان ﷺ يجتهد في القسم بينهن في كل شيء، ويقول "اللهم هذا قسمي فيما أملك، فلا تلمني فيما لا أملك". فقال هنا: ﴿تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ﴾ [أي: تؤخر من أردت من زوجاتك فلا تؤويها إليك، ولا تبيت عندها] (١) ﴿وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ﴾ أي: تضمها وتبيت عندها. ﴿و﴾ مع ذلك لا يتعين هذا الأمر ﴿مَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ﴾ أي: أن تؤويها ﴿فَلا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ﴾ والمعنى أن الخيرة بيدك في ذلك كله [وقال كثير من المفسرين: إن هذا خاص بالواهبات، له أن يرجي من يشاء، ويؤوي من يشاء، أي: إن شاء قبل من وهبت نفسها له، وإن شاء لم يقبلها، والله أعلم] (٢) . ثم بين الحكمة في ذلك فقال: ﴿ذَلِكَ﴾ أي: التوسعة عليك، وكون الأمر راجعًا إليك وبيدك، وكون ما جاء منك إليهن تبرعًا منك ﴿أَدْنَى أَنْ تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ وَلا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ﴾ لعلمهن أنك لم تترك واجبًا، ولم تفرط في حق لازم. ⦗٦٧٠⦘ ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ﴾ أي: ما يعرض لها عند أداء الحقوق الواجبة والمستحبة، وعند المزاحمة في الحقوق، فلذلك شرع لك التوسعة يا رسول الله، لتطمئن قلوب زوجاتك. ﴿وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا﴾ أي: واسع العلم، كثير الحلم. ومن علمه، أن شرع لكم ما هو أصلح لأموركم، وأكثر لأجوركم. ومن حلمه، أن لم يعاقبكم بما صدر منكم، وما أصرت عليه قلوبكم من الشر.

(١) زيادة من ب. (٢) زيادة من هامش (ب) وفي بعض الكلمات عدم وضوح وتم تصويبها من طبعة السلفية.