(1–5) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. * Allah has already ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths. Allah is your Guardian, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. * And when the Prophet confided something to one of his wives, and she disclosed it, Allah made it known to him. He informed her of part of it and overlooked part. When he told her about it, she asked, ‘Who informed you of this?’ He replied, ‘The All-Knowing, the All-Aware informed me.’ * If you both repent to Allah—as your hearts have indeed deviated—but if you support one another against him, then Allah is surely his Protector, as are Gabriel and the righteous among the believers; and the angels, moreover, are his supporters. * Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will replace you with wives better than you: Muslim, believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipful, fasting, previously married and virgins.”
This is a reproach from Allah to His Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, for having forbidden himself either his bondwoman Maria or drinking honey, out of consideration for the feelings of some of his wives, as related in the well-known account. Allah [Most High] therefore revealed these verses: “O Prophet”—that is, O you whom Allah has blessed with prophethood, revelation, and the divine message—“why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you” of the wholesome things with which Allah has blessed you and your nation?
⦗873⦘
“Seeking,” through this prohibition, “to please your wives? Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” This explicitly states that Allah forgave His Messenger, relieved him of blame, and showed him mercy. That prohibition on his part then became the occasion for legislating a general ruling for the entire nation. Allah Most High thus issued a general ruling concerning all oaths:
“Allah has already ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths”(1)—that is, He has prescribed and determined for you that by which your oaths may be dissolved before they are broken and that by which they may be expiated(2) after they are broken. This accords with the words of Allah Most High: “O you who believe, do not forbid the wholesome things Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress,” until He says: “Its expiation is to feed ten needy people with food of the average kind you feed your families, or to clothe them, or to free a slave. But whoever cannot find the means must fast for three days. That is the expiation for your oaths when you have sworn.”
Thus, anyone who forbids himself something lawful—whether food, drink, or a bondwoman—or swears an oath by Allah to do or refrain from something, and then breaks the oath or intends to break it, must offer the expiation mentioned. His words, “Allah is your Guardian,” mean that He takes charge of your affairs and nurtures you in the best manner in matters of your religion and worldly life, and in all that wards evil away from you. He therefore ordained the dissolution of your oaths so that you may be discharged of your obligations. “And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise”: His knowledge encompasses your outward and inward states, and He is wise in everything He creates and decrees. He has therefore prescribed for you those rulings which He knows accord with your best interests and suit your circumstances.
[And His words:] “And when the Prophet confided something to one of his wives.” Many commentators said that she was Hafsah, Mother of the Believers—may Allah be pleased with her. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, confided something to her and instructed her not to tell anyone, but she related it to Aisha—may Allah be pleased with them both. Allah informed him of what she had disclosed, so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told her of some of what she had said and overlooked the rest, out of his generosity and forbearance. “She asked” him, “Who informed you of this?”—of this matter that had not gone beyond us? “He replied, ‘The All-Knowing, the All-Aware informed me’”—the One from whom nothing is hidden and who knows every secret and what is still more concealed.
[And His words:] “If you both repent to Allah—as your hearts have indeed deviated.” These words are addressed to two noble wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, Aisha and Hafsah—may Allah be pleased with them both. They had caused the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to forbid himself something he loved. Allah therefore invited them to repent, reproached them for what they had done, and informed them that their hearts(3) had deviated—that is, inclined and turned away from the scrupulousness, proper conduct toward the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and respect for him that behooved them, and from avoiding making matters difficult for him. “But if you support one another against him”—that is, if you cooperate(4) in something that causes him hardship and persist in this conduct—“then Allah is surely his Protector, as are Gabriel and the righteous among the believers; and the angels, moreover, are his supporters.” In other words, all of them aid and support the Messenger. Whoever has such supporters(5) will be victorious, while anyone who opposes him will be forsaken(6). This constitutes the greatest distinction and honor for the master of the messengers, for the Creator made His [noble] Self and the choicest of His creation supporters of this noble Messenger.
This contains an unmistakable warning to the two noble wives. Allah then also alarmed them with a circumstance that causes women the greatest distress: divorce, the hardest thing for them. He said: “Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will replace you with wives better than you.”
“Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will replace you with wives better than you.” That is, do not set yourselves above him, for if he were to divorce you, the matter would not become difficult(7) for him, nor would he be dependent upon you. He would find others(8), and Allah would replace you with wives better than you in religion and beauty. This is a conditional statement whose condition did not occur, nor did its mention necessitate that it would occur, for he did not divorce them. Had he divorced them, what Allah mentioned would have come to pass: he would have had virtuous wives combining Islam—which is adherence to the outward religious laws—and faith, which is adherence to the inward religious laws, including beliefs and the deeds of the heart.
Devout obedience means remaining constantly and continuously obedient. “Repentant” means turning away from what Allah dislikes. Thus, He described them as performing what Allah loves and repenting of what He dislikes. “Previously married and virgins” means that some would have been previously married and others virgins, so that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, might have variety in what he loved. When they—may Allah be pleased with them—heard this warning and admonition, they hastened to please the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. This ⦗874⦘ description therefore came to apply to them, and they became the best women among the believers. This proves that Allah chooses only the most perfect circumstances and loftiest matters for His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Since Allah chose for His Messenger to keep the aforementioned wives with him, this shows that they were the best and most perfect of women.