Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (207)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“You will never be able to be perfectly just between wives, however much you may desire to do so. Yet do not incline completely toward one, leaving another in suspense. If you set matters right and remain mindful of Allah, then Allah is ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Allah Most High informs us that husbands are unable—and it is beyond their capacity—to maintain perfect equality among their wives. This is because such equality would require equal love, equal desire, and equal inclination of the heart toward them, followed by conduct in accordance with that. This is unattainable and impossible. Allah has therefore pardoned what is beyond one’s ability, while prohibiting what can be avoided, saying, “Yet do not incline completely toward one, leaving another in suspense.” That is, do not incline so greatly that you fail to fulfil their obligatory rights. Rather, be as just as you are able.

You must treat them equally in maintenance, clothing, allotted turns, and similar matters. This is unlike love, sexual relations, and the like. If a husband neglects the rights owed to his wife, she becomes like one left in suspense: neither without a husband, such that she might find relief and prepare to remarry, nor truly married to a husband who fulfils her rights.

“If you set matters right” between yourselves and your wives by compelling yourselves to do what the soul dislikes, seeking Allah’s reward and fulfilling the wife’s rights; if you also set right your relations with other people and reconcile people in matters over which they dispute—this entails encouraging every means that leads to reconciliation in general, as previously explained.

“And remain mindful” of Allah by doing what He has commanded, refraining from what He has prohibited, and patiently enduring what He has decreed. “Then Allah is ever Forgiving, Most Merciful”: He forgives the sins and shortcomings you have committed regarding obligatory rights, and He shows you mercy just as you have shown tenderness and mercy toward your wives.

﴿١٢٩﴾ ﴿وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلا تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ وَإِنْ تُصْلِحُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا﴾ . يخبر تعالى: أن الأزواج لا يستطيعون وليس في قدرتهم العدل التام بين النساء، وذلك لأن العدل يستلزم وجود المحبة على السواء، والداعي على السواء، والميل في القلب إليهن على السواء، ثم العمل بمقتضى ذلك. وهذا متعذر غير ممكن، فلذلك عفا الله عما لا يستطاع، ونهى عما هو ممكن بقوله: ﴿فَلا تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ﴾ أي: لا تميلوا ميلا كثيرا بحيث لا تؤدون حقوقهن الواجبة، بل افعلوا ما هو باستطاعتكم من العدل. فالنفقة والكسوة والقسم ونحوها عليكم أن تعدلوا بينهن فيها، بخلاف الحب والوطء ونحو ذلك، فإن الزوجة إذا ترك زوجها ما يجب لها، صارت كالمعلقة التي لا زوج لها فتستريح وتستعد للتزوج، ولا ذات زوج يقوم بحقوقها. ﴿وَإِنْ تُصْلِحُوا﴾ ما بينكم وبين زوجاتكم، بإجبار أنفسكم على فعل ما لا تهواه النفس، احتسابا وقياما بحق الزوجة، وتصلحوا أيضا فيما بينكم وبين الناس، وتصلحوا أيضا بين الناس فيما تنازعوا فيه، وهذا يستلزم الحث على كل طريق يوصل إلى الصلح مطلقا كما تقدم. ﴿وَتَتَّقُوا﴾ الله بفعل المأمور وترك المحظور، والصبر على المقدور. ﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا﴾ يغفر ما صدر منكم من الذنوب والتقصير في الحق الواجب، ويرحمكم كما عطفتم على أزواجكم ورحمتموهن.