of two.” He also says:

“Indeed, among your spouses and your children”

Although the verse explicitly mentions the wife, who is one’s companion, and the child born of her, its meaning extends to every counterpart, associate, and partner, and to every offshoot and follower. Thus:

“Praise be to Allah, who has never taken a son, who has no partner in His dominion, and who has no protector due to weakness.”

And:

“Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant, that he may be a warner to all peoples—He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, who has never taken a son and has no partner in His dominion, and who created everything and determined it precisely.”

Companionship, marriage ties, and bonds of brotherhood are permissible only with those who obey Allah Most High, and in accordance with Allah’s intent. This is indicated by the hadith recorded in the Sunan collections:

“Keep company only with a believer, and let none but a God-fearing person eat your food.”

They also record:

“A person follows the religion of his close friend, so let each of you consider whom he befriends.”

In the two Sahīh collections, Abū Hurayrah narrates that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“If the slave woman of any of you commits unlawful sexual intercourse, let him administer the prescribed flogging to her. If she does so again, let him administer the prescribed flogging to her. Then, if she does so again, let him sell her, even for a braided rope.”

The word dafīr means “rope.” The narrator was unsure whether he commanded that she be sold after the third or fourth occasion.

This is a command from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to sell the slave woman after administering the prescribed punishment to her twice or three times, even for the smallest sum. Imam Ahmad said:

“If he does not sell her, he has failed to comply with the command of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”