what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

“Allah has prescribed for you a way to release yourselves from your oaths.”

Likewise, when they disagreed over whether an irrevocably divorced woman was entitled to maintenance or accommodation, one group cited the hadith of Fātima and argued that the accommodation mentioned in the Quran concerned a revocably divorced woman. The other group maintained that it applied to both.

The implications of scriptural texts may be subtle, and Allah grants some people a special understanding of them. As ʿAlī said: “Except an understanding of His Book that Allah grants a servant.”

A text may also be clear yet escape the attention of a jurist exercising independent judgment. Such is the case with dry ablution for someone in a state of major ritual impurity, which is clearly addressed in two Quranic verses. When Abū Mūsā cited this evidence to Ibn Masʿūd, someone present said: “ʿAbd Allāh did not know what to say, except that he said: ‘If we allowed them this concession, one of them would soon resort to dry ablution whenever he felt the cold.’”

Ibn ʿAbbās, Fātima bint Qays and Jābir stated that the divorced woman mentioned in the Quran is one whose divorce is revocable, citing His words:

“You do not know; perhaps Allah will bring about a new situation after that.”

What new situation could He bring about after three divorces?

A group of scholars cited His words as evidence that ʿumra is obligatory:

“Complete Hajj and ʿumra for Allah.”

Those who prohibited converting Hajj into ʿumra also cited this verse. Others say: “He was commanded only