—that is, before his death he was obliged to stipulate that she be provided for during the whole year and that she remain in his house. The majority of the exegetes hold that this was the ruling at the beginning of Islam, but that Allah later abrogated it in the preceding verse: “Those of you who die leaving wives behind must wait by themselves for four months and ten days” (al-Baqarah 2:234). This verse fixed the waiting period of widowhood at four months and ten days.

As for her maintenance, it was annulled by the Prophet’s—peace and blessings be upon him—statement: “No bequest may be made in favour of an heir.” Hence the widow is not sustained out of the deceased’s estate; rather, her expenses come out of her own share, for she is herself an heir. Thus both injunctions were abrogated: the requirement that she remain in the marital dwelling and the obligation that she be maintained from the estate.

Such is the position of the majority of the commentators, and Allah knows best.

Question: What is meant by His words, “there is no blame upon you for what they do with themselves in a decent manner”?

Answer: As in the previous verse, the meaning is that once her waiting period has ended, she may adorn herself in the customary way, provided there is neither extravagance nor temptation. During her ʿiddah she is forbidden to adorn herself; when it expires, she is permitted to resume what had been prohibited, so long as it remains within recognised bounds, free of excess and free of anything that might lead to temptation.

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Exegesis of Sūrah Āl ʿImrān

Question: What is the meaning of the Almighty’s statement, “but none knows its interpretation except Allah, and those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it’” (Āl ʿImrān 3:7)? And are those who are firmly grounded in knowledge limited to the era