Tafsir of An-Nisa' 4:128

This is a commencement to clarify rulings not previously explained. Al-Tirmidhi narrated—and deemed it hasan—on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said: "Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her) feared that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would divorce her. So she said: 'O Messenger of Allah, do not divorce me; assign my day to Aisha.' He did so, and this verse was revealed."

Al-Shafi’i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from Ibn al-Musayyib that the daughter of Muhammad ibn Maslama was married to Rafi’ ibn Khudayj, and he disliked something about her—whether it was her age or otherwise—so he intended to divorce her. She said: "Do not divorce me; partition for me whatever you wish." They reached a reconciliation, and the Sunnah and the revelation of the Qur’an proceeded accordingly. Ibn Jarir narrated from Mujahid that it was revealed regarding Abu al-Sa’ib.

The phrase "If a woman feared" (wa-in imra’atun khafat) is an instance of ishtighal (preoccupation/grammatical engagement). The Kufans claimed that imra’atun (woman) is an initial subject (mubtada’) and what follows is its predicate, but this is not acceptable. Some have estimated the word kanat (was) here to account for the regularity of eliding kana after in, without classifying it as ishtighal, but this contradicts what is well-known among the majority of scholars.

Fear (al-khawf) is either taken in its literal sense or in the sense of expectation (tawaqqu’); that is, if a woman anticipated, due to signs she observed, "from her husband" (min ba’liha)—this relates to "feared" or to an implied state serving as the predicate of the statement—"a rebellion" (nushuzan), meaning an arrogance and elevation of himself away from her toward another for some reason or another. It applies to the characteristics of either spouse. "Or aversion" (i’radan), meaning turning away with his face or some of the benefits that she previously received from him.

In al-Bahr, it is stated: Nushuz is to distance oneself by withholding his person, his maintenance, and the affection that existed between them, and to harm her through insults or striking, for example. I’rad (aversion) is to reduce conversation and intimacy due to aging, ugliness, a flaw in character or creation, boredom, an eye wandering to another, or other reasons; and it is milder than nushuz.

"Then there is no sin upon them" (fala junaha ‘alayhima)—that is, no hardship or blame upon the woman and her husband in that case—"that they make between themselves a reconciliation" (an yusliha baynahuma sulhan), meaning that they reconcile by the woman relinquishing her day to him, as Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her) did with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or she waives some of what is due to her of maintenance or clothing, or gifts him the dowry or a portion of it, or gives him wealth to seek his affection and sustain the marriage. This is prefaced with the negation of sin to dispel the notion that what is taken is like a bribe and therefore prohibited.

Those other than the Kufans recited yusaliha with a fathah on the ya, a shaddah on the sad, and an alif following it; its origin is yatasalaha, then the ta was changed to a sad and assimilated. Al-Jahdari recited yusliha with a fathah and a shaddah without an alif; its origin is yastaliha, which was lightened by changing the ta (the ta of ifti’al) into a sad and assimilating the first into it. This is not because the ta was changed to a sad initially and then assimilated, as Abu al-Baqa’ stated, because the ta of ifti’al must be changed into a ta (with a ta sound) after the four letters. It is also read as yastaliha, which is clear.

Sulhan in the Kufan reading is either a direct object, in the sense of "effecting a reconciliation," or via an implied preposition (i.e., yusliha bihi). "Between them" (baynahuma) is an adverbial phrase, mentioned to alert that it is better for people not to be privy to what is between them; rather, they should conceal it. Or it is a state (hal) from sulhan—that is, "existing between them." It may be an infinitive with elided additions, or akin to the structure "Allah made them grow" (anbataha Allahu nabatan). Baynahuma is the object, assuming it functions as a noun meaning divergence and opposition, or through the expansion of the adverbial usage, not by estimating "what is between them," as has been said. It is permissible for baynahuma to be an adverb, and the object is elided—that is, "their condition."

In the recitation of others, it is permissible that it occupies the place of tasaluhan or istilahan, or that it is in the accusative by a verb necessitated by the mentioned, i.e., "then their condition is reconciled by a reconciliation." The possibility of this reading for the first is far-fetched. It is permitted that it be in the accusative due to the elision of the preposition, i.e., yusaliha or yusliha with a sulh, meaning by something through which the reconciliation occurs.

"And reconciliation is best" (wa al-sulhu khayr)—that is, better than separation and poor companionship, or better than dispute. The lam is for reference, and the establishment of "bestness" for that which is preferred is by way of hypothesis and estimation; meaning if there is goodness in anything, this is better than it, or it is goodness within what was mentioned. It is permissible that "best" (khayr) is not intended as a superlative, but rather the infinitive or the quality, meaning it is a goodness among other goods; thus the lam is for the genus. In both estimations, the lam can be for reference or for the genus. The sentence is parenthetical, as is the Almighty’s saying: "And souls are made to attend to greed" (wa-uhdirat al-anfusu al-shuhh). For this reason, the lack of congruence between them is overlooked, for the first is nominal and the second verbal, and there is no semantic connection between them. The benefit of the first is to encourage reconciliation, and the second is to prepare an excuse for clinging to the marriage and the hardship involved, as has been said.

Ahdara (to bring) is transitive for one, and uhdira (passive) is for two. The first is al-anfus (the souls), which stands in the place of the subject, and the second is al-shuhh (greed). The meaning is: Allah, the Exalted, made the souls attend to greed, which is miserliness accompanied by covetousness. It is also possible that the one standing in the place of the subject is the second; that is, greed was made to attend to them, never departing from them, or that they were made to attend to it, imprinted upon it, such that the woman scarcely yields her rights from the men, nor does the man scarcely wish to be generous with maintenance and good companionship, for example, toward one he does not desire.

Shaykh al-Islam stated that this contains a validation of reconciliation and a confirmation of it, urging each of the spouses toward it. But this is not by looking at one's own state—for that would necessitate continuing in discord—but rather by looking at the state of one's companion. For the greed of the man's soul and its lack of deviation from its natural state without being wooed is what compels the woman to relinquish some of her rights to him in order to woo him. Similarly, her greed regarding her rights is what compels the man to be content with a little from her and not burden her with yielding much. Thus, the reconciliation, which is "best," is realized.

"And if you do good" (wa-in tuhsinu) in companionship with women, "and fear Allah" (wa-tattaqu) against rebellion and aversion—even if causes calling for both are abundant—"and remain patient" (wa-tasbiru) regarding that and do not compel them to forfeit any of their rights or relinquish what is dear to them, "then Allah is ever, with what you do" of goodness and piety, "or with all that you do, and what was mentioned is included in that primarily, "Aware" (khabiran). He will reward you and recompense you for that.

He, the Glorified, has established His being All-Knowing and fully aware of their deeds in the place of rewarding them and recompensing them, which is in truth the response to the condition, setting up the cause in the place of the effect. It is not hidden what lies in addressing the husbands through the method of iltifat (shift in perspective), expressing the observance of their rights as "goodness" (ihsan), using the word "piety" (taqwa)—which signals that rebellion and aversion are things to be guarded against—and ordering the noble promise upon that, all as a part of the gentleness of wooing and encouragement toward good treatment.