Tafsir of At-Tahreem 66:4

"If you both repent to Allah" — This is an address to Hafsa and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them both). It involves a shift (iltifat) from the third person to the second person to intensify the rebuke. For one who is extreme in admonishment first regards the one being rebuked as being far from the arena of presence, then, when his anger intensifies, he turns toward them and rebukes them as he desires.

The reason for the address being specifically to them is what Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban, and others narrated from Ibn Abbas, who said: "I remained eager to ask Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about the two women among the wives of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) concerning whom Allah the Exalted said: 'If you both repent...' until Umar performed Hajj and I performed Hajj with him. While we were on some part of the path, Umar turned aside, and I turned with him with a water container. He descended, then I poured water over his hands, and he performed wudu. I said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, who are the two women among the wives of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) concerning whom Allah the Exalted said: 'If you both repent...'?' He said: 'I am amazed at you, O Ibn Abbas! They are Aisha and Hafsa.' He then proceeded to tell me the story at length."

The meaning of His saying: "for your hearts have inclined" is: they deviated from the duty of not opposing the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in what he loves and not disliking what he dislikes, to opposing him. The sentence stands in place of the apodosis (jawab) of the conditional, after it has been elided. The estimate is: "If you both repent, then there is a motive and cause for your repentance, (for your hearts have inclined)," or, "that is right for you, for what necessitates it has been issued." It is in the sense of: "for it has become apparent that this is true," as was said in the verse: "If we traced our lineage, no base woman gave birth to me," meaning: it is by way of interpretation revealed that no base woman gave birth to me. Ibn al-Hajib rendered it a response based on i'lam (informative intent), as it is said: "If you honored me today, then you honored me yesterday." It is also said that the response is elided, the estimate being: "He will erase your sin."

His saying: "for your hearts have inclined" is an explanation for the cause of repentance. It is also said that the estimate is: "You have performed what is incumbent upon you or have done what is right for you," and what was mentioned is evidence of that. It is said: They did not interpret "for your hearts have inclined" as "inclined to the duty or the truth or the good" so that it would be correct to make it a response without need for what preceded, because the form of the past tense, the word qad, the reading of Ibn Mas'ud—"for your hearts have strayed (zaghat)"—and the multiplication of meaning with the reduction of wording necessitate what preceded. This was critiqued by stating that it only holds according to what Ibn Malik went toward: that the response can be in the past tense even if it is not the word kana, and in that there is a view.

The use of the plural in "your hearts" (qulubikuma) instead of the dual is due to the dislike of having two duals meet while the intended meaning is clear. In such cases, it is more commonly used than the dual or singular. Abu Hayyan said: "It is not permissible according to our associates except in poetry, like his saying: 'O dove of the valley's depths, chant...'" He (may Allah have mercy on him) deemed Ibn Malik mistaken in his saying in al-Tashil: "The singular form is chosen over the dual form."

"And if you support one another against him" — with the elision of one of the tas and the light pronunciation of the za. This is the reading of Asim, Nafi' (in one narration), Talha, al-Hasan, and Abu Raja'. The majority read tazahara with the za emphasized; its origin is tatazahara, then the ta was assimilated into the za. Akrama read it according to the origin. Abu Amr, in another narration, read it as tazhara with the emphasis on the za and the ha without an alif. The meaning is: if you cooperate against him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in what causes him harm through excess jealousy and disclosing his secret, "then Allah is his Protector" — meaning, his helper. The pause at this point in al-Bahr and elsewhere is better. They made His saying: "and Gabriel" a subject, and His saying: "and the righteous of the believers and the angels" as being conjoined to it, and His saying: "after that" — meaning after the help of Allah the Exalted — as being related to His saying: "a supporter."

They made it the predicate for all, and it is in the sense of the plural, i.e., "they are supporters." The singular was chosen to make them as one thing. It is permitted that it be a predicate for "Gabriel" and the predicate of what follows is elided, similar to what they said regarding the verse: "And whoever spent the evening in the city with his belongings... then I and Qayar are strangers there." It is also permitted that the pause be on "Gabriel," i.e., "And Gabriel is his protector," and "the righteous of the believers" is a new subject and what follows it is conjoined to it, and the predicate is "supporter."

The appearance of al-Kashshaf's speech suggests the choice of pausing at "believers," such that "supporter" is the predicate of "the angels," and this is the view of most of its summarizers. The appearance of their speech is the estimation of a predicate for each of Gabriel and the righteous of the believers. It is either the word "protector" (mawla) intended with each of its suitable meanings, i.e., "Gabriel is his protector," meaning his companion; "and the righteous of the believers is his protector," meaning his follower; or another word with that suitable meaning, namely, his companion in the first and his follower in the second. There is no obstacle to the "Protector" in all being in the sense of "helper," as is clear.

The addition of "is" (huwa) — contrary to what is in al-Kashshaf — is to announce that His help (the Exalted) is a decree among His decrees and that He (the Exalted and Majestic) takes charge of that by His own Self (the Exalted). It is a clear statement that the pronoun is not a "pronoun of separation" (fasl) at all, and that it is for strengthening, not for restriction. Restriction is more common in definite nouns according to what he transmitted in al-Idah, even if al-Kisa'i's speech makes the necessity apparent. This, and the intensity is realized as Sibawayh stated and as was realized in the fundamentals. As for restriction, it is not a requirement of the wording, so it does not count as a rebuttal that it is better for "Gabriel" and what follows to be informed by "supporter." Even if it is conceded, it does not contradict it, because their help is His help (the Exalted), so it is not impossible, in the manner of "Zayd is the one setting out, and Amr [is too]." Likewise in al-Kashf.

The reason for specifying Gabriel (peace be upon him) by mention is his increased merit; rather, he is the chief of the Cherubim. The "righteous" for many refers to the genus, inclusive of the few and the many. The plural was intended here, similar to your saying: "I was in the gathering and the presence." Hence, it was generalized by the genitive construction. It is permitted that the wording be plural; the standard would be to write salihuna with a waw, but it was elided in writing following its elision in speech. Things have come in the Mus'haf where the rule of speech was followed rather than the placement of writing, such as "and man invokes," "and the caller invokes," "and We will invoke the Zabaniyah," and "Has the news of the disputants reached you?" and others. More than one held that the genitive construction is for covenant-reference, so it is said: The intended meaning is the Prophets (peace be upon them). It is narrated from Ibn Zayd, Qatadah, and al-Ala' bin Ziyad that their support for him—it is said: their speech contained a rebuke of those who support others against one of the Prophets (peace be upon them), and in that there is the obscurity that is in it.

It is said: [it refers to] Ali (may Allah honor his face). Ibn Marduwayh and Ibn 'Asakir extracted it from Ibn Abbas. Ibn Marduwayh extracted from Asma' bint Umays who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: 'And the righteous of the believers' is Ali bin Abi Talib." The Imamiya narrated from Abu Ja'far that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), when it was revealed, took the hand of Ali (may Allah honor his face) and said: "O people, this is the righteous of the believers." Ibn 'Asakir extracted from al-Hasan al-Basri that he said: "It is Umar bin al-Khattab." He and a group extracted from Sa'id ibn Jubayr who said: "'And the righteous of the believers' was revealed regarding Umar bin al-Khattab specifically." Ibn 'Asakir extracted from Muqatil bin Sulayman who said: "'And the righteous of the believers' are Abu Bakr, Umar, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them)." It is also said: The Four Caliphs.

Al-Tabarani in al-Awsat and Ibn Marduwayh extracted from Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas, who said: "'And the righteous of the believers' was revealed regarding Abu Bakr and Umar." Akrama, Maimun bin Mihran, and others went toward interpreting it as them two. Al-Hakim extracted from Abu Umama, and al-Tabarani, Ibn Marduwayh, and Abu Nu'aym in Fada'il al-Sahaba extracted from Ibn Mas'ud from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who said: "'And the righteous of the believers' are Abu Bakr and Umar." Ibn 'Asakir extracted by way of al-Kalbi from Abu Salih from Ibn Abbas who said: "My father used to read it: 'And the righteous of the believers' are Abu Bakr and Umar." The intention of that was deemed the most correct because it is what is fitting for its placement between Gabriel and the angels (peace be upon them), as it combines the spiritual supporter and the physical supporter. How could it not be, when Gabriel (peace be upon him) is a supporter for him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), aiding him with divine aids, while they are his viziers and his supporters in managing the affairs of the Message and executing its outward rulings? Moreover, the declaration of their support for him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has a stronger effect on the hearts of their clans and is more weakening for their affair.

I say: The generality is better, and they—and Ali (may Allah honor his face) as well—are included primarily. The specification of some of the marfu' narrations, if they are authentic, is for a subtle point that necessitated that, not for the intention of restriction. This is supported by what Ibn 'Asakir extracted from Ibn Mas'ud from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said regarding that: "From the righteous of the believers are Abu Bakr and Umar." The benefit of "after that" is the notification that the help of the angels (peace be upon them) is the strongest of the facets of His (the Exalted) help, even if it varies. Then, there is no obscurity that the help of all the angels, including Gabriel, is stronger than the help of Gabriel (peace be upon him) alone. It is said: The reference is to the support of the righteous of the believers specifically, so the glorification is with respect to them. In notifying this is a repulsion of the suspicion that the order of mention might suggest—namely, that the support of the one mentioned first is greater. In short, the benefit of "after that" is like the benefit of "then" (thumma) in His saying: "then he was of those who believed," which is a distinction of rank—meaning the greatness of the rank of what follows relative to what preceded. This does not hold according to what was transmitted from al-Bahr; rather, that is to indicate the subordination of those mentioned in help and assistance (the Exalted).

Be that as it may, the conditionality of "support one another" is the condition, and the sentence conjoined with the fa is proof of the response and a cause established in its place. The origin is: "For if they both support one another against him, then he shall not lack one who supports him, for Allah is his Protector." It is also permitted that it itself is the response, being metaphorical or metonymic for that. He (the Exalted and Majestic) magnified the affair of help for His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) against these two weak ones, either to indicate the greatness of women's plotting, or to emphasize the severing of the ropes of their ambition, due to their great status with the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and with the believers because of their motherhood, and as a favor to him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and out of regard for their parents, so that their support against him does not benefit them.

It is said: The intent is the intensification of weakening the affair of their support, and repelling what the hypocrites might imagine as harm to the matter of Prophethood, the proclamation, and the overcoming of the enemies of the religion, since custom decrees that a man's mind is occupied because of his wives supporting one another against him. In it also is an increase in enraging the hypocrites and the cutting off of their empty greeds. It is as if it was said: "For if they both support one another against him, that does not harm his affair, for Allah (the Exalted) is his Protector and his Helper in the matter of his religion and all his affairs against everyone who attempts what he dislikes. And Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels after that are his supporters and his assistants in that." This fits with the omission of mentioning the one being helped against, as he did not say "a supporter for him against you two," for instance, and likewise the omission of the one being helped in, and the specification of the righteous of the believers by mention. This congruity is strengthened by what is narrated from Ibn Jubayr regarding the interpretation of the righteous of the believers as those who are free from hypocrisy. So reflect upon this.

"It may be that his Lord, if he divorces you, will replace you" — meaning that He will give him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in your place "with wives better than you." The address is to the collective of the wives of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Mothers of the Believers, by way of iltifat. They were addressed because they are in the place where revelation descends, the arena of honor and presence. This is guided by what al-Bukhari extracted from Anas, who said: "Umar said: 'The wives of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gathered in their jealousy over him, so I said...'"