Al-Ahzab (The Confederates): 51
{تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ}
"You may postpone [the turn of] whomever you will of them, and you may bring to yourself whomever you will. And if you seek out any of those whom you had set aside, there is no blame upon you."
After establishing that the aforementioned women were lawful for him [as wives], the Almighty clarified that He permitted him the manner of cohabitation with them as he wished, and that the obligation of equal division of time (the qism) was not incumbent upon him.
This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him), in relation to his Ummah, holds the position of a master who is obeyed. Even if a man is not a Prophet, his wife is under his marital authority, and marriage to her is akin to ownership (riqq). How much more so are the Prophet's wives in relation to him? Therefore, they are like his property, and there is no obligation to divide time equally among owned property.
- "تُرْجِي" (You may postpone): Means to delay.
- "تُؤْوِي" (You may bring to yourself): Means to draw close or keep near.
- "وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ" (And if you seek out any of those whom you had set aside): Means if you desire to return to one whom you had previously set aside, there is no blame upon you in any of that.
Some commentators, though their view is weak compared to the apparent meaning of the verse, argued that if the obligation of equal division (qism) was indeed incumbent, then the meaning of "تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ" is that you may delay them if you wish, since the equal division was not obligatory in the first place. A husband has the right not to spend the night with any of them. If you seek out one whom you had set aside, there is no blame upon you, so begin with whomever you choose and complete the rotation. The first interpretation [that the qism is not obligatory] is stronger.
{ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ وَلَا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ}
"That is more suitable that they will be content and not grieve, and all of them will be pleased with what you give them, every one of them."
This means that if the equal division (qism) is not obligatory upon you, and yet you do not abandon the division, "تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ" (their eyes will be cooled/content) because of your fairness in treating them equally, and they will not grieve. This is contrary to a situation where the division was obligatory upon you; if one wife receives a night, she might think, "He did not come to me due to the desire of his heart, but only because of God's command and obligation upon him."
"وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ" (and they will be pleased with what you give them) refers to the permission of postponing and keeping near, because they have no absolute right over you that would cause them to be displeased.
{وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا}
"And Allah knows what is in your hearts. And Allah is Knowing and Forbearing."
This means that if they conceal something contrary to what they outwardly show, Allah knows the innermost thoughts of the hearts, for He is "عَلِيمًا" (Knowing). If He does not immediately chastise them, they should not be deceived, for He is "حَلِيمًا" (Forbearing) and does not hasten punishment.
{لَا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ مِنْ بَعْدُ وَلَا أَنْ تَبَدِّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَقِيبًا}
"It is not lawful for you [to marry] women thereafter, nor to exchange them for [other] wives, even if their beauty should please you, except for what your right hand possesses. And Allah is, over all things, an Observer."
