2:226 Al-Baqara (The Cow)

وهذا من الأيمان الخاصة بالزوجة, في أمر خاص وهو حلف الزوج على ترك وطء زوجته مطلقا، أو مقيدا، بأقل من أربعة أشهر أو أكثر. فمن آلى من زوجته خاصة، فإن كان لدون أربعة أشهر, فهذا مثل سائر الأيمان, إن حنث كفر, وإن أتم يمينه, فلا شيء عليه, وليس لزوجته عليه سبيل, لأنه ملكه أربعة أشهر. وإن كان أبدا, أو مدة تزيد على أربعة أشهر, ضربت له مدة أربعة أشهر من يمينه, إذا طلبت زوجته ذلك, لأنه حق لها، فإذا تمت أمر بالفيئة وهو الوطء، فإن وطئ, فلا شيء عليه إلا كفارة اليمين، وإن امتنع, أجبر على الطلاق, فإن امتنع, طلق عليه الحاكم. ولكن الفيئة والرجوع إلى زوجته, أحب إلى الله تعالى, ولهذا قال: { فَإِنْ فَاءُوا } أي: رجعوا إلى ما حلفوا على تركه, وهو الوطء. { فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ } يغفر لهم ما حصل منهم من الحلف, بسبب رجوعهم. { رَحِيمٌ } حيث جعل لأيمانهم كفارة وتحلة, ولم يجعلها لازمة لهم غير قابلة للانفكاك, ورحيم بهم أيضا, حيث فاءوا إلى زوجاتهم, وحنوا عليهن ورحموهن.

الإيلاء الحلف فإذا حلف الرجل أن لا يجامع زوجته مدة فلا يخلو إما أن يكون أقل من أربعة أشهر أو أكثر منها فإن كانت أقل فله أن ينتظر انقضاء المدة ثم يجامع امرأته وعليها أن تصبر وليس لها مطالبته بالفيئة في هذه المدة وهذا كما ثبت في الصحيحين عن عائشة أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - آلى من نسائه شهرا فنزل لتسع وعشرين وقال "الشهر تسع وعشرون" ولهما عن عمر بن الخطاب نحوه فأما إن زادت المدة على أربعة أشهر فللزوجة مطالبة الزوج عند انقضاء أربعة أشهر إما أن يفيء أي يجامع وإما أن يطلق فيجبره الحاكم على هذا وهذا لئلا يضر بها ولهذا قال تعالى: "للذين يؤلون من نسائهم" أي يحلفون على ترك الجماع من نسائهم فيه دلالة على أن الإيلاء يختص بالزوجات دون الإماء كما هو مذهب الجمهور "تربض أربعة أشهر" أي ينتظر الزوج أربعة أشهر من حين الحلف ثم يوقف ويطالب بالفيئة أو الطلاق ولهذا قال "فإن فاءوا" أي رجعوا إلى ما كانوا عليه وهو كناية عن الجماع قاله ابن عباس ومسروق والشعبي وسعيد بن جبير وغير واحد ومنهم ابن جرير رحمه الله "فإن الله غفور رحيم" لما سلف من التقصير في حقهن بسبب اليمين وقوله "فإن فاءوا فإن الله غفور رحيم" فيه دلالة لأحد قولي العلماء وهو القديم عن الشافعي أن المولي إذ فاء بعد الأربعة الأشهر أنه لا كفارة عليه ويعتضد بما تقدم في الحديث عند الآية التي قبلها عن عمرو بن شعيب عن أبيه عن جده أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال "من حلف على يمين فرأى غيرها خيرا منها فتركها كفارتها" كما رواه أحمد وأبو داود والترمذي والذي عليه الجمهور وهو الجديد من مذهب الشافعي أن عليه التكفير لعموم وجوب التكفير على كل حالف كما تقدم أيضا في الأحاديث الصحاح والله أعلم.

The Ila' and its Rulings

Ila' is a type of vow where a man swears not to sleep with his wife for a certain period, whether less or more than four months. If the vow of Ila' was for less than four months, the man has to wait for the vow's period to end and then is allowed to have sexual intercourse with his wife. She has to be patient and she cannot ask her husband, in this case, to end his vow before the end of its term. It is reported in the Two Sahihs that `A'ishah said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ swore he would stay away from with his wives for a month. He then came down after twenty-nine days saying:

«الشَّهْرُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُون»

(The (lunar) month is twenty-nine days.)

Similar was narrated by `Umar bin Al-Khattab and reported in the Two Sahihs. If the period of Ila' is for more than four months, the wife is allowed in this case to ask her husband, upon the end of the four months, to end the Ila' and have sexual relations with her. Otherwise, he should divorce her, by being forced to do so by the authorities if necessary, so that the wife is not harmed. Allah said:

لِّلَّذِينَ يُؤْلُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمْ

(Those who take an oath not to have sexual relations with their wives) meaning, swear not to have sexual relations with the wife. This Ayah indicates that the Ila' involves the wife and not a slave-women, as the majority of the scholars have agreed,

تَرَبُّصُ أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْهُرٍ

(...must wait for four months,) meaning, the husband waits for four months from the time of the vow and then ends the Ila' (if the vow was for four or more months) and is required to either return to his wife or divorce her. This is why Allah said next:

فَإِن فَآءُوا

(...then if they return,) meaning, to a normal relationship, having sexual intercourse with the wife. This is the Tafsir of Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Ash-Sha`bi, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ibn Jarir.

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(...verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) with any shortcomings that occurred in the rights of the wife because of the vow of Ila'.

Allah said:

وَإِنْ عَزَمُواْ الطَّلَـقَ

(And if they decide upon divorce,) indicating that divorce does not occur by merely passing the four month mark (during the Ila'). Malik reported from Nafi` that `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "If the man swears to Ila' from his wife, then divorce does not occur automatically even after the four months have passed. When he stops at the four months mark, he should either divorce or return." Al-Bukhari also reported this Hadith. Ibn Jarir reported that Suhayl bin Abu Salih said that his father said, "I asked twelve Companions about the man who does Ila' with his wife. They all stated that he does not have to do anything until the four months have passed and then has to either retain or divorce her." Ad-Daraqutni also reported this from Suhayl.

It is also reported from `Umar, `Uthman, `Ali, Abu Ad-Darda', `A'ishah, Ibn `Umar and Ibn `Abbas. This is also the opinion of Sa`id bin Musayyib, `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, Mujahid, Tawus, Muhammad bin Ka`b and Al-Qasim.

For those who forswear their women by swearing that they will not have sexual intercourse with them a wait of four months; if they revert back from the oath or repeal it and resume sexual relations God is Forgiving of the harm they caused their women by swearing Merciful to them.

Note:

If someone takes an oath that he will not have sexual intercourse with his wife, the case has four situations:

(A) No time-limit was fixed.

(B) A time-limit of four months was fixed.

(C) A time-limit of more than four months was fixed.

(D) The limit was identified as less than four months.

So, situations A, B and C are termed in Shari` ah as 'Ild' (ایلاء ). The injunction covering these situations is: If the oath-taker breaks his oath within four months and resumes sexual intercourse with his wife, he will have to come up with kaffarah کَفَّارہ for his oath while his nikah (marriage) remains intact. And should it be that the time-limit of four months did expire and the oath-taker did not break his oath, an irrevocable divorce on his wife will become effective, that is, taking her back without remarriage does not remain correct any more. However, if they, by mutual consent, enter into marriage this will be correct. Halalah حلالہ (an intermediary marriage of the woman with a third person) is not required. The injunction in the fourth situation is: If the oath is broken, kaffarah کَفَّارہ will be required and if the oath is completed, the marriage, even then, will remain valid. (Bayan al-Qur°an)

For those who forswear their women, a wait of four months. But if they revert, God is forgiving, ever-merciful. In terms of allusion, these verses contain an eloquent admonition and complete advice concern- ing the observation of the rightful dues of the Real: God gives so much weight and gravity to the rightful due of the people that He sends a decisive command concerning it and instills dread into those who put it aside. Hence it is even more appropriate to preserve the rightful due of God and to dread putting it aside. In one of the reports it is mentioned that tomorrow at the resurrection a youth will be brought who had neglected the rightful dues of God. In the attribute of awe and exaltedness the Exalted Lord will address him: “Had you no shame? Had you no fear of My anger and harshness such that you neglected My rightful due and you paid it no reverence and respect? Take him to hell, for he is worthy of fire, and fire is worthy of him.” Ibn ʿAbbās narrated that the Prophet said, “God says, 'I will not look after the rightful due of My servant until the servant looks after My rightful due.'” In the scriptures has come, “I honor those who honor Me and I scorn those who scorn My command.” Look at the vengeance He takes from the servant because of His rightful due, even though His rightful due is built on leniency, and He passes over most of it. As for the rightful dues of created things, in these no leniency is shown, so God's vengeance in them is more. So much is this so that it is said that if someone has the reward of seventy prophets but has one plaintiff whom he has cheated of half a penny, he will not enter paradise until that plaintiff is satisfied with him. So, the rightful dues of the creatures must be preserved, and one must strive mightily to observe them, especially the rightful dues of women and spouses, on whose behalf the Lord of the Worlds acts as deputy in this verse, requesting their husbands to take care of them. MuṣṬafā said, “The best of you is the best of you to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wife.