24:26 An-Noor (The Light)

{ الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ } أي: كل خبيث من الرجال والنساء، والكلمات والأفعال، مناسب للخبيث، وموافق له، ومقترن به، ومشاكل له، وكل طيب من الرجال والنساء، والكلمات والأفعال، مناسب للطيب، وموافق له، ومقترن به، ومشاكل له، فهذه كلمة عامة وحصر، لا يخرج منه شيء، من أعظم مفرداته، أن الأنبياء -خصوصا أولي العزم منهم، خصوصا سيدهم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، الذي هو أفضل الطيبين من الخلق على الإطلاق لا يناسبهم إلا كل طيب من النساء، فالقدح في عائشة رضي الله عنها بهذا الأمر قدح في النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهو المقصود بهذا الإفك، من قصد المنافقين، فمجرد كونها زوجة للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، يعلم أنها لا تكون إلا طيبة طاهرة من هذا الأمر القبيح. فكيف وهي هي؟\" صديقة النساء وأفضلهن وأعلمهن وأطيبهن، حبيبة رسول رب العالمين، التي لم ينزل الوحي عليه وهو في لحاف زوجة من زوجاته غيرها، ثم صرح بذلك، بحيث لا يبقى لمبطل مقالا، ولا لشك وشبهة مجالا، فقال: { أُولَئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ } والإشارة إلى عائشة رضي الله عنها أصلا، وللمؤمنات المحصنات الغافلات تبعا { لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ } تستغرق الذنوب { وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ } في الجنة صادر من الرب الكريم.

قال ابن عباس: الخبيثات من القول للخبيثين من الرجال والخبيثون من الرجال للخبيثات من القول. والطيبات من القول للطيبين من الرجال والطيبون من الرجال للطيبات من القول - قال - ونزلت في عائشة وأهل الإفك وهكذا روي عن مجاهد وعطاء وسعيد بن جبير والشعبي والحسن البصري وحبيب بن أبي ثابت والضحاك واختاره ابن جرير ووجهه بأن الكلام القبيح أولى بأهل القبح من الناس والكلام الطيب أولى بالطيبين من الناس فما نسبه أهل النفاق إلى عائشة من كلام هم أولى به وهي أولى بالبراءة والنزاهة منهم ولهذا قال تعالى "أولئك مبرءون مما يقولون" وقال عبدالرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم: الخبيثات من النساء للخبيثين من الرجال والخبيثون من الرجال للخبيثات من النساء والطيبات من النساء للطيبين من الرجال والطيبون من الرجال للطيبات من النساء وهذا أيضا يرجع إلى ما قاله أولئك باللازم أي ما كان الله ليجعل عائشة زوجة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا وهي طيبة لأنه أطيب من كل طيب من البشر ولو كانت خبيثة لما صلحت له لا شرعا ولا قدرا ولهذا قال تعالى "أولئك مبرءون مما يقولون" أي هم بعداء عما يقوله أهل الإفك والعدوان "لهم مغفرة" أي بسبب ما قيل فيهم من الكذب "ورزق كريم" أى عند الله في جنات النعيم وفيه وعد بأن تكون زوجة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في الجنة قال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا محمد بن مسلم حدثنا أبو نعيم حدثنا عبد السلام بن حرب عن يزيد بن عبدالرحمن عن الحكم بإسناده إلى يحيي بن الجزار قال: جاء أسير بن جابر إلى عبدالله فقال لقد سمعت الوليد بن عقبة تكلم اليوم بكلام أعجبني فقال عبدالله: إن الرجل المؤمن يكون في قلبه الكلمة الطيبة تتجلجل في صدره ما يستقر حتى يلفظها فيسمعها الرجل عنده يتلها فيضمها إليه وإن الرجل الفاجر يكون في قلبه الكلمة الخبيثة تتجلجل في صدره ما تستقر حتى يلفظها فيسمعها الرجل الذي عنده يتلها فيضمها إليه ثم قرأ عبدالله "الخبيثات للخبيثين والخبيثون للخبيثات والطيبات للطيبين والطيبون للطيبات" الآية ويشبه هذا ما رواه الإمام أحمد في المسند مرفوعا "مثل الذي يسمع الحكمة ثم لا يحدث إلا بشرّ ما سمع كمثل رجل جاء إلى صاحب غنم فقال اجزر لي شاة فقال اذهب فخذ بأذن أيها شئت فذهب فأخذ بأذن كلب الغنم" وفي الحديث الآخر "الحكمة ضالة المؤمن حيث وجدها أخذها".

The Goodness of `A'ishah because She is married to the best of Mankind

Ibn `Abbas said, "Evil words are for evil men, and evil men are for evil words; good words are for good men and good men are for good words. This was revealed concerning `A'ishah and the people of the slander." This was also narrated from Mujahid, `Ata', Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan bin Abu Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Habib bin Abi Thabit and Ad-Dahhak, and it was also the view favored by Ibn Jarir. He interpreted it to mean that evil speech is more suited to evil people, and good speech is more suited to good people. What the hypocrites attributed to `A'ishah was more suited to them, and she was most suited to innocence and having nothing to do with them. Allah said:

أُوْلَـئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ

(such (good people) are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say;) `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "Evil women are for evil men and evil men are for evil women, and good women are for good men and good men are for good women." This also necessarily refers back to what they said, i.e., Allah would not have made `A'ishah the wife of His Messenger unless she had been good, because he is the best of the best of mankind. If she had been evil, she would not have been a suitable partner either according to His Laws or His decree. Allah said:

أُوْلَـئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ

(such are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say;) meaning, they are remote from what the people of slander and enmity say.

لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ

(for them is forgiveness,) means, because of the lies that were told about them,

وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

(and honored provision.) meaning, with Allah in the Gardens of Delight. This implies a promise that she will be the wife of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Paradise.

Vile women and vile words are for vile men and vile men for vile women and the mentioned vile words. Good women and as mentioned good words are for good men and good men for good women and the mentioned good words that is to say what suits something vile is its like and what suits something good is its like — such good men and women the like of ‘Ā’isha and Safwān are absolved of what they say what the corrupt men and women say about them. For them for good men and women will be forgiveness and a glorious provision in Paradise. ‘Ā’isha felt honoured by some of the things mentioned in this verse namely that she was created ‘a good woman’ and was promised ‘forgiveness and a glorious provision’.

الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ ۖ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ مُبَرَّ‌ءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ ۖ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَ‌ةٌ وَرِ‌زْقٌ كَرِ‌يمٌ ﴿26﴾

Vile women are for vile men, and vile men are for vile women. And good women are for good men and good men are for good women. Those are free from what they (the accusers) say. For them there is forgiveness and a graceful provision - 24:26.

It means that the vulgar women are suitable for vulgar men and the vulgar men are suitable for vulgar women. And pure women are worthy for pure men and pure men are worthy for pure women.

In this last verse the common principle is stated that Allah Ta’ ala has created a connection between the people of the same nature. Thus, vulgar and unchaste women are inclined towards vulgar and unchaste men and vice versa. Similarly, pure and chaste women show inclination towards pure and decent men and vice versa. Therefore, everyone tries to find the spouse according to one's inclination and liking, and in a natural way one does find one to suit him or her.

In the light of this norm and principle it is now quite clear that the messengers of Allah, who are the models of purity and chastity both outwardly and inwardly in this world, are granted spouses by Allah Ta’ ala in accordance with their status. Hence, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، who is the head of all messengers, was bestowed with spouses who were befitting to his position and status in purity, chastity and ethical excellence, and Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ is more prominent among them all. Only those can have any doubt or suspicion about her who do not have faith in the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself. It is mentioned about the wives of Sayyidna Nuh and Sayyidna Lut (علیہم السلام) in the Qur'an that they (wives) were disbelievers, but it is also established that they were not involved in any obscenity or vulgarity. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said ما بغت امرأۃ نبی قطّ Never did any wife of a messenger commit adultery'. (ذکرفی الدر المنثور). It is, therefore, corroborated that it is possible that a messenger's wife could be a disbeliever, but it is not possible that she could be vulgar and sexually immoral, because adultery is a natural detestable act in the eyes of people, whereas disbelief is not a natural detestable thing. (Bayan al-Qur’ an)

The goodly women are for the goodly men, and the goodly men for the goodly women- these are innocent of what they say. They will have forgiveness and a generous provision. In the tasting of the lords of recognitions the generous provision is not the provision of the soul that is sometimes there and sometimes not. It is the provision of the spirit and the nourishment of the living self that is never cut off and always arrives continuously, neither cut off nor withheld [56:33]. What is nurtured by bread and water is one thing, what is nurtured by unmixed light is something else. When MuṣṬafā said, “I spend the night at my Lord; He gives me to eat and drink,” he was talking of the attributes of the spiritual, not the attributes of the bodily. Snow is not the opposite of fire as much as the spiritual is that of the bodily. Two antagonists are kept together in one house, apparently getting along with each other, but inwardly enemies. Once when his time had become short a great man was seen in revelry and delight. They asked, “What is this revelry?” He said, “What is surprising about it? Union with the Friend and separation from the enemy are near. Which day will be sweeter than the day when dawn opens up with the arrival of a drink and a blow? Which drink and which blow is that? It will put this idol-worshiper on the gallows and deliver this sultan from the dark fetters, carrying him on the Burāq of good fortune to the Pres- ence of Majesty.” “The spirits of the elect are in the grasp of exaltedness: He unveils His Essence to them and bestows on them the gentle favors of His attributes.”