Surah 2 Al-Baqara — Ayah 235
وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا عَرَّضْتُم بِهِۦ مِنْ خِطْبَةِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ أَوْ أَكْنَنتُمْ فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ سَتَذْكُرُونَهُنَّ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُوَاعِدُوهُنَّ سِرًّا إِلَّآ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًۭا مَّعْرُوفًۭا ۚ وَلَا تَعْزِمُوا۟ عُقْدَةَ ٱلنِّكَاحِ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ أَجَلَهُۥ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ فَٱحْذَرُوهُ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌۭ
There is no blame upon you for that to which you [indirectly] allude concerning a proposal to women or for what you conceal within yourselves. Allah knows that you will have them in mind. But do not promise them secretly except for saying a proper saying. And do not determine to undertake a marriage contract until the decreed period reaches its end. And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.
walā junāḥa ʿalaykum fīmā ʿarraḍtum bihi min khiṭ'bati l-nisāi aw aknantum fī anfusikum ʿalima l-lahu annakum satadhkurūnahunna walākin lā tuwāʿidūhunna sirran illā an taqūlū qawlan maʿrūfan walā taʿzimū ʿuq'data l-nikāḥi ḥattā yablugha l-kitābu ajalahu wa-iʿ'lamū anna l-laha yaʿlamu mā fī anfusikum fa-iḥ'dharūhu wa-iʿ'lamū anna l-laha ghafūrun ḥalīmun
Word by word
- وَلَا walā And (there is) no
- جُنَاحَ junāḥa blame
- عَلَيْكُمْ ʿalaykum upon you
- فِيمَا fīmā in what
- عَرَّضْتُم ʿarraḍtum you hint
- بِهِۦ bihi [with it]
- مِنْ min of
- خِطْبَةِ khiṭ'bati marriage proposal
- ٱلنِّسَآءِ l-nisāi [to] the women
- أَوْ aw or
- أَكْنَنتُمْ aknantum you conceal it
- فِىٓ fī in
- أَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ anfusikum yourselves
- عَلِمَ ʿalima Knows
- ٱللَّهُ l-lahu Allah
- أَنَّكُمْ annakum that you
- سَتَذْكُرُونَهُنَّ satadhkurūnahunna will mention them
- وَلَـٰكِن walākin [and] but
- لَّا lā (do) not
- تُوَاعِدُوهُنَّ tuwāʿidūhunna promise them (widows)
- سِرًّا sirran secretly
- إِلَّآ illā except
- أَن an that
- تَقُولُوا۟ taqūlū you say
- قَوْلًۭا qawlan a saying
- مَّعْرُوفًۭا ۚ maʿrūfan honorable
- وَلَا walā And (do) not
- تَعْزِمُوا۟ taʿzimū resolve (on)
- عُقْدَةَ ʿuq'data the knot
- ٱلنِّكَاحِ l-nikāḥi (of) marriage
- حَتَّىٰ ḥattā until
- يَبْلُغَ yablugha reaches
- ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ l-kitābu the prescribed term
- أَجَلَهُۥ ۚ ajalahu its end
- وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ wa-iʿ'lamū And know
- أَنَّ anna that
- ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
- يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu knows
- مَا mā what
- فِىٓ fī (is) within
- أَنفُسِكُمْ anfusikum yourselves
- فَٱحْذَرُوهُ ۚ fa-iḥ'dharūhu so beware of Him
- وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ wa-iʿ'lamū And know
- أَنَّ anna that
- ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
- غَفُورٌ ghafūrun (is) Oft-Forgiving
- حَلِيمٌۭ ḥalīmun Most Forbearing
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Mentioning Marriage indirectly during the `Iddah
Allah said:
(And there is no sin on you) meaning, to indirectly mention marriage to the widow during the term of `Iddah for her deceased husband. Ath-Thawri, Shu`bah and Jarir stated that Ibn `Abbas said:
(And there is no sin on you if you make a hint of betrothal) "means saying, `I want to marry and I am looking for a woman whose qualities are such and such,' thus talking to her in general terms in a way that is better." In another narration (by Ibn `Abbas), "Saying, `I wish that Allah endows me with a wife,' but he should not make a direct marriage proposal." Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah:
(And there is no sin on you if you make a hint of betrothal) means, "The man could say, `I wish to marry,' `I desire a wife,' or, `I wish I could find a good wife'." Mujahid, Tawus, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Az-Zuhri, Yazid bin Qusayt, Muqatil bin Hayyan and Al-Qasim bin Muhammad and several others among the Salaf and the Imams said that one is allowed to mention marriage indirectly to the woman whose husband died. It is also allowed to indirectly mention marriage to a woman who had gone through final, irrevocable divorce. The Prophet ordered Fatimah bint Qays to remain in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum for `Iddah when her husband Abu `Amr bin Hafs divorced her for the third time. He said to her:
(Inform me when your `Iddah term ends.)
When she finished the `Iddah, Usamah bin Zayd, the Prophet's freed slave asked to marry her, and the Prophet married her to him. As for the divorced wife (not irrevocably divorced), there is no disagreement that it is not allowed for other than her husband to mention marriage proposals to her directly or indirectly (before the `Iddah finishes). Allah knows best.
Allah said:
(...or conceal it in yourself,) meaning, if you hide the intention of seeking marriage with them. Similarly, Allah said:
(And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal, and what they reveal) (28:69) and:
(...while I am All-Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal.) (60: 1) So, Allah said here:
(Allah knows that you will remember them) meaning, in your hearts, so He made it easy for you. Allah then said:
(...but do not make a promise (of contract) with them in secret)
`Ali bin Abu Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that
(but do not make a promise (of contract) with them in secret) means do not say to her, "I am in love (with you)," or, "Promise me you will not marry someone else (after the `Iddah finishes)," and so forth. Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ash-Sha`bi, `Ikrimah, Abu Ad-Duha, Ad-Dahhak, Az-Zuhri, Mujahid and Ath-Thawri said that it (meaning of the Ayah) means taking the woman's promise not to marry someone else.
Afterwards, Allah said:
(...except that you speak an honorable saying.)
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri and Ibn Zayd said that the Ayah means to indirectly refer to marriage, such as saying, "I desire someone like you." Muhammad bin Sirin said: I asked `Ubaydah about the meaning of Allah's statement:
(. ..except that you speak an honorable saying.) He said, "He says to her Wali, `Do not give her away (in marriage) until you inform me first'." This statement was narrated by Ibn Abu Hatim.
Allah then said:
(And do not be determined on the marriage bond until the term prescribed is fulfilled.) meaning, do not make marriage contracts before the `Iddah finishes. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Qatadah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Abu Malik, Zayd bin Aslam, Muqatil bin Hayyan, Az-Zuhri, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri and Ad-Dahhak said that:
(until the term prescribed is fulfilled.) means, `Do not consummate the marriage before the `Iddah term finishes.' The scholars agree that marriage contracts during the `Iddah are invalid.
Allah then said:
(And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him.) warning the men against the ideas they conceal in their hearts about women, directing them to think good about them rather than the evil, and Allah would not let them despair of His mercy, as He said:
(And know that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.)