Alrrijalu qawwamoona AAala alnnisai bima faddala Allahu baAAdahum AAala baAAdin wabima anfaqoo min amwalihim faalssalihatu qanitatun hafithatun lilghaybi bima hafitha Allahu waallatee takhafoona nushoozahunna faAAithoohunna waohjuroohunna fee almadajiAAi waidriboohunna fain ataAAnakum fala tabghoo AAalayhinna sabeelan inna Allaha kana AAaliyyan kabeeran
English
Ahmed Ali
Men are the support of women as God gives some more means than others, and because they spend of their wealth (to provide for them). So women who are virtuous are obedient to God and guard the hidden as God has guarded it. As for women you feel are averse, talk to them suasively; then leave them alone in bed (without molesting them) and go to bed with them (when they are willing). If they open out to you, do not seek an excuse for blaming them. Surely God is sublime and great.
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Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (men are in charge of women) they are in charge of overseeing the proper conduct of women, (because allah hath made the one of them) the men through reason and the division of booty and estates (to excel the other) the women, (and because they spend of their property (for the support of women)) through paying the dowry and spending on them, which the women are not required to do. (so good women) he says: those wives who are kind to their husbands (are the obedient) they are obedient to allah regarding their husbands, (guarding) their own persons and the wealth of their husbands (in secret) when their husbands are not present (that which allah hath guarded) through allah's protection of them in that he gave them the success to do so. (as for those from whom ye fear) know (rebellion) their disobedience to you in bed, (admonish them) by means of sacred knowledge and the qur'an (and banish them to beds apart) turn your faces away from them in bed, (and scourge them) in a mild, unexaggerated manner. (then if they obey you) in bed, (seek not a way against them) as regards love. (lo! allah is ever high exalted) above every single thing, (great) greater than every single thing. allah has not burdened you with that which you cannot bear, so do not burden women with that which they cannot bear of affection.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : men are in charge of, they have authority over, women, disciplining them and keeping them in check, because of that with which god has preferred the one over the other, that is, because god has given them the advantage over women, in knowledge, reason, authority and otherwise, and because of what they expend, on them [the women], of their property. therefore righteous women, among them, are obedient, to their husbands, guarding in the unseen, that is, [guarding] their private parts and otherwise during their spouses’ absence, because of what god has guarded, for them, when he enjoined their male spouses to look after them well. and those you fear may be rebellious, disobedient to you, when such signs appear, admonish them, make them fear god, and share not beds with them, retire to other beds if they manifest such disobedience, and strike them, but not violently, if they refuse to desist [from their rebellion] after leaving them [in separate beds]. if they then obey you, in what is desired from them, do not seek a way against them, a reason to strike them unjustly. god is ever high, great, so beware of him, lest he punish you for treating them unjustly.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (men are in charge of women…) [4:34].
said muqatil: “this verse (men are in charge of women…) was revealed about sa‘d ibn al-rabi‘, who was one of the leaders of the helpers (nuqaba’), and his wife habibah bint zayd ibn abi zuhayr, both of whom from the helpers. it happened sa‘d hit his wife on the face because she rebelled against him. then her father went with her to see the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace. he said to him: ‘i gave him my daughter in marriage and he slapped her’. the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘let her have retaliation against her husband’. as she was leaving with her father to execute retaliation, the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, called them and said: ‘come back; gabriel has come to me’, and allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘we wanted something while allah wanted something else, and that which allah wants is good’. retaliation was then suspended”.
sa‘id ibn muhammad ibn ahmad al-zahid informed us> zahir ibn ahmad> ahmad ibn al-husayn ibn junayd> ziyad ibn ayyub> hushaym> yunus ibn al-hasan who reported that a man slapped his wife and she complained about him to the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace. her family who went with her said: “o messenger of allah! so-and-so has slapped our girl”. the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, kept saying: “retaliation! retaliation! and there is no other judgement to be held”. but then this verse (men are in charge of women…) was revealed and the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, said: “we wanted something and allah wanted something else”.
abu bakr al-harithi informed us> abu’l-shaykh al-hafiz> abu yahya al-razi> sahl al-‘askari> ‘ali ibn hashim> isma‘il> al-hasan who said: “around the time when the verse on retaliation was revealed amongst the muslims, a man had slapped his wife. she went to the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace and said: ‘my husband has slapped me and i want retaliation’. so he said: ‘let there be retaliation’. as he was still dealing with her, allah, exalted is he, revealed (men are in charge of women, because allah hath made the one of them to excel the other…). upon which the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘we wanted something and my lord wanted something different. o man, take your wife by the hand’ ”.
