سورة النساء

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Hamza said: I asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) about the verse: وَ إِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِها نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْراضاً [And if a woman fears ill usage or desertion on the part of her husband], and he said: "If it is like that and the man intends to divorce the woman, and the woman says to her husband: 'Keep me, and I will forgive you some of what [of the dowry and maintenance] is due upon you, and I will forgive you my day and night [that you are obliged to be with me]' — this is lawful for the husband, and [in this matter] there is no sin upon the two of them."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Halabi said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse: وَ إِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِن بَعلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعرَاضًا [And if a woman fears ill usage or desertion on the part of her husband]. He said: "It concerns a woman who is with her husband and he does not love her, and he says to his wife: 'I want to divorce you.' The wife says to him: 'Do not do so; I do not want others to gloat over me. Instead, take my night [and my intimacy] and do with it whatever you wish, and whatever else there is [of my rights] shall be yours, but keep me in my present state.' And this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: فَلاَ جُنَاْحَ علَیْهِمَا أَن یُصْلِحَا بَیْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا وَ الصُّلْحُ خَیْرٌ وَ أُحْضِرَتِ الأَنفُسُ الشُّحَّ وَ إِن تُحْسِنُواْ وَ تَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ کَانَ بِمَا تَعمَلُونَ خَبِیرًا [there is no blame on them if they effect a reconciliation between them, and reconciliation is better, and avarice has been made to be present in the minds; and if you do good and guard against evil, then surely Allah is aware of what you do]. And this is the meaning of reconciliation."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Imam was asked about the verse: وَ إِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِها نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْراضاً [And if a woman fears ill usage or desertion on the part of her husband]. The Imam said: "[This is a good question]; ask questions like this. A man has two wives, and he has come to hate one of them or dislikes her, so he turns away from her and wants to divorce her, but that woman does not like this. So they reach a reconciliation in this way, that [he does not divorce her, but he may] visit her only from time to time, and he also has the right to take his share and enjoyment from his other wife."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ أُحْضِرَتِ الأَنفُسُ الشُّحَّ [and avarice has been made to be present in the (people's) minds]; greed and stinginess become present in the souls of those women, and some of the women choose it, while others turn away from it.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked: "If a man marries a woman on the condition that he visits her whenever he wishes — whether once a month or once a week — and pays her no maintenance except a specified amount, and both of them agree to this, what is the ruling?" He said: "It is invalid. That woman must receive the same share and maintenance as other women receive. Their marriage is valid; but he must either keep her according to this obligatory ruling that I have mentioned, or divorce her. And if, after this, the woman is content to act according to the earlier conditions and not seek divorce, this condition is lifted from her, and the choice is hers if they reach a reconciliation, for Allah has said: إِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِها نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْراضاً فَلا جُناحَ عَلَیْهِما أَنْ یُصْلِحا بَیْنَهُما صُلْحاً [And if a woman fears ill usage or desertion on the part of her husband, there is no blame on them if they effect a reconciliation between them] and reconciliation is better. This ruling, of course, pertains to when the man dislikes the woman and intends to divorce her, and it is the woman who dislikes divorce and has reached a reconciliation with the man, whereby in exchange she gives up her share of the dowry or all or part of the maintenance, and they are in agreement on this reconciliation of theirs — in which case this reconciliation is permissible."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Sawda bint Zam'a feared that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would divorce her, so she said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): "Do not divorce me, and let me remain with your other wives, and [she did not want him] to allot a separate share for me." Then this verse was revealed: وَ إِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِها نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْراضاً [And if a woman fears ill usage or desertion on the part of her husband].