سورة النساء

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Ibrahim ibn Muhriz said: A person asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): "Is it correct for a man to say to his wife: 'Your affair is in your own hand'?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "How can such a thing be possible, while Allah says: الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ علَی النِّسَاء [Men are the maintainers of women]? This statement has no value."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) that a group of Jews came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)... The one among them who was the most learned said to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): "Tell me, what superiority do men have over women?" He said: "Like the superiority of the sky over the earth, and the superiority of water over the earth — women are alive because of the existence of men; if men did not exist, women would not have been created. The proof of this is the word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, who said: الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّساءِ بِما فَضَّلَ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلی بَعْضٍ [Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others]." A Jewish man said: "Why is it so?" He said: "Allah created Adam (peace be upon him) from clay, and from what remained of it Hawwa (peace be upon her) was created. The first person who followed a woman was Adam (peace be upon him), and because of that Allah expelled him from Paradise. The superiority of men over women in this world is clear. Do you not see how women menstruate and, because of this impurity, are prevented from worship, whereas men do not menstruate?" The Jew said: "O Muhammad, you have spoken the truth."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): The reason women receive half the inheritance of men is that when a woman marries, she takes property from the man (meaning the mahr and maintenance), whereas the man, after marriage, must give property [to the woman]; for this reason his share has been made greater than the woman's share. Another reason for men inheriting twice as much as women is that if a woman is in need she is among the man's dependents, and it is incumbent on the man to support her and pay her maintenance; whereas it is not obligatory on the woman to support the man or, should he be in need, to pay his maintenance. For this reason the share of men has been made double that of women. And the statement of the Exalted Truth alludes to this very meaning: الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّساءِ بِما فَضَّلَ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلی بَعْضٍ وَ بِما أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوالِهِمْ [Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property].

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): In Awali al-La'ali it is reported from Imam Rida (peace be upon him) that in reply to a question he said: "When a woman marries, she takes [wealth and provision]; but the man gives. For this reason the share of the man [from inheritance] has been made greater. And because, generally, if a woman is in need of sustenance, she is dependent on the man for provision, and it is obligatory upon the man to provide for her life and pay her maintenance, whereas it is not obligatory upon the woman, if the man is in need, to arrange his affairs or pay his maintenance. For this reason the share of the man has been made greater, and Allah says: الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّساءِ [Men are the maintainers of women]."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): The best of the men of my ummah are those who do not transgress against the members of their household, who show compassion towards them and do not oppress them. Then he recited this verse: الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّساءِ بِما فَضَّلَ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلی بَعْضٍ [Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّساءِ بِما فَضَّلَ اللهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلی بَعْضٍ وَ بِما أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوالِهِمْ [Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property] — meaning that Allah [through this verse] has made it obligatory upon the man to provide maintenance for the woman.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "A man from the Ansar brought his daughter to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), the husband of this daughter, who is so-and-so son of so-and-so the Ansari, has struck her and left a mark on her face. May I put that man in bonds on account of my daughter?' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'It shall be so for you.' Then Allah revealed: الرِّجالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَی النِّساءِ ... [Men are the maintainers of women ...]. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'You wanted one thing, and Allah wanted other than that.'"

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): قَانِتَاتٌ means obedient women.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): فَالصَّالِحاتُ قانِتاتٌ حافِظاتٌ لِلْغَیْبِ بِما حَفِظَ اللهُ [So the good women are obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded] means that when their husband is not present with them they guard themselves [and do not stain themselves with sin].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ اللَّاتِی تَخافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَ اهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِی الْمَضاجِعِ وَ اضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَکُمْ فَلا تَبْغُوا عَلَیْهِنَّ سَبِیلًا [And those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places, and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them] — this verse refers to the woman's disobedience in bed. The husband says to her: "Fear Allah and return to your bed," and this is the admonition. If she obeys, this is the right way; if not, he leaves her alone, and leaving alone is the hajr (turning away). If she returns to her bed, so much the better; if not, he strikes her, a strike that is not severe. If she then obeys and lies with him, Allah says: فَإِنْ أَطَعنَکُمْ فَلاَ تَبْغُواْ علَیْهِنَّ سَبِیلاً [then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them] — do not compel them to love. Allah has placed the admonition, the rebuke and the striking for them in the sleeping-place and the bed: إِنَّ اللهَ کَانَ علِیًّا کَبِیرًا [Indeed Allah is High, Great].

Fiqh al-Rida (peace be upon him): Nushuz (desertion / recalcitrance) is sometimes from the man and sometimes from the woman. The nushuz of the man is that he wishes to divorce his wife and she says to him: "Keep me, and any right of mine that is upon you is lawful to you, and I have given my nights to you," and they settle on this. And if the woman commits nushuz like the man — when it is from the woman alone — that is the khul' (divorce initiated by the wife), and it takes the form that she does not obey her husband. This is what Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: وَ اللَّاتِی تَخافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَ اهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِی الْمَضاجِعِ وَ اضْرِبُوهُنَّ [And those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places, and beat them]. So hajr (turning away) is that the man turns his back to her in the bed, and darb (striking) is with a miswak stick or the like — a gentle striking.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Tabarsi, regarding the meaning of hajr, has narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: "[That is,] he turns his back to her." And regarding the meaning of striking, he has also narrated from him that he said: "[What is meant is] striking with the miswak."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him) ruled concerning a woman whom a man had married and had stipulated with her and her family that if he married another woman, or abandoned her, or brought a slave-girl for marriage, it would count as her divorce. He said: "Allah's condition takes precedence over your condition. If the man wishes, he acts upon that condition, and if he wishes, he keeps his wife and marries another over her, and brings a slave-girl, and abandons her, if the woman gives cause for this. Allah says in His Book: فَانْکِحُوا ما طابَ لَکُمْ مِنَ النِّساءِ مَثْنی وَ ثُلاثَ وَ رُباعَ [Marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, or four], and He said: أُحِلَّ لَکُمْ مَا مَلَکَتْ أَیْمَانُکُمْ [Lawful to you is what your right hands possess], and He said: وَ اللَّاتِی تَخافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَ اهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِی الْمَضاجِعِ وَ اضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَکُمْ فَلا تَبْغُوا عَلَیْهِنَّ سَبِیلًا إِنَّ الله کانَ عَلِیًّا کَبِیراً [And (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; indeed Allah is High, Great]."