Interpretation of the words of Allah: "Evil women are for evil men" (the verse)

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: what is meant is people like Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, and whoever doubts about Allah and slanders someone like the leader of the Muslim women. Then he said: "And good women are for good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: what is meant by the good women is Sayyidah Aishah, whom Allah made good for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Jibril (peace be upon him) brought her to him (peace and blessings be upon him) in a piece of silk before she had been formed in her mother's womb, and said to him: This is Aishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr, your wife in this world and your wife in the Hereafter, in place of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. That was at the time of the death of Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was delighted with her in his heart, and his eyes were comforted (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he said: "And good men are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: what is meant is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), whom Allah made good for Himself and made the leader of the children of Adam. By "good women" is meant Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her).

Sa'id bin Jubayr said: "Wicked women are for wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], that is, evil speech, the slander of Sayyidah Aishah and the like, is "for wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], that is, for the men and women who slandered her. "And wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], that is, among men and women, "are for wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], that is, for evil speech, because evil speech befits them alone. Then he said: "And good things" [Surah al-A'raf: 32], that is, good speech, is "for good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], that is, for the men and women who thought well of the believing men and women. "And good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], among men and women, "are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], that is, good speech, because good speech befits them alone.

Abd al-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said concerning this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women, and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: This verse was revealed concerning Sayyidah Aishah when the hypocrite accused her with calumny and a false charge, and Allah declared her innocent of it. Abdullah bin Ubayy was wicked, so he was more deserving that the wicked woman should be for him and he for her; and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was good, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) was more deserving that the good woman should be for him (peace and blessings be upon him). And Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the good woman, so she was more deserving that the good (man) should be for her.

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The wife of Abdullah bin Ubayy was a hypocrite like him, so the Qur'an was revealed: "Wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], meaning the wife of Abdullah, "are for wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], meaning Abdullah bin Ubayy, "and wicked men are for wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], meaning Abdullah bin Ubayy for his wife; "and good men are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], meaning Sayyidah Aishah and the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); "and good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], meaning for Sayyidah Aishah and the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); "Those are declared innocent of what they say," to the end of the verse.

Al-Dahhak bin Muzahim said concerning this verse: "Wicked men are for wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he said: Wicked speech is for wicked people. And concerning this verse: "Good things are for good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he said: Good speech is for good people.

Mujahid said concerning this verse: "The good things" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 4] and "the wicked things": He said: It is evil speech and good speech; good speech is for the believers and evil speech is for the disbelievers.

Mujahid said concerning this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he said: Wicked words are for wicked people, and wicked people are for wicked words; and good words are for good people, and good people are for good words.

Mujahid said concerning this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and good women are for good men": He said: Evil speech and good speech; good speech is for the believer and evil speech is for the disbeliever.

Sa'id bin Jubayr said concerning this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and good women are for good men": He said: Wicked words are for wicked people, and good words are for good people.

Mujahid or Sa'id bin Jubayr said concerning this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: Wicked words are for wicked people, and good words are for good people.

Sa'id bin Jubayr narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that concerning this verse, "Wicked women are for wicked men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he said: Wicked speech is for wicked people. And concerning "Good things are for good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he said: Good speech is for good people.

Ata' narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that concerning this verse, "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women, and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he said: Wicked words are for wicked people, and wicked people are for wicked words, and good words are for good people. Do you not see that when you hear an evil word from a righteous man, you say: May Allah forgive so-and-so; this is neither his character nor the way he speaks.

Atiyyah bin Sa'd al-Awfi narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that concerning this verse, "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he says: Wicked words are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked words. "And good women are for good men" [Surah al-Nur: 26], he says: And good words are for good men. This verse was revealed concerning those who uttered the calumny they uttered about the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also said: "Wicked women are for wicked men" means that wicked deeds belong to wicked people, and good deeds belong to good people.

Al-Hakam bin Utaybah narrated: When the people indulged in talk about the matter of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for Sayyidah Aishah. She said: I came while I was trembling without any fever. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Aishah! What are the people saying?" I said: No, by the One who sent you with the truth, I will not offer you any excuse for anything. The narrators said: (Sayyidah Aishah said:) until my vindication comes down from the heaven. So Allah revealed fifteen verses of Surah al-Nur concerning her. Then al-Hakam recited until he reached this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women, and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26], and he said: So wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women, and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women.

Qatadah said concerning this verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: that is, in speech and deed; "and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women" [Surah al-Nur: 26]: that is, in speech and deed.