سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 128
وَإِنِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعْرَاضًا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَآ أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا ۚ وَٱلصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ ۗ وَأُحْضِرَتِ ٱلْأَنفُسُ ٱلشُّحَّ ۚ وَإِن تُحْسِنُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا ﴿128﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if a woman fears cruelty or desertion on her husband’s part, there is no sin on them both if they make terms of peace between themselves; and making peace is better. And human inner-selves are swayed by greed. But if you do good and keep away from evil, verily, Allâh is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِنِ
wa-ini
And if
ٱمْرَأَةٌ
im'ra-atun
a woman
خَافَتْ
khāfat
fears
مِنۢ
min
from
بَعْلِهَا
baʿlihā
her husband
نُشُوزًا
nushūzan
ill-conduct
أَوْ
aw
or
إِعْرَاضًۭا
iʿ'rāḍan
desertion
فَلَا
falā
then (there is) no
جُنَاحَ
junāḥa
sin
عَلَيْهِمَآ
ʿalayhimā
on both of them
أَن
an
that
يُصْلِحَا
yuṣ'liḥā
they make terms of peace
بَيْنَهُمَا
baynahumā
between themselves
صُلْحًۭا ۚ
ṣul'ḥan
a reconciliation
وَٱلصُّلْحُ
wal-ṣul'ḥu
and [the] reconciliation
خَيْرٌۭ ۗ
khayrun
(is) best
وَأُحْضِرَتِ
wa-uḥ'ḍirati
And are swayed
ٱلْأَنفُسُ
l-anfusu
the souls
ٱلشُّحَّ ۚ
l-shuḥa
(by) greed
وَإِن
wa-in
But if
تُحْسِنُوا۟
tuḥ'sinū
you do good
وَتَتَّقُوا۟
watattaqū
and fear (Allah)
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
كَانَ
kāna
is
بِمَا
bimā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
خَبِيرًۭا
khabīran
All-Aware
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 128) ➊ The meaning of { وَ اِنِ امْرَاَةٌ خَافَتْ … : ”نُشُوْزًا“ } is excess, quarrel, turning away, indifference. Nushooz or turning away is when one mistreats her, considers her insignificant, stops sitting or spending time with her, does not provide her maintenance, finds excuses to beat her, or if he has another wife whom he loves more, so his attention towards her is less. In this situation, there can be only two possibilities: one is that the woman thinks it is better for her to remain in the marriage with this person, even if she has to forgo some of her rights. The second is that she separates from him. In verse (128), the first situation is mentioned, and in verse (130), the second situation is mentioned.
➋ The indefiniteness of { اَنْ يُّصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا: ”صُلْحًا“ } (any kind of reconciliation) indicates that if the husband and wife reconcile in any way, there is no sin upon them. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "A man would have a woman and now he did not want to keep her anymore and intended to divorce her, so the woman would say (do not divorce me, let me remain in your marriage), I allow you regarding my turn (that you may stay with whichever wife you wish), so this verse was revealed in this context." [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب : «و إن امرأۃ خافت… » : ۴۶۰۱ ]
Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her) feared that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would divorce her, so she said: "O Messenger of Allah! Give my day to Aisha, but do not divorce me," so the Prophet (peace be upon him) did so, and upon this, this verse was revealed: «{ وَ اِنِ امْرَاَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوْزًا اَوْ اِعْرَاضًا }» Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: "Whatever they both reconcile upon is permissible." [ ترمذی، تفسیر القرآن، باب و من سورۃ النساء : ۳۰۴۰ ] It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that when Sawda bint Zam'a (may Allah be pleased with her) became old, she gifted her day to Aisha, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) would spend her day with Aisha as well. [ بخاری، النکاح، باب المرأۃ تہب یومہا من زوجھا… : ۵۲۱۲ ]
➌ { وَ الصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ:} means that reconciliation is better in every case, because Satan brings close to himself and praises that agent of his who causes separation between husband and wife. [ مسلم، صفات المنافقین و أحکامھم، باب تحریش الشیطان … : 2813/67 ]
➍ The meaning of { وَ اُحْضِرَتِ الْاَنْفُسُ الشُّحَّ: ”الشُّحَّ“} is miserliness, along with greed, meaning that miserliness and greed are natural in humans. The miserliness of the man is that he benefits from the woman but does not fulfill all her rights, and the miserliness of the woman is that she fully receives the dowry and maintenance but falls short in fulfilling rights.
➎ { وَ اِنْ تُحْسِنُوْا وَ تَتَّقُوْا … : } means that despite this feeling of greed, if husband and wife treat each other with kindness and generosity and remain fearful of Allah, then they will surely receive its reward from Allah, Who is fully aware of all their actions.
➋ The indefiniteness of { اَنْ يُّصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا: ”صُلْحًا“ } (any kind of reconciliation) indicates that if the husband and wife reconcile in any way, there is no sin upon them. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "A man would have a woman and now he did not want to keep her anymore and intended to divorce her, so the woman would say (do not divorce me, let me remain in your marriage), I allow you regarding my turn (that you may stay with whichever wife you wish), so this verse was revealed in this context." [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب : «و إن امرأۃ خافت… » : ۴۶۰۱ ]
Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her) feared that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would divorce her, so she said: "O Messenger of Allah! Give my day to Aisha, but do not divorce me," so the Prophet (peace be upon him) did so, and upon this, this verse was revealed: «{ وَ اِنِ امْرَاَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْۢ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوْزًا اَوْ اِعْرَاضًا }» Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: "Whatever they both reconcile upon is permissible." [ ترمذی، تفسیر القرآن، باب و من سورۃ النساء : ۳۰۴۰ ] It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that when Sawda bint Zam'a (may Allah be pleased with her) became old, she gifted her day to Aisha, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) would spend her day with Aisha as well. [ بخاری، النکاح، باب المرأۃ تہب یومہا من زوجھا… : ۵۲۱۲ ]
➌ { وَ الصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ:} means that reconciliation is better in every case, because Satan brings close to himself and praises that agent of his who causes separation between husband and wife. [ مسلم، صفات المنافقین و أحکامھم، باب تحریش الشیطان … : 2813/67 ]
➍ The meaning of { وَ اُحْضِرَتِ الْاَنْفُسُ الشُّحَّ: ”الشُّحَّ“} is miserliness, along with greed, meaning that miserliness and greed are natural in humans. The miserliness of the man is that he benefits from the woman but does not fulfill all her rights, and the miserliness of the woman is that she fully receives the dowry and maintenance but falls short in fulfilling rights.
➎ { وَ اِنْ تُحْسِنُوْا وَ تَتَّقُوْا … : } means that despite this feeling of greed, if husband and wife treat each other with kindness and generosity and remain fearful of Allah, then they will surely receive its reward from Allah, Who is fully aware of all their actions.
