The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 251
VI - Rukhsatānah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra and an Exposition of Her Age at the Time, the Issue of Polygamy and Two Fabricated Incidents 251 Meaning, “O Ye Muslims! Allowed to you are all those women, except for those which have been alluded to above, that you appoint for them their dowries and marry them. However, the purpose of your marriage should be so that you may be safeguarded from ailments and evils, not that you should succumb to a life of lust and follow a way of pleasure and sensuality. ” 1 In this verse, the purpose of Iḥṣān has been mentioned. In other words: firstly, so that through marriage an individual may be safeguarded from falling victim to certain specific ailments of a physical nature, which develop as a result of celibacy; secondly, so that an individual may be safeguarded from certain spiritual and moral ailments, and does not become indulged in impure thoughts and lewd relations. This very fundamental purpose has been described in another verse as follows: Meaning, “O Ye Muslims! Remember that your wives are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them. ” 2 In other words, spouses are a means of safeguarding one another from evils and ailments, just as garments protect an individual from the hardships of cold and heat. In this verse, since women were also to be addressed, the manner of description has been made more subtle. Furthermore, this verse also alludes to the fact that men and women are also a means of hiding the weaknesses of each other, just as garments are also a means of concealment. Then, He states: Meaning, “O Ye Muslims! Your wives are a tilth for you, from which the harvest of your future generation is to be reaped; so now you may deal with your tilth 1 An-Nisā’ (4:25) 2 Al-Baqarah (2:188)