The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 361
PT. 2 AL-BAQARAH CH. 2 نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَّكُمْ فَأْتُوا حَرْثَكُمْ Your wives are a tilth for. 224 you; so approach your tilth أَثْى شِئْتُمْ وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمُ when and how you like and وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلْقُوهُ yourselves; and fear Allah and وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. send ahead some good for know that you shall meet Him; and give good tidings to those who obey. 230 derived from Ab which means, he or it became clean or free from dirt or filth, etc. ; or he or it became pure. means, the woman became طهرت المرأة clean from the menstrual discharge, i. e. her flow of menses stopped. means, she became cleansed or purified by washing herself. bl (iṭṭahara) is like giving the same meaning, i. e. he became cleansed or he kept himself clean (Aqrab). Commentary: After laying down, in brief, the law about intermarriage, reference to marital relations and conjugal obligations became necessary. The verse under comment indicates that coition or sexual intercourse with one's wife is not permissible during menses, for such intercourse would be harmful for both parties. Coition becomes permissible when menses cease, but as a further precaution the husband should wait till the wife has washed herself by taking a bath. The command referred to in the words go in unto them as Allah has commanded you is contained in, and seek what Allah has ordained for You (2:188), hinting that coition with one's wife should be in a manner productive of issue. A further hint to the above is contained in the 361 following verse. The words, and go not in unto them (lit. do not go near them) until they are clean, do not mean that the husband should keep away from his wife completely and in no case go near her. The Holy Prophet's sayings as well as his practice belie that inference. The expression simply refers to coition and does not debar other forms of loving approach. . i. e "متطهرين" The concluding word those who keep themselves clean has been put in the masculine gender, because firstly the use of the masculine gender generally includes and extends to females as well; and secondly because by using this word the Quran means to hint that if men go in unto their wives while they are unclean, they are sure to make themselves unclean too. Thirdly this word also hints that though it becomes lawful for a man to go in unto his wife after the monthly flow has ceased, yet it is better for him to wait till the woman has properly washed herself, for God loves those who are more careful about cleanliness. 230. Important Words: (tilth). See 2: 206.