The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 362
CH. 2 AL-BAQARAH ¿ (how and when) means: (1) how; (2) when; and (3) where (Aqrab). قدم send ahead) is derived from) قدموا meaning, he came or stepped forward. (qaddama) means, be sent forward or sent ahead; he put forward; he offered. means, he did good or evil that will in future bear good or bad fruit for himself. dos means, he preferred him to means, he paid him قدم له الثمن. others the price in advance (Aqrab). The Quran uses this expression to point out that whatever good or evil deed a man does, serves like a seed to bear a future crop. No action is ever lost. (those who obey) is derived from meaning: (1) he believed; (2) he obeyed (Aqrab). Here it gives the latter meaning. For a fuller discussion of this word see 2:4. Commentary: This verse constitutes an eloquent testimony to the inimitably pure and dignified language of the Quran. An extremely delicate subject has been dealt with in a most decent and discreet manner, and the whole philosophy of marriage and conjugal relations has been given in one brief sentence, i. e. Your wives are a tilth for you. A woman is indeed like a tilth in which the seed of progeny is sown. The expression has a twofold significance depending on the اتوا حرثكم meaning of the words (approach your tilth). If approaching the tilth means coition, then the expression approach your tilth how you like would signify that: (1) you should go in unto your wife in a manner suited to her capacity as a tilth and in no other manner; and (2) 362 PT. 2 that both of you should try to keep your hearts pure at the time of coition so that the issue of the process may also share that purity. Says the Holy Prophet, "When the husband goes in unto his wife, they should both pray to God saying, 'Our Lord, keep both of us away from Satan; and if Thou grant us an issue, keep that also away from him" (Muslim Kitābun-Nikāḥ). the wife, the On the contrary, if "approaching the tilth" means selecting and dealing with expression approach your tilth how you like would mean: (1) That you should select a wife who is best suited as a tilth, i. e. (a) she should be », viz. capable of producing children and not barren; (b) she should be healthy, capable ودود of producing healthy children; (c) she should be well qualified to give good training to the children; and (d) she should be >> i. e. of loving nature so that there may reign an atmosphere of love and harmony in the house and the children may benefit by it. (2) That you should look after and treat your wife well so that her life may be happy and contented and she may become best disposed to bring up the children well. (3) That you should keep yourselves also in a state of good physical and moral health so that your seed for your tilth may also be healthy in every respect. A wise husbandman selects the best soil, prepares the best tilth, secures the best seed, and chooses the best time and manner of sowing it. So should you, for on the harvest which you are to reap in the form of children depends not only your own but also your community's entire