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yā-ʾayyuhā n-nabiyyu qul li-ʾazwājika ʾin kuntunna turidna l-ḥayāta d-dunyā wa-zīnatahā fa-taʿālayna ʾumattiʿkunna wa-ʾusarriḥkunna sarāḥan jamīlan
O Prophet! Say to your wives, ‘If you desire the life of the world and its glitter, come, I will provide for you and release you in a graceful manner.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-’Ahzab – Verse 28
The People of the House (The Ahlul Bayt) Divinely Made Pure (Clean)
28. “O Prophet! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its adornment, then come, I will provide you enjoyment and set you free in a handsome manner.”
As the result of gaining the booties by the Muslims, the wives of the Prophet (S) wished to develop their lives and, therefore, demanded him (S) some means and welfare potentialities. The Prophet (S) opposed their demand and did not go to them for a month until when the verses under discussion were revealed. The life of all Muslims must be simple. The religious, social and guiding situation creates a particular duty for man.
Therefore, the verse says:
The Arabic word /’umatti‘kunna/ is derived from /mut‘ah/ and, as it has been said in the commentary of Surah Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 236, its purpose is a present which is fit with the rank of a woman. Here the purpose is that he ought to add to the dowry an appropriate sum, or if there has not been appointed a particular dowry he may give them a worthy present so that they become content and happy and that their separation would occur in a friendly environment.
The Arabic word /sarah/ is originally derived from /sarh/ in the sense of a plant which has leaves and fruit; and the Arabic phrase: /sarahtul-’abil/ means ‘I left the camels to enjoy the plants and the leaves of the trees’. Then, it has been used in a vaster scope of meaning, with the sense of any kind of leaving anything and anyone; and sometimes it is also used ironically in the sense of ‘to divorce’. However, the objective meaning of the Qur’anic phrase: /sarahan jamila/ (in a handsome manner) mentioned in the verse under discussion is: ‘To set women free pleasantly and without any quarrel and wrath.’
Here, there are some detailed discussions among the Islamic commentators and jurists whether the purpose of this statement mentioned in the above verse is that the Prophet (S) let his wives free between remaining or they separate, and if they chose separation, it would itself be counted as divorce and it did not need the formula of repudiation to be recited. Or the purpose has been this that they would choose one of those two ways. If they chose separation, the Prophet (S) would recite the formula of repudiation, otherwise they would remain in their own state.
Yes, the combination of the meaning of the above verse and other verses of divorce requires that separation must be done by means of divorce. However, this problem is discussed among the jurists of both Shi‘ah and the Sunnites, though the second attitude, i.e. separation by the way of divorce is nearer to the apparent of the holy verse. Moreover, the application of the Qur’anic phrase /’usarrihkunna/ (I set you free) denotes that the Prophet (S) took action in separating them, specially that the word /tasrih/ in another occurrence of the Holy Qur’an has been used in the sense of ‘divorce’.1
For more information in this regard, you may refer to the legal books, particularly to the book Jawahir, Vol. 29, P. 122.
Footnotes