المعنى
What is the context of revelation for this āyah?
الجواب
Imām Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:
- It is reported by al-Ḥasan that a man named Maʿqil ibn Yasār married his sister to a man among the Muslims. She remained with him for a while, but then he divorced her once and her waiting period elapsed, after which she was free to make her own choice. The man then proposed to marry her like other suitors and she agreed to return to him. Therefore, he sought her hand from Maʿqil. Maʿqil became angry and said, "I honoured you with her, and then you divorced her! No, by Allah, she will not return to you." Al-Ḥasan added: Allah knew of the man's need for his wife and the woman's need for her husband, so this verse was revealed. Upon hearing it, Maʿqil said, "I hear and obey, my Lord," and he called the man and said, "I will marry her to you again and honour you."
- Al-Suddī reports that Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī had a cousin whose husband divorced her once. When her waiting period ended, he sought to remarry her, but Jābir refused, saying, "You divorced our cousin, and now you want to marry her again?" The woman, however, wanted to return to her husband and was satisfied with him. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.

