The Heifer (Al-Baqarah) البقرة 221–223
221
وَلاَ تَنكِحُواْ الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَّ وَلأَمَةٌ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ وَلاَ تُنكِحُواْ الْمُشِرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَعَبْدٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ أُوْلَـئِكَ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ وَاللّهُ يَدْعُوَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيُبَيِّنُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
Do not marry women who associate partners with God until they believe. A believing bondwoman is better than a woman who associates partners with God, however pleasing she may appear to you. Nor give believing women in marriage to men who associate partners with God, till they have believed; a believing bondman is certainly better than a man who associates partners with God, even though he may please you. Such people call you to Hell-fire; but God calls you to Paradise and to forgiveness. He makes His messages clear to people, so that they might bear them in mind.
222
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُواْ النِّسَاء فِي الْمَحِيضِ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىَ يَطْهُرْنَ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ اللّهُ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ
They ask you about menstruation. Say, ‘It is an impurity, so keep away from women during it and do not approach them until they are cleansed; when they are cleansed you may approach them as God has ordained. God loves those who turn to Him in penitence and He loves those who keep themselves clean.
223
نِسَآؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَّكُمْ فَأْتُواْ حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّى شِئْتُمْ وَقَدِّمُواْ لأَنفُسِكُمْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّكُم مُّلاَقُوهُ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Your wives are your fields. Go, then, into your fields as you will. Do good deeds, and fear God, and know that you shall meet Him.’ Give good tidings to the believers.
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
(a) To illustrate the purpose of the matrimonial bond, the relationship between man and woman may be likened to that of a farmer and his field. This means that it is not just for selfish enjoyment that a couple takes the marriage vow. Just as a farmer’s task of planting his fields is a serious matter, so also is the husband/wife relationship a serious one. Various factors have to be taken into account, certain guidelines followed. The first thing to be taken into consideration when choosing a spouse is belief. The relationship between a husband and wife is an extremely delicate one, balanced precariously within a network of social, domestic and psychological factors. For such a close, intricate relationship to flourish there has to be harmony of belief. A Muslim who marries someone of another faith may have to compromise on his beliefs, in which case it will be his faith that suffers; and if he refuses to do so, it will be his marriage which will flounder. Secondly, a husband and his wife should consort and cohabit according to the pattern of creation. Just as revelation is an expression of God’s will, so is nature, for it follows divine commands to the letter. Natural laws are for us to follow, just as revealed laws are to be obeyed. And one should fear God at all times, always remembering that He knows a person’s inner and outer states, and that eventually one is going to be brought before Him. (a) Doing good works means acting with the Hereafter in mind. In the knowledge that there is an eternal side to life, which is more important than the temporal side, it is for eternity that we should strive. Should our actions on earth profit us in this life, but be harmful to our everlasting life, we shall have lived our lives in vain. What we do on earth will be judged after death. We should take care to ensure that our deeds measure up well on God’s scale of justice, for if they fail to do so, there is no way we can avoid His punishment.