Al-Baqarah (222-3)

Qur’anic Exegesis

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi/

Shehzad Saleem

The previous verses mention the prohibition of marriage among the Idolaters.

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ الْمَحِيضِ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّى يَطْهُرْنَ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمْ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ

And [now that the issue of marriage has been raised], they ask you about menstruation1. Tell them: It is a kind of impurity. So keep away from women during their menstrual periods and do not approach them until they are in a state of purity; then when they are clean after having a bath, go to them2 from where God

يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ  نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَكُمْ فَأْتُوا حَرْثَكُمْ

has enjoined you3. Indeed, God loves those who constantly repent and keep themselves clean4. These women of yours are

أَنَّى شِئْتُمْ وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ وَبَشِّرْ

your cultivated land5; go, then, into your lands in any manner you please6 [and through this] plan for the future7 [of both this

الْمُؤْمِنِينَ(222-3)

andthe next world] and remain fearful of God. Bear in mind that you shall meet Him [one day]8. And [O Prophet!] Give good tidings [of success and salvation] to the believers [on that Day]. (222-3)

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Researcher’s Companion

I Exegesis & Parallels (الشرح و النظائر)

1.‘أَمَرَكُمْ اللَّهُ’ (The directive of God)

The words ‘أَمَرَكُمْ اللَّهُ’, as pointed out by the author (ref. 3), imply the directive of God that is ingrained in human nature regarding sexual intercourse with one’s wife. It needs to be appreciated that man has received God’s directives and His guidance in two forms: a. Innate Guidance and b. Revealed Guidance. As such, the words‘أَمَرَكُمْ اللَّهُ’ hold good for both types of guidance.1

The implication in this verse (2:222) is that the details of sexual intercourse are intrinsically found in human nature. So just as a person intrinsically knows that food is to be put in the mouth, he knows through his ingrained guidance where to satisfy his sexual urge from.

II Scriptures and Testaments (العهود  و الصحف)

The Bible contains severer restriction on women during their menstrual periods:

When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.

 

Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water and he will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed she was sitting on or anything else she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till evening.

If a man lies with her and her monthly flow touches her, he will be unclean for seven days; any bed he lies on will be unclean. (Leviticus, 15:19-24)