His saying: "And do not retain them to their detriment, so that you may transgress"

2245 - Muhammad b. Sa'd al-'Awfi reported to us in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my paternal uncle al-Husayn narrated to me, from his father, from his grandfather, from 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas regarding His saying: "And do not retain them to their detriment, so that you may transgress." A man would divorce his wife, then take her back before the expiration of her waiting period, then [again] divorce her. He would do this to her to cause her harm and to constrain her, so Allah revealed this verse.

2246 - Hajjaj b. Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, meaning His saying: "And do not retain them to their detriment." He forbade detriment (dirar). Detriment in divorce is for a man to divorce a woman and take her back three times at the very last day remaining of the term, until he consumes nine months for her, causing her harm. Abu Muhammad [Ibn Abi Hatim] said: It was narrated from Masruq, Qatadah, al-Hasan, Muqatil b. Hayyan, al-Rabi' b. Anas, and al-Suddi something similar to that.

Abu Muhammad said: It was narrated from al-Dahhak and al-Rabi' b. Anas something similar, except that they both said: He would take her back in the hope that she would seek khul' (divorce initiated by the wife) from him in exchange for her wealth.

His saying, the Most High: "And whoever does that has wronged himself"

2247 - My father narrated to us, Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Dashtaki narrated to us, 'Abd Allah b. Abi Ja'far narrated to us, from his father, from al-Rabi' b. Anas regarding His saying: "And do not retain them to their detriment, so that you may transgress. And whoever does that has wronged himself." He said: A man would divorce his wife a single pronouncement then leave her until her waiting period was about to expire, then take her back, then divorce her. Then, when her waiting period was about to expire, he would take her back, even though he had no need for her; he only did so to prolong [the process] for her and cause her harm through that. So Allah forbade that, warned against it, and said: "And whoever does that has wronged himself." Abu Muhammad said: It was narrated from Qatadah and Muqatil b. Hayyan something similar to that.

His saying, the Most High: "And do not take the verses of Allah in mockery"

[The first interpretation]

2248 - 'Isam b. Rawwad narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, al-Mubarak b. Fadalah narrated to us, from al-Hasan, who said: A man would divorce and say, 'I was joking,' or he would free a slave and say, 'I was joking,' or he would marry and say, 'I was joking.' So Allah, the Most High, revealed: "And do not take the verses of Allah in mockery." And the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'Whoever divorces, frees a slave, or marries, whether seriously or jokingly, it is binding upon him.' It was narrated from 'Ata' al-Khurasani, al-Rabi' b. Anas, Muqatil b. Hayyan, and Qatadah something similar to that.