"And do not be like the woman who unraveled her yarn, after it had become strong, into filaments." He forbids them from breaking the covenant, saying: Your example, if you break the covenant, shall be like that woman who unraveled her yarn after she had twisted it. The woman who was cited as an example used to spin wool; once she had spun it, she would unravel it, then return and spin it again.
Muhammad said: "Ankathan" (filaments) is in the accusative case (mansub) because it serves the function of an infinitive (masdar). The singular of "ankath" is "nukth."
﴿وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا من بعد قُوَّة أنكاثا﴾ يَنْهَاهُمْ عَنْ نَكْثِ الْعَهْدِ؛ يَقُولُ: فَيَكُونُ مَثْلُكُمْ إِنْ نَكَثْتُمُ الْعَهْدَ مَثْلَ الَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَبْرَمَتْهُ، وَالْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي ضُرِبَتْ مَثَلا كَانَتْ تَغْزِلُ الشَّعْرَ؛ فَإِذَا غَزَلَتْهُ نَقَضَتْهُ، ثُمَّ عَادَتْ فغزلته.
قَالَ محمدٌ: (أنكاثاً) منصوبٌ؛ لأَنَّهُ فِي مَعْنَى الْمَصْدَرِ، وَوَاحِدُ الأَنْكَاثِ: نكثٌ.
