desiring her maintenance, or if she dislikes anything else, and she commands him to remove that from her and to return, and she informs him that she does not want a divorce. The man sends an arbiter from his family, whom he invests with his authority, informs him, and tells him his need. If he desires her and does not want to divorce her, he gives her what she asked for and increases her maintenance; otherwise, he says to him: 'Take from her for me what she owes me and divorce her.' So he invests him with his authority, and if he wishes, he divorces, and if he wishes, he withholds. Then the two arbiters meet, and each of them informs the other of what his principal desires, and each of them exerts effort for what his principal desires. If the two arbiters agree on something, it is permissible, whether they divorce or withhold. That is the saying of Allah the Exalted: 'Then appoint an arbiter from his people and an arbiter from her people. If they both desire reconciliation,' meaning the two arbiters. If the woman sends an arbiter and the man refuses to send one, he shall not approach her forever until he sends an arbiter.
The second interpretation:
5285 - Abu Sa'id narrated to us, 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn al-Mughirah narrated to us, Yazid ibn Zuray' reported, from Sa'id ibn Abi 'Arubah, from Qatadah regarding His saying: 'Then appoint an arbiter from his people and an arbiter from her people.' The two arbiters are only sent to reconcile; separation is not in their hands, and they do not possess that—and similar to this was narrated from al-Hasan.
His saying the Exalted: 'If they both desire reconciliation'
5286 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj narrated to us, Ibn Nufayl narrated to us, from 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: 'If they both desire reconciliation,' he said: They are the two arbiters—and similar to this was narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Abu Salih, Abu Malik, al-Sha'bi, and Mujahid.
His saying the Exalted: 'Allah will effect reconciliation between them'
5287 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: 'If they both desire reconciliation, Allah will effect reconciliation between them,' he said: And likewise, every reconciler whom Allah grants success for truth and what is correct.
His saying the Exalted: 'Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing, Acquainted.'
5288 - My father narrated to us, Muqatil ibn Muhammad narrated to us, Waki' narrated to us, from Abu Ja'far al-Razi, from al-Rabi' ibn Anas, from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding His saying: 'Acquainted (Khabir),' he said: With their situation.
(1). Al-Tafsir 1/156.
تُرِيدُ نَفَقَتَهُ أَوْ كَرِهْتَ شَيْئاً مِنَ الأَشْيَاءِ وَتَأْمُرُهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ عَنْهَا ذَلِكَ، وَيَرْجِعَ، وَتُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّهَا لَا تُرِيدُ الطَّلاقَ، وَيَبْعَثُ الرَّجُلُ حَكَماً مِنْ أَهْلِهِ يُوَلِّيهِ أَمْرَهُ وَيُخْبِرُهُ وَيَقُولُ لَهُ حَاجَتَهُ إِنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُهَا وَلا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَهَا أَعْطَاهَا مَا سَأَلَتْ وَزَادَهَا فِي النَّفَقَةِ، وَإِلا قَالَ لَهُ: خُذْ لِي مِنْهَا مَا لَهَا عَلَيَّ وَطَلِّقْهَا، فَيُوَلِّيهِ أَمْرَهُ فَإِنْ شَاءَ طَلَّقَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَمْسَكَ، ثُمَّ يَجْتَمِعُ الْحَكَمَانِ فَيُخْبِرُ كُلُّ وَاحِدً مِنْهُمَا مَا يُرِيدُ لِصَاحِبِهِ، وَيَجْهَدُ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُرِيدُ لِصَاحِبِهِ، فَإِنِ اتَّفَقَ الْحَكَمَانِ عَلَى شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ جَائِزٌ، إِنْ طَلَّقَا وَإِنْ أَمْسَكَا، فَهُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: فَابْعَثُوا حَكَماً مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَحَكَماً مِنْ أَهْلِهَا إِنْ يُرِيدَا إِصْلاحاً يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ الْحَكَمَانِ، فَإِنْ بَعَثَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ حَكَماً وَأَبَى الرَّجُلُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَقْرُبُهَا أَبَداً حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ حَكَماً.
وَالْوَجْهُ الثَّانِي:
٥٢٨٥ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ، ثنا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، أَنْبَأَ يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَوْلَهُ: فَابْعَثُوا حَكَماً مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَحَكَماً مِنْ أَهْلِهَا وَإِنَّمَا يَبْعَثُ الْحَكَمَانِ لِيُصْلِحَا، وَلَيْسَ بِأَيْدِيهِمَا التَّفْرِقَةُ وَلا يَمْلِكَانِ ذَلِكَ- وَرُوِيَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: إِنْ يُرِيدَا إِصْلاحاً
٥٢٨٦ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، ثنا ابْنُ نُفَيْلٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَوْلَهُ: إِنْ يُرِيدَا إِصْلاحاً قَالَ: هُمَا الْحَكَمَانِ- وَرُوِيَ عَنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، وَأَبِي صَالِحٍ وَأَبِي مَالِكٍ، وَالشَّعْبِيِّ، وَمُجَاهِدٍ «١» نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: يُوَفِّقُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمَا
٥٢٨٧ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عن ابن عباس قوله: إن يُرِيدَا إِصْلاحاً يُوَفِّقِ اللَّهُ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ: وَكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مُصْلِحٍ يُوَفِّقُهُ اللَّهُ لِلْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ.
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيماً خَبِيراً
٥٢٨٨ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، ثنا مُقَاتِلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، ثنا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الرَّازِيِّ، عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَالِيَةِ فِي قَوْلِهِ: خَبِيراً: بمكانهما.
(١) . التفسير ١/ ١٥٦.
