[6044] My father narrated to us, Abu al-Yaman narrated to us, Shu'ayb ibn Abi Hamzah narrated to us, from al-Zuhri: Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Sulayman ibn Yasar informed me that the reconciliation which Allah the Almighty stated: "...to make between them a reconciliation, and reconciliation is best." Sa'id mentioned to Sulayman that Rafi' ibn Khadij al-Ansari, who was one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), had a wife, and when she grew old, he married a young girl and preferred the young girl over her. She asked him for a divorce, so he divorced her once. Then he let her wait until she was about to become lawful [to remarry], so he took her back. Then he returned to preferring the young girl over her, so she asked him for a divorce, and he divorced her once. Then he let her wait until she was about to become lawful, so he took her back. Then he returned to preferring the girl over her, so she asked him for a divorce. He said to her: "As you wish; there only remains one divorce for you. If you wish, you may remain [with me] upon the preference you see [me give to the other], and if you wish, I will separate from you." She said to him: "Rather, I will remain [with you] despite the preference." So he kept her upon that, and that was the reconciliation. Rafi' did not see any sin upon himself when she was pleased to remain despite the preference he showed over her.

[6045] Ahmad ibn Sinan al-Wasiti narrated to us, Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us, from Hisham—meaning Ibn 'Urwah—from his father, from 'A'ishah regarding His saying: "And if a woman fears from her husband contempt or evasion..." until the end of the verse. She said: It is a woman who is with a man, but he does not find her desirable, so he wants to divorce her and marry someone else. She says: "Keep me and do not divorce me; you are released from the [obligation of] expenditure upon me and division [of time] for me." That is His saying: "There is no blame upon them to make between them a reconciliation, and reconciliation is best." It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Atiyyah al-'Awfi, 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, al-Hasan, Makhul, Mujahid, and al-Hakam ibn 'Utaybah similar to this.

His saying, the Almighty: "and reconciliation is best."

[6046] 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: "And reconciliation is best," it is the act of giving a choice.

His saying, the Almighty: "and [they] are brought [to themselves]."

[6047] 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, a shaykh from the people of al-Rayy narrated to us, Abu Hisham Asram narrated to us, Abu Sinan narrated to us, from al-Dahhak regarding His saying: "and [they] are brought [to themselves] stinginess," he said: It is bound [to them].