Wife is raiment for husband and husband is raiment for wife

Wife is raiment for husband and husband is raiment for wife

Surah ‘Al-Baqarah (The Cow) – Chapter – 2)

Stage – 1, Verse – 187a of 286, Section – 23 of 40 (Part - 2)

BisMIllaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them.

‘U-hilla  lakum  laylatas-Siyaamir-rafasu  ‘ilaa  nisaaa-‘i-kum.  Hunna  libaasul-lakum  wa  ‘antum  libaasul-lahunn.

Lesson

‘Ar-rafasu – (to go in unto (wives), literal meaning of the word rafasa is ‘the speech or talk which excite sexual feelings and sensual wishes. Here it means ‘to sleep together of husband and wife for intercourse’.

You know that the orders of the Islamic Divine were revealed slowly and gradually. Like the people of the Scripture (the Children of Israel), the Muslims also used to refrain from committing sexual intercourse with their wives after sleeping at night during the month of Ramadan. It has been softened through this verse, and permitted to perform sexual intercourse at night.

It discloses that Islam doesn’t desire to cause to suffer entirely the wishes and feelings. Moreover, it desires to put the entire works in order and according to the Will of God Almighty. We should do any work whenever Allah Almighty wills and stop to do it whenever it is forbidden by Him because He understands best about our betterment and expedience. We don’t know about profit and loss of ourselves.

Besides the fasting, there is no restriction for husband and wife during day and night. But it is forbidden in the day time during the fasting. If anybody disobeys this command, he will either keep the fasts for sixty days continuously as punishment of one broken fast or set free a slave or feed sixty poor persons as the case may be.  

Libaasun – (raiment, clothing), it has been revealed about close relationship of husband and wife commanding them as clothing of one  another which is an inference among the relationship of them with the permission of God Almighty. This example of raiment exists in many forms, for instance; their close relationship between them, their need of each other, their perfect bodily nearness, grace and beauty for one another, and being reason of satisfaction and facility, best of all that, is concealing blemishes of each other also, being perfect trusty of one another.  

Please think that how much things have been made for one to understand using the one word Libaasun ‘the raiment’. It is necessary for husband and wife (both) that they should prove themselves clothing (confident), trustworthy, secret keepers, confident, hearty rest provider and cause of pleasure for one another.   

Allah is aware that ye were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He hath turned in mercy towards you and relieved you. So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you,

‘Alimallaahu  ‘annakum  kuntum  takhtaanuuna  ‘anfusakum  fataaba  ‘alaykum  wa  ‘afaa  ‘an-kum.  Fal-‘aana  baashiruu-hunna  wabtaguu  maa  katabAllaahu  lakum,

Lesson

Takhtaanuuna  ‘anfusakum – (you were deceiving yourselves), some weak Muslims used to convict themselves of deception.

Baashiruu-hunna – (hold intercourse with your wives)

In the above lesson, it has been described that in the beginning of Islam, the Muslims did not use to go in unto their wives during the nights of the fast like the People of the Scripture. But some of them could not control themselves and either broke this restriction due to being subdued of their sexual feelings or grew desire and intention of deception in the heart of someone. God Almighty cleared this matter and permitted to hold intercourse with their wives also like eating and drinking at night.

‘Abtaguu  maa  katabAllaahu  lakum – (seek that which Allah hath ordained for you) ‘abtagaa’ means to try to get and seek for anything. maa  katabAllahu  lakum (which Allah hath ordained for you). It indicates towards ‘the children’ and breed which is a cause of production in the consequence of intercourse.

In addition to the permission, a warning has also been given. That is to say; the purpose of going in unto wives should be to produce the children. Although someone gets natural taste also from the act of intercourse but Islam has kept the real and bigger object from this act which is attainment of the children and augmentation of the breed, so that the relish of an individual may become the cause of collective gain.

It has become evident from this guidance of the Holy Qur’an that birth control and pregnancy prohibition etc. all are the wrongful and unlawful paths. It is the natural result of holding intercourse. One should keep hope of it and wait for it. Only the sensuality has no object. 

 Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)