نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَكُمْ فَأْتُوا حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّى شِئْتُمْ وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿۲۲۳﴾ وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا اللَّهَ عُرْضَةً لِأَيْمَانِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَتُصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿۲۲۴﴾ لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ ﴿۲۲۵﴾
﴾223﴿ Nisaaa'ukum harsullakum faatoo harsakum annaa shi'tum wa qaddimoo li anfusikum; wattaqul laaha wa'lamooo annakum mulaaqooh; wa bash shirilmu 'mineen
﴾224﴿ Wa laa taj'alul laaha 'urdatal li aymaanikum an tabarroo wa tattaqoo wa tuslihoo bainan naas; wallaahu Samee'un 'Aleem
﴾225﴿ Laa yu'aakhi zukumul laahu billaghwi feee aymaa nikum wa laakiny yu'aakhi zukum bimaa kasabat quloo bukum; wallaahu Ghafoorun Haleem
﴾223﴿ Your women are a place of cultivation for you, so come to your cultivation as you wish, and send forth (good deeds) for yourselves. And fear Allah, and know that you will surely meet Him. And give glad tidings to the believers.
﴾224﴿ And do not make the name of Allah a barrier in your oaths, preventing you from doing good, being mindful (of Him), and making peace between people. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
﴾225﴿ Allah does not hold you accountable for unintentional oaths, but He holds you accountable for the oaths your hearts have intended. And Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.
[223] This is the eighth ruling, related to women—that is, such a relationship is intended through which offspring is produced, as the purpose of marriage is the increase of progeny. This is a refutation of the ignorant ones who derive unlawful benefit from women, considering marriage merely for lust and implementing birth control measures to prevent children.
“Come to your cultivation” refers specifically to intercourse through the front, which is called ḥarth (cultivation), while the rear is referred to as furth (dung place).
“As you wish” includes various permissible positions and times, though the place must remain the same.
“Send forth for yourselves” means that the intention of having children is necessary.
[224] This is the ninth ruling. The point is that you must not prevent yourself from doing good and making peace, even if you have sworn an oath—breaking such an oath becomes obligatory. This refutes the ignorance of people who swear falsely and use oaths to stop themselves from doing good deeds. The word ‘ʿurḍah’ has two meanings: first, it means a barrier—that which prevents one from doing good; second, it means a repeated sign—referring to the excessive use of oaths. The phrase ‘an tabarrū’ refers to fulfilling the rights of people, and ‘wa tittaqū’ points to the rights of Allah.
[225] This verse is connected to the previous one and refers to different types of oaths:
(1) Laghw (unintentional): when one swears out of habit or forgetfulness, without deliberate intent.
(2) Muʿaqqadah (binding): when one swears about a future action, either to do something or not to do it.
(3) Ghamūs (false and deliberate): when one knowingly swears falsely.
In the first type, there is neither sin nor expiation.
In the second, if the oath is broken, expiation is required.
In the third, it is a major sin and deserves punishment, though scholars differ about whether expiation is required.
The phrase “bimā kasabat qulūbukum” (what your hearts have earned) means intention and will, and it applies to both the binding and false oaths.