IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.
O thou prophet! wherefore dost thou prohibit what God has made lawful to thee, craving to please thy wives? but God is forgiving, compassionate!
God has allowed you to expiate your oaths; for
O thou prophet! fight strenuously against the misbelievers and hypocrites and be stern towards them; for their resort is hell, and an evil journey shall it be!
[10] God strikes out a parable to those who misbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot; they were under two of our righteous servants, but they betrayed them: and they availed them nothing against God; and it was said, 'Enter the fire with those who enter.'
And God strikes out a parable for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, 'My Lord, build for me a house with Thee in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the unjust people!'
And Mary, daughter of Imrân, who guarded her private parts, and we breathed therein of our spirit and she verified the words of her Lord and His books, and was of the devout.
290:1 This chapter was occasioned by Mohammed's liaison with the Coptic girl Mary (see Introduction, p. xl), with whom he lay on the day due to ‘Âyeshah or ‘Hafsah. The latter was greatly enraged, and Mohammed to pacify her swore never to touch the girl again, and enjoined ‘Hafsah to keep the matter secret from the rest of his wives. She, however, revealed it in confidence to ‘Âyeshah; when Mohammed, annoyed at finding his confidence betrayed, not only divorced her, but separated himself from his other wives for the space of a month, which time he passed in Mary's apartment. The chapter is intended to free him from his oath respecting Mary, and to reprove his wives for their conduct.
