His saying, exalted and glorified is He:

﴿And those of you who die and leave behind wives, a will for their wives is a provision for a year without expulsion. But if they leave, there is no sin on you for what they do in themselves of good. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise﴾

"Those" is raised as a subject, and the predicate is in the clause which is ﴿a will for their wives﴾. Ibn Kathir, Nafi', Al-Kisai, and Asim - in the narration of Abu Bakr - read "a will" in the nominative, and that is on two aspects: one of them is the subject, and the predicate is in the circumstance which is his saying: "for their wives." It is appropriate to begin with an indefinite noun as it is a place of specification, just as it is appropriate for "Peace be upon you" to be raised. And "Good is before you" and "A flock in a stone not in you." Because they are places of supplication, and the other aspect is that you imply for it a predicate that you estimate: upon them is a will for their wives, and his saying: "for their wives" is an attribute.

Al-Tabari said: Some grammarians said: the meaning is: a will has been written for them, and he said: and likewise it is in the reading of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud.

And Abu Amr, Hamza, and Ibn Amer read: "a will" in the accusative, and that is carried on the verb as if he said: let them bequeath a will, and "for their wives" - on this reading - is also an attribute. Harun said: And in the reading of Ubayy ibn Ka'b: "a will for their wives, a provision" in the nominative, and in the readings of Ibn Mas'ud: "the will for their wives is a provision." And Al-Khifaaf narrated that in the reading of Ubayy: "and a provision for their wives" is a substitute for "a will." And the meaning of this verse is: that when a man dies, his wife has the right to remain in his house for a year, and he should spend on her from his wealth, and that is a will for her.

And the scholars differed - from whom is this command? - A group said: It was a command from Allah, the Most High, that is obligatory after the husband's death. Qatadah said: When a woman’s husband dies, she has the right to housing and maintenance for a year from her husband's wealth, as long as she does not leave by her own choice. Then what is in this verse regarding maintenance was abrogated by the quarter or eighth mentioned in Surah An-Nisa, and the housing for a year was abrogated by the four months and ten days. And this was said by Al-Rabi', Ibn Abbas, Al-Dahhak, Ata, and Ibn Zayd. Another group said: Rather, this command is from the husband. They were encouraged to bequeath to their wives in this manner, so 'they are to bequeath' in this saying means: they are approaching death and are in the throes of death, for the deceased does not bequeath. Qatadah also said this, as did Al-Suddi, and Abu Ali Al-Farisi understood the verse in this way. Al-Suddi said: 'Except that the waiting period was four months and ten days, and the men would bequeath housing for a year and its maintenance, as long as she does not leave. If she leaves after the waiting period - the four months and ten days - the bequest is nullified. Then Allah, the Most High, abrogated that with the revelation of the obligations, so she receives her quarter or eighth, and she has no housing or maintenance, and the bequests became for those who do not inherit. Al-Tabari said about Mujahid: This verse is definitive, and there is no abrogation in it. The waiting period was established as four months and ten days, then Allah made for them a bequest of seven months and twenty nights. If the woman wishes, she may remain in her bequest, and if she wishes, she may leave, as He, the Most High, said: 'Without expulsion, and if they leave, there is no sin upon you.'

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The words of Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, which Al-Tabari reported, do not necessitate that the verse is definitive, and Mujahid did not explicitly state that; rather, it is possible that he meant then that was abrogated later by inheritance.

And 'provision' is in the accusative case as a source. And this matter regarding the year is a general indicator of time, which has taken a share of duration.

And His saying, the Most High: 'Without expulsion' means: it is not for the heirs of the deceased and the inheritors of the house to expel her. And 'without' is in the accusative case as a source according to Al-Akhfash, as if he said: no expulsion, and it is said that it is in the accusative case as a condition for the bequeathers. And it is said that it is an attribute for His saying: 'provision.'

And His saying, the Most High: 'And if they leave' means: that the leaving, if it is from the wife, there is no sin upon anyone - whether a guardian, a judge, or others - regarding what they do with themselves, from marrying, leaving mourning, and adorning themselves, as long as that is from the known that is not denied.

And His saying, the Most High: 'And Allah is Exalted' is a description that entails a warning of punishment for whoever opposes the limit in this matter and expels the woman when she does not want to leave. 'Wise' means: He is wise in what He commands His servants.

And all of this has had its ruling abrogated by the agreed-upon abrogation, except for what Al-Tabari attributed to Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him. And there is a consideration regarding Al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him.