So they have reached their term, which is the end of their waiting period, and they have approached its conclusion. The term applies to the entire duration, as well as to its end. It is said that a person's lifespan is a term, and the death that concludes it is a term, as well as the limit and the duration. The grammarians say 'from' for the beginning of the limit, and 'to' for the end of the limit. And it is said: Every living being completes the duration of life... and perishes when its duration ends. [It is said: he perished if he died, and he perished by the paths, meaning he was destroyed and taken away. And the perishing is like the wealth: destruction. It is narrated as his term. The term and the duration are used for the entire period of a thing, and for its end, just as the limit is used for the entire distance and for its end.

He says: Every living being must complete the duration of its life and perish when its duration ends, and the stillness of life is a language in it.]

And it is also expansive in reaching, as it is said: he reached the land if he approached it and drew near to it. And it is said: I have arrived, but he has not arrived, rather he has approached, because it is known that holding on after the term has passed has no purpose, for after its expiration, she is no longer his wife in any waiting period from him, so there is no way for him over her. So hold them in a good manner, either he should take her back without seeking harm in the taking back, or release them in a good manner, or let her go until her waiting period ends and she is free without harm. And do not hold them in harm, as a man would divorce a woman and leave her until the end of her waiting period approaches, then take her back not out of need, but to prolong the waiting period upon her; this is holding in harm to oppress them. And it was said:

To force them to seek redemption. So he has wronged himself by exposing himself to the punishment of Allah. And do not take the signs of Allah as a joke, meaning strive in adhering to them and acting upon what is in them, and observe them with their due observance, otherwise you have taken them as a joke and play.

And it is said to one who does not strive in the matter: You are merely playing and jesting. And it is said: Be a Jew, otherwise do not play with the Torah.

And it was said: A man would divorce and free and marry and say: I was just playing. And from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him:

"Three matters, their seriousness is serious and their jest is serious: divorce [[The saying 'and their jest is serious' refers to divorce, marriage, and taking back. In Abu Su'ud: marriage, divorce, and freeing.]] marriage, and taking back [[Narrated by Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim, Ad-Daraqutni, and Al-Bayhaqi, from the hadith of Abu Huraira. There is weakness in its chain.]] And remember the favor of Allah upon you in Islam and the Prophethood of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, and what He has revealed to you of the Book and the Wisdom from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and mention it in return for gratitude and fulfilling its rights. He admonishes you with it regarding what He has revealed to you. So they have reached their term, so do not oppress them. This may be addressed to the husbands who oppress their wives after the waiting period has expired unjustly and forcibly, and due to the ignorance of the pre-Islamic era, they do not allow them to marry whom they wish among husbands. The meaning is that they should marry their husbands whom they desire and are suitable for them, or it may be addressed to the guardians in their oppression to return to their husbands.

It is narrated that it was revealed concerning Ma'qal ibn Yasar when he oppressed his sister to return to her first husband. And it was said concerning Jabir ibn Abdullah when he oppressed a cousin of his. And the correct view is that it is a general address to the people, meaning there should be no oppression among you, for if it exists among them while they are pleased, they would be in the status of oppressors. And oppression is confinement and restriction. From it: I confined the hen when its egg got stuck and did not hatch. And Ibn Harmah recited:

And indeed my poems are like the veiled women... they have been confined from marriage [[The 'veiled women' refers to women kept in seclusion. He says: My poems for you are like the veiled ones, so for you:

There is a condition of the poems or the veiled ones. And the saying 'so take me' is an interruption, meaning take me as a praiser and reward me for my praising you with what I do not praise anyone else with from the poems. And when he likened the poems to women, that was hinted at by the confinement, which is the prevention of marriage specific to women.]]

And the reaching of the term is indeed a reality. And from Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him: The context of the two statements indicates the distinction between the two types of reaching when they agree, if the proposal and the women agree with what is good in religion and honor from the conditions, and it is said: with the dowry of the like. And from the opinion of Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, if she marries herself for less than the dowry of her like, then the guardians have the right to object. If you say: To whom is the address in the saying 'That is what is advised'? I say: It may be for the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and for everyone. And similar to it is ('That is better for you and purer'). More purifying for you and purer from the filth of sins: and it is said ('More purifying for you and purer') is better and more pleasant. And Allah knows what is in that of purity and cleanliness, while you do not know.) Or, and Allah knows what you may be rectified by from the rulings and laws, and you are ignorant of it.