And those of you who die, with the assumption of omitting the added phrase, it means: And the wives of those who die among you must wait. It was said: Its meaning is that they wait after them, as they say: The fat is two measures for a dirham. And it was read: they die with the opening of the 'ya' [Mahamud said: "Ali radiyallahu anhu read it with the opening of the 'ya'... etc.", Ahmad said: Perhaps the questioner to Abu al-Aswad was someone who understood from him that there is no difference between the opening and the breaking, which is apparent, and based on that, Abu al-Aswad answered him, so there is no contradiction then.] meaning they complete their terms, and this is a reading of Ali radiyallahu anhu. It is narrated that Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali was walking behind a funeral, and a man said to him: Who is the deceased - with a broken 'fa', so Allah, the Exalted, said. This was one of the reasons that prompted Ali radiyallahu anhu to command him to write a book on grammar, as this reading contradicts it. They must wait for themselves for four months and ten days, and they observe this period which is four months and ten days. It was said that ten refers to the nights and days included with it, and you will not find them ever using the masculine form regarding it, referring to the days.

You say: I fasted ten [Mahamud said: "You say: I fasted ten... etc." Ahmad said: And from it: "Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six from Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime," so the nights predominated or fasting was not conceivable during them until they said: The condition of intention and its time is at night, and for this reason, it has a share in fasting and it predominated.] and if you mentioned it, you would be out of their speech. And it is clear in His saying: (If you remained but ten) then (If you remained but a day). So when they reach their term, when their waiting period is over, there is no sin upon you, O imams and the community of Muslims, in what they do regarding themselves of presenting themselves for marriage in a manner that is not denied by the Shari'ah. The meaning is that if they did what is forbidden, it would be upon the imams to stop them.

And if they neglect, it would be upon them the sin in what you have presented to her, which is to say to her: You are beautiful or righteous or pleasing, and my intention is to marry, and may Allah make it easy for me to find a righteous woman, and similar words that imply that he intends to marry her so that she may keep herself for him if she desires him, and he does not explicitly state marriage, so he does not say: I intend to marry you, or I will marry you, or I propose to you. Ibn al-Mubarak narrated from Abdullah ibn Sulayman from his aunt who said:

Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali entered upon me while I was in my waiting period and said: You know my kinship to the Messenger of Allah blessings and peace be upon him and the right of my grandfather upon me and my standing in Islam. I said: May Allah forgive you! Are you proposing to me in my waiting period while you are someone from whom knowledge is taken? He said: Have I not done so! I only informed you of my kinship to the Messenger of Allah blessings and peace be upon him and my status. The Messenger of Allah blessings and peace be upon him entered upon Umm Salamah while she was with her cousin Abu Salamah, and he died, and he kept mentioning his status with Allah while he was leaning on his hand until the mat left an impression on his hand from the severity of his leaning on her, so that was not a proposal [This is as it is in the book of marriage by Ibn al-Mubarak and it was narrated by al-Daraqutni from the narration of Muhammad ibn al-Salt from Abdul Rahman ibn Sulayman - who is Ibn al-Ghaseel - in a similar manner in full.]. If you say: What is the difference between hinting and alluding? I say:

Hinting is to mention something without using its designated term, like saying: Tall of the spear and the straps for tall stature [The phrase "for tall stature" may be: for the tall. (A)] and much ash for the hospitable. Alluding is to mention something that indicates something not mentioned, as the needy person says to the one in need: I came to greet you, and to look at your noble face. And for this reason, they said:

And it is enough for you with my greeting to demand.

And it is as if he is inclining the speech towards a display that indicates the purpose, and it is called hinting because what he wants is hinted at from it. Or have you concealed in yourselves or hidden and suppressed in your hearts so that you did not mention it with your tongues, neither hinting nor stating explicitly? Allah knows that you will certainly mention them and you will not cease from expressing your desire for them nor will you be patient regarding it. And in it is a hint of reproach, as in His saying: "Allah knows that you were betraying yourselves." If you say: Where is the implied continuation in His saying? [Mawlana Mahmoud, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "If you say, where is the implied continuation in His saying, but..." Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The indication of what is mentioned here is strong regarding what is omitted, because it is customary in such a formulation for permission to follow it. An example of this structure is Allah's saying: "Allah knows that you were betraying yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. Now, approach them." There is a secret in this omission, and Allah knows best, which is that it was avoided because the permission did not apply to the mention in general, but was restricted to one aspect of it, and that permissible aspect is difficult to distinguish from what is not permitted. Thus, it was mentioned as an exception in His saying: "Except that you say a recognized saying," indicating that the situation is narrow and the matter is difficult, and the original ruling is prohibition. The same is not true for intercourse during the night of fasting, for it is permitted absolutely without restriction. Therefore, the speech began with permission and expansion, and the prohibition of approaching the one in seclusion in the mosque follows the permission and is related to the mention, because it is a unique situation and the prohibition therein was not due to fasting, but the matter is related to the accompanying act, which is seclusion. So pay attention to this secret, for it is one of the rare insights. But do not promise them? I said: It is omitted because it is indicated by "you will mention them," its meaning being: Allah knows that you will mention them, so mention them, but do not promise them in secret. And the secret is a metaphor for marriage, which is intercourse, because it is something that is concealed. Al-A'sha said:

"And do not approach a neighbor, for her secret is... forbidden to you, so marry or remain apart."

[And do not mock a poor, needy person... and do not think that wealth will last for a person.

And do not approach a neighbor, for her secret is... forbidden to you, so marry or remain apart.]

This is by Al-A'sha, Maimun ibn Qays. And the poor person is the needy one. And the blindness is a metaphor. And attributing permanence to wealth is metaphorical, as it is its cause in appearance. And "approach" with an open 'ra' means we do, and the 'min' is extra. And "neighbor" is the object, and with a 'dhamma' it means to draw near, and the 'min' is original. And it was narrated: "And do not approach a neighbor" with a doubled 'nun.' And in any case, it is a metaphor for the prohibition of intercourse. And the secret is the opposite of public, and it is used here in relation to intercourse metaphorically because it occurs therein, or because it is something that is concealed. And marriage is the contract of matrimony. And it is said: The wild animal fled from companionship, and "remain apart" means to distance oneself metaphorically, and the addressee is not specified. And he was prohibited from drawing near to her because it is more emphatic than being deterred from intercourse with her. Then he said: So marry or remain apart from women like the wild animals.

Then he expressed by it the marriage which is the contract because it is a cause in it, as he did with marriage except that you say a known saying, which is to allude and not to state explicitly. If you say: What does the letter of exception relate to? I say: To not promise them, meaning do not promise them a promise at all except a known promise that is not rejected. That is, do not promise them except by saying, meaning do not promise them except by alluding. It is not permissible for it to be a disconnected exception from (secretly) because it leads to your saying do not promise them except by alluding. It was said that its meaning is: Do not promise them in a sexual manner, which is to say to her if I marry you, it will be such and such, meaning what occurs between them under the covering. Except that you say a known saying, meaning without lewdness or indecency in speech. It was said do not promise them secretly: meaning in secret, on the basis that promising in secret is a promise of what is considered shameful, because their secret conversations are usually about what one is shy to declare openly. And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, (except that you say a known saying), it is that they mutually agree not to marry anyone else and do not intend the marriage contract, from the intention of the matter and the intention upon it. Mentioning the intention is an exaggeration in the prohibition of the marriage contract during the waiting period, because the intention to act precedes it, so if he forbids it, it is a prohibition from the action, and its meaning is: And do not intend the marriage contract. It was said: Its meaning is do not cut the marriage contract: and the reality of intention is cutting, as evidenced by his saying, blessings and peace be upon him, 'There is no fasting for one who does not intend to fast from the night.' And it was narrated 'for one who does not spend the night (with the intention of fasting).' Until the decree reaches its term, meaning what has been written and what has been prescribed from the waiting period. He knows what is in your souls of the intention for what is not permissible, so beware of it and do not intend it. He is Forgiving, Forbearing; He does not hasten you with punishment.