Marriage: intercourse, and the naming of the contract as marriage is due to its connection to it, as it is a means to it. An analogous case is their naming of wine as sin, because it is a cause for committing sin. In the science of rhetoric, the poet says:

"The humps of camels in a cloud, Coming like the rain from its source... As if the downpour is in its place. The humps of camels in a cloud."

He describes rain in abundance and richness. It is said: the horse 'stunned' when it plays, which means it raises its hands and throws them down at times, and its legs at other times alternately. The sea 'stunned' by the ship means it moved it, raising its front at times and its back at other times. So, 'the stunned' is a participle from it, and it is borrowed for the clouds: as they come moving and in them is rain. 'The rabab' is the closely packed white clouds. The pronouns 'coming' and 'its rabab' refer to the rain. 'The downpour' is an expression in place of the implied, to indicate abundance. 'In its place' indicates its state. 'The humps of camels' is the subject. 'In a cloud' is the predicate, and the sentence is the news of the downpour. The term 'humps' is applied to water because it is the cause of their fattening. 'The place' is a source in the form of a passive participle. 'The downpour' is heavy rain. 'The humps' is the plural of 'hump.' 'The camels' - with a long alif - is the plural of 'camel.'

Water is named 'the humps of camels' because it is the cause of wealth and the rise of their humps. The word 'marriage' is mentioned in the Book of Allah only in the meaning of the contract, because it refers to intercourse in the sense of explicitness. Among the etiquettes of the Qur'an is to allude to it with the terms of touching, closeness, and approaching. If you say: why did He specify the believing women while the ruling stated in the verse applies equally to the believing women and the people of the Book? I say: in their specification is a reminder that the essence of a believer's matter, and what is preferable for him, is to choose for his offspring, and that he should not marry except a chaste believing woman, and he should refrain from marrying the immoral, so what about the disbelievers? He should be reluctant to share a bed with an enemy of Allah and His ally. The one mentioned in Surah Al-Ma'idah teaches what is permissible and not forbidden, regarding marrying the chaste women from those who were given the Book.

And this one teaches what is preferable for the believers, which is marrying believing women. If you say: what is the benefit of 'then' in His saying 'then you have divorced them'? I say: its benefit is to negate the assumption of those who might think there is a difference in ruling: between divorcing her shortly after marriage and divorcing her after a long time has passed since the marriage, and delaying her in the bond of marriage before divorcing her. If you say: if he secluded himself with her in a way that allows him to have contact with her, does that take the place of contact? I say: yes, according to Abu Hanifah and his companions, the ruling of valid seclusion is the same as that of contact. And His saying 'so what do you have upon them of waiting period?' is evidence that the waiting period is a right obligatory upon women for men, which you count, from your saying: I counted the dirhams, so count it, like your saying: I measured it, so measure it. And it is read: 'you count it' in a lighter form, meaning: you count it in it.

And the intended meaning of waiting is what is in His saying: 'and do not hold them to harm them, so that you may count.' If you say: is this enjoyment obligatory or recommended? I say: if it is not obligatory for her, then enjoyment is obligatory. And enjoyment is not obligatory according to Abu Hanifah except for her alone, without the other divorced women. And if it is obligatory for her, then enjoyment is disputed: some say it is recommended and preferable, among them is Abu Hanifah, and some say it is obligatory, with a beautiful release without harm or obligatory prevention.