4:128

Salaam all,

This is 4:128
وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِن بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعْرَاضًا فَلاَ جُنَاْحَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحًا وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ وَأُحْضِرَتِ الأَنفُسُ الشُّحَّ وَإِن تُحْسِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
Waini imraatun khafat min baAAliha nushoozan aw iAAradan fala junaha AAalayhima an yusliha baynahuma sulhan waalssulhu khayrun waohdirati alanfusu alshshuhha wain tuhsinoo watattaqoo fainna Allaha kana bima taAAmaloona khabeeran

The aya says:
And if a woman feared aloofness or distancing from her husband, then no problem upon the two that they reconcile between themselves and the reconciliation is better. And the non sharing selves were brought together. And if you make goodness and act consciously, then indeed Allah happened to be well informed in what you do.

My personal note:
This Aya shares with Aya 4:34 the issue of Nushooz which can be translated as aloofness/arrogance/disdain and rebellion. 4:34 dealt with Nushooz on the part of the wife, while this one deals with Nushooz on the part of the husband. In both cases, it deals with a degree of aloofness and distancing that is not sufficient to lead for divorce, but that is distressing enough for the continuing marriage.

In 4:34 the wife has Nushooz but the husband is not yet considering divorce or wants to preserve the marriage, while she is not asking for divorce or separation. The Aya, instead of asking them for a final solution gives them some tools to work on.

In 4:128 the woman is worried about her husband’s Nushooz. He has not yet sought divorce and she wants to preserve the marriage. The Aya gives them tools to work on, mainly the tools of reconciliation, compromise and sharing. The mention of the non-sharing or non-giving selves suggests that this is a root of marital discord at times.

To me, the message of both Ayat is about tools that help preserve the marriage. 4:34 are tools for the man before he goes for divorce, while 4:128 are the tools for the woman. The most important shared element between the two is the issue of talking between the two parties in the form of advice in 4:34 and reconciliation in 4:128.

Translation of the transliterated words:
Waini: and if
Imraatun: a woman
Note: IMRAATUN means a woman. The masculine is MAR’ and it means man.
Khafat: feared
Note: the root is KH-W-F and it means fear. KHAFAT is an action that is completed. It means: the action of fearing happened by the subject (third person singular feminine) of the object (min baaaliha= from her husband).
Min: from
baAAliha: man/husband
Note: the root is B-Ain-L and it means the high land that gets water only through rain as opposed to springs or rivers. It is also used for the plants that do not need watering. The word is used for the husband as well. The relationship between those uses is not very clear and it may point to some independence in the husband that he has to be self supporting. BaAALI means man of or husband of. HA means her.
Nushoozan: rebellion/ arrogance/disdain/animosity/aloofness
Note: the root is N-SH-Z and it means elevated that it becomes seen and apparent and noticeable. Conceptually, it is used for anything that is elevated or for when a person elevates themselves above others, as in rebellion or arrogance or disdaining others. NUSHUZAN means: rebellion or disdain or arrogance. In here it can be used to mean animosity.
Aw: or
iAAradan: avoidance/ distancing
Note: the root is Ain-R-Dhad and it means width. Conceptually it has many applications such as: standing in the way or closing the road or having the greater distance, but it also means presenting and make something seen, because things are seen better if one sees their width. iAARADAN in this context means: avoidance or distancing.
Fala: then not
junaha: tilt to error/ problem
Note: the root is J-N-Ha and it means wing or side in the concrete. The Conceptual meaning is related and points to a tilt one way or another. In this context, it points to a tilt to error or sin or wrong. JUNAHA means a tilt to the wrong side.
AAalayhima: upon the two
An: that
Yusliha: they reconcile/ the two reconcile.
Note: the root is Sad-L-Ha and it means becoming helpful or useful in a good direction. This means mainly: becoming one of benefit as in benefiting oneself and others. Included in this meaning is becoming fixed after having been broken. YUSLIHA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of benefit or reconciliation is happening or will be happening by the subject (dual form plural).
Baynahuma: between them/ between the two.
Sulhan: reconciliation
Note: the root is Sad-L-Ha and it means becoming helpful or useful in a good direction. This means mainly: becoming one of benefit as in benefiting oneself and others. Included in this meaning is becoming fixed after having been broken. SULHAN means reconciliation.

Waalssulhu: and the reconciliation
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA often corresponds with “and/ addition” but the more encompassing meaning is in inclusion one in another or all in a bigger picture or sentence. ALSSULHU is derived from the root Sad-L-Ha and it means becoming helpful or useful in a good direction. This means mainly: becoming one of benefit as in benefiting oneself and others. Included in this meaning is becoming fixed after having been broken. ALSSULHU means the reconciliation.
Khayrun: better/ good
Note: the root is KH-Y-R and it means choice. It is also understood as good or as better, because one would chose the good over the bad. KHAYRUN means: better or best.
Waohdirati: and were brought
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA often corresponds with “and/ addition” but the more encompassing meaning is in inclusion one in another or all in a bigger picture or sentence. OHDIRATI is derived from the root ha-dhad-r and it means in one of the concrete meanings of city or village. This is then extended to the concept of the continuing presence, or continuing appearance or at times being present. OHDIRAT is an action that is completed. It means: the action of being present happened to the object (ALANFUS= the selves) by an undeclared subject.
Alanfusu: the selves
Note: the root is N-F-S and it means to breath. This is the concept and then it can extend to self or anything that breathes. ALANFUS means: the selves.
Alshshuhha: the non giving/ stingy/ non sharing
Note: the root is SH-HA-HA and it means: not giving and not sharing and stingy. It covers money but also anything that is to be shared as in rights and so on. The term can also be extended to the ones who take the rights of others. ALSHSHUHHA are the non sharing or stingy or non giving.
Wain: and if
Tuhsinoo: make goodness/ beauty
Note: the root is Ha-S-N and it means beauty and goodness in all the aspects of beauty and goodness. TUHSINOO is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of causing goodness or beauty is happening or will be happening by the subject (second person plural).
Watattaqoo: and make yourselves act consciously/ including making your-selves act and think consciously
Note: WA is a letter that links what is before with what is after. This link is through inclusion, either one is included in the other or they are all included in the bigger sentence or bigger picture. WA is often translated as an addition (and), but inclusion probably covers the meaning a little better. TATTAQOO is derived from the root W-Qaf-Y and it means guarding and the best form of guarding is consciousness or action and thoughts according to consciousness. TATTAQOO is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of making oneself conscious or guard is happening or will be happening by the subject (second person plural).
Fainna: then indeed
Allaha: Allah
Kana: happened to be
Note: the root is K-W-N and it means being. KANA is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means: the action of being happened by the subject (third personal singular). This in turn means: He happened to be
Bima: by what/ with what
Note: Bi denotes that what comes after is a tool and/or an object or an association with an action that was mentioned. If it is an object of the action then it makes it stronger. MA means what
taAAmaloona: you (plural) do
Note: the root is Ain-M-L and it means doing or work. TaAAaMALOONA is an action that is being completed or will be completed. It means: the action of doing or making is happening or will be happening by the subject (second person plural).
Khabeeran: Well informed
Note: the root is KH-B-R and it means information or informing. KHABEER is the one that is well informed and who informs others as well.

Salaam all and have a great day.


Hussein