The Quran

۞ تُرجي مَن تَشاءُ مِنهُنَّ وَتُؤوي إِلَيكَ مَن تَشاءُ ۖ وَمَنِ ابتَغَيتَ مِمَّن عَزَلتَ فَلا جُناحَ عَلَيكَ ۚ ذٰلِكَ أَدنىٰ أَن تَقَرَّ أَعيُنُهُنَّ وَلا يَحزَنَّ وَيَرضَينَ بِما آتَيتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعلَمُ ما في قُلوبِكُم ۚ وَكانَ اللَّهُ عَليمًا حَليمًا

Ali Unal

You can put off whomever among them (who offer themselves to you freely) you please, and accept to yourself whomever you please; as you can defer the turn of visiting any of them (your wives) you please, and take to you whomever you please.¹ There is no blame on you if you give precedence to one whom you deferred before. It will make it more likely that they are pleased, and do not grieve (when they are deferred), and that all of them will be content with your treatment of them. God knows (O people) whatever is in your hearts. God is indeed All-Knowing, All-Clement.

It is possible that this verse has both of the meanings given (i.e., it is related to both the Prophet’s treatment of the women who would offer themselves to him, and the rotation in the conjugal attention due to his wives.) Islam orders a husband who has more than one wife to be just in his relations with them and to observe a strict rotation in the conjugal attention due to his wives. Since this is difficult, it advises one to be content with one wife (4: 3). However, since the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, had many wise purposes for his marriages, some of which have been mentioned in the previous note, he was not obliged to observe this responsibility. But, as reported by ‘Ā’ishah in the books of Hadīth Abū Dāwūd, “Nikāh,” 39; at-Tirmidhī, “Nikāh,” 42), he showed no negligence in observing it during his life. Although the verse allows him freedom to prefer or defer any of his wives in visiting, it also offers him a way not to grieve any of them and make all of them happy. If he had postponed visiting any of them, he could give that one precedence the next time.