本段首先提出一项关于婚姻未经圆房便离婚的妇女的一般性规定。随后是若干与先知自己家庭生活相关的规定，包括他的妻子与一般男子之间的关系、穆斯林应当如何对待先知的住所，以及真主赐予使者家宅的尊荣，以及天使和至高者如何看待这一住所。最后是一项适用于先知的妻子、女儿及所有穆斯林妇女的总体命令：她们外出时应将外袍拉下遮住身体，以便被辨认为贞洁的女子。这样，品行不良的男子，如伪信者和其他喜欢戏弄、骚扰妇女的恶人，便不会去接近她们。最后，本段警告伪信者和散布谣言者：若他们不停止骚扰和惹怒穆斯林妇女，便将被驱逐出麦地那。

This passage begins with a general rule concerning women who are divorced before their marriage has been consummated. This is followed by a number of rules relating to the Prophet’s own family life, including the relationship between his wives and men generally, how Muslims should approach the Prophet’s home, and the honour God bestows on His Messenger’s home and how it is viewed by the angels and those on high. It concludes with a general order that applies to the Prophet’s wives, daughters and all Muslim women. They are ordered to draw their outer garments over their bodies when they go out, so that they are recognized as chaste women. Thus, men with bad characters, such as the hypocrites and other wicked people who used to tease and irritate women would not approach them. It concludes with a warning to the hypocrites and circulators of rumours that they would be expelled from Madinah unless they stopped disturbing and irritating the Muslim women.

这些规定与指导，属于依据伊斯兰的生活观与社会观对穆斯林共同体进行重新组织的一部分。至于关乎先知本人私生活的事务，真主意欲使先知家中的生活成为一本向历代所有人敞开的书。因此，祂将这些方面纳入了《古兰经》之中，这部经典将保持原样，并在此后的永恒岁月里被完整诵读。

These rules and directives form part of the reorganization of the Muslim community on the basis of the Islamic concept of life and society. As for matters that concern the Prophet’s own private life, God has willed that life in the Prophet’s home should remain a book open to all generations. Therefore, He incorporated these aspects into the Qur’ān, which will remain intact, and read in full, for the rest of time.

与此同时，这也是真主赐予先知家园尊荣的标志，因为真主亲自负责管理其事务，并在祂的经典《古兰经》中将其呈现给世人。

At the same time, they are a sign of the honour God bestows on the Prophet’s home, as He Himself undertakes to regulate its affairs and present it to mankind in His book, the Qur’ān.

信士们啊!你们若与信道的妇女结婚,然后在未同房之前休了她们,你们就无权要她们遵守待婚期。所以,你们应当供养她们,并以体面的方式放她们走。(第49节)

Believers! If you marry believing women and then divorce them before the marriage is consummated, you have no reason to expect them to observe a waiting period. Hence, provide well for them and release them in a becoming manner. (Verse 49)

对于在婚姻未曾圆房之前即被休离的妇女，经文在《黄牛章》中作了具体规定："你们若在未与她们同房，也未为她们定聘之前休妻，你们无罪。你们当按富人的力量，穷人的力量，依礼给她们一些财物。这是行善者应尽的义务。你们若在与她们同房之前休妻，而你们已为她们定了聘礼，就应付给她们所定聘礼的一半，除非她们自愿放弃，或者掌握婚约的人放弃。你们放弃这些，更接近敬畏。你们彼此之间不要忘记施恩。真主是洞察你们所行的。"（2：236-237）

The situation of women divorced before their marriages have been consummated is dealt with in specific provisions outlined in Sūrah 2, The Cow: “You will incur no sin if you divorce women before having touched them or settled a dowry for them. Provide for them, the rich according to his means and the straitened according to his means. Such a provision, in an equitable manner, is an obligation binding on the righteous. If you divorce them before having touched them but after having settled a dowry for them, then give them half of that which you have settled, unless they forgo it or he in whose hand is the marriage tie forgoes it. To forgo what is due to you is closer to being righteous. Do not forget to act benevolently to one another. God sees all that you do.” (2: 236-237)

这意味着，如果在婚姻未圆房便已终止的情况下，双方已约定了聘礼，那么被离婚的妇女有权获得聘礼的一半。若未明确约定聘礼，则她有权获得一定的赡养费，其数额依离婚丈夫的经济能力而定。这样的赡养费对敬畏者具有约束力。第二章中的这两节经文并未提及此类被离婚妇女的待婚期。此处所述的规定涉及这一方面，明确说明此类妇女无需遵守任何待婚期。

This means that if a dowry has been agreed by the two parties in a marriage terminated before consummation, then the divorced woman is entitled to half the dowry. If the dowry has not been stated, then she is entitled to some provisions, in accordance with the means of the divorcing husband. Such a provision is binding on righteous people. The two verses in Sūrah 2 do not mention any waiting period for such a divorced woman. We now have here a rule concerning this aspect, making it clear that such a woman has no waiting period to observe.

等待期主要是为了确定是否怀孕，以免孩子被归于非其父者，也免得父亲因尚处于受孕初期的孩子而被剥夺其子嗣。如果婚姻尚未圆房，就不会有怀孕的情况，因此无需等待期。"你们无权要求她们遵守等待期，所以，你们应当给她们以供养。"（第49节）这一规定依照其他经文所载：应给予约定嫁妆的一半；如果没有约定嫁妆，则应按男方的经济状况给予相应的赡养费。另一项义务是"以善礼释放她们"（第49节）。绝不可对她们施加任何伤害。

The waiting period is primarily to establish whether or not there is a pregnancy, so that no child is attributed to anyone other than its father, and no father is deprived of his child who might still be in the early days of conception. If the marriage has not been consummated, then no pregnancy has taken place, and there is no need for a waiting period. “You have no reason to expect them to observe a waiting period. Hence, provide well for them.” (Verse 49) This provision is according to what is mentioned in the other verses: half the agreed dowry or, if no dowry is agreed, a provision commensurate with the man’s financial status. The other obligation is to “release them in a becoming manner.” (Verse 49) There must never be any imposition of hardship.

然后，先知被告知哪些女性可以合法地与他结婚，而关于在四位妻子的限制已在前面的一章中作出规定之后，专属于他的特别许可也在此处说明：

The Prophet is then told which women are lawful for him o marry, and the special dispensation for him after the limit of four wives was imposed in an earlier sūrah:

“你们可以娶你们喜欢的女人，或两个，或三个，或四个。”（4:3）先知ﷺ的妻子共有九位，他与每一位结婚都有其特定的原因。

“You may marry of other women as may be agreeable to you, two or three or four.” (4: 3) At the time the Prophet had nine wives, each of whom he married for a specific reason.

`Ā'ishah和Ḥafṣah是他最亲密的两位Companions——Abū Bakr和`Umar——的女儿。Umm Ḥabībah bint Abī Sufyān、Umm Salamah、Sawdah bint Zim`ah和Zaynab bint Khuzaymah5都是来自Muhājirīn的女性，她们都失去了丈夫，先知希望给予她们尊重。她们中没有一位年轻或特别漂亮。娶她们仅仅是先知赐予她们的一种荣誉。至于Zaynab bint Jaĥsh，我们已经详细讨论过她与先知ﷺ的婚姻。另外两位是Juwayriyyah bint al-Ḥārith和Ṣafiyyah bint Ḥuyay。她们都在战争中被俘，但先知ﷺ将她们从奴役中解救出来，并与她们结婚，以加强与她们部落和社群的关系。此外，她们与先知ﷺ的婚姻也是一种荣誉。两人在她们的族人遭受战败之苦后，都皈依了伊斯兰教。

`Ā’ishah and Ĥafşah were the daughters of his two closest Companions, Abū Bakr and `Umar. Umm Ĥabībah bint Abī Sufyān, Umm Salamah, Sawdah bint Zim`ah and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah5 were women from the Muhājirīn who had lost their husbands and the Prophet wanted to honour them. None of them was young or very pretty. Marrying them was merely an honour the Prophet gave them. As for Zaynab bint Jaĥsh, we have already discussed her marriage to the Prophet in detail. The other two were Juwayriyyah bint al-Ĥārith and Şafiyyah bint Ĥuyay. Both were taken captive in war, but the Prophet freed them from bondage and married them to strengthen relations with their tribes and communities. Moreover, their marriage o the Prophet was an honour. Both accepted Islam after their people suffered the hardship of defeat.

他们都已成为“信士的母亲”，并有幸与真主的使者如此亲近。当他们被给予选择时，她们选择了真主、祂的使者和后世，而非今世的享受与安逸。若要离异，对她们来说将会非常艰难，因为穆斯林可拥有的妻子数量上限被定为四人。真主体察她们的处境，便免除了祂的使者这一规定，允许他保留全部妻子。随后，《古兰经》规定他不得再增添妻子，也不得更换其中任何一位。因此，先知不受四妻上限限制的特权，专门给予了那些他已经娶过的妻子，以使她们不致失去这份荣誉。以下经文清楚地表明了这一点：

They had all become ‘mothers of the believers’ and had the honour of being so close to God’s Messenger, choosing God, His Messenger and the life to come over the luxuries and comforts of this world, when that choice was offered to them. It would have been very hard for them to be divorced when the maximum number of wives a Muslim may have was fixed at four. God looked at their situation and exempted His Messenger from that rule, permitting him to retain all his wives. Then, the Qur’ān stipulated that he must not add to them or replace any of them. Thus, the Prophet’s exemption from the maximum of four wives was given specifically to those whom he had already married, so that they would not be deprived of this honour. The following verses clearly indicate this:

该章接着阐明穆斯林对先知的居所和妻子们的立场，包括先知在世时和他去世之后。经文提到，一些伪信士和心中有病的人，曾将他们的恶劣行为针对先知的居所和妻子们，以此冒犯先知ﷺ。经文对他们发出了非常严厉的警告，说明他们的行为在真主眼中是何等严重，并提醒他们，真主完全知晓他们的恶行。

The sūrah moves on to delineate the position of Muslims vis-à-vis the Prophet’s homes and his wives, both during his lifetime and after his death. It addresses the fact that some hypocrites and others with hearts full of sickness used to affront the Prophet by directing their annoying behaviour at his homes and wives. It issues a very strong warning to them, describing the enormity of their action in God’s sight and reminding them that God is fully aware of their wickedness:

信道的人们啊!除非你们获得允许,否则不要进入先知的家中用餐,也不要提前等待开饭的时间。但当你们受到邀请时,就进去吧;用完餐后,就散去,不要为了闲谈而逗留。这样的行为可能会让先知感到不快,而他又出于羞怯而不好意思请你们离开。真主不羞于阐明真理。当你们向先知的妻子们索取什么东西时,应当隔着帷幕去求取,这样对你们和她们的心灵都更为纯洁。

Believers! Do not enter the Prophet’s homes, unless you are given leave, for a meal without waiting for its proper time. But when you are invited, enter; and when you have eaten, disperse without lingering for the sake of mere talk. Such behaviour might give offence to the Prophet, and yet he might feel too shy to bid you go. God does not shy of stating what is right. When you ask the Prophet’s wives for something, do so from behind a screen: this makes for greater purity for your hearts and theirs.

而且，你们伤害安拉的使者，是不应该的；你们在他身后娶他的妻子们，更是不应该的。在安拉看来，这确是大罪。你们无论公开做什么，或隐秘做什么，安拉确是全知万物的。（33:53-54） Note: the verse is rendered faithfully; the Prophet mentioned here is Muhammad ﷺ.

Moreover, it does not behove you to give offence to God’s Messenger, just as it would not behove you ever to marry his widows after he has passed away. That is certainly an enormity in God’s sight. Whether you do anything openly or in secret, [remember that] God has full knowledge of everything. (Verses 53-54)

布哈里（Al-Bukhārī）引述安那斯·本·马立克（Anas ibn Mālik）的传述说：“先知迎娶宰奈卜·宾特·贾赫什（Zaynab bint Jaĥsh）时，他设宴款待，供应了肉和面包。我被派去邀请人们来赴宴，他们一批一批地来。他们吃完便离开，接着又来了另一批人，吃完也离开。我一直邀请人来，直到找不到可以邀请的人为止。我把这事告诉了先知，他便对家人说：‘把你们的食物撤下去。’房里仍有三个人留下来闲谈。先知走出去到阿伊莎（ʿĀʾishah）的房间，说：‘愿平安归于你们这家的人，愿真主的慈恩和祝福与你们同在。’她也以同样的话回应他的问候，并问他：‘真主的使者啊，您觉得您的妻子怎么样？愿真主赐福于您和您的家人。’于是他走访了每一位妻子的房间，每位妻子都对他说了与阿伊莎相同的话。之后他回来，发现那三个人仍在那里闲谈。”

Al-Bukhārī relates on the authority of Anas ibn Mālik: “When the Prophet espoused Zaynab bint Jaĥsh, he served a meal of meat and bread. I was sent to invite people to come over, and they came in groups. They would eat and leave, then another group came in, ate, and left. I invited everyone until I could find none o invite. I said this to the Prophet, and he said to his family: ‘Remove your food.’ Three people remained in his home chatting. The Prophet went out to `Ā’ishah’s room and said: ‘Peace be o you, members of this household, together with God’s mercy and blessings.’ She replied to his greeting in the same way and asked him: ‘How have you found your wife, Messenger of God? May God bless you ,and yours.’ He then went to the rooms of every one of his wives, and each one of them said to him the same as `Ā’ishah. Then he went back, and found the three people still there chatting.

该章继续警告那些冒犯先知的人，无论是当面冒犯，还是涉及他的家人，并将这种行为视为极大的罪过。它采用两种方式：一是尊崇先知，描述他在主及至高者那里的地位；二是说明冒犯先知就等同于冒犯上主本身。

The sūrah continues to warn those who give offence to the Prophet, either in person or with regard to his family, showing their action as an enormity. It does so in two ways: honouring the Prophet and describing his status with his Lord and on high, and stating that to give offence to the Prophet is to give offence to God Himself.

因此，这种行为会使行为者在今世和来世都被逐出上帝的慈悲。此外，行为者还将遭受屈辱的惩罚：

Therefore, it earns the perpetrator expulsion from God’s mercy both in the present life and in the life to come. Furthermore, the perpetrators stand to suffer a humiliating punishment:

真主和祂的天使都为先知祝福。信士们啊！你们也要为他祝福，并向他致以平安的问候。那些触犯真主和祂使者的人，将在今世和后世遭到真主的弃绝；祂已为他们预备了屈辱的刑罚。（经文56-57）

God and His angels bless the Prophet. Believers! Bless him and give him greetings of peace. Those who affront God and His Messenger will be rejected by God in this world and in the life to come. He has prepared for them a humiliating suffering. (Verses 56- 57)

阿拉伯文原文使用şalāt一词及其派生词来表达英文中的“bless”。Şalāt的意思是祷告，但当祷告的主语是上主、对象是先知时，其含义是上主在至高者面前赞美他；当它指天使时，则是天使为他向上主祈祷。这使先知获得了崇高的地位：整个宇宙都在回应上主对祂的先知的赞美。没有比这更大的荣誉了。

The Arabic text uses the word şalāt and its derivatives for what is rendered in English as ‘bless’. Şalāt means prayer, but prayer by God for the Prophet means that God praises him to those on high, while when it refers to the angels it means that they pray to God for him. This gives the Prophet a sublime position: the whole universe echoes God’s praise of His Prophet. No honour could be greater than this.

人类为先知所作的祝福与敬礼，与真主为先知所降的赞颂和尊荣，以及高天之上天使群体的祝福相比，又怎能相提并论？二者毫无可比之处。然而，真主愿意以恩赐尊荣信士，将他们为先知所作的祝福与祂自己的祝福相连，从而使他们与高天之上的众生联系在一起。

How would a prayer and blessing by human beings compare with God’s own blessing and honour bestowed on the Prophet, or with those of the angels among the community on high? There is certainly no comparison, but God wishes to bestow honour on the believers by putting their blessing of the Prophet together with His own, thus providing them with a tie with those on high.

当神如此尊崇和赞美先知时，人类竟然冒犯先知，这是极其荒谬可耻的。"那些冒犯真主和他的使者的人，真主必在今世和后世弃绝他们，并为他们预备了屈辱的刑罚。"（第57节）更加荒谬可笑的是，这是被造物对真主的冒犯。他们永远不可能冒犯或得罪真主，但这里的措辞旨在表明，对先知ﷺ所犯的任何冒犯都极为敏感，实际上等同于冒犯真主本身。

When God so honours and praises the Prophet, it is exceedingly grotesque for humans to give offence to him: “Those who affront God and His Messenger will be rejected by God in this world and in the life to come. He has prepared for them a humiliating suffering.” (Verse 57) What makes this even more grotesque and ridiculous is that it is an affront to God by His creatures. They can never affront or offend God, but the expression here serves to show great sensitivity to any offence committed against the Prophet, in effect making it an offence against God Himself.