Chapter 56: The Book of Commentary on the Qur'an - كتاب التفسير
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، { وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا أَوْ إِعْرَاضًا} الآيَةَ قَالَتْ أُنْزِلَتْ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ تَكُونُ عِنْدَ الرَّجُلِ فَتَطُولُ صُحْبَتُهَا فَيُرِيدُ طَلاَقَهَا فَتَقُولُ لاَ تُطَلِّقْنِي وَأَمْسِكْنِي وَأَنْتَ فِي حِلٍّ مِنِّي . فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ .
'A'isha said in connection with the verse:
" And if a woman has reason to fear ill-treatment from her husband or that he might turn away from her" (iv. 128) that it was revealed in case of a woman who had long association with a person (as his wife) and now he intends to divorce her and she says: Do not divorce me, but retain me (as wife in your house) and you are permitted to live with another wife. It is in this context that this verse was revealed.