الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ مُبَرَّؤُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

Vicious women are for vicious men, and vicious men for vicious women. Good women are for good men, and good men for good women. Those are absolved of what they say [about them]. For them is forgiveness and a noble provision.

EXEGESIS

Khabīthāt (vicious women) is the plural of khabīthah (feminine), as khabīthūn (vicious men) is the plural of khabīth (masculine). Khabīth means the corrupt thing that grows in corruption like the growth of foliage on a plant, and is the opposite of ṭayyib.[1] It could be a quality of people as well as of ideas and beliefs; the parable of a bad word (kalimatin khabīthah) is that of a bad tree: uprooted from the ground, it has no stability (14:26).

Ṭayyib (good) is the opposite of khabīth,[2] and means something which is good, pleasant, and liked.

The feminine plurals khabīthāt and ṭayyibāt and the masculine plurals of khabīthūn and ṭayyibūn should be referring to women and men respectively,[3] which is the meaning chosen in the translation, and is the meaning that best fits what follows it: Those are absolved of what they say,[4] meaning ‘those people’. Although some have suggested that it refers to ‘words’ (kalimāt), in the sense that ‘vicious words are for vicious people and vicious people deserve (or say) vicious words’,[5] or it refers to ‘actions’ (sayyiʾāt), in the sense that ‘vicious actions are for vicious people’;[6] however both of these would mean we should assume an omission and it is preferable not to do so when the more apparent meaning of women/men is perfectly fine. The first meaning is also what is reported from Imam al-Bāqir (a) and Imam al-Ṣādiq (a).[7]            Mubarraʾūn (absolved) is the plural passive participle of baruʾa, meaning to disassociate from something reprehensible like disease, evil, or crime.[8] In other words, the good women and men have nothing to do with the false accusations levelled against them.

EXPOSITION

This verse, like the several that preceded it, is a general declaration that relates topically to the issue of ifk,[9] in the sense that it is about those who falsely accuse a believer of unchaste behaviour.

Vicious women are for vicious men, and vicious men for vicious women: they are for each other because they are like one another in their qualities and actions.[10] That is, they are drawn to each other and they deserve one another. This evil company will be shared in the hereafter as well, where people are grouped together based on their nature, whether good or evil.

It is also somewhat similar to verse 3 which stated The fornicator shall not marry anyone but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and its purport can be understood in a legal manner as well, prohibiting a believer from marrying an immoral person. However, while the context of the verses preceding it clearly bring to mind sexual immorality, the verse does not need to be limited in that way and it can be considered a general declaration. Some exegetes have even considered it as alluding to a general cosmological declaration about how everything in creation tends to that which is its like: good attracts and is attracted to good, and evil to evil.[11]

Good women are for good men, and good men for good women: similarly, the righteous will be drawn to those who are like-minded. The statement, when considered in the context of marriage and sexuality, is also an important reminder to choose a spouse who has faith and valuable moral qualities: Do not marry idolatresses until they embrace faith. A faithful slave girl is better than an idolatress, though she should impress you (2:221).

Those are absolved of what they say [about them]: these good women and good men are absolved of the evil slander and false accusations that some may level against them.[12] As the previous verses of this surah explained, anyone who is accused of wrongdoing and sufficient evidence is not produced against them, is to be considered blameless in the eyes of the shariah and Muslim society.[13]

If we understand khabīthāt to mean slander and vile speech, then in addition to the above it could also mean that only wicked people are deserving of having bad things said about them, and good people having good things said about them.[14]

For them is forgiveness: the question arises: why is forgiveness mentioned for the good women and men when they did not do anything wrong? The truth is that maghfirah is part of the boon given to all who are let into paradise, even the prophets, and it can be considered one of the prerequisites of entering paradise, Allah has promised those who have faith and do righteous deeds forgiveness (maghfirah) and a great reward (5:9).[15]

And a noble provision: this refers to the eternal reward of paradise,[16] which will be theirs if they remain steadfast as righteous believers.

To conclude, Tabatabai summarises the verse in three points:[17]

1. The verse is general in its scope, even though it may have been revealed in relation to a specific incident.
2. The believers are considered blameless in the eyes of the Islamic legal system, when unsubstantiated allegations are made about them.
3. The believers are all promised forgiveness and a good reward, but to obtain that they must fulfil its conditions.

[1] Tibyan, 7/423.
[2] Tahqiq, 3/12, kh-b-th.
[3] Muhit, 8/27; Alusi, 9/326; Mizan, 15/95; Nemuneh, 15/136; Tantawi, 10/104.
[4] Mizan, 15/95. Makārim Shīrāzī adds that the juxtaposition of khabīthāt with khabīthīn as well as ṭayyibāt with ṭayyibīn, suggests that both are indeed referring to sound human plural (Nemuneh, 14/423).
[5] Tabari, 18/86; Thalabi, 7/82; Zamakhshari, 3/225; Baghawi, 3/396; Razi, 23/355; Qurtubi, 12/211.
[6] Tibyan, 7/423; Tabari, 18/84-86. Ṭūsī mentions all three opinions, without giving preference to any of them. Ṭabarī prefers the second one.
[7] Tabrisi, 7/213. It is also attributed to Ibn Abbas (Alusi, 9/326).
[8] Raghib, p. 121.
[9] Mizan, 15/95.
[10] Mizan, 15/96.
[11] Nemuneh, 14/424.
[12] Tabrisi, 7/213; Tabari, 18/86.
[13] See Mizan, 15/96.
[14] Alusi, 9/326-327.
[15] See also 8:74, 33:35, and 49:3.

[17] Mizan, 15/96.