Overall meaning : Allah Almighty forbids the believing men from marrying women who associate partners with Allah until they embrace Islam, stating that it would be better for a believing man to marry a believing slave woman than to marry a free woman who associates partners with Allah, however pleasing she may appear to him in terms of her outstanding beauty, noble descent or considerable wealth. He also forbids His believing servants to give believing women in marriage to men who associate partners with Allah until they embrace Islam, stating that it would be better to give them in marriage to slave men than to men who associate partners with Allah, however pleasing they may appear to them due to their good looks, honourable lineage or material riches. That is because those who associate partners with Allah tend to make those with whom they associate love and prefer the worldly life to the hereafter and engage in sinful deeds that eventually lead to Hellfire, whereas Allah Almighty invites His servants to Paradise by teaching them His laws which, if they faithfully observe, will ultimately lead them to Paradise and thus be saved from Hellfire. He also urges repentance, seeking His forgiveness and doing good deeds that wipe out sins, with the result that He pardons them and conceals them. He clearly shows people His proofs and clarifies His laws to them so that they may remember the truth they have forgotten and take heed.
Allah Almighty then addresses His Prophet, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying that the believers ask him for guidance relative to their wives’ menstruation and whether they are permitted to engage in conjugal relations with them during this period. In reply to this, He teaches him to tell them that menstrual blood is rather filthy and impure and so they should not engage in conjugal relations with them during menstruation until their menses end and they have purified themselves by taking a ritual bath. Only then can they have intercourse with them but only in the place that Allah Almighty has permitted them, namely the front passage. Allah has laid down such a law because He loves those of His servants who purify their inner selves with continuous repentance and their outer selves with water from all forms of impurities.
The Almighty next informs the faithful that their wives are their cultivation ground, into which they may sow their seeds which take root and grow in the womb and eventually emerge as a new human being, all by Allah’s leave; therefore, they may engage in conjugal relations with their wives in whatever position or manner as long as the seed is planted in the place designed for cultivation and can feasibly lead to procreation. He also instructs them to send good ahead for themselves from which they will benefit in the hereafter, to set up between themselves and Allah’s wrath and torment what may serve as a shield against that by avoiding bad deeds, and to be absolutely certain that they will eventually be returned to Allah. He next directs His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to give the believers the joyful news of the great reward they will find with Allah.
Allah then forbids His servants to consider taking an oath in His name an excuse for not doing righteous deeds, such as being dutiful to parents and showing kindness to relatives; or considering it a barrier that might otherwise thwart them in their attempt to do what Allah commands and avoid what He forbids; or to make peace between people. A person, for instance, might take an oath whereby he binds himself not to do any such righteous deed, and if he is asked to do them he protests saying that he has already sworn an oath not to do them. Allah strictly forbids this. Therefore, if someone swears an oath not to do a good action, he must break the oath, make expiation for it and do the good deed he has sworn not to do. Allah hears all the sounds and voices, including the words of those who swear oaths; and He is fully aware of all the good and bad intentions including theirs.