What is the meaning of the word muhsanaat in the Qur’aan?

 

What is the meaning of the word muhsanaat in the Qur’aan?

Praise
be to Allaah.

Al-Shanqeeti said: 

The word muhsanaat is used in three senses
in the Qur’aan: 

(1)        
Muhsanaat meaning chaste
women. For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“they
(the above said slave-girls) should be chaste [muhsanaat], not committing
illegal sex, nor taking boyfriends”

[al-Nisaa’ 4:25] 

i.e., they should be chaste, not committing zina (fornication
or adultery). 

(2)        
muhsanaat meaning free.
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“if
they commit illegal sexual intercourse, their punishment is half of
that for free[muhsanaat]  (unmarried) women”

[al-Nisaa’ 4:25] 

(3)        
the word ihsaan
(from which the word muhsanaat is derived) may also mean marriage. For
example the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And after they have been taken in wedlock
[uhsinna], if they commit illegal sexual intercourse…”[al-Nisaa’ 4:25] 

meaning ,when they have gotten married.
The view of some scholars, that the meaning of ihsaan in the
phrase “uhsinna”
is Islam goes against the apparent meaning of the context of the aayah,
because the context of the aayah is speaking about believing girls,
as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whoever of you have not the means
wherewith to wed free believing women…”[al-Nisaa’ 4:25] 

Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on
this aayah: 

The most apparent meaning – and Allaah
knows best – is that what is meant by ihsaan here is marriage, because
the context of the aayah indicates that, when Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“And whoever of you have not the means
wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls
from among those (slaves) whom your right hands possess…”[al-Nisaa’
4:25] 

The context of the aayah speaks of believing
(slave) girls. Therefore the meaning of the phrase “uhsinna”
means marriage, as it was interpreted by Ibn ‘Abbaas and others.