Key Verses

1. 2:235Al-Baqarah
   وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِيمَا عَرَّضۡتُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ خِطۡبَةِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ أَوۡ أَكۡنَنتُمۡ فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡۚ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمۡ سَتَذۡكُرُونَهُنَّ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تُوَاعِدُوهُنَّ سِرًّا إِلَّآ أَن تَقُولُواْ قَوۡلٗا مَّعۡرُوفٗاۚ وَلَا تَعۡزِمُواْ عُقۡدَةَ ٱلنِّكَاحِ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ أَجَلَهُۥۚ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ فَٱحۡذَرُوهُۚ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٞ
   There is no sin for you in that which ye proclaim or hide in your minds concerning your troth with women. Allah knoweth that ye will remember them. But plight not your troth with women except by uttering a recognised form of words. And do not consummate the marriage until (the term) prescribed is run. Know that Allah knoweth what is in your minds, so beware of Him; and know that Allah is Forgiving, Clement.
   In context

   There is no sin on you if you hint to your desire to propose to a woman who is still in her waiting period after a divorce or after the death of her husband. For example, a person may say, ‘When your waiting period is over, let me know’. There is also no sin on you if you keep this desire to yourselves.

2. 12:51Yusuf
   قَالَ مَا خَطۡبُكُنَّ إِذۡ رَٰوَدتُّنَّ يُوسُفَ عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦۚ قُلۡنَ حَٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا عَلِمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ مِن سُوٓءٖۚ قَالَتِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡـَٰٔنَ حَصۡحَصَ ٱلۡحَقُّ أَنَا۠ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
   He (the king) (then sent for those women and) said: What happened when ye asked an evil act of Joseph? They answered: Allah Blameless! We know no evil of him. Said the wife of the ruler: Now the truth is out. I asked of him an evil act, and he is surely of the truthful.
   In context

   The king, addressing the women, asked what happened when they called Joseph through trickery. Was it to commit immorality with them? The wife of the minister, confessing what she had done, said that now the truth had become clear, that she tried to seduce him, and he did not try to seduce her, and that he was truthful in claiming that he was innocent of what she had accused him of.

3. 15:57Al-HijrCommand
   قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكُمۡ أَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ
   He said: And afterward what is your business, O ye messengers (of Allah)?
   In context

   Abraham said: What is the matter that has brought you - O Messengers - from Allah?

4. 20:95Ta-HaCommand
   قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكَ يَٰسَٰمِرِيُّ
   (Moses) said: And what hast thou to say, O Samiri?
   In context

   Moses (peace be upon him) said to Samiri: “What is your matter, O Samiri? What made you do what you did?”

5. 28:23Al-Qasas
   وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدۡيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيۡهِ أُمَّةٗ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمۡرَأَتَيۡنِ تَذُودَانِۖ قَالَ مَا خَطۡبُكُمَاۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسۡقِي حَتَّىٰ يُصۡدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيۡخٞ كَبِيرٞ
   And when he came unto the water of Midian he found there a whole tribe of men, watering. And he found apart from them two women keeping back (their flocks). He said: What aileth you? The two said: We cannot give (our flocks) to drink till the shepherds return from the water; and our father is a very old man.
   In context

   When he reached the waterhole of Madyan he found a group of people watering their livestock. He also found two women a little distance away, stopping their livestock from the water until the rest of the people finished. Moses asked them: “Why is it that you do not water your livestock along with the rest of the people?

6. 51:31Adh-DhariyatCommand
   ۞قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكُمۡ أَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ
   (Abraham) said: And (afterward) what is your errand, O ye sent (from Allah)?
   In context

   Abraham (peace be upon him) said to the angels: “What is you case? And what do you intend?”