Verse number 6 of Surah an-Nur mentions men and women — explain in this regard; and does it also contain an indication towards this, that as the men are, so are the women for them, and as the women are, so are the men for them?

1. The actual subject of verse 6 — li'an: this verse does not contain “men of a kind, women of the same kind”; this is the ruling of li'an (mutual invocation of curses): ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلَّا أَنفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ (And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves — the testimony of one of them shall be four testimonies by Allah that he is of the truthful) (an-Nur: 6). Background: in verse 4, the punishment (80 lashes) for accusing generally chaste women, upon the absence of witnesses; the exception of verse 6: if a husband sees his wife committing adultery and there are no witnesses, then in court four oaths + on the fifth time, the curse; the woman, by four oaths + on the fifth time invoking wrath, is saved from the punishment — this is called li'an, followed by permanent separation.

2. The verse in which the meaning is found: in verse 26: ﴿الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ ۖ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ ۖ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ﴾ (Impure women are for impure men and impure men are for impure women; and pure women are for pure men and pure men are for pure women. Those are absolved of what they say; for them is forgiveness and a noble provision) (an-Nur: 26).

3. Exegesis (Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on them): (a) The preponderant view — correspondence of speech: by khabithat/tayyibat are meant words and statements: impure accusations befit impure people, pure words befit pure people — the hypocrites' accusation against 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was a reflection of their own impurity; the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Mother of the Believers are absolved of all accusations. (b) Correspondence of persons: a natural inclination — those of foul character are paired with the like of them, and the chaste correspond to righteous people; the absolution of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her: the person chosen for marriage to the purest human being, peace and blessings be upon him, could only ever be absolutely pure (tayyibah) herself.

4. Will every good man always get a good wife? Objection: the wives of Nuh and Lut, peace be upon them, were disbelievers; Pharaoh's wife, Asiyah, was righteous. Answer: the verse is a general moral rule/requirement, not a compulsory law of creation — exceptions are possible (as a trial); and the sphere of chastity: the wives of the prophets could be misguided in creed, but no prophet's wife was ever immoral/shameless.

Summary: Verse 6 is about li'an; the meaning of correspondence is in verse 26.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.