What is the reconciliation between the two readings: {وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ} and {وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا امْرَأَتُكَ}?

Ibn Kathir mentioned that the verse (and let none of you look back except your wife) [11:81] holds two possible meanings: The first is that the exception is from the phrase (travel with your family) [15:65], and it is a positive exception, thus requiring the accusative case (naṣb).

The second is that it is an exception from the phrase (and let none of you look back) [11:81], in which case both the nominative case (rafʿ) and the accusative case (naṣb) are permissible. This implies that she departed with them, looked back, and was then killed.

Abu Shama stated that the exception of his wife from the phrase (travel with your family) presents a semantic difficulty, for if she were not made to depart, how could she look back?

The preponderant view is that the exception in both readings is munqaṭiʿ (discontinuous). It does not intend to exclude her from those commanded to depart or from those forbidden to look back. Rather, its purpose is to inform of what would befall her, as if the meaning is: "But your wife will be afflicted by what befell her people."

This is supported by the fact that the verse in Surat Al-Hijr [15:60] did not mention an exception for his wife, but only mentioned the command for them to depart, indicating that the mention of her condition in Surat Hud [11:81] was incidental, not primary.