What is the wisdom behind addressing the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, with the verse: {It is not lawful for you [to marry other] women after this, nor [to exchange them for other] wives, even if their beauty were to please you, except what your right hand possesses. And ever is Allah, over all things, an Observer}, if the meaning of “nor [to exchange them for other]” refers to a man exchanging his wife for another man’s wife, which was a pre-Islamic custom?

The Almighty's saying: "{and that you do not exchange them}" has three interpretations: The first: that you do not divorce your wives to replace them with others, which Imam Al-Tabari preferred. The second: that you do not replace Muslim women with polytheist women. The third: that you do not give a man your wife and take his wife, which was a pre-Islamic custom (Jahiliyya practice) that Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, and Al-Nahhas rejected. This verse was revealed as a reward for the Prophet's wives, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for choosing Allah and His Messenger. Their reward was that Allah restricted him to them, and forbade him from marrying others or exchanging them, except for bondswomen and concubines.