Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 1–5

65. At-Talaaq · Divorce

Madinan12 verses

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَطَلِّقُوهُنَّ لِعِدَّتِهِنَّ وَأَحْصُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ ۖ لَا تُخْرِجُوهُنَّ مِنۢ بُيُوتِهِنَّ وَلَا يَخْرُجْنَ إِلَّآ أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ ۚ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ لَا تَدْرِى لَعَلَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ أَمْرًۭا

65:1O Prophet! When you divorce women, divorce them at [the conclusion of] their term and calculate the term, and be wary of Allah, your Lord. Do not turn them out from their homes, nor shall they go out, unless they commit a gross indecency. These are Allah’s bounds, and whoever transgresses the bounds of Allah certainly wrongs himself. You never know maybe Allah will bring off something new later on.1

فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ وَأَشْهِدُوا۟ ذَوَىْ عَدْلٍۢ مِّنكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَٰدَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا

65:2Then, when they have completed their term, either retain them honourably or separate from them honourably, and take the witness of two honest men from among yourselves, and bear witness for the sake of Allah. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day is advised to [comply with] this. Whoever is wary of Allah, He shall make for him a way out [of the adversities of the world and the Hereafter]2

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدْرًۭا

65:3and provide for him from whence he does not count upon. And whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Indeed Allah carries through His commands. Certainly, Allah has ordained a measure [and extent] for everything.

وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔى يَئِسْنَ مِنَ ٱلْمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ إِنِ ٱرْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَٰثَةُ أَشْهُرٍۢ وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔى لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰتُ ٱلْأَحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ يُسْرًۭا

65:4As for those of your wives who have ceased having menses—[or] if you have any doubts [concerning its cause, whether it’s is age or something else]—their term [of waiting] and of those who have not yet had menses, shall be three months. As for those who are pregnant, their term shall be until they deliver. And whoever is wary of Allah, He shall grant him ease in his affairs.3

ذَٰلِكَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَنزَلَهُۥٓ إِلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِۦ وَيُعْظِمْ لَهُۥٓ أَجْرًا

65:5That is Allah’s ordinance, which He has sent down to you, and whoever is wary of Allah, He shall absolve him of his misdeeds and give him a great reward.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 1

1.By addressing the Prophet in these verses, the general laws of divorce has been explained: (i) Divorce should come in to force when Iddah (period during which she cannot remarry) can be expected to start, that means the woman should be free from menses. (ii) Exact and proper accounting of the period of Iddah should be kept. (iii) The divorced woman should not come out of her house, that Allah may create a change in the hearts of both of them and the situation May turn favorable. (iv) On completion of lddah, one out of two ways should be followed. Either to take her back or discharge her respectfully. (v) Two just witnesses are required in, so that instances of divorce will come down automatically and the situation will improve. (vi) Divorce should not be made a tool to victimize the woman, because Allah can provide sustenance from unknown and unseen sources and can open new ways also. (vii) Those women about whom there is doubt whether they are in menopause, their Iddah period is of three months. (viii) Women who have not had menopause but are not having menses for some other reason their Iddah period is also three months. (ix) The period of Iddah for pregnant woman is three months or upto delivery whichever is more. (x) They should be provided proper residence during divorce period. (xi) Pregnant women should be given maintenance during Iddah period. (xii) If the child is breast-fed, remuneration should be paid for that, because besides laws of divorce, this is the practice in ordinary times also. Because it is obligatory on father to provide maintenance for his children and breast feeding is included in maintenance. Hence to arrange for the same is the responsibility of the father and not that of the mother. She can take remuneration for it.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    Divorce destroys emotions, destroys community life and causes destruction of children. That is why Islam has made it the most detestable action that is permissible.

  2. 1

    When you intend to divorce and not that after you give divorce. Le iddattehinna = ‘Lam’ is for emphasis. That is to give Talaq in the duration of iddah. The time when the women is not in menstruation. Fahisha-e-Mubaiyyana = An open evil deed, the fornication which is proved. This is to indicate towards the matter that if woman is away from the husband there is possibility of fornication and in such a time she forgoes her right to be maintained by the husband. He is justified to expel her from the house.

  3. 2

    That is when the period or iddat is upon completion you can either get back to her in appropriate manner or send her off respectfully. Neither should you show that you are doing a favour in taking her. The aim of “witnessing for Allah is that the witness should keep in mind divinity when he is testifying and must not do any sort of interpolation in it.

  4. 3

    Ya’isna is the Qurayshite woman who reaches the age of 60 years and if she is not a Qurayshite, 5O years. Irtabtum means that if there is doubt in her being Ya’isna. There is no iddah for her.

  5. Benefit

    Among the causes of divorce are : Unreasonable expectations of man, interference of family members and disinterest of both parties from each other etc. These are the most common reasons and therefore we must refrain from them.