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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 229of 286

ٱلطَّلَٰقُ مَرَّتَانِ ۖ فَإِمْسَاكٌۢ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌۢ بِإِحْسَٰنٍۢ ۗ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَأْخُذُوا۟ مِمَّآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّآ أَن يَخَافَآ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا فِيمَا ٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا ۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ﴿٢٢٩

Translation (Sahih International)

Divorce is twice. Then, either keep [her] in an acceptable manner or release [her] with good treatment. And it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless both fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah. But if you fear that they will not keep [within] the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself. These are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah - it is those who are the wrongdoers.

Word-by-word meaning

ٱلطَّلَـٰقُal-ṭalāquThe divorce
مَرَّتَانِ ۖmarratāni(is) twice
فَإِمْسَاكٌۢfa-im'sākunThen to retain
بِمَعْرُوفٍbimaʿrūfinin a reasonable manner
أَوْawor
تَسْرِيحٌۢtasrīḥunto release (her)
بِإِحْسَـٰنٍۢ ۗbi-iḥ'sāninwith kindness
وَلَاwalāAnd (it is) not
يَحِلُّyaḥillulawful
لَكُمْlakumfor you
أَنanthat
تَأْخُذُوا۟takhudhūyou take (back)
مِمَّآmimmāwhatever
ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّātaytumūhunnayou have given them
شَيْـًٔاshayananything
إِلَّآillāexcept
أَنanif
يَخَافَآyakhāfāboth fear
أَلَّاallāthat not
يُقِيمَاyuqīmāthey both (can) keep
حُدُودَḥudūda(the) limits
ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahi(of) Allah
فَإِنْfa-inBut if
خِفْتُمْkhif'tumyou fear
أَلَّاallāthat not
يُقِيمَاyuqīmāthey both (can) keep
حُدُودَḥudūda(the) limits
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
فَلَاfalāthen (there is) no
جُنَاحَjunāḥasin
عَلَيْهِمَاʿalayhimāon both of them
فِيمَاfīmāin what
ٱفْتَدَتْif'tadatshe ransoms
بِهِۦ ۗbihiconcerning it
تِلْكَtil'kaThese
حُدُودُḥudūdu(are the) limits
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
فَلَاfalāso (do) not
تَعْتَدُوهَا ۚtaʿtadūhātransgress them
وَمَنwamanAnd whoever
يَتَعَدَّyataʿaddatransgresses
حُدُودَḥudūda(the) limits
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَfa-ulāikathen those
هُمُhumuthey
ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَl-ẓālimūna(are) the wrongdoers

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Divorce is ThriceThis honorable Ayah abrogated the previous practice in the beginning of Islam, when the man had the right to take back his divorced wife even if he had divorced her a hundred times, as long as she was still in her `Iddah (waiting period). This situation was harmful for the wife, and this is why Allah made the divorce thrice, where the husband is allowed to take back his wife after the first and the second divorce (as long as she is still in her `Iddah).

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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