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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 231of 286

وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًۭا لِّتَعْتَدُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ هُزُوًۭا ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ﴿٢٣١

Translation (Sahih International)

And when you divorce women and they have [nearly] fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the verses of Allah in jest. And remember the favor of Allah upon you and what has been revealed to you of the Book and wisdom by which He instructs you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is Knowing of all things.

Word-by-word meaning

وَإِذَاwa-idhāAnd when
طَلَّقْتُمُṭallaqtumuyou divorce
ٱلنِّسَآءَl-nisāathe women
فَبَلَغْنَfabalaghnaand they reach
أَجَلَهُنَّajalahunnatheir (waiting) term
فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّfa-amsikūhunnathen retain them
بِمَعْرُوفٍbimaʿrūfinin a fair manner
أَوْawor
سَرِّحُوهُنَّsarriḥūhunnarelease them
بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ ۚbimaʿrūfinin a fair manner
وَلَاwalāAnd (do) not
تُمْسِكُوهُنَّtum'sikūhunnaretain them
ضِرَارًۭاḍirāran(to) hurt
لِّتَعْتَدُوا۟ ۚlitaʿtadūso that you transgress
وَمَنwamanAnd whoever
يَفْعَلْyafʿaldoes
ذَٰلِكَdhālikathat
فَقَدْfaqadthen indeed
ظَلَمَẓalamahe wronged
نَفْسَهُۥ ۚnafsahuhimself
وَلَاwalāAnd (do) not
تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟tattakhidhūtake
ءَايَـٰتِāyāti(the) Verses
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
هُزُوًۭا ۚhuzuwan(in) jest
وَٱذْكُرُوا۟wa-udh'kurūand remember
نِعْمَتَniʿ'mata(the) Favors
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumupon you
وَمَآwamāand what
أَنزَلَanzala(is) revealed
عَلَيْكُمʿalaykumto you
مِّنَminaof
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِl-kitābithe Book
وَٱلْحِكْمَةِwal-ḥik'matiand [the] wisdom
يَعِظُكُمyaʿiẓukumHe instructs you
بِهِۦ ۚbihiwith it
وَٱتَّقُوا۟wa-ittaqūAnd fear
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟wa-iʿ'lamūand know
أَنَّannathat
ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah (is)
بِكُلِّbikulliof every
شَىْءٍshayinthing
عَلِيمٌۭʿalīmunAll-Knower

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Being Kind to the Divorced WifeThis is a command from Allah to men that when one of them divorces his wife with a reversible divorce, he should treat her kindly. So when her term of `Iddah (waiting period) nears its end, he either takes her back in a way that is better, including having witnesses that he has taken her back, and he lives with her with kindness.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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