Surah 65. At-Talaq, Ayah 1
| يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَطَلِّقُوهُنَّ لِعِدَّتِهِنَّ وَأَحْصُوا الْعِدَّةَ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ ۖ لَا تُخْرِجُوهُنَّ مِنْ بُيُوتِهِنَّ وَلَا يَخْرُجْنَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ ۚ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ لَا تَدْرِي لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ أَمْرًا |
| Transliteration | : | yaa 'ayyuhaa an- nabey 'idhaa t.allaqtum an- nisaa' fa- t.alliqo -hunna li- ciddah -hinna wa- ah.s.o al- ciddah wa- ittaqo 'allaah rabb -kum laa tukhrijo -hunna min buyot -hinna wa- laa yakhrujna 'illaa 'an ya'tena bi- faah.ishah mubayyinah wa- tilka h.udod 'allaah wa- man yatacadd h.udod 'allaah fa- qad z.alama nafs -hu laa tadre lacalla 'allaah yuh.dith bacda dhaalika 'amr(an) |
| Pickthall | : | O Prophet! When ye (men) put away women, put them away for their (legal) period and reckon the period, and keep your duty to Allah, your Lord. Expel them not from their houses nor let them go forth unless they commit open immorality. Such are the limits (imposed by) Allah; and whoso transgresseth Allah's limits, he verily wrongeth his soul. Thou knowest not: it may be that Allah will afterward bring some new thing to pass. |
| Asad | : | O PROPHET! When you1 [intend to] divorce women, divorce them with a view to the waiting-period appointed for them,2 and reckon the period [carefully], and be conscious of God, your Sustainer. Do not expel them from their homes;3 and neither shall they [be made to] leave4 unless they become openly guilty of immoral conduct.5 These, then, are the bounds set by God - and he who transgresses the bounds set by God does indeed sin against himself: [for, O man, although] thou knowest it not, after that [first breach] God may well cause something new to come about.6 |
| Malik | : | O Prophet! If you and the believers divorce your wives, divorce them at the end of their prescribed periods, and count their prescribed periods accurately. Fear Allah, your Rabb. Do not expel them from their homes during their waiting period, nor they themselves should leave, unless they have committed an open lewdness. These are limits set by Allah; he that transgresses the limits of Allah will wrong his own soul. You never know, Allah may, thereafter, bring about some new situation of reconciliation. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | O Prophet! when ye do divorce women divorce them at their prescribed periods and count (accurately) their prescribed periods: and fear Allah your Lord: and turn them not out of their houses nor shall they (themselves) leave except in case they are guilty of some open lewdness. Those are limits set by Allah: and any who transgresses the limits of Allah does verily wrong his (own) soul: thou knowest not if perchance Allah will bring about thereafter some new situation. 5503 5504 5505 5506 5507 5508 |
Note - 2See 2:228 and the corresponding notes, especially note
[215]. - Most of the great jurists hold the view that the
required three pronouncements of divorce, which make it
final and irrevocable (cf. first paragraph of 2:229,
must be made singly, i.e., spaced over the waiting-period
of three months, so as to give the husband time to
reconsider his intention, and thus to prevent a hasty act
which might be subsequently regretted. This provision is
in tune with the well-authenticated saying of the
Prophet, "In the sight of God, the most hateful of all
things allowed (abghad al-halali) is divorce" (Abu Da'ud,
on the authority of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar). In other
words, divorce is just barely permissible, and must not
be resorted to unless it is absolutely evident that
nothing can save the marriage from utter hopelessness.
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Note - 3I.e. during the waiting-period. As shown in verse {6}
below, during that period the husband is fully
responsible for the maintenance of the wife whom he is
divorcing in accordance with the standard of living
observed during their married life.
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Note - 4E.g., by their husbands' failure to provide for their
maintenance. (This particular injunction does not imply a
prohibition of a divorced woman's leaving her home of her
own free will.)
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Note - 5Implying that in such a case she may be lawfully turned
out of her marital home. Regarding the term fahishah
("immoral conduct"), see surah {4}, note [14].
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Note - 6According to Ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Razi) and several
other authorities (see Ibn Kathir), this is an allusion
to the possibility of reconciliation and, hence, a
resumption of marital relations before the divorce
becomes final (see surah {2}, second part of verse {228}
and first paragraph of {229}).
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Note - 5503Note that in the first instance the Prophet is himself
addressed individually, as the Teacher and representative
of the Community. Then the actual directions: "when
ye...." are addressed to the Community collectively.
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Note - 5504"Of all things permitted by law, Divorce is the most
hateful in the sight of Allah"; see Introduction to this
Sura. The general directions and limitations of Divorce
may be studied in ii. 228-232, 236-237, 241, and notes;
also iv. 35.
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Note - 5505'Iddat, as a technical term in divorce law, is explained
in n. 254 to ii. 228. Its general meaning is "a
prescribed period": in that general sense it is used in
ii. 185 for a prescribed period for fasting.
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Note - 5506The prescribed period (see last note) is in the interests
of the wife, of the husband, of an unborn child (if there
is any), and of sex laws in nature, and therefore the
elementary dictates of refined human society. In English
Law the six months interval between the decree nisi and
the decree absolute in divorce attains the same purpose
in a round-about way. The Commentators suggest that the
divorce should not be pronounced during the courses. Read
with ii. 222, this implies that any incipient differences
between husband and wife should not be forced to an issue
at a time when sex is least attractive and almost
repulsive. Everything should be done to strengthen the
social and spiritual aspects of marriage and keep down
stray impulses of animal instinct. The parties are to
think seriously in a mood of piety, keeping the fear of
Allah in their minds.
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Note - 5507As Islam treats the married woman as a full juristic
personality in every sense of the term a married woman
has a right, in the married state, to a house or
apartment of her own. And a house or apartment implies
the reasonable expenses for its upkeep and for her own
and her children's maintenance. And this is obligatory
not only in the married state, but during the 'iddat,
which is necessarily a most trying period for the woman.
During this period she must not only not be turned out,
but it is not decent for her to leave of her own accord,
lest the chances of reconciliation should be diminished:
see the next note.
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Note - 5508A reconciliation is possible, and is indeed recommended
at every stage. The first serious difference between the
parties are to be submitted to a family council on which
both sides are represented (iv. 35); divorce is not to be
pronounced when mutual physical attraction is at an ebb
(n. 5506); when it is pronounced, there should be a
period of probationary waiting: dower has to be paid and
due provision has to be made for many things on equitable
terms; every facility has to be given for reconciliation
till the last moment, and impediments are provided
against hasty impulses leading to rupture. "Thou knowest
not if perchance Allah will bring about thereafter some
new situation."
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See 2:228 and the corresponding notes, especially note [215]. - Most of the great jurists hold the view that the required three pronouncements of divorce, which make it final and irrevocable (cf. first paragraph of 2:229, must be made singly, i.e., spaced over the waiting-period of three months, so as to give the husband time to reconsider his intention, and thus to prevent a hasty act which might be subsequently regretted. This provision is in tune with the well-authenticated saying of the Prophet, "In the sight of God, the most hateful of all things allowed (abghad al-halali) is divorce" (Abu Da'ud, on the authority of 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar). In other words, divorce is just barely permissible, and must not be resorted to unless it is absolutely evident that nothing can save the marriage from utter hopelessness. |
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I.e. during the waiting-period. As shown in verse {6} below, during that period the husband is fully responsible for the maintenance of the wife whom he is divorcing in accordance with the standard of living observed during their married life. |
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E.g., by their husbands' failure to provide for their maintenance. (This particular injunction does not imply a prohibition of a divorced woman's leaving her home of her own free will.) |
| |
Implying that in such a case she may be lawfully turned out of her marital home. Regarding the term fahishah ("immoral conduct"), see surah {4}, note [14]. |
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According to Ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Razi) and several other authorities (see Ibn Kathir), this is an allusion to the possibility of reconciliation and, hence, a resumption of marital relations before the divorce becomes final (see surah {2}, second part of verse {228} and first paragraph of {229}). |
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Note that in the first instance the Prophet is himself addressed individually, as the Teacher and representative of the Community. Then the actual directions: "when ye...." are addressed to the Community collectively. |
| |
"Of all things permitted by law, Divorce is the most hateful in the sight of Allah"; see Introduction to this Sura. The general directions and limitations of Divorce may be studied in ii. 228-232, 236-237, 241, and notes; also iv. 35. |
| |
'Iddat, as a technical term in divorce law, is explained in n. 254 to ii. 228. Its general meaning is "a prescribed period": in that general sense it is used in ii. 185 for a prescribed period for fasting. |
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The prescribed period (see last note) is in the interests of the wife, of the husband, of an unborn child (if there is any), and of sex laws in nature, and therefore the elementary dictates of refined human society. In English Law the six months interval between the decree nisi and the decree absolute in divorce attains the same purpose in a round-about way. The Commentators suggest that the divorce should not be pronounced during the courses. Read with ii. 222, this implies that any incipient differences between husband and wife should not be forced to an issue at a time when sex is least attractive and almost repulsive. Everything should be done to strengthen the social and spiritual aspects of marriage and keep down stray impulses of animal instinct. The parties are to think seriously in a mood of piety, keeping the fear of Allah in their minds. |
| |
As Islam treats the married woman as a full juristic personality in every sense of the term a married woman has a right, in the married state, to a house or apartment of her own. And a house or apartment implies the reasonable expenses for its upkeep and for her own and her children's maintenance. And this is obligatory not only in the married state, but during the 'iddat, which is necessarily a most trying period for the woman. During this period she must not only not be turned out, but it is not decent for her to leave of her own accord, lest the chances of reconciliation should be diminished: see the next note. |
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A reconciliation is possible, and is indeed recommended at every stage. The first serious difference between the parties are to be submitted to a family council on which both sides are represented (iv. 35); divorce is not to be pronounced when mutual physical attraction is at an ebb (n. 5506); when it is pronounced, there should be a period of probationary waiting: dower has to be paid and due provision has to be made for many things on equitable terms; every facility has to be given for reconciliation till the last moment, and impediments are provided against hasty impulses leading to rupture. "Thou knowest not if perchance Allah will bring about thereafter some new situation." |
