Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 231
Quran 2:231 · The Cow · Madani · Para 2 · Page 37
وَاِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ اَجَلَهُنَّ فَاَمْسِكُوْهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ اَوْ سَرِّحُوْهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ ۪ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوْهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوْا ۚ وَمَنْ یَّفْعَلْ ذٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهٗ ؕ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوْۤا اٰیٰتِ اللّٰهِ هُزُوًا ؗ وَّاذْكُرُوْا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَیْكُمْ وَمَاۤ اَنْزَلَ عَلَیْكُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ یَعِظُكُمْ بِهٖ ؕ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَاعْلَمُوْۤا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ بِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْمٌ ۟۠
Transliteration
Wa-itha tallaqtumu annisaafabalaghna ajalahunna faamsikoohunna bimaAAroofin aw sarrihoohunnabimaAAroofin wala tumsikoohunna diraranlitaAAtadoo waman yafAAal thalika faqad thalamanafsahu wala tattakhithoo ayati Allahihuzuwan wathkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykumwama anzala AAalaykum mina alkitabi walhikmatiyaAAithukum bihi wattaqoo Allaha waAAlamooanna Allaha bikulli shay-in AAaleem
Saheeh 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 Allāh in jest. And remember the favor of Allāh upon you and what has been revealed to you of the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom [i.e., the Prophet's sunnah] by which He instructs you. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is Knowing of all things.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
When you divorce women and they approach the end of their waiting period, you have the right to take them back or to leave them in a good way until their waiting period is over. Do not take them back in order to oppress and harm them, as was the practice in the period before Islam. Whoever acts with the aim of causing harm to them has wronged himself by exposing himself to sin and punishment. Do not make Allah’s words the object of mockery and play. Remember Allah’s favours on you: most importantly, the revelation you have received in the form of the Qur’ān and Sunnah, through which He reminds you to encourage and warn you. Fear Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. Know that Allah knows everything and that nothing is hidden from Him. He will reward you for your actions.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
And when you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period, either take them back on a reasonable basis or set them free on a reasonable basis. But do not take them back to hurt them, and whoever does that, then he has wronged himself. And treat not the verses (Laws) of Allah in jest, but remember Allah's favors on you (i.e., Islam), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e., the Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet's Sunnah ـ legal ways ـ Islamic jurisprudence) whereby He instructs you. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is All-Aware of everything (231)
Being Kind to the Divorced Wife
This 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. Or, he should release her after her 'Iddah finishes and then kindly asks her to depart from his house, without disputing, fighting with her or using foul words. Allah then said:
وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا
(But do not take them back to hurt them,)
Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Masruq, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi' and Muqatil bin Hayyan said that a man used to divorce his wife, and when her 'Iddah came near its end, he would take her back to harm her and to stop her from marrying someone else. He then divorced her and she would begin her 'Iddah and when her 'Iddah term neared its end, he would take her back again, so that the term of 'Iddah would be prolonged for her. After that, Allah prohibited this practice. Allah has also threatened those who indulge in such practices, when He said;
وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ
(...and whoever does that, then he has wronged himself.) meaning, by defying Allah's commandments. Allah then said:
وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا آيَاتِ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا
(And treat not the verses (Laws) of Allah in a jest,)
Ibn Jarir said that Abu Musa (Al-Ash'ari) narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ once became angry at the Ash'ari tribe. Abu Musa went to him and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Are you angry with the Ash'ariyyin?" The Prophet ﷺ said:
يَقُولُ أَحَدُكُمْ: قَدْ طَلَّقْتُ، قَدْ رَاجَعْتُ، لَيْسَ هَذَا طَلَاقُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، طَلِّقُوا الْمَرْأَةَ فِي قُبُلِ عِدَّتِـهَا
(One of you says, 'I divorced her' - then says - 'I took her back!' This is not the appropriate way Muslims conduct divorce. Divorce the woman when she has fulfilled the term of the prescribed period.)
Masruq said that the Ayah refers to the man who harms his wife by divorcing her and then taking her back, so that the 'Iddah term is prolonged for her. Al-Hasan, Qatadah, 'Ata' Al-Khurasani, Ar-Rabi' and Muqatil bin Hayyan said, "He is the man who divorces his wife and says, 'I was joking.' Or he frees a servant or gets married and says, 'I was only joking.' Allah revealed:
وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا آيَاتِ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا
(And treat not the verses (Laws) of Allah in a jest,)
Then such men were made to bear the consequences of their actions.
Allah then said:
وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ
(...but remember Allah's favors on you,) meaning, by His sending His Messenger ﷺ with the right guidance and clear signs to you:
وَمَا أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ
(...and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e., the Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah) meaning the Sunnah,
يَعِظُكُم بِهِ
(...whereby He instructs you.) meaning, commands you, forbids you and threatens you for transgressing His prohibitions. Allah said:
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ
(And fear Allah) meaning, concerning what you perform and what you avoid,
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
(and know that Allah is All-Aware of everything.) none of your secret or public affairs ever escapes His knowledge, and He will treat you accordingly.