The Ascendant Qur’an

65al-ṬalāqDivorceسُورَةُ الطلاق

Madinan · 12 ayat · 99th in order of revelation

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Divorce guidelines, the post-divorce waiting period, and the fruition of taqwā and trust in Allah

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ إِذَا طَلَّقۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَطَلِّقُوهُنَّ لِعِدَّتِهِنَّ وَأَحۡصُواْ ٱلۡعِدَّةَۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمۡۖ لَا تُخۡرِجُوهُنَّ مِنۢ بُيُوتِهِنَّ وَلَا يَخۡرُجۡنَ إِلَّآ أَن يَأۡتِينَ بِفَٰحِشَةٖ مُّبَيِّنَةٖۚ وَتِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ ظَلَمَ نَفۡسَهُۥۚ لَا تَدۡرِي لَعَلَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحۡدِثُ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ أَمۡرٗا 

O Prophet! When you [muslims intend to] divorce women, divorce them conditional upon their waiting period [no divorce during menstruation or pregnancy when women are not ready for fertilization], and record the period [carefully], and safeguard yourselves from Allah [taking into consideration Allah’s immediate power presence], your Sustainer. Do not force them out of their domiciles; and neither should they [be forced to] leave unless they become explicitly guilty of flagrant [sexual] misconduct. These, then, are the bounds outlined by Allah — and he who transgresses the bounds set by Allah does injustice to himself: and you never can tell [as a party to a divorce] how Allah brings about the end result [of a particular divorce].

فَإِذَا بَلَغۡنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمۡسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوفٖ وَأَشۡهِدُواْ ذَوَيۡ عَدۡلٖ مِّنكُمۡ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلشَّهَٰدَةَ لِلَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مَخۡرَجٗا 

And so, when they [the divorcées] reach the end of their waiting-term, either retain them courteously or part with them courteously. And let two persons of [known] probity from among your own community bear witness [to what you have decided]; and take care that such testimony is done for Allah [and meets with Allah’s criteria]. These instructions are meant for anyone who is committed [in honesty] to Allah and [affirms the coming of] the Last Day: for whoever safeguards himself when it comes to Allah, He will grant him a way out [of difficult times],

وَيَرۡزُقۡهُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَحۡتَسِبُۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسۡبُهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَٰلِغُ أَمۡرِهِۦۚ قَدۡ جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدۡرٗا 

And He will provide for him in a manner unanticipated by him [or anyone else]; and whoever places his confidence in Allah, He [alone] is enough. Verily, Allah attains to His purpose: for indeed Allah has retained for everything its calculated proportionality.

Waiting period for post-menstrual and non-menstruating women

وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔي يَئِسۡنَ مِنَ ٱلۡمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمۡ إِنِ ٱرۡتَبۡتُمۡ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَٰثَةُ أَشۡهُرٖ وَٱلَّٰٓـِٔي لَمۡ يَحِضۡنَۚ وَأُوْلَٰتُ ٱلۡأَحۡمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعۡنَ حَمۡلَهُنَّۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ مِنۡ أَمۡرِهِۦ يُسۡرٗا 

Now, as for those among your womenfolk who give up hope of having a monthly period — if you are unsure [about their fertility] — as well as those who do not have a monthly period [after they reach the age of puberty], their waiting period shall be three months; and as for those who are pregnant with a child, their waiting term shall come [to an end] when they give birth to their gestation. And whoever is conscious and protective of Allah [and His power] He will bring relief out of his onerous state of affairs:

ذَٰلِكَ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَنزَلَهُۥٓ إِلَيۡكُمۡۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يُكَفِّرۡ عَنۡهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِۦ وَيُعۡظِمۡ لَهُۥٓ أَجۡرًا 

[For] all this is Allah’s state of affairs, which He has approached you with. And whoever is conscious and protective of Allah, He will efface his wrongdoings and amplify for him his reward.

Accommodation and allowance for a divorcée and reimbursement for breastfeeding

أَسۡكِنُوهُنَّ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجۡدِكُمۡ وَلَا تُضَآرُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّۚ وَإِن كُنَّ أُوْلَٰتِ حَمۡلٖ فَأَنفِقُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَضَعۡنَ حَمۡلَهُنَّۚ فَإِنۡ أَرۡضَعۡنَ لَكُمۡ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ وَأۡتَمِرُواْ بَيۡنَكُم بِمَعۡرُوفٖۖ وَإِن تَعَاسَرۡتُمۡ فَسَتُرۡضِعُ لَهُۥٓ أُخۡرَىٰ 

[Thus], provide accommodation for them [those women who are in their separation waiting-period] parallel to the same standard as your own means of accommodation; and do not harass them with a view to making their lives a misery. And if they happen to be bearing a child, spend freely on them until they deliver their unborn; and if they nurse [the baby] for you [after the divorce is finalized], give them their [due] recompense; and decide among yourselves [ex-husband and wife] in a polite manner [about the baby’s needs and future]. And if both of you find it difficult [that the mother should breastfeed the baby], let another woman breastfeed it on his [the biological father’s] behalf.

لِيُنفِقۡ ذُو سَعَةٖ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقُهُۥ فَلۡيُنفِقۡ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَاۚ سَيَجۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡدَ عُسۡرٖ يُسۡرٗا 

[In all these stages], let him who has ample means spend in accordance with his amplitude; and let him whose means of subsistence are scanty spend in accordance with what Allah has given him: [for] Allah does not burden any human being with more than He has given him — [and it may well be that in the future] Allah will bring about ease after hardship.

An ultimatum for offenders, a promise for those who obey, and a reminder of Allah’s potential

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ عَتَتۡ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهَا وَرُسُلِهِۦ فَحَاسَبۡنَٰهَا حِسَابٗا شَدِيدٗا وَعَذَّبۡنَٰهَا عَذَابٗا نُّكۡرٗا 

And how many a civil society [in the course of history] has arrogantly deviated from the commandment of its Sustainer and His apostles! — whereupon We sternly held it responsible and took it to account, and made it suffer a suffering unheard of:

فَذَاقَتۡ وَبَالَ أَمۡرِهَا وَكَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ أَمۡرِهَا خُسۡرًا 

And thus it experienced the obnoxious effects of its own [self-inflicted] affair [in this world] — for, [in the end], its affair was a [total] loss —

أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٗا شَدِيدٗاۖ فَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَٰٓأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۚ قَدۡ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡكُمۡ ذِكۡرٗا 

[The while] Allah has readied for them [the civil society’s inhabitants] severe infliction. Hence, be on guard concerning Allah [and His power presence], O you who are endowed with acumen — [you] who are [dutifully] committed [to Him]. Allah has surely bestowed upon you from on high a consciousness [that connects you to Him]:

رَّسُولٗا يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَيِّنَٰتٖ لِّيُخۡرِجَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۚ وَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ وَيَعۡمَلۡ صَٰلِحٗا يُدۡخِلۡهُ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدٗاۖ قَدۡ أَحۡسَنَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُۥ رِزۡقًا 

[He has sent] an Apostle who correlates for you Allah’s clear demonstrations [of power and authority] so that He might extricate those who are committed to Him and do what is right and righteous from obscurity into light. And whoever [correctly] commits himself to Allah and does what is right and righteous, him will He admit into gardens with rivers flowing underneath — there to dwell forever: indeed, Allah will have thoroughly granted him sustenance.

ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٖ وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِثۡلَهُنَّۖ يَتَنَزَّلُ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ بَيۡنَهُنَّ لِتَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عِلۡمَۢا 

Allah is He who created seven heavens, and of the earth their equivalents. Allah’s commanding will descends throughout them [the heavens and earth] so that you may come to acknowledge that Allah has the power to prevail over everything and that Allah has encompassed all things with [His] knowledge.