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231
وَإِذا طَلَّقتُمُ النِّساءَ فَبَلَغنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمسِكوهُنَّ بِمَعروفٍ أَو سَرِّحوهُنَّ بِمَعروفٍ ۚ وَلا تُمسِكوهُنَّ ضِرارًا لِتَعتَدوا ۚ وَمَن يَفعَل ذٰلِكَ فَقَد ظَلَمَ نَفسَهُ ۚ وَلا تَتَّخِذوا آياتِ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا ۚ وَاذكُروا نِعمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَما أَنزَلَ عَلَيكُم مِنَ الكِتابِ وَالحِكمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعلَموا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ عَليمٌ

Yusuf Ali

When ye divorce1 women, and they are about to fulfil the term of their (?Iddat), either retain them back or let them go; but do not retain them to injure them, (or) to take undue advantage;2 if any one does that; He wrongs his own soul. Do not treat God’s Signs as a jest,3 but solemnly rehearse4 God’s favours on you, and the fact that He sent down to you the Book and Wisdom, for your instruction. And fear God, and know that God is well-acquainted with all things.
  • If the man takes back his wife after two divorces, he must do so only on equitable terms, i.e., he must not put pressure on the woman to prejudice her rights in any way, and they must live clean and honourable lives, respecting each other’s personalities. There are here two conditional clauses: (1) 'when ye divorce women,' and (2) 'when they fulfil their ʿIddat:' followed by two consequential clauses, (3) ’take them back on equitable terms,' or (4) 'set them free with kindness.' The first is connected with the third and the second with the fourth. Therefore if the husband wishes to resume marital relations, he need not wait for ʿIddat. But if he does not so wish, she is free to marry someone else after ʿIddat. For the meaning of ʿIddat see n. 254 above.
  • Let no one think that the liberty given to him can be used for his own selfish ends. If he uses the law for the injury of the weaker party, his own moral and spiritual nature suffers.
  • These difficult questions of sex relations are often treated as a joke. But they profoundly affect our individual lives, the lives of our children, and the purity and well-being of the society in which we live. This aspect of the question is reiterated again and again.
  • Rehearse: dhikr. Cf. 2:151 and n. 156. We are asked to remember in our own minds, and to proclaim and praise, and be proud of God’s favours on us. His favours are immeasurable: not the least are His Revelations, and the wisdom which He has given to us to enable us to judge and act up to His guidance.