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Al-Baqarah 231

Ayah 231 of 286 · Medinan

وَإِذَا طَلَّقۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغۡنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمۡسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوفٖۚ وَلَا تُمۡسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارٗا لِّتَعۡتَدُواْۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدۡ ظَلَمَ نَفۡسَهُۥۚ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ هُزُوٗاۚ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٞ ٢٣١

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.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَإِذَاAnd whenwa-idhā
  2. طَلَّقۡتُمُyou divorceṭallaqtumu
  3. ٱلنِّسَآءَthe womenl-nisāa
  4. فَبَلَغۡنَand they reachfabalaghna
  5. أَجَلَهُنَّtheir (waiting) termajalahunna
  6. فَأَمۡسِكُوهُنَّthen retain themfa-amsikūhunna
  7. بِمَعۡرُوفٍin a fair mannerbimaʿrūfin
  8. أَوۡoraw
  9. سَرِّحُوهُنَّrelease themsarriḥūhunna
  10. بِمَعۡرُوفٖۚin a fair mannerbimaʿrūfin
  11. وَلَاAnd (do) notwalā
  12. تُمۡسِكُوهُنَّretain themtum'sikūhunna
  13. ضِرَارٗا(to) hurtḍirāran
  14. لِّتَعۡتَدُواْۚso that you transgresslitaʿtadū
  15. وَمَنAnd whoeverwaman
  16. يَفۡعَلۡdoesyafʿal
  17. ذَٰلِكَthatdhālika
  18. فَقَدۡthen indeedfaqad
  19. ظَلَمَhe wrongedẓalama
  20. نَفۡسَهُۥۚhimselfnafsahu
  21. وَلَاAnd (do) notwalā
  22. تَتَّخِذُوٓاْtaketattakhidhū
  23. ءَايَٰتِ(the) Versesāyāti
  24. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allahl-lahi
  25. هُزُوٗاۚ(in) jesthuzuwan
  26. وَٱذۡكُرُواْand rememberwa-udh'kurū
  27. نِعۡمَتَ(the) Favorsniʿ'mata
  28. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allahl-lahi
  29. عَلَيۡكُمۡupon youʿalaykum
  30. وَمَآand whatwamā
  31. أَنزَلَ(is) revealedanzala
  32. عَلَيۡكُمto youʿalaykum
  33. مِّنَofmina
  34. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِthe Bookl-kitābi
  35. وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةِand [the] wisdomwal-ḥik'mati
  36. يَعِظُكُمHe instructs youyaʿiẓukum
  37. بِهِۦۚwith itbihi
  38. وَٱتَّقُواْAnd fearwa-ittaqū
  39. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  40. وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْand knowwa-iʿ'lamū
  41. أَنَّthatanna
  42. ٱللَّهَAllah (is)l-laha
  43. بِكُلِّof everybikulli
  44. شَيۡءٍthingshayin
  45. عَلِيمٞAll-Knowerʿalīmun

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.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran