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Al-Baqarah 237

Ayah 237 of 286 · Medinan

وَإِن طَلَّقۡتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدۡ فَرَضۡتُمۡ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةٗ فَنِصۡفُ مَا فَرَضۡتُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن يَعۡفُونَ أَوۡ يَعۡفُوَاْ ٱلَّذِي بِيَدِهِۦ عُقۡدَةُ ٱلنِّكَاحِۚ وَأَن تَعۡفُوٓاْ أَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوَىٰۚ وَلَا تَنسَوُاْ ٱلۡفَضۡلَ بَيۡنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ٢٣٧

And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then [give] half of what you specified - unless they forego the right or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes it. And to forego it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed Allāh, of whatever you do, is Seeing.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَإِنAnd ifwa-in
  2. طَلَّقۡتُمُوهُنَّyou divorce themṭallaqtumūhunna
  3. مِنfrommin
  4. قَبۡلِbeforeqabli
  5. أَن[that]an
  6. تَمَسُّوهُنَّyou (have) touched themtamassūhunna
  7. وَقَدۡwhile alreadywaqad
  8. فَرَضۡتُمۡyou have specifiedfaraḍtum
  9. لَهُنَّfor themlahunna
  10. فَرِيضَةٗan obligation (dower)farīḍatan
  11. فَنِصۡفُthen (give) halffaniṣ'fu
  12. مَا(of) whatmā
  13. فَرَضۡتُمۡyou have specifiedfaraḍtum
  14. إِلَّآunlessillā
  15. أَن[that]an
  16. يَعۡفُونَthey (women) forgo (it)yaʿfūna
  17. أَوۡoraw
  18. يَعۡفُوَاْforgoesyaʿfuwā
  19. ٱلَّذِيthe onealladhī
  20. بِيَدِهِۦin whose handsbiyadihi
  21. عُقۡدَةُ(is the) knotʿuq'datu
  22. ٱلنِّكَاحِۚ(of) the marriagel-nikāḥi
  23. وَأَنAnd thatwa-an
  24. تَعۡفُوٓاْyou forgotaʿfū
  25. أَقۡرَبُ(is) neareraqrabu
  26. لِلتَّقۡوَىٰۚto [the] righteousnesslilttaqwā
  27. وَلَاAnd (do) notwalā
  28. تَنسَوُاْforgettansawū
  29. ٱلۡفَضۡلَthe graciousnessl-faḍla
  30. بَيۡنَكُمۡۚamong youbaynakum
  31. إِنَّIndeedinna
  32. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  33. بِمَاof whatbimā
  34. تَعۡمَلُونَyou dotaʿmalūna
  35. بَصِيرٌ(is) All-Seerbaṣīrun

Tafsir

If you divorce your wives with whom you have entered into marriage before having sexual intercourse with them and you had fixed the amount of the dowry, you will have to pay half of this amount to them, unless they give up this right of theirs or the husband wishes to pay the full dowry. To give up your right is closer to Mindfulness. Do not forget to show kindness and compassion to one another in matters of rights. Allah sees what you do, so try to do what is best to earn His reward.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran