O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period,1 and fear Allāh, your Lord. Do not turn them out of their [husbands'] houses, nor should they [themselves] leave [during that period] unless they are committing a clear immorality. And those are the limits [set by] Allāh. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allāh has certainly wronged himself. You know not; perhaps Allāh will bring about after that a [different] matter.2
Translation: Saheeh International (English)
1 See rulings in 2:228-233. A wife should not be divorced except after the completion of her menstrual period but before sexual intercourse has occurred, or else during a confirmed pregnancy. The pronouncement of divorce begins her waiting period (ʿiddah).
لِعِدَّتِهِنَّfor their waiting periodliʿiddatihinna
وَأَحۡصُواْand keep countwa-aḥṣū
ٱلۡعِدَّةَۖ(of) the waiting periodl-ʿidata
وَٱتَّقُواْand fearwa-ittaqū
ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
رَبَّكُمۡۖyour Lordrabbakum
لَا(Do) notlā
تُخۡرِجُوهُنَّexpel themtukh'rijūhunna
مِنۢfrommin
بُيُوتِهِنَّtheir housesbuyūtihinna
وَلَاand notwalā
يَخۡرُجۡنَthey should leaveyakhruj'na
إِلَّآexceptillā
أَنthatan
يَأۡتِينَthey commityatīna
بِفَٰحِشَةٖan immoralitybifāḥishatin
مُّبَيِّنَةٖۚclearmubayyinatin
وَتِلۡكَAnd thesewatil'ka
حُدُودُ(are the) limitsḥudūdu
ٱللَّهِۚ(of) Allahl-lahi
وَمَنAnd whoeverwaman
يَتَعَدَّtransgressesyataʿadda
حُدُودَ(the) limitsḥudūda
ٱللَّهِ(of) Allahl-lahi
فَقَدۡthen certainlyfaqad
ظَلَمَhe has wrongedẓalama
نَفۡسَهُۥۚhimselfnafsahu
لَاNotlā
تَدۡرِيyou knowtadrī
لَعَلَّPerhapslaʿalla
ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
يُحۡدِثُwill bring aboutyuḥ'dithu
بَعۡدَafterbaʿda
ذَٰلِكَthatdhālika
أَمۡرٗاa matteramran
Tafsir
O Prophet! If you or any of the men from your nation intend to divorce your wives, then he should issue a divorce to her considering her waiting period. That is that the divorce should be issued in a period of purity between two separate menses, in which he has not had sexual relations with her. Also, keep track of the waiting period, so that you are able to take your wives back within it if you intend to do so. And be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and refraining from the things He has not allowed; do not force your divorced wives out of the homes they live in, until their waiting periods finish, except if they commit an obvious shameful act i.e. adultery. Those are the limits of Allah He has set for His servants; whoever trespasses the limits of Allah has indeed, oppressed himself by placing himself in a situation of doom, because of disobeying his Lord. O divorcée! You do not know, perhaps Allah may create a longing in the heart of the spouse, and he may take his wife back.