The surah that issues the lawful procedures by which one may Divorce and that calls for fair parting between believers if marriage is to end, in accordance with what is right and within God’s prescribed limits, while promising ease and deliverance for the truly God-fearing who undergo this trauma. It takes its name from verse 1 . concerning “divorce” (ṭalāq). The surah strongly urges people to observe God’s regulations and guidance. To reinforce this they are reminded of the fate of earlier disobedient peoples and the rewards of the obedient. God’s power and knowledge are emphasized at the end (verse 12).
1
يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذا طَلَّقتُمُ النِّساءَ فَطَلِّقوهُنَّ لِعِدَّتِهِنَّ وَأَحصُوا العِدَّةَ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُم ۖ لا تُخرِجوهُنَّ مِن بُيوتِهِنَّ وَلا يَخرُجنَ إِلّا أَن يَأتينَ بِفاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ ۚ وَتِلكَ حُدودُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدودَ اللَّهِ فَقَد ظَلَمَ نَفسَهُ ۚ لا تَدري لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُحدِثُ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ أَمرًا
yā-ʾayyuhā n-nabiyyu ʾidhā ṭallaqtumu n-nisāʾa fa-ṭalliqūhunna li-ʿiddatihinna wa-ʾaḥṣū l-ʿiddata wa-ttaqū llāha rabbakum lā tukhrijūhunna min buyūtihinna wa-lā yakhrujna ʾillā ʾan yaʾtīna bi-fāḥishatin mubayyinatin wa-tilka ḥudūdu llāhi wa-man yataʿadda ḥudūda llāhi fa-qad ẓalama nafsahū lā tadrī laʿalla llāha yuḥdithu baʿda dhālika ʾamran
O Prophet!When you1 divorce women,divorce them at [the conclusion of] their term2and calculate the term,and be wary of Allah, your Lord.Do not turn them out from their houses,nor shall they go out,unless they commit a gross3 indecency.4These are Allah’s bounds,and whoever transgresses the bounds of Allahcertainly wrongs himself.You never knowmaybe Allah will bring off something new later on.That is, Muslim men.See 2:227-233, 33:49.Or ‘proven,’ according to an alternative reading (mubayyanah, instead of mubayyinah.)That is, adultery, lesbianism, theft of revilement of the husband and his family. (See Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, Ṭabarī).
2
فَإِذا بَلَغنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمسِكوهُنَّ بِمَعروفٍ أَو فارِقوهُنَّ بِمَعروفٍ وَأَشهِدوا ذَوَي عَدلٍ مِنكُم وَأَقيمُوا الشَّهادَةَ لِلَّهِ ۚ ذٰلِكُم يوعَظُ بِهِ مَن كانَ يُؤمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَاليَومِ الآخِرِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجعَل لَهُ مَخرَجًا
fa-ʾidhā balaghna ʾajalahunna fa-ʾamsikūhunna bi-maʿrūfin ʾaw fāriqūhunna bi-maʿrūfin wa-ʾashhidū dhaway ʿadlin minkum wa-ʾaqīmū sh-shahādata li-llāhi dhālikum yūʿaẓu bihī man kāna yuʾminu bi-llāhi wa-l-yawmi l-ʾākhiri wa-man yattaqi llāha yajʿal lahū makhrajan
Then, when they have completed their term,either retain them honourablyor separate from them honourably,and take the witness of two fair menfrom among yourselves,and bear witness for the sake of Allah.To [comply with] this is advisedwhoever believes in Allahand the Last Day.And whoever is wary of Allah,He shall make a way out for him,
3
وَيَرزُقهُ مِن حَيثُ لا يَحتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّل عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسبُهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بالِغُ أَمرِهِ ۚ قَد جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدرًا
wa-yarzuqhu min ḥaythu lā yaḥtasibu wa-man yatawakkal ʿalā llāhi fa-huwa ḥasbuhū ʾinna llāha bālighu ʾamrihī qad jaʿala llāhu li-kulli shayʾin qadran
and provide for himfrom whence he does not reckon.And whoever puts his trust in Allah,He will suffice him.Indeed Allah carries through His command.Certainly Allah has set a measure for everything.
4
وَاللّائي يَئِسنَ مِنَ المَحيضِ مِن نِسائِكُم إِنِ ارتَبتُم فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلاثَةُ أَشهُرٍ وَاللّائي لَم يَحِضنَ ۚ وَأُولاتُ الأَحمالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعنَ حَملَهُنَّ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجعَل لَهُ مِن أَمرِهِ يُسرًا
wa-llāʾī yaʾisna mina l-maḥīḍi min nisāʾikum ʾini rtabtum fa-ʿiddatuhunna thalāthatu ʾashhurin wa-llāʾī lam yaḥiḍna wa-ʾulātu l-ʾaḥmāli ʾajaluhunna ʾan yaḍaʿna ḥamlahunna wa-man yattaqi llāha yajʿal lahū min ʾamrihī yusran
As for thoseof your wives who do not hope to have menses,should you have any doubts,their term shall be three months,and for those [as well] who have not yet had menses.As for those who are pregnant,their term shall be until they deliver.And whoever is wary of Allah,He shall grant him ease in his affairs.
5
ذٰلِكَ أَمرُ اللَّهِ أَنزَلَهُ إِلَيكُم ۚ وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يُكَفِّر عَنهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُعظِم لَهُ أَجرًا
dhālika ʾamru llāhi ʾanzalahū ʾilaykum wa-man yattaqi llāha yukaffir ʿanhu sayyiʾātihī wa-yuʿẓim lahū ʾajran
That is the ordinance of Allahwhich He has sent down to you,and whoever is wary of Allah,He shall absolve him of his misdeedsand give him a great reward.
6
أَسكِنوهُنَّ مِن حَيثُ سَكَنتُم مِن وُجدِكُم وَلا تُضارّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقوا عَلَيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن كُنَّ أُولاتِ حَملٍ فَأَنفِقوا عَلَيهِنَّ حَتّىٰ يَضَعنَ حَملَهُنَّ ۚ فَإِن أَرضَعنَ لَكُم فَآتوهُنَّ أُجورَهُنَّ ۖ وَأتَمِروا بَينَكُم بِمَعروفٍ ۖ وَإِن تَعاسَرتُم فَسَتُرضِعُ لَهُ أُخرىٰ
ʾaskinūhunna min ḥaythu sakantum min wujdikum wa-lā tuḍārrūhunna li-tuḍayyiqū ʿalayhinna wa-ʾin kunna ʾulāti ḥamlin fa-ʾanfiqū ʿalayhinna ḥattā yaḍaʿna ḥamlahunna fa-ʾin ʾarḍaʿna lakum fa-ʾātūhunna ʾujūrahunna wa-ʾtamirū baynakum bi-maʿrūfin wa-ʾin taʿāsartum fa-sa-turḍiʿu lahū ʾukhrā
House them where you live,1in accordance with your means,and do not harass them to put them in straits,and should they be pregnant,maintain them until they deliver.Then, if they suckle [the baby] for you,give them their wagesand consult together honourably;but if you make things difficult for each other,then another woman will suckle [the baby] for him.2That is, the divorcée in her waiting period (ʿiddah).That is, the father will arrange for a wet nurse to suckle the infant.
7
لِيُنفِق ذو سَعَةٍ مِن سَعَتِهِ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيهِ رِزقُهُ فَليُنفِق مِمّا آتاهُ اللَّهُ ۚ لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفسًا إِلّا ما آتاها ۚ سَيَجعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعدَ عُسرٍ يُسرًا
li-yunfiq dhū saʿatin min saʿatihī wa-man qudira ʿalayhi rizquhū fa-l-yunfiq mimmā ʾātāhu llāhu lā yukallifu llāhu nafsan ʾillā mā ʾātāhā sa-yajʿalu llāhu baʿda ʿusrin yusran
Let the affluent man spend out of his affluence,and let he whose provision has been tightenedspend out of what Allah has given him.Allah does not task any soulexcept [according to] what He has given it.Allah will bring about ease after hardship.
8
وَكَأَيِّن مِن قَريَةٍ عَتَت عَن أَمرِ رَبِّها وَرُسُلِهِ فَحاسَبناها حِسابًا شَديدًا وَعَذَّبناها عَذابًا نُكرًا
wa-ka-ʾayyin min qaryatin ʿatat ʿan ʾamri rabbihā wa-rusulihī fa-ḥāsabnāhā ḥisāban shadīdan wa-ʿadhdhabnāhā ʿadhāban nukran
How many a town defied the command of its Lordand His apostles,then We called it to a severe accountand punished it with a dire punishment.
9
فَذاقَت وَبالَ أَمرِها وَكانَ عاقِبَةُ أَمرِها خُسرًا
fa-dhāqat wabāla ʾamrihā wa-kāna ʿāqibatu ʾamrihā khusran
So it tasted the evil consequences of its conduct,and the outcome of its conduct was ruin.
10
أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم عَذابًا شَديدًا ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يا أُولِي الأَلبابِ الَّذينَ آمَنوا ۚ قَد أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيكُم ذِكرًا
ʾaʿadda llāhu lahum ʿadhāban shadīdan fa-ttaqū llāha yā-ʾulī l-ʾalbābi lladhīna ʾāmanū qad ʾanzala llāhu ʾilaykum dhikran
Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment.So be wary of Allah,O you who possess intellect and have faith!Allah has already sent down to you a reminder,
11
رَسولًا يَتلو عَلَيكُم آياتِ اللَّهِ مُبَيِّناتٍ لِيُخرِجَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ مِنَ الظُّلُماتِ إِلَى النّورِ ۚ وَمَن يُؤمِن بِاللَّهِ وَيَعمَل صالِحًا يُدخِلهُ جَنّاتٍ تَجري مِن تَحتِهَا الأَنهارُ خالِدينَ فيها أَبَدًا ۖ قَد أَحسَنَ اللَّهُ لَهُ رِزقًا
rasūlan yatlū ʿalaykum ʾāyāti llāhi mubayyinātin li-yukhrija lladhīna ʾāmanū wa-ʿamilū ṣ-ṣāliḥāti mina ẓ-ẓulumāti ʾilā n-nūri wa-man yuʾmin bi-llāhi wa-yaʿmal ṣāliḥan yudkhilhu jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-ʾanhāru khālidīna fīhā ʾabadan qad ʾaḥsana llāhu lahū rizqan-i
an apostlereciting to you the manifest signs of Allahthat He may bring out those who have faithand do righteous deedsfrom darkness into light.And whoever has faith in Allahand does righteous deeds,He shall admit him into gardenswith streams running in them,to remain in them forever.Allah has certainly granted him an excellent provision.
12
اللَّهُ الَّذي خَلَقَ سَبعَ سَماواتٍ وَمِنَ الأَرضِ مِثلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الأَمرُ بَينَهُنَّ لِتَعلَموا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَد أَحاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ عِلمًا
allāhu lladhī khalaqa sabʿa samāwātin wa-mina l-ʾarḍi mithlahunna yatanazzalu l-ʾamru baynahunna li-taʿlamū ʾanna llāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīrun wa-ʾanna llāha qad ʾaḥāṭa bi-kulli shayʾin ʿilman
It is Allah who has created seven heavens,and of the earth [a number] similar to them.The command gradually descends through them,that you may knowthat Allah has power over all things,and that Allah comprehends all things in knowledge.