Medinan · Surah 2 of 114

Al-Baqara 2:236

The Cow · ayah 236 of 286

لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ مَا لَمْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوْ تَفْرِضُوا۟ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةًۭ ۚ وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَى ٱلْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُۥ وَعَلَى ٱلْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُۥ مَتَٰعًۢا بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

La junaha AAalaykum in tallaqtumuannisaa ma lam tamassoohunna aw tafridoolahunna fareedatan wamattiAAoohunna AAalaalmoosiAAi qadaruhu waAAala almuqtiri qadaruhu mataAAanbilmaAAroofi haqqan AAala almuhsineen

"There is no blame upon you if you divorce women you have not touched nor specified for them an obligation. But give them [a gift of] compensation - the wealthy according to his capability and the poor according to his capability - a provision according to what is acceptable, a duty upon the doers of good."

Saheeh International translation

Recitation by Mishary Alafasy

Free, no login. Tap play.

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"You will not be blamed if you divorce women when you have not yet consummated the marriage or fixed a bride-gift for them, but make fair provision for them, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his- this is a duty for those who do good."

Pickthall (classic)+

"It is no sin for you if ye divorce women while yet ye have not touched them, nor appointed unto them a portion. Provide for them, the rich according to his means, and the straitened according to his means, a fair provision. (This is) a bounden duty for those who do good."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"There is no blame on you if ye divorce women before consummation or the fixation of their dower; but bestow on them (A suitable gift), the wealthy according to his means, and the poor according to his means;- A gift of a reasonable amount is due from those who wish to do the right thing."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Divorce before consummating the Marriage

Allah allowed divorce after the marriage contract and before consummating the marriage. Ibn `Abbas, Tawus, Ibrahim and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that `touched' (mentioned in the Ayah) means sexual intercourse. The husband is allowed to divorce his wife before consummating the marriage or giving the dowry if it was deferred.

The Mut`ah (Gift) at the time of Divorce

Allah commands the husband to give the wife (whom he divorces before consummating the marriage) a gift of a reasonable amount, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means, to compensate her for her loss. Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih that Sahl bin Sa`d and Abu Usayd said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ married Umaymah bint Sharahil. When she was brought to the Prophet he extended his hand to her, but she did not like that. The Prophet then ordered Abu Usayd to provide provisions for her along with a gift of two garments.

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

О мужья! Вы не совершите греха, если разведетесь с женами, которых вы не коснулись и которым не установили обязательный брачный дар (махр), даже если подобный поступок разрушит надежды этих женщин. Утешением для них в этом случае является подарок, и вы обязаны одарить их из своего имущества в соответствии со своими возможностями. Это вменяется в обязанность как богатым, так и бедным мужьям. Размеры этого подарка зависят от общепринятых обычаев и могут различаться в зависимости от обстоятельств. Такова обязанность добродетельных мужчин. Вы не имеете права дарить разведенным женам меньше того, что они заслуживают. Вы стали причиной того, что у них появилось желание выйти замуж. Вы поселили в их сердцах надежду, но не дали им то, на что они рассчитывали, и поэтому вы обязаны утешить их достойным подарком. Как же прекрасно это Божье предписание! Как же ясно оно свидетельствует о мудрости и милости Законодателя! Чьи законы могут быть лучше законов Аллаха для людей, обладающих твердой убежденностью?!

Maʿārif al-Qur'ān

Mufti Shafi Usmani, English

Commentary

Keeping dower and consummation in view, divorce can be of four situations. The injunction concerning the first two of these has been stated in these verses. (1) Dower is not fixed and consummation has not taken place. (2) Dower is fixed but consummation has not taken place. (3) Dower is fixed and consummation has taken place. Here the fixed dower will have to be paid in full. This injunction appears elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an. (4) Dower has not been pre-fixed but divorce was given after consummation. Here full mahr al-mithl مھر المثل (a dower as in the divorcees' family) will have to be paid. It means the amount of the dower will be the same as customarily given in the immediate family circle of the woman. This too has been taken up in yet another verse of the Holy Qur'an.

The injunction related to the first two situations has been stated in the verses appearing here. Out of the two, the injunction for the first situation is: No dower is due but it is obligatory for the husband to

give something on his own to the woman -- the least being a set of clothes. In fact, the Holy Qur'an has not fixed any amount for this gift. However, it does indicate that the affluent should give in accordance with their capacity, which carries an element of persuasion for the man of means who should not behave tight-fisted in this act of grace. Sayyidna Hasan ؓ ، in a situation like this, gave a gift of twenty thousand dirhams to the divorced woman, and Qadi Shurayh, that of five hundred dirhams; and Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has said that the lowest degree here is to give one set of clothes. (Qurtubi)

Tafsīr sourced from quran.com's open API. These are classical commentaries; for personal rulings consult a qualified scholar.

Read full Surah Al-Baqara All 114 surahs