65- Surat Altalaq/Tafseer

 

65- Surat Altalaq/Tafseer

12 Verses  Maddani (revealed in Medina)

A'auzu Bellahi mena ash-shytani ar-rajim

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan

Bismi Ellahi Ar-rhmani Ar-rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Ya ayyuha alnabiyyu iza tallaqtumuo alnesa'a fa-tallequhunna le-eddatehenna wahsuo aleddata wattaquo Allaha Rabbakum la toukhrejuhunna men buyutehenna wala yakhrujna ella an ya'tena be-faheshatin mubayyenatin wa-telka hududuo Allahi wa-man yata'ada hududa Allahi faqad zalama nafsahuo la tadri la'alla Allaha youhdethuo ba'da zaleka amra (1).

O Prophet! When you divorce the women, then Divorce them for their waiting period, and keep count the waiting period, and fear Allah your Lord, and do not expel them from their houses, and they should not leave except that they commit a clear immorality, and these are the limits of Allah, and whoever transgress the limits of Allah, then indeed, he has wronged himself, you do not know, perhaps Allah will bring out after that, a matter.

Fa iza balaghna ajalahunna fa-amsekuhunna bema'rufin aw farequhunna bema'rufin wa ashheduo zaway adlin menkum wa aqeemuo alshahadata lellahi zalekum you'azuo behi man kana you'menuo bellahi wal-yawmi alakheri wa man yattaqi ellaha yaj'al lahuo makhraja (2).

Then when they have reached their term, then Retain them with kindness or Part with them with kindness, and Take witness two just men from among you and Establish the testimony for Allah, that is exhorted with it whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, and whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out.

Wa yarzuqhu men haiythu la yahtasebu wa man yatawakkal ala Allahi fa huwa hasbuhu inna Allaha balighuo amrehi qad ja'ala Allahu lekulli shay-in qadra (3).

And He will provide for him from where he is not expected, and whoever puts his trust upon Allah, then He is Sufficient for him, indeed, Allah is to accomplish His purpose, indeed, Allah has set for everything a measure.

Wa alla'ee ya-esna mena almahedi men nesa-ekum ini ertabtum fa iddatuhunna thalathatuo ashhurin wa alla'ee lam yahedna wa aulatu alahmali ajaluhunna an yada'na hamlahunna wa man yattaqi ellaha yaj'al lahuo men amrehi yousra (4).

And those who despaired of the menstruation, if you are in doubt, their Iddah is three months, and those who have not yet menstruated, and those who are pregnant, their term is until they deliver their burden, and whoever fears Allah, He will make for him of his matter ease.

Zaleka amru allahi anzalahu elaiykum wa man yattaqi ellaha youkaffir anhu sayyiatehi wa you'zem lahu ajra (5).

This is the command of Allah that He has sent down for you, and whoever fears Allah, He will remove from him his sins, and will make a great reward for him.

Askenuhunna men haiythuo sakantum men wujdekum wala tudarruhunna le-tudayyiku alaiyhenna wa in kunna aulati Hamlin fa anfequo alaiyhenna hatta yada'na hamlahunna fa in arda'na lakum fa atuhunna ujurahunna wa'tameruo baynakum be-ma'rufin wa in ta'asartum fasa-turdeuo lahu aukhra (6).

Lodge them from where you dwell of your means, and do not harm them in order to distress them, and if they are of those who pregnant, then spend on them until they deliver their burden, and if they suckle for you, then give them their payment, and consult among yourselves with kindness, but if you disagree, then let another woman suckle for him.

Le-younfeq zu sa'atin men sa'atehi wa man qudera alaiyhi rezquhuo fal-younfeq memma atahuo Allahu la youkallefuo Allahu nafsan ella ma ataha sayaja'luo Allahu ba'da ausrin yousra (7). 

Let a possessor of ample means spend from his means, and he who his provision is restricted on him, Let him spend from what Allah has given him, Allah does not burden a soul except what He has given it, Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.

Waka-ayyin men qaryatin atat an amri Rabbiha wa rusulihi fa-hasabnaha hesaban shadeedan wa azzabnaha azaban nukra (8).

And how many of a town rebelled against the command of its Lord, and His Messengers, so that We reckoned it with a severe account, and We punished it a terrible punishment.

Fazaqt wabala amreha wa kana aqebatuo amreha khusra (9).

So it tasted the consequence of its affair, and the end of its affair was loss.

A'ada Allahu lahum azaban shadeedan fa-ttaquo Allaha ya-auli alalbabi allazina amanuo qad anzala Allahu elaiykum zekra (10).

Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment, so fear Allah, O you of understanding who have believed, Allah has sent down to you a reminder.

Rasulan yatluo alaiykum ayati ellahi mubayyenatin le-youkhreja allazina amanuo wa ameluo alsalehati mena alzulumati ela alnuori, wa man you'men bellahi wa ya'mal salehan youdkhelhuo jannatin tajri men tahteha alanharuo khaledina feeha Abadan qad ahsana Allahu lahu rezqa (11). 

A Messenger who recites to you the verses of Allah, clear, so that He may bring those who believed and do righteous deeds out of the darknesses to the light, and whoever believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit him into gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever, indeed, Allah has made for him a good provision.

Allahu allazi khalaqa sab'a samawatin wa mena alardi methlahunna yatanazzaluo alamruo baynahunna leta'lamuo anna Allaha ala kulli shay-in qadeerun wa anna Allaha qad ahata bekulli shay-in elma (12).

Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them, the command descends between them, that you may know that Allah is All-powerful over everything, and that Allah, indeed, has encompassed everything in knowledge.

Simplified interpretation: 

 Surat Altalaq came as a legislation from Allah to the one who wants to divorce his wife, and Allah has set conditions for the validity of the divorce taking place, and also what to do during the waiting period, what is related to the divorce of a pregnant woman, and the breastfeeding of the child. Then Allah threatens the infidels with the torment that He inflicted on the previous nations, and He gives good tidings of the gardens of bliss for the righteous and the believers.

 

 Allah addresses His Messenger in the first verse and says "O Prophet! When you divorce the women, then Divorce them for their waiting period, and keep count the waiting period, and fear Allah your lord, and do not expel them from their houses, and they should not leave except that they commit a clear immorality, and these are the limits of Allah, and whoever transgress the limits of Allah, then indeed, he has wronged himself, you do not know, perhaps Allah will bring out after that, a matter", that is, Allah has set limits for the divorce, and assures that it should be for the waiting period (Iddah), which means the state of purity i.e. when the woman menstruated, then became clean and her husband did not have intercourse with her after she became clean, so when her husband divorces her during this time, he then divorces her according to the waiting period that Allah has stipulated, and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained the Iddah which is the condition of the validity of divorce through Salim's narration when he said that Abdullah Bin Umar told him that he had divorced his wife while she was in her menses, so Umar informed Allah's Messenger of that, Allah's Messenger became very angry at that and said "Ibn Umar must return her to his house and keep her as his wife till she becomes clean, and then menstruates and becomes clean again, whereupon, if he wishes to divorce her, he may do so while she is still clean, and before having any sexual intercourse with her, for that is the legally prescribed period for divorce as Allah has ordered". But if a man divorced his wife while she is menstruating or during a period of purity in which he had intercourse with her, then he has sinned and his divorce is valid according to majority of scholars.

 Thereupon, man must not divorce his wife when she is menstruating, nor when she is in a state of purity in which he had intercourse with her, and he should leave her in her house till she menstruates, and becomes clean, and they must count the legally prescribed period by knowing its beginning and its end. And during the waiting period, she has the right to live with the husband as long as she is in the waiting period, and man does not have the right to take her out her house, and it is not permissible for her to go out because she is detained for the right of her husband as well, except in case of obvious necessity, and this is in the case of revocable divorce (Talaq Raj'i) in which the husband has the right to take his wife back during the waiting period of divorce (Iddah) without a new marriage contract or a dowry, and she is permitted to observe her waiting period in a house other than the husband's house in the case of major irrevocable divorce (Talaq ba'in- Bainouna Kubra) when the husband divorces his wife three times, as she then is not lawful for him until she marries another husband as mentioned in Aya (230) of Surat Albaqarah, and she has no right of maintenance or housing with the husband during her waiting period, where as narrated by Fatima Bint Qaiys that Abu Amr Bin Hafs divorced her absolutely when he was away from home, and he sent his agent to her with some barely, she was displeased with him and when he said By Allah! You have no claim on us, she went to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and mentioned that to Him, He said there is no maintenance due to you from him, and He commanded her to spend the waiting period (Iddah) in the house of Umm Sharik, but then He said that is a woman whom my companions visit, so Spend Iddah in the house of Ibn Umm Maktoum for he is a blind man and you can put off your garment, and when the Iddah over, Inform Me, she said when my waiting period was over, I mentioned to Him that Mu'awiya bin Abi Sufyan and Jahm had sent proposal of marriage to me, whereupon, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said as for Abu Jahm, he does not put down his staff from his shoulder, and as or Mu'awiya, he is poor man having no property, Marry Usama bin Zaid, I objected to Him, but He again said Marry Usama, so I married him and Allah blessed therein and I was envied (by others)" (Sahih Muslim 1480 a). They do not go out of their houses unless the woman commits a clear immorality (adultery) then she goes out of the house. Then Allah says that is the limits and the laws of Allah, and whoever deviates from them and transcends them to others, then he has wronged himself by doing that, and Allah says "You do not know, perhaps Allah will bring out after that, a matter", that is, We have kept the divorced woman in the husband's house during the waiting period, perhaps the husband regrets her divorce and Allah creates in his heart her return, so that will be easier.

 Then Allah says in the next two verses (2,3) "Then when they have reached their term, then Retain them with kindness or Part with them with kindness, and Take witness two just men from among you and Establish the testimony for Allah, that is exhorted with it whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, and whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and He will provide for him from where he is not expected, and whoever puts his trust upon Allah, then He is Sufficient for him, indeed, Allah is to accomplish His purpose, indeed, Allah has set for everything a measure".

 When they are near to the end of the waiting period, in that case either the husband takes her back to the marriage and continues with her as she was with him, and to be kind to her, or he leaves her without slandering or reprimanding but rather divorces her in a good way and this is similar to Ayat (231,232) of Surat Albaqarah, and then he should bring two just men to bear witness on her return or her divorce,  and as narrated by Mutarrif Bin Abdullah: "Imran Bin Husaiyn was asked about a person who divorce his wife, and then has intercourse with her, but he does not call any witness to her divorce nor to her return, he said you divorced against the Sunnah and took her back against the Sunnah, Call someone to bear witness to her divorce and to her return in marriage, and Do not repeat it" (Sunan Abi Dawood 2186). And they must establish the testimony for Allah if the need for it arises without alteration or change, and only whoever believes in Allah and the last day will comply with this command, and then Allah says that whoever fears Him, He will make for him a way out from every anguish in the worldly life and in the hereafter, and He will provide for him from where he is not expected, and Allah has linked piety and sustenance as he says in Surat Ala'araf Aya (96) ''And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth". And Allah says that whoever puts his trust upon Allah, then He is Sufficient for him, indeed, Allah is to accomplish His purpose whether man trusted Him or not, and He has set for every thing a measure.

 The divorced women remain in waiting for three menstrual cycles as mentioned in Surat Albaqarah Aya (228), but as for those who despaired of the menstruation, if you are in doubt, their waiting period is three months, likewise, those who have not yet menstruated, their waiting period is three months, and those who are pregnant, their term is until they deliver their burden, and whoever fears Allah, He will make for him of his matter, ease Aya (4). The pregnant woman, whether she is divorced or her husband died, her waiting period (Iddah) ends with the childbirth, and as narrated by Abu Salama "when a man came to Ibn Abbas while Abu Hurayrah was setting with him and said: "Give me your verdict regarding a lady who delivered a baby forty days after the death of her husband, Ibn Abbas said this indicates the longer of the two terms, Abu Salama recited "And those who are pregnant, their term is until they deliver their burden". Abu Hurayrah said: I agree with my cousin (Abu Salama), then Ibn Abbas sent his slave (Kuraib) to Um Salama to ask her, she replied: The husband of Subay'ah Alaslamiya was killed while she she was pregnant, and she delivered a baby forty days after his death, then her hand was asked in marriage, and Allah's Messenger married her to somebody. Abu Alsanabil was one of those who asked her hand in marriage" (Sahih Albukhari 4909). 

 So Ibn Abbas combined this verse with Aya (234) of Surat Albaqarah and said that the pregnant woman whose husband has died should wait for the longer of the two waiting periods, whether for four months and tens day or for delivering her child, so he saw that if the delivery of her pregnancy was less than four months and ten days, then she should wait for four months and ten days, and if the delivery was more than that, then she should wait until the delivery of the pregnancy, and it was said that Ibn Abbas has retracted this verdict, and this opinion is refuted by the ruling of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) on Subay'ah bint Alharith Al-Aslamiyya, when He ruled that her waiting period ended as soon as she gave birth, and Ibn Mas'ud confirmed that Surat Altalaq was revealed after Surat Albaqarah, where as narrated by Muhammad bin Sereen: "I sat in a gathering in which the chiefs of the Ansar were present, and Abdul-Rahman bin Abi Laila was among them, I mentioned the narration of Abdullah bin Utba regarding the question of Subay'ah bint Al-Harith, Abdul-Rahman said but Abdullah's uncle used not to say so, I said I am too brave if I tell a lie concerning a person who is now in Al-kufa, and I raised my voice, then I went out and met Malik bin Amir or Malik bin Auf and said What was the verdict of Ibn Mas'ud about the pregnant widow whose husband had died?, he replied Ibn Mas'ud said Why do you impose on her the hard order and do not let her make use of the leave?, the shorter Surah of women (Surat Altalaq) was revealed after the longer Surah (Surat Albaqarah) i.e. her iddah is up till she delivers" (Sahih Albukhari 4532). And the pregnant woman can marry as soon as her waiting period ends after giving birth, even if she still bleeding, but her new husband cannot have intercourse with her until she is pure, as Allah has forbidden intercourse during menstruation as mentioned in Aya (222) of Surat Albaqarah, and this is the opinion of the majority of scholars and jurists. Then Allah says in the next verse (5) "This is the command of Allah that He has sent down for you, and whoever fears Allah, He will remove from him his sins, and will make a great reward for him".

 Then Allah says in Aya (6) "Lodge them from where you dwell of your means, and do not harm them in order to distress them, and if they are of those who pregnant, then spend on them until they deliver their burden, and if they suckle for you, then give them their payment, and consult among yourselves with kindness, but if you disagree, then let another woman suckle for him". This is an order from Allah for the one who divorced his wife to let her live in the house until the end of the waiting period, and do not harm her in order to distress her to leave the house, and if she is pregnant he should spend on her until she gives birth, and at that time she have the choice to breastfeed the child or refrain from him, and if she breastfeeds the child, then she deserves a wage, and if they differed over the wage of breastfeeding, he must bring a another woman to suckle the child.

 And Allah says in the seventh verse "Let a possessor of ample means spend from his means, and he who his provision is restricted on him, Let him spend from what Allah has given him, Allah does not burden a soul except what He has given it, Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease", that is, whoever has ample wealth, he should spend on his wife in the wage of breastfeeding hid son, and on his child, and whoever his provision is not expanded for him, he should spend from what Allah has given him according to his money, and Allah does not burden the poor as the rich, and He will make ease and richness after hardship.

 Then Allah says in the next three verses (8-10) as a threat for the infidels "And how many of a town rebelled against the command of its Lord, and His Messengers, so that We reckoned it with a severe account, and We punished it a terrible punishment, so it tasted the consequence of its affair, and the end of its affair was loss, Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment, so fear Allah, O you of understanding who have believed, Allah has sent down to you a reminder". that is, Allah threatens the infidels with the torment that He inflicted on the previous nations such as the people of Ad, Hud, and Pharaoh as mentioned throughout the Holy Quran, where when they rebelled and became arrogant to follow Allah's command and to follow His Messengers, Allah reckoned them with a severe account and punished them a terrible punishment, and this was the consequence of their disbelief and their rebellion, and the end of them was loss in the worldly life and in the hereafter because they preferred following their desires over following the command of Allah. And this is similar to Ayat (5,6) of Surat Altaghabun.

 Then Allah commands those of understanding who believed in Him not to be like them, and to fear Him, where He has sent down a reminder for them, and Allah described that reminder in the next verse (11) as "A Messenger who recites to you the verses of Allah, clear, so that he may bring those who believed and done righteous deeds out of the darknesses to the light, and whoever believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit him into gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever, indeed, Allah has made for him a good provision", that is, Allah sent Our prophet Muhammad with the Holy Quran to bring out the believers and the righteous from the darknesses to the light and this is similar to Aya (1) of Surat Ibrahim "Alif Lam Ra. This is a book which We have revealed to You that You might bring mankind out of darknesses into the light by permission of their Lord to the path of the Exalted in Might, The Praiseworthy", and then whoever believes in Allah and does righteous deeds, Allah will admit him into gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever, indeed, Allah has made for him a good provision in Paradise.

 Then Allah says informing of His complete power and His great authority in the last verse (12) "Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them, the command descends between them, that you may know that Allah is All-powerful over everything, and that Allah, indeed, has encompassed everything in knowledge", where Allah has created seven skies and seven earths, and His command and His decree descends between them, and He does whatever He wills, whenever He wills, and however He wills, and He has encompassed every thing in knowledge and nothing on the earth nor in the sky is hidden from Him.

No one Knows its interpretation except Allah