Page 181 - An Index to the Qur'an

have perfected your religion for you and com- Anyone who does that has wronged himself. Do
pleted My blessing upon you and I am pleased not make a mockery of Allah’s Signs. Remember
with Islam as a religion for you. But if anyone is Allah’s blessing to you and the Book and
forced by hunger, not intending any wrongdoing, Wisdom He has sent down to you to admonish
Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (5:3) you. Have fear of Allah and know that Allah has
You who believe! Wine and gambling, stone al- knowledge of all things. (2:231)
tars and divining arrows are filth from the handi- When you divorce women and they are near the
work of Satan. Avoid them completely so that end of their waiting period, do not prevent them
hopefully you will be successful. (5:90) from marrying their first husbands if they have
mutually agreed to it with correctness and cour-
DIVORCE tesy. This is an admonition for those of you who
If they are determined to divorce, Allah is All- believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better
Hearing, All-Knowing. (2:227) and purer for you. Allah knows and you do not
Divorced women should wait by themselves for know. (2:232)
three menstrual cycles; and it is not lawful for There is nothing wrong in your divorcing women
them to conceal what Allah has created in their before you have touched them or allotted a
wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. dowry to them. But give them a gift–he who is
Their husbands have the right to take them back wealthy according to his means and he who is
within that time, if they desire to be reconciled. less well off according to his means–a gift to be
Women possess rights similar to those held over given with correctness and courtesy: a duty for
them to be honoured with fairness; but men have all good-doers. (2:236)
a degree above them. Allah is Almighty, All- If you divorce them before you have touched
Wise. (2:228) them but have already allotted them a dowry,
Divorce can be pronounced two times; in which they should have half the amount which you al-
case wives may be retained with correctness and lotted, unless they forgo it or the one in charge of
courtesy or released with good will. It is not law- the marriage contract forgoes it. To forgo it is
ful for you to keep anything you have given them closer to heedfulness. Do not forget to show gen-
unless a couple fear that they will not remain erosity to one another. Allah sees what you do.
within Allah’s limits. If you fear that they will not (2:237)
remain within Allah’s limits, there is nothing Divorced women should receive maintenance
wrong in the wife ransoming herself with some of given with correctness and courtesy: a duty for
what she received. These are Allah’s limits, so do all who guard against evil. (2:241)
not overstep them. Those who overstep Allah’s If you desire to exchange one wife for another
limits are wrongdoers. (2:229) and have given your original wife a large
But if a man divorces his wife a third time, she is amount, do not take any of it. Would you take it
not lawful for him after that until she has married by means of slander and outright crime? (4:20)
another husband. Then if he divorces her, there is How could you take it when you have been inti-
nothing wrong in the original couple getting mate with one another and they have made a
back together provided they think they will re- binding contract with you? (4:21)
main within Allah’s limits. These are Allah’s lim- If you fear a breach between a couple, send an
its which he has made clear to people who arbiter from his people and an arbiter from her
know. (2:230) people. If the couple desire to put things right,
When you divorce women and they are near the Allah will bring about a reconciliation between
end of their waiting period, then either retain them. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (4:35)
them with correctness and courtesy or release O Prophet, tell your wives: ‘If you desire the life
them with correctness and courtesy. Do not re- of this world and its finery, come and I will give
tain them by force, thus overstepping the limits. you all you need and release you with kindness.
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