Surah At-Talaq
(The Divorce)
Chapter 65
It is 12 Verses 2 Units (Ruku’): Revealed at Madinah
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
1. O Prophet! When you (intend to) divorce women, divorce them according to the commencement of their waiting period appointed for them (i.e., after the completion of her menstrual period but before sexual intercourse has occurred or else during confirmed pregnancy), and count (accurately) the waiting period (i.e., three menstrual periods), and hold fast to the Commandments of Allah, your Lord. Do not drive them out of their (husband’s) houses, nor should they themselves go forth (during the waiting period), unless they become openly guilty of some illegal act; and those are the Limits set by Allah, and whoever goes beyond the set Limits of Allah, he indeed does injustice to his own self. You do not know that Allah may after that bring a new situation (of reconciliation between you).
2. So when they are about to reach the end of their waiting term, then take them back in an acceptable manner or separate from them in an acceptable manner, and call to witness two men of justice from among you, and give upright testimony for Allah. Thus he who believes in Allah and the Last Day is admonished; and whoever fears Allah and observes His set Limits, He will make for him a way out (of every difficulty),
3. And He will provide for him from where he could never imagine; and whoever trusts in Allah, then He is Sufficient for him; surely Allah accomplishes His Purpose; Allah indeed has already set for everything a decreed extent.
4. And (as for) those of your women who have despaired of menstruation, if you have doubt about it, their waiting term shall be three months, and of those too who have not had their (monthly menstrual) courses; and (as for) the pregnant women, their prescribed time is until they give birth; and whoever fears Allah and submits to His Commandments and abstains from His prohibitions, He will make matters easy for him. (And whoever gives up something for the Sake of Allah, He will replace it with something better.)
5. That is the Command of Allah, which He has sent down to you, and whoever fears Allah and submits to His Commandments and abstains from His prohibitions, He will remove from him his misdeeds, and magnify his reward.
6. Lodge them (the divorced women until the end of their waiting period) where you dwell according to your means, and do not harm them in order that you may straiten life for them (and oblige them to leave). And if they are pregnant, spend on them until they give birth; then if they breastfeed for you, give them their recompense, and consult among yourselves in an acceptable manner, but if you are in discord, then there may breastfeed for the father another woman.
7. Let him who has abundance spend out of his abundance, and whoever has his means of sustenance straitened, let him spend out of that which Allah (God) has given him; Allah does not lay on any soul a burden except to the extent to which He has granted it; Allah will grant after hardship, ease.
8. And how many a village rebelled against the Commandment of its Lord (Allah) and His Messengers, so We called it to a severe account (i.e., torment in this worldly life) and We shall torment it (with) a horrible suffering (of Hell, in the Hereafter).
9. So it (the village) tasted the evil result of its affair, and the end of its affair was (eternal) loss.
10. Allah has prepared for them a severe Torment, therefore be careful to keep to the Commandments of Allah, O you of understanding who believe (in the Truth)! Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder (the Qur’an).
11. (And has sent to you) a Messenger (the Prophet Muhammad) who recites to you the Verses of Allah (the Qur’an) containing clear explanations, so that He may bring forth those who believe and do righteous deeds from the darkness into light; and whoever believes in Allah and does righteous good deeds, He will cause him to enter Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever, Allah has indeed given him a goodly provision.
12. Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; His Decree continues to descend among them (the heavens and the earth), that you may know that Allah has Power over all things, and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in Knowledge.