سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 231
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ هُزُوًا ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿231﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period, either take them back on reasonable basis or set them free on reasonable basis. But do not take them back to hurt them, and whoever does that, then he has wronged himself. And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allâh as a jest, but remember Allâh’s Favours on you (i.e. Islâm), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur’ân) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet’s Sunnah - legal ways - Islâmic jurisprudence.) whereby He instructs you. And fear Allâh, and know that Allâh is All-Aware of everything.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
طَلَّقْتُمُ
ṭallaqtumu
you divorce
ٱلنِّسَآءَ
l-nisāa
the women
فَبَلَغْنَ
fabalaghna
and they reach
أَجَلَهُنَّ
ajalahunna
their (waiting) term
فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ
fa-amsikūhunna
then retain them
بِمَعْرُوفٍ
bimaʿrūfin
in a fair manner
أَوْ
aw
or
سَرِّحُوهُنَّ
sarriḥūhunna
release them
بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ ۚ
bimaʿrūfin
in a fair manner
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ
tum'sikūhunna
retain them
ضِرَارًۭا
ḍirāran
(to) hurt
لِّتَعْتَدُوا۟ ۚ
litaʿtadū
so that you transgress
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يَفْعَلْ
yafʿal
does
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
فَقَدْ
faqad
then indeed
ظَلَمَ
ẓalama
he wronged
نَفْسَهُۥ ۚ
nafsahu
himself
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟
tattakhidhū
take
ءَايَـٰتِ
āyāti
(the) Verses
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
هُزُوًۭا ۚ
huzuwan
(in) jest
وَٱذْكُرُوا۟
wa-udh'kurū
and remember
نِعْمَتَ
niʿ'mata
(the) Favors
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
وَمَآ
wamā
and what
أَنزَلَ
anzala
(is) revealed
عَلَيْكُم
ʿalaykum
to you
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Book
وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ
wal-ḥik'mati
and [the] wisdom
يَعِظُكُم
yaʿiẓukum
He instructs you
بِهِۦ ۚ
bihi
with it
وَٱتَّقُوا۟
wa-ittaqū
And fear
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟
wa-iʿ'lamū
and know
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah (is)
بِكُلِّ
bikulli
of every
شَىْءٍ
shayin
thing
عَلِيمٌۭ
ʿalīmun
All-Knower
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 231) ➊ { فَبَلَغْنَ اَجَلَهُنَّ:} This does not mean the completion of the waiting period, but rather that the waiting period is near its end. The evidence for this is Allah Almighty’s previous statement: «وَ بُعُوْلَتُهُنَّ اَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ» [ البقرۃ : ۲۲۸ ] “And their husbands have more right to take them back in that period.”
➋ That is, if you give your wives a revocable divorce, you have the right to take them back before their waiting period is completed, but this return should not be merely to harm or trouble them, because doing so is oppression and making a mockery of Allah’s commands. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are three things which, whether said seriously or in jest, are considered serious: marriage, divorce, and return (to one’s wife).” [ أبو داوٗد، الطلاق، باب فی الطلاق علی الھزل : ۲۱۹۴۔ ابن ماجہ : ۲۰۳۹۔ ترمذی، ابن حجر، سیوطی اور البانی رحمھم اللہ نے اسے حسن کہا ہے ]
➌ {مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ وَ الْحِكْمَةِ :} Here, {”الْحِكْمَةِ“} refers to the Sunnah, that is, do not forget the blessing of the Book and Sunnah that has been sent down to you. Both are divine revelation and are equal as evidence. Therefore, the ruling for one who denies hadith is the same as for one who denies the Quran, meaning that the domestic matters mentioned in these verses must be implemented in the light of the noble hadith.
➋ That is, if you give your wives a revocable divorce, you have the right to take them back before their waiting period is completed, but this return should not be merely to harm or trouble them, because doing so is oppression and making a mockery of Allah’s commands. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are three things which, whether said seriously or in jest, are considered serious: marriage, divorce, and return (to one’s wife).” [ أبو داوٗد، الطلاق، باب فی الطلاق علی الھزل : ۲۱۹۴۔ ابن ماجہ : ۲۰۳۹۔ ترمذی، ابن حجر، سیوطی اور البانی رحمھم اللہ نے اسے حسن کہا ہے ]
➌ {مِّنَ الْكِتٰبِ وَ الْحِكْمَةِ :} Here, {”الْحِكْمَةِ“} refers to the Sunnah, that is, do not forget the blessing of the Book and Sunnah that has been sent down to you. Both are divine revelation and are equal as evidence. Therefore, the ruling for one who denies hadith is the same as for one who denies the Quran, meaning that the domestic matters mentioned in these verses must be implemented in the light of the noble hadith.
