سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 232
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَٰجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَٰضَوْا۟ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿232﴾
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, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands, if they mutually agree on reasonable basis. This (instruction) is an admonition for him among you who believes in Allâh and the Last Day. That is more virtuous and purer for you. Allâh knows and you know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
طَلَّقْتُمُ
ṭallaqtumu
you divorce
ٱلنِّسَآءَ
l-nisāa
[the] women
فَبَلَغْنَ
fabalaghna
and they reached
أَجَلَهُنَّ
ajalahunna
their (waiting) term
فَلَا
falā
then (do) not
تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ
taʿḍulūhunna
hinder them
أَن
an
[that]
يَنكِحْنَ
yankiḥ'na
(from) marrying
أَزْوَٰجَهُنَّ
azwājahunna
their husbands
إِذَا
idhā
when
تَرَٰضَوْا۟
tarāḍaw
they agree
بَيْنَهُم
baynahum
between themselves
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۗ
bil-maʿrūfi
in a fair manner
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
يُوعَظُ
yūʿaẓu
is admonished
بِهِۦ
bihi
with it
مَن
man
whoever
كَانَ
kāna
[is]
مِنكُمْ
minkum
among you
يُؤْمِنُ
yu'minu
believes
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَٱلْيَوْمِ
wal-yawmi
and the Day
ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۗ
l-ākhiri
[the] Last
ذَٰلِكُمْ
dhālikum
that
أَزْكَىٰ
azkā
(is) more virtuous
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
وَأَطْهَرُ ۗ
wa-aṭharu
and more purer
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
knows
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
and you
لَا
lā
(do) not
تَعْلَمُونَ
taʿlamūna
know
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.
(Ayah232) ➊ { اَنْ يَّنْكِحْنَ اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ:} Ma'qil bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I married my sister to a man, he divorced her, and when her waiting period ended, he came again with a proposal of marriage. I said to him, I married you to her, made her your wife, and honored you, but you divorced her. Now you have come again with a proposal of marriage! By Allah, she can never return to you. There was nothing wrong with that man, and my sister also wanted to go back to him (but I was preventing it), so Allah Almighty revealed this verse at that time: «فَلَا تَعْضُلُوْهُنَّ اَنْ يَّنْكِحْنَ اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ » "So do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands." So I said, O Messenger of Allah! Now I will marry her (to him). In short, he married his sister to that man. [ بخاری، النکاح، باب من قال لا نکاح إلا بولی … : ۵۱۳۰ ]
➋ From this verse, it is understood that a woman cannot marry herself on her own, rather the permission of a guardian is necessary. Imam Bukhari has also deduced this from this verse. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No woman should marry another woman, nor should a woman marry herself, for the woman who marries herself is a fornicator." [ ابن ماجہ، النکاح، باب لا نکاح إلا بولی : ۱۸۸۲، عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنہا ، و صححہ الألبانی ] If a woman could marry herself, then the guardians of the woman would not have been addressed by the Qur'an: "Do not prevent them."
➌ { اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ:} By this word, just as those husbands are meant with whom the marriage took place before, in the same way, after the waiting period, if she wishes to marry another man, preventing her from marrying that future husband is also forbidden. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "This is a command to the guardians of women that they should consider the happiness (consent) of the woman in her marriage, and marry her where she is pleased, even if in their view another match seems better." (Muwadhih)
➋ From this verse, it is understood that a woman cannot marry herself on her own, rather the permission of a guardian is necessary. Imam Bukhari has also deduced this from this verse. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No woman should marry another woman, nor should a woman marry herself, for the woman who marries herself is a fornicator." [ ابن ماجہ، النکاح، باب لا نکاح إلا بولی : ۱۸۸۲، عن عائشۃ رضی اللہ عنہا ، و صححہ الألبانی ] If a woman could marry herself, then the guardians of the woman would not have been addressed by the Qur'an: "Do not prevent them."
➌ { اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ:} By this word, just as those husbands are meant with whom the marriage took place before, in the same way, after the waiting period, if she wishes to marry another man, preventing her from marrying that future husband is also forbidden. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "This is a command to the guardians of women that they should consider the happiness (consent) of the woman in her marriage, and marry her where she is pleased, even if in their view another match seems better." (Muwadhih)
