سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 49
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا ۖ فَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ وَسَرِّحُوهُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا ﴿49﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! When you marry believing women, and then divorce them before you have sexual intercourse with them, no ‘Iddah [divorce prescribed period, see (V.65:4)] have you to count in respect of them. So give them a present, and set them free (i.e. divorce), in a handsome manner.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you who believe
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
O you who believe
ءَامَنُوٓا۟
āmanū
O you who believe
إِذَا
idhā
When
نَكَحْتُمُ
nakaḥtumu
you marry
ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ
l-mu'mināti
believing women
ثُمَّ
thumma
and then
طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ
ṭallaqtumūhunna
divorce them
مِن
min
before
قَبْلِ
qabli
before
أَن
an
[that]
تَمَسُّوهُنَّ
tamassūhunna
you have touched them
فَمَا
famā
then not
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
عَلَيْهِنَّ
ʿalayhinna
on them
مِنْ
min
any
عِدَّةٍۢ
ʿiddatin
waiting period
تَعْتَدُّونَهَا ۖ
taʿtaddūnahā
(to) count concerning them
فَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ
famattiʿūhunna
So provide for them
وَسَرِّحُوهُنَّ
wasarriḥūhunna
and release them
سَرَاحًۭا
sarāḥan
(with) a release
جَمِيلًۭا
jamīlan
good
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
O you who believe! When you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, there is no waiting period [77] for you to count concerning them. So provide for them and release them in a gracious manner.
[77]
Instructions for the One Who Gives Divorce:
In this verse, several matters are noteworthy. First, although the verse mentions marriage with believing women, if the marriage is with a woman from the People of the Book, she will also be included in this ruling. Second, it is obligatory to pay half of the dowry even if divorce is given before consummation, provided that the dowry has been fixed. [2: 237] Third, if the dowry has not been fixed at all, then nothing will have to be given. However, in both cases, the woman should be sent off with something, and the amount of this "something" will be according to the financial status of the one giving the divorce. Fourth, if a woman is to be divorced, then no blame should be placed upon her, nor should she be disgraced and sent out of the house in a way that would have an unpleasant effect on her future life. This is the meaning of sending her off in a good manner. The fifth and most important matter is that during the waiting period (‘iddah), the divorced woman remains the wife of her husband, and this is the man's right over the woman. During this period, the man also has the right to take her back, and he can even do so by force. Furthermore, if during this period it becomes known that she is pregnant, then the child will also belong to the man who gave the divorce, and he will be his heir as well. Since in divorce before consummation there is no possibility of pregnancy, there is no waiting period for a woman who has not been consummated with. If she wishes, she can marry immediately after the divorce. Among us, it is generally customary that the bride is sent off with the marriage contract, and this is called a wedding. However, it is also customary that the marriage contract takes place first, for example, in childhood the parents arrange the marriage, and the sending off or wedding takes place after some time or after the spouses reach maturity. The possibility mentioned in this verse is found in the second form, and in Arabia, it was common practice that the marriage contract took place first and the sending off happened later. The Hanafi scholars have also considered seclusion (khalwat-e-sahiha) to be equivalent to consummation, and this is something for which there is no evidence or example in the Book or the Sunnah.
[77]
Instructions for the One Who Gives Divorce:
In this verse, several matters are noteworthy. First, although the verse mentions marriage with believing women, if the marriage is with a woman from the People of the Book, she will also be included in this ruling. Second, it is obligatory to pay half of the dowry even if divorce is given before consummation, provided that the dowry has been fixed. [2: 237] Third, if the dowry has not been fixed at all, then nothing will have to be given. However, in both cases, the woman should be sent off with something, and the amount of this "something" will be according to the financial status of the one giving the divorce. Fourth, if a woman is to be divorced, then no blame should be placed upon her, nor should she be disgraced and sent out of the house in a way that would have an unpleasant effect on her future life. This is the meaning of sending her off in a good manner. The fifth and most important matter is that during the waiting period (‘iddah), the divorced woman remains the wife of her husband, and this is the man's right over the woman. During this period, the man also has the right to take her back, and he can even do so by force. Furthermore, if during this period it becomes known that she is pregnant, then the child will also belong to the man who gave the divorce, and he will be his heir as well. Since in divorce before consummation there is no possibility of pregnancy, there is no waiting period for a woman who has not been consummated with. If she wishes, she can marry immediately after the divorce. Among us, it is generally customary that the bride is sent off with the marriage contract, and this is called a wedding. However, it is also customary that the marriage contract takes place first, for example, in childhood the parents arrange the marriage, and the sending off or wedding takes place after some time or after the spouses reach maturity. The possibility mentioned in this verse is found in the second form, and in Arabia, it was common practice that the marriage contract took place first and the sending off happened later. The Hanafi scholars have also considered seclusion (khalwat-e-sahiha) to be equivalent to consummation, and this is something for which there is no evidence or example in the Book or the Sunnah.
