65: Divorce (At-Talaq)
Revealed at Madinah
This chapter deals in the first half with certain rules regarding divorce; hence its title. The second half gives a warning to the opponents and shows that the Holy Prophet had brought them light. The date of revelation may be assigned approximately as 6 A.H.
Section 1 (Verses 65:1–65:7): Supplementary Divorce Rules
65:1
یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّبِیُّ اِذَا طَلَّقۡتُمُ النِّسَآءَ فَطَلِّقُوۡہُنَّ لِعِدَّتِہِنَّ وَ اَحۡصُوا الۡعِدَّۃَ ۚ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ رَبَّکُمۡ ۚ لَا تُخۡرِجُوۡہُنَّ مِنۡۢ بُیُوۡتِہِنَّ وَ لَا یَخۡرُجۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیۡنَ بِفَاحِشَۃٍ مُّبَیِّنَۃٍ ؕ وَ تِلۡکَ حُدُوۡدُ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّتَعَدَّ حُدُوۡدَ اللّٰہِ فَقَدۡ ظَلَمَ نَفۡسَہٗ ؕ لَا تَدۡرِیۡ لَعَلَّ اللّٰہَ یُحۡدِثُ بَعۡدَ ذٰلِکَ اَمۡرًا ﴿۱﴾
O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them for their prescribed period, and calculate the period; and keep your duty to Allah, your Lord. Do not turn them out of their houses — nor should they themselves go forth — unless they commit an open indecency. And these are the limits of Allah. And whoever goes beyond the limits of Allah, he indeed wrongs his own soul. You do not know that Allah may, after that, bring about an event (of reunion).
The prescribed time is ordinarily, according to 2:228, three courses. But in the case of pregnant women, and in certain other cases, the prescribed time is laid down in v. 4 of this chapter. It should be noted how every direction in connection with the subject of divorce is followed by the injunction, keep your duty to Allah, throughout this chapter. The utmost carefulness must therefore be exercised in the matter of divorce. Divorce is allowed but the right must be used sparingly and under exceptional circumstances. It is reported that the directions contained in this chapter were needed to correct a mistake made in connection with the law of divorce by Ibn Umar, who divorced his wife when she had her courses. He was told to take her back, as divorce was ineffective unless pronounced when the wife was not in a menstrual period (Bukhari, 68:1).
65:2
فَاِذَا بَلَغۡنَ اَجَلَہُنَّ فَاَمۡسِکُوۡہُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوۡفٍ اَوۡ فَارِقُوۡہُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوۡفٍ وَّ اَشۡہِدُوۡا ذَوَیۡ عَدۡلٍ مِّنۡکُمۡ وَ اَقِیۡمُوا الشَّہَادَۃَ لِلّٰہِ ؕ ذٰلِکُمۡ یُوۡعَظُ بِہٖ مَنۡ کَانَ یُؤۡمِنُ بِاللّٰہِ وَ الۡیَوۡمِ الۡاٰخِرِ ۬ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّتَّقِ اللّٰہَ یَجۡعَلۡ لَّہٗ مَخۡرَجًا ۙ﴿۲﴾
So when they have reached their prescribed time, retain them with kindness or part from them with kindness, and call to witness two just ones from among you, and give upright testimony for Allah. With that is instructed he who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And whoever keeps his duty to Allah, He ordains a way out for him,
65:3
وَّ یَرۡزُقۡہُ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ لَا یَحۡتَسِبُ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّتَوَکَّلۡ عَلَی اللّٰہِ فَہُوَ حَسۡبُہٗ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ بَالِغُ اَمۡرِہٖ ؕ قَدۡ جَعَلَ اللّٰہُ لِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدۡرًا ﴿۳﴾
and gives him sustenance from where he does not imagine. And whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah attains His purpose. Allah indeed has appointed a measure for everything.
65:4
وَ الِّٰٓیۡٔ یَئِسۡنَ مِنَ الۡمَحِیۡضِ مِنۡ نِّسَآئِکُمۡ اِنِ ارۡتَبۡتُمۡ فَعِدَّتُہُنَّ ثَلٰثَۃُ اَشۡہُرٍ ۙ وَّ الِّٰٓیۡٔ لَمۡ یَحِضۡنَ ؕ وَ اُولَاتُ الۡاَحۡمَالِ اَجَلُہُنَّ اَنۡ یَّضَعۡنَ حَمۡلَہُنَّ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّتَّقِ اللّٰہَ یَجۡعَلۡ لَّہٗ مِنۡ اَمۡرِہٖ یُسۡرًا ﴿۴﴾
And those of your women who despair of menstruation, if you have a doubt, their prescribed time is three months, and of those, too, who have not had their courses. And the pregnant women, their prescribed time is that they lay down their burden. And whoever keeps his duty to Allah, He makes his affair easy for him.
65:5
ذٰلِکَ اَمۡرُ اللّٰہِ اَنۡزَلَہٗۤ اِلَیۡکُمۡ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّتَّقِ اللّٰہَ یُکَفِّرۡ عَنۡہُ سَیِّاٰتِہٖ وَ یُعۡظِمۡ لَہٗۤ اَجۡرًا ﴿۵﴾
That is the command of Allah, which He has revealed to you. And whoever keeps his duty to Allah, He will remove from him his evils and increase (his) reward for him.
65:6
اَسۡکِنُوۡہُنَّ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ سَکَنۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ وُّجۡدِکُمۡ وَ لَا تُضَآرُّوۡہُنَّ لِتُضَیِّقُوۡا عَلَیۡہِنَّ ؕ وَ اِنۡ کُنَّ اُولَاتِ حَمۡلٍ فَاَنۡفِقُوۡا عَلَیۡہِنَّ حَتّٰی یَضَعۡنَ حَمۡلَہُنَّ ۚ فَاِنۡ اَرۡضَعۡنَ لَکُمۡ فَاٰتُوۡہُنَّ اُجُوۡرَہُنَّ ۚ وَ اۡتَمِرُوۡا بَیۡنَکُمۡ بِمَعۡرُوۡفٍ ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَعَاسَرۡتُمۡ فَسَتُرۡضِعُ لَہٗۤ اُخۡرٰی ؕ﴿۶﴾
Lodge them where you live according to your means, and do not injure them in order to impose hardship upon them. And if they are pregnant, spend on them until they lay down their burden. Then if they suckle for you, give them their recompense, and enjoin one another to do good; and if you disagree, another will suckle for him.
65:7
لِیُنۡفِقۡ ذُوۡ سَعَۃٍ مِّنۡ سَعَتِہٖ ؕ وَ مَنۡ قُدِرَ عَلَیۡہِ رِزۡقُہٗ فَلۡیُنۡفِقۡ مِمَّاۤ اٰتٰىہُ اللّٰہُ ؕ لَا یُکَلِّفُ اللّٰہُ نَفۡسًا اِلَّا مَاۤ اٰتٰىہَا ؕ سَیَجۡعَلُ اللّٰہُ بَعۡدَ عُسۡرٍ یُّسۡرًا ٪﴿۷﴾
Let him who has abundant means spend out of his abundance, and whoever has his means of subsistence restricted for him, let him spend out of what Allah has given him. Allah does not lay on any soul a burden beyond what He has given it. Allah brings about ease after difficulty.
The wife should be lodged where a man himself lives, so that, after divorce, the woman has the full status of a wife so long as the prescribed time has not expired. If a man possesses abundant wealth, he must spend on his wife abundantly.
Section 2 (Verses 65:8–65:12): Makkah Warned
65:8
وَ کَاَیِّنۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡیَۃٍ عَتَتۡ عَنۡ اَمۡرِ رَبِّہَا وَ رُسُلِہٖ فَحَاسَبۡنٰہَا حِسَابًا شَدِیۡدًا ۙ وَّ عَذَّبۡنٰہَا عَذَابًا نُّکۡرًا ﴿۸﴾
And how many a town there was which rebelled against the commandment of its Lord and His messengers, so We called it to severe account and We punished it with a stern punishment!
65:9
فَذَاقَتۡ وَبَالَ اَمۡرِہَا وَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ اَمۡرِہَا خُسۡرًا ﴿۹﴾
So it tasted the evil consequences of its conduct, and the end of its affair was ruin.
65:10
اَعَدَّ اللّٰہُ لَہُمۡ عَذَابًا شَدِیۡدًا ۙ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ یٰۤاُولِی الۡاَلۡبَابِ ۬ۚۖۛ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ؕ۟ۛ قَدۡ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ اِلَیۡکُمۡ ذِکۡرًا ﴿ۙ۱۰﴾
Allah has prepared for them severe punishment, so keep your duty to Allah, you people of understanding, who believe. Allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder —
65:11
رَّسُوۡلًا یَّتۡلُوۡا عَلَیۡکُمۡ اٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ مُبَیِّنٰتٍ لِّیُخۡرِجَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ مِنَ الظُّلُمٰتِ اِلَی النُّوۡرِ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یُّؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰہِ وَ یَعۡمَلۡ صَالِحًا یُّدۡخِلۡہُ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ خٰلِدِیۡنَ فِیۡہَاۤ اَبَدًا ؕ قَدۡ اَحۡسَنَ اللّٰہُ لَہٗ رِزۡقًا ﴿۱۱﴾
a Messenger who recites to you the clear messages of Allah, so that he may bring forth those who believe and do good deeds from darkness into light. And whoever believes in Allah and does good deeds, He will make him enter Gardens in which rivers flow, to abide in them forever. Allah has indeed given him a goodly sustenance.
65:12
اَللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ وَّ مِنَ الۡاَرۡضِ مِثۡلَہُنَّ ؕ یَتَنَزَّلُ الۡاَمۡرُ بَیۡنَہُنَّ لِتَعۡلَمُوۡۤا اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ۬ۙ وَّ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ قَدۡ اَحَاطَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عِلۡمًا ﴿٪۱۲﴾
Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them (in number). The command descends among them, that you may know that Allah is Powerful over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things in (His) knowledge.
The statement made here, that there are “seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them”, throws light upon what is meant by heavens where the number seven is mentioned. The seven heavens are elsewhere called the seven ways (23:17) and the seven earths may therefore be the seven major planets of the solar system, the earth itself being the eighth, their orbits being spoken of as the seven heavens or seven ways. It should, however, be borne in mind that the heavens are often referred to without a limitation of number, and include the whole of the starry creation. Another point worth noting is that the mention of seven heavens does not preclude the existence of more. For the application of the word seven and for further discussion, see 2:29 footnote 2. The descending of the command among these is interpreted by some as meaning the existence of life and death in them.