her feelings, satisfying her, calming her heart, and acting upon the Almighty’s words: “And for divorced women is a provision, according to what is right—an obligation upon the God-fearing” (Quran 2:241).

3 – Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī, while commenting on the verse, “And for divorced women is a provision, according to what is right—an obligation upon the God-fearing” (Quran 2:241), said: “Here Allah states that every divorced woman is entitled to a consolation gift from her husband, in an amount suited to his circumstances and hers, and that this is a right fulfilled only by the God-fearing. If no dowry had been named for her and he divorces her before consummation, the consolation gift becomes obligatory in proportion to his means—whether affluent or constrained. If a dowry had been stipulated, her provision is half of that amount. If the marriage has been consummated, the gift becomes recommended according to the majority of scholars, although some deem it obligatory, citing His statement, ‘an obligation upon the God-fearing,’ for the original sense of “obligation” is that it is mandatory.”

4 – When the woman sought refuge from him ﷺ, he said, “You have sought refuge with One Who grants refuge.” He ﷺ had also said, “If someone seeks refuge with you in Allah’s name, grant him refuge” (reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and al-Nasaʾi). He was therefore the very first to carry out and act upon his own instruction: whoever clings to Allah is not to be forced. Moreover, the woman did not say this out of dislike for the Prophet ﷺ; rather, it was the result of her own personal judgment.