a servant’s wrongdoing in his relationship with Allah; a servant’s gravest wrongdoing, namely associating partners with Allah; and a servant’s wrongdoing toward other people. Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him except through repentance. As for people’s rights, Allah overlooks none of them. Wrongdoing between a servant and his Lord that falls short of associating partners with Him is subject to the divine will and wisdom.
⦗103⦘
(230–231) “If he divorces her, she will not thereafter be lawful for him until she marries another husband. If the latter divorces her, there is no blame upon the two of them if they return to one another, provided they believe that they can uphold the limits prescribed by Allah. These are the limits prescribed by Allah, which He makes clear to people who know.”
Allah Most High says, “If he divorces her,” meaning for the third time, “she will not thereafter be lawful for him until she marries another husband”—that is, through a valid marriage that is consummated. A marriage recognized by Islamic law can only be valid and includes both the marriage contract and intercourse. This is agreed upon.
It is stipulated (1) that the second husband’s marriage be a genuine marriage entered into out of desire. If it is intended merely to make her lawful again for the first husband, it is not a valid marriage and does not render her lawful for him. Nor does intercourse with her master render her lawful, since he is not a husband. If the second husband genuinely marries and consummates the marriage with her, then separates from her and her waiting period ends, “there is no blame upon the two of them”—meaning the first husband and the woman—“if they return to one another,” meaning that they conclude a new marriage contract between them. By attributing the return to both of them, the verse indicates that mutual consent is required.
Their return is, however, conditional upon their believing that “they can uphold the limits prescribed by Allah,” with each fulfilling the rights owed to the other. This applies when they regret their former married life, which led to separation, and resolve to replace it with a good marital relationship. In that case, there is no blame upon them for returning to one another.
The implication of this noble verse is that if they do not believe they can uphold the limits prescribed by Allah—because they consider it likely that their previous circumstances will continue and their poor marital relationship will not improve—then they incur blame for returning to one another. No undertaking may lawfully be embarked upon if Allah’s command cannot be upheld in it and it cannot be pursued in obedience to Him.
This indicates that when a person wishes to undertake any matter—particularly a position of authority, whether minor or major—he should assess himself (2). If he finds himself capable of it and is confident in that ability, he should proceed; otherwise, he should refrain.
After Allah Most High had explained these momentous rulings, He said, “These are the limits prescribed by Allah,” meaning His laws, which He has defined, explained, and clarified.
“He makes them clear to people who know,” because they are the ones who benefit from them and benefit others.
This plainly demonstrates the virtue of the people of knowledge: Allah Most High has made His clarification of His limits specific to them and made them its intended recipients. It also shows that Allah Most High loves His servants to know the limits of what He revealed to His Messenger and to gain a sound understanding of them.