(1–3) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them at the proper time for their waiting period, and keep an accurate count of the waiting period. Fear Allah, your Lord. Do not expel them from their homes, nor should they leave, unless they commit a manifest indecency. These are the limits set by Allah. Whoever transgresses Allah’s limits has certainly wronged himself. You never know; perhaps Allah will bring about a new situation after that. Then, when they have nearly reached the end of their waiting period, either retain them honorably or part with them honorably. Call two just men from among you to witness, and bear true witness for Allah. This is an admonition to whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day. Whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Allah surely brings His command to pass. Allah has appointed a measure for all things.”
The Exalted says, addressing His Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and the believers:
“O Prophet, when you divorce women”—that is, when you intend to divorce them—“then” seek the course prescribed for their divorce. Do not hasten to divorce them as soon as a cause arises, without observing Allah’s command.
Rather, “divorce them at the proper time for their waiting period.” That is, divorce them in a manner suited to their waiting period: the husband is to divorce his wife while she is in a state of purity during which he has not had intercourse with her. With such a divorce, the waiting period is clear and readily ascertainable. This is unlike divorcing her while she is menstruating, for the menstrual period during which the divorce occurred is not counted, thereby prolonging her waiting period. Likewise, if he divorces her during a period of purity in which he had intercourse with her, it cannot be known whether she is pregnant, and thus it is [not] clear which waiting period she must observe.
The Exalted also commands that the waiting period be accurately counted—that is, calculated by menstrual cycles if she menstruates, or by months if she neither menstruates nor is pregnant. Accurately counting it fulfills the right of Allah, the right of the husband who divorced her, the right of the man who may marry her afterward, [and her right to maintenance and the like]. Once her waiting period has been accurately determined, her circumstances are known with certainty, as are the rights incumbent upon her and those due to her. This command to count the waiting period is directed [to the husband] (1) and to the woman, if she is legally accountable; otherwise, it is directed to her guardian.
His words, “Fear Allah, your Lord,” mean: fear Him in all your affairs, and particularly regarding the rights of divorced wives. Thus, “Do not expel them from their homes” during the waiting period. Rather, they must remain in the homes (2) in which they were living when their husbands divorced them.
“Nor should they leave”—that is, it is impermissible for them to leave those homes. The reason for prohibiting their expulsion is that (3) the husband is obliged to provide his wife with housing (4), in which she may complete the waiting period, which is one of his rights.
The reason she is prohibited from leaving is that doing so would squander the husband’s right and fail to safeguard it.
This prohibition against leaving or being expelled from the home continues until the waiting period is complete.
“Unless they commit a manifest indecency”—that is, clearly reprehensible conduct warranting their expulsion, such that failing to remove them would harm the members of the household, as when they cause harm through foul words or deeds. In such a case, the household may expel the woman, for she herself has caused her own expulsion. Providing her with housing is meant to console her and treat her gently, but she has brought the harm upon herself (5).
This applies to a woman observing the waiting period following a revocable divorce. An irrevocably divorced woman, however, has no obligatory right to housing, because housing is tied ⦗870⦘ to maintenance, and maintenance is obligatory for a revocably divorced woman but not for an irrevocably divorced one.
“These are the limits set by Allah”—[that is,] the limits He has established for His servants and prescribed for them, commanding them to adhere to and remain within them. “Whoever transgresses Allah’s limits” by failing to remain within them—whether by exceeding or falling short of them—“has certainly wronged himself.” That is, he has deprived himself of his due and forfeited his share of the benefits that come from observing Allah’s limits, which bring well-being in this world and the Hereafter.
“You never know; perhaps Allah will bring about a new situation after that.” Allah prescribed the waiting period and made divorce subject to it for profound reasons. One is that Allah may place mercy and affection in the divorcing husband’s heart, so that he takes back the woman he divorced and resumes married life with her; the waiting period gives him the opportunity to do so. Or perhaps he divorced her because of some circumstance involving her, but that cause may disappear during the waiting period, whereupon he takes her back because the reason for the divorce no longer exists.
Another wisdom is that it provides a period of waiting by which it becomes known that her womb is free of pregnancy by her husband.
His words, “Then, when they have nearly reached the end of their waiting period,” mean when they have approached its completion. Had they already completed it, the husband would no longer have the choice between retaining them and parting from them. “Either retain them honorably”—that is, through [good] treatment and gracious companionship, not to harm, mistreat, or confine them. Retaining a woman in such a manner is impermissible. “Or part with them honorably”—that is, in a manner containing nothing prohibited, without insults, quarrels, or coercing her into surrendering any of her wealth.
“Call to witness” her divorce and her return “two just men from among you”—that is, two upright Muslim men. Such witnessing closes the door to disputes and prevents either party from concealing what must be disclosed.
“And bear,” O witnesses, “true witness for Allah”—that is, give testimony properly, without addition or omission, and seek the countenance of Allah alone (6) by bearing it. Do not show partiality to a relative because of kinship or to a friend because of affection.
“This”—namely, the rulings and limits We have mentioned to you—“is an admonition to whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day.” Belief in Allah and the Last Day requires such a person (7) to heed Allah’s admonitions and prepare for the Hereafter whatever righteous deeds he is able to perform. This is unlike one whose heart has been emptied of faith: he does not care what evil he undertakes, nor does he revere Allah’s admonitions, because he lacks the motive to do so.
Because divorce may lead to hardship, anguish, and grief, the Exalted commanded that He be feared and stated that (8) whoever fears Him regarding divorce and all other matters, Allah will grant him relief and a way out.
Thus, when a servant wishes to divorce and does so in the prescribed manner—pronouncing a single divorce when his wife is neither menstruating nor in a period of purity during which he has had intercourse with her (9)—the matter will not become constricted for him. Rather, Allah grants him relief and latitude, enabling him to resume the marriage (10) if he regrets the divorce. Although the verse occurs in the context of divorce and taking a wife back, consideration is given to the generality of its wording. Therefore, whoever fears Allah Most High and consistently seeks His pleasure in all circumstances will be rewarded by Allah in this world and the Hereafter.
Part of that reward is that Allah grants him relief and a way out of every hardship and difficulty. Just as Allah grants relief and a way out to whoever fears Him, one who does not fear Allah falls into hardships, burdens, and shackles from which he cannot free himself or escape the consequences. Consider this in relation to divorce: if the servant does not fear Allah concerning it but instead carries it out in a prohibited manner, such as a threefold divorce or the like, he will inevitably suffer regret that he can neither remedy (11) nor escape.
His words, “and provide for him from where he does not expect,” mean that Allah brings provision to the God-fearing person from a source he neither anticipated nor perceived.
“Whoever puts his trust in Allah”—regarding the affairs of his religion and worldly life, relying upon Allah to bring him what benefits him and avert what harms him, and trusting Him to facilitate it—“He is sufficient for him.” That is, Allah will suffice him in the matter for which he placed his trust in Him. When a matter has been entrusted to the Self-Sufficient, Strong, [Almighty], and Merciful, its fulfillment is closer at hand for the servant than anything else. Yet divine wisdom may require that it be delayed until the time most suitable for him. Therefore, the Exalted says, “Allah surely brings His command to pass”—that is, His decree and determination must inevitably take effect. However, “Allah has appointed a measure for all things”—that is, a time and measure that they neither exceed nor fall short of.