Surah 2. Al-Baqarah

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-39 [4], 40-46 [5], 47-59 [6], 60-61 [7], 62-71 [8], 72-82 [9], 83-86 [10], 87-96 [11], 97-103 [12], 104-112 [13], 113-121 [14], 122-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-163 [19], 164-167 [20], 168-176 [21], 177-182 [22], 183-188 [23], 189-196 [24], 197-210 [25], 211-216 [26], 217-221 [27], 222-228 [28], 229-231 [29], 232-235 [30], 236-242 [31], 243-248 [32], 249-253 [33], 254-257 [34], 258-260 [35], 261-266 [36], 267-273 [37], 274-281 [38], 282-283 [39], 284-286 [40]

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Quran Text of Verse 222-228وَ یَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَAnd they ask youعَنِaboutالْمَحِیْضِ ؕ[the] menstruationقُلْSayهُوَItاَذًی ۙ(is) a hurtفَاعْتَزِلُواso keep away (from)النِّسَآءَ[the] womenفِیduringالْمَحِیْضِ ۙ(their) [the] menstruationوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَقْرَبُوْهُنَّapproach themحَتّٰیuntilیَطْهُرْنَ ۚthey are cleansedفَاِذَاThen whenتَطَهَّرْنَthey are purifiedفَاْتُوْهُنَّthen come to themمِنْfromحَیْثُwhereاَمَرَكُمُhas ordered youاللّٰهُ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahیُحِبُّlovesالتَّوَّابِیْنَthose who turn in repentanceوَ یُحِبُّand lovesالْمُتَطَهِّرِیْنَ those who purify themselves نِسَآؤُكُمْYour wivesحَرْثٌ(are) a tilthلَّكُمْ ۪for youفَاْتُوْاso comeحَرْثَكُمْ(to) your tilthاَنّٰیwhenشِئْتُمْ ؗyou wishوَ قَدِّمُوْاand send forth (good deeds)لِاَنْفُسِكُمْ ؕfor yourselvesوَ اتَّقُواAnd be consciousاللّٰهَ(of) Allahوَ اعْلَمُوْۤاand knowاَنَّكُمْthat youمُّلٰقُوْهُ ؕ(will) meet Himوَ بَشِّرِAnd give glad tidingsالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ (to) the believers وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَجْعَلُواmakeاللّٰهَAllahs (name)عُرْضَةًan excuseلِّاَیْمَانِكُمْin your oathsاَنْthatتَبَرُّوْاyou do goodوَ تَتَّقُوْاand be righteousوَ تُصْلِحُوْاand make peaceبَیْنَbetweenالنَّاسِ ؕ[the] peopleوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahسَمِیْعٌ(is) All-Hearingعَلِیْمٌ All-Knowing 2. Al-Baqarah Page 36لَاNotیُؤَاخِذُكُمُwill take you to taskاللّٰهُAllahبِاللَّغْوِfor (what is) unintentionalفِیْۤinاَیْمَانِكُمْyour oathsوَ لٰكِنْ[and] butیُّؤَاخِذُكُمْHe takes you to taskبِمَاfor whatكَسَبَتْ(have) earnedقُلُوْبُكُمْ ؕyour heartsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingحَلِیْمٌ Most Forbearing لِلَّذِیْنَFor those whoیُؤْلُوْنَswear (off)مِنْfromنِّسَآىِٕهِمْtheir wivesتَرَبُّصُ(is a) waiting (of)اَرْبَعَةِfourاَشْهُرٍ ۚmonthsفَاِنْthen ifفَآءُوْthey returnفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft- Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful وَ اِنْAnd ifعَزَمُواthey resolveالطَّلَاقَ(on) [the] divorceفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahسَمِیْعٌ(is) All-Hearingعَلِیْمٌ All-Knowing وَ الْمُطَلَّقٰتُAnd the women who are divorcedیَتَرَبَّصْنَshall waitبِاَنْفُسِهِنَّconcerning themselvesثَلٰثَةَ(for) threeقُرُوْٓءٍ ؕmonthly periodsوَ لَاAnd (it is) notیَحِلُّlawfulلَهُنَّfor themاَنْthatیَّكْتُمْنَthey concealمَاwhatخَلَقَ(has been) createdاللّٰهُ(by) Allahفِیْۤinاَرْحَامِهِنَّtheir wombsاِنْifكُنَّtheyیُؤْمِنَّbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ الْیَوْمِand the Dayالْاٰخِرِ ؕ[the] Lastوَ بُعُوْلَتُهُنَّAnd their husbandsاَحَقُّ(have) better rightبِرَدِّهِنَّto take them backفِیْinذٰلِكَthat (period)اِنْifاَرَادُوْۤاthey wishاِصْلَاحًا ؕ(for) reconciliationوَ لَهُنَّAnd for them (wives)مِثْلُ(is the) likeالَّذِیْ(of) that whichعَلَیْهِنَّ(is) on themبِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ۪in a reasonable mannerوَ لِلرِّجَالِand for the menعَلَیْهِنَّover them (wives)دَرَجَةٌ ؕ(is) a degreeوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahعَزِیْزٌ(is) All-Mightyحَكِیْمٌ۠All-Wise

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Translation of Verse 222-228

222. They ask you about menstruation. Say: “It is a state of impurity; so keep away from women during menstruation³²⁵ and do not approach them until they are clean. And when they have thoroughly cleaned themselves, then approach them³²⁶ in the manner Allah has enjoined upon you”.³²⁷ Verily, Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and who keep themselves pure and clean.

223. Your women are as a tilth for you, so approach your tilth as you please ,³²⁸ but provide for your future³²⁹ and fear Allah and know that you are to meet Him and (O prophet) give good tidings to those who believe.

224. And make not Allah’s (name) an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting piously, or making peace between persons³³⁰, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.³³¹

225. Allah will not call you to account for unintentional oaths, but for the intention in your hearts ;³³² Allah is Forgiving, Most. Forbearing.

226. For those who take an oath for abstention from their wives, a waiting for four months is permitted ;³³³ then if (within this period) they return, indeed Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

227. And if they decide upon divorce (let them remember that) Allah is Hearer, Knower.³³⁴

228. Divorced women shall wait, keeping themselves apart for three menstrual periods.³³⁵ Nor is it lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs, if they are believers in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands are more entitled to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation. And women shall have rights similar to the responsibilities upon them.³³⁶ according to what is equitable; but men are a degree above them .³³⁷And Allah is Mighty, Wise.³³⁸

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Commentary

325. The Command to keep away from women during their menstrual period does not imply that the women should be converted into untouchables but it only means that sexual intercourse should not be had with them as explained in a number of Hadith of the prophet (p.b.u.h.)

Among the people of the Book, even touching a woman when in menstruation was enough to make a person unclean (Vide Leirteraus 15: 20 –19) But Islam discontinued these awkward commands and only prohibited sexual intercourse during this period, which is reasonable and also correct from the medical point of view.

326. That is: When the menstrual period ends there is no restriction on intercourse, but it is better if the wife is approached when she becomes clean after bathing.

327. Here enjoined or commanded by Allah means the natural urge which is innate in man as ordained by Allah. This explains the fact concerning a principle that natural laws or the human urges are the commands of Allah, although there may not be any words accompanying these commands, e.g. using the feet for walking is the law of the nature or the command of the nature and therefore if a man tries to walk with his hands or on his head it will be against the command of the nature. Similarly, the manner or method of intercourse is known to everybody as provided by the nature, but if a man adopts a method of intercousre which is unnatural, then he not only acts contrary to the command of Allah but also proves himself to be worse than the animals because the animals do not adopt any unnatural method.

328. A women is likened to a tilth or field because a man is free to go to his field in any way he likes. But his going to the tilth is for sowing seeds and for obtaining produce. The case of the wife is identical. Shariah has allowed a man to use whatever method he desires but his purpose or aim should be to beget children The restriction by Shariah on a man in the matter of sexual intercouse is only that he should not adopt unnatural methods, as has been explained in the foregoing note.

329. That is: In the manner in which a man provides for his future financial needs with the help of his tilth or field, in the same manner a man should provide for the future of the human race with the help of intercouse with his wife and by giving right training to his children should provide for his future in the Hereafter.

From this it becomes clear that the intention of Quran is to increase the human race and therefore to subject its growth to any kind of control is against the intention of the Quran.

330. That is: A man should not use the sacred name of Allah for wrong acts. To take an oath in the name of Allah against acts of righteousness, virtue and reform is not permitted in Islam and if anybody takes an oath of this kind, he should break it off and pay the ransom (kaffara).

In the following verses ‘Eela’ (Oath for keeping away from a wife) is being discussed, therefore before this, the importance of taking an oath in the name of Allah is being explained and the believer is forbidden from using His sacred name for wrong acts.

331. It means that if you misuse the great name of Allah, then you should not forget that Allah hears everything and He knows every thing.

332. That is: For the oath which are taken as a matter of habit unintentionally, no explanation will be called for, but for the oaths which are taken with intention and in which the holy name of Allah is misused then definitely the person responsible for such a blasphemy will be definitely made to account for it.

333. In’ this verse the command about , Eela’ is given. Eela is a term in the Shariah, which means to take an oath for keeping away from marital relations with the wife. This custom was prevalent in the pre-Islamic days (Jahiliya), as a consequence of which the wife was left in the lurch. Islam reformed this custom. According to the reformed rule a period of four months was fixed for those who were taking the oath of Eela. If within this period of four months, the husband did not restore the severed relations, then one divorce would become automatically effective and that would be irrevocable, that is during the period of Iddat after the divorce, the husband cannot revoke his divorce. However if the husband and wife both agree they can remarry.

So if a husband divorces his wife (after two times) he cannot after that remarry her until she has married another husband (and he has divorced her). So if he divorces her there is no sin for both of them (woman and the first husband) to re-marry if they consider that they are able to observe the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah. He manifests them for people who have knowledge. (Al-Quran)

334. This is a style of warning, which means that if you leave your wife on some unreasonable ground then you should remember that Allah is not unaware of this.

335. This waiting before contracting the next marriage is known in the Shariah by the technical term ‘Iddat’. This command for waiting is based on various considerations, e.g. clearance of the womb, so that there may not be any doubt about the parentage of the offspring consideration for the right of the husband and respect for the wifehood, etc. The period of waiting is limited to three menstrual periods. An important consideration in this respect is that during this time the husband may get time to review and revise his decision. If he has pronounced divorce once or twice and he wants to reconcile during the period of Iddat, he can do so provided his intentions are good and his aim is not to harass the wife, otherwise this will be considered as a tyrannical use of this right.

336. That is: Men should not feel that all the rights are for men and that their wives have not been given any safeguards and that they have no rights against them. As husbands have rights against their wives, so have the wives against their husbands. These rights are equitable according to the nature of both the sexes and the conjugal life can be happy if these considerations of the natures of the different sexes are taken into account.

337. This degree of superiority for man is on account of his being protector and more responsible. Islam has made man head of the family because according to nature he is more fitted for this responsibility. As regards the theory of equality of sexes of the west, . according to which there should be complete equality between man and woman, it may be mentioned that though this is the demand of the Western civilization, it is not the demand of nature and wisdom. When there is an obvious difference in the body and natural capabilities of both the sexes, then the demands on their responsibilities should also be different. On account of this it is reasonable that man should have a degree of superiority over woman or that man should be above woman, which is quite in consonance with the nature and reason. With this exception, Islam not only accepts the rights of women but has taken steps to safeguard them under the Shariat laws. The Islamic Family Laws are based on this principle and therefore if this basis is destroyed then the whole social system of Islam will be upset.

338. Allah is Mighty, therefore, beware of the consequences of disobeying His commands, or else you will not be able to escape His punishment. He is wise and therefore His commands are based on wisdom. To consider His commands as wrong and your own theories as correct is nothing but folly.