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 236-242لَا(There is) noجُنَاحَblameعَلَیْكُمْupon youاِنْifطَلَّقْتُمُyou divorceالنِّسَآءَ[the] womenمَاwhomلَمْnotتَمَسُّوْهُنَّyou have touchedاَوْnorتَفْرِضُوْاyou specifiedلَهُنَّfor themفَرِیْضَةً ۖۚan obligation (dower)وَّ مَتِّعُوْهُنَّ ۚAnd make provision for themعَلَیuponالْمُوْسِعِthe wealthyقَدَرُهٗaccording to his meansوَ عَلَیand uponالْمُقْتِرِthe poorقَدَرُهٗ ۚaccording to his meansمَتَاعًۢاa provisionبِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ۚin a fair mannerحَقًّاa dutyعَلَیuponالْمُحْسِنِیْنَ the good-doers وَ اِنْAnd ifطَلَّقْتُمُوْهُنَّyou divorce themمِنْfromقَبْلِbeforeاَنْ[that]تَمَسُّوْهُنَّyou (have) touched themوَ قَدْwhile alreadyفَرَضْتُمْyou have specifiedلَهُنَّfor themفَرِیْضَةًan obligation (dower)فَنِصْفُthen (give) halfمَا(of) whatفَرَضْتُمْyou have specifiedاِلَّاۤunlessاَنْ[that]یَّعْفُوْنَthey (women) forgo (it)اَوْorیَعْفُوَاforgoesالَّذِیْthe oneبِیَدِهٖin whose handsعُقْدَةُ(is the) knotالنِّكَاحِ ؕ(of) the marriageوَ اَنْAnd thatتَعْفُوْۤاyou forgoاَقْرَبُ(is) nearerلِلتَّقْوٰی ؕto [the] righteousnessوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَنْسَوُاforgetالْفَضْلَthe graciousnessبَیْنَكُمْ ؕamong youاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doبَصِیْرٌ (is) All-Seer 2. Al-Baqarah Page 39حٰفِظُوْاGuard strictlyعَلَی[on]الصَّلَوٰتِthe prayersوَ الصَّلٰوةِand the prayerالْوُسْطٰی ۗ[the] middleوَ قُوْمُوْاand stand upلِلّٰهِfor Allahقٰنِتِیْنَ devoutly obedient فَاِنْAnd ifخِفْتُمْyou fearفَرِجَالًاthen (pray) on footاَوْorرُكْبَانًا ۚridingفَاِذَاۤThen whenاَمِنْتُمْyou are secureفَاذْكُرُواthen rememberاللّٰهَAllahكَمَاasعَلَّمَكُمْHe (has) taught youمَّاwhatلَمْnotتَكُوْنُوْاyou wereتَعْلَمُوْنَ knowing وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoیُتَوَفَّوْنَthey dieمِنْكُمْamong youوَ یَذَرُوْنَand leave behindاَزْوَاجًا ۖۚ(their) wivesوَّصِیَّةً(should make) a willلِّاَزْوَاجِهِمْfor their wivesمَّتَاعًاprovisionاِلَیforالْحَوْلِthe yearغَیْرَwithoutاِخْرَاجٍ ۚdriving (them) outفَاِنْBut ifخَرَجْنَthey leaveفَلَاthen noجُنَاحَblameعَلَیْكُمْupon youفِیْinمَاwhatفَعَلْنَthey doفِیْۤconcerningاَنْفُسِهِنَّthemselvesمِنْ[of]مَّعْرُوْفٍ ؕhonorablyوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahعَزِیْزٌ(is) All-Mightyحَكِیْمٌ All-Wise وَ لِلْمُطَلَّقٰتِAnd for the divorced womenمَتَاعٌۢ(is) a provisionبِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ؕin a fair mannerحَقًّاa dutyعَلَیuponالْمُتَّقِیْنَ the righteous كَذٰلِكَThusیُبَیِّنُmakes clearاللّٰهُAllahلَكُمْfor youاٰیٰتِهٖHis Versesلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَعْقِلُوْنَ۠use your intellect

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Translation of Verse 236-242

(2:236) There is no blame upon you if you divorce your wives before you have touched them or settled a bridal gift upon them. But even in this case you should make some provision for them:²⁶⁰ the affluent, according to his means; the straitened, according to his means – a provision in fair manner. That is a duty upon the good-doers.

(2:237) And if you divorce them before you touch them or settle a bridal gift upon them, then (give them) half of what you have settled unless either the women act leniently and forgo their claim, or he in whose hand is the marriage tie acts leniently (and pays the full amount). If you act leniently, it is closer to God-fearing. And forget not to act gracefully with one another,²⁶¹ for indeed Allah sees all that you do.

(2:238) Be watchful over the Prayers,²⁶² and over praying with the utmost excellence,²⁶³ and stand before Allah as would utterly obedient servants.

(2:239) And even if you face the state of fear, still perform the Prayer whether on foot or riding; and when you are secure, remember Allah in the manner that He taught you, the manner that you did not know earlier.

(2:240) Those of you who die leaving behind your wives²⁶⁴ should make testament of one year’s provision without expulsion in favour of your wives; and if they themselves depart, there shall be no blame upon you for what they may do with themselves in an honourable manner. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

(2:241) Likewise, let there be a fair provision for the divorced women; this is an obligation on the God-fearing.

(2:242) Thus Allah makes His injunctions clear to you that you may understand.

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Commentary

260. This sundering of the matrimonial contract after it has been concluded does cause some harm to the woman; God has ordered, therefore, that the person concerned should compensate for the loss according to his capacity.

261. Magnanimity in dealings is essential if human relationships are to remain sound and pleasant. If everyone were to stick strictly to his legal rights and claims, a pleasant social life would he rendered impossible.

262. Having mentioned the laws for the guidance of human society, God rounds off this address by emphasizing Prayer, for it is Prayers which instil in man the fear of God. They inculcate the feelings of goodness and purity and the disposition to obey the ordinances of God, and foster adherence to righteousness. Without Prayer it would be impossible for men to persist in observing the laws of God, and they would likely be swept away by a current of defiance and disobedience, as happened in the case of the Jews.

263. 'Re expression al-salat al-wusta has been variously interpreted to mean the Morning, Mid-Day, Sunset or Night Prayers. But no direct statement explaining this expression has come down from the Prophet himself. All the divergent opinions are deductions made by scholars. The opinion of the majority, seems to he inclined in favour of the Afternoon ('Asr) Prayer. since it is claimed that on one occasion the Prophet alluded to this as al-salat al-wusta. The event cited in support of this inference is that during the Battle of the Ditch the Prophet once so preoccupied with the problems posed by the siege of Madina, by the polytheists, that he could not perform his 'Asr Prayer within the scheduled time. and the time of sunset drew close. On that occasion the Prophet said: 'God fill the graves and houses of these people with fire. They have caused us to our wusta (mid-most) Prayer.' This statement led people to believe that the expression 'mid-most Prayer' referred to the

'Asr Prayer. It seems more likely, however, that the Prophet meant that the cares of the battle had prevented him and his followers from performing the Prayer in an excellent way; the delay in the Prayer meant that instead of praying with equanimity, concentration and total devotion, they were forced by circumstances to pray hurriedly.

The adjective wusta in addition to signifying the middle position of the subject that it qualifies, also signifies its excellence. Hence the expression could legitimately be interpreted both in the sense of the middle Prayer as well as in the sense of the Prayer which is performed at the right time and with full devotion and attention to God, a Prayer which contains all the attributes of excellence. The admonition which follows, 'stand before Allah as utterly, obedient servants', seems to indicate what was meant by the 'mid-most Prayer'.

264. The main discourse has already come to an end see (verse 238 an n. 262) above. These concluding remarks are supplementary,.