وَ اِذَا And when طَلَّقْتُمُ you divorce النِّسَآءَ [the] women فَبَلَغْنَ and they reached اَجَلَهُنَّ their (waiting) term فَلَا then (do) not تَعْضُلُوْهُنَّ hinder them اَنْ [that] یَّنْكِحْنَ (from) marrying اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ their husbands اِذَا when تَرَاضَوْا they agree بَیْنَهُمْ between themselves بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ؕ in a fair manner ذٰلِكَ That یُوْعَظُ is admonished بِهٖ with it مَنْ whoever كَانَ [is] مِنْكُمْ among you یُؤْمِنُ believes بِاللّٰهِ in Allah وَ الْیَوْمِ and the Day الْاٰخِرِ ؕ [the] Last ذٰلِكُمْ that اَزْكٰی (is) more virtuous لَكُمْ for you وَ اَطْهَرُ ؕ and more purer وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah یَعْلَمُ knows وَ اَنْتُمْ and you لَا (do) not تَعْلَمُوْنَ know وَ الْوَالِدٰتُ And the mothers یُرْضِعْنَ shall suckle اَوْلَادَهُنَّ their children حَوْلَیْنِ (for) two years كَامِلَیْنِ complete لِمَنْ for whoever اَرَادَ wishes اَنْ to یُّتِمَّ complete الرَّضَاعَةَ ؕ the suckling وَ عَلَی And upon الْمَوْلُوْدِ the father لَهٗ (on) him رِزْقُهُنَّ (is) their provision وَ كِسْوَتُهُنَّ and their clothing بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ؕ in a fair manner لَا Not تُكَلَّفُ is burdened نَفْسٌ any soul اِلَّا except وُسْعَهَا ۚ its capacity لَا Not تُضَآرَّ made to suffer وَالِدَةٌۢ (the) mother بِوَلَدِهَا because of her child وَ لَا and not مَوْلُوْدٌ (the) father لَّهٗ (be) بِوَلَدِهٖ ۗ because of his child وَ عَلَی And on الْوَارِثِ the heirs مِثْلُ (is a duty) like ذٰلِكَ ۚ that فَاِنْ Then if اَرَادَا they both desire فِصَالًا weaning عَنْ through تَرَاضٍ mutual consent مِّنْهُمَا of both of them وَ تَشَاوُرٍ and consultation فَلَا then no جُنَاحَ blame عَلَیْهِمَا ؕ on both of them وَ اِنْ And if اَرَدْتُّمْ you want اَنْ to تَسْتَرْضِعُوْۤا ask another women to suckle اَوْلَادَكُمْ your child فَلَا then (there is) no جُنَاحَ blame عَلَیْكُمْ on you اِذَا when سَلَّمْتُمْ you pay مَّاۤ what اٰتَیْتُمْ (is) due (from) you بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ؕ in a fair manner وَ اتَّقُوا And fear اللّٰهَ Allah وَ اعْلَمُوْۤا and know اَنَّ that اللّٰهَ Allah بِمَا of what تَعْمَلُوْنَ you do بَصِیْرٌ (is) All-Seer 2. Al-Baqarah Page 38 وَ الَّذِیْنَ And those who یُتَوَفَّوْنَ pass away مِنْكُمْ among you وَ یَذَرُوْنَ and leave behind اَزْوَاجًا wives یَّتَرَبَّصْنَ (the widows) should wait بِاَنْفُسِهِنَّ for themselves اَرْبَعَةَ (for) four اَشْهُرٍ months وَّ عَشْرًا ۚ and ten (days) فَاِذَا Then when بَلَغْنَ they reach اَجَلَهُنَّ their (specified) term فَلَا then (there is) no جُنَاحَ blame عَلَیْكُمْ upon you فِیْمَا for what فَعَلْنَ they do فِیْۤ concerning اَنْفُسِهِنَّ themselves بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ ؕ in a fair manner وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah بِمَا of what تَعْمَلُوْنَ you do خَبِیْرٌ (is) All-Aware وَ لَا And (there is) no جُنَاحَ blame عَلَیْكُمْ upon you فِیْمَا in what عَرَّضْتُمْ you hint بِهٖ [with it] مِنْ of خِطْبَةِ marriage proposal النِّسَآءِ [to] the women اَوْ or اَكْنَنْتُمْ you concealed it فِیْۤ in اَنْفُسِكُمْ ؕ yourselves عَلِمَ Knows اللّٰهُ Allah اَنَّكُمْ that you سَتَذْكُرُوْنَهُنَّ will mention them وَ لٰكِنْ [and] but لَّا (do) not تُوَاعِدُوْهُنَّ promise them (widows) سِرًّا secretly اِلَّاۤ except اَنْ that تَقُوْلُوْا you say قَوْلًا a saying مَّعْرُوْفًا ؕ۬ honorable وَ لَا And (do) not تَعْزِمُوْا resolve (on) عُقْدَةَ the knot النِّكَاحِ (of) marriage حَتّٰی until یَبْلُغَ reaches الْكِتٰبُ the prescribed term اَجَلَهٗ ؕ its end وَ اعْلَمُوْۤا And know اَنَّ that اللّٰهَ Allah یَعْلَمُ knows مَا what فِیْۤ (is) within اَنْفُسِكُمْ yourselves فَاحْذَرُوْهُ ۚ so beware of Him وَ اعْلَمُوْۤا And know اَنَّ that اللّٰهَ Allah غَفُوْرٌ (is) Oft-Forgiving حَلِیْمٌ۠ Most Forbearing
(2:232) When you divorce women and they have completed their waiting term do not hinder them from marrying other men if they have agreed to this in a fair manner.256
That is an admonition to everyone of you who believes in Allah and the Last Day; that is a cleaner and purer way for you. For Allah knows whereas you do not know.
(2:233) If they (i.e. the fathers) wish that the period of suckling for their children be completed, mothers may suckle their children for two whole years.257 (In such a case) it is incumbent upon him who has begotten the child to provide them (i.e. divorced women) their sustenance and clothing in a fair manner. But none shall be burdened with more than he is able to bear; neither shall a mother suffer because of her child nor shall the father be made to suffer because he has begotten him. The same duty towards the suckling mother rests upon the heir258 as upon him (i.e. the father). And if both (the parents) decide, by mutual consent and consultation, to wean the child, there is no blame on them; if you decide to have other women suckle your children there is no blame upon you, provided you hand over its compensation in a fair manner. Fear Allah and know well that Allah sees all that you do.
(2:234) The wives of men who have died must observe a waiting period of four months and ten days;259 when they have reached the end of the waiting term, there is no blame upon you regarding what they may do with themselves in a fair manner. Allah is well aware of what you do.
(2:235) There is no blame upon you whether you hint at a marriage proposal to such women or keep the proposal hidden in your hearts. Allah knows that you will think of them in that connection. But do not make any secret engagement with them and speak openly in an honourable manner. Do not resolve on the marriage tie until the ordained term has come to its end. Know well that Allah knows even what is in your hearts. So, have fear of Him and know well that Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Forbearing.
256. This is a directive to the relatives of the divorced woman. When a woman is divorced by her husband and he fails to revoke the divorce before the expiry of the waiting period, the relatives of the woman should not try to prevent the couple from re-marrying if they agree to do so. This verse may also be interpreted to mean that if a divorced woman wants to contract marriage with someone other than her former husband after the expiry of the waiting period, the former husband should not obstruct this marriage by making malicious propaganda against the woman he has forsaken.
That is an admonition to every one of you who believes in Allah and the Last Day; that is a cleaner and purer way for you. For Allah knows whereas you do not know.
257. This injunction applies to the condition where the couple have separated either because of divorce, or klul' see (n. 252 above) or ' faskh (annulment) or tafriq (repudiation as a result of judicial decision) and the woman is nursing a child.
258. That is, if the father dies, whoever replaces him as the guardian of the child will be responsible for fulfilling this claim.
259. The waiting period owing to the death of the husband is obligatory even for a woman with whom consummation of marriage has not taken place. A pregnant woman, however, is exempted from this. Her waiting period expires the husband's death and the childbirth is less than the waiting period prescribed by Law.
'To observe a waiting period' does not mean merely that they should refrain from marrying, but also from self-adornment.
Hence we find categorical directives in the Hadith that a widow should neither wear colourful and showy dresses and jewellery, make use of henna, kohl, and perfumes, nor set her hair in an attractive style. There is disagreement, however, as to whether the widow may go out of her house during the waiting period. 'Umar, 'UthmaAn, Ibn 'Umar, Zayd ibn Thabit, Ibn Mas'uid, Ummn Salamah, Said ibn al-Musayyib, Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, Muhammad ibn Sirin and the founders of the four legal schools are of the opinion that during the waiting period a woman should stay in the house in which her husband died. During the daytime she may go out to do necessary errands, but her residence should be her own home. On contrary, 'A'ishah, Ibn 'Abbas, 'Ali, Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah. 'Ata'. Ta'us, Hasan al-Basri. 'Umar ibn'Abd al'Aziz and the Zahiris are of the opinion that a widow may spend her waiting period wherever she likes, and may even go on journeys. (See the commentary on the verse in JassAs. vol. 1, pp. 418 f. - Ed.)