Divorce Before Touching

LESSON # 282 FROM HOLY QUR’AN

Divorce Before Touching

BAQARAH – 2 (The Cow)

Verse – 236    of  286, Section – 31 (Part - 2)

It is no sin for you if ye divorce women while yet ye have not touched them, nor appointed unto them a portion. Provide for them, the rich according to his means, and the straitened according to his means, a fair provision. (This is) a bounden duty for those who do good.

Laa  junaaha  ‘alaykum  ‘in  tallaqtumun-nisaaa-‘a  maa  lam  tamassuu-hunna  ‘aw  taf-rizuu  lahunna  fariizah.  Wa  matti-‘uu- hunn.  ‘Alalmuusi-‘i  qadaruhuu  wa  ‘alalmuqtiri  qadaruh.  Mataa-‘am-bil-ma’-ruuf.  Haq-qan  ‘alal-Muhsiniin.

Lesson

maa  lam  tamassuu-hunna – (the women to whom) you have not yet touched, it aims ‘not yet having sex’ and ‘not yet performed the act of intercourse’ with the women.

matti-‘uu- hunn – (Provide for them), this word has been derived from mataaa’, that is to say; provide them expenditure and necessities of life. The religious scholars refer it particularly toward dress.

It has been ordered in this verse that if the portion (maher) was not appointed at the time of marriage and married without pureness, then the portion (maher) will be set after that. However, if the wife has been divorced before touching (before having Sexual intercourse with her) then portion will not be necessary. But it is compulsory for the husband that he should give something to the woman.

After the divorce, whatever is to be provided to the woman, that will be set according to means of the husband. If the husband is rich, then he should give her a reasonable amount, and if he is distressed then whatever is in his power, he should pay his divorced wife. It has also been urged by increasing the word bil-ma’-ruuf that they should not be narrowed or troubled by their husbands in paying the provision. Moreover it should be according to the customs. Ease of the husband and necessities of the wife should be kept in mind while providing the provision.

In the last it is told that ‘this is a bounden duty for Muhsiniin’ (those who do good), that each Muslim should behave well with each person. But in the matter of a woman they should set these things more gracefully. 

Transliteration in Roman Script & English Translation of Holy Qur’an written by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore and Paraphrase collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated by Muhammad Sharif)