What Do the Quranic Verses Teach About Divorce?
قال تعالى :" وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا" البقرة 2: 231 ما معنى هذه الآية؟ وما الذي يستفاد منها؟
What should men do when they divorce women? And what is to be learnt from the Quranic verses?
Islam commands men to treat their wives with kindness and honor, both during marriage and in the event of a divorce. A husband must either retain his wife gracefully or release her without harm. It is strictly forbidden to mistreat a wife to pressure her into paying for a divorce.
The Quran sets a gold standard for marital relations and separation, ensuring that the dignity and rights of women are fully protected during the most difficult times.
What does "retaining them honourably" mean during the waiting period?
It means that if a husband decides to reconcile and take his wife back during her Iddah (waiting period), he must do so with the sincere intention of treating her well and fixing the marriage, not to trap her or cause her further harm.
Can a husband intentionally treat his wife badly so she pays for a divorce?
No. Deliberately mistreating a wife to force her to return her dowry or offer money for a divorce (Khul) is considered severe oppression and a major sin in Islam.
How should a husband act if he no longer loves his wife?
Islam teaches that a husband must still treat her with full respect and kindness. If the marriage cannot be saved despite all efforts, he must initiate a graceful separation, ensuring she receives all her financial and emotional rights without any humiliation.
Lessons from the Verses of Divorce
1. Kindness in All Circumstances
A man should treat his wife kindly. One should treat his wife well even if he dislikes her.
2. Graceful Separation
If a man decides to separate from his wife, he should do that without being hurtful to her. Allah Almighty says: (When you divorce women and they have almost reached the end of their waiting period, either retain them honourably or let them go honourably) Al Baqara 2: 231.
3. The Prohibition of Extortion
A man cannot mistreat his wife just so that she asks for a divorce by offering him money. If he does that then that is considered oppression.
4. The Ultimate Rule of Marriage
(Then the husband must retain his wife with honour or separate from her with grace.) Al Baqara 2: 229.
Scholarly Insight: In Islamic Jurisprudence, the verses of Surah Al Baqara regarding divorce were revealed to abolish the oppressive practices of the pre Islamic era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). Back then, a man could divorce his wife and take her back right before her waiting period (Iddah) ended, repeating this endlessly just to keep her trapped and prevent her from marrying anyone else. The Quran strictly forbade this psychological abuse. Furthermore, scholars emphasize that while Khul (a woman seeking divorce by returning the dowry) is perfectly lawful, it becomes completely Haram for a husband to deliberately abuse or neglect his wife to force her into seeking Khul just so he can take her money. True Islamic manhood demands that a husband either lives with his wife in peace and respect, or releases her gracefully with her full rights intact.
ماذا يجب على الرجال عند طلاق النساء؟ وما الذي يستفاد من الآيات؟
يأمر الإسلام الرجال بمعاملة زوجاتهم باللطف والتكريم، سواء أثناء الزواج أو في حالة الطلاق. يجب على الزوج إما أن يمسك زوجته بمعروف أو يفارقها بإحسان دون إيذاء. ويحرم تحريماً قاطعاً إساءة معاملة الزوجة للضغط عليها لدفع تعويض مالي مقابل الطلاق.
يضع القرآن معياراً ذهبياً للعلاقات الزوجية والانفصال، مما يضمن حماية كرامة وحقوق المرأة بالكامل خلال أصعب الأوقات.
الدروس المستفادة من آيات الطلاق
1. الإحسان في جميع الظروف
يجب على الزوج أن يحسن معاملة امرأته. معاملة الزوجة يجب أن تكون معاملة طيبة حتى لو كره الزوج زوجته.
2. المفارقة بإحسان
إن أراد الزوج مفارقة امرأته فإنه يفارقها دون أن يؤذيها. قال تعالى: (وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ) البقرة 2: 231.
3. تحريم الابتزاز والإضرار
لا يحل للزوج إيذاء امرأته لتطلب الطلاق ببذلها للمال، فإن فعل الزوج ذلك كان ظالما معتديا. لقوله تعالى: (وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا) البقرة 2: 231.
4. القاعدة الذهبية للزواج
(فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ) البقرة 2: 229.
1. The Golden Quranic Rule: Retention with Honor or Release in Kindness | إمساك بمعروف أو تسريح بإحسان
Islamic law elevates divorce above petty vengeance. Surah Al-Baqarah establishes the moral benchmark: "And when you divorce women and they have nearly fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms" (2:231).
فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ (سورة البقرة: 231)
وضع القرآن الكريم دستورا أخلاقيا رفيعا لإنهاء العلاقة الزوجية في سورة البقرة: {فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ} (سورة البقرة: 229)؛ فالطلاق ليس ساحة للانتقام وتصفية الحسابات، بل هو فصال راق يحفظ كرامة الطرفين ويمنع البغي والظلم.
2. Absolute Prohibition of Malicious Harm (Dirar) | تحريم الإمساك ضراراً والاعتداء على حقوق المطلقة
In pre-Islamic times, men revoked divorce at the final hour only to divorce again repeatedly, trapping women in perpetual misery. The Quran banned this tyranny: "And do not keep them, intending to harm them, in order to transgress against them" (2:231).
وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ (سورة البقرة: 231)
حرم الله تعالى سلوك الجاهلية الظالم؛ حيث كان الرجل يطلق زوجته ثم يراجعها قبيل انقضاء عدتها بقليل ليطلقها مجددا ليعلقها كيدا؛ فنزل النهي الصارم: {وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا} (سورة البقرة: 231)، وتوعد من يفعل ذلك بأنه قد ظلم نفسه وعرضها لغضب الله.
3. Preserving Financial Rights and Dowry Integrity | صيانة المهر والنفقة وتحريم الابتزاز المالي
A husband who divorces his wife may not take back the bridal gift (Mahr) or the gifts he gave her (Surah An-Nisa 4:20). She may freely give up part of it, and in a Khul' the spouses may agree on compensation that she returns. Demanding money back through harassment violates Surah An-Nisa (4:19). In the case of Thabit ibn Qays, the Prophet asked his wife whether she would return the garden given as her bridal gift; when she agreed, he instructed Thabit to accept the garden and divorce her once (Sahih al-Bukhari 5273).
وَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ (سورة النساء: 19)
يحرم على الزوج أخذ شيء من مهر زوجته أو الهدايا التي ساقها إليها بغير طيب نفس منها؛ ولا يحل له التضييق عليها في المسكن أو المعاملة ليدفعها إلى التنازل عن حقوقها المالية أو الافتداء بمالها، فأموال الزوجة مصونة وظلمها محرم. وفي قصة امرأة ثابت بن قيس سألها النبي ﷺ عن رد الحديقة التي أعطاها، فلما وافقت أمره أن يقبلها ويطلقها تطليقة (صحيح البخاري 5273).
4. Fulfilling Housing and Living Maintenance During Iddah | وجوب السكنى والنفقة في العدة الرجعية
During the waiting period (Iddah) of a revocable divorce, the wife is entitled to reside in the marital home with full maintenance provided by the husband. Surah At-Talaq commands: "Lodge them where you dwell, according to your means" (65:6), encouraging reconciliation in a familiar setting. Surah At-Talaq is known as the smaller Surah An-Nisa, as explained in which surah is called the smaller Surah An-Nisa.
أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَارُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ (سورة الطلاق: 6)
أوجب الإسلام على الزوج توفير السكنى والنفقة الكريمة لمطلقته في فترة العدة الرجعية من غير تضييق: {أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجْدِكُمْ} (سورة الطلاق: 6)؛ لتهيئة المناخ الملائم لمراجعة النفس وإصلاح ذات البين قبل الانفصال النهائي.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What does "retention in honor or release in kindness" mean?
It means that a husband must either resume marriage with genuine goodwill and fair treatment or finalize divorce peacefully without vindictiveness.
Can a husband harass his divorcing wife to get his dowry back?
No, Surah An-Nisa (4:19) explicitly forbids mistreating a wife to extort back part of her dowry.
Is a revocably divorced wife entitled to housing and maintenance?
Yes, Surah At-Talaq (65:6) mandates housing and living support during her waiting period (Iddah).
What was the pre-Islamic practice regarding divorce waiting periods?
Men used to repeatedly divorce and revoke at the last moment to trap women in endless waiting without real marriage.