2. Al-Baqara

When you divorce women and they have very nearly reached the end of their term then retain them by returning to them honourably not harming them or set them free honourably or leave them until their term is completed; do not retain them when reverting in harm dirāran is an object denoting reason to transgress that is so as to force them to redemption or to repudiate them or confine them indoors for a long time; whoever does that has wronged his soul by exposing it to God’s chastisement; take not God’s verses in mockery in jest by contravening them and remember God’s grace upon you that is Islam and the Book the Qur’ān and the wisdom the rulings contained therein He has revealed to you to exhort you therewith so that you should give thanks by acting in accordance with it; and fear God and know that God has knowledge of all things and nothing can be hidden from Him.

When you divorce women and they have reached completed their term of waiting do not debar them — addressing the guardians here — from marrying their divorced husbands when they the male spouses and their women have agreed together honourably in accordance with the Law. The occasion for the revelation of this verse was Ma‘qil b. Yasār’s sister was divorced by her husband who then wanted to restore her but Ma‘qil refused as reported by al-Hākim. That the prohibition against debarring is an admonition for whoever of you believe in God and the Last Day because it is for the benefit of such a person; that refraining from debarring is purer for you better and cleaner for you and for them bearing in mind the suspicion that can be aroused by the couple on account of prior intimacy. God knows what is in your interest and you know not any of this so follow His commands.

Mothers shall suckle their children for two full years kāmilayn ‘two full ones’ is an adjective for emphasis; this is for such as desire to fulfil the suckling and this is the maximum length of time. It is for the father to provide food for them the mothers and clothe them during the suckling if they be divorced honourably to the best of his ability. No soul is charged save to its capacity its ability; a mother shall not be harmed by her child that is on account of the child by being forced to suckle it if she does not want to; neither should a father be harmed by his child that is on account of it by being charged with more than he is able to bear. The mention of both parents here in relation to the child is intended to show sympathy for both. The heir the one inheriting from his father that is the young man who is the trustee of his father’s property has a similar duty to that of the father in terms of providing sustenance and clothing for the other parent. But if the two parents desire by mutual consent agreement and consultation so that the child’s best interests are clear to wean that is to effect ablactation before the completion of the two-year period then they would not be at fault in this matter. And if you addressing the parents desire to seek nursing from other than the mothers for your children you would not be at fault in this respect provided you hand over to them what you have given what you intend to give them in the way of wages honourably in kindness and good nature; and fear God and know that God sees what you do and that nothing of it can be hidden from Him.

And those of you who pass away die leaving behind wives they shall wait by themselves after their death refraining from marriage for four months and ten nights this applies to women who are not pregnant. The waiting period in the case of pregnant women is for them to give birth — as stated by a verse in sūrat al-Talāq Q. 654. The slavegirl must wait for half this period of four months according to the Sunna; when they have reached completed their term of waiting then you would not be at fault O guardians regarding what they may do with themselves in the way of adorning themselves and offering themselves before suitors honourably in accordance with the Law; God is aware of what you do both secretly and openly.

You would not be at fault regarding the proposal with the intention of marriage you present offer or hide in your hearts during the waiting period to women whose spouses have died such as men saying ‘How beautiful you are!’ or ‘Who could find one like you?’ or ‘How many a man must desire you!’. God knows that you will be mindful of them in proposing to them impatiently and so He has permitted you to make such offers; but do not make arrangements of marriage with them secretly unless you speak honourable words such as are acknowledged by the Law in other words such as proposals that which is permitted to you. And do not resolve on the knot the consummation of marriage until that which is written the period prescribed has reached its term and has been completed; and know that God knows what is in your souls of resolve or otherwise; so be fearful of Him that He should chastise you if you have made such resolve; and know that God is Forgiving toward him who is fearful of Him Forbearing in delaying the chastisement of the one deserving it.

And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already appointed for them an obligation then one-half of what you have appointed must be given to them and the other half returns to you; unless it be that they the women make remission and forgo it or he makes remission by leaving her the entire amount the one in whose hand is the knot of marriage the husband to be or as Ibn ‘Abbās is reported to have said ‘The legal guardian where the female is a minor’; in which case nobody would be at fault; yet that you should remit wa-an ta‘fū is the subject is nearer to piety aqrabu li’l-taqwā is its predicate. Forget not kindness between you that is to be bountiful towards one another; surely God sees what you do and will requite you accordingly.

Maintain the five prayers by performing them at their appointed times and the middle prayer either that of the afternoon or the morning or the midday or another prayer there are many opinions on this matter; God has singled it out for mention because of its merit; and stand in prayer submissive to God li Lllāhi qānitīn some have said that this means ‘obedience’ on account of the Prophet s saying ‘Wherever the expression qunūt ‘submission’ appears in the Qur’ān it denotes obedience’ as reported by Ahmad b. Hanbal and others; it is also said to mean ‘in silence’ sākitīn on the basis of a hadīth of Zayd b. Arqam in which he said ‘We used to speak to each other sometimes during prayer but when this was revealed we were commanded to be silent and were forbidden to talk’ as reported by the two Shaykhs Bukhārī and Muslim.

And if you are in fear of an enemy or a torrent or a predatory animal then standing rijāl plural of rājil praying while walking or mounted rukbān plural of rākib. In other words in whichever way you can facing the direction of the qibla or otherwise making the gestures of genuflexion and prostration; but when you are secure from any fear then remember God by performing prayer as He taught you what you knew not before He taught you its obligations and its proper ways the particle kāf of ka-mā ‘as’ has the same meaning as mithl ‘like’ while the mā is related to the verbal action or is relative.

And those of you who die leaving wives let them make testament wasiyyatan or wasiyyatun for their wives as an obligation and give them provision what they can enjoy of property and clothes for until the completion of a year matā‘an ilā l-hawl ‘provision for a year’ is a circumstantial qualifier that is without expelling them from their habitations; but if they go forth of their own accord you would not be at fault you the guardians of the dead one regarding what they may do with themselves honourably in accordance with the Law such as adorning themselves or abandoning the mourning or that you should cut off their expenditure; God is Mighty in His Kingdom Wise in His actions. The testament mentioned here was abrogated by the ‘inheritance’ verse Q. 412 and the waiting of one year without expulsion was abrogated by the previous verse four months and ten Q. 2234 which was revealed later. In the opinion of al-Shāfi‘ī may God have mercy on him the habitation remains hers.