Read the Quran
- O Prophet! When any of you divorce your wives, divorce them during their period of purity and calculate the period carefully: be mindful of God, your Lord. Do not drive them out of their homes—nor should they themselves leave—unless they become openly guilty of immoral conduct. These are the bounds set by God. He who transgresses God’s bounds wrongs his own soul. You never know, after that, God may well bring about some new situation.
- And when their waiting term is ended, either keep them honourably or part with them in honour. Call to witness two reliable men from among you and bear true witness for God. This is an admonishment for those who believe in God and the Last Day. To one who fears God, He will grant a way out [of his difficulties],
- and God will provide for him from an unexpected source; God suffices for anyone who puts his trust in Him. God will surely bring about what He decrees. He has set a measure for all things.
- In the case of those of your wives who have passed the age of menstruation, if you have any doubt, know that their waiting period is three months; and that will apply likewise to those who have not yet menstruated; the waiting period of those who are pregnant will be until they deliver their burden [give birth]. God makes things easy for those who are mindful of Him.
- Such is the commandment which God has revealed to you. He who fears God shall be forgiven his sins and richly rewarded.
- Let the women [who are undergoing a waiting period] live in the same manner as you live yourselves, in accordance with your means; and do not harass them in order to make their lives difficult. If they are pregnant, maintain them until they give birth; if they suckle your infants, pay them for it; discuss things among yourselves in all decency—if you cannot bear with each other, let another woman suckle for you—
- let the man of means spend in accordance with his means; and let him whose resources are restricted, spend in accordance with what God has given him. God does not burden any person with more than He has given him. God will soon bring about ease after hardship.
- How many a town rebelled against the commands of its Lord and His messengers and We called them sternly to account and punished them severely,
- so they tasted the evil consequences of their conduct and the result of their conduct was ruin.
- God has prepared a severe punishment for them. So, fear God, O men of understanding, who have believed. God has sent down to you a Reminder
- and a messenger who conveys to you God’s clear messages, so that he might lead those, who believe and do good deeds, out of darkness into light. God will admit those who believe in Him and do good deeds into Gardens with rivers flowing through them, where they will remain forever. God has indeed made excellent provision for them.
- It is God who created the seven heavens and the same number of earths. His commandment descends among them, so that you may know that God has power over all things; and that He encompasses all things with His knowledge.
65:1-3
Divorce is permitted in Islam in exceptional situations and a procedure has been prescribed for it which must be completed within a specific period. In this way the process of divorce has been subjected to certain conditions. The purpose of these limitations is that, till the last moment, the parties should have the opportunity for rapprochement, and the divorce should not create any disturbance in the family or society. Divorce is endorsed by Islam provided that, during the process, a God-fearing spirit is prevalent throughout.
65:4-5
The Shariah has subjected man to some regulations in respect of divorce and other matters. These regulations are apparently restrictive of man’s free nature. But, in reality, these are blessings. The advantage of these regulations is that man is saved from many unnecessary and avoidable harms. Furthermore, the system of this world is so framed that every harm is compensated for in some way or the other. However, such compensation is available only to individuals who do not go beyond the sphere of nature.
65:6-7
Islam requires the individual to adopt the way of broad-mindedness and open-heartedness towards others, even at times of such difficult decisions as divorce. He should patiently tolerate such behaviour in others as goes against his nature and discharge his duties towards them in spite of unpleasantness on their part. When a man acts in this way, he does good not only to the other party but also to himself. In this way he creates a realistic nature within himself. And a realistic temperament is undoubtedly the most important factor in achieving success in this world.
65:8-10
‘So, fear God, O men of understanding.’ This statement indicates that the fountainhead of piety (taqwa) is the mind. Only by using his wisdom and consciousness does a man achieve that status which is called (taqwa) in the Islamic law.
65:11
God sent His messenger ‘so that he might lead those, who have attained to faith and do good deeds, out of darkness into light.’ This statement at this juncture relates to family laws. In ancient times, superstition prevailed throughout the world. Different types of superstitious beliefs had caused the relations between man and woman to rest on an unnatural basis. The Quran banished these superstitions, and re-established the relations between men and women on a natural basis. Despite this, there are people who do not adopt the way of reform, and who can, therefore, expect nothing but loss on God’s earth.
65:12
‘It is God who created the seven heavens and the same number of earths’. This statement may refer to seven earths, but astronomy has not been able to discover this number. According to human knowledge (till the date of this writing) the present earth is an exception in this whole universe. Therefore, God knows the real meaning of this verse. So that you may know that God has power over all things’. This indicates that what God truly requires of man is ‘knowledge’ i.e. the consciousness of God’s Being. This vast system of the universe has been brought into being in order to make man recognise the Creator through it and have a deep and inner realisation of God’s immense Power.
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