There is no blame upon you if you divorce women you have not touched nor specified for them an obligation. But give them [a gift of] compensation - the wealthy according to his capability and the poor according to his capability - a provision according to what is acceptable, a duty upon the doers of good.(236)
Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 236 (2:236)
ٱلْبَقَرَة
لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن طَلَّقْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ مَا لَمْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوْ تَفْرِضُوا۟ لَهُنَّ …
Quran 2:236 is ayah 236 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 2, on page 38 of the Madani Mushaf.
- Juz 2
- Hizb 4
- Page 38
- Ruku 31
- Revealed Medina
Word by word
- لَّاlā(There is) no
- جُنَاحَjunāḥablame
- عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumupon you
- إِنinif
- طَلَّقْتُمُṭallaqtumuyou divorce
- ٱلنِّسَآءَl-nisāa[the] women
- مَاmāwhom
- لَمْlamnot
- تَمَسُّوهُنَّtamassūhunnayou have touched
- أَوْawnor
- تَفْرِضُوا۟tafriḍūyou specified
- لَهُنَّlahunnafor them
- فَرِيضَةً ۚfarīḍatanan obligation (dower)
- وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّwamattiʿūhunnaAnd make provision for them
- عَلَىʿalāupon
- ٱلْمُوسِعِl-mūsiʿithe wealthy
- قَدَرُهُۥqadaruhuaccording to his means
- وَعَلَىwaʿalāand upon
- ٱلْمُقْتِرِl-muq'tirithe poor
- قَدَرُهُۥqadaruhuaccording to his means
- مَتَٰعًۢاmatāʿana provision
- بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖbil-maʿrūfiin a fair manner
- حَقًّاḥaqqana duty
- عَلَىʿalāupon
- ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَl-muḥ'sinīnathe good-doers
Tafsir (commentary) of 2:236
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Divorce before consummating the Marriage
Allah allowed divorce after the marriage contract and before consummating the marriage. Ibn `Abbas, Tawus, Ibrahim and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that `touched' (mentioned in the Ayah) means sexual intercourse. The husband is allowed to divorce his wife before consummating the marriage or giving the dowry if it was deferred.
The Mut`ah (Gift) at the time of Divorce
Allah commands the husband to give the wife (whom he divorces before consummating the marriage) a gift of a reasonable amount, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means, to compensate her for her loss. Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih that Sahl bin Sa`d and Abu Usayd said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ married Umaymah bint Sharahil. When she was brought to the Prophet he extended his hand to her, but she did not like that. The Prophet then ordered Abu Usayd to provide provisions for her along with a gift of two garments.