Tafsir of Surah At-Talaq Ayah 8-12 Warning to the Wrongdoers and Good News to the Obedient

 

65:8 How many a town insolently disobeyed the command of its Lord and His Messengers; and then We called it to a severe reckoning and punished it with a horrible punishment.

65:9 So it tasted the evil consequence of its affair and the end of its affair was loss.

65:10 Allah has prepared for them a horrible punishment. So fear Allah, O men of sound minds! O you who believe, Allah has revealed to you a reminder.

65:11 A Messenger reciting to you the revelation of Allah, containing clear guidance, that he may bring those who believe and perform righteous deeds out of the darkness to the light. And whoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which river flow, to dwell therein forever; He has made for him goodly provision.

65:12 It is Allah, Who created seven heavens and of the earth their like, between them the command descends, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah has encompasses all things with knowledge.

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part speaks about the rules of divorce and its waiting period, as well as the rights of divorced women. Then, this part warns of severe punishment for those who transgress the limits set by Allah. They shall suffer punishment similar to that which befell the former wrongdoers and disbelievers who disbelieved in their messengers. Then, it refers to the great ability of Allah and His perfect knowledge that encompasses all things.

Tafsir

65:8 How many a town insolently disobeyed the command of its Lord and His Messengers; and then We called it to a severe reckoning and punished it with a horrible punishment.

65:8 How many a town…

The reference is to the town's inhabitants, which is a method used by the Quran to refer to a place while the intended meaning is the condition of those in a specific place.

Many inhabitants of former towns insolently disobeyed the command of Allah and His Messengers; thus, they were severely punished. Allah precisely recorded their deeds, called them to a severe reckoning, and punished them with a horrible punishment.

65:9 So it tasted the evil consequence of its affair and the end of its affair was loss.

Therefore, the disobedient inhabitants of the former towns tasted the evil consequences of their insolence and disobedience to the commands of Allah and His Messengers, and loss was the end of their affairs, as they will suffer horrible torment in Hell.

65:10 Allah has prepared for them a horrible punishment. So fear Allah, O men of sound minds! O you who believe, Allah has revealed to you a reminder.

Allah has prepared for those people who insolently disobeyed Allah and His Messengers a horrible punishment in Hell on the Day of Judgment. So, O men of sound minds, who believe in the Oneness of Allah and His Messengers, fear Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Allah has revealed to you a reminder, the noble Quran, which Allah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad.

Calling the believers "men of sound minds" indicates that sound minds invite fear of Allah by obeying His commands, avoiding His prohibitions, and following the right path.

65:11 A Messenger reciting to you the revelation of Allah, containing clear guidance, that he may bring those who believe and perform righteous deeds out of the darkness to the light. And whoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which river flow, to dwell therein forever; He has made for him goodly provision.

O believers, fear Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Allah has revealed to you the noble Quran, which reminds you to perform righteous deeds for success in the life of this world and the Hereafter. Allah has also sent you His Messenger Muhammad to recite the revelation of the Quran, containing clear guidance and teachings. He has done so to bring those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and perform righteous deeds out of the darkness of disbelief into the light of belief in the Oneness of Allah.

And whoever believes in Allah and performs righteous deeds, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which river flow, to dwell therein forever; He has made for him goodly provision.

Whoever believes in the Oneness of Allah and performs righteous deeds for the sake of Allah, Allah will make him enter Gardens in Paradise underneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever by the bounty of Allah. Allah, the Generous, has made for the truthful believers goodly provision in Paradise and will give them what brings happiness and comfort to their hearts.

65:12 It is Allah, Who created seven heavens and of the earth their like, between them the command descends, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah has encompasses all things with knowledge.

Surah At-Talaq is concluded with what indicates the perfect ability of Allah and His infinite knowledge.

Allah, Exalted be He, informs about His perfect ability and great sovereignty to motivate souls to magnify the religion of Allah.

It is Allah Who created the seven heavens, one above the other, and created seven earths like them.

…between them the command descends, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah has encompasses all things with knowledge.

The commands, the rules, and the revelation of Allah descend between the heavens and the earth, so that people may know that Allah has power over all things and that His perfect knowledge encompasses all things in this universe.

The Learned Lessons from Surah At-Talaq Ayah 8-12

• Allah, Exalted be He, has warned against disobeying His commands by mentioning that the former disbelieving nations were severely punished for disobeying the commands of Allah and His Messengers.
• Allah has commanded those who are endowed with sound minds to fear Him by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.
• Allah has sent His Messenger Muhammad and revealed the Quran, containing all that people need to achieve success in the life of this world and the Hereafter.
• Allah is All-able. He will gather all people for reckoning on the Day of Judgment.
• Allah created the seven heavens and the seven earths. His perfect knowledge encompasses all things in this universe.

 

Tafsir of Surah At-Talaq Ayah 6–7 Maintenance of a Divorced Woman

 

65:6 Let them dwell where you dwell according to your means, and do not harass them to straiten their conditions. If they are pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth to their babies. And if they suckle your child, give them their compensation. And you should advise one another honorably and if you have a disagreement, then another woman may suckle for him.

65:7 Let one of vast means spend according to his vast means, and he whose means is limited, let him spend of what Allah has given him. Allah does not make a soul obliged beyond what He has given it. Surely, after hardship, Allah will bring ease.

Relationship with the Previous Part

The previous part mentions the waiting period of divorce for a menopausal woman, a young woman who does not menstruate, and a pregnant woman. Then, this part mentions the rights of the divorcée during the waiting period. It also mentions that the divorcée deserves a wage for breastfeeding her baby; however, if she does not want to breastfeed her baby, another woman may breastfeed him/her.

Tafsir

65:6 Let them dwell where you dwell according to your means, and do not harass them to straiten their conditions. If they are pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth to their babies. And if they suckle your child, give them their compensation. And you should advise one another honorably and if you have a disagreement, then another woman may suckle for him.

Allah, Exalted be He, has commanded the believers to treat their divorced wives kindly and has forbidden them from abusing them in any manner.

O believers, when you decide to divorce your wives, let them dwell where you dwell according to your means. Do not harass them to straiten their conditions or to deprive them of their rights. Do not prolong their waiting period of divorce or harass them in their dwelling in order to force them to waive their rights or leave their homes.

In other words, the husband should let his divorced wife dwell in a place whose conditions are similar to those of the dwelling in which he resides, according to his means and ability. He should not harass her concerning her dwelling or the granting of her rights in order to force her to leave her home or waive her rights. He should let her live in a dwelling until her waiting period ends without causing her any harm.

If they are pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth to their babies.

O believers, if the divorced woman is pregnant, her husband should spend on her until she gives birth to her baby.

And if they suckle your child, give them their compensation.

After mentioning the waiting period of the divorcées, surah at-Talaq discusses the rights of the divorcées after they give birth to their babies.

O believers, you should spend on your divorced women, whom you divorced irrevocably, until they give birth to their babies. After they give birth to their babies and are willing to breastfeed them, you should give them compensation for doing so.

The scholars deduced from this Ayah that if the mother who is divorced irrevocably demands to be paid for breastfeeding her baby, no one can prevent her from doing so. That is because she has more right than other women to breastfeed her baby, as she is very affectionate towards her baby. They also deduced that the father must spend on his children since he must pay for breastfeeding them; thus, all other expenses of the child shall have a similar rule.

And you should advise one another honorably and if you have a disagreement, then another woman may suckle for him.

This is advice to the parents to cooperate with one another concerning righteous matters.

O parents, you should advise one another honorably in order to achieve what serves your child's best interest. You should also advise one another to make the best decision concerning suckling, payment of compensation, and all issues related to your children. However, if you cannot reach an agreement—for example, if the father refuses to pay the compensation for suckling or the mother refuses to breastfeed her baby—you can find another woman to suckle the child, as it is impossible to leave the child hungry. The father should look for a woman to breastfeed the baby.

It should be noted that both the father and the mother should not be a cause of harm to their baby. Rather, they should do their best to achieve what brings comfort and happiness to their baby. Moreover, the father should not annoy the mother to the extent that she is forced to reject breastfeeding her baby.

65:7 Let one of vast means spend according to his vast means, and he whose means is limited, let him spend of what Allah has given him. Allah does not make a soul obliged beyond what He has given it. Surely, after hardship, Allah will bring ease.

Let one to whom Allah has given vast means spend according to the vast means that Allah has provided for him. He should not be stingy, which is an ugly trait, especially when it is practiced by a wealthy person. The fathers should spend generously on their dependents, especially their children and their divorced wives who breastfeed their children.

And he whose means is limited, let him spend of what Allah has given him. Allah does not make a soul obliged beyond what He has given it.

Let one to whom Allah has given limited means of sustenance spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does not make a soul obliged beyond what He has given it. If one has vast means of sustenance, let him spend generously on his dependents. On the other hand, if one has limited means of sustenance, let him spend according to his means. Allah is merciful and does not oblige a soul to do anything beyond its capability.

Surely, after hardship, Allah will bring ease.

This is good news for those who comply with the commands of Allah. Surely, after hardship and difficulty, Allah will bring ease and comfort. Allah will bring ease after affliction and, out of His mercy and generosity, will bring wealth after poverty.

The Learned Lessons from Surah At-Talaq Ayah 6–7

• Providing a dwelling for the divorced woman is obligatory on the husband; however, it shall be according to his means and ability, as Allah does not oblige a soul beyond its capability. The husband is also obliged to spend on his divorced wife during the waiting period of divorce.
• It is prohibited to harass or annoy the divorced wife in any manner.
• It is obligatory on the husband to provide a dwelling and spend on his pregnant, divorced wife until she gives birth to the baby.
• The fathers are obliged to give compensation to their divorced wives if they breastfeed their babies. The husband shall not bring another woman to breastfeed the baby as long as its mother agrees to do so. However, if the mother refuses to breastfeed her baby, the husband can bring another woman to do so.
• The father is obliged to spend on his wife and his children according to his means.
• The husbands and the wives should advise one another honorably if the divorce takes place in all matters.
• Allah does not oblige any soul beyond its means. Accordingly, the wealthy shall spend according to their means, and the poor shall spend according to their means.
• Allah is merciful; surely, Allah will bring ease and comfort after hardship and affliction.
  
  

 

Tafsir of Surah At-Talaq Ayah 4–5 The Waiting Period of a Menopausal Woman and a Little Woman

 

65:4 And those of your women, who have passed the age of menstruation, if you are unsure, their waiting period is three months and those who have not menstruated too, and the pregnant, their waiting period, is until they give birth. And whoever fears Allah, Allah will make his affair easy for him.

65:5 That is the command of Allah; He has revealed to you. And whoever fears Allah, He shall absolve him of his sins and grant him a great reward.

Relationship with the Previous Part

In the previous part, Allah instructed the believers on the correct method to follow when deciding to divorce their wives. This part then explains the waiting period of divorce for a menopausal woman and a little woman who does not menstruate. Their waiting period of divorce is three months. Furthermore, this part mentions the waiting period of divorce for a pregnant woman, which ends when she gives birth to her baby.

Tafsir

65:4 And those of your women, who have passed the age of menstruation, if you are unsure, their waiting period is three months and those who have not menstruated too, and the pregnant, their waiting period, is until they give birth. And whoever fears Allah, Allah will make his affair easy for him.

O believers, Allah has informed you of the waiting period of divorce for menstruating women. As for menopausal women and little women who do not menstruate, their waiting period of divorce is three months if you are unsure how long their waiting period should be.

And the pregnant, their waiting period, is until they give birth.

The waiting period of divorce for pregnant women ends when they give birth to their babies. This is a general rule that includes all pregnant women, whether they are divorced or their husbands have died.

And whoever fears Allah, Allah will make his affair easy for him.

This Ayah repeats the command to fear Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions.

Whoever fears Allah, Allah will make his affairs easy for him. He will make the hardest matter easy for him, for Allah, Exalted be He, has control over all things in this universe, and nothing can stand before His perfect ability and will.

65:5 That is the command of Allah; He has revealed to you. And whoever fears Allah, He shall absolve him of his sins and grant him a great reward.

The aforementioned rules regarding the waiting period of divorce are the commands of Allah, which He revealed to the believers so that they may know them and comply with their dictates. Whoever fears Allah in all his affairs by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, Allah shall absolve him of his sins and forgive him, and He shall grant him a great reward on the Day of Judgment.

The Learned Lessons from Surah At-Talaq Ayah 4–5

• The waiting period of divorce for a menopausal woman and a little woman who does not menstruate is three months.
• The waiting period for a pregnant woman ends when she gives birth to her baby, whether she is divorced or a widow.
• Whoever fears Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, Allah, out of His bounty, will make his affairs easy for him and guide him to the right path.
• The rules related to divorce and the waiting period of women are commands of Allah that He revealed to people so that they may comply with them.