The Holy Quran 2:229 — Surah Al-Baqarah

Arabic text

ٱلطَّلَـٰقُ مَرَّتَانِ ۖ فَإِمْسَاكٌۢ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌۢ بِإِحْسَـٰنٍ ۗ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَأْخُذُوا۟ مِمَّآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّآ أَن يَخَافَآ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا فِيمَا ٱفْتَدَتْ بِهِۦ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا ۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ

Translation

Divorce (after which a husband can take his wife back without contracting a new marriage) is (pronounced) twice (clearly) after which (the woman) is either retained in good faith (without harming her) or released (from marriage) in kindness. (After divorce) It is not permissible for you (husbands) to take (back) anything from what you have given them (your wives) except (in the case) where both fear that they will not be able to keep within the limits of (the limits set by) Allaah. If you fear that they will not be able to keep within the limits of Allaah, then there shall be no sin for either of them should the woman ransom herself (by paying her husband to divorce her. It is wrong for the husband to demand an amount more than the dowry he paid to her). These are the limits that Allaah has set, so do not overstep them (do not oppose or change these laws). Those who overstep the limits of Allaah are indeed the oppressors (wrongdoers).

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

Only two divorces: before Islam it was the custom that a man would divorce his wife as many times as he liked, ten or twenty times, but before the end of the iddah (waiting period) he would take her back (raj'ah); then, whenever he wished, he would divorce her again and take her back again, and in this way some men tormented women greatly.

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