The Holy Quran 4:20 — Surah An-Nisa

Arabic text

وَإِنْ أَرَدتُّمُ ٱسْتِبْدَالَ زَوْجٍ مَّكَانَ زَوْجٍ وَءَاتَيْتُمْ إِحْدَىٰهُنَّ قِنطَارًا فَلَا تَأْخُذُوا۟ مِنْهُ شَيْـًٔا ۚ أَتَأْخُذُونَهُۥ بُهْتَـٰنًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا

Translation

If you intend to change one wife for another when you have given one of them a fortune, then do not take anything from it (from what you have given the first wife). Would you take it by slander (by falsely accusing her) and (by carrying out) a great sin? (This should never be.)

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

Treatment of the first wife: before Islam it also used to happen that when someone wished to leave his first wife and marry another woman, he would slander the first wife and treat her with excess and harshness in various ways, so that, being compelled, she would return the mahr (bridal gift) and it would serve for the new marriage.

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