Quran 2:231 — Al-Baqara, verse 231
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
When you divorce women and they have reached their set time, then either keep or release them in a fair manner. Do not hold on to them with intent to harm them and commit aggression: anyone who does this wrongs himself. Do not make a mockery of God’s revelations; remember the favour He blessed you with, and the Scripture and wisdom He sent to teach you. Be mindful of God and know that He has full knowledge of everything.
وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِتَعْتَدُوا ۚ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا آيَاتِ اللَّهِ هُزُوًا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ يَعِظُكُمْ بِهِ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
wa-idhā ṭallaqtumu l-nisāa fabalaghna ajalahunna fa-amsikūhunna bimaʿrūfin aw sarriḥūhunna bimaʿrūfin walā tum'sikūhunna ḍirāran litaʿtadū waman yafʿal dhālika faqad ẓalama nafsahu walā tattakhidhū āyāti l-lahi huzuwan wa-udh'kurū niʿ'mata l-lahi ʿalaykum wamā anzala ʿalaykum mina l-kitābi wal-ḥik'mati yaʿiẓukum bihi wa-ittaqū l-laha wa-iʿ'lamū anna l-laha bikulli shayin ʿalīmun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, then retain them honourably or set them free honourably; do not retain them by force, to transgress; whoever does that has wronged himself. Take not God's signs in mockery, and remember God's blessing upon you, and the Book and the Wisdom He has sent down on you, to admonish you. And fear God, and know that God has knowledge of everything.
- Muhammad Asad
- And so, when you divorce women and they are about to reach the end of their waiting-term, then either retain them in a fair manner or let them go in a fair manner. But do not retain them against their will in order to hurt [them]: for he who does so sins indeed against himself. And do not take [these] messages of God in a frivolous spirit; and remember the blessings with which God has graced you, and all the revelation and the wisdom which He has bestowed on you from on high in order to admonish you thereby; and remain conscious of God, and know that God has full knowledge of everything.
- Sahih International
- And when you divorce women and they have [nearly] fulfilled their term, either retain them according to acceptable terms or release them according to acceptable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the verses of Allāh in jest. And remember the favor of Allāh upon you and what has been revealed to you of the Book [i.e., the Qur’ān] and wisdom [i.e., the Prophet's sunnah] by which He instructs you. And fear Allāh and know that Allāh is Knowing of all things.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَإِذَاwa-idhā | And when | — |
| 2 | طَلَّقْتُمُṭallaqtumu | you divorce | طلق |
| 3 | ٱلنِّسَآءَl-nisāa | the women | نسو |
| 4 | فَبَلَغْنَfabalaghna | and they reach | بلغ |
| 5 | أَجَلَهُنَّajalahunna | their (waiting) term | أجل |
| 6 | فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّfa-amsikūhunna | then retain them | مسك |
| 7 | بِمَعْرُوفٍbimaʿrūfin | in a fair manner | عرف |
| 8 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 9 | سَرِّحُوهُنَّsarriḥūhunna | release them | سرح |
| 10 | بِمَعْرُوفٍۢ ۚbimaʿrūfin | in a fair manner | عرف |
| 11 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 12 | تُمْسِكُوهُنَّtum'sikūhunna | retain them | مسك |
| 13 | ضِرَارًۭاḍirāran | (to) hurt | ضرر |
| 14 | لِّتَعْتَدُوا۟ ۚlitaʿtadū | so that you transgress | عدو |
| 15 | وَمَنwaman | And whoever | — |
| 16 | يَفْعَلْyafʿal | does | فعل |
| 17 | ذَٰلِكَdhālika | that | — |
| 18 | فَقَدْfaqad | then indeed | — |
| 19 | ظَلَمَẓalama | he wronged | ظلم |
| 20 | نَفْسَهُۥ ۚnafsahu | himself | نفس |
| 21 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 22 | تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟tattakhidhū | take | أخذ |
| 23 | ءَايَـٰتِāyāti | (the) Verses | أيي |
| 24 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 25 | هُزُوًۭا ۚhuzuwan | (in) jest | هزأ |
| 26 | وَٱذْكُرُوا۟wa-udh'kurū | and remember | ذكر |
| 27 | نِعْمَتَniʿ'mata | (the) Favors | نعم |
| 28 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 29 | عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykum | upon you | — |
| 30 | وَمَآwamā | and what | — |
| 31 | أَنزَلَanzala | (is) revealed | نزل |
| 32 | عَلَيْكُمʿalaykum | to you | — |
| 33 | مِّنَmina | of | — |
| 34 | ٱلْكِتَـٰبِl-kitābi | the Book | كتب |
| 35 | وَٱلْحِكْمَةِwal-ḥik'mati | and [the] wisdom | حكم |
| 36 | يَعِظُكُمyaʿiẓukum | He instructs you | وعظ |
| 37 | بِهِۦ ۚbihi | with it | — |
| 38 | وَٱتَّقُوا۟wa-ittaqū | And fear | وقي |
| 39 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 40 | وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟wa-iʿ'lamū | and know | علم |
| 41 | أَنَّanna | that | — |
| 42 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah (is) | أله |
| 43 | بِكُلِّbikulli | of every | كلل |
| 44 | شَىْءٍshayin | thing | شيأ |
| 45 | عَلِيمٌۭʿalīmun | All-Knower | علم |