The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 374
CH. 2 R. 30. AL-BAQARAH PT. 2 وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلا And when you divorce. 233 women and they reach the end تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَنْ يَنْكِحْنَ اَزْوَاجَهُنَّ إِذَا of their period, prevent them not تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ذَلِكَ يُوْعَظُ بِهِ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللهِ from marrying their husbands, if they agree between themselves in a decent manner. This is an admonition for him وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكُمْ أَزْكَى لَكُمْ among you who believes in Allah and the Last Day. It is وَأَطْهَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ more blessed for you and purer and Allah knows but you do not know. 239 He is not allowed to maltreat her and keep her in a state of suspense. The concluding part of the verse warns the husband against making light of the commandments of Allah relating to the rights of women, adding that, God being All-Knowing, even the hidden intentions and secret machinations of man are known to Him. 239. Important Words: (prevent them not) is derived from. They say hi. e. he prevented or debarred her from marrying. The primary signification of is the act of straitening or preventing, or withholding or debarring. means, he straitened him in his affairs and intervened as an obstacle between him and that which he desired (Tāj). (agree between themselves) is derived from i. e. he was pleased, or he was satisfied, or he agreed. القوم means, the people agreed between themselves, or they came to a mutual agreement (Aqrab). 374 or 53 (more blessed) is derived from 6; which means, it increased augmented; it received blessing from God; it was or became pure. means, more blessed, containing greater benefits, conducive to more good (Aqrab). Commentary: The word "husbands" mentioned in this verse may refer either to former husbands or to prospective ones. In the former case, the clause, and when you divorce women, would be taken as referring to the first or second pronouncement of divorce. Sometimes, when a husband desires to take back his wife before pronouncing the third or irrevocable divorce, her offended relatives do not like her to go back to him again and therefore try to prevent her from remarrying him. The verse condemns that practice. In case the word "husbands" stands for prospective husbands, the above phrase would