Surah 65. At-Talaq

[Hence,] let the women [who are undergoing a waiting-period] live in the same manner as you live yourselves¹² in accordance with your means; and do not harass them with a view to making their lives a misery. And if they happen to be with child, spend freely on them until they deliver their burden; and if they nurse your offspring [after the divorce has become final], give them their [due] recompense; and take counsel with one another in a fair manner [about the child's future]. And if both of you find it difficult [that the mother should nurse the child],¹³ let another woman nurse it on behalf of him [who has begotten it].¹⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "let them dwell wherever you dwell" - i.e., tropically, "let them share fully your standard of living".

E.g., for reasons of her health, or because she intends to remarry, etc.

I.e., at the father's expense: see 2:233 and the corresponding notes [219] and [220].

Let those women, during their waiting period ('Iddat), live where you yourselves live according to your means. You shall not harass them so as to make life intolerable for them. If they are pregnant, maintain them until their delivery: and if, after that, they suckle your offspring, compensate them and settle the matter of compensation with mutual consultation and in all fairness. But if you cannot bear with each other then let another woman suckle the baby for you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Let them live where you live 'during their waiting period', according to your means. And do not harass them to make their stay unbearable. If they are pregnant, then maintain them until they deliver. And if they nurse your child,¹ compensate them, and consult together courteously. But if you fail to reach an agreement, then another woman will nurse 'the child' for the father.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 After the divorce is finalized.

Lodge them where ye dwell, according to your wealth, and harass them not so as to straiten life for them. And if they are with child, then spend for them till they bring forth their burden. Then, if they give suck for you, give them their due payment and consult together in kindness; but if ye make difficulties for one another, then let some other woman give suck for him (the father of the child).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Let the women live (in 'iddah) in the same style as ye live according to your means: annoy them not so as to restrict them. And if they carry (life in their wombs) then spend (your substance) on them until they deliver their burden: and if they suckle your (offspring) give them their recompense: and take mutual counsel together according to what is just and reasonable. And if ye find yourselves in difficulties let another woman suckle (the child) on the (father's) behalf. ^{5516 5517 5518 5519}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. n. 5507 above. A selfish man, because he has divorced his wife, may, in the probationary period before the divorce becomes absolute, treat her with contumely, and while giving her residence and maintenance, may so restrict it as to make her life miserable. This is forbidden. She must be provided on the same scale as he is, according to his status in life. There is still hope of reconciliation, and if not, yet the parting must be honourable.

If there is pregnancy, a sacred third life comes on the scene, for which there is added responsibility (perhaps added hope of reconciliation) for both parents. In any case no separation is possible until after the child is born. Even after birth, if no reconciliation between parents is possible, yet for the nursing of the child and for its welfare the care of the mother remains the duty of the father, and there must be mutual counsel between him and the mother in all truth and sincerity.

"If ye find yourselves in difficulties": e.g., if the mother's milk fails, or if her health fails, or if any circumstance arises which bars the natural course of the mother nursing her own child. There may be psychological difficulties also.

That is, the father must stand all expenses.

[In all these respects,] let him who has ample means spend in accordance with¹⁵ his amplitude; and let him whose means of subsistence are scanty spend in accordance with what God has given him: God does not burden any human being with more than He has given him - [and it may well be that] God will grant, after hardship, ease.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "out of".

Let the rich man give according to his means, and the poor man give according to what Allah has given him. Allah does not charge a man with more than He has given him; soon Allah may bring ease after hardship.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Let the man of wealth provide according to his means. As for the one with limited resources, let him provide according to whatever Allah has given him. Allah does not require of any soul beyond what He has given it. After hardship, Allah will bring about ease.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Let him who hath abundance spend of his abundance, and he whose provision is measured, let him spend of that which Allah hath given him. Allah asketh naught of any soul save that which He hath given it. Allah will vouchsafe, after hardship, ease.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Let the man of means spend according to his means: and the man whose resources are restricted let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. After a difficulty Allah will soon grant relief. ⁵⁵²⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We must trust in Allah, and do whatever is possible for us in the interests of the young life for which we are responsible. We must not be frightened by difficulties. Allah will give us relief and provide a solution if we act with honest integrity. Cf. xciv. 5-6.

AND HOW MANY a community has turned with disdain from the commandment of its Sustainer and His apostles!¹⁶ - whereupon We called them all to account with an accounting severe, and caused them to suffer with a suffering unnameable:

  - Mohammad Asad

This connects with, and stresses, the fact that all the preceding injunctions are divinely ordained.

How many townships have rebelled against the commandments of their Rabb and His Rasools! Stern was Our reckoning with them and exemplary was Our punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Imagine' how many societies rebelled against the commandments of their Lord and His messengers, so We called each 'society' to a severe account and subjected them to a horrible punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And how many a community revolted against the ordinance of its Lord and His messenger, and we called it to a stern account and punished it with dire punishment,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

How many populations that insolently opposed the command of their Lord and of His apostles did We not then call to account to severe account? And We imposed on them an exemplary Punishment. ^{5521 5522}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Insolent impiety consists not only in the breach of the rites of religion. Even more vital is the defiance of the laws of nature which Allah has made for us. These laws, for us human beings include those which relate to our fellow-beings in society to whom kindness and consideration form the basis of our social duties. Our duties to our families and our children in intimate matters such as were spoken of in the last Section, are as important as any in our spiritual life. Peoples who forgot the moral law in marriage or family life perished in this world and will have no future in the Hereafter. The lessons apply not only to individuals but to whole nations or social groups.

This refers to the present life: apparently the Hereafter is implied in verse 10 below.

and thus they had to taste the evil outcome of their own doing:¹⁷ for, [in this world,] the end of their doings was ruin,

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [4] on 64:5 .

So they tasted the fruit of their misdeeds, and the fruit of their misdeeds was perdition.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So they tasted the evil consequences of their doings, and the outcome of their doings was 'total' loss.

  - Mustafa Khattab

So that it tasted the ill effects of its conduct, and the consequence of its conduct was loss.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then did they taste the evil result of their conduct and the End of their conduct was Perdition.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[the while] God has readied for them [yet more] suffering severe [in the life to come]. Hence, remain conscious of God, O you who are endowed with insight - [you] who have attained to faith! God has indeed bestowed on you reminder from on high:

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah has prepared for them a severe punishment in the Hereafter. Therefore, fear Allah! O men of understanding and faith. Allah has indeed sent down to you an admonition;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah has 'also' prepared for them a severe punishment. So fear Allah, O people of reason and faith. Allah has indeed revealed to you a Reminder,¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This is one of the names of the Quran.

Allah hath prepared for them stern punishment; so keep your duty to Allah, O men of understanding! O ye who believe! Now Allah hath sent down unto you a reminder,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah has prepared for them a severe Punishment (in the Hereafter). Therefore fear Allah O ye men of understanding who have believed! for Allah hath indeed sent down to you a Message ^{5523 5524}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See last note.

There is no excuse for us to go astray, seeing that Allah in His infinite Mercy has explained to us His Message by His many Signs around us and clearly by means of the human Teachers and Messengers whom He has sent for our instruction: see next verse.

[He has sent] an apostle who conveys unto you God's clear messages, so that He might lead those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds out of the depths of darkness into the light. And whoever believes in God and does what is right and just, him will He admit into gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time: indeed, a most goodly provision will God have granted him!

  - Mohammad Asad

a Rasool reciting to you the revelations of Allah containing clear guidance, so that he may lead the believers who do good deeds from the darkness to the light. He that believes in Allah and does good deeds, shall be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever; and Allah has prepared an excellent provision for them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'and sent' a messenger reciting to you Allah's revelations, making things clear so that He may bring those who believe and do good out of darkness and into light. And whoever believes in Allah and does good will be admitted by Him into Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there for ever and ever. Allah will have indeed granted them an excellent provision.

  - Mustafa Khattab

A messenger reciting unto you the revelations of Allah made plain, that He may bring forth those who believe and do good works from darkness unto light. And whosoever believeth in Allah and doeth right, He will bring him into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, therein to abide for ever. Allah hath made good provision for him.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

An Apostle who rehearses to you the Signs of Allah containing clear explanations that he may lead forth those who believe and do righteous deeds from the depths of Darkness into Light. And those who believe in Allah and work righteousness He will admit to Gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein forever: Allah has indeed granted for them a most excellent provision. ⁵⁵²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxiv. 40: the unbelievers' state is "like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by dark clouds; depths of darkness, one above another." Cf. ii. 257; "Allah is the Protector of those who have Faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into light."

GOD is He who has created seven heavens,¹⁸ and, like them, [the many aspects] of the earth. Through all of them flows down from on high, unceasingly, His [creative] will,¹⁹ so that you might come to know that God has the power to will anything, and that God encompasses all things with His knowledge.

  - Mohammad Asad

See surah {2}, note [20].

Lit., "the command". The verbal form yatanazzalu implies recurrence and continuity; its combination with the noun al-amr reflects the concept of God's unceasing creative activity.

It is Allah Who has created seven heavens, and earths as many. His commandment descends through them, this is being explained to you, so that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah encompasses all things in His knowledge.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah is the One Who created seven heavens 'in layers', and likewise for the earth. The 'divine' command descends between them so you may know that Allah is Most Capable of everything and that Allah certainly encompasses all things in 'His' knowledge.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Allah it is who hath created seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof. The commandment cometh down among them slowly, that ye may know that Allah is Able to do all things, and that Allah surroundeth all things in knowledge.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them (all) descends His Command: that ye may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah comprehends all things in (His) Knowledge. ^{5526 5527 5528}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Seven Firmaments." (Cf. ii. 29; xvii. 44; xxiii- 86; and xli. 12.)

Literally: they are seven in number, each one separate from the other.

But in all spheres of life and Creation, whatever conception we are able to form of them, it is certain that the Command or Law of Allah runs through them all, for His knowledge and power extend through all things.