Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 226

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those who swear to abstain from their wives have four months of waiting. Therefore, if they revert back, Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Those who swear not to have intercourse with their wives must wait for four months.[[ This ruling is called ilâ'. Ilâ' means that a husband vows not to be intimate with his wife because of a dispute or any other legitimate reason. The verse here says if it is four months or less and the husband keeps his vow, then he does not have to make up for breaking his vow (by feeding ten poor people, or fasting three days), otherwise he will need to make up for breaking his vow. If the vow is made for over four months, the wife has the right to seek divorce after four months. Ilâ' should be avoided altogether since it deprives the wife of her right to sexual satisfaction. Instead, counselling is a better alternative at the time of dispute. ]] If they change their mind, then Allah is certainly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Ruwwad Translation Center

For those who swear not to have intercourse with their wives is a waiting period of four months. Should they then return [to each other], then Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

A. J. Arberry

For those who forswear their women a wait of four months; if they revert, God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate;

Abdul Haleem

For those who swear that they will not approach their wives, there shall be a waiting period of four months:if they go back, remember God will be most forgiving and merciful,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

For those who swear off from their wives is a awaiting of four months; then if they go back, verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

For those who take an oath for abstention from their wives, a waiting for four months is ordained; if then they return, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

Abul Ala Maududi

Those who take an oath to keep apart from their wives are given four months (for a final decision), Then if they resume their relations, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Ahmed Ali

Those who swear to keep away from their wives (with intent of divorcing them) have four months of grace; then if they reconcile (during this period), surely God is forgiving and kind.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Those who swear not to touch their wives have four months’ time; so if they turn back during this period, indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Ali Quli Qarai

For those who forswear their wives shall be a waiting [period]of four months. And if they recant, Allah is indeed all-forgiving, all-merciful.

Ali Ünal

For those who vow abstinence from their wives there is a respite of four months. Then, if they go back on their vow (within this period by atoning), then surely God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Those who vow (to abstain) from their wives, (the maximum) period of waiting (for them) is four months (after which divorce becomes inevitable), then if they (are reconciled within four months and) revert (to their normal relations), then, surely, Allâh is Great Protector, Ever Merciful.

English Literal

For those who swear away from their women (wives), waiting four months, so if they returned , so that God (is) forgiving, most merciful.

Faridul Haque

Those who swear not to touch their wives have four months’ time; so if they turn back during this period, indeed Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Hamid S. Aziz

Those who take an oath of abstention from their wives, they must wait four months; but if they break their vow Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Hilali & Khan

Those who take an oath not to have sexual relation with their wives must wait four months, then if they return (change their idea in this period), verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Those who swear that they will not go in to their wives should wait four months; then if they go back, Allah is surely Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Those who swear that they will not go in to their wives should wait four months; so if they go back, then Allah is surely Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who forswear their wives must wait four months; then, if they change their mind, lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Muhammad Sarwar

Those who swear by God not to ever have any carnal relations with their wives (will not be punished), if they decide to resume marital relations again within four months. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.

Qaribullah & Darwish

For those who swear a wait of four months from their women, if they revert, Allah is Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Those who take an oath not to have sexual relation with their wives must wait for four months, then if they return, verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Wahiduddin Khan

For those who swear that they will not approach their wives, there shall be a waiting period of four months: if they revert to conciliation, surely, God is most forgiving and ever merciful;

Talal Itani

Those who vow abstinence from their wives must wait for four months. But if they reconcile—God is Forgiving and Merciful.

Tafsir jalalayn

For those who forswear their women, by swearing that they will not have sexual intercourse with them, a wait of four months; if they revert, back from the oath, or repeal it and resume sexual relations, God is Forgiving, of the harm they caused their women by swearing, Merciful, to them.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Ila' and its Rulings

Allah says;

لِّلَّذِينَ يُوْلُونَ مِن نِّسَأيِهِمْ تَرَبُّصُ أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْهُرٍ فَإِنْ فَأوُوا فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ



Those who take an oath not to have sexual relation with their wives must wait for four months, then if they return, verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Ila' is a type of vow where a man swears not to sleep with his wife for a certain period, whether less or more than four months. If the vow of Ila' was for less than four months, the man has to wait for the vow's period to end and then is allowed to have sexual intercourse with his wife. She has to be patient and she cannot ask her husband, in this case, to end his vow before the end of its term.

It is reported in the Two Sahihs that Aishah said that;

Allah's Messenger swore he would stay away from with his wives for a month. He then came down after twenty-nine days saying;

الشَّهْرُ تِسْعٌ وَعِشْرُون

The (lunar) month is twenty-nine days.

Similar was narrated by Umar bin Al-Khattab and reported in the Two Sahihs.

If the period of Ila' is for more than four months, the wife is allowed in this case to ask her husband, upon the end of the four months, to end the Ila' and have sexual relations with her. Otherwise, he should divorce her, by being forced to do so by the authorities if necessary, so that the wife is not harmed.

Allah said;

لِّلَّذِينَ يُوْلُونَ مِن نِّسَأيِهِمْ

Those who take an oath not to have sexual relations with their wives,

meaning, swear not to have sexual relations with the wife.

This Ayah indicates that the Ila' involves the wife and not a slave-women, as the majority of the scholars have agreed,

تَرَبُّصُ أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْهُرٍ
must wait for four months,

meaning, the husband waits for four months from the time of the vow and then ends the Ila' (if the vow was for four or more months) and is required to either return to his wife or divorce her.

This is why Allah said next;

فَإِنْ فَأوُوا
then if they return,

meaning, to a normal relationship, having sexual intercourse with the wife.

This is the Tafsir of Ibn Abbas, Masruq, Ash-Sha`bi, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ibn Jarir.

فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ


verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

with any shortcomings that occurred in the rights of the wife because of the vow of Ila'.

Allah said;

وَإِنْ عَزَمُواْ الطَّلَقَ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ