Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab Verse 49

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, when you marry the believing women, and then divorce them before you have touched them, then they have no obligation of any ‘iddah (waiting period) for you that you may count. So give them (due) benefits, and release them in a pleasant manner.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! If you marry believing women and then divorce them before you touch them,[[ Before the marriage is consummated.]] they will have no waiting period for you to count,[[ If divorce is pronounced after the consummation of marriage, a waiting period of three months is observed to give the couple a chance to get back together and to see if the wife is pregnant (see {65:4}). But if the divorce happens before the marriage is consummated, then there is no waiting period. ]] so give them a ˹suitable˺ compensation, and let them go graciously.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before the marriage is consummated, you have no reason to ask them to observe any waiting period, so give them a compensation and release them in a pleasant manner.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you touch them, you have no period to reckon against them; so make provision for them, and set them free with kindliness.

Abdul Haleem

Believers, you have no right to expect a waiting period when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them: make provision for them and release them in an honourable way.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O Ye who believe! when ye marry believing women and then divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no waiting-period from you incumbent on them that ye should count. So make provision for them and release them with a seemly release.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! When ye marry believing women, and then divorce them before ye have touched them, no period of 'Iddat have ye to count in respect of them; so give them a present. And set them free in a handsome manner.

Abul Ala Maududi

Believers, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, you may not require them to observe a waiting period that you might reckon against them. So make provision for them and release them in an honourable manner.

Ahmed Ali

O you who believe, when you marry believing women then divorce them before having (sexual) contact with them, you have no right to demand observance of the 'waiting period' of them. But provide suitably for them, and let them go with honour.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe! If you marry Muslim women and divorce them without having touched them, so for you there is no waiting period for the women, which you may count; therefore give them some benefit and release them with a proper release.

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! When you marry faithful women and then divorce them before you touch them, there shall be no period for you to reckon. But provide for them and release them in a graceful manner.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! When you have made a marriage contract with any of the believing women (including those belonging to the People of the Book), and then divorce them before you have touched them, you have no reason to ask them to observe any waiting-period for you. Make some provision for them and release them in fair manner.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Believers! when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have had access to them they are under no obligation to wait for `Iddat (- the prescribed period of waiting) that you count with regard to them (before they can marry). You had better give them some provision and send them away in a handsome manner.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, if you married the believers (F) then you divorced/freed them (F) from before that you touch them (F), so (there is) no term/counting (no waiting period) you count it, so give them alimony, and divorce/release them (F) beautifully divorce/release .

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe! If you marry Muslim women and divorce them without having touched them, so for you there is no waiting period for the women, which you may count; therefore give them some benefit and release them with a proper release.

Hamid S. Aziz

And incline not to the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Disregard their annoying talk, and rely on Allah; and Allah is sufficient as a Trustee.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! When you marry believing women, and then divorce them before you have sexual intercourse with them, no 'Iddah [divorce prescribed period, see (V. 65:4)] have you to count in respect of them. So give them a present, and set them free i.e. divorce, in a handsome manner.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and disregard their annoying talk, and rely on Allah. And Allah is enough as having charge (of affairs).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! when you marry the believing women, then divorce them before you touch them, you have in their case no term which you should reckon; so make some provision for them and send them forth a goodly sending forth.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe! If ye wed believing women and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon. But content them and release them handsomely.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, if you marry believing women and then divorce them before the consummation of the marriage, they do not have to observe the waiting period. Give them their provisions and set them free in an honorable manner.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Believers, if you marry believing women and divorce them before the marriage is consummated, you have no period to count against them. Provide for them and release them kindly.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! When you marry believing women, and then divorce them before you have sexual intercourse with them, no `Iddah have you to count in respect of them. So, give them a present, and set them free in a handsome manner.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, if you marry believing women, and divorce them before the marriage is consummated, you are not required to observe a waiting period: make provision for them and release them in an honourable way.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! When you marry believing women, but then divorce them before you have touched them, there is no waiting period for you to observe in respect to them; but compensate them, and release them in a graceful manner.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe if you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them (read tamasshunna or tumshunna) that is, before you have copulated with them, there shall be no [waiting] period for you to reckon against them, [no] waiting period [needed to preclude pregnancy] or otherwise. But provide for them, give them what they can use for [securing] comforts, in cases where no dowry has been fixed for them; otherwise theirs is to retain half of what was fixed, but no more -- this is what Ibn `Abbs said and it is [the opinion] followed by al-Shfi`'; and release them in a gracious manner, leave them be without [the intention to cause them any] harm.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

A Gift and no (Iddah) for Women Who are divorced before Consummation of the Marriage

Allah says;

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُوْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ

O you who believe!

When you marry believing women, and then divorce them before you have sexual intercourse with them,

This Ayah contains many rulings, including the use of the word Nikah for the marriage contract alone. There is no other Ayah in the Qur'an that is clearer than this on this point. It also indicates that it is permissible to divorce a woman before consummating the marriage with her.

الْمُوْمِنَاتِ
(believing women),

this refers to what is usually the case, although there is no difference between a believing (Muslim) woman and a woman of the People of the Book in this regard, according to scholarly consensus.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ali bin Al-Hussein Zayn-ul-Abidin and a group of the Salaf took this Ayah as evidence that divorce cannot occur unless it has been preceded by marriage, because Allah says,
إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُوْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ
(When you marry believing women, and then divorce them),

The marriage contract here is followed by divorce, which indicates that the divorce cannot be valid if it comes first.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"If someone were to say, `every woman I marry will ipso facto be divorced,' this does not mean anything, because Allah says;
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُوْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ
(O you who believe! When you marry believing women, and then divorce them....)."

It was also reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said;

"Allah said,
إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُوْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ
(When you marry believing women, and then divorce them), do you not see that divorce comes after marriage?"

A Hadith to the same effect was recorded from `Amr bin Shu`ayb from his father from his grandfather, who said;

"The Messenger of Allah said;

لَاا طَلَاقَ لاِابْنِ ادَمَ فِيمَا لَاا يَمْلِك

There is no divorce for the son of Adam with regard to that which he does not possess.

This was recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

At-Tirmidhi said, "This is a Hasan Hadith, and it is the best thing that has been narrated on this matter."

It was also recorded by Ibn Majah from Ali and Al-Miswar bin Makhramah, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah said;

لَاا طَلَاقَ قَبْلَ نِكَاح

There is no divorce before marriage.

Then Allah says;

فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا

no `Iddah have you to count in respect of them.

This is a command on which the scholars are agreed, that if a woman is divorced before the marriage is consummated, she does not have to observe the `Iddah (prescribed period for divorce) and she may go and get married immediately to whomever she wishes.

The only exception in this regard is a woman whose husband died, in which case she has to observe an `Iddah of four months and ten days even if the marriage was not consummated.

This is also according to the consensus of the scholars.

فَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ وَسَرِّحُوهُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلً



So, give them a present, and set them free in a handsome manner.

The present here refers to something more general than half of the named dowry or a special gift that has not been named.

Allah says;

وَإِن طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ

And if you divorce them before you have touched (had a sexual relation with) them, and you have fixed unto them their due (dowry) then pay half of that. (2;237)

And Allah says;

لااَّ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَأءَ مَا لَمْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوْ تَفْرِضُواْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَى الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَعَلَى الْمُقْتِرِ قَدْرُهُ مَتَـعاً بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُحْسِنِينَ

There is no sin on you, if you divorce women while yet you have not touched them, nor fixed unto them their due (dowry). But bestow on them gift, the rich according to his means, and the poor according to his means, a gift of reasonable amount is a duty on the doers of good. (2;236)

In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it was recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d and Abu Usayd, may Allah be pleased with them both, said,

"The Messenger of Allah married Umaymah bint Sharahil, and when she entered upon him he reached out his hand towards her, and it was as if she did not like that, so he told Abu Usayd to give her two garments."

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said

"If the dowry had been named, she would not be entitled to more than half, but if the dowry is not been named, he should give her a gift according to his means, and this is the "handsome manner.