And those of you who die and leave wives behind...

And those of you who die and leave wives behind, (make) a bequest in favor of their wives of maintenance for the year without turning (them) out, then if they themselves go away, there is no blame on you for what they do of proper deeds about themselves, and Allah is Mighty, Wise (240). And for the divorced women (too) provision (should be made) according to usage; (this is) a duty on those who guard (against evil) (241). Thus Allah makes clear to you His signs, so that you may understand (242).

**COMMENTARY ** These verses promulgate the laws concerning divorce and the period of waiting as well as about a divorcee suckling her child; in middle of it are some rules concerning prayer. QUR’AN: And the divorced women should keep themselves in waiting for three monthly periods: “at-Talaq" literally means to release from bonds, to remove the fetters.

Then it was metaphorically used for releasing the women from the tie of marriage, and it was so exclusively used in this sense that eventually it became its real meaning. “Yatarabbasna bi anfusihinna” (should keep themselves in waiting): at-tarabbus, is to wait, to hold back. This word is followed here by “bi anfusihinna “ (literal meaning = concerning their own selves) ; it thus gives the meaning that they should not attach themselves to any man.

In other words, it ordains the rule of al- ‘iddah (= waiting period) of divorce. “A woman is in al-‘iddah" means that she is holding herself back from marrying again, lest the sperm of the original and subsequent husbands be mixed, and genealogies and consanguinity be corrupted. The words “should keep themselves in waiting” thus not only legislate a law but also hint at its philosophy.

It is not necessary for that philosophy and benefit to be found in every individual case; the laws are made keeping in view the good of the majority of people, not all. The words thus mean: the divorced women should keep themselves in waiting, by not giving themselves to another husband, so that the sperm should not be mixed and consanguinity and parentage not corrupted. It is an order, but the sentence (in Arabic) is constructed as a statement. This form of expression is used for emphasis.

“al-Quru” is the plural of al-qur’. This is used for the monthly period and also for the period of cleanliness; and is, thus, a word made with two opposite meanings, as some people have said.