QUR'AN...

QUR'AN: and do not straiten them in order that you may take part of what you have given them, unless they are guilty of manifest indecency: The conjunctive, 'and', conjoins it either with the preceding : that you should inherit, (in which case it should be translated: nor that you should straiten them), or with: it is not lawful for you, (taking the negative present tense as equivalent to prohibitive mood).

al-'Adl (= to prevent, to straiten, to put in difficulty); al-fahishah indecency; it is mostly used for fornication al-mubayyanah (clear). Sibawayh has reportedly said that abana, istabana, bayyana, tabayyana all have the same meaning, and are used both as transitive and intransitive - all of them are used to say, for example: The thing became clear, or, I made the thing clear.

The verse makes it unlawful to put the wife in straitened condition - in any way - with intention of compelling her to pay back to the husband a part of dowry for dissolution of marriage-tie, so that she may extricate herself from that difficult life. Imposing such difficulties with this intention is unlawful for the husband.

Of course, if the wife commits manifest indecency, i.e., adultery, then he may put restrictions on her, keeping her in straitened condition, in order that she may pay him something to obtain divorce.

This verse is not in conflict with the verse 229 of the chapter of 'The Cow': and it is not lawful for you to take any part of what you have given them, unless both fear that they cannot keep within the limits of Allah; then if you fear that they cannot keep within the limits of Allah, there is no blame on them for what she gives up to become free thereby.

It is a specification; the verse of the chapter of 'The Women' specifies the one of the chapter of 'The Cow', by restricting it to the case of fornication. Moreover, the payment mentioned in the chapter of 'The Cow' refers to that which is given by mutual agreement, and that cannot particularize this verse.

QUR'AN: and live with them in a proper manner;… abundant good in it: "al-Ma'ruf’ is that thing or custom which people recognize in their social structure, which they do not reject or disapprove. As the order to live with them is qualified with al-ma'ruf, it tells men to live with women in a manner that is known and recognized by the society.