In such a case they may engage a foster-mother, to suckle their baby, but still the mother is to be paid for her legal and religious rights simply because by mutual consent she does not suckle the baby.
At the end of the verse there is a warning that the parties should appeal to Godliness and piety: ``And beware of Allah and know that Allah sees whatever you do.'' وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجاً يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُر وَعَشْراً فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيَما فَعَلْنَ فِي أَنفُسِهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَاللهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ(( 234 )) 234- AND AS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIE AND LEAVE WIVES BEHIND - THEY SHALL WAIT BY THEMSELVES FOR FOUR MONTHS AND TEN DAYS.
WHEN THEY HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR WAITING PERIODS, THERE IS NO FAULT IN YOU, IN WHAT THEY DO WITH THEMSELVES, IN A LAWFUL MANNER. AND ALLAH IS AWARE OF WHATEVER YOU DO.
وَلاَّ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيَما عَرَّضْتُم بِهِ مِنْ خِطْبَةِ الِنّسَآءِ أَوْ أَكْنَنتُمْ فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ عَلِمَ اللهُ أَنَّكُمْ سَتَذْكُرُونَهُنَّ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تُوَاعِدُوهُنَّ سِرّاً إِلاَّ أَن تَقُولُواْ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفاً وَلاَ تَعْزِمُواْ عُقْدَةَ النِّكَاحِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْكِتَـابُ أَجَلَهُ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ(( 235 )) 235- THERE IS NO GUILT ON YOU, IF YOU (INDIRECTLY) PROPOSE MARRIAGE TO SUCH WOMEN (WHOSE HUSBAND ARE [ 260 ] DEAD) OR CHERISH THEM IN YOUR HEARTS.
ALLAH KNOWS THAT YOU WILL SOON BE MINDFUL OF THEM. BUT DO NOT MAKE A SECRET CONTRACT (OF MARRIAGE) WITH THEM, EXCEPT IN HONOURABLE TERMS. AND DO NOT RESOLVE ON THE KNOT OF MARRIAGE, UNTIL THE BOOK HAS REACHED ITS TERM. (i.e. THEY HAVE REACHED THE END OF THE WAITING PERIODS) AND KNOW THAT ALLAH KNOWS WHAT IS IN YOUR HEARTS. THEN BEWARE OF HIM, AND KNOW THAT ALLAH IS FORGIVING, FORBEARING. THE COMMENTARY THE SUPERSTITIONS THAT RENDERED WOMEN HELPLESS (VERSE NO.
234.A great difficutly of women is their marriage with another man, when their husbands are dead. To observe the sanctity and respects of marriage is a matther of importance, even after the death of man, and therefore different clans, and tribes have their own rules and customs for that. Some of them have gone to such extremes, that practically keep their women in a heinous deadlock. Sometimes, these extravagances have led to the most annoying crimes in treating the women!