At-Talaq (ٱلطَّلَاق)

Surah At-Talaq, where Talaq means “Divorce,” is the 65th Surah in the Quran and can be found in 28th Juz. It has 12 verses divided into 2 Rukus, making it a small yet impactful Surah. The Surah was revealed to shed light and rulings on the social issue of divorce and the period after divorce. It delivers a powerful message for Muslims, being an essential guide on the respect of handling divorce, making it Halal, and defining ways that ease the life of both men and women in Islam.It focuses on maintaining respect, kindness, and justice in the sensitive matter of divorce. Surah Talaq was revealed in Madinah when a woman, Asma binte Yazid, came to Muhammad (S.A.W) with a concern regarding the treatment of women during and after divorce. This situation led to the revelation of this Surah, which provides clear guidance in this matter.

٦٥ - ٱلطَّلَاق

65 - At-Talaq

يٰۗاَيُّہَا النَّبِيُّ اِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاۗءَ فَطَلِّقُوْہُنَّ لِعِدَّتِہِنَّ وَاَحْصُوا الْعِدَّۃَ۝۰ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللہَ رَبَّكُمْ۝۰ۚ لَا تُخْرِجُوْہُنَّ مِنْۢ بُيُوْتِہِنَّ وَلَا يَخْرُجْنَ اِلَّاۗ اَنْ يَّاْتِيْنَ بِفَاحِشَۃٍ مُّبَـيِّنَۃٍ۝۰ۭ وَتِلْكَ حُدُوْدُ اؘ۝۰ۭ وَمَنْ يَّتَعَدَّ حُدُوْدَ اللہِ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَہٗ۝۰ۭ لَا تَدْرِيْ لَعَلَّ اللہَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ اَمْرًا۝۱
Ya ayyuha alnnabiyyu itha tallaqtumu alnnisaa fatalliqoohunna liAAiddatihinna waahsoo alAAiddata waittaqoo Allaha rabbakum la tukhrijoohunna min buyootihinna wala yakhrujna illa an yateena bifahishatin mubayyinatin watilka hudoodu Allahi waman yataAAadda hudooda Allahi faqad thalama nafsahu la tadree laAAalla Allaha yuhdithu baAAda thalika amran

English

Ahmed Ali

O PROPHET WHEN you divorce women, divorce them at their appointed period, and calculate that period, and fear God, your Lord. Do not expel them from their houses, nor should they go away themselves, unless they are openly guilty of adultery. These are the limits set by God. Any one who exceeds the limits set by God sins against his own self. You never know that God may perchance lead to a new situation after this.

1

فَاِذَا بَلَغْنَ اَجَلَہُنَّ فَاَمْسِكُوْہُنَّ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ اَوْ فَارِقُوْہُنَّ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ وَّاَشْہِدُوْا ذَوَيْ عَدْلٍ مِّنْكُمْ وَاَقِيْمُوا الشَّہَادَۃَ لِلہِ۝۰ۭ ذٰلِكُمْ يُوْعَظُ بِہٖ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللہِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ۝۰ۥۭ وَمَنْ يَّـتَّقِ اللہَ يَجْعَلْ لَّہٗ مَخْرَجًا۝۲ۙ
Faitha balaghna ajalahunna faamsikoohunna bimaAAroofin aw fariqoohunna bimaAAroofin waashhidoo thaway AAadlin minkum waaqeemoo alshshahadata lillahi thalikum yooAAathu bihi man kana yuminu biAllahi waalyawmi alakhiri waman yattaqi Allaha yajAAal lahu makhrajan

English

Ahmed Ali

When they have reached their appointed time, then either keep them lawfully or let them go honourably; but have two witnesses from among you, and give truthful evidence for (being acceptable to) God. This is to warn him who believes in God and the Last Day. God will furnish a way out for him who fears Him,

2

وَّيَرْزُقْہُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ۝۰ۭ وَمَنْ يَّتَوَكَّلْ عَلَي اللہِ فَہُوَحَسْبُہٗ۝۰ۭ اِنَّ اللہَ بَالِغُ اَمْرِہٖ۝۰ۭ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللہُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا۝۳
Wayarzuqhu min haythu la yahtasibu waman yatawakkal AAala Allahi fahuwa hasbuhu inna Allaha balighu amrihi qad jaAAala Allahu likulli shayin qadran

English

Ahmed Ali

And provide for him from where he does not reckon. God is sufficient for him who places his trust in Him. Certainly God fulfills His purpose. God has indeed fixed a measure of everything.

3

وَاڿ يَىِٕسْنَ مِنَ الْمَحِيْضِ مِنْ نِّسَاۗىِٕكُمْ اِنِ ارْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُہُنَّ ثَلٰثَۃُ اَشْہُرٍ۝۰ۙ وَّاڿ لَمْ يَحِضْنَ۝۰ۭ وَاُولَاتُ الْاَحْمَالِ اَجَلُہُنَّ اَنْ يَّضَعْنَ حَمْلَہُنَّ۝۰ۭ وَمَنْ يَّتَّقِ اللہَ يَجْعَلْ لَّہٗ مِنْ اَمْرِہٖ يُسْرًا۝۴
Waallaee yaisna mina almaheedi min nisaikum ini irtabtum faAAiddatuhunna thalathatu ashhurin waallaee lam yahidna waolatu alahmali ajaluhunna an yadaAAna hamlahunna waman yattaqi Allaha yajAAal lahu min amrihi yusran

English

Ahmed Ali

As for your women who have lost hope of menstruation, and in case you have a doubt, the prescribed period (of waiting) for them is three months, as also for those who have not menstruated yet. As for those who are pregnant, their prescribed period is until the delivery of the child. God will make things easy for him who is mindful of God.

4

ذٰلِكَ اَمْرُ اللہِ اَنْزَلَہٗۗ اِلَيْكُمْ۝۰ۭ وَمَنْ يَّتَّقِ اللہَ يُكَفِّرْ عَنْہُ سَـيِّاٰتِہٖ وَيُعْظِمْ لَہٗۗ اَجْرًا۝۵
Thalika amru Allahi anzalahu ilaykum waman yattaqi Allaha yukaffir AAanhu sayyiatihi wayuAAthim lahu ajran

English

Ahmed Ali

This is the commandment of God that is sent down to you. God will forgive the ills of those who fear Him, and increase their reward.

5

اَسْكِنُوْہُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنْتُمْ مِّنْ وُّجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَاۗرُّوْہُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوْا عَلَيْہِنَّ۝۰ۭ وَاِنْ كُنَّ اُولَاتِ حَمْلٍ فَاَنْفِقُوْا عَلَيْہِنَّ حَتّٰى يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَہُنَّ۝۰ۚ فَاِنْ اَرْضَعْنَ لَكُمْ فَاٰتُوْہُنَّ اُجُوْرَہُنَّ۝۰ۚ وَاْتَمِرُوْا بَيْنَكُمْ بِمَعْرُوْفٍ۝۰ۚ وَاِنْ تَعَاسَرْتُمْ فَسَتُرْضِعُ لَہٗۗ اُخْرٰى۝۶ۭ
Askinoohunna min haythu sakantum min wujdikum wala tudarroohunna litudayyiqoo AAalayhinna wain kunna olati hamlin faanfiqoo AAalayhinna hatta yadaAAna hamlahunna fain ardaAAna lakum faatoohunna ojoorahunna watamiroo baynakum bimaAAroofin wain taAAasartum fasaturdiAAu lahu okhra

English

Ahmed Ali

House the (divorced) women where you live, according to your means; but do not harass them so as to reduce them to straitened circumstances. If they are pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth to the child. And if they suckle the child for you, then make the due payment to them, and consult each other appropriately. But if you find this difficult, let some other woman suckle (the child) for her.

6

لِيُنْفِقْ ذُوْ سَعَۃٍ مِّنْ سَعَتِہٖ۝۰ۭ وَمَنْ قُدِرَ عَلَيْہِ رِزْقُہٗ فَلْيُنْفِقْ مِمَّاۗ اٰتٰىہُ اؙ۝۰ۭ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللہُ نَفْسًا اِلَّا مَاۗ اٰتٰىہَا۝۰ۭ سَيَجْعَلُ اللہُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُّسْرًا۝۷ۧ
Liyunfiq thoo saAAatin min saAAatihi waman qudira AAalayhi rizquhu falyunfiq mimma atahu Allahu la yukallifu Allahu nafsan illa ma ataha sayajAAalu Allahu baAAda AAusrin yusran

English

Ahmed Ali

Let the man of means spend according to his means, and he whose means are limited, should spend of what God has given him. God does not burden a soul beyond what He has given him. God will bring ease after hardship.

7

وَكَاَيِّنْ مِّنْ قَرْيَۃٍ عَتَتْ عَنْ اَمْرِ رَبِّہَا وَرُسُلِہٖ فَحَاسَبْنٰہَا حِسَابًا شَدِيْدًا۝۰ۙ وَّعَذَّبْنٰہَا عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا۝۸
Wakaayyin min qaryatin AAatat AAan amri rabbiha warusulihi fahasabnaha hisaban shadeedan waAAaththabnaha AAathaban nukran

English

Ahmed Ali

How many habitations rebelled against their Lord's command and His apostles; but We took them to severe task, and punished them with the harshest punishment.

8

فَذَاقَتْ وَبَالَ اَمْرِہَا وَكَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ اَمْرِہَا خُسْرًا۝۹
Fathaqat wabala amriha wakana AAaqibatu amriha khusran

English

Ahmed Ali

So they tasted the pain of their actions; and the consequence of their deeds was ruin.

9

اَعَدَّ اللہُ لَہُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيْدًا۝۰ۙ فَاتَّقُوا اللہَ يٰۗاُولِي الْاَلْبَابِ۝۰ڀ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا۝۰ۭۣۛ قَدْ اَنْزَلَ اللہُ اِلَيْكُمْ ذِكْرًا۝۱۰ۙ
aAAadda Allahu lahum AAathaban shadeedan faittaqoo Allaha ya olee alalbabi allatheena amanoo qad anzala Allahu ilaykum thikran

English

Ahmed Ali

God has prepared for them severe punishment. So, you men of wisdom, and those who believe, take heed for yourselves and fear God. God has indeed sent down a Reminder for you,

10

Shaan e Nazool (Historical Background)

Surah At-Talaq was revealed in Medina, but the exact time of its revelation cannot be ascertained. However, it is generally believed that it was revealed to address the mistakes made by the believers in the implementation of divorce rules, which had already been sent down in Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Ahzab. Although the divorce rules were sufficiently described in these Surahs, some of the believers started making mistakes and errors in implementing these Commandments. Moreover, it is also believed that the instant reason for sending down Surah At-Talaq was the incident when Abdullah Ibn Umar wrongly divorced his wife, who at that particular time was menstruating. This error was corrected by the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ according to the commandments of this Surah. This incident is described in Hadith 1471i of Sahih Muslim, as follows:

Translation - Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that he divorced his wife while she was in her menses. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) asked Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) about that, and he said: Command him to take her back until she is pure, and then she enters the second menses and then becomes pure. Then either divorce her (finally) or retain her.

It is also pertinent to mention that none of the earlier commandments about the rules of divorce, as described earlier in Surah Al-Baqarah or other relevant Surahs, were canceled or amended. The rules of divorce as commanded in Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Ahzab can be summarized as follows:

  • If a man intends to divorce his wife, he has to pronounce it thrice at the most.
  • If a man had pronounced divorce one or two times, he can still keep the woman back as his wife, within the waiting period. But if the waiting period expires, he can remarry that woman with mutual consent.
  • If a man has pronounced three divorces, he cannot keep the woman as his wife; hence, they cannot remarry, unless the woman remarries with some other man and her new husband divorces her of his own free will.
  • The waiting period (Iddah) of a woman is that she will have to pass three consecutive monthly periods.
  • There is no waiting period for that woman, whose marriage has not been accomplished and was divorced even before her husband had touched her.
  • If the husband of a woman has died, her waiting period (Iddah) is four months and ten days.

While keeping the above rules intact, Surah At-Talaq was revealed to address the following very important matters related to divorce:

  • Although divorce is permissible in Islam, it is the most disliked act in the Sight of Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ. Hence, the Surah commands that a man must try his best to avoid giving divorce to his wife. The Surah demands from men to adopt all judicious ways to keep the marriage intact because Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَى does not like the relationship to end in divorce, though it is a lawful act, as also mentioned in Hadith 2177 of Sunan Abi Dawud (Allah did not make anything lawful more abominable to Him than divorce).
  • The Surah also provides Islamic Family Rules to address the questions that were not previously addressed in Surah Al-Baqarah. It included the following issues:
    • What will be the waiting period (Iddah) of a divorced woman who no longer menstruates?
    • What will be the Iddah of a divorced woman whose menstruation has not yet started?
    • What will be the Iddah of a woman who was divorced while she was pregnant?
    • What will be the waiting period for a woman whose husband dies?
    • What arrangements must be made for the divorced woman, such as arrangements for her lodging and maintenance, and for fostering her children, after she is divorced?  

In short, Surah At-Talaq was specifically revealed to provide Islamic family rules pertaining to the most important and sensitive issue of divorce.

Makki or Madni Surah

Surah At-Talaq is a Madni Surah.

Place in the Quran

Surah At-Talaq is the 65th Surah of the Quran, which is placed in the 28th Juzz (Para) of the Quran after Surah At-Taghabun, and before Surah At-Tahrim. It is the 99th Surah in the order of revelation, and comes at number 65 in the sequence of recitation.

  • Number of Verses: Surah At-Talaq has 12 verses.
  • Number of Ruku (Sections): Surah At-Talaq is divided into 2 Rukus (sections).

Significance of Surah At-Talaq  

Surah At-Talaq holds great significance in Islamic teachings, associated with matters related to family laws, especially the process of divorce.

It Provides Basic Guidelines on Islamic Family Laws

This Surah provides some of the basic guidelines on the formulation of Islamic Family Laws, such as the matters related to divorce, especially the responsibilities of husbands to ensure financial support to the divorced wives, and the raising of children after divorce.

It Provides Basic Regulations of Divorce

The Surah provides the basic guidelines and rules as follows:

  • Divorce must be avoided, unless it becomes inevitable.
  • Efforts must be made sincerely by both the husband and wife to reconcile their disputes before reaching the decision of separation.
  • Divorce must be accomplished in a systematic way, as outlined in Islamic teachings.
  • Women must follow the prescribed waiting period (Iddah) before marrying again.

It Protects the Rights of Women

The Surah emphasizes the need to protect the rights of women after divorce, which includes the following:

  • It is the husband's responsibility to provide proper lodging for his divorced wife during her waiting period.
  • Husband is responsible for providing financial support to his divorced wife until she remarries.
  • Women must be treated with kindness, ensuring their dignity throughout the divorce process.

It Teaches us to Maintain Taqwa

Surah At-Talaq emphasizes ensuring obedience to Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ, whatever the circumstances are.

It Reminds us the Consequences of Disobeying Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ

By narrating examples of previous nations, the Surah reminds us of the consequences of disobeying Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ. It reminds us that ignoring the Will and Command of Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ leads to consequences, whereas following the Divine Guidance is the only way of success.

Theme and Subject Matter of Surah At-Talaq

Surah At-Talaq highlights the most difficult and sensitive topic in today’s world: divorce. The Surah reveals the rights of women during and after divorce. It focuses on dealing with the situation with utmost respect, kindness, justice, and patience. The Surah begins by guiding divorcing a woman and the right to an iddah period for her. The Surah clearly explains how and when to initiate divorce, making every matter related to it clear. Surah At-Talaq instructs the men to bear the financial responsibilities of the wife during the iddah period and give her some amount while bidding her farewell. It is also instructed that the husband will fulfill the financial responsibility of the children after divorce.

In the Surah, Allah tells us to maintain mutual respect despite divorce, fear Allah, and obey His commands. Allah also conveys the consequences of disobeying Allah and not following His commands in the marriage and divorce aspects. The Surah focuses on maintaining justice in family life, protecting the dignity of spouses, and ensuring that the process of divorce, which is a bitter reality for men and women, does not harm any of them. It is only Allah who will provide for those who trust Him.

Virtues and Benefits of Surah At-Talaq

Surah At-Talaq’s main objective is to explain the procedure of divorce and following the commandments of Allah when taking this big step, and especially focuses on the rights of women at the time of divorce and even after it, this Surah is often referred to as a mini version of Surah Nisa. The need to guide men in providing their women with rights after divorce and the right of the iddat period was the reason behind the revelation of this Surah, as there was no clear instruction on divorce until then. The right of the Iddat period was first revealed in Surah Al Baqarah, but clear instructions on finances and justice were given in Surah At-Talaq. 

It was narrated by Abdullah (R.A) that the shorter Surah, which speaks of women (At-Talaq) was revealed after Al-Baqarah (Sunan an Nasai 3523, Book 27, Hadith 135). In another Hadith, it is narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (R.A) that:

“I can invoke the curse of Allah on anyone who wishes: The smaller surat an-Nisa (i.e. Surat at-Talaq) was revealed after the verse regarding the waiting period of four months and ten days has been revealed.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 2307, Book 13, Hadith 133)

Surah At-Talaq helps Muslim men and women learn about the sensitive issue of marriage and how to deal with it when things don’t go the right way. The Surah tells us how to keep respect and dignity while parting ways so it may not hurt any of the spouses. Surah At-Talaq reveals that the financial responsibility of children is upon the father even after divorcing the mother. This clears the biggest issue of handling finances and who carries what sort of responsibility.

The Surah clearly states the rule of divorce when the woman is pregnant. It is said in verse 6, it is clearly stated to keep the pregnant woman until she delivers and if she feeds the child her milk, “make the due payment to them, and consult each other appropriately. But if you find this difficult, let some other woman suckle (the child) for her” (Quran 65:6). Everything related to divorce and the rights of spouses, especially women, is discussed in detail. We must follow His commandments to make our lives easy and gain rewards.

Listen to the Recitation of Surah At-Talaq by Renowned Qaris

Recitation of the Quran, including Surah At-Talaq, is a sensitive matter, especially the correct pronunciation of Arabic words. Pronouncing the Quranic words in their true sense becomes even more sensitive while reciting the Quran because these are the words of Allah, سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ, hence they must be recited correctly to avoid any misleading meanings and concepts. This might be somewhat difficult for a non-Arabic-speaking person. But listening to the recitation of the Quran by an authentic Qari (reciter) may be highly beneficial to overcome this difficulty. Moreover, one may sometimes just like to listen to the recitation of the Quran rather than read it.   

MuslimandQuran provide the best solution to this sensitive matter. The recitation of the Quran by the most authentic Qaris is available on our website and mobile application, where you can listen to it on your mobile devices or laptops whenever you like. You can select a Qari of your preference to listen to and learn the correct recitation of the Quran. You only need to download the Mobile Application of the MuslimandQuran to listen to any Surah of the Quran, including Surah At-Talaq.

The mobile application of the MuslimandQuran is available for both Android and iOS, which can be downloaded from Google Play and App Store, respectively, by clicking the links given below:

Surah At-Talaq PDF

MuslimandQuran provide the facility of reading the Quran online, but if you prefer to read it offline, you can also download it in PDF for reading it at your convenience.

You can download Surah At-Talaq in PDF by following these simple steps:

  • Press Ctrl + P on your keyboard.
  • In the Destination dropdown menu, choose Save as PDF.
  • Click Save to download At-Talaq to your device.

FAQs:

At-Talaq translates to “the divorce”. In the context of Surah At-Talaq, it refers to the Islamic Rulings on matters related to divorce.

Surah At-Talaq has 12 verses.

There are no specific benefits associated with reciting Surah At-Talaq. Reciting Surah At-Talaq brings the same benefits as reciting any other part of the Quran. However, reciting it while understanding its meanings is a rich source of awareness about the Islamic Laws governing the process of divorce.

Surah At-Talaq can be recited per your convenience at any time during the night or the day. No specific time is associated with or recommended for the recitation of this Surah.

Yes, Hadith 1471i of Sahih Muslim narrates the incident of divorcing his wife by Abdullah Ibn Umar, while she was menstruating. This incident is believed to be the one that triggered the revelation of Surah At-Talaq.

Yes, you can listen to Surah Al-Munfiqun online, on any of your mobile devices. All the Surahs of the Quran are available on the Mobile Application and website of the Muslim and Quran, hence can be easily listened to online, whenever you may like.

No specific rewards are associated with the daily recitation of Surah At-Talaq. However, reciting any Surah of the Quran, including Surah At-Talaq, brings huge rewards, though not specifically recommended to be recited on a daily basis.

The Quran, including Surah At-Talaq, is not language specific; it is for the benefit and guidance of the entire humankind, irrespective of nationality or language. It brings equal benefits to whoever recites any Surah of the Quran, including Surah At-Talaq. So, a non-Arabic speaker will definitely get the same benefits from the recitation of Surah At-Talaq as an Arabic-speaking individual may get.