'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (divorce must be pronounced twice) he says: the divorce in which a man is entitled to take back his wife is pronounced once on two separate occasions (and then (a woman) must be retained) before she is pronounced divorced a third time and before performing major ritual ablution from the third menstruation (in honour) with kind companionship and intercourse (or released in kindness) or divorced a third time with such kindness as restores her rights. (and it is not lawful for you that ye take from women aught of that which ye have given them) of dowry; (except (in the case) when both arbiters) when the husband and wife both know that she wants to ransom her divorce (fear that they may not be able to keep the limits (imposed by) allah) the rulings of allah regulating the relationship between husband and wife. (and if ye fear) if you know (that they may not be able to keep the limits (imposed by) allah) the rulings of allah regulating the relationship between husband and wife, (in that case it is no sin for either of them) and especially the husband (if the woman ransom herself) if the husband takes what the woman ransoms herself with, out of the generosity of her soul. this verse was revealed about thabit ibn qays ibn shammas whose wife jamilah was the daughter of 'abdullah ibn ubayy ibn salul, chief of the hypocrites. this woman ransomed her divorce from her husband by giving him back what he gave her as dowry. (these are the limits of allah) the rulings of allah regulating the relationship between husband and wife, (transgress them not) do not step beyond that which allah has prohibited. (for whoso transgresseth allah's limits) steps beyond them: (such are wrong-doers) harmful to themselves.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : divorce, that is, repudiation of the type that may be revoked, is twice; then honourable retention, that is to say, you are then obliged to revert to them to retain them, without harming them; or setting, them, free kindly. it is not lawful for you, o male spouses, to take of what you have given them, of dowry, if you divorce them, unless the, married, couple fear that they may not maintain god’s bounds, that is to say, that they will not honour the rights god has established for them (a variant reading [for yakhāfā, ‘they (dual form) fear’] has yukhāfā, with the direct object taking the accusative ending; allā yuqīmā is an inclusive substitution for the person [governing the verb]; both verbs are also read in the second person [sc. takhāfā, ‘you fear’, tuqīmā, ‘you maintain’]). if you fear they may not maintain god’s bounds, neither of them would be at fault if she were to ransom herself, of some money, so that he should divorce her. in other words, in this instance, there is no culpability either for the man, should he take of the dowry, or for the woman, should she offer of it. those, prescriptions mentioned, are god’s bounds; do not transgress them. whoever transgresses god’s bounds — those are the evildoers.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (divorce must be pronounced twice and then (a woman) must be retained in honour or released in kindness…) [2:229].
ahmad ibn al-hasan al-qadi informed us> muhammad ibn ya'qub> al-rabi'> al-shafi'i> malik> hisham ibn 'urwa> his father who said: “the norm was that when a man divorced his wife, he had the right to take her back before the end of her waiting period, even if he divorced her a thousand times. one particular man divorced his wife and then waited for her until the waiting period was about to elapse and then took her back. he then divorced her immediately and said to her: 'by allah! i will not take you back nor will i ever allow you to marry someone else'. allah, glorious and majestic is he, then revealed (divorce must be pronounced twice and then (a woman) must be retained in honour or released in kindness…)”.
abu bakr al-tamimi informed us> abu ja'far ahmad ibn muhammad al-marzuban> muhammad ibn ibrahim al-hazawwari> muhammad ibn sulayman> ya'la al-makki, the client of the household of zubayr> hisham ibn 'urwah> his father> 'a'ishah that a woman came to her and asked her about something relating to divorce. she said: “i mentioned this to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace. and then this verse was revealed (divorce must be pronounced twice and then (a woman) must be retained in honour or released in kindness)”.
