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228
وَالمُطَلَّقاتُ يَتَرَبَّصنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلاثَةَ قُروءٍ ۚ وَلا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكتُمنَ ما خَلَقَ اللَّهُ في أَرحامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤمِنَّ بِاللَّهِ وَاليَومِ الآخِرِ ۚ وَبُعولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ إِن أَرادوا إِصلاحًا ۚ وَلَهُنَّ مِثلُ الَّذي عَلَيهِنَّ بِالمَعروفِ ۚ وَلِلرِّجالِ عَلَيهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزيزٌ حَكيمٌ

Muhammad Asad

And the divorced women shall undergo, without remarrying,1 a waiting-period of three monthly courses: for it is not lawful for them to conceal what God may have created in their wombs,2 if they believe in God and the Last Day. And during this period their husbands are fully entitled to take them back, if they desire reconciliation; but, in accordance with justice, the rights of the wives [with regard to their husbands] are equal to the [husbands'] rights with regard to them, although men have precedence over them [in this respect].3 And God is almighty, wise.
  • Lit., "by themselves".
  • The primary purpose of this waiting-period is the ascertainment of possible pregnancy, and thus of the parentage of the as yet unborn child. In addition, the couple are to be given an opportunity to reconsider their decision and possibly to resume the marriage. See also 65:1 and the corresponding note 2.
  • A divorced wife has the right to refuse a resumption of marital relations even if the husband expresses, before the expiry of the waiting-period, his willingness to have the provisional divorce rescinded; but since it is the husband who is responsible for the maintenance of the family, the first option to rescind a provisional divorce rests with him.