The Quran

237

Preface

وَإِن طَلَّقتُموهُنَّ مِن قَبلِ أَن تَمَسّوهُنَّ وَقَد فَرَضتُم لَهُنَّ فَريضَةً فَنِصفُ ما فَرَضتُم إِلّا أَن يَعفونَ أَو يَعفُوَ الَّذي بِيَدِهِ عُقدَةُ النِّكاحِ ۚ وَأَن تَعفوا أَقرَبُ لِلتَّقوىٰ ۚ وَلا تَنسَوُا الفَضلَ بَينَكُم ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِما تَعمَلونَ بَصيرٌ

Yusuf Ali

And if ye divorce them before consummation, but after the fixation of a dower for them, then the half of the dower (Is due to them), unless they remit it or (the man?s half) is remitted¹ by him in whose hands is the marriage tie;270 and the remission (of the man?s half) is the nearest to righteousness. And do not forget Liberality between yourselves. For God sees well all that ye do.

The law declares that in such a case half the dower fixed shall be paid by the man to the woman. But it is open to the woman to remit the half due to her or to the man to remit the half which he is entitled to deduct, and thus pay the whole.