The Quran

128

Preface

وَإِنِ امرَأَةٌ خافَت مِن بَعلِها نُشوزًا أَو إِعراضًا فَلا جُناحَ عَلَيهِما أَن يُصلِحا بَينَهُما صُلحًا ۚ وَالصُّلحُ خَيرٌ ۗ وَأُحضِرَتِ الأَنفُسُ الشُّحَّ ۚ وَإِن تُحسِنوا وَتَتَّقوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعمَلونَ خَبيرًا

Yusuf Ali

If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband?s part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; and such settlement is best; even though men?s souls are swayed by greed.¹ But if ye do good and practise self-restraint, God is well-acquainted with all that ye do.

To protect the woman’s economic interests, various rules are prescribed for dower in marriage. But the sanctity of marriage itself is greater than any economic interests. Divorce is, of all things permitted, most hateful to God. Therefore if a breach between husband and wife can be prevented by some economic consideration, it is better to make that concession than to imperil the future of the wife, the children, and probably the husband also. Such concessions are permissible, in view of the love of wealth ingrained in unregenerate man, but a recommendation is made that we should practise self-restraint, and do what we can to come to an amicable settlement without any economic sacrifice on the part of the woman.