Holy Qor-aan 002:238
وَاِنۡ طَلَّقۡتُمُوۡهُنَّ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ تَمَسُّوۡهُنَّ وَقَدۡ فَرَضۡتُمۡ لَهُنَّ فَرِيۡضَةً فَنِصۡفُ مَا فَرَضۡتُمۡ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ يَّعۡفُوۡنَ اَوۡ يَعۡفُوَا الَّذِىۡ بِيَدِهٖ عُقۡدَةُ النِّكَاحِ ؕ وَاَنۡ تَعۡفُوۡٓا اَقۡرَبُ لِلتَّقۡوٰىؕ وَ لَا تَنۡسَوُا الۡفَضۡلَ بَيۡنَكُمۡؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ بَصِيۡرٌ
Wa-in-tul-luq-to-moo-hoon-na-min-qub-lay-un-ta-mus-soo-hoon-na Wa-qud-fa-rudz-toom-la-hoon-na-fa-ree-dza-toon Fa-nis-fo-maa-fa-rudz-toom-il-laa-un-yau-foo-na Auo-yau-fo-wul-la-zee-bay-ya-day-he-ooq-da-toon-nay-kaa-ha. Wa-un-tau-foo-uq-ra-bo-lit-tuq-waa. Wa-laa-tun-sa-wool-fudz-la-bai-na-koom. In-nul-laa-ha-be-maa-tau-ma-loo-na-ba-see-r.
And if you divorced them before you touch them And you surely undertook an obligation for them to pay dower Then one-half of what you undertook unless they forgive Or he in whose hand is the contract to marry forgives. And that you forgive is much closer to righteousness. And never forget being kind among yourselves. Certainly Allah on all that you do is the Seer.
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
- اِنۡ — In — If (= If the situation arises; in case; under the circumstances)
- طَلَّقۡتُمُو — Tul-luq-to-moo — You divorced (= v., Dissolved, ended, finished, rendered non-existing, renounced or terminated the marriage. A must read with this section is Note 002:228. Here the divorce means is the final one after its third pronouncement)
- هُنَّ — Hoon-na — Them women (= Refers to ‘all those women, in third person’)
- مِنۡ — Min — From (= From the class, category or count of; out of)
- قَبۡلِ — Qub-lay — Before (= Ahead of; antecedent; earlier than; older times; occurred or passed in prior period; prior to)
- اَنۡ — Un — That (= Absolutely; certainly; definitely; surely; verily)
- تَمَسُّو — Ta-mus-soo — You touch (= v., pres., 2nd person., Come close. Cause, complete or effectuate the marriage by consummation. Have had the conjugal intimate relationship with the wife)
- هُنَّ — Hoon-na — Them (= pl, f, in 3rd person. Refers to aforesaid women)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above)
- قَدۡ — Qud — Surely (=Absolutely; categorically; verily; certainly ; definitely; positively; verily; without a doubt)
- فَرَضۡ — Fa-rudz — Undertook (= v., past; Accepted; agreed; appointed; contracted; decided; determined; fixed; incurred; intended; settled; specified. A/t/a, made up mind to do)
- تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2nd person. You men)
- لَ — La — For(= For or with intent to the benefit, purpose, object or reason of)
- هُنَّ — Hoon-na — Them (= pl, f, in 3rd person. Refers to aforesaid women)
- فَرِيضَةً۬ — Free-dza-ton — An obligation (= n., Bridal money; dower money; dowry; marriage gift; marriage portion. Mandated obligation, portion or share of the consideration required to form a valid marriage contract under Moslem law)
- فَ — Fa — Then (= Consequently; as a result; so; thereafter; therefore; yet)
- نِصۡفُ — Nis-fo — One half (= Fifty percent [50%] is due, payable or to be made over)
- مَاۤ — Maa– What (= All that; whatever; whatsoever)
- فَرَضۡ — Fa-rudz — Undertook (= v., past; Accepted; agreed; appointed; contracted; decided; determined; fixed; incurred; intended; settled; specified. A/t/a, made up mind to do)
- تُمۡ — Toom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2nd person. You men)
- اِلَّا — Il-laa — Unless (= Besides; excluding; except; in case; save)
- اَنۡ — Un — That (= Absolutely; certainly; definitely; surely; verily)
- يَّعۡفُوۡنَ — Yau-foo-na — They forgive (= v., pres., pl., f., 3rd person. Excuse; forgive; forego; let go; let off the hook; omit; pardon; remit. Wives’s right to “forego their full due or a portion of it’ mandated by this verse is absolute and subjected to no restriction)
- أَوۡ — Auo — Or (= Alternatively; as a substitute)
- يَعۡفُوَاْ — Yau-fo-wa…(ul) — He forgives (= v., pres., pl., m., 3rd person. Excuse, forgive. See يَّعۡفُوۡنَ above *)
- الَّذِىۡ — La-zee — Who (= s., m., 3rd person. He. Refers to the husband. See below the Note) *
- بِ — Bay — With (= Literal translation of this Arabic word is ‘with’)
- يَدِ — Ya-day — Hand (= Agent, authority, control, delegation, power or responsibility; the representative capacity to give her in marriage; tie her marriage-knot while acting as her guardian)
- هٖ — He — His (= pro., s., m., 3rd person. Refers to the husband)
- عُقۡدَةُ — Ooq-da-too(n) — Contract (= Agreement; knot; settlement; tie)
- ٱلنِّكَاحِ — Nay-kaa-hay — Marriage (= Agreement or contract to enter matrimony between a man and woman)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above)
- اَنۡ — Un — That (= Absolutely; certainly; definitely; surely; verily)
- تَعۡفُوٓاْ — Tau-foo — You forgive (= Excuse; forego; let go; omit; pardon; remit. Here it is recommended that a divorcing husband should pay his wife all the Mahr fixed and not just the one-half)
- أَقۡرَبُ — Uq-ra-bo — A lot closer (= Akin to; fairer; great deal; greatly; highly; much; more; nearer; a whole lot more appropriate. Also exceedingly properly, totally, very or wholly)
- لِ — L…(it) — For (= For or with intent to the benefit, purpose, object or reason of)
- التَّقۡوٰى — Tuq-waa — Righteousness (= n., Cleanliness; piety; doing duty to God Almighty. The root of this word means lifting one’s lower-body garments from getting soiled by dirt on the ground or entangled with thorns there. It has been translated with widely different words and phrases such as avoid angering Allah, act piously and righteously, become God-fearing, pious and righteous, become secure against evil, clean inner self, dutifulness, guard or shield against or ward off evil. More meanings in the Commentary The Righteous and verse 002:003)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ above)
- لَا — Laa — Never (= Absolute denial; no; not at all; total negation)
- تَنسَوُاْ — Tun-sa-wo…(ol) — You forget (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person., Be oblivious about; bypass; fall short; go around; ignore; miss the opportunity; neglect; omit; skip)
- ٱلۡفَضۡلَ — Fudz-la — Being kind (= n., Abundant blessings; generosity; liberality; acting generously; behaving benevolently; bestowing bounty; delivering abundance; giving freely and liberally out of kindness; providing peace; settling affairs in peace by giving more and taking less. As between divorcing couples, husband paying a larger sum than the wife’s one-half [1/2] share that belongs to her and is owed to her anyway)
- بَيۡنَ — Bai-na — Among (= Between; betwixt; among, towards or to each other)
- کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2nd person. You. The Holy Qor-aan states this way when addressing both men and women jointly)
- اِنَّ — In-na…(ul) — Certainly (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; indeed; positively; specifically; surely; verily)
- ٱللَّهَ — Laa-ha — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
- بِ — Bay — With (= Entitled to; or suited for)
- مَاۤ — Maa — All that (= Whatever; whatsoever)
- تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ — Tau-ma-loona — You do (= v., pres., pl., 2nd person., Act; perform; practice; take actions)
- بَصِيۡرٌ — Ba-see-r — Sees real well (= superlative form indicates the greatest, the highest, the most. and highlights that none sees more than Him. All-seeing. Looks after. Lookout. Mindful. Observer. Overseer. One who takes cognizance very well. Sees well. Top-seer. Watch. Watchful)
* Note 002:238. “He who” here refers to the husband. He is empowered to remit his one-half share of dower. He is recommended to pay his wife all of it. He cannot withhold her one-half share anyway. It stands to reason that the husband is authorized to waive his share of keeping one-half of the dower’. Such is the translation by eminent translators including the following.
- Allamah Nooruddin wrote: “… and that you (husband) forego (and pay the whole dowry money) is nearer to becoming secure against evil.”
- A Yusuf Ali emphasized the point by twice repeating it as follows. “Or (the man’s half) is remitted by him in whose hands is the marriage tie; and the remission (of the man’s half) is the nearest to righteousness.”
- Malik Ghulam Farid recommended that “the husband is certainly to make a greater show of generosity.”
- N. J. Dawood stated: “But it is more proper that the husband should forgo it.”
- Zafrullah Khan wrote: “The husband should voluntarily decide to pay a sum in excess of the half.”
“He who” could also be an impartial third-party mediator to do the needful.
But construing “in whose hand is the power to tie the knot of marriage” to mean that the husband is empowered to waive her [wife’s] one-half of the dower is an illogical deduction for the following among other reasons.
- It is not fair or equitable to the wife.
- It fails the test of providing a balanced solution.
- It is infected with the ‘conflict of interest’ that the very person who is the giver [of wife’s one-half of the dower] is also its taker [himself].
- It is tantamount to an absurdity like the disinheriting of a grandson from a pre-deceased son which from time to time the clergy inserted in Islaam, and which at least in Pakistan was ended by the Family Law Ordinance of 1961. That law made a grand-child inherit the grand-parent if the grand-parent outlived the ‘connection’ [grand-child’s parent who was the connecting son or daughter who had predeceased his/her parent].
002:026
Holy Qor-aan 002:026
وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ اَنَّ لَهُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُؕ ڪُلَّمَا رُزِقُوۡا مِنۡهَا مِنۡ ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزۡقًا ۙ قَالُوۡا هٰذَا الَّذِىۡ رُزِقۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاُتُوۡا بِهٖ مُتَشَابِهًا ؕ وَلَهُمۡ فِيۡهَآ اَزۡوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۙ وَّهُمۡ فِيۡهَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ
Wa baush-shay-ray il-la-ze-na aa-ma-noo
Wa aa-may-loo s-saa-lay-haa-tay
Aun-na la hoom jaun-naa-tin tauj-re
Min tauh-tay-ha ul-aun-haa-ro
Kool-la maa ro-zay-qoo min haa
Min tha-ma-ra-tin riz-qaun
Qaa-loo haa-za ul-la-ze ro-ziq-naa min qaub-lo
Wa o-too bay he mo-ta-shaa-bay haa
Wa la hoom fee haa auz-waa-joon-m mo-tauh-ha-ra-toon
Wa hoom fee haa khaa-lay-doo-n
And congratulate those who believed
And practiced proper practices
That for them are gardens
Flowing from underneath that are rivers.
Every time provided from that
Is a fruit as a provision for food
They said, “This is what we were provided before.”
And they were given more like it
And for them in it are chaste spouses
And they in it are dwellers forever.
Phrase Aa-ma-noo-wa-aa-may …. meaning Believed and practiced …
The Holy Qor-aan has used the Phrase Jaun-naa-tin-tauj-re … several times
* Note 002:026a. The words جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰر appear in the Holy Qor-aan many times. Besides the aforesaid literal meanings, they also carry far deeper and more significant connotations. The visible rewards for good actions are just a fraction of the real blessings that follow in the long run. The moisture from the sub-soil under-current keeps the above-ground growth green and flourishing. Likewise the consequences of good actions keep multiplying even when droughts hit the surface. Far better and log-lasting results keep blossoming out over and over again many times in the future. It is like the 10%-tip of an iceberg with its 90%-body under water which the naked eyes can’t see. ‘Rivers flowing underneath’ provide the additional amount of water when the ground water dries up. ‘Rivers flowing underneath prove to be the life-support when above-ground air is no more moist. This substituted moisture significantly reduces the need of the irrigation water to greenery alive.
** Note 002:026b. The practice in some westernized translations of coloring this part of the scripture with sensuous insinuations by use of words like ‘virgins’ is strongly deprecated. Similarly the use of words like ‘physically’ suggests that people in the Paradise will have ‘earthly bodies and sensations’ but this concept too is not uniformly accepted or endorsed.
*** Note 002:026c. The inaccuracies in translating the Holy Qor-aan are of many kinds.
The original verb in the past tense was translated as a verb in the present tense, and vise versa. The original verb in the active voice was translated as a verb in the passive voice, and vice versa. The original noun was translated as a verb, and vise versa.
All inaccuracies can’t be covered at one place. Generally this site has pointed out the right translation of a verse and the inaccuracy that some other author has committed because we have offered just a simple and straightforward translation. Nevertheless some grave inaccuracies are shown in our Commentaries Translations with Inaccuracies, Author’s Whims, Different Ideas, Different Words, Grammar Violated and several others.
Some inaccuracies in translating this verse which the subsequent authors committed (see Translations with Author’s Whims) by just copying earlier works or using only different words are best illustrated by the following.
1917 And give good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that for them are gardens in which rivers flow. Whenever they are given a portion of the fruit thereof, they will say: This is what was given to us before; and they are given the like of it. And for them therein are pure companions and therein they will abide – M Muhammad Ali
1930 And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide – M M Pickthall
1934 But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: “Why, this is what we were fed with before,” for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (for ever) – A Yusuf Ali
1955 And give glad tiding to those who believe and do good works, that for them are Gardens beneath which flow streams. Whenever they are given a portion of fruit therefrom, they will say: this is what was given us before,’ and gifts mutually resembling shall be brought to them. And they will have therein mates perfectly pure, and therein they will abide – M Sher Ali
1955 Give thou good tidings to those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, that for them await gardens underneath which rivers flow; whensoever they are provided with fruits therefrom they shall say, ‘This is that wherewithal we were provided before’; that they shall be given in perfect semblance; and there for them shall be spouses purified; therein they shall dwell forever – A John Arberry
1971 Give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that for them there are Gardens beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided fruit therefrom the will exclaim: This is what was given us before; and similar gifts will be bestowed upon them. They will have therein mates most pure, and therein will they abide – Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
1982 (Muhammad), tell the righteously striving believers of the happy news, that for them there are gardens wherein streams flow. Whenever they get any fruit from the gardens as food, they will say, “This is just what we had before (we came here). These fruits are produced very much like them (those we had before).” They will have purified spouses and it is they who will live forever – Muhammad Sarwar
1983 And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that they shall have gardens in which rivers flow; whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say: This is what was given to us before; and they shall be given the like of it, and they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide. M Habib Shakir. “It is alleged that this translation is directly plagiarized from Maulana Muhammad Ali’s (1917) English translation of the Qur’an” – Wikipedia
1996 And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous good deeds, that for them will be Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise). Every time they will be provided with a fruit therefrom, they will say: “This is what we were provided with before,” and they will be given things in resemblance (i.e. in the same form but different in taste) and they shall have therein Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates or wives), (having no menses, stools, urine, etc.) and they will abide therein forever. – M Mohsin Khan and T D Al-Hilali
1997 And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, “This is what we were provided with before.” And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally – Sahih International published by Abul-Qasim Publishing House.
1997 Give glad tidings to those who believe and do good deeds for them there will be Gardens beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they will be given fruits to eat they will say: ”This is similar to the one we used to eat before, “for they will be provided fruit which will resemble the fruits on the earth; and for them there will be chaste virgin spouses, and they shall live therein for ever. The Institute of Islamic Knowledge.