أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَآرُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن كُنَّ أُو۟لَـٰتِ حَمْلٍ فَأَنفِقُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ فَإِنْ أَرْضَعْنَ لَكُمْ فَـَٔاتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۖ وَأْتَمِرُوا۟ بَيْنَكُم بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۖ وَإِن تَعَاسَرْتُمْ فَسَتُرْضِعُ لَهُۥٓ أُخْرَىٰ 6
Translations
Lodge them [in a section] of where you dwell out of your means and do not harm them in order to oppress them. And if they should be pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth. And if they breastfeed for you, then give them their payment and confer among yourselves in the acceptable way; but if you are in discord, then there may breastfeed for him [i.e., the father] another woman.
Transliteration
Askinu hunna min hayth sakantum min wujdikum wa la tudharruhunna litukhayyiqu alayhinna wa in kunna ulat hamlin fa anfiquu alayhinna hatta yada'na hamalhunna fa in ardaa'na lakum fa atuhunna ujurahunna wa amtamiru baynakum bi ma'ruf wa in ta'asartum fa saturdi'u lahu ukhra
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the rights of divorced women during their 'iddah (waiting period), particularly those who are pregnant or nursing. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, men must house their ex-wives in the same standard of accommodation they themselves enjoy, provide for pregnant women until delivery, pay nursing fees if they breastfeed their children, and treat matters mutually with kindness. The prohibition against harming women (la tudharruhunna) is strongly emphasized, as it forbids using custody or living conditions as tools of vengeance.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Talaq was revealed in Madinah during the later Meccan period and addresses the practical and legal aspects of divorce. This specific ayah provides detailed regulations for a divorced woman's rights and maintenance, reflecting the Islamic law's strong protection of women's dignity and economic security during vulnerable periods such as pregnancy and nursing.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said regarding divorced women: 'The best of you are those who are best to their wives.' Additionally, Sunan Abu Dawud records that a man complained to the Prophet about his ex-wife's refusal to nurse their child, and he was instructed to provide her compensation (ujrah) for nursing services.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even after divorce, Islamic law mandates compassion and fair dealing, particularly toward vulnerable parties; modern readers should recognize that Islam prioritizes human dignity and economic justice over retaliatory impulses, establishing a framework where legal obligations serve moral and spiritual purposes.