O PROPHET WHEN you divorce women, divorce them at their appointed period, and calculate that period, and fear God, your Lord. Do not expel them from their houses, nor should they go away themselves, unless they are openly guilty of adultery. These are the limits set by God. Any one who exceeds the limits set by God sins against his own self. You never know that God may perchance lead to a new situation after this.
Ahmed Raza Khan
O dear Prophet (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him)! When you people divorce women, divorce them at the time of their completing the appointed period, and keep count of the appointed period; and fear Allah, your Lord; do not expel them from their houses during the appointed period nor should they leave on their own, unless they bring about some matter of blatant lewdness; and these are the limits of Allah; and whoever crosses Allah’s limits has indeed wronged himself; do you not know, it is likely that Allah may send some new decree after this?
Arberry
O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them when they have reached their period. Count the period, and fear God your Lord. Do not expel them from their houses, nor let them go forth, except when they commit a flagrant indecency. Those are God's bounds; whosoever trespasses the bounds of God has done wrong to himself. Thou knowest not, perchance after that God will bring something new to pass.
When they have reached their appointed time, then either keep them lawfully or let them go honourably; but have two witnesses from among you, and give truthful evidence for (being acceptable to) God. This is to warn him who believes in God and the Last Day. God will furnish a way out for him who fears Him,
Ahmed Raza Khan
So when they are about to reach their appointed term, hold them back with kindness or separate them with kindness, and make two just men among you as witnesses, and establish the testimony for Allah; with this is advised whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day; and whoever fears Allah – Allah will create for him a way of deliverance.
Arberry
Then, when they have reached their term, retain them honourably, or part from them honourably. And call in to witness two men of equity from among yourselves; and perform the witnessing to God Himself. By this then is admonished whosoever believes in God and the Last Day. And whosoever fears God, He will appoint for him a way out,
And provide for him from where he does not reckon. God is sufficient for him who places his trust in Him. Certainly God fulfills His purpose. God has indeed fixed a measure of everything.
Ahmed Raza Khan
And will provide him sustenance from a place he had never expected; and whoever relies on Allah – then Allah is Sufficient for him; indeed Allah will accomplish His command; indeed Allah has set a proper measure for all things.
Arberry
and He will provide for him from whence he never reckoned. And whosoever puts his trust in God, He shall suffice him. God attains his purpose. God has appointed a measure for everything.
As for your women who have lost hope of menstruation, and in case you have a doubt, the prescribed period (of waiting) for them is three months, as also for those who have not menstruated yet. As for those who are pregnant, their prescribed period is until the delivery of the child. God will make things easy for him who is mindful of God.
Ahmed Raza Khan
And for those of your women who have no hope of menstruation, if you doubt, the appointed period is three months – and also for those who have not yet had menstruation; and the appointed period for the pregnant women is up to the time they deliver their burden; and whoever fears Allah – Allah will create ease for him in his affairs.
Arberry
As for your women who have despaired of further menstruating, if you are in doubt, their period shall be three months; and those who have not menstruated as yet. And those who are with child, their term is when they bring forth their burden. Whoso fears God, God will appoint for him, of His command, easiness.
This is the commandment of God that is sent down to you. God will forgive the ills of those who fear Him, and increase their reward.
Ahmed Raza Khan
This is Allah’s command that He has sent down towards you; and whoever fears Allah – Allah will relieve his sins and bestow upon him a great reward.
Arberry
That is God's command, that He has sent down unto you. And whosoever fears God, He will acquit him of his evil deeds, and He will give him a mighty wage.
House the (divorced) women where you live, according to your means; but do not harass them so as to reduce them to straitened circumstances. If they are pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth to the child. And if they suckle the child for you, then make the due payment to them, and consult each other appropriately. But if you find this difficult, let some other woman suckle (the child) for her.
Ahmed Raza Khan
Accommodate them where you also reside, according to your means, and do not harass them to make it difficult upon them; and if they are pregnant, give them the provision till they deliver their burden; then if they suckle the child for you, pay them its due; and consult with each other in a reasonable manner; and if you create hardship for one another, the child will get another breast feeding nurse.
Arberry
Lodge them where you are lodging, according to your means, and do not press them, so as to straiten their circumstances. If they are with child, expend upon them until they bring forth their burden. If they suckle for you, give them their wages, and consult together honourably. If you both make difficulties, another woman shall suckle for him.
Let the man of means spend according to his means, and he whose means are limited, should spend of what God has given him. God does not burden a soul beyond what He has given him. God will bring ease after hardship.
Ahmed Raza Khan
Whoever has the capacity must give provisions according to his means; and the one whose sustenance is restricted upon him, must give provisions from what Allah has given him; Allah does not burden any soul except according to what He has given it; Allah will soon, after the hardship, create ease.
Arberry
Let the man of plenty expend out of his plenty. As for him whose provision is stinted to him, let him expend of what God has given him. God charges no soul save with what He has given him. God will assuredly appoint, after difficulty, easiness.
How many habitations rebelled against their Lord's command and His apostles; but We took them to severe task, and punished them with the harshest punishment.
Ahmed Raza Khan
And many a town existed that rebelled against the command of its Lord and His Noble Messengers, so We took a severe account from it – and struck them with a dreadful punishment.
Arberry
How many a city turned in disdain from the commandment of its Lord and His Messengers; and then We made with it a terrible reckoning and chastised it with a horrible chastisement.
God has prepared for them severe punishment. So, you men of wisdom, and those who believe, take heed for yourselves and fear God. God has indeed sent down a Reminder for you,
Ahmed Raza Khan
Allah has kept prepared a severe punishment for them – therefore fear Allah, O men of intellect! O People who Believe! Allah has sent down a Remembrance (or an honour) for you. (The Holy Prophet is a Remembrance from Allah.)
Arberry
God prepared for them a terrible chastisement. So fear God, O men possessed of minds! Believers, God has sent down to you, for a remembrance,
An Apostle who recites before you the explicating revelations of God that He may bring those who believe and do the right out of darkness into light. Whosoever believes in God and does the right, He will admit into gardens with rivers flowing by, where they will abide for ever. How excellent a provision has God made for him
Ahmed Raza Khan
The Noble Messenger who recites the clear verses of Allah to you, so that he may take those who accept faith and do good deeds, away from the realms of darkness towards light; and whoever accepts faith in Allah and does good deeds, Allah will admit him into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them for ever and ever; indeed Allah has kept an excellent sustenance for him.
Arberry
a Messenger reciting to you the signs of God, clear signs, that He may bring forth those who believe and do righteous deeds from the shadows into the light. Whosoever believes in God, and does righteousness, He will admit him to gardens underneath which rivers flow; therein they shall dwell for ever and ever. God has made for him a goodly provision.
It is God who created several skies, and as many earths. The commandment is sent down among them so that you may know that God has power over everything, and everything is held within the knowledge of God.
Ahmed Raza Khan
It is Allah Who has created the seven heavens, and seven earthly worlds like them; the command descends within them, so that you may know that Allah is Able to do all things, and that Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything.
Arberry
It is God who created seven heavens, and of earth their like, between them the Command descending, that you may know that God is powerful over everything and that God encompasses everything in knowledge.