Quran Universe
2:232

وَإِذَا طَلَّقۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغۡنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحۡنَ أَزۡوَٰجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَٰضَوۡاْ بَيۡنَهُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗ ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمۡ يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۗ ذَٰلِكُمۡ أَزۡكَىٰ لَكُمۡ وَأَطۡهَرُۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

Waitha tallaqtumu alnnisaa fabalaghna ajalahunna fala taAAduloohunna an yankihna azwajahunna itha taradaw baynahum bialmaAAroofi thalika yooAAathu bihi man kana minkum yuminu biAllahi waalyawmi alakhiri thalikum azka lakum waatharu waAllahu yaAAlamu waantum la taAAlamoona

And when you divorce women and they have fulfilled their term, do not prevent them from remarrying their [former] husbands if they agree among themselves on an acceptable basis. That is instructed to whoever of you believes in Allah and the Last Day. That is better for you and purer, and Allah knows and you know not.

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. طَلَّقۡتُمُyou divorce
  3. ٱلنِّسَآءَ[the] women
  4. فَبَلَغۡنَand they reached
  5. أَجَلَهُنَّtheir (waiting) term
  6. فَلَاthen (do) not
  7. تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّhinder them
  8. أَن[that]
  9. يَنكِحۡنَ(from) marrying
  10. أَزۡوَٰجَهُنَّtheir husbands
  11. إِذَاwhen
  12. تَرَٰضَوۡاْthey agree
  13. بَيۡنَهُمbetween themselves
  14. بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗin a fair manner
  15. ذَٰلِكَThat
  16. يُوعَظُis admonished
  17. بِهِۦwith it
  18. مَنwhoever
  19. كَانَ[is]
  20. مِنكُمۡamong you
  21. يُؤۡمِنُbelieves
  22. بِٱللَّهِin Allah
  23. وَٱلۡيَوۡمِand the Day
  24. ٱلۡأٓخِرِۗ[the] Last
  25. ذَٰلِكُمۡthat
  26. أَزۡكَىٰ(is) more virtuous
  27. لَكُمۡfor you
  28. وَأَطۡهَرُۚand more purer
  29. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  30. يَعۡلَمُknows
  31. وَأَنتُمۡand you
  32. لَا(do) not
  33. تَعۡلَمُونَknow
Al-Baqarah · 2:232Madinah

Do not block two people who want to come back together.

When family pride stands in the way of repair

Ma'qil's story
a coupledivorced, now want to return
blocked by
her brothershe will never go back
verse came
I hear and obeyhe let them reunite
What is purer
protect my pridehe insulted our family
let them healbetter and purer for you

Ma'qil bin Yasar's sister was divorced. When her ex-husband wanted to remarry her and she wanted it too, Ma'qil swore: by Allah, she will never go back to you. Allah knew their need for each other and sent this verse. Ma'qil said, I hear and obey my Lord, and let them remarry.

Your sister wants to give her marriage another try and you are still furious at him. Your parents refuse to talk to your brother's wife after a falling out. Sometimes the obstacle to peace is the family, not the couple.

After how they treated my family, I have the right to stand in the way.

When two people want to mend things fairly, getting out of the way is purer for my heart.

Try this

If you are blocking someone's reconciliation, have one honest conversation about letting go.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And when you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period, do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands, if they mutually agree on reasonable basis. This (instruction) is an admonition for him among you who believes in Allah and the Last Day. That is more virtuous and purer for you. Allah knows and you know not (232)

The Wali (Guardian) of the Divorced Woman should not prevent Her from going back to Her Husband

Ali bin Abu Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "This Ayah was revealed about the man who divorces his wife once or twice and her 'Iddah finishes. He later thinks about taking her back in marriage and the woman also wishes that, yet, her family prevents her from remarrying him. Hence, Allah prohibited her family from preventing her." Masruq, Ibrahim An-Nakha'i, Az-Zuhri and Ad-Dahhak stated that this is the reason behind revealing the Ayah (2:232). These statements clearly conform to the apparent meaning of the Ayah.

There is no Marriage without a Wali (for the Woman)

The Ayah (2:232) also indicates that the woman is not permitted to give herself in marriage. Rather, she requires a Wali (guardian such as her father, brother, adult son, and so forth) to give her away in marriage, as Ibn Jarir and At-Tirmidhi have stated when they mentioned this Ayah. Also, a Hadith states that:

لَا تُزَوِّجُ الْمَرْأةُ الْمَرْأَةَ، ولَا تُزَوِّج الْمَرأةُ نَفْسَهَا، فَإِنَّ الزَّانِيَةَ هِيَ الَّتِي تُزَوِّجُ نَفْسَهَا

(The woman does not give another woman away for marriage and the woman does not give herself away in marriage, for only the adulteress gives herself away for marriage.)

Another Hadith states:

لَا نِكَاحَ إلَّا بِوَلِيٍّ مُرْشِدٍ وَشَاهِدَيْ عَدْلٍ

(No marriage is valid except with the participation of a mature Wali and two trustworthy witnesses.)

The Reason behind revealing the Ayah (2:232)

It was reported that this Ayah was revealed about Ma'qil bin Yasar Al-Muzani and his sister. Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih, when he mentioned the Tafsir of this Ayah (2:232), that the husband of the sister of Ma'qil bin Yasar divorced her. He waited until her 'Iddah finished and then asked to remarry her, but Ma'qil refused. Then, this Ayah was sent down:

فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحْنَ أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ

(...do not prevent them from marrying their (former) husbands.)

Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Abu Hatim, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Marduwyah and Al-Bayhaqi reported this Hadith from Al-Hasan from Ma'qil bin Yasar. At-Tirmidhi rendered this Hadith authentic and in his narration, Ma'qil bin Yasar gave his sister in marriage for a Muslim man during the time of Allah's Messenger ﷺ. She remained with him for a while and he divorced her once and did not take her back until her 'Iddah finished. They then wanted to get back with each other and he came to ask her for marriage. Ma'qil said to him, "O ungrateful one! I honored you and married her to you but you divorced her. By Allah! She will never be returned to you." But Allah knew his need for his wife and her need for her husband and He revealed:

وَإِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَبَلَغْنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ

(And when you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period,) until He said:

وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

(...and you know not.)

When Ma'qil heard the Ayah, he said, "I hear and obey my Lord." He then summoned the man and said, "I will honor you and let you remarry (my sister)." Ibn Marduwyah added (that Ma'qil said), "And will pay (the expiation) for breaking my vow."

Allah said:

ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

(This (instruction) is an admonition for him among you who believes in Allah and the Last Day.) meaning, prohibiting you from preventing the women from marrying their ex-husbands, if they both agree to it,

مَن كَانَ مِنكُمْ 

(among you) O people,

يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

(who believes in Allah and the Last Day.) meaning, believes in Allah's commandments and fears His warnings and the torment in the Hereafter. Allah said:

ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ

(That is more virtuous and purer for you.) meaning, obeying Allah's Law by returning the women to their ex-husbands, and abandoning your displeasure, is purer and cleaner for your hearts,

وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ

(Allah knows) the benefits you gain from what He commands and what He forbids.

 وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

(and you know not) the benefits in what you do or what you refrain from doing.