Quran Universe
2:236

لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِن طَلَّقۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ مَا لَمۡ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوۡ تَفۡرِضُواْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةٗۚ وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَى ٱلۡمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُۥ وَعَلَى ٱلۡمُقۡتِرِ قَدَرُهُۥ مَتَٰعَۢا بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

La junaha AAalaykum in tallaqtumu alnnisaa ma lam tamassoohunna aw tafridoo lahunna fareedatan wamattiAAoohunna AAala almoosiAAi qadaruhu waAAala almuqtiri qadaruhu mataAAan bialmaAAroofi haqqan AAala almuhsineena

There is no blame upon you if you divorce women you have not touched nor specified for them an obligation. But give them [a gift of] compensation - the wealthy according to his capability and the poor according to his capability - a provision according to what is acceptable, a duty upon the doers of good.

Word by word
  1. لَّا(There is) no
  2. جُنَاحَblame
  3. عَلَيۡكُمۡupon you
  4. إِنif
  5. طَلَّقۡتُمُyou divorce
  6. ٱلنِّسَآءَ[the] women
  7. مَاwhom
  8. لَمۡnot
  9. تَمَسُّوهُنَّyou have touched
  10. أَوۡnor
  11. تَفۡرِضُواْyou specified
  12. لَهُنَّfor them
  13. فَرِيضَةٗۚan obligation (dower)
  14. وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّAnd make provision for them
  15. عَلَىupon
  16. ٱلۡمُوسِعِthe wealthy
  17. قَدَرُهُۥaccording to his means
  18. وَعَلَىand upon
  19. ٱلۡمُقۡتِرِthe poor
  20. قَدَرُهُۥaccording to his means
  21. مَتَٰعَۢاa provision
  22. بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۖin a fair manner
  23. حَقًّاa duty
  24. عَلَىupon
  25. ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَthe good-doers
Al-Baqarah · 2:236Madinah

Even when it ends before it begins, leave a gift.

Softening a parting with generosity

A marriage that did not start
contract madeno life together yet
then
it endsno blame for that
still
a fitting giftrich and poor by means
What the doers of good do
nothing happened, owe nothingwalk away clean
ease the hurt with a gifta duty of the good

Ibn Kathir says the gift is to compensate her for her loss, each according to his means. He reports that when a marriage of the Prophet ﷺ ended before it began, he had Abu Usayd give her provisions and two garments.

An engagement called off. A job offer you withdrew. A business deal you backed out of. Nothing technically owed, but someone was let down. A kind word, a small gift, a thank you softens the blow.

If no promise was fully kept, I owe nothing when I walk away.

Even a short-lived commitment deserves a generous goodbye.

Try this

Send a kind message or small gift to someone you recently disappointed.

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

There is no sin on you, if you divorce women while yet you have not touched them, nor appointed for them their due (dowry). But give them a Mut'ah (a suitable gift, the rich according to his means, and the poor according to his means, a gift of reasonable amount is a duty on the doers of good (236)

Divorce before consummating the Marriage

Allah allowed divorce after the marriage contract and before consummating the marriage. Ibn 'Abbas, Tawus, Ibrahim and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that 'touched' (mentioned in the Ayah) means sexual intercourse. The husband is allowed to divorce his wife before consummating the marriage or giving the dowry if it was deferred.

The Mut'ah (Gift) at the time of Divorce

Allah commands the husband to give the wife (whom he divorces before consummating the marriage) a gift of a reasonable amount, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means, to compensate her for her loss. Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih that Sahl bin Sa'd and Abu Usayd said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ married Umaymah bint Sharahil. When she was brought to the Prophet he extended his hand to her, but she did not like that. The Prophet ﷺ then ordered Abu Usayd to provide provisions for her along with a gift of two garments.