Translation:
But if they agree to divorce, then God is Hearing, All-Knowing. The divorced women should wait three (menstrual) cycles (before remarrying). It is not appropriate for them to hide what God has created in their womb if they believe in God and the Last Day.115 If they wish reconciliation, then the husband has a better right to take them back during the waiting period (other than anyone else). And in a similar manner, women have similar rights and privileges as given to their husbands, though man has higher obligations (in terms of responsibility and accountability with respect to family maintenance and finances, see 4:34). God is Mighty and Wise.
Interpretation:
115 This verse points to several elements in marriage relations and divorces that need careful analysis and understanding. First of all, women, because their pregnancy may not be known for some time, are asked to wait three months (or menstrual cycles) before remarrying to ascertain their pregnancy. If they already know that they are pregnant, then they should inform their husbands. This is because this knowledge
may change how the husband and wife feel about each other and about their children. Islam encourages reconciliation and requires that each party take the matter of
divorce seriously. In the event of pregnancy, they can get back together in marriage without fulfilling the requirement to marry someone else. Women may also demand that they be taken back in marriage for the benefit of the unborn child based on mutual agreement and the man should accept such a request.
The verse concludes with a reminder that man has a higher degree of responsi- bility and should be ever more inclined to take care of women, especially if they are pregnant, since men have responsibilities not only to their wives but also to their children. Some people consider that this last statement about man having a higher degree of obligation implies their superiority, but I contend that it implies a higher degree of responsibility. This is further corroborated in 4:34, where God formally assigned the role of family maintenance to men. This, however, does not go against the view that men and women are created equal. All it is imparting are the roles and responsibilities of man and woman when they come together in marriage and set expectations for each other. Too often we try to come up with meanings and inter- pretations that would put the Qur’anic view of life and the relationship of man and woman on unequal footing. This type of contradiction is absent in the Qur’an, and we should reflect carefully before we take a position on issues or create a legal framework without a sound basis from the Qur’an, the hadith (the Prophet’s examples and
teachings), and our own God-given capacity to understand and reason.
Reflection: Respect for and the rights of women are too often ignored in many Muslim societies. Educating our daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers; teaching our sons to be responsive to family and their wives, sisters, mothers, or daughters; establishing a culture of shared responsibilities for our sons and daughters so they are ready to create strong family bonds when they marry; and raising children with
clear understanding and guidance to make them productive members of society are the true measures of our success and our accountability to God and to each other. I once attended a memorial service in a Muslim country for a Muslim woman who was a leading educator there, and when the time for the prayer came, the Imam, who was going to lead the prayer, asked all women to leave the hall before he would lead the prayer, since he believed that women should pray at home! When he was reminded that the Prophet had prayed with women in his gatherings and that women partic- ipate equally in rituals involving the Ka’bah during Hajj, his response was that this is how they practice Islam in their society!
Action: Some Muslims feel that serving our fellow men, especially women, is an act of less importance than that of serving God, but God always talks about faith and good actions being of equal importance.
Key Arabic Terms
53. Talaq