Translation:
It is not improper to divorce your wife (or your husband) if you have not touched (each other sexually) and no portion (dowry) has been agreed to. (Still), provide for her (your wife) according to your means, wealthy or strained, and it is a duty (to provide) on those who claim to be good (people). Now, if you divorce her (your wife) before you have touched her (engaged in sex), but you have appointed a portion (dowry), then pay half of what has been agreed to unless she forgoes or he forgoes who holds the marriage bond (giver of dowry). And it is closer to act with grace (being dutiful) if you forgo (what is due to you). Indeed, God sees what you do.122
Be ever mindful of your prayers. Pray in moderation (proper balance of the spiritual and physical without excess or being unmindful) and offer (prayer) with true humility (and sincerity).123
Interpretation:
122 In marriage (relatively recent marriage is the likely scenario) where no sexual contact has been made since marital agreement, Islam makes it easier to divorce without the due process and waiting provision and without any financial or familial obligations; yet, mutual goodwill and generosity is encouraged. If any dowry or allo- cation has been made, then only half of that is due to the wife, but giving the full dowry in encouraged and is defined as the preferred course. If no dowry has been agreed to, nothing is due legally to the wife, but husbands are encouraged to offer them some level of support according to the means available.
123 As a continuation of previous discussions on divorce, God reminds us that prayer should be made with proper balance and intensity and that the best way to perform prayer is by being truly humble and by observing it with that due moder- ation. The same is true in all aspects of our human life. God’s message is to observe all duties—whether to God through prayer, to others through spousal support, or during marriage or a divorce—with an equal attitude of moderation, due consid- eration, and sincerity. Prayer should be a deterrent to doing evil or being unjust to another person, as God said, “Prayer keeps a person away from indecency and evil” (29:45). Furthermore, God condemns prayer that is devoid of mindfulness, humility,
and sincerity and is for show only (107:4–6).
Reflection:
Islam views all of our responsibilities, whether to God or to others, in a consistent manner and with a broad set of principles and values. Sincerity, fairness, mutual respect, and proper balance are some of these guiding principles. The fact that God refers to prayer (serving God) immediately after a lengthy discussion on how men and women should serve each other in and out of marriage, which is a foundational institution of society, is a testimony to Islam’s central message that serving God and serving our fellow men by doing good are on an equal footing. Those Muslims who
feel that serving God is of greater importance, that paying more attention to life after death at the expense of neglecting life on this earth is correct, and that not attending to others’ lives and aspirations is justified should take careful note of these verses.
Action:
God has given us clear instructions and guidelines for all matters of impor- tance in our lives, yet today’s Muslims are the worst followers of these instructions. We lack proper interactions among husbands and wives, our wives’ rights are very frequently violated, and our prayers are either not performed or become a basis for arrogance and self-serving signs of righteousness. Our societies are full of either extreme! Our institutions—social, political, and communal—are being dominated by people with extreme views of religious fanaticism, political corruption, and communal anarchy. Our leadership has lost touch with the people and the realities of their lives; so-called religious imams and scholars can no longer provide much meaningful guidance and words of wisdom since they themselves lack the proper experience of and deeper reflection on life.