Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah completes the legal code regarding marital separation. Its primary purpose is to establish the precise method and limits of divorce (ṭalāq), the rules of the waiting period (ʿiddah), and the subsequent laws of financial support and breastfeeding. The surah interweaves these laws with strong exhortations to piety, assuring believers that adherence to these laws brings ease and provision.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed to refine the general laws previously mentioned in Sūrat al-Baqarah and al-Nisā’. The specific incident that prompted the revelation was the Prophet’s (ﷺ) correction of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar, who had divorced his wife while she was menstruating.

Chronology: It is counted as the 96th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Insān and before al-Bayyinah.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah's established name is "Sūrat al-Ṭalāq" (The Divorce), due to its theme and the use of this word from the first ayah. It was known to ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd as "Sūrat al-Nisā’ al-Quṣrā" (The Shorter Chapter of Women), distinguishing it from the longer Sūrat al-Nisā’.

Ayah Count: 12 ayahs (Majority) or 11 (Baṣran).

Surah Overview:

• The Law of Divorce: Establishing the proper time, method, and legal procedures for divorce and the waiting period. [1]
• Protecting the Rights of Women: Prohibiting harm to divorced women and mandating provision and residence for them during the waiting period. [6]
• Provision and Ease: Affirming the divine principle that Allah grants provision and ease to those who adhere to piety and observe His limits. [2-3, 5]
• Witnesses: The command to bring witnesses to the acts of divorce and reconciliation. [2]
• Family Law: Highlighting rules concerning breastfeeding and payment between the divorced parents. [6]
• Warning from History: Warning the Muslim community by citing the severe punishment that afflicted previous nations that disobeyed their messengers. [8-10]
• Conclusion: Affirming Allah's vast knowledge, His power over all things, and that His revelation is the path to forgiveness and a great reward. [11]