When You Divorce Women and They Reach the End — Retain Them Properly
fiqh
Level: intermediate
family
fqh-053
فَأَمۡسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ سَرِّحُوهُنَّ بِمَعۡرُوفٍ
— البقرة 231
Verse: "When you divorce women and they reach the end of their term — retain them properly or release them properly." (2:231) — Two options: retention with goodwill or release with dignity. "Properly" repeated twice — Islam mandates ethics even in separation. Prohibiting retaining them to cause harm — explicit prohibition of bad-faith reconciliation.
Source: Al-Qurtubi (3/155); Ibn Al-Arabi (1/194)
Question: What moral condition is repeated in both reconciliation and release in the verse?
Answer: "Properly/with goodness" — repeated twice. Retention properly (genuine good intention) and release properly (with dignity and compassion). Divorce is a regulated solution with ethical standards.