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Provisional Inheritance Law: Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 2:240-242) By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Commentary of the Quran

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 2:240-242)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

Provisional Inheritance Law

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا وَصِيَّةً لِّأَزْوَاجِهِم مَّتَاعًا إِلَى الْحَوْلِ غَيْرَ إِخْرَاجٍ ۚ فَإِنْ خَرَجْنَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي مَا فَعَلْنَ فِي أَنفُسِهِنَّ مِن مَّعْرُوفٍ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٢٤٠﴾ وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَاتِ مَتَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢٤١﴾ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٤٢

2:240 And those who die among you and leave behind (their) wives (should make) a will for their wives, provision for the year without driving (them) out. But if they leave, then no blame upon you (the heirs of deceased husband) in what they do lawfully concerning themselves. And Allah (is) All-Mighty, All-Wise.

2:241 And for the divorced women, (is) a proper and reasonable provision – a duty upon the righteous.

2:242 Thus, Allah (SWT) makes God’s Verses clear to you so that you may reflect.

Commentary: The women in the pre-Islamic era, after the passing of their husbands, used to wait a whole year before getting married. Islam initially accepted this tradition but later adjusted the one year to four months and ten days [Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol. 2, P.214]. Hence, verse 2:240 decrees husbands to bequeath their wives a year’s cost of living without being driven from their homes. Nevertheless, widows would lose the receipt of these living expenses if they move out earlier than one year after the death of their husband. In that case, the heirs of the deceased husband are not responsible for what the widows may do lawfully with their lives.

Many commentators believe that this decree is abrogated by verse 2:234 (Al-Baqarah) and verse 4:12 (An-Nisa). Verse 2:234 states the waiting period of a widow is four months and ten days instead of one year, as indicated in verse 2:240. Also, verse 4:12 specifies that a widow with children inherits 1/4 of their husband’s wealth, and those without children receive 1/8 of her husband’s wealth instead of a year cost of living expenses, as mentioned in verse 2:240 [Al-Mizan, Vol.1, P.370].

In particular, the verse says, those who are on the verge of death (وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنكُمْ) and leave behind their wives (وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا) should make a will that their wives will receive one year’s cost of living (وَصِيَّةً لِّأَزْوَاجِهِم مَّتَاعًا إِلَى الْحَوْلِ) without being driven from their homes (غَيْرَ إِخْرَاجٍ). If they leave on their accord (فَإِنْ خَرَجْنَ), then there is no blame (responsibility) upon them (the heirs of the deceased husband) in what they do concerning themselves (فِي مَا فَعَلْنَ فِي أَنفُسِهِنَّ) lawfully and appropriately (مِن مَّعْرُوفٍ). And Allah (is) All-Mighty, All-Wise (وَاللَّـهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ).

The next verse asserts that it is incumbent on every righteous husband (حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ) to give a thoughtful and reasonable gift (مَتَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ) to his divorced wives (وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَاتِ). The verse includes all divorced women. Nevertheless, in light of verse 2:236, this ruling applies to women for whom no dowry is set at the time of marriage and are being divorced before they begin marital relations with their husbands [Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol. 2, P.215]. In conclusion, the verse asserts that Allah makes His Verses clear to us so that we reflect on them and thus turn them into action:

كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٤٢

2:242 Thus Allah (SWT) makes God’s Verses clear to you so that you may reflect.

The Qur’an uses reason in a context that, once understood, manifests itself in practice. For instance, the companions of the Hellfire would say, if they listened and reasoned to divine message and thus put them into action, then they would not be in the Hellfire (Al-Mulk 67:10):

وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ ﴿١٠

67:10 And they will say, “If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.”

Word-for-Word Translation:

2:240 [وَالَّذِينَ] And those who [يُتَوَفَّوْنَ] die [مِنكُمْ] among you [وَيَذَرُونَ] and leave behind [أَزْوَاجًا] their wives, [وَصِيَّةً] should make a will [لِّأَزْوَاجِهِم] for their wives, [مَّتَاعًا] provision [إِلَى] for [الْحَوْلِ] the year, [غَيْرَ] without [إِخْرَاجٍ] driving them out. [فَإِنْ] But if [خَرَجْنَ] they leave [فَلَا] then no [جُنَاحَ] blame [عَلَيْكُمْ] upon you [فِي] in [مَا] what [فَعَلْنَ] they do [فِي] concerning [أَنفُسِهِنَّ] themselves [مِن] of [مَّعْرُوفٍ] honorably. [وَاللَّـهُ] And Allah [عَزِيزٌ] is All-mighty [حَكِيمٌ] All-wise.

2:241 [وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَاتِ] And for divorced women [مَتَاعٌ] is a provision [بِالْمَعْرُوفِ] in a fair manner [حَقًّا] a duty [عَلَى] upon [الْمُتَّقِينَ] the righteous

2:242 [كَذَٰلِكَ] Thus [يُبَيِّنُ] make clear [اللَّـهُ] Allah (SWT) [لَكُمْ] for you [آيَاتِهِ] God’s verses [لَعَلَّكُمْ]so that you may [تَعْقِلُونَ] use your intellect.

 

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