سورة البقرة

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The meaning is that if a man divorces a woman whom, although he has taken as his wife, he has not yet had intercourse with and for whom he has not fixed a dowry, then it is obligatory upon him at the time of divorce to give her a gift according to the measure of his means.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) said, regarding the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ کانَ بَیْنَ ذلِکَ قَواماً [and (keeps) between these the just mean]: "al-qawam" is the same as "al-ma'ruf" (that which is appropriate) in the verse: عَلَی الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَ عَلَی الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ مَتاعاً بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقًّا عَلَی الْمُحْسِنِینَ [upon the wealthy according to his means and upon the straitened according to his means, a provision according to usage; a duty upon the doers of good] — [that is], let him give [to the woman he has divorced] a gift according to the capacity of his family and their well-being. That [gift] is for his good and theirs. And Allah demands from a person only to the extent of what He has given him.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said, regarding the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ لِلْمُطَلَّقاتِ مَتاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقًّا عَلَی الْمُتَّقِینَ [and for the divorced women (let there be) a provision according to usage; a duty upon those who guard (against evil)]: the gift that the wealthy man and the poor man must each give to the woman according to his means [relates to] the period after the expiry of the 'iddah. How can they give the gift during the 'iddah while both the man and the woman are still hoping for reconciliation [and to abandon the divorce]? (This gift must not be paid during the 'iddah period.) And Allah lets between them whatever He wills come to pass. As for the gift of the wealthy man to the woman, it should be a slave or a maidservant, and the poor man should give wheat, raisins, clothing and a small amount of dirhams. Imam Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him) divorced a woman while gifting her a maidservant, and he did not divorce any woman without giving her a gift.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): As Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: عَلَی الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَ عَلَی الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ [upon the wealthy according to his means and upon the straitened according to his means] — so the wealthy man should give [the woman] a maidservant, dirhams and clothing according to his means, and the poor man should give a headscarf and whatever is within his means [to the woman] as a gift. But if the man has married the woman and has fixed a dowry for her, and [divorces her] before consummating the marriage, then paying half of the specified dowry is upon him.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Any man who divorces his wife before consummating the marriage with her — no 'iddah on account of that man is obligatory upon the woman. If he has fixed a dowry for her, then half of the dowry belongs to the woman; and if he has not fixed a dowry for her, then let him give her a small or large gift proportionate to his means, in such a way that it is feasible for him to arrange it. So the wealthy man should give a servant or a riding animal, the middle-income man clothing, and the poor man a dirham or a ring as a gift to the woman — as Allah the Exalted said: وَ مَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَی الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَ عَلَی الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ مَتاعاً بِالْمَعْرُوفِ [and make provision for them, upon the wealthy according to his means and upon the straitened according to his means, a provision according to usage].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If a man divorces his wife before he has lain with her, he must give her half of her dowry; and if he has not fixed a dowry for her, he must provide for her in a fitting manner with a gift — the wealthy according to his means and the straitened according to his capacity. This woman has no 'iddah, and she may from that very moment marry whomever she wishes.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Halabi said: The Imam (peace be upon him), regarding a man who divorces his wife before consummating the marriage with her, said: If he had specified a dowry for her, he must give her half of it, and if he had not specified any dowry for her, he must provide for her as women of her standing are provided for. (He should give her a gift befitting her standing).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Hamza said: I asked about a man who wishes to divorce his wife before consummating the marriage with her. He (peace be upon him) replied: The man must provide for his wife [with a gift] before the divorce, for Allah the Exalted says: وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَی الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَعَلَی الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ [and make provision for them, the wealthy according to his means and the straitened in circumstances according to his means].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibn Bukayr asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "What is the measure for the wealthy and the straitened?" He said: Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) used to provide with his mount, meaning with the load that his mount was carrying. [And he would give from this wealth to the woman as a gift.]

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): A wealthy person should give a house or a servant as a gift, one of average means should give clothing, and a poor person should give a dirham or a ring as a gift. And it is narrated that the least [gift] is a headscarf or the like of it.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): For a divorced woman, a provision has been appointed [that must be given to her], and the statement of this ruling is mentioned in the Book of Allah, where He said: عَلَی الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَ عَلَی الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ [the wealthy according to his means and the straitened in circumstances according to his means].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The gift (mut'ah) is obligatory only for a woman for whom no specific dowry has been fixed.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): A person asked: "[This verse refers to a man who has divorced his wife;] can this man make provision for the woman [and give her a gift]?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: Yes, he can. Does this man not wish to be among the doers of good, and does this man not wish to be among the pious?!

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The gift for [divorced] women is obligatory, although its amount and measure have not been precisely fixed, just as Allah the Exalted said: عَلَی الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَ عَلَی الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ مَتاعاً بِالْمَعْرُوفِ [upon the wealthy according to his means and upon the straitened according to his means, a provision according to usage].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The man cannot give, as a gift to the divorced woman, the money that the woman had given to her husband [so that he would agree] to divorce her.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): إِنْ طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّساءَ ما لَمْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوْ تَفْرِضُوا لَهُنَّ فَرِیضَةً [If you divorce women when you have not touched them or appointed for them a portion] — what is meant by "fariḍah" is the mahr (dower). The mahr of such a woman [who has been divorced without consummation] is that she has given herself [and she has no other mahr].