Al-Baqarah 229: Divorcing is only for two times. After this, it is either to keep them with goodness or to let them go with goodness. It is not permissible to take back from your women (during the divorce) what you had given to them. But it is an exception if the man and woman fear of not being able to keep the borders of Allah (to fulfill the rights of marriage). (Oh you judges,) if you fear that they will not be able to fulfill the rulings of Allah, there is no objection for both sides when the woman gives a ransom. These are the borders of Allah; do not cross them. Whoever crosses the borders of Allah, they are oppressors.

In our lesson, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 229: what does Allah Almighty say? Divorce is twice. Divorce is twice. After that, either keeping with kindness or releasing in a good way. That is, keeping with kindness does not mean taking her as your wife. Marrying her a third time. Keeping with kindness: if she has nowhere to go, so as not to drive her to evil, you give her a place in a corner of your house; in this way you keep her with kindness. Or releasing her in a good way. That is, without insulting her in any way, you send her off. To her mother, her father, her siblings. To take anything at divorce from what you gave the women, for you is not lawful.

However much property you gave, if you gave it, when you divorce from her, from the property you gave as mahr, you can take nothing. This was the woman's right of mahr. You gave it to her. Yes.

Except if the man and woman fear that they cannot stay within Allah's limits and fully apply the marital rights; this situation is an exception.

If, with your wife, the marital rights, the bonds between you explained by the sharia ruling, the right over the woman, and the man's right over the woman, if you are in a state where you cannot (?) them over one another, this is an exception. Then the woman too can give a ransom to the man in our religion. If the man is wronged, the woman gives the man a ransom. If they fear they cannot fully apply the marital rights, this situation is an exception. O judges, if you too fear that they cannot carry out Allah's rulings, then in the woman giving a ransom, for both sides there is no harm. Of course. The man has spent his wealth on the woman.

He gave his wealth to the woman. Now when they divorce, the man became (?). What will he do? In this case, the woman giving the man a ransom is no harm in our religion.

These things said are the limits Allah has set. Do not exceed them. Whoever exceeds Allah's limits, those are the wrongdoers, it says. Yes, people because of their discord may divorce their wives. This is also our Lord's command. A man has the right to divorce his wife twice.

The third time he cannot marry her. He can divorce twice.

When it comes to the third time, he cannot divorce again. He divorces twice.

The third time he takes her. The third time he takes her.

when he divorces her, he no longer marries her. He has the right to divorce twice. If he divorces the third time, it is over. He no longer has the right to take her. No right to take the woman. That, for our Lord to protect the woman, so that she is not the man's toy, to protect her honour, there is a law He has set. The woman is not a toy for the man. Yes.

A man has the right to divorce his wife twice. When a person divorces his wife, the woman, three marriages, the woman, three monthly periods, will wait. When a man divorces a woman, when that woman is to go to another husband, three monthly periods she will wait. Because from the previous verse, hiding what is in the womb is forbidden to her. Yes. If within these three monthly periods he returns to his wife, he pays an expiation. If the man within these three months returns to his wife, in our religion he pays an expiation. Yes, the marriage continues. Because the three monthly periods have not passed. The marriage continues.

If he did not return, since the marriage is dissolved at the end of the three periods, his wife is divorced from him. So you said "divorced" to the woman, you divorced her. If within three iddah periods you have not returned to the woman, she is automatically divorced from you. That is, the marriage becomes forbidden to you. Within these three months, within three iddah periods, if you return to the woman, the marriage has not lapsed; you make an expiation. Like the oath that Ali made, that is. I swear: just as when you break it you make an expiation, like this.

If he must take his wife back again, by mutual agreement their marriage they must make. They will agree on marriage again. Because it is like the first marriage. If he divorces his wife a second time, and again within these three periods returns to his wife, the marriage continues. If he does not return, since the marriage is dissolved again, his wife is divorced from him. He applies to his wife again, and if his wife accepts to marry him, again they marry. What happened? Three. The third marriage. Two divorces, three marriages. one must understand this well. Two divorces, three marriages. First marriage, first divorce.

Second marriage, second divorce. Now we have entered the third marriage. We have entered the third marriage.

He applies to his wife again, and if his wife accepts to marry him, again they marry. This time he either keeps his wife in a good way or, when he divorces her, that divorced, the divorced woman, unless she has gone to another husband, he cannot take under his marriage and marry the wife he divorced. This is what is called talaq in our religion. This is the matter people call hulle and mock. They mock it. In fact these people are mocking themselves. Why are they mocking themselves? Sir, for the woman to return to her husband again, they put a knife between them, (?). The woman, by their own minds, by people's own minds, how much they demean her.

That is, the man will divorce the wife, divorce, divorce, as he likes, as he likes play, and take the woman back again. If Allah protects the woman's right and says, the third time you cannot take her, unless she has gone to another husband, unless he has divorced her, unless you two want each other again, this is forbidden to you; if He protects the woman's honour, does that make it a toy? Those poor people, understanding hulle this way, supposedly by their own notions, mock the religion of Islam. In fact they are mocking themselves, their own honour, their own sisters. Yes.

The divorced woman marries and goes to another husband. If that husband also divorces her, and her former husband wants to take her back, they can marry each other. Of course, if that woman also wants her husband again, they can again marry each other. In the marriage contracted between husband and wife there are three spiritual bonds. What is it? In the marriage contracted between husband and wife, sir, there are three spiritual bonds. The man owns all three of them. The man owns all three of those spiritual bonds. If he divorces the woman fewer than three times, twice, this is called ric'i talaq.

The man owns this. Ric'i talaq. That is, a divorce in which he can take her back again. If he divorces three times, the marriage is completely dissolved. For them to marry again, the woman must go to another husband and, when she is divorced from him too, her former husband seeks her. If she too wants her husband, they can marry again. This is called hulle. Yes. We have explained this. How good. Surely, for the family bonds between man and woman to be strengthened, and for the woman to escape being a man's toy, for Allah Almighty to protect the woman's honour and dignity, so that the man, toward his wife, does not commit insults; within the right Allah Almighty has given the man, so that he can observe the right of Allah Almighty, who made him the holder of that right, and be able to ensure it, a law He laid down for him, this is that too. Yes, when marrying women, the woman has the right of mahr, the right of mahr.

Some poor people, again those enemies of religion, made a toy of this, turned it into bride price. Sir, they made fun of it with this bride price, and under the cause of bride price, women's mahr rights they abolished, and made them toys of men. If a man has given a woman her right of mahr, and look what Allah Almighty says in His verse.

If a woman surrenders herself, that is her self, to you without mahr, she is forbidden to you, He says. So today people who marry a woman for whom no mahr has been set are having relations with what is forbidden. Forbidden. Their marriages are forbidden. Its lowest price, in silver, is 160 grams. The lowest silver mahr, as the woman's mahr right. 160 grams. Whatever 160 grams of silver is today. Whatever it corresponds to in silver, sir, this is something everyone can afford. He will give this to the woman. Everyone grants the woman a mahr in proportion to his means. Sir, if he had given this mahr to the woman, would he, because of that material, want to leave that woman?

Would he look on her as a toy? Would he insult her? So people... Allah Almighty, since He knows that people will also value material things, in return for the material the man gave the woman, within spiritual bonds, within family responsibilities, and also with material bonds, binds them to each other. How well our Lord protects the woman here. But the enemies of the religion of Islam mocked this too. They mocked it as "bride price", and today out there we see people getting to know one another, girls and women, sir, becoming toys in the hands of men, and amid these toys falling into many crises, going even as far as suicide.

Is this Islam? Is this humanity? Forget Islam. Is this humanity? Man, created as the most honourable, is a being who will protect his honour, dignity, self-respect, chastity and glory.

Now, this way of living and the way of living in Islam's understanding, are they the same? How well Allah Almighty puts it. They are like four-legged creatures roaming the earth, He says. Even animals have a family life. There are animals whose pair do not separate from each other until they die. There are such animals. Until death the pairs never separate from each other. Yes. But man, man created honourable, I can no longer find words to say. Yes.

When marrying women, the woman has the right of mahr. When marrying, a person gives his wife a mahr. This is the woman's right of chastity. Chastity. Her chastity and honour; to protect her husband's dignity, honour and chastity, that is her right. This mahr, if the woman wishes, she gives to her husband as a gift. If she wishes, she takes it from her husband in advance. If she wishes, she can leave it in her husband's keeping. That is, she can lend it to her husband herself. You can dispose of it as you wish. But in the end this money is mine. You will give it to me, she can say. Yes. When you divorce your women, give it to them in full.

Give their mahr in full. To take back the mahr he is to give the woman is not lawful for the husband who will divorce her. In another verse, too, Allah Almighty says this: When you divorce women, the mahr right you gave them, even if it were camel loads, had you given it to her and known its place in My sight, He says. How well He puts it. Look how much He values the woman. Do not force her. Do not try to take from her hands the property you gave her. Sir, He even says do not keep them under your marriage by force. How much value He gives the woman, Allah Almighty. Yes.

However, if the man and woman fear that they cannot stay within Allah's limits and fully apply the marital rights, that is, what does this mean? Husband and wife saved up some property. The woman owns this property. And they fear Allah. That is: with this right, will we incur our Lord's wrath? That is, when we divorce, what will we do? Is this a right for us? When this is asked, if he fears, then, if the man falls into a wronged state, the woman gives the man a share. This situation is an exception. What does it say? In the verse: unless the man and woman fear that they cannot stay within Allah's limits and fully apply the marital rights; this situation is an exception, they can separate.

In this case, O judges, if you too fear that they cannot carry out Allah's rulings, that is, if you know that, yes, these two cannot agree in their views, and because they cannot agree, Allah Almighty's rights over them these two cannot fulfil. Then, so that they do not become sinful in Allah's sight, he divorces them, the judge divorces them. Then he gives his decision. He sees that (?) is wronged. Then the woman must pay the man a compensation. In this case they apply to the court and she pays a ransom. The woman pays him a ransom. Just as the man pays the woman: when the woman is wronged, the man pays the woman a ransom.

Because the burden of being wronged is on the man. When he divorces, the woman is left with nothing. What does the judge do in this case? He protects the woman's right. Until the woman goes to a husband, the man will pay that woman a ransom. He will give her maintenance. Her maintenance.

In this case there is no harm for either side in the woman giving a ransom. They apply to the court, and if the judges decide that their marriage has no future, and the woman says to the judge, "I want a divorce", the woman's word is valid; the woman may not file a maintenance claim against the man. This, or she may not take her mahr, within the woman's authority. Or the woman may give from her property. She said, "I don't want this man". She understood the marriage won't continue; the woman knows. Sir, they apply to the court, and if the judges decide that their marriage has no future, that their marriage has no future, and the woman says to the judge "I want a divorce", the woman's word is valid, and the woman may not file a maintenance claim against the man.

Why? The woman's word is valid. Again we rely on the verse. Do not keep women under your marriage by force, it says. So the woman's word is valid according to this verse. Sir, or she may give from her property. If there is none of these, her saying "I am divorcing" means giving a ransom, so that they can separate. It means giving a ransom; they can separate. If there is nothing. Yes, these things said are Allah's limits.

The limits of the law by which our Lord protects both sides. O people! Do not squander yourselves on worldly goods and exceed Allah's limits. This is my advice to you. Because all of us, all of us, (?), will depart from this world. Each of us in this world, to make ourselves witness to ourselves, to those around and to Allah, is a traveller who has come. During this journey, in the best way, in the most honest way, let us behave, so that at the end of this journey, where we go, our reward we receive. Otherwise this journey becomes a dungeon for us. Yes.

Do not exceed them. What is it? These things said are Allah's limits. Do not exceed them. How good. Allah Almighty says so. Do not exceed them. These verses are for those who fear Allah. Of course, he does not fear. He does whatever he wants. Who listens to the verses today, anyway? Who applies these, anyway? Yes. It is all made up. Some things that remain only on the tongue. Now, I witness this: a girl and a boy are going to marry, they have faith, Muslims; the hodja is going to perform their marriage. Two witnesses come, and the hodja sets a mahr for them, of course. This mahr, for them, is a word spoken while their ears do not hear and their hearts are closed, for them.

They have neither a proof in hand nor a document, a written deed. What does Allah Almighty say? When you do a transaction, take a trustworthy witness. Today the trustees are notaries, or signed papers transacted with witnesses on both sides. Is there such a paper? Yes, how much the woman, how much, my son, how much to give her as ransom; well, five hundred lira, a thousand lira, fifteen hundred lira, fifty thousand lira, a hundred thousand lira; many say so. Then when they separate, neither does the woman know of it, (?), know of the money she is to get from her mahr, nor does the man know of the money he said, he promised.

Is this now what Islam requires? So in this case these are people living by exceeding Allah's limits. Their deeds save them, their intentions save them. They are Muslim, after all; they could not know. They learned it that way, they go on that way. Yes.

These verses are Allah's, are for those who fear Allah. They are life for people. But these laws, those who do not fear Allah as they should, the wrongdoers who have wronged their own souls, do not heed. Yes. Wrongdoers. Who is this wrongdoer? The wrongdoer who wrongs his own soul. Can there be a greater wrongdoer than this? Even if a person wrongs another person, acts unjustly, a day, two days come and go. But a person's wronging of his own soul lands him in Hell. Yes.

As for those who fear Allah, they observe in accordance with Allah's laws and do not exceed the bounds. They submit to their Lord's word. For worldly goods and carnal feelings, they do not wrong their own souls. (?). They do not wrong their own souls. Because whatever exists, from the atom to the globe, is Allah's, Allah's creations. What does Allah Almighty say in the verse? The heavens and the earth and what is between them, to your Lord, your Lord's; all souls will taste death, and finally this inheritance will remain to Allah, He says. The heavens and the earth, the inheritance of these two belongs to Allah, He says.

Look, the heavens and the earth, the inheritance of these two belongs to Allah. What is the inheritance? What my Lord has given us; and that all souls will taste death, He says here. All souls, and again Allah's creations, will remain to Allah. So we do not own a single atom in this universe. Not one atom. Whoever exceeds Allah's limits, those are the wrongdoers, He says. Wrongdoers. If people divorce their wives, rightly or wrongly, and after divorcing intend injustice toward them, intend injustice, that is, take their property from their hands, leave the women in the lurch, behave in a way that will lead them astray, if they behave so, give bribes, deceive the judges, these are the wrongdoers themselves.

Allah does not love the wrongdoers. Yes.