Tafsir of At-Talaq 65:4

"And those who have despaired of..."

It is narrated that some people said: "We have come to know the waiting period (‘iddah) for those who menstruate, but what is the waiting period for those who do not menstruate?" Thus, this was revealed.

The meaning of "If you are in doubt" is: If their ruling is unclear to you and you do not know how they should observe their waiting period, then this is their ruling. It is also said: If you are in doubt regarding the blood of those who have reached the age of despair—which they have estimated at sixty or fifty-five years—as to whether it is menstrual blood or istihada (irregular bleeding), then "their period is three months." If this is the waiting period for one whose status is doubtful, then one whose status is not doubtful is even more entitled to this ruling.

"And those who have not menstruated" refers to young girls. The meaning is: "their period is three months," but it is omitted here because the preceding mention indicates it.

The wording is absolute regarding those who are pregnant, thus encompassing both the divorced and those whose husbands have died. Ibn Mas‘ud, Ubayy, Abu Hurayrah, and others did not differentiate between them. From ‘Ali and Ibn ‘Abbas, it is narrated that the waiting period for a pregnant widow is the longer of the two terms. From ‘Abdullah [Ibn Mas‘ud], it is narrated: "Whoever wishes, I will engage in mula‘ana (oath-taking) with him that the shorter Surah An-Nisa’ [At-Talaq] was revealed after the one in Al-Baqarah," meaning that this wording is absolute regarding pregnant women.

Umm Salamah narrated that Subay‘ah al-Aslamiyyah gave birth a few nights after her husband’s death. She mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he said to her: "You have become lawful [to remarry], so marry."

"He will make for him of his matter ease": He will make his affairs easy and loosen his knots for him by virtue of his piety.

"That is the command of Allah": He means what has been taught regarding the rulings of these women observing their waiting periods. The meaning is: Whoever fears Allah by acting upon what Allah has revealed of these rulings, and maintains the rights incumbent upon him—such as providing housing, refraining from causing harm, providing maintenance for pregnant women, giving the wages of nursing mothers, and so on—will deserve the expiation of his sins and a great reward.

"Lodge them [in a section] of where you dwell out of your means and do not harm them in order to straiten them. And if they should be pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth. And if they breastfeed for you, then give them their payment and confer among yourselves in the acceptable way; but if you are in discord, then another woman may breastfeed for him. Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth, and he whose provision is restricted - let him spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease."