حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ ﴿۲۳۸﴾ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ فَرِجَالًا أَوْ رُكْبَانًا فَإِذَا أَمِنْتُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَمَا عَلَّمَكُمْ مَا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۲۳۹﴾ وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا وَصِيَّةً لِأَزْوَاجِهِمْ مَتَاعًا إِلَى الْحَوْلِ غَيْرَ إِخْرَاجٍ فَإِنْ خَرَجْنَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي مَا فَعَلْنَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِنَّ مِنْ مَعْرُوفٍ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿۲۴۰﴾ وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَاتِ مَتَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿۲۴۱﴾
﴾238﴿ Haafizoo 'alas salawaati was Salaatil Wustaa wa qoomoo lillaahi qaaniteen
﴾239﴿ Fa in khiftum farijaalan aw rukbaanan fa izaaa amintum fazkurul laaha kamaa 'allamakum maa lam takoonoo ta'lamoon
﴾240﴿ Wallazeena yutawaf fawna minkum wa yazaroona azwaajanw wasiyyatal li azwaajihim mataa'an ilal hawlighaira ikhraaj; fa in kharajna falaa junaaha 'alaikum fee maa fa'alna feee anfusihinna min ma'roof; wallaahu Azeezun Hakeem
﴾241﴿ Wa lilmutallaqaati mataa'um bilma'roofi haqqan 'alal muttaqeen
﴾238﴿ Be mindful of all the prayers and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in obedience.
﴾239﴿ So if you fear anyone, then (pray) while walking or riding.
Then when you are safe, remember Allah as He has taught you what you did not know.
﴾240﴿ And those among you who die and leave behind wives should make a will for their wives for maintenance for one year without being expelled from the house (the house of the husband).
But if they leave after the obligatory waiting period, then there is no sin upon you regarding what they do for themselves in a good manner.
And Allah is Mighty, Wise.
﴾241﴿ And for divorced women, providing maintenance is a duty upon those who are mindful of Allah.
[238] This is the sixteenth ruling: the protection of prayer.
It indicates that family order cannot be established without prayer, and it also points out that in being occupied with matters related to women and legal rulings, one should not become neglectful of prayer.
In most narrations, it is mentioned that the middle prayer is another prayer.
The meaning of protecting each prayer is to perform it at its prescribed time, fulfill all its obligatory and necessary parts, and also observe humility, sunnahs, and recommended acts.
“And stand before Allah” is proof that standing is an essential pillar of prayer.
“Obedient” here most often means obedience, or it could mean remaining silent from worldly speech.
[239] This ruling concerns prayer at times of extreme fear, when, because of fear, people cannot stand together.
“On foot or riding” means whether one is walking or riding on a mount, and the bowing and prostration are done by indication.
“As He has taught you what you did not know” refers to the way of prayer, which is mentioned in summary in the Noble Quran and in detail in the hadiths.
[240] This is the seventeenth ruling concerning the waiting period (‘iddah) of a woman whose husband has passed away, and it is in the manner of kindness (ihsan). In verse 234, the obligatory waiting period was stated, while this verse mentions the recommended (ihsani) waiting period, so there is no abrogation. مَتَاعًا (provision) here includes both maintenance (nafaqah) and residence (sukoonat).
فَإِنْ خَرَجْنَ (if they go out) means after completing the obligatory ‘iddah of four months and ten days, if the woman voluntarily leaves the house, she is not required to complete the full year. مَعْرُوفٍ (what is customary) may refer to getting married, engaging in lawful work, or going out to visit her parents.
[241] This is the eighteenth ruling regarding divorced women in general: this mut‘ah (provision) is considered either recommended or obligatory, according to scholarly differences. The word مَتَاعٌ (provision) includes maintenance (nafaqah), lodging (sukna), a set of clothing, a covering such as a shawl, and other necessities. بِالْمَعْرُوفِ (in accordance with custom) means it should be given according to what is customary. الْمُتَّقِينَ refers to those who guard themselves from shirk, meaning the Muslims.
In verse 236, mut‘ah is unanimously considered obligatory upon the husband, and fulfilling an obligatory act requires doing so with kindness and sincerity. In this verse, however, there is scholarly disagreement about whether mut‘ah is obligatory, so it is necessary to fulfill it out of taqwa (piety and caution).