(… فَلَا تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ ..  ) (..do not prevent….): This is what sometimes may happen between both families, of the husband and the wife respectively, after the divorce. The talk here is about the two-time not the three-time divorce. Suppose the two spouses want to return to each other within the waiting period (the retroactive way) or after the waiting period is over (under a new contract and dowry) as a result of the two-time divorce, Allah (swt) says: don’t prevent them from returning to each other. They want that, but their families may prevent that with more disagreement and argument.

(… إِذَا تَرَاضَوْا بَيْنَهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ..  ) (..if they agree among themselves on an acceptable basis….): Allah (swt) adds:

(… ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۗ..  ) (..That is instructed to whoever of you believes in Allah and the Last Day….): Naming two elements of faith: belief in Allah (swt) and the Last Day (Doomsday), which come together in most verses. The belief in Allah (swt) is the peak of faith, whereas the belief in the Last Day is about keeping the reckoning in mind. No one would refrain from being unjust without realizing that there is reckoning and reward. Some people claim that the religion is an absolute mercy upon the believer, disbeliever, the obedient and the disobedient with no paradise or hell, and that all people will go to paradise without reckoning. Such claims are baseless and contrary to the Holy Qur’an. Allah (swt) always pairs reward with punishment:

 {وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَىٰ * وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الْأُولَىٰ }

(And that it is He who is the Lord of Sirius % And that He destroyed the first [people of] ‘Aad.)  (Al-Hijr: 49-50)

Thus, Allah (swt) always mentions the belief in Allah together with the belief in the Last Day as in:

 {ذَٰلِكُمْ يُوعَظُ بِهِ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ  }

(That is instructed to whoever should believe in Allah and the Last day.)  (At-Talaq: 2)

All books are revealed, and people are reckoned in the Last Day. The good-doer goes to paradise, and the wrong-doer goes to hell. This fact should always be kept in mind.

(… ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ..  ) (..That is better for you and purer….): It is better, clearer and purer.

(… وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ  ) (….and Allah knows and you know not): Allah (swt) states that sometimes you may think something is good for you, nonetheless, whatever Allah (swt) rules is the best for you. Allah (swt) knows, but you know not. In addition, Allah (swt) says:

 {وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ }

(But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.)  (Al-Baqara: 216)

 {فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا }

(For if you dislike them – perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.)  (An-Nisaa: 19)

 {وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ }

(And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.)  (Yusuf: 21)

Our knowledge of life is superficial. When Allah (swt) legislates something like the one-time, two-time or three-time divorce, the waiting period … etc. He (swt) knows their end and what the best is. No one should ever say: the best for the woman is so and so, or for the sake of the rights of women this or that should be, or this is far better … and so on. Such talk is contrary to the Holy Qur’an, which is crystal clear.