لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ مَا لَمْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ أَوْ تَفْرِضُوا لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً وَمَتِّعُوهُنَّ عَلَى الْمُوسِعِ قَدَرُهُ وَعَلَى الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهُ مَتَاعًا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُحْسِنِينَ
٢٣٦
There is no sin on you, if you divorce women while yet you have not touched them, nor appointed for them their due
(dowry). But give them a Mut'ah
(a suitable gift, the rich according to his means, and the poor according to his means, a gift of reasonable amount is a duty on the doers of good (236)
Divorce before consummating the Marriage
Allah allowed divorce after the marriage contract and before consummating the marriage. Ibn 'Abbas, Tawus, Ibrahim and Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that 'touched' (mentioned in the Ayah) means sexual intercourse. The husband is allowed to divorce his wife before consummating the marriage or giving the dowry if it was deferred.
The Mut'ah (Gift) at the time of Divorce
Allah commands the husband to give the wife (whom he divorces before consummating the marriage) a gift of a reasonable amount, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means, to compensate her for her loss. Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih that Sahl bin Sa'd and Abu Usayd said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ married Umaymah bint Sharahil. When she was brought to the Prophet he extended his hand to her, but she did not like that. The Prophet ﷺ then ordered Abu Usayd to provide provisions for her along with a gift of two garments.
