His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿And do not take the verses of Allah in jest, and remember the favor of Allah upon you and what He has sent down to you of the Book and the Wisdom, advising you thereby. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is Knowing of all things﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 231]

﴿And when you divorce the women and they have reached their term, do not prevent them from marrying their husbands when they agree between themselves in a good manner. This is an admonition for whoever among you believes in Allah and the Last Day. That is purer for you and more chaste. And Allah knows, while you do not know﴾.

The intended meaning: His verses that were revealed regarding commands and prohibitions.

Al-Hasan said: This verse was revealed concerning one who divorced playfully or jokingly, or one who took back his wife in the same manner. Aisha also said this, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Three matters are serious in their seriousness and joking in their joking: marriage, divorce, and taking back (a wife)." This hadith has been recorded in the collection of Ibn al-Musayyib. "Marriage, divorce, and emancipation," then Allah reminded His servants of His favor upon them through the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

And "Wisdom" is the Sunnah clarified on the tongue of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, which is the intention of Allah regarding what He did not specify in the Book. The description of "Knowing" necessitates what has preceded of actions that outwardly contradict the intention behind them, such as the one who seeks to make lawful (a divorce) and the one who takes back (his wife) in harm.

And His saying, exalted is He: ﴿And when you divorce the women and they have reached their term, do not prevent them﴾. The verse addresses the believers, some of whom are husbands and some of whom are guardians, as they are the intended ones in "do not prevent them."

And reaching the term in this context means the end of it, as the meaning necessitates that. Some people have said regarding this matter: The intended meaning of "do not prevent them" is the husbands, in that the taking back is harm, preventing them from marrying others. Thus, His saying: "their husbands" in this context refers to the men, as they are the husbands, and if the intended meaning of "do not prevent them" is the guardians, then the husbands are those who were in their custody.

And "preventing" means preventing from marriage. It is from the meaning of constriction and hardship, as it is said: "The hen has prevented (its eggs)" if its laying is difficult, and the serious disease is the one that is hard to cure.

This verse was revealed concerning Miqal ibn Yasar and his sister, and it is said: concerning Jabir ibn Abdullah, as a man divorced his sister, and it is said his cousin, and he left her until her waiting period was completed. Then he wanted to take her back, and Jabir became jealous and said: "You left her while I am more entitled to her; I will never marry you to her again," so the verse was revealed. And this verse necessitates the establishment of the guardian's right in marrying his ward, and that marriage requires a guardian, contrary to the saying of Abu Hanifah: "The guardian is not a condition of marriage."

And His saying: "in a good manner" means: the dowry and the witnessing.

And His saying, exalted is He: "That is a reminder for whoever among you..." is an address to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, then a return to addressing the community. The reference in "that" is to the abandonment of oppression. And (the phrase) "more purifying and more pure" means it is more pleasing to the soul and more pure for honor and religion, due to the relationships that exist between spouses. Perhaps the guardian does not know them, which leads to oppression resulting in corruption and inappropriate mixing. And Allah, exalted is He, knows of that which humans do not know.