Benefits for a Divorced Woman

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who divorces his wife; if he can benefit her. He (the Imam) said, ’Yes, does he not want to be of the people of good deeds, does he not want to be of the pious people?”’

“Certain persons of our people have mentioned that benefiting a divorced woman is obligatory.’”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . divorced women have rights on the pious ones,’ (2:241) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is benefiting her after her waiting period ends. An affluent man or one who is not affluent, each must benefit according to their abilities. During the waiting period, however, why he should not benefit her when she is in her waiting period and hopes for him as well as he hopes for her that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, as He wills, may make something happen for them?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If a man is affluent he benefits his wife with servants and a not-so-affluent one benefits with wheat [and barley], raisins, clothes and dirham. Al-Hassan, ibn Ali (a.s.), benefited his wife with a slave-girl. He (a.s.), benefited all the women that he divorced.’”

“About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . divorced women must be benefited with fairness; it is a right on the pious ones’, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘It is after the end of waiting period, and about, ‘an affluent man and one not-so-affluent each according to their abilities’, he (the Imam) said, ‘Why should he not benefit her during her waiting period when she hopes and he hopes that Allah by His will may make something good to happen for them? An affluent man must benefits his woman with servant and one not affluent, benefit with wheat, (dates), raisins, clothes and dirham. Al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.), benefited the woman he divorced with a slave-girl. He (the Imam) benefited all the women he divorced.’” Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from ibn Sanaa ‘ah from Muhammad ibn Ziyad from Mu’awiyah ibn ‘Ammar from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), a similar Hadith except that he has said, ‘Al-Hassan ibn Ali (a.s.), would benefit his women with slave-girls.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . divorced women must be benefited with fairness. It is a right on the pious ones,’ and about what is the minimum of such benefits if one is not affluent. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is a scarf or similar things.’”