A divorce may be [revoked] twice, whereupon the marriage must either be resumed in fairness or dissolved in a goodly manner. And it is not lawful for you to take back anything of what you have ever given to your wives unless both [partners] have cause to fear that they may not be able to keep within the bounds set by God: hence, if you have cause to fear that the two may not be able to keep within the bounds set by God, there shall be no sin upon either of them for what the wife may give up [to her husband] in order to free herself. These are the bounds set by God; do not, then, transgress them: for they who transgress the bounds set by God - it is they, they who are evildoers! 229 So if a husband divorces his wife (irrevocably), He cannot, after that, re-marry her until after she has married another husband and He has divorced her. In that case there is no blame on either of them if they re-unite, provided they feel that they can keep the limits ordained by Allah. Such are the limits ordained by Allah, which He makes plain to those who understand. 230 And when you have divorced women, and their term reaches its end, either retain them on good terms within this period or release them with kindness; and do not retain them in order to hurt them, hence transgressing the limits; and he who does so harms only himself; and do not make the signs of Allah the objects of ridicule; and remember Allah’s favour that is bestowed upon you and that He has sent down to you the Book and wisdom, for your guidance; keep fearing Allah and know well that Allah knows everything. (The traditions of the Holy Prophet – sunnah and hadith – are called wisdom.) 231