And they ask thee of menstruation. Say thou: it is a pollution, so keep away from women during menstruation, and go not in unto them until they have purified themselves. Then when they have thoroughly purified themselves, go in unto them as Allah hath commanded you. Verily Allah loveth the penitents, and loveth the purifiers of themselves. 222 Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear Allah. And know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe. 223 Do not swear by God not to do good things, or have piety, or make peace among people. God is All-hearing and All-knowing. 224 God will not take you to task for a slip in your oaths; but He will take you to task for what your hearts have earned; and God is All-forgiving, All-clement. 225 Those who take an oath to keep apart from their wives are given four months (for a final decision), Then if they resume their relations, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. 226 but if they decide upon divorce, God is all hearing and all knowing. 227 Divorced women shall wait by themselves for three periods; and it is not lawful for them to hide what God has created in their wombs; if they believe in God and the Last Day. In such time their mates have better right to restore them, if they desire to set things right. Women have such honourable rights as obligations, but their men have a degree above them; God is All-mighty, All-wise. 228