In his refutation of this claim, Abdul-Muta`aal Al-Jabri, in his book لا نسخ في القرآن...لماذا؟, pages 122-123, quotes Imaam Maalik proving that alimony is always recommended by citing,
Indeed, but I'd add that this verse make it a requirement and not just a recommendation, evidenced by the word
حقا (obligation).
I think that scholars may have conflated two items here and that may be the reason they differed. They may have conflated dowry and alimony. But God has not conflated these two items. He always called dowry "a wage" and always called alimony "a compensation." Consider,
And
among others that call dowry a wage. On the other hand, consider
And
among others that call alimony a compensation.