Surah Al-Mujadila 58:1-6 - Quran Translation Commentary

1. Allah heard the saying of the woman (O Prophet!) who was disputing with you concerning her husband and was complaining to Allah and Allah was hearing the talk of both of you. Verily Allah is Hearing. Seeing.¹

2. Those among you who commit ‘Zihar’ with their wives (who say to their wives that they are like the backs of their mothers)² They are not their mothers; only those are their mothers who gave them birth.³ They utter an utterly disgusting and a false thing.⁴ And verily Allah is Pardoning Forgiver.⁵

3. Those who commit Zihar and then go back on that which they have said (revert to what they had made unlawful for them) must free one neck (a male or female slave) before both of them touch one another.⁶ You are being given this admonition.⁷ And Allah is, of whatever you do, aware.

4. And who may not find a slave may fast for two successive months ⁸ before both of them touch one another. And who may not afford it may feed sixty needy persons,⁹ so that you may believe in Allah, and His Messenger.¹⁰ These are the limits fixed by Allah ¹¹ and for disbelievers is a painful torment.¹²

5. Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger ¹³ will be disgraced like those who were disgraced before them ¹⁴ WE have revealed quite clear ayah. And for deniers is a degrading torment.

6. The Day Allah will raise them all and will show them what they had done. Allah had calculated everything and these people had forgotten it. Allah is Witness to every thing.

Commentary

1.The event which is hinted in these ayaat has been mentioned in detail in Ahadith. Its summary is like this. A lady named Khaulah binte Thaalabah once approached the holy prophet and narrated her woes saying that her husband Aus bin Saamit did benefit from her in the days of her youth but now when she has become old and she is also having children, he, in a fit of his feelings, told me that you are like my mother’s back (that is, you are unlawful for me). Now I have to face perturbation, especially due to my children. Therefore I submit my complaint before Allah. She presented her case before the holy prophet in a forceful way. Clarifying that her husband’s intention was certainly not to divorce her she insisted that some way be found out so that her husband can revoke it. The holy prophet kept quiet over it for some time. Soon thereafter this Surah was revealed. It begins with the words that Allah has heard the complaint of the woman who was disputing with you in the matter of her husband and was submitting her complaint before Allah and Allah was hearing the discussion of both of you. The permission was granted after issuing an order to pay Kaffarah (expiation) in the following ayah. (For the traditions please refer to Tafseer Ibne Katheer,Vol:4,P.319-320).

The manner in which this lady presented her case has been referred to as’ Mujadalah’ (quarrel dispute). This dispute was based on sincerity of Faith and it was for reconciliation and it was submitted to Almighty Allah. Hence Allah showed His mercy. There came down a revelation to solve her difficulty which clarified rules regarding ‘zihar’ thus paving a way for the disentanglement of those who commit ‘zihar’.

Regarding the Divine Words’ Allah was hearing your discussion’ it is meant to convey that Allah is always attentive to His slaves and HE hears each and every word uttered by them and attends to their complaints. For helping His slaves, HE is present everywhere, every moment.

2. ’Zihar’ is that some one may say to his wife: “For me you are like the ‘zahr’ (back) of my mother”. It was customary in Arabs that whosoever uttered these words was losing his wife because these words were regarded synonymous to the final talaq (absolute divorce) and then his wife used to become unlawful for him for ever.

The word ‘zahr’ (back) is in the meaning of riding which they were using indirectly or allusively.

3. That is: By calling her ‘mother’ she does not become a mother. His mother is only that woman who had given him birth.

4. To call a wife ‘mother’ is both a very detestable thing and a lie. Detestable and undesirable because it is a senseless thing and it also hurts the feeling of the woman. It is also a lie because it is against the fact.

5. Means the one who commits the sin of making his wife unlawful for him should beg pardon of Allah as HE is Forgiving and pardoning.

Forgiving the sin committed and pardoning all sins

6. This is the ‘Kaffarah’ of ‘Zihar’ which has been described in this and the following ayah, After ‘zihar’ this expiation must be made so that the sin may be forgiven, the sin which is a clear lie in respect of the matrimonial affair.

“And then go back on that which they have said” means first they made their wife unlawful for him; thereafter they want to reestablish the matrimonial relation with her. Here the word ‘yaoodoon ‘ (go back) is in the sense of wanting to return. (For research in this meaning please see Allamah Ibne Qaiyim’s ‘ZaduIMaad’ ,Vol: 4, P. 85).

After ‘zihar’ the wife cannot be left suspended because Shariat has prohibited it. It is also impossible to stick to the lie uttered by them. Hence, they must make expiation so that they may be able to keep the wife as a real wife.

The ‘kaffarah’ must be paid before both of them touch one-another. Touching one- another means sexual intercourse and the word ‘touching’ (Yatamaassaa) is used metaphorically.

Three ways of expiation (Kaffarah) have been mentioned. One is that who has committed ‘zihar’ may release a neck (free one slave male or female) as to free him is just like freeing him or her from bondage of slavery. The other two manners are described in the following two ayah.

7. You are being admonished to act according Dawatul Quran 663 S. 58 to the orders of the Shariat. This instruction in the midst of the orders is for laying stress on it, that your own good is in following the commandments with good intentions. To disobey them or to make them a plaything can result only in destruction.

8. If he does not find a slave to free then he may fast continuously for two months. In modern age there are no slaves. Therefore, to make expiation (Kaffarah) one may have to act as per the second alternative or he may resort to the third way which is being described later on. Fasting continuously means there should be no break in the continuity of the fasts without any valid reason.

9. The third manner of paying the fine is to feed sixty needy persons. The Quran has not fixed any particular quantity of food for this purpose. Of course in the matter of the expiation for breaking an oath it is ordained:

“The average kind of food that you serve to your family.”

Therefore if a man gives the same kind of food to the needy which he serves to his family members then the intention behind the order is fulfilled. Hadith also approves if half saa(1kg 88gr.) of any item of food is given to each one of the needy persons.

In this age it facilitates the payer of fine give the kaffarah in cash and the poor also prefer it. Hence the price of the said item can also be given to the needy, so that they may be able to get the food of their own liking.

In the matter of ‘zihar’ the fuqaha (religious scholars) have made some unnecessary fiqhi discussions also. Such discussions confuse those who want to study Quran, It injures the spirit of obedience. Fiqhi limitations increase tightness, and mind does not get proper training because such arguments detract man’s attention from the basic points described in the Ayah. The holy prophet had trained his companions in such a way both theoretically and practically that they never indulged in unnecessary discussions nor did they raise hypothetical questions. Rather whenever they had to face any problem they searched its solution. There was much safety in their method. But a fiqhi mind changed the people who came after them and they began to dig deep in issues. Here one should also keep in mind the event of the cow of Bani Israil which is mentioned in Surah Baqarah. When they were ordered to slaughter a cow, instead of obeying the brief commandment, they raised various questions. For instance what should be its colour, how old she should be. Thus they made their work difficult. This shows that those who create hardships in Deen are put in difficulties.

Here it should also be understood that Quran does not decide that Zihar is Talaq (divorce) but has termed it as a lie and a detestable and undesirable thing, whereas during the days of pre- Islamic ignorance it was regarded as a final (mugallazah) talaq. This makes us understand that any tradition which is not recognized by the Sharaiah is not reliable. This is an example which implies that three talaqs uttered at a time (or in one sitting) too do not mean three (absolute) talaq, because this method of giving three talaqs (triple talaqs) at a time is not approved by the Shariah.

10. These commandments remove the darkness of ignorance and illuminates the road to guidance, walking in this light requires that one to must have faith in Allah and His prophet.

11. Limits fixed by Allah means the rules and regulations of the shariah the defiance and preservation of which is a demand of faith. To give preference to the traditions of the olden day ignorance or to man-made laws is totally opposed to faith.

12. Finally a warning is issued that those people who will refuse to follow the orders of Allah will face a painful punishment. In this connection the following ayah describe the character and the fate of the disbelievers and the hypocrites.

13. Today too there is no dearth of people who stand up to oppose Shariat laws. Their gestures amount to the opposition to or rising against Allah and His prophet.

14. Means those people of the past who had opposed Allah and His messenger.