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

(58:1) Allah has, indeed, heard the words of her who pleads with you concerning her husband,² and complains to Allah.³ Allah hears the conversation of you two. Surely, Allah is All-hearing, All-seeing.

(58:2) Those of you who say to your wives, ‘Be, as my mother’s back,’⁴ such (of the wives) are in no way their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave them birth. Indeed, they utter inappropriate words, and a falsehood. Yet Allah is All-pardoning, All-forgiving.

(58:3) As for those who liken the backs of their women with those of their mothers, and then retract what they said, (upon them is) freeing of a slave before the two of them touch each other.⁵ By this you are admonished, and Allah is, of what you do, Aware.

(58:4) But if any does not find (the means) then two months of consecutive fasts⁶ before the two touch each other. However, if one is not able, then feeding of sixty poor persons. This, that you may believe in Allah and His Messenger.⁷ And these are Allah’s bounds; and for the unbeliever (awaits) a severe chastisement.

(58:5) Surely those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, shall be humbled as those before them were humbled.⁸ We have, indeed, sent down self-evident signs, and for the unbelievers there (awaits) a humbling chastisement.

(58:6) The Day Allah will raise them up all together, and inform them of what they did:⁹ Allah had taken account of it while they forgot it. Allah is, over all things, a Witness.

Commentary

2. `A’isha (ra) has been recorded in Nasa’i, (a part of which report is also in Bukhari: Au.) as saying, “Allah be praised who has circumscribed all voices. Khawlah came to the Prophet complaining against her husband but her voice unclear to me, yet Allah revealed, ‘Allah has, indeed, heard the words of her who pleads with you concerning her husband’” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). There are other reports in this context, which have a few other details. One of them says that `A’isha said, “I could hear Tha`labah’s daughter, Khawlah, although not wholly, as she was complaining against her husband saying, ‘He ate my youth, I opened my womb for him, until when my age advanced, and my child is cut off from me, he has declared that my back is like his mother’s.’ And, it was not too long when Jibril came with this verse.” (Ibn Jarir). Ibn Kathir cites it from Ibn Abi Hatim. Ibn Hajr added that this is the most correct version that has come to us on this topic (Au.). According to some reports, her husband suffered from slight mental abnormality. When it took over him he uttered such things, but not otherwise (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). Could it have been a case of Borderline Personality Disorder? (Au.) There are other reports which suggest that perhaps two incidents of “zihar” took place, with the first one involving Khawlah bint Tha`labah and her husband Aws b. Samit, the brother of `Ubadah b. Samit. This was the opinion of Ibn `Abbas (Ibn Kathir). Other reports, as produced by Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and Shawkani, give us further detail to the effect that the Prophet spoke to Aws after the revelation of this verse. He asked him whether he could free a slave. He said he had none. So he suggested that he fast sixty days at a stretch. He expressed his inability to do so. Finally, the Prophet told him to feed sixty persons. Aws complained of his own poverty. So the Prophet helped him out of the state treasury. Yet another report, although weak, tells us that once while `Umar was out with some people, a woman sought his attention. He went up to her, listened to her carefully, and did for her whatever she wanted him to do, until she left. When he returned, someone remarked, “Leader of the Faithful: Did you detain Qurayshis because of this old woman?” He replied, “Woe unto you. Do you know who she is? She is the one whose complaint Allah heard from above the seven heavens. She is Khawlah bint Tha`labah. By Allah, if she had detained me for the rest of the day, I would have attended to her, except for attending to Prayers.” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

3. The words, “complains to Allah” have been added because, as some reports say, the Prophet initially told her that he had no answer to her problem, and so, she complained to Allah.

4. The technical term used in the Qur’an is “zihar.” In pre-Islamic times there were several ways of divorcing a woman. One was “zihar” which was for a man to say to his wife, “you are like my mother’s back,” or, “your back is like my mother’s back.” With that she was considered divorced (Ibn Jarir), and included are such words as “you are like my mother” (Ibn Kathir), or to say, “you are like my aunt,” or “like my daughter-in-law,” or to say, “your legs are like my mother’s”, etc. (Zamakhshari, Qurtubi).

5. The translation is literal. Otherwise, figuratively the allusion is to intercourse. Accordingly, Hasan, Sufyan and others said that there is no harm in each other getting close, so long as they avoide intercourse (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). A hadith also prohibits intercourse before the expiation. It is in Tirmidhi, (who declared it Hasan, Gharib, Sahih), as also in Abu Da’ud and Nasa’i. It says: Ibn `Abbas reported that a man came to the Prophet. He had declared his wife like her mother’s back, but thereafter had intercourse with her. He said, “Messenger of Allah, I declared my wife like my mother’s back and then had intercourse with her before I could expiate.” He asked, “What made you do it, may Allah show you mercy?” He answered, “I saw her anklet in moonlight.” He said, “Do not go near her until you have accomplilshed what Allah has ordered you do” (Ibn Kathir).

6. Unless a man is forced to break for a spell because of a natural cause, such as, he falls sick, he should do the fasts consecutively. But if there happens to be a natural cause, he may count what he did earlier to the break, and then, continue after the break to complete his sixty fasts (Ibn Jarir from the Salaf).

7. That is, reconfirm your faith in Allah and His Messenger by accepting the new rules of “zihar” and do away with all the connected taboos of the past (Razi).

8. The word “kabata” yields several meanings; another being, “destruction” (Ibn Jarir).

9. “This phrase, ‘Allah will tell them of their deeds (or their doings or their conduct)’ occurs frequently. See v. 51, n. 762; v. 108, n. 811; vi. 60; ix. 94; etc. In this life there is a certain mist or illusion in our spiritual sight. We see things from different angles and dispute about them; we hide real motives, and pretend to virtues which we do not possess; others may attribute such virtues to us, and we may come to believe it ourselves; we conceive likes and hatreds on insufficient grounds; we forget what we should remember, and remember what we should forget. Our vision is narrow, and our values are false. On the Day of Account all this will be remedied. Not only will true values be restored, but we shall ourselves see the inwardness of things in our own lives, which we never saw before.” (Yusuf Ali).