ٱلَّذِينَ يُظَـٰهِرُونَ مِنكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِهِم مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـٰتِهِمْ ۖ إِنْ أُمَّهَـٰتُهُمْ إِلَّا ٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى وَلَدْنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَرًا مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ وَزُورًا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ 2
Translations
Those who pronounce ẓihār among you [to separate] from their wives - they are not [consequently] their mothers. Their mothers are none but those who gave birth to them. And indeed, they are saying an objectionable statement and a falsehood. But indeed, Allāh is Pardoning and Forgiving.
Transliteration
Al-ladhīna yuzāhirūna minkum min nisā'ihim mā hunna ummāhatihim. In ummāhatuhum illā allā'ī waladn ahum. Wa innahum layaqūlūna munkaran min al-qawl wa zūr. Wa inna Allāha la'afuwwun ghafūr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the pre-Islamic practice of ẓihār (saying to one's wife 'you are to me like the back of my mother'), which was a form of divorce used in Jahiliyyah. The ayah clarifies that wives are not literally mothers, and that such words constitute prohibited, abusive speech. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that Allah condemned this practice while offering hope through His attributes of forgiveness (al-'afuww and al-ghafūr) for those who repent.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Medina in response to the case of Khawlah bint Tha'labah, whose husband Aws ibn al-Sāmit pronounced ẓihār against her. She complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him), leading to this legislation that abolished the practice. The entire surah addresses the injustice of ẓihār and provides remedies for those affected by it.
Related Hadiths
Sunan Abu Dawud and Sunan Ibn Majah report the hadith of Khawlah bint Tha'labah complaining to the Prophet about her husband's ẓihār. Additionally, Sahih Bukhari contains hadiths regarding the prohibition of ẓihār and the expiation required (freeing a slave or fasting).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Islam elevates women's status by protecting them from harmful treatment and degrading speech, while also emphasizing that repentance and reformation are always possible through Allah's infinite mercy. Believers must guard their tongues from prohibited and hurtful words, particularly within family relationships.
Related Ayahs
فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۚ وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you to believe [completely] in Allāh and His Messenger; and those are the limits [set by] Allāh. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَىٰ ثَلَـٰثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَآ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ ۖ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Have you not considered that Allāh knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth? There are not three in a private conversation but that He is the fourth of them, nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are. Then He will inform them of what they did, on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allāh is, of all things, Knowing.
لَّن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
Never will their wealth or their children avail them against Allāh at all. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآدُّونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ٱلْأَذَلِّينَ
Indeed, the ones who oppose Allāh and His Messenger - those will be among the most humbled.