وَٱلَّذِينَ يُظَـٰهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُوا۟ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ 3
Translations
And those who pronounce ẓihār from their wives and then [wish to] go back on what they said - then [there must be] the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. That is what you are admonished thereby; and Allāh is Aware of what you do.
Transliteration
Wa alladhīna yuzāhirūna min nisāihim thumma ya'ūdūna limā qālū fatharīru raqabatin min qabli an yatasāmmā. Dhālikum tu'ẓūna bihi. Wa Allāhu bimā ta'malūna khabīr.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This verse addresses the practice of zihār (a pre-Islamic form of divorce where a man tells his wife 'you are to me like the back of my mother'), and prescribes the expiation when a man utters this statement but then returns to his wife before any physical intimacy. The expiation required is the freeing of a slave before they resume marital relations. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that this verse establishes a severe penalty to discourage this harmful and degrading practice, while also providing a path to rectification through charitable action.
Revelation Context
This surah was revealed in Medina and addresses the case of Khawlah bint Tha'labah, whose husband Aws ibn al-Samit pronounced zihār against her. She came to the Prophet (ﷺ) complaining, and this surah was revealed in response. The verse establishes Islamic law against this pre-Islamic practice that was used to harm women while keeping them in a state of uncertainty regarding their marital status.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari reports that 'Ā'ishah said regarding those who practice zihār: 'Blessed is she whose husband fears Allah regarding her.' Additionally, the hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud describes the Prophet's (ﷺ) response to Khawlah's complaint, where he instructed her husband to free a slave as expiation.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Islam provides strict ethical boundaries within marriage and compassionate pathways for repentance; it emphasizes that harmful words and actions toward spouses have serious consequences, encouraging believers to guard their speech and treat their families with respect and kindness.