بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Mujadila 58:4
The Pleading Woman · Juz 28 · Page 542
فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ شَهۡرَيۡنِ مُتَتَابِعَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّاۖ فَمَن لَّمۡ يَسۡتَطِعۡ فَإِطۡعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسۡكِينٗاۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۚ وَتِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِۗ وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ٤
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively1 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.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 4:92. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tanwir al-Miqbas
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Commentary on 58:4
(And he who findeth not (the wherewithal)) the means to free a slave, (let him fast for two successive months before they touch one another) before they have sexual intercourse with one another; (and for him who is unable to do so) i.e. to fast because he is weak ((the penance is) the feeding of sixty needy ones) giving each needy person half a measure (half a sa') of wheat or one measure (sa') of barley or dates. (This) which I have explained regarding the expiation of the Zihar, (that ye may put trust in Allah and His messenger) in order that you acknowledge the obligations of Allah and the wont of His Messenger. (Such are the limits (imposed by Allah)) such are the legal rulings and obligations of Allah regarding the Zihar; (and for disbelievers) in the limits imposed by Allah (is a painful doom) whose pain will extend to their hearts. From the beginning of the surah to this point was revealed about Khawlah Bint Tha'labah Ibn Malik al-Ansariyyah and her husband Aws Ibn al-Samit, the brother of 'Ubadah Ibn al-Samit, who was angered by his wife for refusing him to sleep with her and, as a result, made sexual intercourse with her forbidden on him. But he regretted doing so, and Allah revealed how he could expiate the sin he committed. The Prophet (pbuh) told him: �You should free a slave�. Aws said: �I have very little money and it costs a great deal to free a slave�. The Prophet (pbuh) said: �Then you should fast two successive months�. Aws said: �I cannot do so! If I do not eat once or twice a day my eyesight becomes dim; and I fear peril if I fast�. The Prophet (pbuh) said: �Then you should feed 60 needy ones�. Aws said: �I can not afford it�. The Prophet (pbuh) ordered for him a measure of dates and commanded him to give it to the needy. Aws said: �I do not know of anyone in Medina who is more in need of it than I�. The Prophet (pbuh) told him to eat it and, with the help of another person, the Prophet (pbuh) fed 60 needy people, and this allowed Aws to go back to his wife whom he had declared unlawful for himself.
Page 542
سورة المجادلة
Al-Mujadila
The Pleading Woman · Medinan · 22 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
58:1
قَدۡ سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ قَوۡلَ ٱلَّتِي تُجَٰدِلُكَ فِي زَوۡجِهَا وَتَشۡتَكِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱللَّهُ يَسۡمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَآۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعُۢ بَصِيرٌ ١
Certainly has Allāh heard the speech of the one who argues [i.e., pleads] with you, [O Muḥammad], concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allāh. And Allāh hears your dialogue; indeed, Allāh is Hearing and Seeing.
58:2
ٱلَّذِينَ يُظَٰهِرُونَ مِنكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِهِم مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَٰتِهِمۡۖ إِنۡ أُمَّهَٰتُهُمۡ إِلَّا ٱلَّٰٓـِٔي وَلَدۡنَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ وَزُورٗاۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٞ ٢
Those who pronounce ẓihār1 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.
1 translator’s note
- The saying by a husband to his wife, "You are to me like the back of my mother," meaning unlawful to approach. This was a type of divorce practiced by the Arabs before the prophethood of Muḥammad (ﷺ). ↩
58:3
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُظَٰهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمۡ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ فَتَحۡرِيرُ رَقَبَةٖ مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّاۚ ذَٰلِكُمۡ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٞ ٣
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.
58:4
فَمَن لَّمۡ يَجِدۡ فَصِيَامُ شَهۡرَيۡنِ مُتَتَابِعَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّاۖ فَمَن لَّمۡ يَسۡتَطِعۡ فَإِطۡعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسۡكِينٗاۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِتُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۚ وَتِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِۗ وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ٤
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively1 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.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 4:92. ↩
58:5
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآدُّونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ كُبِتُواْ كَمَا كُبِتَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ وَقَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَآ ءَايَٰتِۭ بَيِّنَٰتٖۚ وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٞ مُّهِينٞ ٥
Indeed, those who oppose Allāh and His Messenger are abased as those before them were abased. And We have certainly sent down verses of clear evidence. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment
58:6
يَوۡمَ يَبۡعَثُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ جَمِيعٗا فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوٓاْۚ أَحۡصَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ وَنَسُوهُۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ شَهِيدٌ ٦
On the Day when Allāh will resurrect them all and inform them of what they did. Allāh had enumerated it, while they forgot it; and Allāh is, over all things, Witness.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 4:79. ↩