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Al-Mujadila 2

Ayah 2 of 22 · Medinan

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.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 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).

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. ٱلَّذِينَThose whoalladhīna
  2. يُظَٰهِرُونَpronounce ziharyuẓāhirūna
  3. مِنكُمamong youminkum
  4. مِّن[from]min
  5. نِّسَآئِهِم(to) their wivesnisāihim
  6. مَّاnotmā
  7. هُنَّtheyhunna
  8. أُمَّهَٰتِهِمۡۖ(are) their mothersummahātihim
  9. إِنۡNotin
  10. أُمَّهَٰتُهُمۡ(are) their mothersummahātuhum
  11. إِلَّاexceptillā
  12. ٱلَّٰٓـِٔيthose whoallāī
  13. وَلَدۡنَهُمۡۚgave them birthwaladnahum
  14. وَإِنَّهُمۡAnd indeed, theywa-innahum
  15. لَيَقُولُونَsurely saylayaqūlūna
  16. مُنكَرٗاan evilmunkaran
  17. مِّنَ[of]mina
  18. ٱلۡقَوۡلِ[the] wordl-qawli
  19. وَزُورٗاۚand a liewazūran
  20. وَإِنَّBut indeedwa-inna
  21. ٱللَّهَAllahl-laha
  22. لَعَفُوٌّ(is) surely, Oft-Pardoninglaʿafuwwun
  23. غَفُورٞOft-Forgivingghafūrun

Tafsir

Those who do Ẓihār to their wives, by saying to them: “You are for me like the back of my mother”, have lied in this statement of theirs. Their wives are not their mothers; their mothers are only those women who gave birth to them, and when they make such statements they are uttering a disgusting, false statement. But indeed, Allah is overlooking and forgiving: He has legislated an atonement for you to free you of the sin.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran