´It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that a man came to the Prophet who had declared Zihar from his wife, then he had intercourse with her. He said:` "O Messenger of Allah, I declared Zihar on my wife, then I had intercourse with her before I offered the expiation." He said: "What made you do that, may Allah have mercy on you?" He said: "I saw her anklets in the light of the moon." He said: "Do not approach her until you have done that which Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has commanded."
Hadith Referenceسنن نسائي / كتاب الطلاق / 3487
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:حسن | زبیر علی زئی:إسناده حسن
1؎: That is, for a man to say to his wife, "You are to me like the back of my mother." 2؎: The expiation (kaffarah) for zihar is: to free a believing slave; if he is not able to do so, then to fast for two consecutive months.
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
(1) “Zihar” refers to when a man says to his wife: “You are to me like the back of my mother.” The intent is to make the woman unlawful (haram) for himself. Its expiation (kaffarah) is to free a slave. If he is not able, then he must fast two consecutive months. And if he is unable to do even this, then he must feed sixty needy people. Until the expiation is fulfilled, intercourse is forbidden. If he likens her to any other mahram woman besides the mother—such as a sister, daughter, or any other—then the same ruling applies.
(2) “He should do that”—meaning, he should fulfill the expiation (kaffarah).
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 3487