سُوْرَةُ الْمُجَادَلَةِ
Surah Al-Mujaadila (58) — Ayah 2
ٱلَّذِينَ يُظَـٰهِرُونَ مِنكُم مِّن نِّسَآئِهِم مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـٰتِهِمْ ۖ إِنْ أُمَّهَـٰتُهُمْ إِلَّا ٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى وَلَدْنَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَرًا مِّنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ وَزُورًا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ ﴿2﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those among you who make their wives unlawful to them by (Zihâr الظهار) (i.e. by saying to them "You are like my mother’s back,") they cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And verily, they utter an ill word and a lie. And verily, Allâh is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
Those who
يُظَـٰهِرُونَ
yuẓāhirūna
pronounce zihar
مِنكُم
minkum
among you
مِّن
min
[from]
نِّسَآئِهِم
nisāihim
(to) their wives
مَّا
mā
not
هُنَّ
hunna
they
أُمَّهَـٰتِهِمْ ۖ
ummahātihim
(are) their mothers
إِنْ
in
Not
أُمَّهَـٰتُهُمْ
ummahātuhum
(are) their mothers
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى
allāī
those who
وَلَدْنَهُمْ ۚ
waladnahum
gave them birth
وَإِنَّهُمْ
wa-innahum
And indeed, they
لَيَقُولُونَ
layaqūlūna
surely say
مُنكَرًۭا
munkaran
an evil
مِّنَ
mina
[of]
ٱلْقَوْلِ
l-qawli
[the] word
وَزُورًۭا ۚ
wazūran
and a lie
وَإِنَّ
wa-inna
But indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَعَفُوٌّ
laʿafuwwun
(is) surely, Oft-Pardoning
غَفُورٌۭ
ghafūrun
Oft-Forgiving
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 2) ➊ { اَلَّذِيْنَ يُظٰهِرُوْنَ مِنْكُمْ مِّنْ نِّسَآىِٕهِمْ مَّا هُنَّ اُمَّهٰتِهِمْ …: ’’ يُظٰهِرُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’ظَهْرٌ‘‘} is derived from which means "back." The Arabs call a riding animal {’’ظَهْرٌ‘‘}. This is a metaphor, in which intercourse with the wife is likened to mounting the back of a horse or similar animal. {’’أَنْتِ عَلَيَّ كَظَهْرِ أُمِّيْ‘‘} (so you are to me like the back of my mother) means that just as it is forbidden for me to mount my mother and have intercourse with her, in the same way, you are also like my mother to me. In the time of ignorance, people would call their wives their mothers and thus declare them forbidden like their mothers. Allah Almighty ended this evil custom, saying that by merely calling the wife a mother with the tongue, she does not become a mother; a man's mother is only the one who gave birth to him. See also the commentary of Surah Al-Ahzab (4) for further details.
➋ { وَ اِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُوْلُوْنَ مُنْكَرًا مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَ زُوْرًا: ’’ مُنْكَرًا ‘‘ ’’أَنْكَرَ يُنْكِرُ‘‘} is the passive participle from (af‘aal), that thing which neither human nature, nor intellect, nor Shariah recognizes, but rather denies. {’’ زُوْرًا ‘‘} means falsehood. That is, the one who calls his wife like his mother says something that is not accepted by human nature, nor intellect, nor Shariah, because the relationship of a son with his mother is one of honor and respect, while the relationship of a husband with his wife is a special relationship that cannot even be imagined with the mother. Then, the woman who did not give birth to the man but rather had a relationship of intercourse with him, calling her a mother is an evil thing and such a great lie.
➌ { وَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوْرٌ:} means that Allah Almighty is very forgiving and concealing of your shortcomings and mistakes, especially when the one who errs returns and repents and refrains from such things in the future.
➍ In this verse, several things indicate the prohibition of zihar: first, Allah Almighty's statement {’’ مَا هُنَّ اُمَّهٰتِهِمْ ‘‘} (they are not their mothers), in which the one who does zihar is declared a liar; second and third, that Allah has named it Munkar and Zur; and fourth, Allah Almighty's statement {’’ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوْرٌ ‘‘}, because forgiveness and pardon are only for sins.
➋ { وَ اِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُوْلُوْنَ مُنْكَرًا مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَ زُوْرًا: ’’ مُنْكَرًا ‘‘ ’’أَنْكَرَ يُنْكِرُ‘‘} is the passive participle from (af‘aal), that thing which neither human nature, nor intellect, nor Shariah recognizes, but rather denies. {’’ زُوْرًا ‘‘} means falsehood. That is, the one who calls his wife like his mother says something that is not accepted by human nature, nor intellect, nor Shariah, because the relationship of a son with his mother is one of honor and respect, while the relationship of a husband with his wife is a special relationship that cannot even be imagined with the mother. Then, the woman who did not give birth to the man but rather had a relationship of intercourse with him, calling her a mother is an evil thing and such a great lie.
➌ { وَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوْرٌ:} means that Allah Almighty is very forgiving and concealing of your shortcomings and mistakes, especially when the one who errs returns and repents and refrains from such things in the future.
➍ In this verse, several things indicate the prohibition of zihar: first, Allah Almighty's statement {’’ مَا هُنَّ اُمَّهٰتِهِمْ ‘‘} (they are not their mothers), in which the one who does zihar is declared a liar; second and third, that Allah has named it Munkar and Zur; and fourth, Allah Almighty's statement {’’ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوْرٌ ‘‘}, because forgiveness and pardon are only for sins.
