Surah Al-Mujadila • Ayah 2

Az-Zihar and the Atonement for It ImamAhmad recorded that Khuwaylah bint Tha`labah said, "By Allah! Allah sent down the beginning of Surat Al-Mujadilah in connection with me and `Aws bin As-Samit. He was my husband and had grown old and difficult. One day, he came to me and I argued with him about something and he said, out of anger, `You are like my mother's back to me.' He went out and sat with some of his people. Then he came back and wanted to have sexual intercourse with me. I said, `No, by the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Khuwaylah! You will not have your way with me after you said what you said, until Allah and His Messenger issue judgement about our case.' He wanted to have his way regardless of my choice and I pushed him away from me; he was an old man.' I next went to one of my neighbors and borrowed a garment from her and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I told him what happened and kept complaining to him of the ill treatment I received from `Aws. He said,«يَاخُوَيْلَةُ، ابْنُ عَمِّكِ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ، فَاتَّقِي اللهَ فِيه»(O Khuwaylah! Your cousin is an old man, so have Taqwa of Allah regarding him.) By Allah! Before I departed, parts of the Qur'an were revealed about me. Allah's Messenger ﷺ felt the hardship upon receiving the revelation as he usually did and then became relieved. He said to me,«يَا خُوَيْلَةُ، قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ فِيكِ وَفِي صَاحِبِكِ قُرْآنًا»(O Khuwaylah! Allah has revealed something about you and your spouse.) He recited to me,قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِى تُجَادِلُكَ فِى زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِى إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمآ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ(Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes with you concerning her husband, and complains to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.), until,وَلِلكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ(And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment.) He then said to me,«مُرِيهِ فَلْيُعْتِقْ رَقَبَة»(Command him to free a slave.) I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He does not have any to free.' He said,«فَلْيَصُمْ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْن»(Let him fast for two consecutive months.) I said, `By Allah! He is an old man and cannot fast.' He said,«فَلْيُطْعِمْ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْر»(Let him feed sixty poor people a Wasq of dates.) I said, `O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, he does not have any of that.' He said,«فَإِنَّا سَنُعِينُهُ بِعَرَقٍ مِنْ تَمْر»(We will help him with a basket of dates.) I said, `And I, O Allah's Messenger! I will help him with another.' He said,«قَدْ أَصَبْتِ وَأَحْسَنْتِ فَاذْهَبِي فَتَصَدَّقِي بِهِ عَنْهُ، ثُمَّ اسْتَوْصِي بِابْنِ عَمِّكِ خَيْرًا»(You have done a righteously good thing. So go and give away the dates on his behalf and take care of your cousin.) I did that."' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith in the Book of Divorce in his Sunan, according to which her name is Khawlah bint Tha`labah. She is also known as Khawlah bint Malik bin Tha`labah, and Khuwaylah. All these are close to each other, and Allah knows best. This is what is correct about the reason behind revealing this Surah. Therefore, Allah's statement,الَّذِينَ يُظَـهِرُونَ مِنكُمْ مِّن نِّسَآئِهِمْ(Those among you who make their wives unlawful to them by Zihar) refers to Zihar, which is derived from Az-Zahr, meaning, the back. During the time of Jahiliyyah, when one wanted to declare Zihar towards his wife, he would say, "To me, you are like the back of my mother." That was one way they issued divorce during that time. Allah allowed this Ummah to pay expiation for this statement and did not render it as a divorce, contrary to the case during the time of Jahiliyyah. Allah said,مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَـتُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللاَّئِى وَلَدْنَهُمْ(they cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth.) meaning, when the husband says to his wife that she is like his mother, or the back of his mother etc., she does not become his mother. Rather his mother is she who gave birth to him. This is why Allah said,وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَراً مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُوراً(And verily, they utter an ill word and a lie.) meaning, false and sinful speech,وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ(And verily, Allah is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.) meaning, `what you used to do during the time of Jahiliyyah, and what accidentally slips out of your mouth, unintentionally.' Allah's statement,وَالَّذِينَ يُظَـهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ(And those who make unlawful to them (their wives) by Zihar and wish to free themselves from what they uttered,) Ash-Shafi`i said, "It means to keep her for a while after the Zihar, without divorcing her, even though his is able to do so." Ahmad bin Hanbal said, "To return to having sexual relations with her or to merely intend to do so, but only after he pays the expiation mentioned in the Ayah for his statement." It has been quoted from Malik that it is the intention to have sexual relations or to keep her or actually having sexual intercourse. Sa`id bin Jubayr said that this Ayah,ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ(and wish to free themselves from what they uttered,) meaning, if they want to return to having sexual intercourse which was forbidden between them. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that it is to utilize her sexual organ, and he did not see any harm in doing what is less than that before paying the expiation. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas:مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا(before they touch each other.) "The `touching' refers here to sexual intercourse." Similar was said by `Ata', Az-Zuhri, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan. Az-Zuhri added, "He is not to kiss or touch her until he pays the expiation." The Sunan compilers recorded from `Ikrimah, from Ibn `Abbas that a man said, "O Allah's Messenger! I pronounced Zihar on my wife, but then had sexual intercourse with her before I paid the expiation." The Messenger ﷺ said,«مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلى ذَلِكَ يَرْحَمُكَ الله»(May Allah grant you His mercy, what made you do that) He said, "I saw the adornment she was wearing shining in the moon's light." The Prophet said,«فَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا حَتْى تَفْعَلَ مَا أَمَرَكَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل»(Then do not touch her until you do what Allah the Exalted and Most Honored has ordered you to do.) At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib Sahih." Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded it. Allah said,فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ((the penalty) in that case is the freeing of a slave) indicating the necessity of freeing a slave before they touch each other. This Ayah mentions any slave, not only believing servants as in the case of the expiation for (unintentional) killing,ذَلِكُمْ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ(That is an admonition to you.) meaning, a warning to threaten you in this case.وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ(And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.) meaning, He is All-Knower in what brings you benefit. Allah's statement,فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا فَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً(And he who finds not must fast two successive months before they both touch each other. And he who is unable to do so, should feed sixty of the poor.) is explained by the Hadiths that prescribe these punishments in this order, just as in the Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs about the man who had sexual intercourse with his wife during the day, in Ramadan. Allah said,ذَلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ(That is in order that you may have perfect faith in Allah and His Messenger.) meaning, `We legislated this punishment so that you acquire this trait,'وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ(These are the limits set by Allah.) meaning, the things that He has forbidden, so do not transgress them,وَلِلكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ(And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment.) meaning, those who do not believe and do not abide by the rulings of Islamic legislation should never think they will be saved from the torment. Rather theirs will be a painful torment in this life and the Hereafter.

خولہ اور خویلہ بنت ثعلبہ رضی اللہ عنہا اور مسئلہ ظہار ٭٭سیدہ خولہ بنت ثعلبہ رضی اللہ عنہا فرماتی ہیں کہ اللہ کی قسم میرے اور میرے خاوند اوس بن صامت رضی اللہ عنہ کے بارے میں اس سورۃ المجادلہ کی شروع کی چار آیتیں اتری ہیں، میں ان کے گھر میں تھی، یہ بوڑھے اور بڑی عمر کے تھے اور کچھ اخلاق کے بھی اچھے نہ تھے، ایک دن باتوں ہی باتوں میں میں نے ان کی کسی بات کے خلاف کہا اور انہیں کچھ جواب دیا، جس پر وہ بڑے غضب ناک ہوئے اور غصے میں فرمانے لگے، تو مجھ پر میری ماں کی پیٹھ کی طرح ہے پھر گھر سے چلے گئے اور قومی مجلس میں کچھ دیر بیٹھے رہے پھر واپس آئے اور مجھ سے خاص بات چیت کرنی چاہی، میں نے کہا: اس اللہ کی قسم! جس کے ہاتھ میں خولہ کی جان ہے تمہارے اس کہنے کے بعد اب یہ بات ناممکن ہے یہاں تک کہ اللہ اور اس کے رسول کا فیصلہ ہمارے بارے میں نہ ہو، لیکن وہ نہ مانے اور زبردستی کرنے لگے مگر چونکہ کمزور اور ضعیف تھے میں ان پر غالب آ گئی اور وہ اپنے مقصد میں کامیاب نہ ہو سکے، میں اپنی پڑوسن کے ہاں گئی اور اس سے کپڑا مانگ کر اوڑھ کر رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کے پاس پہنچی، اس واقعہ کو بیان کیا اور بھی اپنی مصیبتیں اور تکلیفیں بیان کرنی شروع کر دیں، آپ یہی فرماتے جاتے تھے خولہ! اپنے خاوند کے بارے میں اللہ سے ڈرو، وہ بوڑھے بڑے ہیں، ابھی یہ باتیں ہو ہی رہی تھیں کہ نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم پر وحی کی کیفیت طاری ہوئی، جب وحی اتر چکی تو آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: ”اے خولہ! تیرے اور تیرے خاوند کے بارے میں قرآن کریم کی آیتیں نازل ہوئی ہیں“، پھر آپ نے آیات «قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ» [58-المجادلة:1] ‏ سے «وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ» ‏ [58-المجادلة:4] ‏ تک پڑھ سنائیں۔صفحہ نمبر9338اور فرمایا: ”جاؤ اپنے میاں سے کہو کہ ایک غلام آزاد کریں“، میں نے کہا: یا رسول اللہ ! ان کے پاس غلام کہاں؟ وہ تو بہت مسکین شخص ہیں، آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: ”اچھا تو دو مہینے کے لگاتار روزے رکھ لیں“، میں نے کہا: اے اللہ کے رسول ! وہ تو بڑی عمر کے بوڑھے ناتواں کمزور ہیں انہیں دو ماہ کے روزوں کی بھی طاقت نہیں، آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: ”پھر ساٹھ مسکینوں کو ایک وسق (‏تقریباً چار من پختہ) کھجوریں دے دیں“، میں نے کہا: یا رسول اللہ ! ”اس مسکین کے پاس یہ بھی نہیں۔‏“ آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: ”اچھا آدھا وسق کھجوریں میں اپنے پاس سے انہیں دیدوں گا“ میں نے کہا: بہتر آدھا وسق میں دیدوں گی۔ آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: ”یہ تم نے بہت اچھا کیا اور خوب کام کیا، جاؤ یہ ادا کر دو اور اپنے خاوند کے ساتھ جو تمہارے چچا کے لڑکے ہیں محبت، پیار، خیر خواہی اور فرمانبرداری سے گزارا کرو۔“ [سنن ابوداود:2214،قال الشيخ الألباني:حسن] ‏ ان کا نام بعض روایتوں میں خویلہ کے بجائے خولہ رضی اللہ عنہا بھی آیا ہے اور بنت ثعلبہ کے بدلے بنت مالک بن ثعلبہ رضی اللہ عنہا بھی آیا ہے، ان اقوال میں کوئی ایسا اختلاف نہیں جو ایک دوسرے کے خلاف ہو۔ «وَاللهُ اَعْلَمُ» اس سورت کی ان شروع کی آیتوں کا صحیح شان نزول یہی ہے۔صفحہ نمبر9339

آیت 2 { اَلَّذِیْنَ یُظٰہِرُوْنَ مِنْکُمْ مِّنْ نِّسَآئِہِمْ مَّا ہُنَّ اُمَّہٰتِہِمْ } ”اے مسلمانو ! تم میں سے جو لوگ اپنی بیویوں کو مائیں کہہ بیٹھتے ہیں ‘ وہ ان کی مائیں نہیں بن جاتی ہیں۔“ جس طرح کسی کو کوئی بیٹا کہہ دے تو وہ اس کا بیٹا نہیں بن جاتا اور جس طرح منہ بولے بیٹے کی کوئی قانونی و شرعی حیثیت نہیں اسی طرح زبان سے اگر کوئی اپنی بیوی کو اپنی ماں کہہ دے تو ایسے کسی دعوے یا جملے کی بھی کوئی حیثیت نہیں۔ { اِنْ اُمَّہٰتُہُمْ اِلَّا اللّٰٓئِیْ وَلَدْنَہُمْ } ”ان کی مائیں تو وہی ہیں جنہوں نے انہیں جنا ہے۔“ { وَاِنَّہُمْ لَیَقُوْلُوْنَ مُنْکَرًا مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُوْرًا } ”البتہ یہ لوگ ایک نہایت ناپسندیدہ اور جھوٹی بات کہتے ہیں۔“ یہ لوگ اپنی بیویوں کو اپنی مائیں کہہ کر ایک نہایت بےہودہ ‘ شرمناک اور نامعقول بات منہ سے نکالتے ہیں۔ پھر یہ بات جھوٹی بھی ہے کہ ان کی بیویاں ان کے لیے اب مائیں ہوگئی ہیں۔ { وَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوْرٌ۔ } ”اور یقینا اللہ بہت معاف فرمانے والا ‘ بہت بخشنے والا ہے۔“ ان الفاظ میں یہ اشارہ دے دیا گیا کہ ظہار سے متعلق چونکہ ابھی تک کوئی قانون نازل نہیں ہوا تھا ‘ اس لیے اللہ تعالیٰ مذکورہ صحابی رض کو اس معاملے میں معاف فرما دے گا ‘ بلکہ اس سے پہلے جس کسی سے بھی یہ حرکت سرزد ہوئی ‘ اللہ تعالیٰ اس سے درگزر فرمائے گا۔

Ziharالَّذِينَ يُظَاهِرُ‌ونَ مِنكُممِّن نِّسَائِهِم (Those of you who declare zihar against their wives...58:2) The aorist yuzahiruna is derived from zihar. There was a cruel custom in pre-Islamic Arabia; as pointed out earlier, where the husband would utter the zihar formula اَنتِ عَلَیِّ کَظَھرِ اُمِّی 'You are to me as my mother's back', and thus she would become permanently and absolutely unlawful to him for cohabitation like the mother. Here the word zahr (back) metonymically refers to bath 'stomach or womb'. [ Qurtubi ]Definition of zihar and its effect in Shari’ ahIn order to understand the definition of zihar in terms of Shari’ ah, it should be noted first that there are some women who are permanently forbidden for a man, such as mother, sister, daughter and others in the prohibited degree. Although looking at such women is permissible in general, yet looking at some parts of their body is not permissible, (like abdomen, back etc.) Now the definition of zihar is 'to compare one's wife with any of such parts of the body of such prohibited women'. According to the old Arab custom all conjugal relations ceased permanently between a man and his wife when he would use these words; rather it was worse than divorce. In the case of divorce, it was possible to retract and take back the wife. But in the case of zihar, according to the old Arab custom, it was not at all possible to restore the conjugal rights.The current set of verses brought about reform in the custom in two ways: [ 1] zihar has been declared a sinful act. If a person is placed in a situation where he needs to separate from his wife, he must choose the method of 'divorce'. Zihar should not be resorted to for this purpose, because the utterance of zihar formula is absurd, nonsense and false. Obviously, their wives are not their mothers, the Qur’ an reads thus: مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّائِي وَلَدْنَهُمْ "...Their mothers are but only those who have given birth to them …58:2] ". The وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَرً‌ا مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُورً‌ا further says: "...and undoubtedly they utter an evil word and a lie...[ 58:2] " In other words, their utterance is false, meaning 'calling one's wife mother' is contrary to truth and fact, and also a heinous sin.[ 2] The second reform the Qur'an brought about is as follows: If an ignorant person or a person unacquainted with the legal formalities of Islam were to utter the zihar formula, his wife does not become permanently unlawful to him, nor does he have an open licence to do as he wishes - like enjoying intimacy with her. The guilty person will have to pay a penalty for uttering such evil, false and obnoxious words. He cannot take back his wife without first paying the prescribed expiation. The following verse prescribes this expiation.