Surah Al-Mujadilah (The Pleading Woman)

It is a Medinan Surah consisting of twenty-two verses.

Translation:

Exegesis Notes (Drawing upon the style of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi):

1. "Qad samiʿa Allāhu qawla..." (Allah has certainly heard the statement...): The use of the particle Qad (certainly/indeed) emphasizes the absolute certainty and immediacy of God's hearing. This is a divine assurance to the woman (Khawlah bint Tha'labah) that her private plea reached the Divine Presence, even though the Prophet (PBUH) might not have fully grasped the depth of her distress or the precise nature of her argument.
2. "...allatī tujādiluka fī zawjihā..." (the one who argues with you concerning her husband): This refers to the incident involving Khawlah and her husband, Aws ibn al-Samit, regarding the ruling of Zihar (a pre-Islamic form of divorce where a man likened his wife's back to that of his mother). The argument was intense and deeply personal.
3. "...wa-tashtakī ilā Allāhi..." (and makes her complaint to Allah): This highlights the sincerity and piety of the woman. She did not merely argue with the Prophet (PBUH) as a legal authority; she appealed directly to the ultimate Judge, seeking divine intervention.
4. "...wa-Allāhu yasmaʿu taḥāwurakumā." (And Allah hears your dialogue): Taḥāwur implies the back-and-forth nature of the conversation—the woman's plea and the Prophet's response (or perhaps the Prophet's internal deliberation). This confirms that God is aware of the entire exchange, both the spoken words and the underlying intent.
5. "Inna Allāha Samīʿun Baṣīr." (Indeed, Allah is Hearing, Seeing): This concluding statement serves as a powerful reinforcement.
   • As-Samīʿ (The Hearing): He hears the subtle whispers and the loud declarations.
   • Al-Baṣīr (The Seeing): He perceives the hidden distress in her heart and the circumstances surrounding the dispute. This combination assures the believer that no matter how obscure the issue, divine justice and understanding encompass it.

Al-Mujadilah (The Pleading Woman): (1) Allah has indeed heard...

Points of Discussion in this Narration:

First Point: Abu Sulayman al-Khaṭṭābi said that the meaning of lamam (affliction) mentioned in this narration is not madness or insanity. If he had been insane, and pronounced ẓihār in that state, he would not be held accountable. Rather, the meaning of lamam here refers to frequent intimacy with women, intense desire, and craving for them.

Second Point: Ẓihār was considered one of the most severe forms of divorce in the pre-Islamic era (Jāhiliyyah) because it involved the strongest possible prohibition. If this ruling had been established by the Sharia, then this verse would be abrogating it; otherwise, it would not be considered abrogation, as abrogation applies to religious laws, not mere customs of the Jāhiliyyah. However, the narration that the Prophet (PBUH) said to her, "You are forbidden," or "I see you as forbidden to him," suggests that ẓihār was already a recognized legal ruling (even if harsh). The narration that he paused in judgment does not support this idea.

Third Point: This incident indicates that whoever loses hope in creation and has no one left in their distress except the Creator, Allah will suffice them in that matter.

Returning to the Exegesis:

Regarding His saying: { Qad samiʿa Allah } (Allah has indeed heard), there are two issues:

Issue One: The particle { Qad } (indeed/has) here signifies anticipation, because the Messenger of Allah and the woman were anticipating that Allah would hear her pleading and complaint and reveal something to relieve her situation.

Issue Two: Ḥamzah used to assimilate the letter dāl into the sīn in { Qad samiʿa } (as if saying Qaṣ samiʿa), and similarly in analogous words.

Know that Allah the Exalted narrated two things about this woman:

1. Her disputing/pleading: This is His saying: { Tujādiluka fī zawjihā } (disputing with you concerning her husband), meaning she argued with the Prophet about the matter of her husband. This argument was that every time the Prophet said, "You are forbidden to him," she would reply, "By Allah, he did not mention divorce."
2. Her complaint to Allah: This is His saying: { wa taktushkū ilā Allāh } (and complaining to Allah), which is evident in her words: "I complain to Allah of my poverty and distress," and her statement: "I have young children."

Then, the Exalted said: { Wallāhu yasmaʿu taḥāwurakumā } (And Allah hears your conversation). Taḥāwur means the back-and-forth exchange in speech. It derives from ḥāra (to return), meaning to return repeatedly. From this root is the saying we seek refuge in Allah from: al-ḥawru baʿda al-kawr (returning to error after being rightly guided). Also, fa-mā ḥāra bi-kalimah means he did not answer with a word.

Then He said: { Inna Allāha Samīʿun Baṣīr } (Indeed, Allah is Hearing, Seeing), meaning He hears the speech of whoever calls upon Him and sees the state of whoever supplicates to Him.

7 < { Those who pronounce ẓihār among you concerning their wives, [saying to them] as they do their mothers—while they are not their mothers. Indeed, they utter a hateful statement and a falsehood. And indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving. } > 7

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Translation of Verse 7:

Those who pronounce ẓihār from among you concerning their wives—[by saying] they are to them as their mothers—they are not their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. And indeed, they utter a hateful statement and a falsehood. And indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving.