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58: The Pleading Woman (Al-Mujadilah)

Revealed at Madinah

The title of this chapter is taken from the event narrated at its opening which mentions a woman pleading a complaint about her husband before the Holy Prophet. The husband had, in accordance with an old Arab custom, put her away by calling her as his “mother”, which placed the wife in a state where she neither had marital rights nor was divorced. The chapter begins by aboli-shing this custom. Then it condemns secret counsels, allowing them only for purposes of discussing good works. It ends by cautioning Muslims not to have friendship with those who opposed and conspired against Islam. This chapter was revealed in about 4 A.H.

Section 1 (Verses 58:1–58:6): Safeguarding Women’s Rights

58:1

قَدۡ سَمِعَ اللّٰہُ قَوۡلَ الَّتِیۡ تُجَادِلُکَ فِیۡ زَوۡجِہَا وَ تَشۡتَکِیۡۤ اِلَی اللّٰہِ ٭ۖ وَ اللّٰہُ یَسۡمَعُ تَحَاوُرَکُمَا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَمِیۡعٌۢ بَصِیۡرٌ ﴿۱﴾

Allah indeed has heard the plea of her who pleads with you about her husband and complains to Allah; and Allah hears the contentions of both of you. Surely Allah is Hearing, Seeing.

Note 58:1

The woman referred to was Khaulah or Khuwailah, wife of Aus ibn Samit, who was separated by her husband in an old Arab form, the husband saying to the wife, You are to me as the back of my mother. See also 33:4 footnote, for this practice of ẓihār, and its abolition by Islam. The woman complained about it to the Holy Prophet, who said that, as he had no revelation about it, he could not interfere. Then Aus wanted her to have conjugal relations with him, but she refused and came to the Prophet complaining of his bad temper. The Prophet wanted her to be more lenient but she was not willing. It was then that the Prophet received this revelation, according to which it was necessary that the husband should in such cases make an expiation before re-establishing conjugal rights.

58:2

اَلَّذِیۡنَ یُظٰہِرُوۡنَ مِنۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ نِّسَآئِہِمۡ مَّا ہُنَّ اُمَّہٰتِہِمۡ ؕ اِنۡ اُمَّہٰتُہُمۡ اِلَّا الِّٰٓیۡٔ وَلَدۡنَہُمۡ ؕ وَ اِنَّہُمۡ لَیَقُوۡلُوۡنَ مُنۡکَرًا مِّنَ الۡقَوۡلِ وَ زُوۡرًا ؕ وَ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوۡرٌ ﴿۲﴾

Those of you who put away their wives by calling them their mothers — they are not their mothers. None are their mothers except those who gave them birth, and they utter indeed a hateful word and a lie. And surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.

58:3

وَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُظٰہِرُوۡنَ مِنۡ نِّسَآئِہِمۡ ثُمَّ یَعُوۡدُوۡنَ لِمَا قَالُوۡا فَتَحۡرِیۡرُ رَقَبَۃٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یَّتَمَآسَّا ؕ ذٰلِکُمۡ تُوۡعَظُوۡنَ بِہٖ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ خَبِیۡرٌ ﴿۳﴾

And those who put away their wives by calling them their mothers, then go back on what they said, must free a captive before they touch one another. To this you are exhorted; and Allah is Aware of what you do.

58:4

فَمَنۡ لَّمۡ یَجِدۡ فَصِیَامُ شَہۡرَیۡنِ مُتَتَابِعَیۡنِ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یَّتَمَآسَّا ۚ فَمَنۡ لَّمۡ یَسۡتَطِعۡ فَاِطۡعَامُ سِتِّیۡنَ مِسۡکِیۡنًا ؕ ذٰلِکَ لِتُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ ؕ وَ تِلۡکَ حُدُوۡدُ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۴﴾

But he who does not have the means should fast for two months successively before they touch one another, and he who is unable to do so should feed sixty needy ones. That is in order that you may have faith in Allah and His Messenger. And these are Allah’s limits. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.

58:5

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یُحَآدُّوۡنَ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ کُبِتُوۡا کَمَا کُبِتَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہِمۡ وَ قَدۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اٰیٰتٍۭ بَیِّنٰتٍ ؕ وَ لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ عَذَابٌ مُّہِیۡنٌ ۚ﴿۵﴾

Surely those who oppose Allah and His Messenger will be humbled as those before them were humbled, and indeed We have revealed clear messages. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.

Note 58:5

Those who would not abide by the Divine commandments regarding the treatment of women are here told that this was not a light matter. They were in the ranks of those who opposed the Prophet.

58:6

یَوۡمَ یَبۡعَثُہُمُ اللّٰہُ جَمِیۡعًا فَیُنَبِّئُہُمۡ بِمَا عَمِلُوۡا ؕ اَحۡصٰہُ اللّٰہُ وَ نَسُوۡہُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ شَہِیۡدٌ ٪﴿۶﴾

On the day when Allah will raise them all together, then inform them of what they did. Allah records it, while they forget it. And Allah is Witness over all things.

Section 2 (Verses 58:7–58:13): Secret Counsels Condemned

58:7

اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ یَعۡلَمُ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ مَا یَکُوۡنُ مِنۡ نَّجۡوٰی ثَلٰثَۃٍ اِلَّا ہُوَ رَابِعُہُمۡ وَ لَا خَمۡسَۃٍ اِلَّا ہُوَ سَادِسُہُمۡ وَ لَاۤ اَدۡنٰی مِنۡ ذٰلِکَ وَ لَاۤ اَکۡثَرَ اِلَّا ہُوَ مَعَہُمۡ اَیۡنَ مَا کَانُوۡا ۚ ثُمَّ یُنَبِّئُہُمۡ بِمَا عَمِلُوۡا یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۷﴾

Do you not see that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth? There is no secret counsel between three but He is the fourth of them, nor between five but He is the sixth of them, nor between less than that nor more but He is with them wherever they are; then He will inform them of what they did on the day of Resurrection. Surely Allah is Knower of all things.

Note 58:7

The hypocrites and the Jews conspired with the enemies of Islam to destroy the Muslim community of Madinah. There is a brief reference to their plots in 4:114: “There is no good in most of their secret counsels”. Such plots are mentioned in greater detail here, and they are told that these secret plots are known to Allah, and they cannot succeed in bringing harm to Islam.

58:8

اَلَمۡ تَرَ اِلَی الَّذِیۡنَ نُہُوۡا عَنِ النَّجۡوٰی ثُمَّ یَعُوۡدُوۡنَ لِمَا نُہُوۡا عَنۡہُ وَ یَتَنٰجَوۡنَ بِالۡاِثۡمِ وَ الۡعُدۡوَانِ وَ مَعۡصِیَتِ الرَّسُوۡلِ ۫ وَ اِذَا جَآءُوۡکَ حَیَّوۡکَ بِمَا لَمۡ یُحَیِّکَ بِہِ اللّٰہُ ۙ وَ یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِہِمۡ لَوۡ لَا یُعَذِّبُنَا اللّٰہُ بِمَا نَقُوۡلُ ؕ حَسۡبُہُمۡ جَہَنَّمُ ۚ یَصۡلَوۡنَہَا ۚ فَبِئۡسَ الۡمَصِیۡرُ ﴿۸﴾

Do you not see those who are forbidden secret counsels, then they return to what they are forbidden, and hold secret counsels for sin and revolt and disobedience to the Messenger. And when they come to you they greet you with a greeting with which Allah does not greet you, and say within themselves: Why does not Allah punish us for what we say? Hell is enough for them, they will burn in it, and evil is the destination!

Note 58:8

The meaning is that they invoke death and destruction for you (i.e. for the Prophet), while Allah wishes that you should live and prosper.

58:9

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا تَنَاجَیۡتُمۡ فَلَا تَتَنَاجَوۡا بِالۡاِثۡمِ وَ الۡعُدۡوَانِ وَ مَعۡصِیَتِ الرَّسُوۡلِ وَ تَنَاجَوۡا بِالۡبِرِّ وَ التَّقۡوٰی ؕ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ الَّذِیۡۤ اِلَیۡہِ تُحۡشَرُوۡنَ ﴿۹﴾

O you who believe, when you confer together in private, do not give to each other counsel of sin and revolt and disobedience to the Messenger, but give to each other counsel of goodness and observance of duty. And keep your duty to Allah, to Whom you will be gathered together.

Note 58:9

Secret counsels and secret societies are condemned, but private counsels to promote the cause of goodness and service of humanity are quite different from the subversive activities of secret societies.

58:10

اِنَّمَا النَّجۡوٰی مِنَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ لِیَحۡزُنَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ لَیۡسَ بِضَآرِّہِمۡ شَیۡئًا اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ عَلَی اللّٰہِ فَلۡیَتَوَکَّلِ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾

Secret counsels are only of the devil that he may cause to grieve those who believe, and he cannot hurt them at all except with Allah’s permission. And on Allah let the believers rely.

Note 58:10

Secret societies denounced in the above verses would not be able to achieve their mischievous object against Islam.

58:11

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَکُمۡ تَفَسَّحُوۡا فِی الۡمَجٰلِسِ فَافۡسَحُوۡا یَفۡسَحِ اللّٰہُ لَکُمۡ ۚ وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ انۡشُزُوۡا فَانۡشُزُوۡا یَرۡفَعِ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمۡ ۙ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ دَرَجٰتٍ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ خَبِیۡرٌ ﴿۱۱﴾

O you who believe, when it is said to you, Make room in assemblies, make room. Allah will give you ample (room). And when it is said, Rise up, rise up. Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, to high ranks. And Allah is Aware of what you do.

Note 58:11

The progress of Islam brought large numbers of people into its fold who stood in need of being taught manners as well as morals. In their assemblies they crowded and pressed upon each other in order to be able to sit nearest to the Prophet. The injunction to make room in assemblies means, either that room should be made for others, or that the people should not sit too close to each other.