Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mujadila Verse 3

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Those who declare Zihār against their wives, then retract what they said, obligated on them is to free the neck (of a slave) before the two (spouses) touch one another. This is what you are advised, and Allah is well aware of what you do.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Those who divorce their wives in this manner, then ˹wish to˺ retract what they said, must free a slave before they touch each other. This ˹penalty˺ is meant to deter you. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But those who divorce their wives by likening them to their mothers then retract what they said, they must free a slave before they are intimate with each other. This is what you are admonished, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

A. J. Arberry

And those who say, regarding their wives, 'Be as my mother's back,' and then retract what they have said, they shall set free a slave, before the two of them touch one another. By that you are admonished; and God is aware of the things you do.

Abdul Haleem

Those of you who say such a thing to their wives, then go back on what they have said, must free a slave before the couple may touch one another again––this is what you are commanded to do, and God is fully aware of what you do––

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Those who put away their wives by pronouncing zihar and thereafter would retract that which they have said, then upon them is the freeing of a slave before the twain touch each other. That is that wherewith ye are exhorted; and Allah is of whatsoever ye work Aware.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

But those who divorce their wives by Zihar, then wish to go back on the words they uttered,- (It is ordained that such a one) should free a slave before they touch each other; Thus are ye admonished to perform; and Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.

Abul Ala Maududi

Those who declare their wives to be their mothers and thereafter go back on what they have said shall free a slave before they may touch each other. That is what you are exhorted to do. Allah is fully aware of all your deeds.

Ahmed Ali

Those who call their wives their mothers then revoke what they had said, should free a slave before having physical contact (with them). This is to warn you, as God is aware of what you do.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And those among you who have proclaimed their wives as their mothers and then wish to revert to the matter upon which they had uttered such an enormous word, must then free a slave before they touch one another; this is what you are advised; and Allah is Aware of your deeds.

Ali Quli Qarai

Those who repudiate their wives by ³ih¡r and then retract what they have said, shall set free a slave before they may touch each other. This you are advised [to carry out], and Allah is well aware of what you do.

Ali Ünal

Those who declare their wives unlawful for them (by using of them that abhorred expression) and thereafter wish to go back on the words they have uttered must free a slave before they (the spouses) touch each other. This is what you are urged to do. And God is fully aware of what you do (so do not seek to evade this act of penance and expiation for your wrong).

Amatul Rahman Omar

Such of those who thus happen to call their wives their mothers and then retract what they have said, must free a slave before they two touch each other (for re-establishing conjugal relationship). This is what you are enjoined (to do in case you commit such a hateful thing). And Allâh is Well-Aware of what you do.

English Literal

And those who declare their wives as forbidden for them as their mothers, from their women (wives), then they return to what they said, so freeing/liberating a neck/person/slave, from before that they (B) touch each other, that one you (are) being preached to/advised/warned with it, and God (is) with what you make/do expert/experienced.

Faridul Haque

And those among you who have proclaimed their wives as their mothers and then wish to revert to the matter upon which they had uttered such an enormous word, must then free a slave before they touch one another; this is what you are advised; and Allah is Aware of your deeds.

Hamid S. Aziz

But if those who divorce their wives by Zihar and then wish to recall what they said, they should free a captive (slave) before they touch each other; to this are you admonished to conform; and Allah is Aware of what you do.

Hilali & Khan

And those who make unlawful to them (their wives) (by Az-Zihar) and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not return to such an ill thing). And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

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

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And (as for) those who put away their wives by likening their backs to the backs of their mothers then would recall what they said, they should free a captive before they touch each other; to that you are admonished (to conform); and Allah is Aware of what you do.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Those who put away their wives (by saying they are as their mothers) and afterward would go back on that which they have said, (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. Unto this ye are exhorted; and Allah is Informed of what ye do.

Muhammad Sarwar

Those who renounce their wives by calling them mothers and then change their minds about what they have said will have to set free a slave as a ransom and only then will their carnal relations be lawful. This is what you have been commanded. God is Well Aware of whatever you do.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Those who say to their wives, 'Be as my mother's back' then retract their words thereafter shall set a person free before they touch each other again. By that you are admonished. Allah is Aware of all that you do.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who make unlawful to them (their wives) by Zihar and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case is the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who put away their wives by equating them with their mothers, and then wish to go back on what they have said, must set free a slave before the couple may touch one another again. This is what you are exhorted to do. God is fully aware of what you do,

Talal Itani

Those who estrange their wives by equating them with their mothers, then go back on what they said, must set free a slave before they may touch one another. To this you are exhorted, and God is well aware of what you do.

Tafsir jalalayn

And those who repudiate their wives by zihr and then go back on what they have said, instead doing the opposite of this and retaining the woman divorced by zihr, that which is contrary to the purpose of zihr in which a woman is characterised as being forbidden -- then [the penalty for them is] the setting free of a slave, an obligation upon him, before they touch one another, in sexual intercourse. By this you are being admonished; and God is Aware of what you do.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَالَّذِينَ يُظَاهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَايِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُوا

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 قَالُوا
(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 about Allah's statemen,

مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَاسَّا

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 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,

فَلَ 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