58:1 Al-Mujaadila (The Pleading Woman)

قد سمع الله قول خولة بنت ثعلبة التي تراجعت في شأن زوجها أوس بن الصامت، وفيما صدر عنه في حقها من الظِّهار، وهو قوله لها: "أنت عليَّ كظهر أمي"، أي: في حرمة النكاح، وهي تتضرع إلى الله تعالى؛ لتفريج كربتها، والله يسمع تخاطبكما ومراجعتكما. إن الله سميع لكل قول، بصير بكل شيء، لا تخفى عليه خافية.

نزلت هذه الآيات الكريمات في رجل من الأنصار اشتكته زوجته [إلى الله، وجادلته] إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما حرمها على نفسه، بعد الصحبة الطويلة، والأولاد، وكان هو رجلا شيخا كبيرا، فشكت حالها وحاله إلى الله وإلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وكررت ذلك، وأبدت فيه وأعادت.فقال تعالى: { قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا } أي: تخاطبكما فيما بينكما، { إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ } لجميع الأصوات، في جميع الأوقات، على تفنن الحاجات.{ بَصِيرٌ } يبصر دبيب النملة السوداء، على الصخرة الصماء في الليلة الظلماء، وهذا إخبار عن كمال سمعه وبصره، وإحاطتهما بالأمور الدقيقة والجليلة، وفي ضمن ذلك الإشارة بأن الله [تعالى] سيزيل شكواها، ويرفع بلواها، ولهذا ذكر حكمها، وحكم غيرها على وجه العموم.

قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا أبو معاوية حدثنا الأعمش عن تميم بن سلمة عن عروة عن عائشة قالت: الحمد لله الذي وسع سمعه الأصوات لقد جاءت المجادلة إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تكلمه وأنا في ناحية البيت ما أسمع ما تقول فأنزل الله عز وجل "قد سمع الله قول التي تجادلك في زوجها" إلى آخر الآية وهكذا رواه البخاري في كتاب التوحيد تعليقا فقال وقال الأعمش عن تميم بن سلمة عن عروة عن عائشة فذكره وأخرجه النسائي وابن ماجه وابن أبي حاتم وابن جرير من غير وجه عن الأعمش به وفي رواية لابن أبي حاتم عن الأعمش عن تميم بن سلمة عن عروة عن عائشة أنها قالت: تبارك الذى أوعى سمعه كل شيء إنى لأسمع كلام خولة بنت ثعلبة ويخفى علي بعضه وهي تشتكي زوجها إلى رسول الله وهي تقول يا رسول الله أكل مالي وأفنى شبابي ونثرت له بطني حتى إذا كبرت سني وانقطع ولدي ظاهر مني اللهم إني أشكو إليك قالت فما برحت حتى نزل جبريل بهذه الآية "قد سمع الله قول التي تجادلك في زوجها" قالت وزوجها أوس بن الصامت وقال ابن لهيعة عن أبي الأسود عن عروة عن أوس بن الصامت وكان أوس امرءا به لمم فكان إذا أخذه لممه واشتد به يظاهر من امرأته وإذا ذهب لم يقل شيئا فأتت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تستفتيه في ذلك وتشتكي إلى الله فأنزل الله "قد سمع الله قول التي تجادلك في زوجها وتشتكي إلى الله" الآية وهكذا روى هشام بن عروة عن أبيه أن رجلا كان به لمم فذكر مثله. وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا موسى بن إسماعيل أبو سلمة حدثنا جرير يعنى أبن حازم قال سمعت أبا يزيد يحدث قال لقيت امرأة عمر يقال لها خولة بنت ثعلبة وهو يسير مع الناس فاستوقفته فوقف لها ودنا منها وأصغى إليها رأسه ووضع يديه على منكبيها حتى قضت حاجتها وانصرفت فقال له رجل يا أمير المؤمنين حبست رجالات قريش على هذه العجوز قال ويحك وتدري من هذه ؟ قال لا قال هذه امرأة سمع الله شكواها من فوق سبع سموات هذه خولة بنت ثعلبة والله لو لم تنصرف عني إلى الليل ما انصرفت عنها حتى تقضي حاجتها إلى أن تحضر صلاة فأصليها ثم أرجع إليها حتى تقضي حاجتها. هذا منقطع بين أبي يزيد وعمر بن الخطاب وقد روي من غير هذا الوجه وقال ابن أبي حاتم أيضا حدثنا المنذر بن شاذان حدثنا يعلى حدثنا زكريا عن عامر قال: المرأة التي جادلت في زوجها خولة بنت الصامت وأمها معاذة التي أنزل الله فيها "ولا تكرهوا فتياتكم على البغاء إن أردن تحصنا" صوابه خولة امرأة أوس بن الصامت.

God has certainly heard the words of her who disputes with you her who consults you O Prophet concerning her husband who has repudiated her by zihār — he had said to her ‘You are to me as untouchable as the back of my mother’. She asked the Prophet s about this and he told her that she was thenceforth forbidden to him as was customary among them at the time of Jāhiliyya namely that repudiation by zihār results in permanent separation. She was Khawla bt. Tha‘laba and he was Aws b. al-Sāmit — and complains to God of her being alone and of her impoverishment while having young children whom if she were to leave with him they would go astray but whom if they remained with her would go hungry. And God hears your conversation your consulting. Assuredly God is Hearer Seer He is Knower.

(1) Zihar is a term denoting a custom of the Arabs in the days of Ignorance. In case of disagreement with their wives they used to say to them, "You are for me like the back of my mother." After saying this, they used to take their wives as their real mothers in being prohibited for them, and the ties of marriage were held to have been broken for good, with no possibility of their restoration. These verses have been revealed in a similar case where a husband (Aus ibn. Samit) had declared ?ihar against his wife (Khawlah) who approached the Holy Prophet and complained about her husband. The custom of the days of Ignorance was condemned, and the rules of Shari'ah about zihar were laid down by these verses. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

Commentary

Cause of Revelation

The initial verses of this Surah refer to a particular incident: Sayyidna Aus Ibn Samit ؓ said to his wife Sayyidah Khaulah bint Tha'labah ؓ which, literally, means 'You are to me like the back of my mother.' Its underlying meaning is 'You are unlawful to me for cohabitation just like my mother.' Such an utterance, in the days of ignorance, amounted to divorce - even worse because it was taken to imply that the husband is rescinding all marital ties with his wife and, in addition, he is classifying her within the prohibited degree or permanently forbidden women like his mother. According to pre-Islamic custom, reunion with the wife was possible after divorce, but not after zihar, as she became permanently and absolutely forbidden. When this incident took place, the aggrieved lady went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ complaining about her husband and seeking redress for her problem according to Shari'ah. Up to that point in time the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had not received any revelation concerning that legal issue. Therefore, he pleaded his inability to do anything to help her in the absence of a revealed ordinance and said to her: مَٓا اُمِرتُ فِی شَانکِ بِشَیءِ حَتّی الاٰنِ "I have not yet received any ordinance regarding your matter." However he expressed his opinion according to common custom and said: مَا اَرَاکِ اِلَّا قَد حُرمتِ عَلَیہِ "In my opinion, you have become forbidden to him." Having heard this ruling, she pleaded: "0 Allah's Messenger! He spent my wealth, exhausted my youth and my womb bore abundantly for him. When I became old, unable to bear children, he pronounced the zihar formula on me. Where shall I go and how will my children do their living?" According to another version, she said: مَا ذَکَرَ طَلَاقاً "My husband did not mention the word 'divorce', so how can this be counted as 'divorce'?" According to another version, she pleaded to Allah: اَللَّھُمَّ اِنِّی اَشکُوا الیکَ "0 Allah! I direct my complaint to You . This was the cause of the revelation of verses [ 1-6] (Al-Durarul Manthur and Ibn Kathir) which clearly state that Allah heard Sayyidah Khaulah's ؓ complaint and revealed the rule of Shari'ah to redress her grievances. Allah not only made matters easy for her, but the rule has been eternally enshrined in the Holy Qur'an for all sensible people to follow.

The noble Companions ؓ greatly respected Sayyidah Khaulah ؓ because her case has been the cause of the revelation of the current set of verses, which abolished once and for all the long-standing social evil that was practiced in Arabia. Once Sayyidna ` Umar Faruq ؓ ، the Great, was on his way with some of the blessed Companions when he came across a woman who stopped him. He instantly stopped and listened attentively to her with his head bent down. He did not move till she completed what she wanted to say. Some of the noble Companions ؓ said: "0 Commander of the Faithful! You have held back such a large group of people for such a long time on account of this old lady!" Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ said: "Do you know who this lady is? She is Sayyidah Khaulah ؓ the lady whose complaint was heard in the seventh heaven. So, how can ` Umar not listen to her? She should be heard for a longer period of time and with greater attention. By Allah! If she did not take leave of her own accord, I would have stood with her here till the nightfall." [ Ibn Kathir ]

قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّـهُ (Allah has heard....1) The reference in the verse is to Sayyidah Khaulah ؓ the wife of Sayyidna Aus Ibn Samit ؓ ، as mentioned above. Thus this verse and the rest of the verses lay down not only the rule of Shari` ah pertaining to zihar and redress the grievances of women placed in such awkward situation, but the first verse also is in honour of the pleading lady which consoles her, in that it says that Allah was listening to her words when she was pleading her case. The word mujadalah means 'to plead, argue or dispute consistently and convincingly about one's problem or case'. According to some narratives, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pleaded his inability to do anything for her, as noted above, the aggrieved lady uttered spontaneously that 'you receive ordinances in all matters, then how is it that no ordinance was revealed to you in my case?' Thus the verse was revealed: وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّـهِ "...and was complaining to Allah...[ 1] ". [ Qurtubi ]

Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ is reported to have said: " Pure is He, Whose hearing encompasses all things. I heard what Khaulah bint Tha'labah ؓ said about her husband while some of it I could not hear despite being so close to her in the same room, but Allah heard all her conversation and said : قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّـهُ 'Allah has heard...'." [ Bukhari, Ibn Kathir ]

God has heard the words of her who disputes with thee concerning her husband and complains to God. The weaker someone is, the gentler is the Lord. The lord of lords, the master of all masters, the gentle, generous, and lovingly kind, takes care of the work of the weak in a way that leaves all the strong in wonder. A hundred thousand proximate angels, glorifying and hallowing, were diving in the oceans of bows and prostrations and raising the voices of glorification and hallowing at the Exalted Threshold, but no one talked about them. But that poor, weak woman-the disputer who wept before the Threshold in burning and bewilderment and who complained of her despair-look how the Splendorous Qur'an wrote the inscription of exaltation on the cape of her secret whis- pering: “God has heard the words of her who disputes with thee concerning her husband and complains to God. We have heard her complaint, We have listened to her lamenting and supplicat- ing, and We have made apparent the opening up of the suffering and tightness in which she has remained because of her husband's repudiation of her. We are the Lord who is the good companion of everyone helpless and without a companion, We untie the knots of everyone in bonds, We dispel the sorrows of everyone sorrowful. We hear the voice of the poor, We listen to the whispering of the miserable, We respond to the need of the helpless.” It has come in a report that one day this woman who disputed came to ʿUmar KhaṬṬāb during the days of his caliphate for a business she had with him. She spoke harshly with him. Those who were with him shouted at her, saying, “Do you not know that you must not speak harsh words to the Commander of the Faithful?” ʿUmar said to them, “Be silent! Have respect for this poor woman! She is the woman whose words the Real heard from beyond the seven levels of heaven, and upon whom He placed this caress and generosity: “God has heard the words of her who disputes with thee concerning her husband and complains to God.” O Muslims! Respect the poor and seek proximity to God by taking care of them and giving comfort to them. Although today they are helpless and poor, tomorrow they will be the kings of the Garden of Refuge and the great ones of the Highest Paradise.