Al-Mujaadila (The Pleading Woman)
Verse 1
Table of Contents
Section (juz’)
Number of Verses: 22
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The Chapter in question has twenty-two Verses and it was revealed in Medina. The blessed Chapter opens with a question of disputation hence the designation. The blessed Chapter treats of the law of zihar, a kind of divorce in pre-Islamic times; positive and negative aspects of whispering; greeting with those entering a meeting; distinction of the party of God and that of Satan.
The Merit of Reciting the Chapter
Two traditions have been narrated from the Noble Prophet (S) and Imam Sadiq (as).
According to the former:
“One who recites Surah al-Hadid and Surah al-Mujadila and reflects and acts upon them, will be regarded as a member of the party of God.”
The latter says:
“One who recites Surah al-Hadid and Surah al-Mujadila in their obligatory prayers will neither be afflicted with any torment in his life, nor will he or his family suffer from evil, nor will he be entangled with poverty and destitute.”
The contextual meaning of these Chapters is clearly consistent with the said rewards indicating that the goal of reciting them is to apply them in one's life rather than mere recitation devoid of reflecting and acting upon them.
Surah Mujadila - Verse 1
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِها وَ تَشْتَكِي إِلَی اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحاوُرَكُما إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ (1)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. Verily Allah has heard the statement of the woman who disputed with you concerning her husband and complained to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.
There was a kind of divorce in pre-Islamic times called zihar as per which the husband was not allowed to revoke the divorce nor was the wife allowed to remarry.
A certain man divorced his wife in this manner at the time of the Prophet of the Islamic faith (S) thus addressing her:
“You are to me like my mother's back.”
The man came unto the Noble Prophet (S) and informed him of the case.
The Noble Prophet (S) said:
“Allah has not specified such law.”
Terrified, the woman said:
“I complain to Allah about my misfortune and my lost youth and health. If I leave my children to my husband, they will be ruined. If they stay with me, they will starve.”
The blessed Verses of the Chapter in question were revealed before long according to which whoever acts in this fashion will be required to expiate. Further, it is said that there is no divorce.
Since the husband could not afford to purchase a slave and act upon the manumission ordainment nor could he feed sixty poor people nor was he able to fast for two months, the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) rendered him some sufficient aid such that he could feed sixty poor people and thus expiated his sin and returned to his former life.1
It is worthy of note that in the blessed Verse in question, God Almighty says three times that He is the All-Hearing (sami‘) and people may speak unto Him. Thus, it is incumbent upon us to take heed of our words, since God Almighty hears them. He hears our supplications and invocations. Therefore, we may invoke him to answer our prayers. We may take refuge in God Almighty in vicissitudes.
Footnotes
Tafsir Qurtubi; Durr; Ruh al-Bayan; al-Mizan; Fakhr Razi; Fi Úalal al-Qur’an; Abu al-Futuh Razi; Kanz al-‘Irfan, and many other historical and tradition sources with minor alterations. ↩