Al-Mujaadila (The Pleading Woman)

2. Those among you who make their wives unlawful to them by saying to them “You are like my mother's back” (zihar), they cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And indeed, they utter an ill word and a lie. And indeed, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Oft-Pardoning.

Mention was made in the preceding Verse of the type of divorce in pre-Islamic times as per which the husband said:

“Sleeping with you is like sleeping with my mother.”

Islam sanctioned this type of divorce and obliged the husband to expiate for this sin. Úihar, as an instance of injustice done to women, was sanctioned by the Islamic law and those committing such sin had to pay dearly for expiating it.

Thus, the blessed Verse is saying that those of you who say unto their wives:

“You are like my mother to me”

utter falsehood, since their wives are note like their mothers as their mothers are those who gave birth to them. Being a mother or a child depends neither on words nor sophistry, but it is an indisputable reality. If a husband says one hundred times unto his wife that she is like his mother, it would be merely falsehood and superstition.

The blessed Verse proceeds to say:

“they utter an ill word and a lie and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Oft-Pardoning.”

Therefore, in case a Muslim committed such vice prior to the Revelation of these Verses will be forgiven by God Almighty. It is noteworthy that the Arabic word zur denotes untruth and lie.