Commentary By Maulana Wahiduddin khan
1. Before Islam, it was the…
Before Islam, it was the custom in Arabia that if a man said to his wife, ‘To me you are like my mother’s back’ she was for ever forbidden for that man. This was called zihar. A Muslim of Madinah, Aws ibn as-Samit, once repeated these very words to his wife, Khawlah bint Tha‘labah. She came to the Prophet and related the incident. The Prophet, taking into account the old custom, opined that she stood forbidden for Aws ibn as-Samit. Khawlah was worried that her house and her children would be destroyed, and she started crying and wailing. On this occasion these verses were revealed and the Islamic rules on zihar were laid down.
2. Saying to one’s wife…
Saying to one’s wife, ‘To me you are like my mother’s back’. This was an old pagan custom which was known as zihar, by which one’s wife could be wrongfully divorced.
4. Islam distinguishes between…
Islam distinguishes between form and reality. That is why Islam has not recognised the old custom of a man’s calling a woman ‘mother’, although she is not his real mother, and then treating her as such for the purpose of divorcing her. Any such action is absurd, because it cannot change the laws of nature.
It is clarified in the Quran that simply by acting in the above-mentioned manner, a man’s wife does not stand divorced. However, it has been made compulsory for the concerned person to pay a penalty and then go back to his wife. After committing an error, if a man pays a penalty in this way, he revives his faith, which he had discarded due to negligence or stupidity.
5-6. To oppose the Truth is to…
To oppose the Truth is to oppose God, and to oppose God means opposing that Being by opposing whom a man harms himself. Man can never hide anything from God, nor is it possible for anybody to elude His grasp.
11. It happens sometimes that…
It happens sometimes that, according to the protocol of a meeting, one person has to take precedence over another. Similarly, it sometimes happens that, against all expectations, certain people are asked to leave. To make such things a prestige issue is a sign of petty-mindedness: one who avoids doing so proves that, with regard to religious awareness, he has reached an elevated plane.
12-13. It was the intention of…
It was the intention of Almighty God that only those who wished to meet the Prophet for some really serious purpose, should be allowed to come into his presence, while those who only wasted time in useless talk should be kept away. So, it became the rule that when one intended to meet the Prophet Muhammad, he should first give alms in the name of God, and if one could not afford to do so, he should perform some other righteous deed.
These injuctions were originally intended to apply to the Prophet, but even after the Prophet the same conduct will be required toward the leaders of the community, according to their status.
14-16. The hypocrites of Madinah…
The hypocrites of Madinah, who were at that time living in the community of Islam, joined hands with other hostile tribes. This is always true of those who are unable to accept the Truth whole-heartedly. Such people are apparently in consonance with everyone else but, in reality, they are loyal only to their own interests, despite having given assurances on oath of their being devotees of the Truth.
17-20. When a self-seeking man…
When a self-seeking man opposes the call for Truth, he thinks that he is thus making himself safe. But in the Hereafter, when he sees that the things on which he relied are of no avail on the day of judgement, he will be struck with horror.
A hypocrite, in order to vindicate his position, indulges in tall talk to the extent of taking oaths as an assurance of his sincerity. After doing all this, he thinks that he has been very clever and that he has provided some support for himself. But when the blast of Doomsday opens the secrets of realities, he will come to know at that time that his attempts at vindication were simply a series of false words taught by Satan as ‘certain proof’ of his innocence.
22. In this world success is…
In this world success is for the believers (God’s party). Who are the ones who comprise this group of people devoted to God? They are those in whose hearts Faith is firmly embedded as the greatest reality. They should have such a strong relationship with God that they receive spiritual light from Him. Then, their attachment to Divine Realities should be so deep that their friendships and enmities should be based only on that. They should be nearest to those who have adopted the Divine Truth, and they should remain far away from those who have distanced themselves from the Divine Truth, even if they are their nearest and dearest ones or closest relatives.
