قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُْ ْ 1341 اَلْمُجَادَلَة
قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ﴿۱﴾
﴾1﴿ Qad sami'al laahu qawlal latee tujaadiluka fee zawjihaa wa tashtakeee ilal laahi wallaahu yasma'u tahaawurakumaa; innal laaha samee'um baseer
﴾1﴿ Indeed, Allah the Exalted has heard the words of the woman who was disputing with you concerning her husband and was complaining to Allah. And Allah the Exalted was hearing your conversation. Indeed, Allah hears all and sees all
(It applies to both the lower and upper "Dāl")
This also refers to Surah Al-Zuhar and Surah Qad Sami'.
Relevancy:
This surah differs from the previous one in several ways.
The first aspect is that the previous surah encouraged spending (charity) and striving (jihad) for the betterment of the world, whereas this surah rebukes those who cause corruption.
The second aspect is that the previous surah refuted the innovations (bid'ah) of the People of the Book, while this surah refutes the innovations of the ignorant masses, specifically the prohibition of a wife due to ẓihār (a form of divorce in pre-Islamic Arabia).
Claim of this surah:
Rebuke and prohibition are among the ways of rejecting corruption, and six of them are mentioned:
Prohibiting (a wife) through ẓihār
Opposing Allah the Exalted and His Messenger
Whispering (secret conversations) with sin and transgression,
Greeting in an unlawful manner,
Swearing falsely,
Preventing (people) from the path of Allah
The basis for the argument regarding points (5) and (20) is established.
In this surah, there is also a refutation of associating partners with Allah in knowledge, and it mentions eleven of Allah’s Beautiful Names (Asma’ul Husna).
Summary of the surah:
Surah Al-Mujādilah
(Pronounced with both light (zabar) and heavy (zayr) pronunciations of Dāl)
This surah is also called Surah Al-Zihār and Surah Qad Sami'a.
Connection to the Previous Surah:
This surah differs from the previous one in several ways:
In the previous surah, there was encouragement for spending in charity and striving (jihad) for the reformation of the world. In this surah, there is a rebuke for those who spread corruption.
The previous surah refuted the innovations of the People of the Book, while this surah refutes the innovations of the ignorant masses of pre-Islamic times, particularly the prohibition of a wife due to ẓihār.
Main Theme of the Surah:
The surah rebukes and prohibits six forms of corruption:
Prohibiting (a wife) through ẓihār
Opposing (muhādah) Allah the Exalted and His Messenger
Secret conversations (najwā) involving sin and transgression
Using unlawful ways of greeting
Swearing falsely
Preventing people from the path of Allah
The basis for the argument regarding points (5) and (20) is found in this surah. Additionally, the surah rejects associating partners with Allah in knowledge (shirk fil-'ilm) and mentions eleven of Allah’s Beautiful Names (Asma’ul Husna).
Summary of the Surah:
This surah is divided into two sections:
First Section (Up to verse 14):
The surah rebukes the prohibition of a wife through ẓihār.
It refutes ẓihār-based prohibition and mentions its expiation (kaffārah).
It rebukes those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, along with a warning.
It affirms Allah’s comprehensive knowledge as a deterrent against secret conversations (najwā) and rejects unlawful forms of najwā, which are sources of corruption.
It lays down three rules for the rectification of believers regarding najwā:
First: Differentiating between righteous and corrupt intentions in najwā.
Second: Observing etiquette in gatherings by showing respect to companions.
Third: Conditioning najwā with monetary charity as a test of sincerity, followed by an allowance for relaxation in its application.
[1] (قَدْ سَمِعَ)
The attribute "Sam‘" (Hearing) of Allah the Exalted should be understood in its apparent meaning without the need for interpretation (ta'wil), analogy (tashbih), representation (tamthil), or specification (takyyif).
Here, "Sam‘" (hearing) implies acceptance of the intended supplication, just as in "Sami‘a Allahu liman ḥamidah" (Allah hears the one who praises Him).
(قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا)
The name of this woman was Khawlah bint Tha‘labah, and she was also known as Khawlah bint Malik bint Tha‘labah. Her husband's name was Aws ibn Ṣāmit (May Allah be pleased with him).
Her "argument" consisted of a question-and-answer exchange with the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace).
She said: "My husband has performed ẓihār with me."
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) replied: "No revelation has been sent to me regarding this matter."
She then asked: "Revelation comes to you regarding everything—why has it not come regarding this?"
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) reiterated: "What I have told you is all that I know."
(وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ)
The meaning of "complaining to Allah" here refers to expressing one's sorrow and distress, not engaging in argumentation.