بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ
قَد سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَولَ الَّتي تُجادِلُكَ في زَوجِها وَتَشتَكي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسمَعُ تَحاوُرَكُما ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَميعٌ بَصيرٌ
Allah has certainly heard the speech of her who argues with you about her husband and complains to Allah. Allah hears the conversation between the two of you. Indeed Allah is all-hearing, all-seeing.
EXEGESIS
This verse contains three words from the root letters s-m-ʿ. The first of these is the perfect tense verb samiʿa, which means he heard; the second is the imperfect tense verb yasmaʿu, which means he hears; and the third is the noun samīʿ, which is an intensive active participle and means sharp of hearing or all-hearing. All these words occur in the verse in reference to God.
However, the perfect tense verb samiʿa (he heard) is preceded in this verse by the particle qad, which has a significant effect on the meaning of this verb. When this particle precedes a perfect tense verb, it has three significations: 1. The statement succeeding it has been expected or sought after. 2. The event has taken place in the not-so-distant past, meaning that it has just taken place. 3. The event has indeed taken place, denoting certainty and affirmation. This means, in this specific context, that the woman who was arguing and disputing with the Messenger of God regarding a favourable solution to her predicament, and was also complaining to God at the same time, expected and anticipated God to hear her complaint, and to respond to it, and she was seeking the same. It also means that God did indeed hear and respond to her complaint, and that very little time had elapsed between her arguments with the Messenger of God and her complaint to God and God’s response to her dilemma.
The feminine imperfect tense verb tujādilu means the woman who argues or disputes (which she does here with the Prophet as is signified by the pronominal suffix ka (you – a reference to the Prophet)). This refers to her repeatedly referring to the Messenger of God regarding her husband’s behaviour, disputing with him, returning answer(s) for answers(s), and bandying words with him. The verbal noun of this verb is mujādalah/jidāl which means disputation, argumentation, and contention, while its original meaning is to twist tightly, to twine, and to braid.
The feminine imperfect tense verb tashtakī means the woman making a vigorous complaint by manifesting a misfortune she suffers from. Its verbal noun is ishtikāʾ which means complaining vigorously by manifesting a misfortune that a person suffers.
Another word that occurs in this very same verse and which clearly occurs as a synonym for the verb tujādilu (or for its verbal noun mujādalah/jidāl), is the noun taḥāwur, which here means the back and forth of speech; the bandying of words, one with another; returning one another answer(s) for answer(s), which is a reference to having a conversation, an argument or a dialogue.
The noun baṣīr is an intensive active participle and means one who can see, or one who is discerning, or one who is endowed with insight, and in this verse it occurs in reference to God. Thus as an attribute of God it means the all-seeing, the all-discerning.
EXPOSITION
The first four verses of this surah at least (if not the first six verses) descended with respect to the practice of ẓihār, which was a kind of divorce among the pre-Islamic Arabs. A man would say to his wife: ‘You are to me like the back of my mother’ (anti minnī / anti ʿalayya ka ẓahri ummī). Consequently, she would become separated from him as well as become prohibited to him permanently. Customarily, the invocation of this practice meant that the husband was now free of all duties toward the wife, but that his wife was not free to leave her husband and contract another marriage. This left her, with regards to her marital status, in a state of indecisive limbo.
Multiple reports have been transmitted regarding the reason these verses were revealed and a sample of these have been cited under Insights from Hadith for the relevant verses. Most of them suggest that the first four verses descended together, and although these reports have some differences between them, their substance is that a woman from the Anṣār whose name was Khawlah bint al-Thaʿlabah came to the Messenger of God with the hope that the predicament in which she and her husband found themselves would be resolved in their favour rather than against them. Her husband’s name was Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit and he was also of the Anṣār. Their predicament was that a dispute had occurred between them due to which Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit got angry and divorced Khawlah by means of ẓihār. This hurt and saddened her immensely. Aws then regretted what he had done, becoming perplexed and confounded as to what to do. He apparently suffered from a hasty and hot temperament and also from a touch of insanity.
Acknowledging that in pre-Islamic times such an utterance meant divorce but hoping that the transformative quality of Islam would offer much needed help, Khawlah, in agreement with Aws, took the initiative to go to the Messenger of God to seek a solution, since Aws was most embarrassed to go himself and inform the Prophet of what he had done. So Khawlah arrived to the Messenger of God (where some accounts describe ʿĀʾishah, his wife, being present there) and informed him complainingly that despite her long marriage to her husband, Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit, and despite bearing him many children, he had divorced her by invoking ẓihār. He had done so when she had grown old and feeble (although at least one account describes her as still being young or at least much younger and stronger than her husband); that he had divorced her while when he married her she was the most beloved of mankind to him. He had enjoyed her when young and had made ample use of her during her youth, while she had borne him many children, but now that she was old and feeble and unable to bear any children he had divorced her (although at least one account describes her as having small children still under her care where she complained that if she left them with Aws they would suffer and get lost, while if she took them with herself they would starve). She was apparently his paternal cousin. Khawlah asks the Prophet to find a way out for them both such that they could return to their marital union since Aws was the father of her children, the most beloved man to her, and he had said what he did in haste and anger, and not actually intending divorce.
Two responses are registered for the Prophet, that he said: ‘You are prohibited to him,’ or: ‘God has not informed me of anything regarding your dilemma, and I would dislike to say something on behalf of God in this matter when I have no permission to do so,’ both of which proved unhelpful for Khawlah since a divorce would throw her life into disarray.
The observation has been made that the former response does not behove the station of prophethood, while the latter response is more acceptable and fitting for the same. This is because a true Prophet cannot be expected to issue judgement on a matter, which judgement would be taken to represent God’s judgement and that of the faith, when nothing regarding the matter had been revealed to him from God. Further, the latter response inspires confidence in the Prophet in that he does not represent God and the faith as he wishes (53:3), but rather does so only in line with what God reveals and approves for him for the faith (53:4, 4:105). This thus also suggests that the Prophet did not as yet have anything revealed to him regarding the matter of ẓihār, which would lend credence to the claim that this incident was the first instance of ẓihār in the history of nascent Islam, an opinion also attributed to Ibn Abbas.
As a result of the Prophet’s unhelpful response, Khawlah argues (tujādilu) with you about her husband, however the Prophet was unable to help, and he continued responding to her with the same unhelpful response as before, while she kept on arguing with him in desperation. This back and forth of speech between her and him is the conversation between the two of you. This conversation is what the noun taḥāwur, with its dual pronominal suffix kumā (taḥāwurakumā) in the verse refers to.
Then, in desperation, she complains (tashtakī) to Allah directly, asking Him to intervene and reveal a solution to her dilemma – while at the same time insistently arguing with the Messenger of God. Khawlah’s heart-rending entreaties to God further suggests that nothing regarding ẓihār had as yet been revealed to the Prophet, for had anything been revealed, it would have been invoked.
Khawlah kept on arguing with the Prophet and complaining to God. This back and forth of speech with the Prophet went on for some time and she did not leave her place until the revelation descended with a suitable resolution, whereupon the Prophet asked her to call her husband so that he could recite the verses out to him (although variants exist which describe the Prophet reciting out the verses to Khawlah rather than having Aws called, and having the dialogue regarding the expiation with her rather than with him). When he arrived, the Prophet recited the first four verses to him which resolved the problem in its entirety in a decisive and categorical fashion. The verses emphasised the soundness of the marital union despite the pronouncement of ẓihār, rejected the practice of ẓihār, but outlined onerous penalties for the husband which he would have to bear in order to be able to enjoy conjugal relations again, even though the marital union itself remained valid and sound.
Hence the meaning of the first verse is: O Muhammad, God has certainly heard, accepted, and responded to the plea of the woman who argues and disputes with you, which she does regarding her husband – he who divorced her according to the repugnant, pagan custom of ẓihār – and who complains vigorously to God of her grief and sorrow and of what had befallen her of misfortune. Thus the meaning of the perfect tense verb samiʿa in the beginning part of this verse, which literally means he has heard (in reference to God) actually means in this specific context: He has accepted and responded to the plea or the complaint made by the woman, and has fulfilled the need expressed by her, in the rhetorical form of metonymy (kināyah), thereby denoting His knowledge and acknowledgment of it. Such a rhetorical usage is widespread, and the evidence for such an understanding of the relevant part of this verse is three-fold: the first is the subsequent part of this verse that says, her who argues with you about her husband and complains to Allah where it is apparent that the wife intended a way out of the predicament she and her husband found themselves in, such that she would not become separated from her husband. In this context, God hearing her means His response to her. The second is the occurrence of the particle qad preceding the perfect tense verb samiʿa, meaning that God’s hearing and response was anticipated, had just occurred, and had definitely occurred, which in this context can only mean a response to Khawlah’s predicament. And thirdly, the corroboration offered by the succeeding verses, which form the literary context of this verse where God’s acknowledgment of Khawlah’s dilemma and His definitive response in her favour is outlined.
The imperfect tense verb yasmaʿu (Allah hears) is in regard to the Prophet and Khawlah’s colloquy (taḥāwurakumā – the conversation between the two of you). It emphasises divine omniscience and omnipresence for it suggests that the incident was ongoing at the moment of revelation, which would render less plausible what some accounts transmit in this regard in that the Prophet asked Khawlah to go home, and then these verses descended.
Finally, the verse terminates with the emphatic statement that surely God hears the voices, whether whispered or uttered out aloud, and sees with perspicacity and insight, reiterating God’s omniscience and omnipresence. Such an emphatic statement terminates many a verse in the Quran such as 4:58, 4:134, 17:1, 22:61, 22:75, 31:28, 40:20, 40:56, and 42:11.
This first verse contains a number of inspiring lessons for both men and women. It portrays how a deeply wronged woman who was rendered much distressed by her sorry state refused to be content with her sorry state and refused to believe that reckless and irresponsible words uttered by her husband could affect or be allowed to affect her marriage in a negative way. It portrays a woman who lobbied the Prophet for change and persisted with resilience, which ultimately bore fruit. It portrays not only the swift and sympathetic response of God to an entreaty made to Him, but it also portrays God’s omnipresence and omniscience. It brings to the fore the significant role of sustained entreaty, coupled with anticipation, when supplicating to God, and how these effectuate a swift response, just as it underlines the importance of persistence, resilience, and hope in God and in supplication. It demonstrates that both Muslim men and women have the right to argue their case if they sincerely feel strongly regarding an issue. This is because mujādalah/jidāl is not a negative act in and of itself; rather it is a value-neutral term where contextual factors determine whether it, in a specific instance, is positive and praiseworthy or negative and blameworthy. That is because in an argument the aim is essentially to negotiate a decision or a judgement which can either be in favour of the truth or in favour of falsehood (where truth and falsehood are important contextual factors in determining the positive/negative value of mujādalah/jidāl in any instance).
The following are some verses, cited as examples of mujādalah/jidāl that is good and praiseworthy: 11:31 (in the context of 11:25-34 which may also be compared with 40:4-5), 11:74 (in the context of 11:69-77), 16:125, and 29:46. The following verses are examples of mujādalah/jidāl that is negative and blameworthy: 40:4-5, 40:35, 22:3, 22:8, 22:68, 18:56, 31:20, 6:11, 2:198, 42:35, 6:25, 8:5-6, and 43:57-58. Furthermore, this verse and those that follow it do not censure or mention in a negative light the mujādalah/jidāl which is the subject of this verse.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- ʿĀʾishah said: ‘Blessed is the One whose hearing encompasses everything – I was surely listening to Khawlah bint al-Thaʿlabah’s speech although some of it was obscured to me – and she was complaining about her husband to the Messenger of God (s). She was saying: “Messenger of God (s), he [my husband] wore out my youth [or used me when I was young and youthful] while I bore him many children up until when I grew old and was no longer able to bear children, he divorced me by likening me to the back of his mother. O God, I complain to You!” She continued in this manner till Gabriel descended with these verses, Allah has certainly heard the speech of her who argues with you about her husband and complains to Allah … and he [the husband] was Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit.’
[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 455.
[2] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 455.
[3] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 456.
[4] Zamakhshari, 4/485; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 738.
[5] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, pp. 738-739.
[6] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 739.
[7] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, pp. 157-158.
[8] Tibyan, 9/541; Tabrisi, 9/372; Lane, 2/1045.
[9] The verbal noun expresses the verbal idea in the form of a noun.
[10] Tibyan, 9/541; Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 158.
[11] Tibyan, 9/541.
[12] Tibyan, 9/541; Tabrisi, 9/372; Mizan, 19/177.
[13] Mizan, 19/177.
[14] Munyah, 28/47; Lane, 2/1045.
[15] Tibyan, 9/541-542; Tabrisi, 9/370, 372; Mizan, 19/177.
[16] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 241.
[17] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 95.
[18] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 95.
[19]Tabrisi, 9/371; Mizan, 19/179.
[20] Tibyan, 9/542; Mizan, 19/179.
[21] Mizan, 19/179.
[22] See for example Tabari, 28/2-6; Suyuti, 6/179-183; Tabrisi, 9/371; Tibyan, 9/541; Razi, 29/477; Qummi, 2/353.
[23] This is the preferred name for her in most sources while several other names are also recorded such as Khuwaylah bint al-Thaʿlabah or Khuwaylah bint al-Khuwaylid or Khuwaylah bint al-Ṣāmit or Khuwaylah bint al-Dujayl, and even Jamīlah (see Tabari, 28/2-6; Suyuti, 6/179-183).
[24] Munyah, 28/47.
[25] Furqan, 28/191.
[26] Furqan, 28/191; Fadlallah, 22/61.
[27] Tibyan, 9/541; Qummi, 2/353; Tabrisi, 9/371.
[28] Tibyan, 9/541.
[29] Furqan, 28/191.
[30] Mizan, 19/178.
[31] Mizan, 19/178; A metonymy is a rhetorical device where one word is substituted with another with which it is associated. For example, in the famous saying ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ the word ‘pen’ is a metonymy for ‘writing’ while the word ‘sword’ is a metonymy for ‘violence’. This feature is often used to hint at a matter which does not need to be expressed explicitly. Some examples from the Quran are the word yaqīn (certainty) for death in 74:47, the word ghāʾiṭ (low land) for a privy in 5:6, the word ḥijaj (pilgrimages) for years in 28:27, the word sabʿah (seven) for the meaning of multiples in 31:27.
[32] Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p. 455.
[33] Mizan, 19/178.
[34] Munyah, 28/47-48.
[35] Fadlallah, 22/61.
[36] Furqan, 28/191.
[37] Tabari, 28/5-6.