1. Allah has heard the words of the woman who disputes with you about her husband – consults you, Muhammad, about her husband who pronounced a zihar divorce on her. This occurs when a man says to his wife, “You are to me like my mother’s back.” She asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about it; and he told her that she was now unlawful to her husband as it was the custom among them that the zihar divorce necessitated a perpetual separation. The woman was Khawla bint Tha‘laba and the man was Aws ibn as-Samit – and lays her complaint – about her isolation, poverty and small children – b e fore Allah – saying, “I have small children by him. If I keep them, they will be hungry, and if I hand them over to him, they will be lost.” Allah hears the two of you talking together. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing – and All- Knowing.

2. For those of you who divorce your wives by equating them with your mothers (read as yuzhiruna, yuzzahharuna and yuzaharuna), pronouncing the zihar divorce mentioned in the previous ayat, they are not your mothers. The zihar pronouncement equates them with your mothers. Your mothers are only those who gave birth to you. What you are saying is wrong and a slanderous lie – and anyone who does this must do a kaffara to expiate that. But Allah is Ever- Pardoning, Ever-Forgiving.

3. Those who divorce their wives by equating them with their mothers, and then wish to go back on what they said – and want to keep their wives, in spite of the zihar pronouncement which has made them unlawful to them – must set free a slave before the two of them may touch one another – meaning, have sexual intercourse. This is what you are enjoined to do. Allah is aware of what you do.

4. Anyone who cannot find the means (to free a slave) must fast for two consecutive months before the two of them may touch one another again. And anyone who is unable to do that (fast) must feed sixty poor people before the couple may have sexual intercourse. Each poor person should be fed the staple food of the land where they live. That alleviation through kaffara is to affirm your belief in Allah and His Messenger. These rulings are Allah’s limits. The unbelievers will have a painful punishment.

5. Those who disagree and oppose Allah and His Messenger will be subdued and overcome as those before them were also subdued and overcome when they opposed their Messengers before. We have sent down Clear Signs which indicate that the Messengers speak the truth. The unbelievers will have a humiliating punishment.

6. On the Day Allah raises up all of them together, He will inform them of what they did. Allah has recorded it although they have forgotten it. Allah is Witness of all things.

7. Do you not see and know that Allah knows what is in the heavens and on the earth? Three men cannot confer together secretly without Him being the fourth of them – through His knowledge – or five without Him being the sixth of them, or fewer than that or more, without Him being with them wherever they are. Then He will inform them on the Day of Rising of what they did. Allah has knowledge of all things.

8. Do you not see those who were forbidden to confer together secretly returning to the very thing they were forbidden to do, and conferring together secretly in wrongdoing and enmity and disobedience to the Messenger? This is a reference to the Jews. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade them the secret conferring which they were doing, whispering together so that doubt would fall into their hearts. And when they come to you they greet you, Prophet, with words Allah has never used in greeting you – by saying, “as-samu ‘alayka”, which means “poison be upon you”, showing that they wished him dead – and say to themselves ‘Why does Allah not punish us for what we say in the greeting we gave? If he had been a Prophet, then Allah would have punished us. So he is not a Prophet.’ Hell will be enough for them! They will roast in it. What an evil destination!

9. You who believe, when you confer together secretly, do not do so in wrongdoing and enmity and disobedience to the Messenger; rather confer together in goodness and fearfulness of Allah. Be fearful of Allah – Him to Whom you will be gathered.

10. Conferring in secret about sin and other bad things is from the delusion of Shaytan, to cause grief to those who believe; but it cannot harm them at all, unless by Allah’s permission – by His will. So let the believers put their trust in Allah.

11. You who believe, when you are told: ‘Make room in the gathering (read as majlis and as majalis in the plural),’ – a reference to the gathering of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and to dhikr, remembrance of Allah, so that those who come to join you can sit down – then make room and Allah will make room for you in the Garden! And when you are told, ‘Get up’ – for the prayer and other good actions – get up (read as inshuzu and inshizu). Allah will raise in rank – in the Paradise – those of you who believe – and obey by doing so – and those who have been given knowledge. Allah is aware of what you do.

12. You who believe, when you want to consult the Messenger privately precede your private consultation by giving sadaqa – that is better for you and purer: more likely to purify you of your wrong actions. But if you cannot find the means to give any sadaqa, Allah is Ever- Forgiving, Most Merciful. The implication was that they should not engage in private consultation with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until they had given sadaqa. Then this was abrogated by the next ayat.

13. Are you afraid to give gifts of sadaqa before your private consultation? Does poverty make you fear giving sadaqa? If you do not give sadaqa but Allah turns to you and excuses you, at least establish the prayer and pay zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah is aware of what you do.

14. Do you not see those hypocrites who have turned to people – meaning here the Jews – with whom Allah is angry? They (the hypocrites) belong neither to you (the believers) nor to them (the Jews). They waver between the two. And they swear to falsehood – saying that they are believers – and do so knowingly – knowing that they are lying in what they say.

15. Allah has prepared a terrible punishment for them. How evil is what (the acts of disobedience) they have been doing!

16. They made their oaths into a cloak – a covering to protect themselves and their property – and barred the believers from doing jihad in the Way of Allah by killing them and taking their property; so they will have a humiliating punishment.

17. Neither their wealth nor their children will help them at all against the punishment of Allah. Such people are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever.

18. On the Day Allah raises up all of them them together they will swear to Him that they are believers just as they have sworn to you, and imagine they have something to stand upon – that their oaths will help them in the Next World as they helped them in this world. No indeed! It is they who are the liars.

19. Shaytan has gained mastery over them because they obey him and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Such people are the party and followers of Shaytan. No indeed! It is the party of Shaytan who are the losers.

20. Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, such people will be among the most abased and defeated.

21. Allah has written on the Preserved Tablet or, alternatively has decreed: ‘I will be victorious – both by means of evidence and with the sword – I and and My Messengers.’ Allah is Most Strong, Almighty.

22. You will not find people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having love for anyone who opposes Allah and His Messenger, though they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers or their clan. If they oppose Allah and His Messenger, the believers should oppose them and fight them. This happened with a group of Companions, may Allah be pleased with him. Allah has inscribed belief upon such people’s hearts and fixed it there and will reinforce them with a Ruh (light) from Him and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, to remain in them timelessly, for ever. Allah is pleased with them for obeying Him and they are pleased with Him: content with the reward that He gives them. Such people are the party of Allah: they follow His command and avoid what He has prohibited. Truly it is the party of Allah who are successful.