The Debate (Al-Mujaadalah)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ Allah hath heard the saying of her that disputeth with thee (Muhammad) concerning her husband, and complaineth unto Allah. And Allah heareth your colloquy. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower. 1 Those among you who have proclaimed their wives as their mothers – so their wives are not their mothers; their mothers are only those that gave them birth; and undoubtedly they utter evil and a blatant lie; and indeed Allah is Most Pardoning, Oft Forgiving. 2 Those who say to their wives, 'Be as my mother's back' then retract their words thereafter shall set a person free before they touch each other again. By that you are admonished. Allah is Aware of all that you do. 3 So one who cannot find a slave, must then fast for two successive months before they touch one another; and one who cannot even fast, must then feed sixty needy ones; this is in order that you keep faith in Allah and His Noble Messenger; and these are the limits of Allah; and for the disbelievers is a painful punishment. 4 Those who oppose God and His Messenger will be humiliated like those who lived before. We have sent illustrious revelations and those who disbelieve will suffer a humiliating torment. 5 On the day when everyone will be resurrected, God will tell them about their deeds which He has recorded in their entirety - while they themselves have forgotten them. God is the witness over all things. 6