The Debate (Al-Mujaadalah)
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
۞ Of a surety Allah hath heard the saying of her that disputed with thee concerning her husband and bewailed unto Allah; and Allah hath heard your mutual discourse. Verily Allah is Hearing, Beholding. 1 Those who separate themselves from their wives by pronouncing, "To me you are like my mother's back," must concede that they are not their mothers; none are their mothers except those who gave birth to them -- surely they utter an evil word and a lie. God is pardoning, forgiving. 2 hence, as for those who would separate themselves from their wives by saying, "Thou art as unlawful to me as my mother", and thereafter would go back on what they have said, [their atonement] shall be the freeing of a human being from bondage before the couple may touch one another again: this you are [hereby] exhorted to do - for God is fully aware of all that you do. 3 And he who does not find a slave (to free), shall fast for two months consecutively before they may touch each other; and he who is unable to do so shall feed sixty needy people. All this is in order that you may truly believe in Allah and His Messenger. These are the bounds set by Allah; and a grievous chastisement awaits the unbelievers. 4 Those who resist Allah and His Messenger will be humbled to dust, as were those before them: for We have already sent down Clear Signs. And the Unbelievers (will have) a humiliating Penalty,- 5 On the day God raises them all up from the dead, He will make them understand what they have done. God has taken everything into account, even though they have forgotten, for God is a witness to all things. 6