Interpretation of the Verses on Ẓihār in the Qur’an: An Analysis of Tafsīr al-Marāghī on Q.S. al-Mujādilah, Verses 1–4

Abstract

Ẓihār a husband’s statement likening his wife to a woman permanently prohibited to him is a family-law issue addressed in Q.S. al-Mujādilah, verses 1–4. Although ẓihār has been widely studied, much of the previous literature has focused on normative and formalistic jurisprudential analysis, overlooking gender-responsive considerations, the ethical education of speech, and the social significance underlying its legal sanctions. This study analyzes Aḥmad Muṣṭafā al-Marāghī’s interpretation of Q.S. al-Mujādilah, verses 1–4, including its legal implications, the mechanism of expiation (kaffārah), and the wisdom behind its legislation. The study employs library research with a descriptive-analytical approach. The findings indicate that, according to al-Marāghī, ẓihār is an objectionable and false statement that does not dissolve the marriage bond, but prohibits marital relations until expiation has been completed in the prescribed sequence: freeing an enslaved person, fasting for two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people. The study’s specific contribution is to demonstrate that al-Marāghī’s interpretation transforms a rigid jurisprudential doctrine into an ethical-reformative framework. Expiation functions not only as atonement for sin but also as an instrument for educating speech, psychologically protecting a wife’s dignity from a husband’s arbitrary conduct, and fulfilling social responsibility.