The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: "And those who practice zihar with their wives and then return from what they have said..."
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The Shaykh : Now, what is the ruling on zihar? If a man practices zihar with his wife, what is the ruling? Allah clarified it, saying: [Al-Mujadila 58:3-4] Recite the verse?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : That is[Al-Mujadila 58:4] So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned what is obligatory upon the one who practices zihar. He must free a slave, meaning he must emancipate a slave. If he does not find one, he must fast for two consecutive months. The meaning of "consecutive" is that they are continuous, without breaking the fast for even one day in between. If he fasts for two months except for one day and breaks his fast on the last day, he must repeat the entire fast from the beginning: two months except for one day. If he breaks his fast on the last day without an excuse, he must repeat the fast from the beginning for two consecutive months. Even if he repeats the two consecutive months a second time and breaks his fast on the last day without an excuse, we tell him to repeat it and fast for two consecutive months, because Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:92] So Allah the Exalted made it a condition for the fast that the two months be consecutive; this condition is necessary. Now, [Al-Mujadila 58:3] means it is not permissible for him to have intercourse with her until he fasts for two consecutive months. Look at the punishment now: freeing a slave, and if he does not find one, fasting for two consecutive months. Now, if he says, "I can find a slave to free, but perhaps I will only obtain the slave after five months," we tell him to avoid his wife for five months until he frees the slave, because Allah said: [Al-Mujadila 58:3]. Regarding fasting, we say he must not have intercourse with his wife until what? Until he has fasted for two consecutive months. If it happens that a man fasted for two consecutive months but had intercourse with his wife on the last night of the fast—the last night before the two months are completed, with one day and night remaining on the last day, where he had intercourse with his wife at night, not during the day, meaning he fasted from the early morning—the scholars say he must repeat the two months again and avoid her. So we understand from this that this is a severe matter; zihar is a severe matter and not a trivial one. Now, if he is unable to fast for two consecutive months because he is ill or weak or something similar, he must feed sixty poor people. But look at the verses regarding freeing a slave, it says: [Al-Mujadila 58:3], regarding fasting [Al-Mujadila 58:3], but regarding feeding, it did not say that.
(3) And those who pronounce thihar from their wives and then [wish to] go back on what they said - then [there must be] the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. That is what you are admonished thereby; and Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (4) And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of
والذين يظاهرون من نسائهم ثم يعودون لما قالوا فتحرير رقبة من قبل أن يتماسا ذلكم توعظون به والله بما تعملون خبير فمن لم يجد فصيام شهرين متتابعين من قبل أن يتماسا فمن لم يستطع فإطعام مسكيناًThe student: ...
The Shaykh : That is