Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah primarily concerns the establishment of Islamic law by abolishing the unjust pre-Islamic practice of ẓihār (likening one's wife to one's mother). The surah then focuses on purging the community of internal dangers by exposing the secret plots, false oaths, and disloyalty of the hypocrites and Jews of Madinah.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan, though some parts have been claimed as Makkan.

Context: The surah was revealed to resolve the specific legal case of the woman Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah, who came to the Prophet (ﷺ) arguing against her husband, Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit, who had pronounced ẓihār upon her.

Chronology: It has been counted as the 103rd surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn and before al-Taḥrīm.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known by several names: "Sūrat al-Mujādilah" (The Pleading/Arguing Woman) or "Sūrat al-Mujādalah" (The Plea/Argument), i.e. the same word vocalized in two ways with this nuance in meaning. It is also known as "Sūrat Qad Samiʿa" (The Lord Has Heard) for its opening phrase, and "Sūrat al-Ẓihār" (The Vow of Separation) for addressing this ruling.

Ayah Count: 21 ayahs (Madīnah/Makkah) or 22 (Shām/Baṣrah/Kūfah).

Surah Overview:

• Abolition of Ẓihār: Ruling on the case of Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah, invalidating the pre-Islamic vow of ẓihār as falsehood and establishing the penance for it. [1-4]
• Exposing Hypocrisy: Condemning the hypocrites for their secret meetings and alliances with the Madinan Jews, intended to cause distress to the believers. [7-10]
• Condemning False Oaths: Warning the hypocrites who swore false oaths to conceal their disloyalty. [14, 16]
• Prophetic Etiquette: Legislating the proper etiquette for attending and leaving the Prophet’s (ﷺ) assemblies. [11]
• The Obligation of Loyalty (al-Walā’): Strictly prohibiting believers from giving alliance or friendship to those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are close relatives. [14, 22]
• The Final Alliance: Concluding with the powerful assurance that those who are on God’s side are the ultimate victors. [22]