Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
As for those of you who [henceforth] separate themselves from their wives by saying, “Thou art as unlawful to me as my mother”, [let them bear in mind that] they can never be [as] their mothers: none are their mothers save those who gave them birth: and so, behold, they but utter a saying that runs counter to reason, and is [therefore] false. But, behold, God is indeed an absolver of sins, much-forgiving
M. M. Pickthall
Such of you as put away your wives (by saying they are as their mothers) - They are not their mothers; none are their mothers except those who gave them birth - they indeed utter an ill word and a lie. And lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
If any men among you divorce their wives by Zihar (calling them mothers), they cannot be their mothers: None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And in fact they use words (both) iniquitous and false: but truly Allah is one that blots out (sins), and forgives (again and again)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
Those of you who ˹sinfully˺ divorce their wives by comparing them to their mothers ˹should know that˺ their wives are in no way their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave birth to them. What they say is certainly detestable and false. Yet Allah is truly Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.
Safi Kaskas
There are those of you who divorce their wives by equating them with their mothers, they are not their mothers. Their mothers are those who gave birth to them. What they said is wrong and a blatant lie. But God is All-Pardoning and All-Forgiving.
Wahiduddin Khan
Those who separate themselves from their wives by pronouncing, To me you are like my mothers back, must concede that they are not their mothers; none are their mothers except those who gave birth to themsurely they utter an evil word and a lie. God is pardoning, forgiving
Shakir
(As for) those of you who put away their wives by likening their backs to the backs of their mothers, they are not their mothers; their mothers are no others than those who gave them birth; and most surely they utter a hateful word and a falsehood and most surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
Those who say to their wives: Be as my mother’s back, they (f) are not their mothers. Their mothers are only those (f) who gave them birth. And, truly, they say that which is unlawful among their sayings and an untruth. And, truly, God is Pardoning, Forgiving.
T.B.Irving
Those among you who back away from their wives even though they are not their mothers (their mothers are only the ones who have given birth to them) are making a dishonorable statement as well as twisting things around. Yet God is Pardoning, Forgiving.
Abdul Hye
Those of you who divorce their wives by Zihar (by saying to them “you are like my mother’s back”) (should know that) they cannot be their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. Surely, they say an evil word and a lie. Surely, Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving.
The Study Quran
Those among you who commit ?ihar against their wives, those are not their mothers. None are their mothers save those who gave birth to them. Truly they speak indecent words and calumny. And truly God is Pardoning, Forgiving
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
Among you, those who estrange their wives by equating them with their mothers—they aren’t their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. What they say is unacceptable and false. Nonetheless, God is Pardoning, Forgiving.
Talal Itani (2012)
Those of you who estrange their wives by equating them with their mothers—they are not their mothers. Their mothers are none else but those who gave birth to them. What they say is evil, and a blatant lie. But God is Pardoning and Forgiving
Dr. Kamal Omar
Those among you who indulge in the game of back with their wives — they are not their mothers (because of this senseless and false utterance). (Women are) not their mothers except those who delivered them. And surely they (who indulge in Az-Zihar ), indeed, utter an undesirable form of statement and something which is evident falsehood. And surely Allah is indeed Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving
Those of you who divorce their wives by ZihAr (calling them to be like their mothers) should know that they are not their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. Surely the words they utter are absurd and false. Allah could punish them for this but He forgave them, surely Allah is All-Pardoning, All-Forgiving
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
The ones of you who back away from their women, (i.e. their wives, to whom the husbands say, "Be as my mother's back." This is called ahihar, a pre-Islamic from of divorce) in no way are they their mothers; decidedly their mothers are none except those who gave birth (to) them, and surely they are saying a maleficent saying and a forgery. And surely Allah is indeed Ever-Clement, Ever-Forgiving
Muhammad Sarwar
Those who renounce their wives by calling them mothers should know that their wives could never become their mothers. Their mothers are those who have given birth to them. The words that they speak are certainly detestable and sinful. But God is Pardoning and All-forgiving
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Those of you who declare Zihar against their wives, they are not their mothers. Their mothers are none else but those who gave birth to them. Undoubtedly they utter an evil word and a lie; and Allah is surely Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful
Shabbir Ahmed
Those of you who make senseless declarations about their wives, they by no means become their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. And so, behold, they only utter what is contrary to reason, and thus, false. And behold, Allah is Absolver of faults, Forgiving. (The procedure of divorce has been clearly expounded in (2:228-230), (4:3), (4:19), (4:35), (4:128), (33:4), (65:1-2))
Dr. Munir Munshey
Those who (swear and) declare their wives to be like their mothers (should know that) their wives are not their mothers. Of course, their mothers can only be those who gave them birth. What they utter is certainly condemned, and a lie. Allah is indeed the most Forgiving, the most Merciful
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Those men among you who make their wives unlawful to them (the men) by Zihar (a primitive and pagan custom of calling them mothers, see 33.4, these men know that) they (the wives) cannot be their mothers (of the men): None can be their mothers (of the men) except those who gave them birth. And in fact they (the men) use words (that are) unjust and false: But truly, Allah is All Pardoning (the sins), Often-Forgiving (Ghafoor
Those who pronounce thihar among you [to separate] from their wives - they are not [consequently] their mothers. Their mothers are none but those who gave birth to them. And indeed, they are saying an objectionable statement and a falsehood. But indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
Those among you who estrange their wives by saying to them: "You are as my mother". They can never be as their mothers, for their mothers are the women who gave birth to them. Indeed, they are uttering what is strange and a falsehood. And God is Pardoner, Forgiver
Abdel Haleem
Even if any of you say to their wives, ‘You are to me like my mother’s back,’they are not their mothers; their only mothers are those who gave birth to them. What they say is certainly blameworthy and false, but God is pardoning and forgiving
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
As to those among you who put away their wives by pronouncing zihar their mothers they are not. Their mothers are but those who gave them birth; and verily they utter a saying disputable and false. And verily Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving
Ahmed Ali
Those of you who divorce your wives by calling them 'mothers,' cannot (make them) their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. They surely utter what is unseemly and a lie. But God is forbearing and forgiving
Aisha Bewley
Those of you who divorce your wives by equating them with your mothers, they are not your mothers. Your mothers are only those who gave birth to you. What you are saying is wrong and a slanderous lie. But Allah is Ever-Pardoning, Ever-Forgiving.
Ali Ünal
Those among you who declare their wives to be unlawful for them by using of them the expression "Be as my mother’s back to me," (should know that) their wives are not their mothers. Their mothers are none other than the women who gave them birth. Such men certainly utter a word abhorred (by the Shari‘ah) and a falsehood. Yet God is surely All-Pardoning (He overlooks the faults of His servants), All-Forgiving
Ali Quli Qara'i
As for those of you who repudiate their wives by Ziharr, they are not their mothers; their mothers are only those who bore them, and indeed they utter an outrageous utterance and a lie. Indeed Allah is all-excusing, all-forgiving
Hamid S. Aziz
Those of you who divorce their wives by Zihar (likening them to the backs of their mothers), they are not their mothers; their mothers are no others than those who gave them birth; and most surely they utter a hateful word and a falsehood and lo! Allah i
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
Those of you who divorce their wives by declaring them as their mothers, they are not their mothers. No one is their mothers except those who gave them birth, and they certainly say a nasty word and a lie. And God certainly pardons and forgives.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
Some men among you attempt to divorce their wives by Zihar, by prohibiting himself from relations with her as he would his mother, but they are not their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave birth to them, so in fact, they use words that are both hurtful and false, but truly God is the One who corrects and forgives you
Musharraf Hussain
Those of you who divorce their wives by Zihar should know that they are not their mothers. Their mothers are those who gave birth to them; they are saying something horrible and false. Indeed, Allah is Pardoner and Forgiver.
Maududi
Those among you who divorce their wives by declaring them to be their mothers, such are not their mothers; none are their mothers except those who gave birth to them. Indeed what they say is highly contemptible and false. Verily Allah is Most Pardoning, Most Forgiving
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
Those among you who have estranged their women; they can never be made as their mothers, for their mothers are those who gave birth to them. Indeed, they are uttering what is strange and a falsehood. And God is Pardoner, Forgiver
Mohammad Shafi
Those of you who abstain from having conjugal relations with their wives by pronouncing them as their mothers (should know) they are not their mothers. None but those who gave them birth are their mothers. What they utter is most certainly wrong and a lie. And Allah is certainly indeed Lenient, Forgiving
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
Those of you who leave their wives calling them as their mothers, they are not their mothers. Their mother is only those who gave them birth, and they certainly utter evil and purely false words. And undoubtedly, Allah is necessarily pardoning Forgiving.
Those among you who estrange their wives (by declaring them as forbidden in sex) as their mothers know full well that they are not their mothers. Their mothers are the women who gave birth to them. Indeed, they are committing a blasphemy and a falsehood. GOD is Pardoner, Forgiver.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
Those of you who say to their wives, 'Be as my mother's back, ' indeed, they are not their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them.Indeed they speak dishonorably and falsely. But Allah is the Pardoning, the Forgiving
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Those of you who put away their wives by calling them their mothers -- they are not their mothers. None are their mothers save those who give them birth, and they utter indeed a hateful word and a lie. And surely Allah is Pardoning, Forgiving
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
Those who declare their wives as forbidden for them as their mothers (forbidden pre-Islamic form of divorce) from you from their women (wives), they (F) are not their mothers, that truly their mothers (are not) except who (F) gave birth to them, and that they truly say a defiance of God and His orders/an obscenity from the words/opinion and belief and falsehood , and that truly God (is) often forgiving/ pardoning, forgiving
Bijan Moeinian
It is a tradition among you that a man may consider his wife (in anger) as his mother (divorcing her forever!) This is absurd. God forgives this practice of yours in the past as He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful
Faridul Haque
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
Sher Ali
Those among you who put away their wives by calling them mothers - they do not thereby become their mothers ; their mothers are only those who gave them birth. They certainly utter words that are manifestly evil and untrue; but, surely, ALLAH is the Effacer of sins, Most Forgiving
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Those of you who separate their wives by zihar (i.e., they say to their wives: You are to me as my mother’s back. But by saying this) they do not become their mothers. Their mothers are only those who have given them birth. And no doubt they utter evil and false words. Surely, Allah is Most Forbearing, Most Forgiving
Amatul Rahman Omar
Such of you who give up (conjugal relationship with) their wives by calling them mothers (should realise that) they do not thereby become their mothers. Their mothers are only those who have given them birth. And they (by calling their wives mothers by Zihar) utter words that are most unseeming and false. And of course Allah is All-Pardoning, Great Protector (against faults)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Those among you who make their wives unlawful (Az-Zihar ) to them by saying to them "You are like my mothers back." They cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And verily, they utter an ill word and a lie. And verily, Allah is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
Those among you who abandon their wives by claiming them to be as forbidden to them as their mothers, they are not their mothers. Their mothers are only those who gave them birth and truly they are saying a most objectionable speech and a false witnessing. Truly Allah is surely Oft-pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Munir Mezyed
Those of you who deliberately seek to estrange their wives by declaring them to be as their mothers (should know) that their wives would never be their mothers. Their mothers are only those women who gave birth to them. The words they utter are evil words and falsehood. Most certainly Allâh is Oft- Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Those of you who divorce their women by likening them to their mothers, they are not their mothers, their mothers are only those who gave birth to them, and they say something unacceptable and false, and Allah is lenient and forgiving.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
Some men separate from their wives by saying that their wives are as unlawful to them in marriage as their own mothers. (Their wives) are not like their mothers. No one can be their mothers except the ones who gave birth to them. They certainly speak with hate and deception. But certainly Allah is the Forgiver, Most Forgiving.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
Those of you who estrange their wives by equating them with their mothers—they are not their mothers; their mothers are only those who gave birth to them. And indeed, what they say is truly a deplorable thing to say and a blatant lie. But indeed, Allah is Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Those among you who back away from their wives even though they are not their mothers, their mothers are only the ones who have given birth to them, are making a dishonorable statement as well as twisting things around. Yet Allah (God) is Pardoning, Forgiving.
Samy Mahdy
Those who pronounce (Zihar) from you [telling to their wives you become like our mother's back forbidden to us] their wives. They are not their mothers. Their mothers are none except those who gave birth to them. And surely, they are saying a denial from the saying and a perjury. And surely, Allah is Pardoning, Forgiver.
Ahmed Hulusi
Those among you who separate themselves from their wives by pronouncing, “To me you are like my mother” (a pagan practice) should know that they (their wives) are not their mothers! Their mothers are only those who gave birth to them! Indeed, they utter an outrageous and baseless word! Indeed, Allah is the Afuw (infinitely forgiving) and the Ghafur.
Mir Aneesuddin
Those of you who do not go near their wives calling them their mothers, they are not their mothers, their mothers are none other than those who gave them birth. And they certainly say something unrecognised (as good) in speech, and a lie, and Allah is certainly Pardoning, Protectively Forgiving.
Those of you who use the diction "mother's back" as a symbol of the Forbidden in their formula for dissolving their marriages must know that their wives are not their mothers; their mothers are those who gave birth to them; they express what is indeed profane and utter falsehood, but Allah is 'Afuwun (Clement) and Ghafurun (Forgiving) of all in all
The Wise Quran
Those of you who put away their women by likening their backs to the backs of their mothers, they are not their mothers; their mothers are not except those who gave birth to them; and indeed, they surely say bad of the speech and a lie. And indeed, God is surely pardoning, forgiving.