Sūrat al-Mujādilah (Part 5)
Part 5 of observations on the structure and coherence of Sūrat al-Mujādilah
This is a continuation of a series on Sūrat al-Mujādilah (The Woman Who Pleaded and Argued). Please see Part 4 before moving ahead.
Alternatively, there are some other microstructures worth considering.1 These microstructures begin with a mirror structure.
CONNECTIONS
[E]/[E’] – The sūrah begins with Allah ﷻ criticizing those who would call people incorrect names. Spouses and mothers have specific definitions set by Allah ﷻ that cannot be changed on a mere whim. In concert with this idea, we find the end of this mirror structure again criticizing those who would call others by incorrect words. This time, it is the hypocrites and Jews who would mumble their greetings to the Messenger ﷺ so that their words more resembled “as-Sammu ʿalay-kum (death to you)!” instead of the traditional “as-Salāmu ʿalay-kum (may the Perfect One be with you)!”
[F]/[F’] – Those who heed Allah’s warning concerning the pronouncement of ẓihār “go back on what they said (yaʿūdūna limā qālū)” and fulfill the expiations required of them lest they be of those who “oppose Allah ﷻ and His Messenger.” On the flip side, those who were warned about meeting in private, i.e., the Jews and hypocrites, “go back to what they were prohibited from (yaʿūdūna limā nuhū ʿan-hu).”
[G]/[G’] – Thus far, each end of the structure has been about the contrasting actions of the believers and disbelievers. In either case, Allah ﷻ brings up their accounting. Early in the sūrah Allah ﷻ says, “On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all then He will inform them of what they did (yawma yabʿathu-hum Allāhu jamīʿan fa-yunabbi’u-hum bimā ʿamilū),” and in the connected piece He similarly says, “He will inform them of what they did on the Day of Resurrection (yunabbi’u-hum bimā ʿamilū yawm al-qiyāmah).” Good or bad, all will stand for judgment.
[H]/[H’] – Finally, the center focuses on Allah’s power to observe all things. He is a witness to all, even if it happens to be a secret meeting with only a few people invited. This also relates to what has come up in the mirror thus far. Allah ﷻ witnessed the private back and forth between the Messenger ﷺ and the female companion, as well as the pronouncement of ẓihār her husband declared in the privacy of their home. Allah ﷻ notices the mispronunciation of the greeting of those who think they are doing a good job of hiding their deception. And Allah’s ability to witness all is what grants Him the power to judge fairly on the Day of Resurrection.
In shā’ Allah, we will continue this series next week.
And Allah ﷻ knows best.
This is my small contribution to the study of this sūrah.