Surah Mujadilah ayat 3 Tafsir Quran 58:3

﴿وَالَّذِينَ يُظَاهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَائِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُوا فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَاسَّا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾
[ المجادلة: 3]

58:3 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.

And those who repudiate their wives by zihār and then go back on what they have said instead doing the opposite of this and retaining the woman divorced by zihār that which is contrary to the purpose of zihār in which a woman is characterised as being forbidden — then the penalty for them is the setting free of a slave an obligation upon him before they touch one another in sexual intercourse. By this you are being admonished; and God is Aware of what you do.

And those of you who have used this diction of mothers back in dissolving their marriages and now wish to take back their statements and resume their marriage ties, incur the liability. of freeing a slave before touching their wives. This is a reproach against you to warn you of such an act, and Allah is well acquainted with your conditions and with all that you do

Az-Zihar and the Atonement for It Imam Ahmad recorded that Khuwaylah bint Tha`labah said, "By Allah! Allah sent down the beginning of Surat Al-Mujadilah in connection with me and `Aws bin As-Samit.
He was my husband and had grown old and difficult.
One day, he came to me and I argued with him about something and he said, out of anger, `You are like my mother's back to me.' He went out and sat with some of his people.
Then he came back and wanted to have sexual intercourse with me.
I said, `No, by the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Khuwaylah! You will not have your way with me after you said what you said, until Allah and His Messenger issue judgement about our case.' He wanted to have his way regardless of my choice and I pushed him away from me; he was an old man.' I next went to one of my neighbors and borrowed a garment from her and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
I told him what happened and kept complaining to him of the ill treatment I received from `Aws.
He said,
«يَاخُوَيْلَةُ، ابْنُ عَمِّكِ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ، فَاتَّقِي اللهَ فِيه»
( O Khuwaylah! Your cousin is an old man, so have Taqwa of Allah regarding him. ) By Allah! Before I departed, parts of the Qur'an were revealed about me.
Allah's Messenger ﷺ felt the hardship upon receiving the revelation as he usually did and then became relieved.
He said to me,
«يَا خُوَيْلَةُ، قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ فِيكِ وَفِي صَاحِبِكِ قُرْآنًا»
( O Khuwaylah! Allah has revealed something about you and your spouse. ) He recited to me, قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِى تُجَادِلُكَ فِى زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِى إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمآ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ( Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes with you concerning her husband, and complains to Allah.
And Allah hears the argument between you both.
Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer. ), until, وَلِلكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment. ) He then said to me,
«مُرِيهِ فَلْيُعْتِقْ رَقَبَة»
( Command him to free a slave. ) I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He does not have any to free.' He said,
«فَلْيَصُمْ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْن»
( Let him fast for two consecutive months. ) I said, `By Allah! He is an old man and cannot fast.' He said,
«فَلْيُطْعِمْ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْر»
( Let him feed sixty poor people a Wasq of dates. ) I said, `O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, he does not have any of that.' He said,
«فَإِنَّا سَنُعِينُهُ بِعَرَقٍ مِنْ تَمْر»
( We will help him with a basket of dates. ) I said, `And I, O Allah's Messenger! I will help him with another.' He said,
«قَدْ أَصَبْتِ وَأَحْسَنْتِ فَاذْهَبِي فَتَصَدَّقِي بِهِ عَنْهُ، ثُمَّ اسْتَوْصِي بِابْنِ عَمِّكِ خَيْرًا»
( You have done a righteously good thing.
So go and give away the dates on his behalf and take care of your cousin. ) I did that."' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith in the Book of Divorce in his Sunan, according to which her name is Khawlah bint Tha`labah.
She is also known as Khawlah bint Malik bin Tha`labah, and Khuwaylah.
All these are close to each other, and Allah knows best.
This is what is correct about the reason behind revealing this Surah.
Therefore, Allah's statement, الَّذِينَ يُظَـهِرُونَ مِنكُمْ مِّن نِّسَآئِهِمْ ( Those among you who make their wives unlawful to them by Zihar ) refers to Zihar, which is derived from Az-Zahr, meaning, the back.
During the time of Jahiliyyah, when one wanted to declare Zihar towards his wife, he would say, "To me, you are like the back of my mother." That was one way they issued divorce during that time.
Allah allowed this Ummah to pay expiation for this statement and did not render it as a divorce, contrary to the case during the time of Jahiliyyah.
Allah said, مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَـتُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللاَّئِى وَلَدْنَهُمْ ( they cannot be their mothers.
None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. ) meaning, when the husband says to his wife that she is like his mother, or the back of his mother etc., she does not become his mother.
Rather his mother is she who gave birth to him.
This is why Allah said, وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَراً مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُوراً ( And verily, they utter an ill word and a lie. ) meaning, false and sinful speech, وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ ( And verily, Allah is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving. ) meaning, `what you used to do during the time of Jahiliyyah, and what accidentally slips out of your mouth, unintentionally.' Allah's statement, وَالَّذِينَ يُظَـهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ ( And those who make unlawful to them (their wives ) by Zihar and wish to free themselves from what they uttered,) Ash-Shafi`i said, "It means to keep her for a while after the Zihar, without divorcing her, even though his is able to do so." Ahmad bin Hanbal said, "To return to having sexual relations with her or to merely intend to do so, but only after he pays the expiation mentioned in the Ayah for his statement." It has been quoted from Malik that it is the intention to have sexual relations or to keep her or actually having sexual intercourse.
Sa`id bin Jubayr said that this Ayah, ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ ( and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, ) meaning, if they want to return to having sexual intercourse which was forbidden between them.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that it is to utilize her sexual organ, and he did not see any harm in doing what is less than that before paying the expiation.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas: مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا ( before they touch each other. ) "The `touching' refers here to sexual intercourse." Similar was said by `Ata', Az-Zuhri, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan.
Az-Zuhri added, "He is not to kiss or touch her until he pays the expiation." The Sunan compilers recorded from `Ikrimah, from Ibn `Abbas that a man said, "O Allah's Messenger! I pronounced Zihar on my wife, but then had sexual intercourse with her before I paid the expiation." The Messenger ﷺ said,
«مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلى ذَلِكَ يَرْحَمُكَ الله»
( May Allah grant you His mercy, what made you do that ) He said, "I saw the adornment she was wearing shining in the moon's light." The Prophet said,
«فَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا حَتْى تَفْعَلَ مَا أَمَرَكَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل»
( Then do not touch her until you do what Allah the Exalted and Most Honored has ordered you to do. ) At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib Sahih." Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.
Allah said, فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ ( (the penalty ) in that case is the freeing of a slave) indicating the necessity of freeing a slave before they touch each other.
This Ayah mentions any slave, not only believing servants as in the case of the expiation for ( unintentional ) killing, ذَلِكُمْ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ ( That is an admonition to you. ) meaning, a warning to threaten you in this case. وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ( And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. ) meaning, He is All-Knower in what brings you benefit.
Allah's statement, فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا فَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً ( And he who finds not must fast two successive months before they both touch each other.
And he who is unable to do so, should feed sixty of the poor. ) is explained by the Hadiths that prescribe these punishments in this order, just as in the Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs about the man who had sexual intercourse with his wife during the day, in Ramadan.
Allah said, ذَلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ( That is in order that you may have perfect faith in Allah and His Messenger. ) meaning, `We legislated this punishment so that you acquire this trait,' وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ ( These are the limits set by Allah. ) meaning, the things that He has forbidden, so do not transgress them, وَلِلكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment. ) meaning, those who do not believe and do not abide by the rulings of Islamic legislation should never think they will be saved from the torment.
Rather theirs will be a painful torment in this life and the Hereafter.

(58:3) Those *7 who declare their wives to be their mothers and thereafter go back on what they have said *8 shall free a slave before they may touch each other. That is what you are exhorted to do. *9 Allah is fully aware of all your deeds. *10

And those who pronounce thihar from their meaning

*7) From here begins the statement of the legal injunctions concerning zihar.
To understand this, it is necessary that one should keep in mind the incidents of zihar that took place in the time of the Holy Prophet ( upon whom be Allah's peace ), for the code of law pertaining to zihar is derived from the verses and the judgements that the Holy Prophet gave after the revelation of these verses in the cases of zihar brought before him.

According to Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Abbas, the first case of zihar in Islam was the one relating to Aus bin Samit Ansari, on whose wife Khaulah's complaint Allah aeM down these verse:.
Although the details of this case that the traditionists have cited from several reporters contain minor differences, yet the elements of legal import and significance are almost agreed upon.
A resume of these traditions is as follows:
Hadrat Aus bin Samit had grown a little peevish in old age and according to Some traditions, had also developed an ailment resembling insanity.
The reporters have described it by the word lamam which is not exactly madness in Arabic but a state resembling it.
In this state he had also pronounced zihar on his wife several times before, but in Islam this was the first occasion that he pronounced it as the result of a quarrel with her.
Thereupon, his wife appeared before the Holy Prophet ( upon whom be Allah's peace ) and relating the whole story to him, said: " O Messenger of Allah: Is there any way out of this situation that could save me and my children from ruin? " The Holy Prophet's reply has been reported in different words by different reporters.
In some traditions the words are to the effect: " No command has been given to me so far in this regard, " and in some others the words are: " In my opinion you have become unlawful to him, " and in still others: " You arc unlawful to him. " At this, she began to cry and complain and told the Holy Prophet over and over again that her husband had not pronounced the words of divorce; therefore, he should suggest a way by which she and her children and her old husband's life could be saved from ruin.
But the Holy Prophet gave her the same reply every time.
In the meantime he underwent the state of receiving revelation and these verses were revealed.
After this, he said to her ( and according to other traditions, he called her husband and told him ) to free a slave.
When they expressed their inability to do so, he said that the husband would have to observe two months' fast consecutively.
She said: " Aus is such a man that unless he cats and drinks three times a day, his sight starts failing him.
" The Holy Prophet said, " Then, you will have to feed 60 poor people.
" They submitted that they did not have the means for that unless they were helped out by him.
Thereupon the Holy Prophct gave them food articles that could suffice 60 men for two meals.
Different quantities of it have been mentioned in different traditions.
According to some traditions Hadrat Khaulah herself gave to her husband food articles equal in quantity to those given by the Holy Prophct so that he may perform the expiation.
( Ibn Jarir, Musnad Ahmad Abu Da'ud, Ibn Abi Hatim ).

The second incident of zihar relates to Salamah bin Sakhr Bayadi.
He had a somewhat abnormal appetite for sex.
When the fasting month of Ramadan came, he, fearing that he might lose self-control in daytime in the state of fasting, pronounced zihar on his wife till the end of Ramadan.
Hut he could not adhere to his pledge and went in to his wife one night.
Penitent he appeared before the Holy Prophet ( upon whom be Allah's peace ) and told him what he had done.
He told him to release a slave.
He said he had no one else beside his wife, whom he could release.
The Holy Prophct then told him to observe two months' consecutive fast.
He replied that it was during obligatory fasting itself that he had been unable to control himself and had become involved in trouble.
The Holy Prophct then said that he should feed t50 poor people, He replied that they were poor themselves and had gone to bed at night without food.
Thereupon the Holy Prophet got him a sufficient quantity of food articles from the colloctor of the zihar of Bani Zurayq so that he may feed 60 persons and may also save some thing for his children.
( Musnad Ahmad, Abu Da'ud.
Tirmadhi
The third incident that has been related without any reference to the name is that a man pronounced zihar on his wife and then had sexal intercourse with her even before making the expiation Then, when he came to the Holy Prophet to ask for the legal verdict, he commanded him to abstain from her till he had made the expiation.
(Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Nasa i Ibn Majah ).

The fourth incident is that the Holy Prophet ( upon whom be Allah's peace ) himself heard a man calling his wife as sister.
Thereupon he said to him angrily: " Is she your sister? " But he did not regard it as ,zihar,.
( Abu Da'ud ).

These four are the reliable incidents that have been related in the Hadith through authentic channels, and through them only can one adequately understand the Qur'anic injunctions that have been laid down in the following verses.

*8) Literally: " that they return to that which they said, " but in view of the Arabic language and idiom great differences have octurred in determining the meaning of these words:
Their one meaning can be: " If they repeat the words of zihar after they have uttered them once.
" The Zahiriyyah and Bukair bin al-Ashajj and Yahya bin Ziyad al-Farm' hold this very view, and a saying from `Ata' bin Abi Rabah also has been reported in support of the same.
According to-them, the pronouncement of zihar once is forgiven; however, if a person repeats it, he becomes liable to make the expiation.
Hut this commentary is expressly wrong for two reasons: first, that Allah has condemned zihar as an absurd thing and a falsehood and then prescribed a penalty for it.
Now, it is not conceivable that if a man utters falsehood or absurdities oncc he should be excused and if he utters it the second time he should make himself liable to punishment.
The second reason of its being wrong is that the Holy Prophet ( upon whom be Allah's peace ) never asked the man pronouncing zihrir whether he had pronounced it once or twice.

Its second meaning is " If the people who were used to uttering zihar in the pre islamic days of ignorance, repeat it in Islam, they will incur this punishment. " This would mean that zihar should by itself be liable to punishment, and who ever utters the words of zihar for his wife, should become liable to make the expiation whether he may divorce the wife after it, or his wife may die; or he may have no intention of resuming conjugal relations with his wife.
This view is hold by Ta-us Mujahid, Sha'bi, Zuhri, Sufyan Thauri and Qatadah from among the jurstis They say that if the woman dies after the zihar, the husband cannot inherit her unless he made: the expiation.
The third meaning is: " If after uttering the words of zihar the man may wish to go back on his words and makr amends for what he said " In other words, 'ada lima gala means that the man revoked what he had said.

The fourth meaning is: " If the man may wish to make lawful what he had made unlawful for himself by pronouncing the zihar " In ocher words, it would mean that the person who had made a thing unlawful for himself has now returned to make it law ful views.

Most of the jurists have preferred and adopted one of these last two
*9) In other words: " This you are being enjoined for your own correction and admonition so that the members of Muslim society may give up this evil custom of ignorance and none of you may commit this folly.
If you have to quarrel with your wife, you may quarrel with her like good people; if you intend to divorce her, then you should divorce her gracefully.
It is absurd that you should compare her to your mother and sister whenever you have a quarrel with her.
"
*10) That is, " Allah will certainly know, even if nobody else does, if a person pronounces zihar, and then quietly resumes normal conjugal relations with his wife without first atoning for the offence.
Such people cannot in any way escape Allah's punishment.
"
 

Az-Zihar and the Atonement for It Imam Ahmad recorded that Khuwaylah bint Tha`labah said, "By Allah! Allah sent down the beginning of Surat Al-Mujadilah in connection with me and `Aws bin As-Samit.
He was my husband and had grown old and difficult.
One day, he came to me and I argued with him about something and he said, out of anger, `You are like my mother's back to me.' He went out and sat with some of his people.
Then he came back and wanted to have sexual intercourse with me.
I said, `No, by the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Khuwaylah! You will not have your way with me after you said what you said, until Allah and His Messenger issue judgement about our case.' He wanted to have his way regardless of my choice and I pushed him away from me; he was an old man.' I next went to one of my neighbors and borrowed a garment from her and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
I told him what happened and kept complaining to him of the ill treatment I received from `Aws.
He said, «يَاخُوَيْلَةُ، ابْنُ عَمِّكِ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ، فَاتَّقِي اللهَ فِيه» ( O Khuwaylah! Your cousin is an old man, so have Taqwa of Allah regarding him. ) By Allah! Before I departed, parts of the Qur'an were revealed about me.
Allah's Messenger ﷺ felt the hardship upon receiving the revelation as he usually did and then became relieved.
He said to me, «يَا خُوَيْلَةُ، قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ فِيكِ وَفِي صَاحِبِكِ قُرْآنًا» ( O Khuwaylah! Allah has revealed something about you and your spouse. ) He recited to me, قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِى تُجَادِلُكَ فِى زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِى إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمآ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ( Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes with you concerning her husband, and complains to Allah.
And Allah hears the argument between you both.
Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer. ), until, وَلِلكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment. ) He then said to me, «مُرِيهِ فَلْيُعْتِقْ رَقَبَة» ( Command him to free a slave. ) I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He does not have any to free.' He said, «فَلْيَصُمْ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْن» ( Let him fast for two consecutive months. ) I said, `By Allah! He is an old man and cannot fast.' He said, «فَلْيُطْعِمْ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْر» ( Let him feed sixty poor people a Wasq of dates. ) I said, `O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, he does not have any of that.' He said, «فَإِنَّا سَنُعِينُهُ بِعَرَقٍ مِنْ تَمْر» ( We will help him with a basket of dates. ) I said, `And I, O Allah's Messenger! I will help him with another.' He said, «قَدْ أَصَبْتِ وَأَحْسَنْتِ فَاذْهَبِي فَتَصَدَّقِي بِهِ عَنْهُ، ثُمَّ اسْتَوْصِي بِابْنِ عَمِّكِ خَيْرًا» ( You have done a righteously good thing.
So go and give away the dates on his behalf and take care of your cousin. ) I did that."' Abu Dawud also collected this Hadith in the Book of Divorce in his Sunan, according to which her name is Khawlah bint Tha`labah.
She is also known as Khawlah bint Malik bin Tha`labah, and Khuwaylah.
All these are close to each other, and Allah knows best.
This is what is correct about the reason behind revealing this Surah.
Therefore, Allah's statement, الَّذِينَ يُظَـهِرُونَ مِنكُمْ مِّن نِّسَآئِهِمْ ( Those among you who make their wives unlawful to them by Zihar ) refers to Zihar, which is derived from Az-Zahr, meaning, the back.
During the time of Jahiliyyah, when one wanted to declare Zihar towards his wife, he would say, "To me, you are like the back of my mother." That was one way they issued divorce during that time.
Allah allowed this Ummah to pay expiation for this statement and did not render it as a divorce, contrary to the case during the time of Jahiliyyah.
Allah said, مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَـتُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللاَّئِى وَلَدْنَهُمْ ( they cannot be their mothers.
None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. ) meaning, when the husband says to his wife that she is like his mother, or the back of his mother etc., she does not become his mother.
Rather his mother is she who gave birth to him.
This is why Allah said, وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنكَراً مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُوراً ( And verily, they utter an ill word and a lie. ) meaning, false and sinful speech, وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ ( And verily, Allah is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving. ) meaning, `what you used to do during the time of Jahiliyyah, and what accidentally slips out of your mouth, unintentionally.' Allah's statement, وَالَّذِينَ يُظَـهِرُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ ( And those who make unlawful to them (their wives ) by Zihar and wish to free themselves from what they uttered,) Ash-Shafi`i said, "It means to keep her for a while after the Zihar, without divorcing her, even though his is able to do so." Ahmad bin Hanbal said, "To return to having sexual relations with her or to merely intend to do so, but only after he pays the expiation mentioned in the Ayah for his statement." It has been quoted from Malik that it is the intention to have sexual relations or to keep her or actually having sexual intercourse.
Sa`id bin Jubayr said that this Ayah, ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُواْ ( and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, ) meaning, if they want to return to having sexual intercourse which was forbidden between them.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that it is to utilize her sexual organ, and he did not see any harm in doing what is less than that before paying the expiation.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas: مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا ( before they touch each other. ) "The `touching' refers here to sexual intercourse." Similar was said by `Ata', Az-Zuhri, Qatadah and Muqatil bin Hayyan.
Az-Zuhri added, "He is not to kiss or touch her until he pays the expiation." The Sunan compilers recorded from `Ikrimah, from Ibn `Abbas that a man said, "O Allah's Messenger! I pronounced Zihar on my wife, but then had sexual intercourse with her before I paid the expiation." The Messenger ﷺ said, «مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلى ذَلِكَ يَرْحَمُكَ الله» ( May Allah grant you His mercy, what made you do that ) He said, "I saw the adornment she was wearing shining in the moon's light." The Prophet said, «فَلَا تَقْرَبْهَا حَتْى تَفْعَلَ مَا أَمَرَكَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل» ( Then do not touch her until you do what Allah the Exalted and Most Honored has ordered you to do. ) At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib Sahih." Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.
Allah said, فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ ( (the penalty ) in that case is the freeing of a slave) indicating the necessity of freeing a slave before they touch each other.
This Ayah mentions any slave, not only believing servants as in the case of the expiation for ( unintentional ) killing, ذَلِكُمْ تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ ( That is an admonition to you. ) meaning, a warning to threaten you in this case. وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ( And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. ) meaning, He is All-Knower in what brings you benefit.
Allah's statement, فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَتَمَآسَّا فَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً ( And he who finds not must fast two successive months before they both touch each other.
And he who is unable to do so, should feed sixty of the poor. ) is explained by the Hadiths that prescribe these punishments in this order, just as in the Hadith collected in the Two Sahihs about the man who had sexual intercourse with his wife during the day, in Ramadan.
Allah said, ذَلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ( That is in order that you may have perfect faith in Allah and His Messenger. ) meaning, `We legislated this punishment so that you acquire this trait,' وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ ( These are the limits set by Allah. ) meaning, the things that He has forbidden, so do not transgress them, وَلِلكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ( And for disbelievers, there is a painful torment. ) meaning, those who do not believe and do not abide by the rulings of Islamic legislation should never think they will be saved from the torment.
Rather theirs will be a painful torment in this life and the Hereafter.

Allah explained the expiation for saying to one’s wife: you are unlawful to me just like my mother is ( Zihar ), saying: ( Those who put away their wives (by saying they are as their mothers )) those who make unlawful for themselves sexual intercourse with their wives ( and afterward would go back on that which they have said ) then go back on making it lawful; ( (the penalty ) in that case ( is ) the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. Unto this) freeing of a slave ( ye are exhorted ) as an expiation of the Zihar; ( and Allah is informed of what ye do ) regarding the Zihar, of expiation and other things.

And those who make unlawful to them (their wives) (by Az-Zihar) and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case (is) the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not return to such an ill thing). And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

Page 542 English transliteration