The Quran

Preface

الَّذينَ يُظاهِرونَ مِنكُم مِن نِسائِهِم ما هُنَّ أُمَّهاتِهِم ۖ إِن أُمَّهاتُهُم إِلَّا اللّائي وَلَدنَهُم ۚ وَإِنَّهُم لَيَقولونَ مُنكَرًا مِنَ القَولِ وَزورًا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفورٌ

Yusuf Ali

If any men among you divorce their wives by Ẓihār¹ (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) iniquitous² and false: but truly God is one that blots out³ (sins), and forgives (again and again).

See n. 5330 above.
Such words are false in fact and iniquitous, inasmuch as they are unfair to the wife and unseemly in decent society.
Cf. 4:99 and 22:60. Were it not that God in His Mercy makes allowances for our weaknesses and the various grades of motives that actuate us, such conduct would be inexpiable. But He prescribes expiation as in the next verse, because He wishes to blot out what is wrong and give us a chance to reform by His forgiveness.