What is the difference between "ba'l" (husband/master) and "zawj" (spouse) in the verse: {She said, "Oh, woe is me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman and this, my ba'l, is an old man? Indeed, this is an astonishing thing!"}?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The words "ba'l" (بعل) and "zawj" (زوج) are used interchangeably in most contexts, but the word "ba'l" is more general than "zawj." This is because "ba'l" is sometimes used to refer to the master or owner of a female slave. The narration in Muslim, part of the of Gabriel, "that the slave woman will give birth to her ba'l," has been interpreted as referring to the owner. Similarly, Allah's saying, "Do you call upon Ba'l?" (أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا) has been interpreted as "Do you call upon a lord?"
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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