What this meant was that a new ruling regarding ẓihār was not yet revealed by Allah, and due to this, the rule of ẓihār resulting in divorce was still in effect.

Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا was extremely worried; her heart filled with grief. Preying on her mind was the thought of her small children. She said over and over, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! My husband did not utter the word ‘divorce.’ He is the father of my children!” In other words, she was asking for a way she and her husband could remain together lawfully.

However, he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم responded each time by saying, “A new ruling has not yet been revealed regarding your matter.”

After not receiving the answer she was hoping for, Khawlah bint Thaʿlabah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا eventually raised her hands and supplicated: “Dear Allah! Have mercy on my neediness, helplessness and grief. Reveal a ruling to Your Prophet which will remove my problems!” Whilst she was still presenting her plea to the Almighty, her tearful and heartfelt prayer was instantly accepted, and Angel Jibrīl عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم brought revelation to the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم from Allah.^[1] On this occasion, the first verses of Sūrat al-Mujādilah were revealed, in which Allah declares:

اَلَّذِیْنَ یُظٰہِرُوْنَ مِنْکُمْ مِّنْ  نِّسَآئِہِمْ مَّا ھُنَّ  اُمَّہٰتِہِمْ ؕ اِنْ  اُمَّہٰتُہُمْ  اِلَّا الِّٰٓیْٔ وَلَدْنَہُمْ ؕ وَ اِنَّہُمْ  لَیَقُوْلُوْنَ مُنْکَرًا مِّنَ الْقَوْلِ وَ زُوْرًا ؕ وَ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُوْرٌ (۲)

Those amongst you who address their wives as their mothers (i.e. do ẓihār). They are not (in reality) their mothers; their mothers are only those from whom