Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 1–6

33. Al-Ahzaab · The Clans

Madinan73 verses

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا

33:1O Prophet! Be wary of Allah and do not obey the faithless and the hypocrites. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.1

وَٱتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا

33:2Follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed Allah is well aware of what you do.*

وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًۭا

33:3And put your trust in Allah; Allah suffices as trustee.

مَّا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍۢ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِى جَوْفِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَٰجَكُمُ ٱلَّٰٓـِٔى تُظَٰهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُم بِأَفْوَٰهِكُمْ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَقُولُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِى ٱلسَّبِيلَ

33:4Allah has not put two hearts within any man, nor has He made your wives whom you repudiate by zihar your mothers, nor has he made your adopted sons your [actual] sons. These are mere utterances of your mouths. But Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the [right] way.2

ٱدْعُوهُمْ لِءَابَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌۭ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِۦ وَلَٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًا

33:5Call them after their fathers. That is more just with Allah. If you do not know their fathers, then they are your brethren in the faith and your kinsmen. Excepting what your hearts may intend deliberately, there will be no sin upon you for any mistake that you may make therein. And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.

ٱلنَّبِىُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَٰجُهُۥٓ أُمَّهَٰتُهُمْ ۗ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍۢ فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُهَٰجِرِينَ إِلَّآ أَن تَفْعَلُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآئِكُم مَّعْرُوفًۭا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَسْطُورًۭا

33:6The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own souls, and his wives are their mothers. The blood relatives are more entitled to inherit from one another in the Book of Allah than the [other] faithful and Emigrants, barring any favour you may do your comrades. This has been written in the Book.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 4

1.The correct answer to all deceit of the world and diplomatic talks is this blessed verse of the Holy Quran that Allah has not given two hearts to any man or woman that they can choose the religion from one heart and can adopt the political theory of the world against the religion from the second heart. Or that he can accept one religion from one heart and another religion from the second heart or he completes the religious work from one heart and works for the worldly entertainment from another heart.

This is the clear decision of the Holy Quran that a man cannot bear two different ideas. He has to select a single way.

A man asked Amirul Momineen (a.s.): I hold you dear and Muawiyah too. Ali (a.s.) answered: You are a one-eyed person, you become fully blind or choose eyesight and love me completely. Because my affection is a part of faith. One who claims the love for Imam and disobeys the commands or usurps the rights of Imam, is in fact a one-eyed person and they have not had the fortune to get full eyesight.

Verse 6

2.This is a clear sign that respect of the Prophet (s.a.) is due to his Apostleship. He is the leader and vested with authority of the whole community and it is the duty of the community that they should obey him with Allah’s worship. To honour the wives of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is due to their marital relation. To marry another man is unlawful for them whether the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is alive or not. In other dealings they are same as other women; and except this they have no special preferential rights.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    According to commentators the address ‘Ya Ayyoha’ is used when the meaning is command and it is applicable to everyone in general and ‘Ya’ is used when the meaning is limited and it is only for the person addressed.

  2. 1

    These laws indicates the seriousness of the matter for the Prophet (s.a.). Otherwise to demand their obedience is useless. He is a prophet and a prophet can never obey the unbelievers or polytheists. He only follows the divine revelation.

  3. *

    The 2nd ayat is the refutation of the claim of Zul Qalbain Jameel Bin Momar who claimed to be more knowledgeable than the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.).

  4. 2

    Both these methods were common in the days of Ignorance. (Jahiliyyah), that is Zihar and Tabni. Zihar means telling the wife: You are like my mother, and she will become haraam for him forever. Tabni is adoption, and the adopted child assumed the position of a natural child. Islam has prohibited both the customs. According to Islam, Zihar definitely makes the woman haraam but after paying the expiation she can be taken back. Similarly affection indeed is created in the case of Tabni but not relationship. Neither this enables them to become Mehram or inheritors.

    Benefit: The 4th ayat says that your so-called mothers arc not your real mothers. After this there is the mention that wives of the Prophet (s.a.) are the mothers. This proves that they have only a spiritual relationship and arc not physical mothers and according to this relationship only marriage with them is prohibited and it is not prohibited with their children.