In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
A Gentle Commentary
on the Book *Identification Cards
for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*
by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif,
may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Tahrim.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,
and upon all his family and Companions.
We continue with our gentle commentary on the identification cards,
and we have arrived at Surah al-Tahrim.
I have three points of reflection concerning it.
The first point relates to what was mentioned regarding the central theme of the surah:
namely, that it sets forth the ideal model
for the believing woman,
who serves as a fundamental building block in constructing a faithful home.
And what a magnificent building block she is!
For if it is lost,
or if what is required
of its essential qualities
becomes deficient,
the entire household is weakened.
Where do we find these qualities?
We find them in several places within the surah,
but I will focus on one passage in particular,
which is the words of Allah, the Exalted:
"Perhaps his Lord, if he divorces you,
will substitute for him wives better than you—
submitting [to Allah], believing,
devoutly obedient,
repentant,
worshipping,
given to fasting [or migrating],
both previously married and virgins."
This last part represents a natural classification:
a woman is either previously married or a virgin,
and this does not affect
the ideal spiritual depiction of a believing woman.
Consider how Allah chooses for His Prophet,
and how He addresses his wives:
"Perhaps his Lord, if he divorces you,
will substitute for him wives better than you."
So what are the qualities
that Allah chooses for His Prophet?
"Submitting [to Allah], believing,
devoutly obedient,
repentant,
worshipping,
given to fasting."
These are the characteristics upon which
believing women ought to be nurtured from an early age,
and they should be integrated into educational curricula.
The most important qualities of the woman—
the Muslim,
the believer—
are precisely those mentioned here;
they represent the foremost traits of the female believer.
Although we cannot do without other verses
found in other surahs,
these are focused, explicit verses
that every believing woman should heed,
and which ought to be carefully considered by
educational curriculum developers.
In educating the Muslim woman,
whom we want to emerge strong
and firmly holding
to her religion.
The second point of reflection
concerns what is mentioned in the second passage of the surah:
the mention of sincere repentance (*al-tawbah al-nasuh*).
Indeed, sincere repentance
is not mentioned except in this surah.
And topics that are mentioned only once
are worthy of special attention.
Some works have been written on this:
Why was this surah specifically distinguished
with the mention of sincere repentance,
even though repentance is mentioned in many other surahs?
And what is sincere repentance?
I believe this requires careful study; I do not possess a definitive answer to this, but
I wished to open the door to exploring sincere repentance in the light of Surah al-Tahrim, within its context,
its subtle nuances, and its contents, which can portray the true essence of sincere repentance. It is true
that the scholars explained sincere repentance, but interpreting it in light of
the entire Surah al-Tahrim reveals many profound insights that were perhaps left unaddressed
by the scholars who defined it. This broader understanding,
attained through examining the context and the whole surah, increases our yearning for
this repentance and deepens our prior knowledge of it. As for the third
and final point of reflection, it concerns what is mentioned at the end of the surah regarding the parables drawn for
good and evil through women of earlier times: the wife of Noah, the wife of Lot, and the wife of Pharaoh.
This leads me to an issue that I frequently emphasize: that a surah
is profoundly interconnected. A single surah constitutes a tightly knit unity. The parable
at the end of the surah has an unmistakably clear connection to its beginning
and to what occurred regarding the Mothers of the Believers at the start of the surah. Thus, the claim that the surah
lacks internal coherence is thoroughly refuted by such clear examples. At times,
the connection is subtle and requires further scholarly effort and reflection; however, in
a surah such as this, the link between its ending and its beginning is self-evident.
Here I stress that since the surah is interconnected and forms
an integral whole, it deserves to be recited in a single rak'ah, as
the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to do. His predominant practice in recitation was
to complete the surah, though he might occasionally divide it. Yet this is a short surah of merely two pages.
We find long recitations burdensome—and I marvel at myself and others when we feel burdened by
a prayer that lasts for twenty minutes. In our standard practice,
the obligatory prescribed prayer almost never lasts twenty-five
minutes. Perhaps if one were to recite Surah al-Sajdah and Surah al-Insan
deliberately and slowly, it might reach this duration. How much time do we spend on
other matters? What harm would come to us if every prayer
were performed in half an hour, so that we might recite what the Prophet used to recite?
His recitation was lengthy compared to ours. I am not speaking
of what the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade regarding driving people away by
excessively prolonging the prayer to the point of undue hardship. No; I am speaking of a moderate recitation.
When an imam recites Surah al-Tahrim in one rak'ah and Surah al-Talaq
before it in the other, it is considered by the general public today
an excessive prolongation, though it is not. If you were to calculate the duration of the prayer in which
these two surahs are recited, for instance, you would find that ultimately
it would not exceed fifteen minutes or something similar, which is not much.
It is certainly not much when one recognizes that prayer is light, that it restrains
from shameful and unjust deeds, that it is a means of drawing near to one's Lord, and that it holds
whatever virtues you wish to enumerate regarding prayer. This may be
a digression, but I emphasize that completing the entire surah
in one rak'ah greatly aids in understanding it, and realizing that the end
of this surah is intimately tied to its beginning reveals many profound meanings
thereafter—a realization largely achieved only through reciting it as a whole.
But if the imam begins his recitation after al-Fatihah with: "Allah presents
an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot...",
the question remains: why did Allah set forth this parable, and how is it connected
to what came before it? Such insight is lost in this type of permissible recitation,
which does not reflect the regular, consistent Sunnah transmitted
from our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I will content myself with this,
and I invoke blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.