In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. Aqil ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Ahzab.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"And whoever of you is devoutly obedient to Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness..."
“And whosoever of you is submissive unto Allah and His messenger and doeth right, We shall give her her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her a rich provision.” (33:31)
“And whosoever of you is submissive unto Allah and His messenger and doeth right, We shall give her her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her a rich provision.” (33:31)
And whoever among you obeys Allah and His Messenger and acts according to what Allah has commanded,
Allah will grant her the reward for her deeds, equal to the reward of the deeds of other women.
And We have prepared for her in the Hereafter a pleasant life in Paradise.
"O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women, if you fear Allah."
“O ye wives of the Prophet! Ye are not like any other women. If ye keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft of speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease aspire (to you), but utter customary speech.” (33:32)
O wives of the Prophet,
You are not like any other women among the women of this Ummah.
If you fear Allah and obey Him in what He has commanded you and forbidden you,
Then do not be soft in speech to men, lest those who harbor sickness in their hearts should covet you.
For he whose heart is weak—due to the weakness of his faith—will become covetous.
He is one who treats the boundaries of Allah lightly or is negligent in committing indecencies.
And speak a speech that is honorable, which Allah has permitted and made lawful for you.
“And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of Ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor-due, and obey Allah and His messenger. Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.” (33:33)
And establish prayer, give zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger.
“And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of Ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor-due, and obey Allah and His messenger. Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.” (33:33)
“And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of Ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor-due, and obey Allah and His messenger. Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.” (33:33)
And establish the obligatory prayer, and give the zakat that is due upon your wealth.
And obey Allah and His Messenger in what He has commanded you and forbidden you.
"Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity, O people of the [Prophet's] household."
And to purify you from the filth that exists among those who disobey Allah, a thorough purification.
And remember the favor of Allah upon you, for He has placed you in houses where the verses of Allah and the Sunnah are recited.
So be grateful to Allah for that; indeed, Allah is ever Subtle and Acquainted with you.
Since He placed you in the houses where His verses and the wisdom are recited.
He is All-Aware of you, as He chose you to be wives for His Messenger.
“Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.” (33:35)
“Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.” (33:35)
“Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.” (33:35)
“Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.” (33:35)
And the men who are truthful to Allah, and the women who are obedient to Him in what He has commanded and forbidden them.
And the men who are truthful to Allah in what they have covenanted with Him, and the women who are truthful in that.
And the men who are patient for the sake of Allah in adversity and hardship, and the women who are patient.
And the men whose hearts are humble before Allah, and the women who are humble.
And the men who fulfill the rights of Allah from their wealth, and the women who do so.
And the men who fast the month of Ramadan, and the women who fast.
And the men who guard their chastity, except from their wives or those their right hands possess, and the women who guard theirs.
And the men who remember Allah with their hearts, tongues, and limbs, and the women who do likewise.
Allah has prepared for them forgiveness for their sins,
And a great reward in the Hereafter; and that is Paradise.
“And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.” (33:36)
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should have any choice about their affair; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger in what they have commanded or forbidden has certainly strayed into clear error, and has followed a path other than the path of guidance and righteousness.
“And when thou saidst unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour and thou hast conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst hide in thy mind that which Allah was to bring to light, and thou didst fear mankind whereas Allah hath a better right that thou shouldst fear Him. So when Zeyd had performed that necessary formality (of divorce) from her, We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them. The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.” (33:37)
“And when thou saidst unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour and thou hast conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst hide in thy mind that which Allah was to bring to light, and thou didst fear mankind whereas Allah hath a better right that thou shouldst fear Him. So when Zeyd had performed that necessary formality (of divorce) from her, We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them. The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.” (33:37)
“And when thou saidst unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour and thou hast conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst hide in thy mind that which Allah was to bring to light, and thou didst fear mankind whereas Allah hath a better right that thou shouldst fear Him. So when Zeyd had performed that necessary formality (of divorce) from her, We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them. The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.” (33:37)
“And when thou saidst unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour and thou hast conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst hide in thy mind that which Allah was to bring to light, and thou didst fear mankind whereas Allah hath a better right that thou shouldst fear Him. So when Zeyd had performed that necessary formality (of divorce) from her, We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them. The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.” (33:37)
And the command of Allah is ever a decree fulfilled.
And he whom Allah has favored with guidance and whom you have favored with manumission,
Meaning Zayd ibn Harithah, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
"Keep your wife and fear Allah," regarding the obligations you owe to your wife.
And you were concealing within yourself, O Muhammad, the desire for him to separate from her so that you might marry her if he were to divorce her.
And Allah was to bring to light that which you were concealing within yourself.
You feared that people would say, "He commanded a man to divorce his wife and then married her when he divorced her," while Allah has more right for you to fear Him.
So when Zayd ibn Harithah had fulfilled his desire for Zaynab, We married her to you after Zayd had divorced her.
So that there would be no restriction upon the believers concerning the marriage of the wives of those they have adopted, when they are not their biological sons.
Once they have fulfilled their needs with them and separated from them.
And the command of Allah is ever a decree fulfilled.
“There is no reproach for the Prophet in that which Allah maketh his due. That was Allah's way with those who passed away of old - and the commandment of Allah is certain destiny -” (33:38)
There is no blame upon the Prophet concerning that which Allah has made lawful for him, such as marrying the wife of his adopted son after he has separated from her.
This is the precedent of his action with those who came before him from the messengers who passed away, in that He did not blame them for what He made lawful for them, and the command of Allah is a decree ordained.
“Who delivered the messages of Allah and feared Him, and feared none save Allah. Allah keepeth good account.” (33:39)
The Sunnah of Allah regarding those who passed away before Muhammad from among the messengers.
Those who convey the messages of Allah to those to whom they were sent, and fear Allah in their duty to convey them.
And they fear none but Allah; and sufficient is Allah, O Muhammad, as a Guardian over the deeds of His creation and as a Reckoner of them.
“Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things.” (33:40)
And Allah is ever, of all things, All-Knowing.
Muhammad is not the father of Zayd ibn Harithah, nor is he the father of any of your men, O people.
So that it would be forbidden for him to marry his wife after he has separated from her.
But he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets, who sealed prophethood and stamped it.
So it shall not be opened for anyone after him until the Hour is established.
And Allah is ever, of all things—your deeds, your speech, and otherwise—possessing knowledge; nothing is hidden from Him.
O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance.
And exalt Him morning and afternoon.
O you who have believed in Allah and His Messenger,
Remember Allah with your hearts, tongues, and limbs with much remembrance.
And pray to Him in the morning—the dawn prayer—and in the evening—the afternoon prayer.
“He it is Who blesseth you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is ever Merciful to the believers.” (33:43)
That He may bring you out from darkness into the light.
And He is ever, to the believers, Merciful.
Your Lord, when you do that, will have mercy upon you.
And He will praise you, and He and His angels will pray for you.
It is said that He spreads a beautiful reputation for you among the servants of Allah.
The angels of Allah pray for you.
And Allah brings you out from misguidance to guidance.
And He is ever, to those who believe in Him and His Messenger, Merciful.
“Their salutation on the day when they shall meet Him will be: Peace. And He hath prepared for them a goodly recompense.” (33:44)
And He has prepared for them a noble reward.
The greeting of these believers on the Day of Resurrection in Paradise.
They will say to one another,
"Safety has been granted to us and to you by our entering this entrance from Allah."
That He will punish us in the Fire forever.
And He has prepared for these believers,
And that is Paradise.
O Prophet,
Indeed, We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings.
Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, and a warner.
And as one who invites to Allah, and as a warner.
O Muhammad, indeed We have sent you as a witness over your Ummah,
By your conveying of the message.
And a bringer of good tidings to them of Paradise if they believe you.
And a warner against the Fire, that they might enter it,
If they deny you.
And as one who invites to the Oneness of Allah by His command to you to do so.
And as a light by His command to you.
And as a light by His command to you.
And as a light by His command to you.
By His command to you to do so.
And a light that illuminates for those who seek illumination by its light.
“And announce unto the believers the good tidings that they will have great bounty from Allah.” (33:47)
And give good tidings to the believers in Allah, O Muhammad,
That they will have from the reward of Allah for their obedience to Him a great multiplication.
And do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites.
“And incline not to the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Disregard their noxious talk, and put thy trust in Allah. Allah is sufficient as Trustee.” (33:48)
And sufficient is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.
And do not obey the word of any disbeliever or hypocrite.
And turn away from their harm to you, and be patient with it.
And do not let that prevent you from carrying out the command of Allah among His servants.
And entrust your affairs to Allah and rely upon Him.
And sufficient is Allah as a Guardian over your affairs, a Protector, and a Defender.
O you who have believed, when you marry believing women,
“O ye who believe! If ye wed believing women and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon. But content them and release them handsomely.” (33:49)
“O ye who believe! If ye wed believing women and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon. But content them and release them handsomely.” (33:49)
“O ye who believe! If ye wed believing women and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon. But content them and release them handsomely.” (33:49)
O you who have believed in Allah and His Messenger,
“O ye who believe! If ye wed believing women and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon. But content them and release them handsomely.” (33:49)
“O ye who believe! If ye wed believing women and divorce them before ye have touched them, then there is no period that ye should reckon. But content them and release them handsomely.” (33:49)
Without any waiting period or months that you count against them.
Give them what they may enjoy of wealth or property.
And release them in a gracious manner.
“O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (33:50)
Whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses.
“O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (33:50)
Who have emigrated with you, and a believing woman.
“O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (33:50)
“O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.” (33:50)
So that there would be no restriction upon you.
And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
If he wishes to marry her, it is lawful for him to marry her if she gives herself to him without a dowry.
Exclusively for you; that is not for the believers.
We have already known what We have made obligatory upon the believers concerning their wives if they wish to marry them, which We have not made obligatory upon you.
And that is that We have made it obligatory upon them that it is not lawful for them to contract a marriage with a free Muslim woman,
Except with a guardian from her paternal relatives and just witnesses.
And We have known what We have made obligatory upon the believers concerning those whom their right hands possess.
For all of them, if they are believers or People of the Scripture, are lawful for them through capture and concubinage.
Indeed, We have made lawful for you, O Muhammad, your wives whom We have mentioned in this verse.
And a believing woman, so that there would be no sin or distress upon you in marrying those whom you have married from these categories.
And Allah is ever Forgiving to you and to the people of faith in you, and Merciful to you and to them, that He would punish them for a sin after their repentance.