Indexed OCR Text

129
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 9 - 27
were saying, "Allah and His messenger did not promise us but deceitfully;
-12). This was an externalized demonstration of their inner disbelief.
Onward from here, mention has been made of two groups of hypocrites
who were practically a part of the Jihad effort along with Muslims,
though outwardly only. One of the two groups started running without
any permission saying: وَإِذْ قَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمُ يَا أَهْلَ يَغْرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمُ فَارْجِعُوا (and when a
group of them said, "O people of Yathrib (Madinah), there is no place for
you to stay; so go back. - 13" And the other group requested the permission
of the Holy Prophet to go back on the basis of false excuses. Their
conduct has been mentioned as:ٌوَيَسْتَأْذِنُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنُهُمُ النَّبِىَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَة (And a
group of them was seeking permission (to leave) from the prophet, saying,
"In fact our homes are vulnerable," while they were not vulnerable - 13).
Thus, the Qur'an exposed the hollowness of their excuses as a pack of lies.
The truth of the matter was no more than that they intended to run from
the battlefront: إِنُ يُرِيدُونَ إِلاَّ فِرَارًا (They wanted nothing but to escape - 13).
Taken up in the next several verses is their mischief-making and enmity
with Muslims following which their sad end has been pointed out.
After that, the text mentions sincere believers and praises their
firmness and fortitude. In the same connection, there comes a strong
assertion of the need to obey and follow the Holy Prophet &g almost in the
form of a legal rule of conduct: ◌ٌلَقَدُ كَانَ لَكُمُ فِى رَسُولِ اللهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَة (There is
indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of Allah - 21). From here it
stands proved that all sayings and doings of the Holy Prophet
have to
be followed. But, the Shari'ah authorities have explained the rule about
the different degrees of following required from a Muslim. The rule is that
any act or omission of the Holy Prophet 22 proved to have been done as
an obligation would have to be obeyed and followed as wajib (obligatory,
necessary). And any act or omission on his part that is proved to have
been done as a preferable conduct (istihbab) and not as an obligatory
one, should be followed by us too as a commendable (mustahab) conduct
and not as a necessary obligation
This, in other words, means that its
contravention will not be declared to be a sin. (For a detailed discussion, see
al-Jașșās in Aļkām ul-Qur'an)
The last three (25-27) of the cited verses refer to the event relating to
Banu Quraiazah. In verse 26:ْوَأَنْزَلَ الَّذِيْنَ ظَاهَرُوُهُمْ مِّنُ اَهُلِ الْكِتْبِ مِنْ صَيَا صِيْهِم it
was said that Allah Ta'ala had, by putting the awe of the Holy Prophet

130
Surah al-Aņzab: 33 : 28 - 34
and his Muslim followers into the hearts of the people of the Book who
had helped the Confederate forces, made them come down from their
strong fortresses and had thus made Muslims the inheritors of their
properties, homes and areas of concentration.
In the last verse (27), good news of future victories has been given.
Gone is the time when disbelievers attacked. Now the cycle of Muslim
victories will begin and they will come to be on lands their feet have not
touched yet. And this prophecy unfolded itself during the tenure of the
noble Şahabah and everyone witnessed the spectacle of great empires
ruled by Cyrus and Caesar come under them. And Allah does what He
wills. :
Verses 28 - 34
◌َأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدُنَ الْحَيْوَةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِيْنَتَهَا
فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعُكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحُكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيْلاً ﴿٢٨﴾ وَإِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدُنَ
اللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ وَالدَّارَ لْآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ اَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنْتِ مِنْكُنَّ أَجْرًا
عَظِيمًا ﴿٢٩﴾ يِنِسَآءَ النَّبِيِّ مَنْ يَّأْتِ مِنْكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيَّةٍ يُضْعَفُ
لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ* وَكَانَ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيْرًا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَمَنْ
يَّقْنُتُ مِنْكُنَّ لِلّهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ وَتَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا تُؤْتِهَا أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ"
وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا رِزْقًا كَرِيْمًا ﴿٣١) يُنِسَآءَ النَّبِّ لَسُتُنَّ كَاَحَدٍ مِّنَ
النِّسَآءِ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلا تَخْضَعُنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيُطَمَعَ الَّذِىُ فِىُ قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ
وَّقُلُنَ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوْفًا ﴿٢٢﴾ وَقَرْنَ فِىُ بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجُنَ تَبُرُّجَ
الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُوْلِى وَقِمُنَ الصَّلْوَةَ وَ اتِيْنَ الزَّكوةَ وَاَطِعُنَ اللّهَ
وَرَسُوْلَهُ، ﴿ إِنَّمَا يُرِيْدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ
وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيُرًا ﴿٣٣﴾ وَاذْكُرُنَ مَايُتُلِى فِىُ بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ أَيْتِ اللّهِ
وَ الْحِكْمَةِ * إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ لَطِيْفًا خَبِيْرًا ﴿٤﴾﴾

131
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
O prophet, say to your wives, "If you intend (to have the
pleasure of) worldly life and its charm, then come on,
and I shall give you some stuff, and release you in a
handsome fashion. [28] and if you intend (to gain the
pleasure of) Allah and His messenger and (the
betterment of) the Hereafter, then, Allah has prepared
a great reward for those of you who do good". [29] O
wives of the Prophet, whoever from among you will
commit a clearly shameful act, the punishment will be
doubled for her. And it is easy for Allah to do so. [30]
And whoever of you stays obedient to Allah and His
messenger, and acts righteously, We shall give her twice
her reward, and We have prepared for her a prestigious
provision. [31] O wives of the prophet, you are not like
any other women, if you observe taqwa. So, do not be
too soft in your speech, lest someone having disease in
his heart should develop fancies (about you); and do
speak with appropriate words. [32] And remain in your
homes, and do not display (your) beauty as it used to be
displayed in the days of earlier ignorance. And establish
salah, and pay zakah, and obey Allah and His
messenger. Allah only intends to keep (all sorts of) filth
away from you, O members of the family (of the
prophet), and to make you pure through a perfect
purification. [33] And be mindful of Allah's verses and
the wisdom that is recited in your homes. Surely, Allah
is All-Kind, All- Aware. [34]
Commentary
Out of the objectives of this Surah, the most important is the stress
placed on avoiding everything that may cause pain to the Holy Prophet
3. In addition to that, there is a reiteration of instructions to obey him
and seek his pleasure. Mentioned in connection with the event of the
battle of al-Ahzab appearing immediately earlier was the pain caused to
the Holy Prophet at the hands of the disbelievers and hypocrites.
Along with it, also mentioned there was their ultimate disgrace and the
victory and success that came to the Holy Prophet af on every occasion.
· Also praised there were sincere believers who sacrificed what they had at
the instance of the Holy Prophet ce and it was said that they would have
high ranks in the Hereafter.
In the verses cited above, the blessed wives of the Holy Prophet
have been particularly taught to be careful that no word or deed that

132
Surah al-Aņzab: 33 : 28 - 34
issues forth from them goes on to cause pain to him. And this is possible
only when they devote themselves and become totally obedient to Allah
and His Messenger. Some injunctions in this connection have been given
by addressing the blessed wives directly.
As for giving the choice of the taking of divorce to the blessed wives in
the initial verses, it is limited to one or some incidents that came from the
side of the blessed wives. These were contrary to the intent of the Holy
Prophet of which caused pain to him.
One of these incidents is reported from Sayyidna Jabir dee and
appears in the Sahih of Muslim and elsewhere as well. It is said there
that the blessed wives got together and asked the Holy Prophet that
their sustenance allowance should be increased. Abu Hayyan explains it
in Tafsir al-Bahr ul-Muhit by saying that the victories of Banu Nadir and
Banu Quraizah after the battle of al-Ahzab coupled with the distribution
of spoils had generated a certain improved economic well-being among
common Muslims. At that time, the blessed wives thought the Holy
Prophet would have also set aside a share for himself in the spoils.
Therefore, they appealed to him jointly saying, "Ya Rasulallah, these
wives of Cyrus and Caesar are laden with all sorts of valuable ornaments
and dresses and have maids appointed to serve them while you see how
hungry and ill-clad we are. Therefore, some liberal treatment in our case
seems to be in order now."
When the Holy Prophet
¿ heard this demand from the blessed wives
that they should be treated at par with the life styles of kings and the
worldly-wise rich, he was grieved about how much they had missed to
appreciate the worth and value of living in the home of a prophet of
Allah. On their part, the blessed wives never thought that their
submission would cause pain to him. It was simply because of the
well-being of common Muslims around them that they had also thought of
the same for themselves. Abu Hayyan says that the description of this
incident after the battle of al-Ahzab also supports the likelihood that this
very demand of the wives became the cause of the choice of divorce given
to them. According to some Hadith narratives, following the event of
having a honey drink while at the home of Sayyidah Zainab
E - which
will appear in detail later under the commentary on Surah At-Tahrim,
66:1-5, in Ma'ariful-Qur'an, Volume VIII - a situation created by the mutual

133
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
sense of importance among the blessed wives became the cause of this
choice of divorce. If both of these happened close in time to each other,
then, it is also not remote to believe that they both could be the cause.
But, the words of the Verse of Choice(1) are more supportive of the
understanding that some financial demand had become its cause - for it
was said in this verse: إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدُنَ الْحَيْوةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَّهَا (If you intend (to have the
pleasure of) worldly life and its charm - 28).
This verse gave all blessed wives of the Holy Prophet
the choice to
either accept to continue living with him as their husband in the condition
he is in (that is, in his straightened economic condition), or become free
from him through divorce. If they were to take the first option, they will
deserve greater reward and higher ranks in the Hereafter as compared to
other women. And if they were to take the second option, that is, taking a
divorce, they will not have to face any displeasure as customary with
worldly people. In fact, they would be given a send-off with honor, and
parting gifts in accordance with Sunnah.
Tirmidhi reports from Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyidah 'A'ishah que in ),
"When this verse of choice was revealed, the Holy Prophet
disclosed it
to me before any other wife. Before reciting the verse, he said: I am going
to tell you something. But, you do not have to make haste in giving your
response. You should rather consult your parents and then respond.
Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que Ul +, says, "This was his special favour to me that
he prohibited me from expressing my opinion without having consulted
my parents first, because he was certain that my parents would never
advise me to opt for separation from the Holy Prophet . When I heard
this verse, I immediately submitted before him, "Do I have to go and
consult my parents in this matter? As for me, I choose Allah and His
Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter." Then, after me, this command
of the Qur'an was announced to all blessed wives. All of them said what I
had said first (that is, none of them elected to have worldly affluence
against the honor of being the wives of the Holy Prophet "." (Tirmidhi
said: This Hadith is Hasan Sahih).
(1). The 'Verse of Choice' is the title of the verse 29 cited above where the blessed
wives of the Holy Prophet# are given a choice either to seek divorce from
him or to remain with him, seeking the pleasure of Allah and His
Messenger.

134
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
Special Note
Choice of Divorce can be given to a woman in two different forms: (1)
That the power of divorce is entrusted with the woman, that is, if she
wishes, she can divorce her self and become free. (2) That the power of
giving divorce, though, remains in the hands of the husband, yet the
husband gives her a promise that when she will wish, he will divorce her.
(in the first case, as soon as the wife opts for divorce, she becomes divorced
automatically without any act on the part of the husband. But in the
latter case, divorce is not effected merely by the woman opting for it
unless the husband divorces her.
In the case of the cited verse (28), some commentators are of the view
that the choice given to the wives of the Holy Prophet
s was of the first
form, while others have maintained that it was of the second form. The
esteemed author of Bayan ul-Qur'an has commented that the verse has
both probabilities. Until one of the two stands determined on the
authority of some definitive text, there is no need to determine any form
on one's own.'
Ruling
This verse (28) tells us when there is no congruity between the
temperaments of the married couple, the desirable approach is to give the
wife the option to live with the husband while being content with
whatever state he is in, otherwise, she should be allowed to leave
honorably according to Sunnah with divorce and gift of pairs of apparel.
In this case, what can be proved from the cited verse (28) is its
desirability only. There is no proof to support its obligation. Some leading
Muslim jurists have argued in favour of the obligatory nature of this
verse and, on the same basis, they have given the wife of a penniless
man, who is incapable of providing living expenses for her, the right to
secure a divorce from the court. Full details of this issue have been given
in Ahkam ul-Qur'an, Part V, under this very verse. 1
The particular position of the blessed wives and the rationale of
hard restrictions placed on them
يِسَآءَ النَّبِّ مَنْ يَّْتِ مِنْكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ يُضْعَفُ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنٌٍ وَكَانَ
(1). This work in Arabic is available from Maktaba-e-Darul-'Uloom, the
publishers of the present Tafsir]

135
Sūrah al-Aķzab : 33 : 28 - 34
ذلِكَ عَلَى اللهِ يَسِيْرًا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَمَنْ يَّقْنُتْ مِنْكُنَّ لِلْهِ وَرَسُوْلِهِ وَتَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا تُؤْتِهَا
اَجُرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ ﴿٣١﴾
O wives of the Prophet, whoever from among you will commit a
clearly shameful act, the punishment will be doubled for her.
And it is easy for Allah to do so. [30] And whoever of you stays
obedient to Allah and His messenger, and acts righteously, We
shall give her twice her reward, and We have prepared for her a
prestigious provision. [31]
From the above verses we notice that the Qur'an mentions therein a
particular position of the blessed wives: If they were to commit some sin,
they will have to face a punishment which will be twice that of other
women. In other words, one sin committed by them will be made to stand
for two. Similarly, if they did good deeds, the reward given to them will
also be twice that of other women - that is, one good deed done by them
will stand for two.
In a way, this verse is a recompense of what the blessed wives did at
the time of the revelation of the Verse of Choice whereupon they chose to
remain wedded to the Holy Prophet 5 and sacrificed whatever material
benefits there were in doing otherwise. In return for this, Allah Ta'ala
gave one good deed done by them the status of two. As for the two-fold
punishment in the event of some sin from them, that too came to be
because of their special superiority and distinctive gentleness and because
it stands proved both rationally and textually that Divine punishment for
heedlessness and rebellion does increase in proportion to the honor and
regard in which one is held.
Certainly great are the blessings of Allah Ta'ala upon the blessed
wives. Allah Ta'ala chose them to be the wives of His Rasul. The Divine
Revelation kept descending in their homes. Under such arrangements, is
it not that the least error or shortcoming on their part would be nothing
but big? And if, pain is caused to the Holy Prophet
at the hands of
others, then, it would be far more severe in effect that some such occasion
of pain or discomfort issues forth from their side. The very words of the
Qur'an : ◌َّوَاذْكُرُنَ مَا يُتُلِى فِى بُيُوتِكُن (And be mindful of Allah's verses and the
wisdom that is recited in your homes) appearing in verse 34 point out to
this reason.

136
Surah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 28 - 34
Special Note
Looked at in terms of the Muslim community at large, this distinction
of the blessed wives - that they receive a two-fold reward of their deed -
does not make it necessary that no individual or group is not to be blessed
with a two-fold reward for some distinction of theirs. For example, there is
the case of those from among the people of the Book who embraced Islam.
About them, it was said in the Qur'an: ◌ِأُولَئِكَ يُؤْتَوُنَ اَجْرَهُمُ مَّرَّتَيْن (Such people
will be given their reward twice - al-Qasas, 28:54).
In the blessed letter the Holy Prophet #f wrote to the Byzantine
Emperor, it was because of this Qur'anic statement that he particularly
wrote :ٍيُؤْتِكَ اللَّهُ اَجُرَكَ مَرَّتَيْن (you will be given your reward twice by Allah). As
for the clarification of 'giving a reward twice' to the people of the Book
who embrace Islam, it is already present in the Qur'an. Then, there is yet
another Hadith where a similar two-fold reward has been mentioned for
three persons. Details about it appear in the commentary on Surah
al-Qasas under the verse: ◌ِيُؤْتَوُنَ اَجْرَهُمْ مَّرَّتَيْن (will be given their reward twice -
28:54) in Volume VI of Tafsir Ma'ariful-Qur'an.
The reward for the good deed of an 'Alim exceeds that of others,
and the punishment of his sin too
In Aķkām ul-Qur'an, Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassās has said: The reason
for which Allah Ta'ala has declared the reward of the good deed of the
blessed wives to be two-fold and the punishment of their disobedience also
to be two-fold - i.e. their being the special recipients of the prophetic
knowledge and Divine revelation --- is also present there in the case of
Muslim religious scholars (the 'ulama' of din). Therefore, an 'Alim
(Muslim religious scholar) whose practice is in accord with his 'ilm
(knowledge) will find the reward of that deed of his to be more than
others. And if he were to commit some sin, the punishment too will be
more than others.
The word : فَاحِشَة (fahishah) appearing in :ٍ30 - بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيّنَة) is used in the
Arabic language for acts of shame as well as for disobedience and sin in
an absolute sense. This word has been used in the Qur'an at many places.
In this verse, this word cannot be taken to mean acts of shame because
Allah Ta'ala has kept the wives of all His prophets immune from this
serious fault. None of the wives of the blessed prophets has ever
committed any act of this nature. The wives of Sayyidna Lut and

137
Sūrah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
Sayyidna Nuh M.JI Lo,Le deviated from the faith preached by them,
rebelled, and were punished for it. But, none of them was ever charged of
committing an act of shame. As for the blessed wives of the Holy Prophet
, there was absolutely no probability that any such act of immodesty
will ever issue forth from them. Therefore, the word: fahishah in this
verse means common sins or the causing of pain and discomfort to the
Holy Prophet 5. Then the word: ' (mubayyinah: open, clear, manifest)
used here along with azt is an evidence in support, because acts of
shamelessness are not 'mubayyinah'( clear, manifest) anywhere. That
takes place secretly. So, the expression: aku ( clearly shameful act)
means common sins, or the causing of pain to the Holy Prophet 9. Out of
the Tafsir authorities, Muqatil Ibn Sulaiman has declared that the sense
of 'shameful act' in this verse is either disobeying the Holy Prophet 5 or
demanding something from him the fulfillment of which is hard on him.
(Reported by al-Baihaql in As-Sunan)
It will be noticed that the two-fold punishment has been identified by
the Qur'an only with 'clearly shameful act'. But, for the two-fold reward,
وَمَنْ يَقْنُتُ مِنْكُنَّ لِلّهِ وَرَسُولِهٍ وَتَعُمَلُ صَالِحًا :it has imposed several restrictions, as in
And whoever of you stays obedient to Allah and His) نُؤْتِهاَ أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ
messenger, and acts righteously, We shall give her twice her reward -- 31).
Here, qunut, that is, staying obedience to Allah and His Messenger is a
condition. Then, acting righteously is yet another condition. The reason is
that reward comes only when obedience is perfect while, for punishment,
even a single sin is enough.
Special Instructions given to the Blessed Wives
Before we describe these instructions in details as they appear from
the next verse: ◌ِيُنِسَآءَ النَّبِىّ لَسُتُنَّ كَاَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ إِن اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلا تَخْضَعُنَ بِالْقَوْل (O wives of
the prophet, you are not like any other women, if you observe taqwa. So,
do not be too soft in your speech ... 32), it will be useful to recollect that, in
the previous verses, the blessed wives have been restrained from placing
demands before the Holy Prophet , the fulfillment of which will be hard
on him, or those which may be inappropriate in view of his high
prophetic station. And once they have chosen to live in that arrangement,
their status was raised higher than other women to the extent that one
deed done by them was made to stand for two. Now, in and onwards from
verse 32, they have been given some instructions in order to correct and

138
Surah al-Aķzab : 33 : 28 - 34
groom their conduct as appropriate for wives living with the Holy Prophet
5. Though, all these instructions are not restricted to the blessed wives in
particular, in fact, virtually all Muslim women are obligated to observe
these. But, at this place, the blessed wives have been addressed specially
to bring it to their attention that they should make it a point to observe
these rules of conduct that apply to all Muslim women as incumbent and
obligatory - more avidly as compared to others. It is this kind of
particularity that is meant by the expression: ◌ِلَسُتُنَّ كَاَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاء (you are
not like any other women - 32).
Are the blessed wives superior to all women of the world?
The arrangement of these words in the verse seems to obviously
suggest that the blessed wives رضى الله عنهن are superior to the women of
the whole world. But, in the verse of the Qur'an about Sayyidah Maryam
Allah) إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفبكٍ وَطَهَّرَكٍ وَاصْطَفْبكٍ عَلَى نِسَآءِ الْعَلَمِيْنَ : it has been said , عليها السلام
has chosen you and purified you and chosen you over the women of all
the worlds - 'Al-'Imran, 3:42). This proves the superiority of Sayyidah
Maryam over the women of all the worlds. Then, there is the Hadith of
Sayyidna Anas dee in Tirmidhi where the Holy Prophet
has been
reported to have said, 'Sufficient for you (to hold in esteem) out of all
women are: Maryam daughter of 'Imran, Khadijah daughter of Khu-
wailid (Ummul- Mu'minin), Fatimah daughter of Muhammad
and
'Asiyah wife of the Pharaoh.' In this Hadith, three other women along
with Sayyidah Maryam have been identified as superior to women of all
the worlds.
Therefore, the superiority or precedence of the blessed wives described
in this verse occurs here in its special status, that is, the status of their
being the wives and women of the Holy Prophet
¿, the status in which
they are doubtlessly superior to women of all the worlds. However, it does
not prove the kind of universally absolute superiority which may be
counter to other nusus (textual authority). (Mazhari)
Soon after the opening sentence of verse 32: ◌ِلَسُتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَآء (you are
not like any other woman), there appears the condition of: a ! (if you
observe Taqwa). This condition refers to the superiority they have been
blessed with by Allah Ta'ala because of their being women and wives of
the Prophet 5. The purpose thereby is to caution them against relying
solely on this relationship of theirs with the Prophet . that they are,

139
Surah al-Aķzab : 33 : 28 - 34
after all, the wives of the Messenger of Allah. Instead of that, this
superiority is based on the condition that they observe Taqwa and obey
Divine injunctions. (Qurțubi and Mazharī)
After that, some instructions have been given to the blessed wives
: رضى الله عنهن
The First Instruction
It relates to restrictions on the modality of voice and speech as part of
the rules of hijab or pardah applicable to women and begins with the
words: ◌ِفَلا تَخُضَعُنَ بِالْقَوْل (so do not be too soft in your speech- 32). It means,
even if there be the need to talk to someone who is not a mahram from
behind a screen (or something else obstructing the view), even then, while
speaking, effort should be made to avoid the delicacy and grace in diction
naturally present in the voice of women. The delicacy and grace
mentioned here refer to a certain level of softness which might make some
inclination rise in the heart of the addressee as stated immediately after:
lest someone having disease in his heart) فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِىُ فِى قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَّقُلُنَ قُوْلاً مَعُرُوُفًا
should develop fancies (about you); and do speak with appropriate words.
- 32) The sense is that one should not talk softly in a manner that would
cause temptation and tilt in a person who already has some disease in his
heart. Disease means hypocrisy, or its offshoots. That a real hypocrite will
be so tempted is all too obvious. But, a person who, despite being a sincere
believer, inclines towards something unlawful may not be a hypocrite but
weak in faith he certainly is. And this weakness in faith which makes one
tilt towards the unlawful is really nothing but an offshoot of hypocrisy.
With faith being pure and having not the least element of hypocrisy in it,
no one can ever tilt towards what is haram, unlawful. (Mazhari)
In essence, the aim of the first instruction is to empower women to
achieve the high station of self-protection from non-Mahram men through
personal avoidance and legal hijab so that they do not go even near a
non-Mahram weak in faith lest some temptation or tilt creeps into his
heart. A detailed discussion of the hijab of women will appear within this
Surah under the verses that follow. Being given at this point is simply an
explanation of what has appeared here as part of the special instructions
for the blessed wives. So, once the noble mothers of the believers had
heard the instruction about speech or address, some of them were so
alerted that they, while talking to a non-Mahram male after the

140
Surah al-Azab : 33 : 28 - 34
revelation of this verse, used to put their hand over their mouth so that
their voice would change. Therefore, it appears in a Hadith of Sayyidna
'Amr Ibn al-As:َّإِنَّ النَّبِىَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهى أَنْ يُكَلِّمَ النِّسَاءُ إِلَّا بِاذُنِ أَزْوَاجِهِن (The Holy
Prophet % had prohibited that women talk without the permission of
their spouses) (Reported by at-Tabarani with 'good' chain of authority,
Mazharī)
Ruling
At least this much stands proved from this verse, and from the Hadith
quoted above, that the voice of a woman is not included under satr, that
is, under what must be concealed. But, a precautionary restriction has
been placed here too. Then, consideration has also been given in religious
injunctions and acts of worship that women do not talk at a high pitch
that could be heard by men. If the Imam makes a mistake, those following
him in the congregation are duty-bound to interrupt and correct him
verbally. But, women have been taught that, instead of correcting the
Imam verbally, they should simply clap by striking one hand over the
back of the other so that the Imam is alerted. They have to say nothing
verbally.
The Second Instruction
This concerns the observance of full hijab ( purdah or veil). It was
said : وَقَرْنَ فِىُ بُيُوتِكِنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّ جُنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأولى (And remain in your homes, and
do not display (your) beauty as it used to be displayed in the days of
earlier ignorance - 33). Here, the expression:
the days of) الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأولى
earlier ignorance ) means the Jahiliyyah which prevailed in the world
before the advent of Islam. Embedded in this expression is the hint that
later than it there is to come yet another Jahiliyyah, a period of another
ignorance in which a similar display of immodesty and disregard for
proper covering of bodies would become rampant. That, probably, is the
Jahiliyyah of modern times, something visible everywhere.
In this verse, the essential injunction about hijab is that women stay
at home (that is, do not go out without the need as admissible in the
Shari'ah). Along with it, it was also said that they should not go out
moving around in public without hijab, as it used to be the wont of
women in the earlier period of Jahiliyyah. The word: # (tabarruj)
essentially means manifestation or display and, at this place, it means the
display of personal embellishment before non-Mahram men - as it appears

141
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
in another verse: ◌ٍغَيْرٌ مُتَبَرِّلجتٍ بِزِينَة (not displaying embellishment - An-Nur,
24:60).
As said earlier, a full discussion of the hijab or pardah of women and
the injunctions related with it will follow within this Surah. Our present
comments shall remain restricted to the explanation of the cited verse.
The verse tells us two things about hijab:
(1) For women, the real thing desirable with Allah is that they should
not go out of their homes. Their creation is an answer to whatever needs
to be done at home. Let them stay involved in it. As for the real hijab
desirable in the Shari'ah, it is a hijab that stands achieved by their
: حِجَابُ بِالْبُيُوت) staying at home, that is, the home becomes their veil or cover
al-hijab-bil-buyut).
(2) The other thing it tells us is: If a woman has to go out of the home
to take care of some need, let her not go out with any display of
embellishment. Instead, she should wear what covers her whole body, a
burqa', or jilbab (women's gown, garment or cloak) - as in the verse of
this very Surah Al-Ahzab : ◌َّيُدُنِيْنَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلابِيِهِن (bring down over
themselves part of their outer garments - 33:59), the details about which
shall appear later, insha'Allah Ta'ala.
Occasions of need have been exempted from the obligation of
'staying in homes.'
In the opening sentence of verse 33: ◌َّقَرُنَ فِىُ بُيُوتِكُن (And remain in your
homes), staying in homes was made obligatory (wajib) which apparently
purports that it should be absolutely prohibited and haram for a woman
to go out of her home, but verse has, at the first place, already indicated
through the use of the words: 35 y, (And do not display your beauty)
within this verse that going out as needed is not prohibited in an absolute
sense. Instead, what is prohibited is going out in a manner which
يُدُنِينَ عَلَيُهِنَّ مِنْ :displays embellishment. Then, there is the injunction of
jens (bring down over themselves part of their outer garments - 33:59)
to appear later in Surah Al-Ahzab. This injunction is itself telling us that
to a certain degree women do have the permission to go out of the home,
of course on condition that they go out in hijab wearing an outer garment
like burqa' etc.
In addition to that, the Holy Prophet
has himself clarified that

142
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
occasions of need are exempt from this injunction, as in a Hadith where,
قَدُ أُذِنَ لَكُنَّ أَن :while addressing the blessed wives, he is reported to have said
You are permitted to go out for your needs - reported by) تَخْرُجُنَ لِحَاجَتِكُنَّ
Muslim). Then, the conduct of the Holy Prophet
after the revelation of
the verse of hijab proves that women have the permission to go out of
homes on occasions of need, as the going of the blessed wives with the
Holy Prophet
for Hajj and 'Umrah stands confirmed on the authority
of sound and authentic Ahadith. Similarly, their going with him in many
battles stands proved. Then, there are many narrations of Hadith which
also prove that the blessed wives ◌ّرضى الله عنهن used to go out of their homes
to visit their parents, did their duty by calling on the sick among relatives
and offering condolence on the death of someone among them. And
during the blessed time of the Prophet 3%, they also had the permission to
go to the Masajid.
And not only that it happened in the company of the Holy Prophet
or in his time alone, but even after his passing away, it is a confirmed fact
that the all his blessed wives went for Hajj and 'Umrah - with the
exception of Sayyidah Saudah رضى الله عنها and Sayyidah Zainab bint
Jahsh Lie Ul >, etc. No reproach or disapproval (nakair) thereupon has
been reported from any of the noble Sahabah. In fact, Sayyidna 'Umar
sent the blessed wives of the Messenger of Allah for Hajj under
arrangements specially made for them - he sent Sayyidna 'Uthman
al-Ghani de and Sayyidna 'Abd ur-Rahman Ibn al-'Awf dee with them to
supervise and manage their pilgrimage. And as for the incidence of
Ummul-Mu'minin Sayyidah Saudah and Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh
Lapis QUI , not going for Hajj and 'Umrah after the passing away of the
noble Prophet 5, it was not on the basis of this verse, instead, it was on
the basis of a Hadith. That is, when on the occasion of the Last Hajj
(Hajjatul-Wadaa'), the Holy Prophet
helped his blessed wives perform
their Hajj with him personally, the remark that he made on return was:
This is it. After that, should stick to the mats at home). The) هذِهٍ ثُمَّ لُزُوُمُ الْحُصُر
first word: ais (hadhihi: translated here as 'this is it') refers to this very
Hajj and ' (husur) is the plural form of os (hastir) which means a
mat (of straw, a modest version of other floor spreads such as rug, carpet,
daree etc.). In essence, the Hadith is saying: Your going out for this alone
is done. After that, you stick to the mats of your homes necessarily

143
Sūrah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 28 - 34
without having to part therefrom. Sayyidah Saudah bint Zam'ah dl se)
:took this Hadith to mean رضى الله عنها and Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh عنها
'Your going out was permissible for this very Last Hajj. Beyond that, it is
not.' The other blessed wives - including a jurist of the class of Sayyidah
Aishah bis al se, - unanimously interpreted these words of the Holy
Prophet to mean that 'your going out of your homes is permissible for
this kind of journey which aims at performing a recognized act of
worship, otherwise you should stay at home' In gist, from the sense of the
verse: ◌َّوَقَرُنَ فِىُ بُيُوتِكُن (And remain in your homes - 33) - as supported by the
indicators of the Qur'an, the practice of the Holy Prophet
and the
consensus of the noble Sahabah - occasions of need are exempted which
include religious obligations of Hajj and 'Umrah, taking care of the
natural duties towards parents, visiting Mahram relatives in health and
sickness and attending to other requirements of this nature. Similarly, if a
woman has no arrangement for her living expenses, then, it is also
permissible for her to go out in hijab in order to earn an honorable living.
However, going out on occasions of need is subject to the condition that
one does not go out to display personal embellishment. Instead, one
should go out properly covered with burqa' or jilbab (full mantle or
chadar).
The offensive lapses of the Rawafid about the journey of
Ummul-Mu'minin Sayyidah A'ishah رضى الله عنها to Basrah and the
event of the battle of Jamal:
It has been made amply clear in the previous paragraph that the
sense of the imperative of ◌َّوَقَرُنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُن 'remain in your homes' (33) as
proved from the very indicators, rather, expressions of the Qur'an, as well
as from the practice of the Holy Prophet
and after him from the
consensus of the noble Sahabah, it is confirmed that occasions of need are
exempt from it - which includes going for religious needs of Hajj and
'Umrah etc. Sayyidah 'A'ishah along with Sayyidah Umm Salamah and
Sayyidah Şafiyyah, may Allah be pleased with all of them, had gone for
Hajj. There they heard about the martyrdom of Sayyidna 'Uthman 4
and about the incidents of rebellion against him. They were intensely
grieved. The apprehension of an ill-omened disorder counter to unity
among Muslims was weighing heavy on their minds. Under these
circumstances, Sayyidna Țalhah, Zubair, Nu'man Ibn Bashir, Ka'b Ibn

144
Surah al-Aņzab : 33 : 28 - 34
'Ujrah and some other noble Sahabah escaped from Madinah and
reached Makkah al-Mu'azzamah because the killers of Sayyidna 'Uthman
e wanted to kill them too. These people were not with the rebels. In fact,
they had tried to dissuade them from acting in that manner. So, as they
were after them as well, these people saved their lives by escaping to
Makkah al-Mu'azzamah. Once there, they presented themselves before
Ummul-Mu'minin Sayyidah 'A'ishah رضى الله عنها and sought her good
counsel. She advised them not to go to Madinah until such time the rebels
are gathered around Sayyidna 'Ali 4% and he is exercising restraint
against taking Qisas (retaliation) from them, lest the situation is
aggravated further. In this situation, they should go to live for a few days
at a place where they find themselves safe and the Amir al-Mu'minin
succeeds in controlling the law and order situation in Madinah. As for
making whatever efforts they can, the best they can do is to try that these
people converged around the Amir al-Mu'minin get scattered and he is
enabled to exercise his authority to exact Qisas (retaliation) or revenge
from them.
To this, they agreed and thought of leaving for Başrah because at
that time Muslim forces were converged there. Once their plan to go was
firm, they also requested Ummul-Mu'minin Sayyidah 'A'ishah Lie Ull ,
to stay at Başrah along with them until such time that the government
resumes its normal function.
And the fact of the power and dominance of the killers of Sayyidna
'Uthman, as well as of the leaders of disorder, and the lack of Sayyidna
'Ali's power to enforce the Islamic legal punishment against them is
something clearly proven from the report of Nahjul-Balaghah itself.(1) It
should be borne in mind that Nahjul-Balaghah is regarded to be
authentic by Shiites. It appears in Nahjul-Baaghah: 'To the noble Amir
(Amir al-Mu'minin Sayyidna 'Ali
, some of his companions and
colleagues themselves said: If you punish the people who attacked
'Uthman 40, it will be better. Thereupon, the noble Amir said: My
brother, I am not unaware of this thing you are talking about. But, how
can this be done when these very people are there all over Madinah - and
your slaves and the Bedouins of the adjoining areas have also joined
(1) Nahjul-Balaghah is a compilation of the lectures of Sayyidna 'Ali 4% held by
the Shiites as authentic.

145
Sūrah al-Aḥzab : 33 : 28 - 34
them. If, under these circumstances, I were to issue the orders for their
punishment, how would these be implemented?
On one side, Sayyidah A'ishah رضى الله عنها realized the helplessness of
Sayyidna 'Ali 4ge in this matter while, on the other, she also knew that
the hearts of Muslims were wounded in the face of the shahadah of
Sayyidna 'Uthman 420. Moreover, the delay in taking the due revenge
from his killers on the part of Sayyidna 'Ali 4ee was being watched as his
helplessness while the killers of Sayyidna 'Uthman also used to
participate in the meetings of the Amir al-Mu'minin. People who were not
aware of his helplessness had found their reason for complaint against
him as well. It was possible that this kind of complaint may trigger some
other trial. Therefore, it was to exhort people to observe patience, to
strengthen the hands of Amir al-Mu'minin for the purpose of stabilizing
the rule of law in the state, to remove mutual complaints and to achieve
the objective of making things work better among people that Sayyidah
'A'ishah Li AUl b) decided to embark on the journey to Başrah. In this
journey, her Mahram nephew, Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Zubair " and
others were with her. She had herself stated the purpose of this journey
before Sayyidna Qa'qa' dee as it would appear later. And it is also obvious
that the mission of conciliation and betterment among believers at the
time of such a terrible trial was really a significant religious service. If,
for this purpose, the Ummul-Mu'minin took to the journey of Başrah
while accompanied by her Mahrams and seated in a metal-framed camel
litter, why would the Shiites and Rawafid raise such a dust storm about it
and say that the Ummul-Mu'minin contravened the injunctions of the
Qur'an? What justification is there for it?
Later on the war-like situation, created by the mischief of the
hypocrites and the agent provocateurs of disorder, was something even
the thought of which had never crossed the mind of Sayyidah 'A'ishah
Que AUn b). For the explanation of this verse, this much is enough.
Onwards from here, this is not the occasion for going into the details of
the event of the battle of Jamal. But, in order to make the reality clear in
brief, a few lines follow.
Circumstances that one confronts in this world at the time of mutual
discord simply cannot be neglected by people of insight and experience.
The same circumstances developed here too when the journey of Başrah

146
Surah al-Azab : 33 : 28 - 34
undertaken by Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que Ul b) in the company of the noble
Şahabah who had come from Madinah was reported before Sayyidna 'Ali
see in a totally deformed manner by the hypocrites and the manipulators
of disorder. The version they gave to him was that all those people were.
going to Başrah to join up with forces stationed there and from where
they would come out to confront him. If he was the Amir of the time, they
instigated, it was his duty to preempt this threat and stop them by going
to where they were, lest the danger increases any further. There were
noble Șahabah of the stature of Sayyidna Hasan and Husain, 'Abdullah
Ibn Jafar and 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas رضى الله عنهم أجمعين who even differed
with this line of action. The advice they gave was that he should not
throw his forces against them until such time that he had the correct
assessment of the prevailing situation before him. But, the majority
present there was of those who had tendered the first option. Sayyidna
'All Age, also tilting towards the same option, came out with the armed
forces, and along with him, came these wicked votaries of disorder and
rebellion.
When these gentlemen reached the environs of Başrah, they sent
Sayyidna Qa qa de to Ummul-Mu'minin Sayyidah 'A'ishah Lis all sie, to
find out the circumstances of her visit. They asked her, 'O Mother of the
Believers, what was the reason that brought you here?' Sayyidah 'A'ishah
said, أَىُ بُنَىَّ الْإِصْلَاحُ بَيْنَ النَّاس (My dear son, [I am here to seek nothing but] the
betterment of relations between people)'. Then, she also called Sayyidna
Talhah and Sayyidna Zubair رضى الله عنهما in this meeting with Sayyidna
Qa'qa' dee. He asked them, 'What do you want?' They submitted, 'We
want nothing but that the Islamic legal punishment be enforced against
the killers of 'Uthman 4gb.' In response, Sayyidna Qa'qa' des explained by
saying, 'This thing cannot be done until Muslim forces are organized and
firmly established. Therefore, at this time, it is necessary that you take to
a stance of conciliation.'
These blessed souls submitted to the advice. Sayyidna Qa'qa' dee went
to Sayyidna 'Ali 4de and told him about it. He too was very pleased, and
satisfied. Everyone decided to go back. For three days, they stayed on the
camping grounds in a state that no one had any doubt about the
forthcoming declaration of truce between the two parties. And, on the
fourth day, this announcement was going to be made and a meeting

147
Surah al-Aḥzab: 33 : 28 - 34
between Sayyidna 'All den and Sayyidna Talhah and Zubair dee was due
to take place - in which these killers of Sayyidna 'Uthman dee were not
included. This thing was too hard for them to take. They made a plan.
They told their colleagues, 'First you go into the group around Sayyidah
'A'ishah and unleash a spate of killing and pillage so that she and her
compatriots think that the pledge was broken from the side of Sayyidna
'Ali, as a result of which, becoming victims of this misunderstanding, they
would hurl themselves against the armed forces of Sayyidna 'Ali.' This
satanic device engineered by them worked. So, when the attack on the
group accompanying Sayyidah 'A'ishah is dl >, came from the side of
the agents of disorder who had infiltrated the forces of Sayyidna 'All age,
they were excusable in taking this attack to have come from the forces of
the Amir al-Mu'minin - and thus began their counter action in defence.
When Sayyidna 'Ali 4
e saw this state of affairs, he had no option left but
to fight. And the unintended mishap of mutual infighting that was to
occur did occur. إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُون !It is exactly like this that this event has
been reported by at-Tabari and other reliable historians from the
narrations of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Ja'far, Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
'Abbas and others رضى الله عنهم أجمعين .(Ruh ul-Ma'ani)
In short, as a result of the wickedness of the agent provocateurs of
disorder, this event of fighting between two revered groups came to pass
unconsciously. And when this fitnah subsided, these very two revered
personalities were the ones who were intensely grieved over it. Sayyidah
'A'ishah Las Ul b), when recalled this event, would weep so much that
her scarf became all wet with her tears. Similarly, Sayyidna 'Ali
e was
also terribly shocked over this event. When, after the fitnah had
subsided, he went to see the dead bodies of those killed, he beat his thighs
with his hands and said, 'Would that, much before this happened, I were
dead, forgotten, lost!'
And according to some narrations, when Sayyidah 'A'ishah Lis all so,
would recite the verse: ◌َّوَقَرُنَ فِىُ بُيُوتِكُن (And stay in your homes - 33) in the
Holy Qur'an, she used to break into tears until her scarf would be all wet
with tears. (Reported by 'Abdullah Ibn Ahmad in Zawa'iduz-Zuhd and Ibn
ul-Mundhir and Ibn Abi Shaibah from Masruq, Ruh ul-Ma'ani)
That she wept on the recital of the cited verse was neither because the
contravention of the command of 'staying in homes' was a sin in her sight

148
Surah al-Ahzab : 33 : 28 - 34
nor because the journey was prohibited. Instead of all that, the serious
and unwelcome event that came to pass was the cause of her natural
grief. (All these narrations and the subject matter have been taken from Tafsir Ruh
ul-Ma'anī)
The third, fourth and fifth instruction of the Qur'an to the blessed
wives
Two instructions have appeared in detail earlier. They related to the
avoidance of addressing non-Mahram men softly and tenderly and of
going out of homes unnecessarily. Now, the other three instructions are
وَأَقِمُنَ الصَّلوةَ وَاتِيْنَ الزَّكوَةَ وَأَطِعُنَ اللّهَ: 33 contained in the next sentence of verse
J'y (and establish Salah, and pay Zakah, and obey Allah and His
Messenger). These are a total of five instructions. For women, these are
matters of great consequences.
These five instructions apply to all Muslims universally
At least in the case of the later instructions mentioned above, no one
can presume that they could be special to the blessed wives. These are
Salah, Zakah and Obedience to Allah and His Messenger. How can any
Muslim anywhere be taken as exempted from these? As for the first two
instructions which relate to the hijab or pardah of women, a little
deliberation would make it clear that they too are not special to the
blessed wives. In fact, the same injunction applies to all Muslim women.
The only question that has to be answered is that the Holy Qur'an has
said before these instructions, : ◌َّ32) لَسُتُنَّ كَاَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَآءِ إِن اتَّقَيُتُن) that is, the
blessed wives are not like common women, if they take to Taqwa. This
sentence apparently indicates to the speciality of the blessed wives. A
clear answer to this doubt is that the speciality seen here does not mean
that these injunctions are restricted to them, instead, it revolves round the
care and concern to be observed in acting in accordance with them. In
other words, it means that the blessed wives are not like common women,
because the state of their dignity is the highest of all. Therefore, they
should show the highest care and concern for following the injunctions
made obligatory for all Muslim women. And Allah subhanahu wa Ta'ala
knows best.
We now move to the last sentence of verse 33 which says: Je ws
Allah only intends to keep ( all sorts) لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجُسَ اَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيْرًا
of) filth away from you, O members of the family (of the prophet), and to