Surah Al-Ahzab 33:1-8 - Quran Translation Commentary

(33:4) Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast,⁷ nor has He made those of your wives - as you declare unlawful through zihar-owth - your mothers;⁸ nor has He made your adopted sons, your sons in fact.⁹ Those are your mere words out of your mouths.¹⁰ Allah says the truth and He guides to the (right) course.

(33:5) Call them after (the name) of their (real) fathers. That is more equitable in the sight of Allah. But if you know not their fathers, then they are your brothers in faith and your protégé. And there is no sin upon you in that in which you have erred, but rather, (in) what your hearts premeditate.¹¹ And Allah was ever Forgiving, Kind.

(33:6) The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves;¹² and his wives are their mothers.¹³ And some of the relations by the womb are closer to others in the Book of Allah than the (ordinary) believers and immigrants,¹⁴ unless you wish to do good¹⁵ to your friends.¹⁶ That has been scribed in the Book.

(33:7) And (recall) when We took from the Prophets their compact – and from you, from Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and `Isa ibn Maryam;¹⁷ We took from them a solemn compact.¹⁸

(33:8) That He might question the truthful concerning their truth.¹⁹ And He has prepared for the unbelievers a painful chastisement.

Commentary

3. “In the most adverse circumstances, in the midst of the assaults of Evil, the plots of treason and hypocrisy, the darts of slanders and false charges, and stupid superstitions and taboos, the Prophet of Allah should steer his course steadily according to Allah’s Law and not fear human evil, in whatever form it appears. Men may misjudge, but Allah knows all. Men may try to overthrow Good, but Wisdom is with Allah” (Yusuf Ali).

Why did Allah (swt) have to exhort the Prophet to taqwa when he was already at its highest level? Imam Razi answers that Allah is obeyed for several reasons: for fear of punishment, for fear of the severance of rewards, and for fear of being veiled from Allah and His special blessings. It is in this last sense that he is being told to observe taqwa, for, worldly affairs cast a veil between a man and his Lord. He was told to beware of this, and renew his contact with Allah every hour and every moment, for, whoever remained at the same level any two days, in reality suffered detriment. Accordingly, we find the Prophet (saws) saying,

قال أبو هريرة: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: (والله إني لأستغفر الله وأتوب إليه في اليوم أكثر من سبعين مرة)

“I seek Allah’s forgiveness and turn to him more than seventy times a day.”

But, obviously, on the general scale, it is primarily the followers of the Prophet who have been addressed (Au.).

4. It is reported that in his early phase in Madinah the Prophet (saws) was soft towards the Jews and hypocrites hoping to win them to Islam, and so Allah (who knew their disease: Au.) revealed this verse (Zamakhshari).

5. “The surah begins by directing the Prophet, on whom be peace, to fear Allah, not to comply with the hypocrites and unbelievers, follow that which his Lord has revealed to him, and, finally, to place trust in Him alone. This beginning fuses together well the main contents of this surah - its legislations, and surrounding events – with the main principle and pillar, over which this religion, its laws, its injunctions, its system, its statutes, its morals, and its mores rest. The said main principle and pillar is Allah’s fear, submission to His wish, following of the way that He has chosen, trust in Him alone, and inner certainty concerning His help and succour” (Sayyid).

6. “Such are the words with which begins a surah,” writes Sayyid, “which undertakes to organize a few social and moral features of the newly born Islamic society. It is a beginning which reveals the spirit and nature of the society that is to take shape, and the pillars on which it is to rest: its edifice rising high up in the external, material world, while its roots going down deep into the internal, spiritual world.

“Islam is not merely an aggregate of instructions and admonitions, nor an assortment of rules and regulations, nor yet of customs and conventions .. It includes all these, but they are not the whole of Islam. Islam is none other than submission ... submission to the will of Allah and His decrees, readiness to accept His commandments and prohibitions, following of the course He has charted – without paying the slightest attention to any other counsel, without taking any other direction, and without reliance on any other save Him. It grows from the realization that man is already submitted in this world to a set of divine laws, the only set of laws that regulate the creatures and the earth in which they live, which also regulates the stars and the worlds beyond ... which regulates the affairs of all and everyone within them: the apparent of them and the inapparent, the visible of them and the invisible, what human knowledge can comprehend and what is beyond its comprehension. They are fully convinced that there is no other recourse to them but to follow what they are urged to from on High, and to steer away from what He forbids ... to adopt the means that will make it easy to achieve their goals ... and then, finally, await the outcome that Allah has destined for them. This is the foundation on which rests the statutes and the laws, customs and conventions, morals and manners: with the application of proper interpretations (of the directives) in a given situational context .. with the firm faith which is embedded in the hearts; with practical steps in the light of the soul’s submission to Allah; and following of the life’s course in its light.

“Islam indeed is a faith from which spring forth the laws, upon which in turn, rests the rest of the system. These active, integrated, and inter-related principles, are in their sum and substance, what is known as Islam.

“It is noticeable that the first directive, given precedence in a surah that consists of the principles of organization of the social life of the Muslims, in the light of newly laid rules and regulations, was concerning taqwa. And the counsel was directed to the Prophet, upon whom be peace, the one to supervise and implement: ‘O Messenger, fear Allah.’ Taqwa of Allah then, the fear of His surveillance, and the thoughts of His exaltedness is the first principle and the permanent watch-guard that lies in the depths of hearts and which oversees the implementation of every legislation. It is this to which is bound every commandment in Islam and every directive.

“The second directive is the forbiddance to obey the unbelievers and hypocrites, or follow any of their suggestions or advice which would include giving ear to their opinions or urgings. The precedence of this forbiddance over the commandment to obey the Revelation leads us to believe that the pressure by these groups within Madinah and around it was quite high in those days - hence the emphasis on not following their suggestions, opinions and directions, or to bend to their pressures. And this forbiddance remains for every Muslim community, of all times, lest that they ever obey the unbelievers and hypocrites; more so in affairs related to beliefs, legislation or social organization; in order that the course taken by the believers ever remains for Allah alone, without any adulteration of instructions or inspirations from sources other than His.

“And let no one be deceived by what the unbelievers and hypocrites possess of knowledge and experience, as some Muslims allow for themselves in times of weakness and heedlessness, for it is Allah who is the Knowing, the Wise. It is He who has laid down the form and the procedure in the light of His unlimited knowledge and wisdom: ‘Verily, Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.’ In comparison, what man has is nothing but the outer skin, not much, but very little.

“The third directive: ‘But rather follow that which is revealed unto you from your Lord,’ – this is the direction from which will emanate all directives; this is the true source that can and should be obeyed. The text carries emphasis concealed in its construction: ‘But rather, follow that which is revealed unto you from your Lord.’ The revelation, ‘unto you,’ and the source, ‘from your Lord,’ ... these lead to the sense of emphasis, making it all the more imperative over the direct imperative contained in the fact that the command is from someone who demands complete obedience.

"Fourthly, the words that follow, ‘Allah is ever Aware of what you do,’ informs us that it is He who has full knowledge of you, and of what you do. It is He indeed who knows what really you are doing, as He knows the objectives that are concealed in your hearts that prompt you to do whatever you do.

“The final directive: ‘And have trust in Allah. And Allah is sufficient as a Disposer (of affairs),’ is saying in effect, ‘Do not be concerned at all whether they – the hypocrites and unbelievers – are with you or against you. Pay no attention to their scheming and plotting, but rather, direct all your affairs to Allah, and then place your trust in Him alone.’ This is the firm rule that a heart acts upon, and whereby finds its limits and boundaries, leaving whatever is beyond and behind it to the One who commands and executes: depending on Him, finding peace in Him, and firmly believing in Him.”

7. That is, just as a man cannot have two hearts, so also a man cannot declare his wife his mother, nor can anyone have two fathers. That is the general meaning.

As for the immediate cause of revelation it is reported that there was a man in the Quraysh who used to boast: “I have two hearts and therefore can use my mind better than Muhammad” (Zamakhshari, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

He has been identified as Jameel b. Asad al-Fihri. It is also reported that after the pagans were defeated at Badr, (and Jameel was fleeing) he passed by Abu Sufyan (who was leading the trade caravan back to Makkah). He asked him, “What happened at Badr?” Jameel replied, “The force (i.e., the Quraysh) split into two kinds: those killed and those who fled.” Abu Sufyan asked him, “What’s with you that your one shoe is in your hand while the other is in the foot?” He replied, “I thought they were both in my feet” (Zamakhshari). So much for the two minds he boasted (Au.)!

[This is something we experience quite often. Most recently, it is reported that the General leading American attack on Qaim in Iraq, during April 2005, started off by boasting, “Bring Allah, bring Muhammad, I’ll fight them.” The American forces were routed and had to withdraw in haste. And the first casualty was the General himself, whose helicopter was downed by the resistance forces even before the battle could begin - Au.].

It is also reported that when Ibn `Abbas was asked about the reasons of the revelation of this verse he said,

قَامَ نَبِيّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْماً يُصَلّي فَخَطَرَ خَطْرَةً فَقَالَ المُنَافِقُونَ الّذِينَ يُصَلّونَ مَعَهُ أَلاَ تَرَى أَنّ لَهُ قَلْبَيْنِ قَلْباً مَعَكُمْ وقَلْباً مَعَهُمْ فَأَنْزَلَ الله: {مَا جَعَلَ الله لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قَلْبَيْن فِي جَوْفِهِ}". (الترمذي)

“Once the Prophet began to lead in the Prayers, but was distracted a little (by something). The hypocrites behind him remarked, ‘He has two hearts. One is with you while the other is with them,’” (meaning, with his Companions: Au.) - Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Qurtubi.

The first report is in Ahmad, while the second is in Tirmidhi who declared it Hasan (Ibn Kathir).

If it is asked, writes Zamakhshari, what is the point in adding, “in the breast” (since all hearts are in the breasts anyway), it can be said that the addition is for making the meaning reach home more emphatically. The addition creates sort of a graphic image.

It can be added that each man has a heart of his own, a heart which is filled with emotions of all sorts, which influence his behavior. Bu, within the same heart there cannot reside a second personality with exactly the opposite attributes – one and at the same time.

Thanwi writes that this verse is the basis of the opinion that a man cannot pay attention to two affairs at a time. This is the reason why, when a man complains of mental worries, he is asked to engage himself in Allah’s remembrance. The principle also leads us to identify an error in human behaviour. Some people hold rosaries (counting beads) in their hands in the act of remembrance of Allah, but also engage in conversation. When asked, they explain that they are capable of doing both viz., converse, without forgetting Allah. They must know that Allah has not placed two hearts in a man’s breast.

Yusuf Ali adds: “‘Two hearts in his (one) breast’: two inconsistent attitudes: such as serving Allah and Mammon; or subscribing to both Truth and Superstition; or hypocritically pretending one thing and intending another. Such a thing is against Allah’s Law and Will. Apart from the condemnation of general hypocrisy, two pagan customs of the Times of Ignorance are mentioned, and their iniquity pointed out.”

Sayyid expands further, “Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast: Indeed, it is a single heart and there is no course open for it but one to take for treading. There is no other way for it but to have one vision of life to look up to. There is no other way for it but to have a single criterion by which to weigh the values, by which to asses the events and things, otherwise, it will disintegrate, commit hypocrisy, and will not be able to follow a single direction.

“It is not in the power of man to derive his morals and ethos from one source, laws and legislations from another, draw social and economical principles from a third source, and draw his arts and ideals from a fourth source. Such an admixture will not create a man who has a single heart but rather, (a split personality) of torn and fragmented pieces that has nothing to support, or firm it up.

“A man of faith has to have a true belief; and then devote himself fully to its demands and requirements, at every juncture and instance in his life, whether such instances are major or minor. It is not possible for him to say a word, or make a movement, or intend to do a thing, or imagine a thing, but where he is not ruled by this belief – if the belief happens to be a reality embedded in his soul – for Allah has not made for man save one heart: a heart that bends to a single law, draws from a single set of concepts, and weighs with the help of a single weighing apparatus.

“It is not possible for a man of faith to do something and then say, ‘I did it in my own personal capacity,’ or to another thing, ‘I did that in my capacity as a Muslim;’ as do the politicians, businessmen, or men of social organizations, or of science, as we hear these days from them. A man of faith is a single undivided entity, with one heart, that houses a single doctrine, who has a single set of concepts, a single measuring scale, and whose perceptions have a single source, in every situation, at every time.

“It is with this single heart that he lives the life of an individual, the life of a family man, the life in the society .. within the nation .. and in the world. This is how he lives in open and secret, as employer and employee, as ruler and the ruled, in ease and hardships .. without altering his scales, or values, or criteria, for, ‘Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast.’

“The outcome is that there is not but a single vision, a single path, a single Revelation, and a single direction, viz., submission to Allah alone, for, a single heart cannot worship two gods, cannot serve two masters, cannot walk in two directions, cannot tread on two courses .. he will attempt no such thing, but will experience break up, fragmentation, disintegration, and myriad of difficulties of this sort.”

The word for what we have rendered as “breast” is, in the text “jawf” which is for something “hollow” and not breast per se. Interestingly, Allah said, “Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast,” (using the words “any man” and not “any person” because “a person” would include “women” who do have two hearts during pregnancy: their own, and that of the child they bear (Au.).

8. In pagan days, when someone said to his wife, “Your back is like my mother’s” or, “You are like my mother’s back”, his wife stood divorced. This was known as “Zihar” (from “Zahr”: back).

Actually, Zamakhshari explains, they meant to say that your stomach is like my mother’s stomach, and by the word stomach, they meant the pudendum. They did not wish to use the last word, nor even the word stomach, for it housed the pudendum, and so, (in keeping with strong Arab sense of decency), ultimately adopted the word “back” implying the front, which itself implied the pudendum.

Compare the decency prevalent among the pagan Arabs, and the West of today, where, women inspectors in prisons go about in their rounds, examining uncurtained bathroom cubicles for physical counting of the male or female inmates (Au.).

Majid comments, “(In pre-Islamic times) when the pagan husband wanted to get rid of his wife without making her free to remarry, he simply said to her: ‘Thou art to me as the back of my mother.’ By pronouncing these words he deprived her of all conjugal rights and yet retained control over her ([she] had to remain forever in her former husband’s custody: Asad). The holy Qur’an repudiated this barbaric form of divorce, and thereby effected a great reform in the status of the Arab women.”

9. That is, just like a woman does not become a mother if you address her as one, so also, a man does not become a son if you begin addressing him as your son.

Majid comments: “This repudiates the Christian (Catholic) notions according to which an adopted son was treated as a natural son, so that the same impediments of marriage arose from this supposed relation in the prohibited degree as it would have done in the case of a genuine son. Strangely enough, the heathen Arabs, while they had no scruple in marrying the wives (excluding of course their own mothers) of a deceased father, considered it awfully wrong to marry the divorced wife of an adopted son. It was this crudity of the pagan moral that, upon the Prophet’s marrying the divorced wife of his freedman Zaid, who was also his adopted son, gave rise to a great deal of hostile and scandalous criticism (in our times: Au.)”

10. The words about the adopted son were revealed in connection with Zayd b. Haritha whom the Prophet had adopted early in his life, and who was always referred to as Zayd b. Muhammad until the revelation of this verse. According to reports in Muslim, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i, such adopted sons were treated as real sons in all respects. For example, they were allowed privacy with those normally forbidden to them in marriage. Hence the incident involving Sahlah bint Suhayl, reported by `A’isha in Muslim,

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنّ سَالِماً مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ كَانَ مَعَ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ وَأَهْلِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِمْ. فَأَتَتْ (تَعْنِي ابْنَةَ سُهَيْلٍ) النّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم. فَقَالَتْ: إِنّ سَالِماً قَدْ بَلَغَ مَا يَبْلُغُ الرّجَالُ، وَعَقَلَ مَا عَقَلُوا، وَإِنّهُ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْنَا، وَإِنّي أَظُنّ أَنّ فِي نَفْسِ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً. فَقَالَ لَهَا النّبِيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم "أَرْضِعِيهِ تَحْرُمِي عَلَيْهِ، وَيَذْهَبِ الّذِي فِي نَفْسِ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ" (مسلم)

“Salim was a client of Abu Hudhayfah living with them in the family in their house. She (that is, Sahlah bint Suhayl) came to the Prophet and said, “Salim has matured and understands what a matured man understands. He enters upon us and I think Abu Hudayfah does not feel very comfortable about it.” The Prophet told her, “Suckle him so that he becomes forbidden unto you and that will go away which is in Abu Hudhayfa’s heart.”

And, following this new rule, the Prophet took in marriage his adopted son’s divorced wife Zaynab bint Jahsh in order that, as the Qur’an said (33: 37),

كَيْ لا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا (الأحزاب – 37)

“... so that there should not be any hindrance for the believers with regard to the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them.” And, as in a hadith of the Sahihayn,

وَيَحْرُمُ مِنَ الرّضَاعَةِ مَا يَحْرُمُ مِنَ الرّحِم

“Fostering forbids what the womb forbids” (Ibn Kathir, with slight modification).

11. That is, if someone attributed (himself, or another) to a non-biological father, then, if he did it without knowledge, he could be forgiven, but not someone who did it knowingly and intentionally (Ibn Jarir).

Hence a hadith which is reported by Abu Dharr:

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرَ، أَنّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: "أَيّمَا رَجُلٍ ادّعَى لِغَيْرِ أَبِيهِ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُهُ، إِلاّ كَفَر"َ. (مسلم)

The Prophet said, “Whoever attributed himself to a progenitor other than his, knowingly, committed disbelief” (Ibn Kathir).

The non-questionability would however be extended to cases where someone’s name settles on the tongues of the people such as, Miqdad b. al-Aswad (a name familiar in hadith literature: Au.), who was actually Miqdad b. `Amr. He himself drew attention to it, but somehow his adoptive father’s name “al-Aswad” remained stuck to his name. Or, another example is Salim b. Abu Hudhayfah, although he was not his son, but that is how the name stuck to the people’s tongue (Qurtubi).

12. That is, Hasan and other have said, the Prophet is their father. Hence the Prophet once said, as in a narrative preserved by Abu Da’ud, narrated by Jabir b. `Abdullah, The Prophet said,

عن جَابِرِ بن عَبْدِ الله عن النّبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقُولُ: "أنَا أوْلَى بِكُلّ مُؤْمِنٍ مِن نَفْسِهِ فَأيّمَا رَجُلٍ مَاتَ وَتَرَكَ دَيْناً فَإلَيّ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ مَالاً فَلِوَرَثَتِهِ". (أبو داؤد)

“I am closer to every believer than his own self. Therefore, if one of you dies leaving debts, then, (let it be brought) to me. But whosoever left wealth behind him, then it is for his inheritors” - Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Qurtubi, in different words.

A version in Bukhari mentions Abu Hurayrah as reporting,

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَنَا أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَمَنْ مَاتَ وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ وَفَاءً فَعَلَيْنَا قَضَاؤُهُ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ مَالا فَلِوَرَثَتِهِ (البخاري)

The Prophet said, “I am closer to the believers than their own selves. Therefore, whoever died leaving debts, and did not leave someone to pay back then, its repayment is upon us, but if someone left wealth, then it is for his inheritors” (Au.).

It also implied, adds Sayyid, that if someone left his family destitute, the Prophet took charge of it. The above report is in Bukhari (Ibn Kathir). The Prophet also said, as in Abu Da’ud,

عن أَبي هُرَيْرَةَ قال قال رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "إِنّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْوَالِدِ أُعَلّمُكُمْ، فإِذَا أَتَى أَحَدُكُمْ الْغَائِطَ فَلا يَسْتَقْبِلْ القِبْلَةَ وَلاَ يَسْتَدْبِرْهَا وَلاَ يَسْتَطِبْ بِيَمِيِنِهِ، وَكانَ يَأْمُرُ بِثَلاَثَةِ أحْجَارٍ، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الرّوْثِ وَالرّمّةِ".‏ (أبو داؤد)

“I am like your father, teaching you. Therefore, when one of you attends to nature’s call, let him neither face the Qiblah nor show his back to it, nor cleanse himself with the right hand.” And he used to instruct (us to use) three stones, and forbid us (the use of) animal waste and bones (for cleansing ourselves).

He also said, as in a Sahih report of Anas,

عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " لا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ." (البخاري)

“One of you is not a believer until I am dearer to him that his own self, his wealth, his children, and all the people” (Ibn Kathir).

The term “awla,” however has a wider connotation. The Prophet said, as in Sahih collections,

عن أَبي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنّ رَسُولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قالَ: "إِنّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ أُمّتِي كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوقَدَ نَاراً فَجَعَلَتِ الدّوَابّ وَالفَرَاشُ يَقَعْنَ فِيهَا وَأنا آخِذٌ بِحُجَزِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَقَحّمُونَ فِيهَا". (الترمذي)

“My example and the example of those I am sent to, is like a man who started a fire. Creepers and flying insects began to fall into it. I am trying to hold you back by your waists, while you are rushing headlong into it.” In this sense too, (of love and care), the Prophet was closer to us than we are to our own selves (Qurtubi).

The text of the above hadith is also in the Sahihayn.

The word for what is translated here as ‘close,’ is awla, meaning ‘first,’ and, therefore, the verse implies that a Muslim should first get familiar with the biography of the Prophet, before engaging in the activities of his personal life (Au.).

13. That is, not in real (or biological: Au.) sense, but in terms of respect and veneration to be granted to them (Zamakhshari, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). Hence, although the believers were forbidden to marry the Prophet’s wives, their children or parents did not become unlawful to them (Razi). Zubayr for example married Asma’, `A’isha’s sister, and no one ever thought she was Zubayr’s aunt (Qurtubi).

Hence, (perhaps to refute this view), when `A’isha was addressed by a woman as, “O Mother of the believers,” she replied sharply, “I am the mother of your male believers.” On the other hand, Umm Salamah said (perhaps she had the general meaning of respect and reverence in her mind), “I am the mother of the male as well as female believers of this Ummah.”

Alusi traces a few Shi`ah sources that say that before dying the Prophet had given `Ali the power of attorney to divorce any of his wives if she misbehaved after his death. Accordingly, `Ali divorced `A’isha, after the Jamal Battle.

This monstrosity does not deserve refutation (Au.).

14. That is, “When a man leaves wealth behind him, then, his kindred related to him by blood are more deserving of inheritance than the ordinary believers or immigrants.” This was revealed eight years following emigration to Madinah; until then, the rule following the institution of brotherhood was that an immigrant (Muhajir) inherited another immigrant (or Ansari) brother, even though the two were not related to each other by blood, but rather, by the ties of the newly formed brotherhood. The true kindred, those related by blood, but who did not migrate to Madinah, but instead chose to remain in pagan areas, despite the fact that they had embraced Islam, got nothing out of inheritance from an immigrant who died at Madinah. However, eight years after migration, after the fall of Makkah, the inheritance rules were changed, as expressed in this verse, which stated that the kindred related by blood (and not a Muhajir or Ansari brother) were closer to a Muhajir, and hence will, here onward, receive their share from a deceased Muhajir, even if such kindred had not migrated to Madinah, but instead, stayed back in lands controlled by the pagans, on the condition, of course, that he had embraced Islam. The directives concerning a Muhajir inheriting another Muhajir declared brother through the institution of brotherhood (or an Ansari) were issued by the Prophet himself (and which had remained in force until the fall of Makkah). After this explanation, Ibn Jarir quotes a hadith which we replace with one found in Muslim and Tirmidhi. The following version is from Tirmidhi. It is reported that the Prophet used to instruct his forces,

اغْزُوا بِسْم الله وفي سبيلِ الله، قَاتِلُوا مَنْ كَفَرَ بالله، ولا تَغلوا تغدروا ولا تَمْثلُوا، ولا تَقْتُلُوا وَليداً، فإذا لَقِيتَ عَدُوُكَ مِنَ المُشْرِكِينَ فادْعُهُمْ إلى إحْدَى ثلاثِ خِصَالٍ أو خِلاَلٍ أيّهَا أجَابُوكَ فاقْبَلْ مِنْهُمْ وكُفّ عنْهُمْ: وادْعُهُمْ إلى الإسلامِ والتّحَولِ مِنْ دَارِهِمْ إلى دَارِ المُهَاجِرِينَ، وأخْبِرْهُمْ إنْ فَعَلُوا ذلكَ فإنّ لَهُمْ ما لِلْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَعَلَيْهِمْ ما عَلَى المُهَاجِرِينَ، وإنْ أبَوْا أنْ يَتَحَوّلُوا فأَخْبِرْهُمْ أنّهُمْ يَكُونوا كأعْرَابِ المُسْلِمِينَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِمْ ما يَجْرِي على الأعْرَابِ، لَيْسَ لَهُمْ في الغَنِيمَةِ والْفَيءِ شَيْءٌ إلاّ أن يُجَاهِدُوا، فإنْ أبَوْا فَاسْتَعِنْ بالله عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَاتِلْهُمْ. (قال أبو عيسى حديثٌ حسنٌ صحيحٌ).‏

“March out in the name of Allah, and in the path of Allah. Fight him who disbelieves in Allah. Do not deceive (in booty), do not disfigure the dead, and do not kill children. Then, when you face the pagans enemies, invite them to one of the three, accepting from them whichever they agree to, and spare them: invite them to Islam and to movement from their lands to the lands of the emigrants. Let them know that if they do that they will have what the emigrants have, and upon them will be (of duties) what the emigrants have. But if they refuse and prefer to stay in their lands then, let them know that they will be like the ‘A`rab-Muslims’ for whom will be the rules that have been laid down for the ‘A`rab; they shall have no share in the booties nor other war spoils, unless they fight in the way of Allah. But if they refuse, then seek Allah’s help and fight them.”

However, with the fall of Makkah, these rules were abrogated (by the verse under discussion) and the Prophet declared:

لا هجرة بعد الفتح

“There is no hijrah (emigration) after the fall (of Makkah).”

That is, the specific hijrah – the kind that entailed the rules that were instituted for those who had migrated to Madinah before the fall of Makkah - stood cancelled. But of course, ordinary hijrah, viz., escape from pagan lands to lands under Muslim control, remained a virtuous act even after the fall of Makkah (Au.).

15. “The extremely complex term ma`ruf,” writes Asad, “.. maybe defined as ‘any act [or attitude] the goodness whereof is evident in reason’ (Raghib).”

16. That is, unless you wish to leave a will behind (within the stipulated one-third: Au.), allotting some of your wealth to your friends, or blood-kindred, even if they happen to be pagans. This is how Qatadah, `Ikrimah, `Ata’ and others understood the verse. In view of the change in inheritance rules, Mujahid thought that a Muhajir could leave a testament in favor of his brother-Muhajir of the brotherhood compact. This latter understanding is also Ibn Jarir’s preferred opinion since pagans cannot be considered as Awliya.

17. The compact was taken when they were still in the loins of Adam (Mujahid), and was to the effect that some of them will confirm and endorse others (Qatadah); hence the Prophet’s words,

"كنت أول النبيين في الخلق، وآخرهم في البعث، فبدأ بي قبلهم". (الدر المنثور)

“I was the first of the Prophets to be created but the last to be raised. Thus He started with me before them” (Ibn Jarir, whose version is slightly shorter). This report however, is weak (Ibn Kathir).

In any case, the ayah under discussion is a replica of another which says (3: 81),

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّيْنَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُواْ أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُواْ وَأَنَاْ مَعَكُم مِّنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ

“And when Allah took covenant of the Prophets (to the effect that) ‘(when) I have bestowed on you a Book and Wisdom and then comes to you a Messenger (from Me), confirming that which is with you, you shall believe in him and strengthen him.’ Then He asked, ‘Do you agree and accept this, My covenant?’” (Qurtubi).

18. It has been preserved by Bazzar, in Tabarani’s Awsat and Abu Nu`aym’s Dala’il that the Prophet was asked by Maysarah al-Fajr,

وعن ميسرة الفجر قال: قلت: يا رسول الله، متى كتبت نبياً؟ قال: "وآدم بين الروح والجسد”. رواه أحمد والطبراني ورجاله رجال الصحيح.‏

“Messenger of Allah, when were you written a Prophet?” He answered, “When Adam was between the spirit and the body” (Shawkani).

That is, the decree and the decision concerning his messengership is as old as that (Au.). The report has been treated trustworthy by Haythami (S. Ibrahim).

19. That is, He will question the Messengers about the truth they carried as to what was the response to what they had conveyed? (Mujahid – Ibn Jarir). Hence `Ali’s statement about this world:

الدنيا حلالها حساب و حرامها عذاب

“This world's lawful (entails) reckoning and its unlawful chastisement” (Razi).

Other meanings are possible. One, the compact was taken in order that the Prophets be questioned whether they had properly conveyed the message; implying, if Prophets will not be spared questioning, then what about ordinary people? Two, the questioning will be by way of building argument against the rejecters of the Prophets (Qurtubi).