Surah 33. Al-Ahzab

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Verses [Section]: 1-8[1], 9-20 [2], 21-27 [3], 28-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-52 [6], 53-58 [7], 59-68 [8], 69-73 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-833. Al-Ahzab Page 41833. Al-Ahzabبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِیٰۤاَیُّهَاO (Prophet)النَّبِیُّ(O) ProphetاتَّقِFearاللّٰهَAllahوَ لَاand (do) notتُطِعِobeyالْكٰفِرِیْنَthe disbelieversوَ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ ؕand the hypocritesاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisعَلِیْمًاAll-KnowerحَكِیْمًاۙAll-Wise وَّ اتَّبِعْAnd followمَاwhatیُوْحٰۤیis inspiredاِلَیْكَto youمِنْfromرَّبِّكَ ؕyour LordاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahكَانَisبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَyou doخَبِیْرًاۙAll-Aware وَّ تَوَكَّلْAnd put your trustعَلَیinاللّٰهِ ؕAllahوَ كَفٰیAnd Allah is sufficientبِاللّٰهِAnd Allah is sufficientوَكِیْلًا (as) Disposer of affairs مَاNotجَعَلَAllah (has) madeاللّٰهُAllah (has) madeلِرَجُلٍfor any manمِّنْ[of]قَلْبَیْنِtwo heartsفِیْinجَوْفِهٖ ۚhis interiorوَ مَاAnd notجَعَلَHe (has) madeاَزْوَاجَكُمُyour wivesالّٰٓـِٔیْwhomتُظٰهِرُوْنَyou declare unlawfulمِنْهُنَّ[of them]اُمَّهٰتِكُمْ ۚ(as) your mothersوَ مَاAnd notجَعَلَHe has madeاَدْعِیَآءَكُمْyour adopted sonsاَبْنَآءَكُمْ ؕyour sonsذٰلِكُمْThatقَوْلُكُمْ(is) your sayingبِاَفْوَاهِكُمْ ؕby your mouthsوَ اللّٰهُbut Allahیَقُوْلُsaysالْحَقَّthe truthوَ هُوَand Heیَهْدِیguidesالسَّبِیْلَ (to) the Way اُدْعُوْهُمْCall themلِاٰبَآىِٕهِمْby their fathersهُوَitاَقْسَطُ(is) more justعِنْدَnearاللّٰهِ ۚAllahفَاِنْBut ifلَّمْnotتَعْلَمُوْۤاyou knowاٰبَآءَهُمْtheir fathersفَاِخْوَانُكُمْthen (they are) your brothersفِیinالدِّیْنِ[the] religionوَ مَوَالِیْكُمْ ؕand your friendsوَ لَیْسَBut not isعَلَیْكُمْupon youجُنَاحٌany blameفِیْمَاۤin whatاَخْطَاْتُمْyou made a mistakeبِهٖ ۙin itوَ لٰكِنْbutمَّاwhatتَعَمَّدَتْintendedقُلُوْبُكُمْ ؕyour heartsوَ كَانَAnd AllahاللّٰهُAnd Allahغَفُوْرًا(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمًا Most Merciful اَلنَّبِیُّThe Prophetاَوْلٰی(is) closerبِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَto the believersمِنْthanاَنْفُسِهِمْtheir own selvesوَ اَزْوَاجُهٗۤand his wivesاُمَّهٰتُهُمْ ؕ(are) their mothersوَ اُولُواAnd possessorsالْاَرْحَامِ(of) relationshipsبَعْضُهُمْsome of themاَوْلٰی(are) closerبِبَعْضٍto anotherفِیْinكِتٰبِ(the) Decreeاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمِنَthanالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersوَ الْمُهٰجِرِیْنَand the emigrantsاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatتَفْعَلُوْۤاyou doاِلٰۤیtoاَوْلِیٰٓىِٕكُمْyour friendsمَّعْرُوْفًا ؕa kindnessكَانَThat isذٰلِكَThat isفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookمَسْطُوْرًا written 33. Al-Ahzab Page 419وَ اِذْAnd whenاَخَذْنَاWe tookمِنَfromالنَّبِیّٖنَthe Prophetsمِیْثَاقَهُمْtheir Covenantوَ مِنْكَand from youوَ مِنْand fromنُّوْحٍNuhوَّ اِبْرٰهِیْمَand Ibrahimوَ مُوْسٰیand Musaوَ عِیْسَیand Isaابْنِsonمَرْیَمَ ۪(of) Maryamوَ اَخَذْنَاAnd We tookمِنْهُمْfrom themمِّیْثَاقًاa covenantغَلِیْظًاۙstrong لِّیَسْـَٔلَThat He may askالصّٰدِقِیْنَthe truthfulعَنْaboutصِدْقِهِمْ ۚtheir truthوَ اَعَدَّAnd He has preparedلِلْكٰفِرِیْنَfor the disbelieversعَذَابًاa punishmentاَلِیْمًا۠painful

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Surah Introduction

This Medinian sûrah takes its name from the enemy alliance (mentioned in verses 9-27) which laid a siege around Medina during the Battle of the Trench in 5 A.H./627 C.E. While the believers are reminded of Allah's aid against the enemy alliance, the hypocrites are condemned repeatedly. The sûrah provides social guidelines regarding adoption, divorce, modesty, and the etiquette of dealing with the Prophet ( ﷺ ) and his wives. In view of Allah's favours to the believers (including His forgiveness and generous reward at the end of the sûrah), the next sûrah starts off with praises to Allah.

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Translation of Verse 1-81. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. O Prophet! ˹Always˺ be mindful of Allah, and do not yield to the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, All- Wise.

2. Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord. Surely Allah is All-Aware of what you ˹all˺ do.

3. And put your trust in Allah, for Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.

4. Allah does not place two hearts in any person's chest. Nor does He regard your wives as ˹unlawful for you like˺ your real mothers, ˹even˺ if you say they are. ⁸⁴⁵ Nor does He regard your adopted children as your real children. ⁸⁴⁶ These are only your baseless assertions. But Allah declares the truth, and He ˹alone˺ guides to the ˹Right˺ Way.

5. Let your adopted children keep their family names. That is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, then they are ˹simply˺ your fellow believers and close associates. There is no blame on you for what you do by mistake, but ˹only˺ for what you do intentionally. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

6. The Prophet has a stronger affinity to the believers than they do themselves. And his wives are their mothers. As ordained by Allah, blood relatives are more entitled ˹to inheritance˺ than ˹other˺ believers and immigrants, unless you ˹want to˺ show kindness to your ˹close˺ associates ˹through bequest˺. ⁸⁴⁷ This is decreed in the Record. ⁸⁴⁸

7. And ˹remember˺ when We took a covenant from the prophets, as well as from you ˹O Prophet˺, and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary. We did take a solemn covenant from ˹all of˺ them

8. so that He may question these men of truth about their ˹delivery of the˺ truth. And He has prepared a painful punishment for the disbelievers.

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Commentary

845. This divorce (called ẓihâr ) was commonly practiced in Arabia before the Prophet ( ﷺ ) . If a man declared his wife as unlawful for him as the ẓahr (back) of his mother, his wife would be divorced. Islam abolished this type of divorce ( see 58:3-4).

846. The following distinction should be made:

847. This verse confirms a ruling mentioned in 8:75 which ended a previous ruling that allowed inheritance between Muslims from Mecca ( Al-Muhâjirûn , the Emigrants) and Muslims from Medina ( Al-Anṣâr , the Helpers). Now, only relatives can inherit from one another, whereas non-heirs can receive a share through bequest, up to one third of the estate. See 4:7, 11-13, 32-33, and 176.

848. See footnote for 27:75.