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 35-40اِنَّIndeedالْمُسْلِمِیْنَthe Muslim menوَ الْمُسْلِمٰتِand the Muslim womenوَ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَand the believing menوَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِand the believing womenوَ الْقٰنِتِیْنَand the obedient menوَ الْقٰنِتٰتِand the obedient womenوَ الصّٰدِقِیْنَand the truthful menوَ الصّٰدِقٰتِand the truthful womenوَ الصّٰبِرِیْنَand the patient menوَ الصّٰبِرٰتِand the patient womenوَ الْخٰشِعِیْنَand the humble menوَ الْخٰشِعٰتِand the humble womenوَ الْمُتَصَدِّقِیْنَand the men who give charityوَ الْمُتَصَدِّقٰتِand the women who give charityوَ الصَّآىِٕمِیْنَand the men who fastوَ الصّٰٓىِٕمٰتِand the women who fastوَ الْحٰفِظِیْنَand the men who guardفُرُوْجَهُمْtheir chastityوَ الْحٰفِظٰتِand the women who guard (it)وَ الذّٰكِرِیْنَand the men who rememberاللّٰهَAllahكَثِیْرًاmuchوَّ الذّٰكِرٰتِ ۙand the women who rememberاَعَدَّAllah has preparedاللّٰهُAllah has preparedلَهُمْfor themمَّغْفِرَةًforgivenessوَّ اَجْرًاand a rewardعَظِیْمًا great 33. Al-Ahzab Page 423وَ مَاAnd notكَانَ(it) isلِمُؤْمِنٍfor a believing manوَّ لَاand notمُؤْمِنَةٍ(for) a believing womanاِذَاwhenقَضَیAllah has decidedاللّٰهُAllah has decidedوَ رَسُوْلُهٗۤand His Messengerاَمْرًاa matterاَنْthatیَّكُوْنَ(there) should beلَهُمُfor themالْخِیَرَةُ(any) choiceمِنْaboutاَمْرِهِمْ ؕtheir affairوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّعْصِdisobeysاللّٰهَAllahوَ رَسُوْلَهٗand His Messengerفَقَدْcertainlyضَلَّhe (has) strayedضَلٰلًا(into) errorمُّبِیْنًاؕclear وَ اِذْAnd whenتَقُوْلُyou saidلِلَّذِیْۤto the oneاَنْعَمَAllah bestowed favorاللّٰهُAllah bestowed favorعَلَیْهِon himوَ اَنْعَمْتَand you bestowed favorعَلَیْهِon himاَمْسِكْKeepعَلَیْكَto yourselfزَوْجَكَyour wifeوَ اتَّقِand fearاللّٰهَAllahوَ تُخْفِیْBut you concealedفِیْwithinنَفْسِكَyourselfمَاwhatاللّٰهُAllahمُبْدِیْهِ(was to) discloseوَ تَخْشَیAnd you fearالنَّاسَ ۚthe peopleوَ اللّٰهُwhile Allahاَحَقُّhas more rightاَنْthatتَخْشٰىهُ ؕyou (should) fear HimفَلَمَّاSo whenقَضٰیendedزَیْدٌZaidمِّنْهَاfrom herوَطَرًاnecessary (formalities)زَوَّجْنٰكَهَاWe married her to youلِكَیْso thatلَاnotیَكُوْنَthere beعَلَیonالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَthe believersحَرَجٌany discomfortفِیْۤconcerningاَزْوَاجِthe wivesاَدْعِیَآىِٕهِمْ(of) their adopted sonsاِذَاwhenقَضَوْاthey have endedمِنْهُنَّfrom themوَطَرًا ؕnecessary (formalities)وَ كَانَAnd isاَمْرُ(the) Commandاللّٰهِ(of) Allahمَفْعُوْلًا accomplished مَاNotكَانَ(there can) beعَلَیuponالنَّبِیِّthe Prophetمِنْanyحَرَجٍdiscomfortفِیْمَاin whatفَرَضَAllah has imposedاللّٰهُAllah has imposedلَهٗ ؕon himسُنَّةَ(That is the) Wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahفِیconcerningالَّذِیْنَthose whoخَلَوْاpassed awayمِنْbeforeقَبْلُ ؕbeforeوَ كَانَAnd isاَمْرُ(the) Commandاللّٰهِ(of) Allahقَدَرًاa decreeمَّقْدُوْرَاؗۙdestined ِ۟الَّذِیْنَThose whoیُبَلِّغُوْنَconveyرِسٰلٰتِ(the) Messagesاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ یَخْشَوْنَهٗand fear Himوَ لَاand (do) notیَخْشَوْنَfearاَحَدًاanyoneاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهَ ؕAllahوَ كَفٰیAnd sufficient is AllahبِاللّٰهِAnd sufficient is Allahحَسِیْبًا (as) a Reckoner مَاNotكَانَisمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadاَبَاۤ(the) fatherاَحَدٍ(of) anyoneمِّنْofرِّجَالِكُمْyour menوَ لٰكِنْbutرَّسُوْلَ(he is the) Messengerاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ خَاتَمَand Sealالنَّبِیّٖنَ ؕ(of) the Prophetsوَ كَانَAnd Allah isاللّٰهُAnd Allah isبِكُلِّof everyشَیْءٍthingعَلِیْمًا۠All-Knower

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Translation of Verse 35-40

35. Surely ˹for˺ Muslim men and women, believing men and women, ⁸⁵⁸ devout men and women, truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, charitable men and women, fasting men and women, men and women who guard their chastity, and men and women who remember Allah often-for ˹all of˺ them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.

36. It is not for a believing man or woman-when Allah and His Messenger decree a matter-to have any other choice in that matter. ⁸⁵⁹ Indeed, whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone ˹far˺ astray.

37. And ˹remember, O Prophet,˺ when you said to the one ⁸⁶⁰ for whom Allah has done a favour and you ˹too˺ have done a favour, ⁸⁶¹ "Keep your wife and fear Allah," while concealing within yourself what Allah was going to reveal. And ˹so˺ you were considering the people, whereas Allah was more worthy of your consideration. So when Zaid totally lost interest in ˹keeping˺ his wife, We gave her to you in marriage, so that there would be no blame on the believers for marrying the ex-wives of their adopted sons after their divorce. And Allah's command is totally binding.

38. There is no blame on the Prophet for doing what Allah has ordained for him. That has been the way of Allah with those ˹prophets˺ who had gone before. And Allah's command has been firmly decreed.

39. ˹That is His way with˺ those ˹prophets˺ who deliver the messages of Allah, and consider Him, and none but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a ˹vigilant˺ Reckoner.

40. Muḥammad is not the father of any of your men, ⁸⁶² but is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets. And Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.

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Commentary

858. Though Islam and Îmân are sometimes used interchangeably in the Quran, Îmân is a higher state of Islam. A Muslim is someone who observes the five pillars of Islam, but a believer is someone with strong faith, who does everything purely for the sake of Allah, and is mindful of Allah in everything they say or do. Every Mu ' min (believer/faithful) is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a Mu ' min . See 49:14.

859. Meaning, if Allah makes a ruling in the Quran or the Prophet ( ﷺ ) makes a ruling, then a Muslim is not allowed to seek judgment from anyone else, nor follow their own desires.

860. This refers to Zaid ibn Ḥârithah, the Prophet's adopted son before adoption was made unlawful. His wife, Zainab bint Jaḥsh was from a prestigious family. Because Zaid and Zainab came from two different social classes, the marriage was not successful. Eventually, Zaid insisted on divorcing his wife, despite several appeals from the Prophet ( ﷺ ) . Since one's adopted son was no longer considered to be one's own son, the Prophet ( ﷺ ) was later allowed to marry Zainab.

861. Allah's favour to Zaid was to guide him to Islam, and the Prophet's favour was to free him from slavery.

862. He ( ﷺ ) is not the father of Zaid (mentioned in 33:37) or any other man. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) had three biological sons, who all died in childhood.