33. Al-Ahzab Page 418 33. Al-Ahzab بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ یٰۤاَیُّهَا O (Prophet) النَّبِیُّ (O) Prophet اتَّقِ Fear اللّٰهَ Allah وَ لَا and (do) not تُطِعِ obey الْكٰفِرِیْنَ the disbelievers وَ الْمُنٰفِقِیْنَ ؕ and the hypocrites اِنَّ Indeed اللّٰهَ Allah كَانَ is عَلِیْمًا All-Knower حَكِیْمًاۙ All-Wise وَّ اتَّبِعْ And follow مَا what یُوْحٰۤی is inspired اِلَیْكَ to you مِنْ from رَّبِّكَ ؕ your Lord اِنَّ Indeed اللّٰهَ Allah كَانَ is بِمَا of what تَعْمَلُوْنَ you do خَبِیْرًاۙ All-Aware وَّ تَوَكَّلْ And put your trust عَلَی in اللّٰهِ ؕ Allah وَ كَفٰی And Allah is sufficient بِاللّٰهِ And Allah is sufficient وَكِیْلًا (as) Disposer of affairs مَا Not جَعَلَ Allah (has) made اللّٰهُ Allah (has) made لِرَجُلٍ for any man مِّنْ [of] قَلْبَیْنِ two hearts فِیْ in جَوْفِهٖ ۚ his interior وَ مَا And not جَعَلَ He (has) made اَزْوَاجَكُمُ your wives الّٰٓـِٔیْ whom تُظٰهِرُوْنَ you declare unlawful مِنْهُنَّ [of them] اُمَّهٰتِكُمْ ۚ (as) your mothers وَ مَا And not جَعَلَ He has made اَدْعِیَآءَكُمْ your adopted sons اَبْنَآءَكُمْ ؕ your sons ذٰلِكُمْ That قَوْلُكُمْ (is) your saying بِاَفْوَاهِكُمْ ؕ by your mouths وَ اللّٰهُ but Allah یَقُوْلُ says الْحَقَّ the truth وَ هُوَ and He یَهْدِی guides السَّبِیْلَ (to) the Way اُدْعُوْهُمْ Call them لِاٰبَآىِٕهِمْ by their fathers هُوَ it اَقْسَطُ (is) more just عِنْدَ near اللّٰهِ ۚ Allah فَاِنْ But if لَّمْ not تَعْلَمُوْۤا you know اٰبَآءَهُمْ their fathers فَاِخْوَانُكُمْ then (they are) your brothers فِی in الدِّیْنِ [the] religion وَ مَوَالِیْكُمْ ؕ and your friends وَ لَیْسَ But not is عَلَیْكُمْ upon you جُنَاحٌ any blame فِیْمَاۤ in what اَخْطَاْتُمْ you made a mistake بِهٖ ۙ in it وَ لٰكِنْ but مَّا what تَعَمَّدَتْ intended قُلُوْبُكُمْ ؕ your hearts وَ كَانَ And Allah اللّٰهُ And Allah غَفُوْرًا (is) Oft-Forgiving رَّحِیْمًا Most Merciful اَلنَّبِیُّ The Prophet اَوْلٰی (is) closer بِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ to the believers مِنْ than اَنْفُسِهِمْ their own selves وَ اَزْوَاجُهٗۤ and his wives اُمَّهٰتُهُمْ ؕ (are) their mothers وَ اُولُوا And possessors الْاَرْحَامِ (of) relationships بَعْضُهُمْ some of them اَوْلٰی (are) closer بِبَعْضٍ to another فِیْ in كِتٰبِ (the) Decree اللّٰهِ (of) Allah مِنَ than الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers وَ الْمُهٰجِرِیْنَ and the emigrants اِلَّاۤ except اَنْ that تَفْعَلُوْۤا you do اِلٰۤی to اَوْلِیٰٓىِٕكُمْ your friends مَّعْرُوْفًا ؕ a kindness كَانَ That is ذٰلِكَ That is فِی in الْكِتٰبِ the Book مَسْطُوْرًا written 33. Al-Ahzab Page 419 وَ اِذْ And when اَخَذْنَا We took مِنَ from النَّبِیّٖنَ the Prophets مِیْثَاقَهُمْ their Covenant وَ مِنْكَ and from you وَ مِنْ and from نُّوْحٍ Nuh وَّ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ and Ibrahim وَ مُوْسٰی and Musa وَ عِیْسَی and Isa ابْنِ son مَرْیَمَ ۪ (of) Maryam وَ اَخَذْنَا And We took مِنْهُمْ from them مِّیْثَاقًا a covenant غَلِیْظًاۙ strong لِّیَسْـَٔلَ That He may ask الصّٰدِقِیْنَ the truthful عَنْ about صِدْقِهِمْ ۚ their truth وَ اَعَدَّ And He has prepared لِلْكٰفِرِیْنَ for the disbelievers عَذَابًا a punishment اَلِیْمًا۠ painful
(33:1) O Prophet,1 fear Allah and do not obey the unbelievers and the hypocrites. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, Most Wise.2
(33:2) Follow that which is revealed to you from your Lord. Verily Allah is fully aware of all that you do.3
(33:3) Put your trust in Allah: Allah is sufficient as Guardian.4
(33:4) Allah has never put two hearts within one person's body;5 nor has He made your wives, whom you compare to your mothers' backs (to divorce them),6 your true mothers; nor has He made those whom you adopt as sons your own sons.7 These are only words that you utter with your mouths. But Allah proclaims the Truth and directs you to the Right Path.
(33:5) Call your adopted sons after their true fathers; that is more equitable in the sight of Allah.8 But if you do not know their true fathers, then regard them as your brethren in faith and as allies.9 You will not be taken to task for your mistaken utterances, but you will be taken to task for what you say deliberately.10 Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate.11
(33:6) Surely the Prophet has a greater claim over the believers than they have over each other,12 and his wives are their mothers.13 According to the Book of Allah, blood relatives have greater claim over each other than the rest of the believers and the Emigrants (in the cause of Allah), except that you may do some good to your allies (if you so wish).14 This is inscribed in the Book of Allah.
(33:7) And call to mind, (O Prophet), when We took the covenant from all Prophets; and also from you and Noah and Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary. We took from them a solemn covenant15
(33:8) so that (their Lord) may question the truthful about their truthfulness.16 As for the unbelievers, He has kept a painful chastisement in store for them.17
1. As we have pointed out in our Introduction to this surah, these verses were revealed after Zayd had divorced Zaynab. The Prophet (peace be on him) himself felt the need to strike a severe blow at the jahili practice of adoption and the superstitious notions associated with it.
God had also hinted to him that the time had come to do away with that institution and that he should go ahead and marry Zaynab, the divorced wife of his adopted son, Zayd. This would prove to be the final step in eradicating this institution.
The Prophet (peace be on him), however, was reluctant. The unbelievers and hypocrites were already filled with rage and rancor against him because of a succession of accomplishments. He, therefore, felt that his marrying Zaynab might provide them with a scandalous pretext, one which they would use to discredit him. This, in turn, would damage the cause of Islam. The Prophet (peace be on him) was not so much worried about his personal reputation, but rather more concerned about the harm this might do to Islam’s cause. He was worried lest the ensuing storm of malicious propaganda might have a negative influence on those who were favorably inclined towards Islam. Furthermore, those whose attitude towards Islam was one of neutrality might also become hostile to Islam. At the same time, the Muslims who had not by then acquired full intellectual maturity might begin to entertain doubts about their faith. In view of all this, the Prophet (peace be on him) felt that it was not expedient to marry Zaynab for this might adversely affect the larger interests of Islam.
2. At the very outset, God removes the Prophet's concerns mentioned above (see n. 1). The purport of what is being said here is to stress that God knows best wherein lie the interests of the faith He had ordained.
Likewise, He knows best when certain steps should be taken and others avoided. The Prophet (peace be on him) should, therefore, not act in any manner that would conform with the wishes of the unbelievers and hypocrites. Rather, he should do what God directs him to do. It is God, not the unbelievers and hypocrites, Who ought to be held in awe.
3. This verse is addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), to his Companions as well as to Islam’s detractors. The fact that the Prophet (peace be on him) is patiently enduring his enemies’ assaults on his personal integrity is not hidden from Him. Likewise, God is fully informed about the Muslims who are steadfast in their loyalty and devotion to the Prophet (peace be on him) as well as those who succumb to doubts and suspicions about him. As for the unbelievers and hypocrites, they are told that God is perfectly cognizant of their vicious efforts to malign the Prophet (peace be on him). Indeed, all will be rewarded or punished in accordance with their conduct.
4. This again is addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him) who is directed to discharge the duty entrusted to him and to place his full trust in God. He is also asked not to be intimidated even if all mankind is arrayed against him. Once a person knows for sure that a certain command is from God, he should feel convinced that Islam’s best interests will be served by carrying out that command. Once that is clear, it should no longer be his concern to decide about the dictates of wisdom and public interest; rather, he should fully trust God and follow His command. Such is God that one should entrust all one’s affairs to Him because He is sufficient both to guide man as well as to come to his aid. It is also reassuring that God guarantees that anyone who acts as directed by Him will not face misfortune.
5. That is, a person cannot be a true believer and a hypocrite, truthful and liar, virtuous and wicked at one and the same time. Obviously no one has been endowed with two hearts: one filled with faithful devotion and the other bereft of God-fearing-ness. One can either be a true believer or a hypocrite, be a Muslim or an unbeliever. To call a Muslim a hypocrite or a hypocrite a Muslim does not change the reality: a person will either be one or the other.
6. Zihar was a technical term commonly used by the Arabs. In the time of Jahiliyah, a husband would tell his wife, in a fit of anger, that her back for him was like the back of his own mother. This signified that his wife would henceforth be forbidden to him. God makes it clear that a man’s simple utterance about a woman being like his mother does not change his wife into his mother. The man’s mother can only be the woman who gave birth to him. In other words, calling one’s wife one’s mother does not make any difference as regards the real status of the relationship. (It should be noted that the purpose of this verse is not to prescribe detailed laws in regard to zihar; those laws are laid down in Surah al-Mujadalah, 58:2-4.)
7. This is the main purpose of the verse. The two things said above are by way of argument to stress that a person does not truly become another person’s son merely by his calling him so.
8. The first impact of this injunction was that Zayd was no longer called Zayd ibn Muhammad but rather as Zayd ibn Harithah. (Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Bab Ud‘uhum li’ Aba’ihim...; Muslim, Kitab al-Fada’il, Bab Fada’il Zayd ibn Harithah; Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Tafsir, Bab Surah al-Ahzab and Nasa’, Kitab al-Nikah Bab Tazawwuj al-Mawla al-‘Arabiyyah in a tradition on the authority of ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar.) In light of this verse, it was forbidden for anyone to ascribe his paternity to anyone other than his father. Bukhari, Muslim and Aba Daud narrated the Prophet's following saying as reported by Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas: “Whoever knowingly calls someone his father other than his own father will be forbidden from entering Paradise.” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Fara’id, Bab man Idda‘a ila Ghayr Abihi; Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Bab Hal Iman man Raghiba...and Abu Da’ud, Bab fi Rajul Yantami ila Ghayr Mawalihi. — Ed.) There are other traditions as well that embody the same principle and declare this act to be a major sin.
9. This forbids false ascription of lineage.
10. There is no harm if someone calls another person his son by way of endearment. Likewise, there is no harm if a person were to affectionately call someone his mother or father, brother or sister. However, it is quite objectionable if he were to say this in the sense that the person concerned has indeed become his mother or father, son or daughter, and that they enjoy the same rights as laid down for blood relatives.
11. One meaning of this is that God has forgiven all their past lapses in this regard and they will not be taken to task for those lapses. The second meaning is that God does not punish people for acts they did not deliberately commit.
12. Muslims’ relationship with the Prophet (peace be on him) stands on a higher pedestal than all other relationships. In fact, no relationship bears any comparison with a Muslim’s relationship with the Prophet (peace be on him). For his part, the Prophet (peace be on him) is more tender and compassionate towards Muslims than even their own parents. The same is true for his deep, passionate concern for their well-being. It is possible that a person’s parents or his own children might harm him, act selfishly towards him, mislead him, or prompt him to commit misdeeds that would push him towards Hell. None of this, however, is conceivable with regard to the Prophet (peace be on him); for he can do only that which is most - conducive to every person’s best interests. Even though someone might decide to go along the path of self-destruction, the Prophet's advice and guidance will always be that which is most beneficial to him. In view of this, Muslims are obliged to cherish the Prophet (peace be on him) more than everyone else, including themselves, their parents and their children.
They should love him more than anything and anyone in the world, and give preference to the Prophet's opinions and judgements rather than to their own. This idea is clearly expressed in the following hadith: “None of you can be a true believer unless you hold me dearer than your parents, children and all others.” (Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Bab Hub al-Rasul min al- Iman and Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Bab Wujub Mahabbat al-Rasul.) There is some slight variation in the wording of the hadith in these two works.
13. While the believers may marry their mothers by adoption, it is forbidden for them to marry the Prophet’s wives, for they are mothers for all believers. Marrying them is forbidden to Muslims in the same way as marrying their own mothers. This was laid down exclusively for the Prophet (peace be on him) and is applicable to no one else.
It is noteworthy that the Prophet's wives are known as the “mothers of the believers” in the sense that it is obligatory for Muslims to hold them in very high esteem; hence, they may not marry them. In all other respects, however, they are not their mothers. For instance, all Muslims, except those who are their kin, will not be reckoned as their maharim (those with whom marriage is forbidden), and they will be required to observe hijab with them. Likewise, the daughters of the Prophet’s daughters are not the foster-sisters of all Muslims and, hence, it is not forbidden to marry them. Nor is it forbidden for Muslims to marry the brothers and sisters of ‘the Prophet’s wives on the grounds that they are their aunts and uncles.
The same applies to shares in their inheritance, which should not go to any Muslim not related to the Prophet’s wives by ties of kinship.
It should be noted that this exalted status of the Prophet’s wives is a privilege enjoyed by all his wives, including, of course, ‘A’ishah.
This point is significant because a section of people places only ‘Ali, Fatimah and their children at the center stage of Islam. These people try to discredit ‘A’ishah along with numerous other Companions, hurling all sorts of accusations at them. However, they will not be able to make” much headway in their maligning campaign for they will be confronted with this Qur’anic verse, which asks everyone who lays claim to being a believer, to recognize the Prophet's wives as his mothers. To wriggle out of this difficult situation, these people make the bizarre claim that the Prophet (peace be on him) authorized ‘Ali to divorce any of his wives after his demise and to let those whom he [that is, ‘Ali] liked continue to be his wives. Abu Mansur Ahmad ibn Abi Talib al-Tabrasi makes this outrageous claim in his Kitab al-Ihtijaj, which has been reproduced as follows by Sulayman ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Bahrani: “The Prophet (peace be on him) told ‘Ali: ‘O Abi al-Hasan! This privilege remains as long as we remain obedient to God. So, if any of my wives rises in revolt against you and disobeys God, divorce her and deprive her of the privilege of being ‘mother of the believers’”.
This report is obviously devoid of any substance according to the accepted canons of hadith transmission. Furthermore, in the light of verses 28-29 and 51-52 of this surah, it even conflicts with the Qur'an itself. The fact that the Prophet (peace be on him) forfeited the right to divorce any of his wives who had opted for his company is evident from verse 29 of the surah. (This point is further elaborated in nn. 42 and 93 below.) Were one to objectively study the above mentioned report, one is bound not only to dismiss it as absurd but also as a sheer fabrication, one " that is insulting to the Prophet (peace be on him). This because it depicts him in a very poor light. Not even an ordinary decent person, let alone a Messenger of God, can be expected to consider divorcing his wives after his death or of authorizing his son-in-law to divorce them on his behalf if they subsequently have any dispute with him. This lays bare the falsity of such people’s claims to have overflowing love and reverence for the Prophet's family and the Prophet (peace be on him) himself. In fact, it also shows the scant respect they have for God’s commands.
14. This verse elucidates that with the exception of the Prophet (peace be on him), who holds a unique position in the eyes of Muslims, the mutual relations among Muslims will be based on the principle that one’s kith and kin receive priority over all other Muslims in matters such as charity, Zakah and inheritance. It is improper to neglect one’s own parents, wives, children and one’s brothers and sisters and give charity to others.
As regards Zakah, one should first give it to the deserving amongst one’s next of kin and then to other needy people. The same principle applies to inheritance. The property left behind by a deceased person is inherited by his closely related kin. A Muslim may help others with gifts, by making waqf in their favor, or by specifying something for them in his will. One’s heirs, however, cannot be denied their due share of inheritance in order - to provide benefit to others.
In effect, this verse puts an end to that special nexus of brotherhood that had been established between the Muhdajirun and the Ansar after the Prophet’s migration to Madinah. Before the promulgation of this rule, those Muhajirun and Ansar who had been bound in this tie of brotherhood inherited each other. God, however, replaced this by promulgating the laws of inheritance, which only take into account blood ties. One may, nonetheless, if one so wants, give any of one’s brethren-in-faith whatever one likes as a gift or by means of bequest.
15. God reminds the Prophet (peace be on him) that like other Messengers he had entered into a covenant with God that he must faithfully honor. As to the exact nature of the covenant, it appears from the context that it refers to the Messenger’s commitment to obey God’s every command. and to make others do the same. A Messenger is also charged with the duty to faithfully transmit whatever comes to him from God and to exert his efforts in order that God’s commands are put into effect. At other places, too, the Qur’an speaks of this covenant: He has prescribed for you the religion which He enjoined upon Noah and which We revealed to you (O Muhammad), and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus, commanding: “Establish this religion and do not split up regarding it” (al-Shura 42:13).
Recall when God took a covenant from those who were given the Book: “You shall explain it to people and not hide it” (Al ‘Imran 3:187).
And recall when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: “You shall serve none but God ...” (al-Baqarah 2:83).
Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them? “Hold firmly to that which We have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may guard against evil” (al-A ‘raf 7:169 and 171).
Remember Allah’s favor upon you and His covenant which He made with you when you said: “We have heard and we obey” (al-Ma’idah 5:7).
What prompts the mention of this covenant in the present context is that the Prophet (peace be on him) was initially somewhat reluctant to put an end to the pre-Islamic custom of adoption because he apprehended severe opposition from Islam’s enemies. He felt especially bashful about marrying Zaynab because Islam’s enemies would misconstrue this marriage as one motivated by sensuality; further, that they would do so in disregard of the Prophet's utter sincerity in his bid to bring about social reform. He also perceived that his opponents would discredit him as one who wore the cloak of reform, though his real concerns were those of the flesh. Accordingly, God reminds the Prophet (peace be on him) that like His other Messengers, he too is required to carry out God’s commands and to ask others to do the same. He should, therefore, disregard the taunts and derisions of his opponents. He should neither be afraid of nor feel shy in the face of his detractors but should rather concentrate on performing the duty assigned to him by God.
Some people construe this to refer to the covenant which was made with earlier Prophets and their respective communities obliging them to believe in and support those Prophets who would come later. (Al ‘Imran 3:81.) In the light of this interpretation, these people subscribe to the notion that even after the Prophet Muhammad’s advent, another Prophet is possible. In other words, they think that since such a covenant was made with the Prophet (peace be on him), his community is bound to follow the Prophet who comes after him! It is quite clear from the context of the present verse, however, that this is an altogether flawed interpretation. The context does not admit any possibility for the advent of any Prophet after Muhammad (peace be on him). Nor is the Prophet's community bound to believe in the Prophet hood of any such claimant. The content of the verse also reveals that were this interpretation to be accepted, the verse would look altogether odd and incongruous. Besides, its wording also has no suggestion to this effect.
In order to ascertain the nature and meaning of the covenant, the only thing we can do is to refer to those Qur’anic verses that speak of covenants with Prophets. Had the Qur’an mentioned only a single covenant, and that too, about the requirement to believe in those Prophets who will appear later, some allowance could have been made for the above interpretation. However, anyone conversant with the Qur’an recognizes that it refers to a number of covenants that were variously made with Prophets and their communities. Therefore, the meaning of the word “covenant” this verse is determined in keeping with its context, rather than arbitrarily. Such false and tendentious interpretations betray the fact that some people do not turn to the Qur’an for guidance but instead arbitrarily read their own ideas into it.
16. That is, God did not simply make a covenant but will also call the people concerned to account and see how true they were to their covenant.
Those who fulfilled the requisites of the covenant will be reckoned as God’s true servants.
17. For a better appreciation of these verses, one should study them in conjunction with verses 36-41 of this surah.