Surah 33. Al-Ahzab

[know that] thou mayest put off for a time whichever of them thou pleases", and mayest take unto thee whichever thou pleases"; and [that,] if thou seek out any from whom thou hast kept away [for a time], thou wilt incur no sin [thereby]:⁶² this will make it more likely that their eyes are gladdened [whenever they see thee],⁶³ and that they do not grieve [whenever they are overlooked], and that all of them may find contentment in whatever thou hast to give them: for God [alone] knows what is in your hearts - and God is indeed all-knowing, forbearing.⁶⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus, the Prophet was told that he need not observe a strict "rotation" in the conjugal attentions due to his wives, although he himself, impelled by an inborn sense of fairness, always endeavoured to give them a feeling of absolute equality.

I.e., by the inner certainty that whenever he turned to any of them, he did so on impulse, out of genuine affection, and not out of a sense of marital "obligation".

According to a hadith on the authority of A'ishah, recorded in the Musnad of Ibn Hanbal, the Prophet "used to divide his attentions equitably among his wives, and then would pray: 'O God! I am doing whatever is in my power: do not, then, blame me for [failing in] something which is in Thy power [alone], and not in mine!'- thus alluding to his heart, and to loving some [of his wives] more than others."

You may put off any of your wives you please and take to your bed any of them you please, and there is no blame on you if you call back any of them you had temporarily set aside. This is most proper, so that their eyes may be cooled and they may not grieve, and that they will remain satisfied with what you give them. O believers! Allah knows all that is in your hearts; for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thou canst defer whom thou wilt of them and receive unto thee whom thou wilt, and whomsoever thou desirest of those whom thou hast set aside (temporarily), it is no sin for thee (to receive her again); that is better; that they may be comforted and not grieve, and may all be pleased with what thou givest them. Allah knoweth what is in your hearts (O men) and Allah is Forgiving, Clement.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

No [other] women shall henceforth be lawful to thee⁶⁵ - nor art thou [allowed] to supplant [any of] them by other wives,⁶⁶ even though their beauty should please thee greatly-: [none shall be lawful to thee] beyond those whom thou [already] hast come to possess.⁶⁷ And God keeps watch over everything.

  - Mohammad Asad

Some commentators (e.g., Tabari) assume that this restriction relates to the four categories of women enumerated in verse {50} above: it is, however, much more probable that it is a prohibition barring the Prophet from marrying any woman in addition to those to whom he was already married (Baghawi, Zamakhshari). Some of the earliest, most outstanding authorities on the Qur'an, like Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd (all of them cited by Ibn Kathir), or Al-Hasan al-Basri (quoted by Tabari in his commentary on verses {28-29}), link this prohibition of further marriages with the choice between the charms of worldly life and the good of the hereafter with which the wives of the Prophet were confronted on the strength of verses {28-29}, and their emphatic option for "God and His Apostle" (cf. note [32] above). All those early authorities describe the revelation of verse {52} - and the assurance which it was meant to convey to the wives of the Prophet - as God's reward, in this world, of their faith and fidelity. Since it is inconceivable that the Prophet could have disregarded the categorical injunction, "No [other] women shall henceforth be lawful to thee", the passage in question cannot have been revealed earlier than the year 7 H., that is, the year in which the conquest of Khaybar and the Prophet's marriage with Safiyyah - his last marriage - took place. Consequently, verses {28-29} (with which, as we have seen, verse {52} is closely connected) must have been revealed at that later period, and not, as some commentators think, in the year 5 H. (i.e., at the time of the Prophet's marriage with Zaynab).

I.e., to divorce any of them with a view to taking another wife in her stead (with the prohibitive accent on the "supplanting" - i.e., divorcing - of any of his wives).

In my opinion, the expression ma malakat yaminuka (lit., "what thy right hand possesses", or "has come to possess") has here the same meaning as in 4:24 , namely, "those whom thou hast come to possess through wedlock" (see surah {4}, note [26]); thus, the above verse is to be understood as limiting the Prophet's marriages to those already contracted.

It shall be unlawful for you, O Muhammad, to marry more women after this or to change your present wives with other women, though their beauty may be pleasing to you, however those ladies whom your right hand possess are an exception. Allah takes cognizance of all things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It is not allowed thee to take (other) women henceforth nor that thou shouldst change them for other wives even though their beauty pleased thee, save those whom thy right hand possesseth. And Allah is Watcher over all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

0 YOU who have attained to faith! Do not enter the Prophet's dwellings unless you are given leave; [and when invited] to a meal, do not come [so early as] to wait for it to be readied: but whenever you are invited, enter [at the proper time]; and when you have partaken of the meal, disperse without lingering for the sake of mere talk: that, behold, might give offence to the Prophet, and yet he might feel shy of [asking] you [to leave]: but God is not shy of [teaching you] what is right.⁶⁸ And [as for the Prophet's wives,] whenever you ask them for anything that you need, ask them from behind a screen:⁶⁹ this will but deepen the purity of your hearts and theirs. Moreover, it does not behove you to give offence to God's Apostle - just as it would not behove you ever to marry his widows after he has passed away:⁷⁰ that. verily, would be an enormity in the sight of God.

  - Mohammad Asad

Connecting with the reference, in verses {45-48}, to the Prophet's mission, the above passage is meant to stress his unique position among his contemporaries; but as is so often the case with Qur'anic references to historical events and situations, the ethical principle enunciated here is not restricted to a particular time or environment. By exhorting the Prophet's Companions to revere his person, the Qur'an reminds all believers, at all times, of his exalted status (cf. note [85] on 2:104 ); beyond that, it teaches them certain rules of behaviour bearing on the life of the community as such: rules which, however insignificant they may appear at first glance, are of psychological value in a society that is to be governed by a genuine feeling of brotherhood, mutual consideration, and respect for the sanctity of each other's personality and privacy.

The term hijab denotes anything that intervenes between two things, or conceals, shelters or protects the one from the other; it may be rendered, according to the context, as "barrier", "obstacle", "partition", "screen", "curtain", "veil", etc., in both the concrete and abstract connotations of these words. The prohibition to approach the Prophet's wives otherwise than "from behind a screen" or "curtain" may be taken literally - as indeed it was taken by most of the Companions of the Prophet - or metaphorically, indicating the exceptional reverence due to these "mothers of the faithful".

Lit., "to marry his wives after him".

O believers! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet without permission, nor stay waiting for meal time: but if you are invited to a meal, enter, and when you have eaten disperse and do not seek long conversation. Such behavior annoys the Prophet, he feels shy in asking you to leave, but Allah does not feel shy in telling the truth. If you have to ask his wives for anything, speak to them from behind a curtain. This is more chaste for your hearts and for theirs. It is not proper for you to annoy the Rasool of Allah, nor ever to marry his wives after him; this would be a grievous offence in the sight of Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O ye who believe! Enter not the dwellings of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper time, unless permission be granted you. But if ye are invited, enter, and, when your meal is ended, then disperse. Linger not for conversation. Lo! that would cause annoyance to the Prophet, and he would be shy of (asking) you (to go); but Allah is not shy of the truth. And when ye ask of them (the wives of the Prophet) anything, ask it of them from behind a curtain. That is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not for you to cause annoyance to the messenger of Allah, nor that ye should ever marry his wives after him. Lo! that in Allah's sight would be an enormity.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Whether you do anything openly or in secret, [remember that,] verily, God has full knowledge of everything.

  - Mohammad Asad

Whether you reveal anything or conceal it, surely Allah has full knowledge of all things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Whether ye divulge a thing or keep it hidden, lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[However,] it is no sin for them⁷¹ [to appear freely] before their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or such [male slaves] as their right hands may possess. But [always, O wives of the Prophet,⁷² ] remain con-scious of God - for, behold, God is witness unto everything.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the wives of the Prophet (connecting with the injunction, in verse {53} above, that they should be spoken to "from behind a screen").

This interpolation is conditioned by the feminine gender of the subsequent plural imperitive ittaqina.

There is no blame on the ladies if they appear before their fathers, their sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their familiar women and those whom their right hands possess (slaves). O Ladies! Have fear of Allah: for Allah is a witness to all things.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It is no sin for them (thy wives) (to converse freely) with their fathers, or their sons: or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or the sons of their sisters or of their own women, or their slaves. O women! Keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Witness over all things.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender!

  - Mohammad Asad

Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O believers, call for Allah's blessings on him and salute him with all respect.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, as for those who [knowingly] affront God and His Apostle - God will reject them⁷³ in this world and in the life to come; and shameful suffering will He ready for them.

  - Mohammad Asad

In classical Arabic, the term la'nah is more or less synonymous with ib'ad ("removal into distance" or "banishment"); hence, God's la'nah denotes "His rejection of a sinner from all that is good" (Lisan al-'Arab) or "exclusion from His grace" (Manar II, 50). The term mal'un which occurs in verse {61} below signifies, therefore, "one who is bereft of God's grace".

Surely those who annoy Allah and His Rasool, are cursed by Allah in this world and in the hereafter. He has prepared for them a humiliating punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! those who malign Allah and His messenger, Allah hath cursed them in the world and the Hereafter, and hath prepared for them the doom of the disdained.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And as for those who malign believing men and believing women without their having done any wrong - they surely burden themselves with the guilt of calumny, and [thus] with a flagrant sin!

  - Mohammad Asad

And those who annoy believing men and believing women, for no fault of theirs, shall bear the guilt of slander and an evident sin.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And those who malign believing men and believing women undeservedly, they bear the guilt of slander and manifest sin.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters, as well as all [other] believing women, that they should draw over themselves some of their outer garments [when in public]: this will be more con-ducive to their being recognized [as decent women] and not annoyed.⁷⁴ But [withal,] God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!⁷⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. the first two sentences of 24:31 and the corresponding notes [37] and [38].

The specific, time-bound formulation of the above verse (evident in the reference to the wives and daughters of the Prophet), as well as the deliberate vagueness of the recommendation that women "should draw upon themselves some of their outer garments (min jalabibihinna)" when in public, makes it clear that this verse was not meant to be an injunction (hukm) in the general, timeless sense of this term but, rather, a moral guideline to be observed against the ever-changing background of time and social environment. This finding is reinforced by the concluding reference to God's forgiveness and grace.

O Prophet! Enjoin your wives, daughters and the believing women that they should draw their outer garments over their persons. That is more proper, so that they may be recognized and not bothered. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, that so they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

THUS IT IS: if ⁷⁶ the hypocrites, and they in whose hearts is disease,⁷⁷ and they who, by spreading false rumours, would cause disturbances⁷⁸ in the City [of the Prophet] desist not [from their hostile doings], We shall indeed give thee mastery over them, [O Muhammad] - and then they will not remain thy neighbours in this [city] for more than a little while:⁷⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

For my above rendering of la'in, see surah {30}, note [45]. With this passage, the discourse returns to the theme touched upon in verse {1} and more fully dealt with in verses {9-27}: namely, the opposition with which the Prophet and his followers were faced in their early years at Yathrib (which by that time had come to be known as Madinat an-Nabi, "the City of the Prophet").

See note [16] above.

Thus Zamakhshari, explaining the term al-murjifun in the above context.

I.e., "there will be open warfare between thee and them", which will result in their expulsion from Medina: a prediction which was fulfilled in the course of time.

If the hypocrites, those in whose hearts is malice and the scandal mongers of Madinah do not desist; We shall rouse you against them, and their days in the city - as your neighbors - will be numbered.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and the alarmists in the city do not cease, We verify shall urge thee on against them, then they will be your neighbors in it but a little while.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

bereft of God's grace, they shall be seized wherever they may be found, and slain one and all.⁸⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "slain with [a great] slaying". See in this connection note [168] on 2:191 . For my rendering of mal'unin as "bereft of God's grace", see note [73] above.

They shall be cursed wherever they are found and they shall be seized and killed mercilessly.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Accursed, they will be seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Such has been God's way with those who [sinned in like manner and] passed away aforetime - and never wilt thou find any change in God's way!⁸¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. {35:42-44}, and particularly the last paragraph of verse {43}.

This has been the Way of Allah regarding such people among those who lived before you, and you will never find any change in the Way of Allah.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

That was the way of Allah in the case of those who passed away of old; thou wilt not find for the way of Allah aught of power to change.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

PEOPLE will ask thee about the Last Hour. Say: "Knowledge thereof rests with God alone; yet for all thou knowest, the Last Hour may well be near!"⁸²

  - Mohammad Asad

See 7:187 .

People ask you about the Hour of Doom. Tell them: "Allah Alone has the knowledge of it. Who knows? It may be that the Hour is near at hand."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Men ask you of the Hour. Say: The knowledge of it is with Allah only. What can convey (the knowledge) unto thee? It may be that the Hour is nigh.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Verily, God has rejected the deniers of the truth, and has readied for them a blazing fire,

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely Allah has laid a curse on the unbelievers and has prepared for them a blazing fire;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! Allah hath cursed the disbelievers, and hath prepared for them a flaming fire,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

therein to abide heyond the count of time: no protec-tor will they find, and none to bring them succour.

  - Mohammad Asad

to live therein forever and they shall find no protector or helper.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Wherein they will abide for ever. They will find (then) no protecting friend nor helper.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall