Commentary:

The masculine gender of the verb یقنت is used because of the subject من which is invariably followed by a verb in the masculine gender.

Commentary:

The wives of the Holy Prophet are here enjoined to preserve the dignity of their very exalted position and to conduct themselves with due propriety and decorum while talking to members of the opposite sex.

By implication all Muslim women are included in this injunction. They are expected to be kind and gentle in speech but their gentleness should not be misunderstood by any evilly-inclined person for pliancy and softness.

19:56; 20:133.

Important Words:

رجس (uncleanness) is derived from رجس (rajasa) which means, it was or became dirty or filthy or unclean or hated; he did a bad or evil action. رجس (rijsun) means, dirt or filth; a dirty or filthy thing; a thing or action disliked for its filthiness; a sin; an action that leads to punishment; doubt; infidelity; suggestion of the devil (Lane & Aqrab). See also 5:91.

Commentary:

The words "stay in your houses" show that the principal sphere of the activities of a woman is her house—not that she is not allowed to leave its four walls. She may go out as many times as she may require for the performance of a legitimate errand or the satisfaction of a legitimate need. But to move about in a mixed society and take part in all sorts of avocations and professions, shoulder to shoulder with man, and to do so to the neglect and detriment of her special domestic duties as the mistress of the house is not the Islamic conception of ideal womanhood. The Holy Prophet’s wives were particularly required to "stay in their houses" because the dignity of their exalted position as "Mothers of the Faithful" demanded this and also because Muslims often visited them to pay their respects and sought necessary information and guidance from them on all important religious matters.

The commandment seems to apply only to the wives of the Holy Prophet but it equally applies to all Muslim women. It is the Quranic way of address that while it appears to be particularly addressing the Holy Prophet, the address is meant equally for all Muslims. Similarly, a commandment addressed to the wives of the Holy Prophet applies also to all Muslim women.

The expression اھل البیت applies principally and primarily to the Holy Prophet’s wives. This is quite clear from the context and also from vv. 11:74 and 28:13. In its wider sense, however, it includes all members of a family who form one’s household, even one’s children and children’s children. The expression had also been used by the Holy Prophet for some of his select Companions. سلمان منا اھل البیت i.e. "Salman is member of our household" (Saghir), is a well-known saying of the Holy Prophet.

Commentary:

The Holy Prophet’s noble consorts were required not only to serve as model of virtue, piety and righteousness for the Faithful but to teach them the principles and precepts of Islam which they had learnt direct from the Prophet.

9:112.

Commentary:

This verse embodies a most effective repudiation of the charge that Christian missionaries and publicists are in the habit of levelling at Islam, viz. that it accords a lower status to women. The Quran has repeatedly said that Muslim women stand on the same level with Muslim men, and that they can attain to all those spiritual heights to which men can attain. Besides, Islam confers on women all the political and social rights which men enjoy. Only their spheres of activities being different, their duties are different. It is this difference in duties of both the sexes that has been mistakenly, or perhaps deliberately, misunderstood by hostile critics of Islam as implying a lower status for women.

The ten outstanding attributes of Muslim men and women mentioned in this verse have been appropriately described in an ascending order.

The first stage of the spiritual development of a believer is that of اسلام which in this verse has been used in the sense of intellectual acceptance of truth. The next stage is that of ایمان which implies the giving of peace and safety to others and testifying to the Divinely-revealed Teaching. At the stage of اسلام a Muslim accepts truth because reason and common sense demand of him this acceptance, while at the stage of ایمان he combines emotions and feelings with reason, and becomes intellectually and emotionally a true believer. The third stage of spiritual development is that of قنوت which signifies total obedience to God’s commandments. At this stage the spiritual wayfarer finds himself irresistibly attracted towards his Creator, and his submission to Divine commandments proceeds from his love for the Supreme Being. The next stage in the spiritual journey is reached when a believer becomes صادق which means that he identifies himself completely with truth, and faces trials and temptations with complete equanimity. His faith becomes pure and free from all dross of hypocrisy and love of worldly things. The fifth stage is that of صبر; when identification with truth becomes a permanent feature of a believer’s character. The stage of خشوع is a still higher stage in spiritual progress. It indicates an attitude of humility which the believer develops after he has gained complete victory over trials and tribulations consequent upon the growing consciousness of his own weakness and that of the perfection and completeness of the Divine Being. The next stage is that of متصدق. At this stage the believer becomes conscious that he is not to live for himself alone but should share God-given blessings with other fellow beings. At the stage of صائم which is the next high spiritual stage the believer learns to sacrifice his own legitimate needs and comforts for the benefit of others and at the ninth stage of حافظین فروجھم he scrupulously guards all the avenues through which sin can find access to his mind. At the tenth stage i.e. الذا کرین الله, which is the last stage and which forms the climax of spiritual growth and development, the believer is so completely engrossed in God as to have become lost in His remembrance.

4:66.

Commentary:

The verse under comment continues the general theme of the preceding verses, viz. that believers should try as far as possible, to subordinate their own desires to the desire of the Holy Prophet and when he has given his decision regarding an affair, they should accept it unhesitatingly without the least mental reservation. The immediate occasion for the revelation of this verse may have been Zainab’s hesitation to comply with the Holy Prophet’s greatly cherished wish that she should marry Zaid, his freed slave. It goes to Zainab’s credit that in deference to the Prophet’s wish she agreed to her marriage with Zaid, much against her personal inclination. Zainab’s marriage with Zaid and their subsequent separation has been dealt with in some detail in the next verse. It is, however, wrong to assume, as some commentators have mistakenly assumed, that the Holy Prophet pressed and compelled Zainab against her will to accept Zaid as her husband. It being inconsistent with Islamic teaching, the Holy Prophet could not have done this. Zainab only deferred to the wish of the Holy Prophet.

Important Words:

وطرا (want) has no verb. It means, a want, a need, an object of want or need; or that which one proposes to accomplish or of which one is desirous. They say قضی منه وطرہ i.e. he accomplished or obtained his want from him (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

As the verse deals with an incident of very great historical importance, it demands and deserves a somewhat detailed explanation. Zaid bin Harith, to whom the words "on whom Allah had bestowed favours and on whom thou also had bestowed favours" refer, belonged to the tribe of Kalb. In his childhood he was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Mecca where he was bought by Khadijah’s brother and given over to her. On her marriage with the Holy Prophet Khadijah presented Zaid to him who at once emancipated him. Zaid was so much attached to the Prophet that when later his father and uncle begged of the Holy Prophet to let him go with them as the grief of his separation from home had almost killed his mother, the Prophet readily gave his permission. But Zaid himself flatly refused to part company with the Holy Prophet, exclaiming that he was dearer to him than his father and mother. The Prophet was so deeply touched by Zaid’s fidelity and love for him that he at once declared him (Zaid) to be his son and henceforward Zaid came to be known as the Prophet’s son. Zaid remained throughout his life a most beloved and faithful disciple of the Holy Prophet and sealed his fidelity to Islam and the Prophet with his blood on the battlefield of Mu’tah.

Zainab was the daughter of the Holy Prophet’s aunt, hence a full-blooded Arab, intensely proud of her ancestry and exalted social status. Islam had envisaged and given to the world a civilization and culture in which there were to be no class divisions, no hereditary nobility, no vested interests. All men were to be free and equal in the sight of God. The Holy Prophet wanted to start with his own family the carrying into actual effect of this noble ideal of Islam. He wished to marry Zainab to Zaid, who in spite of having been liberated by the Prophet and called his son, unfortunately still carried the stigma of slavery in the minds of some people. It was exactly this stigma of slavery, this invidious distinction between 'free' and 'slave' which the Holy Prophet sought to remove by Zainab’s marriage to Zaid. In deference to the Holy Prophet’s wish Zainab agreed to the proposal. The purpose of the Holy Prophet was achieved. The marriage levelled to the ground all class distinctions and divisions. It was a practical demonstration of Islam’s noble ideal. The marriage, however, ended in failure, not so much due to a difference in the social status of Zainab and Zaid as to the incompatibility of their dispositions and temperaments and also due to a feeling of inferiority from which Zaid suffered. The failure of the marriage naturally grieved the Holy Prophet. But it also served a very useful purpose. In pursuance of Divine command, as mentioned in the latter part of the verse under comment, the Prophet himself married Zainab, thus cutting at the very root of another obnoxious and deep-seated Arab custom, viz. that it was a sacrilege to marry the wife of one’s adopted son. The custom of adoption was abolished and with it went also this foolish notion. Thus Zainab’s marriage with Zaid served one very noble object and its failure another highly useful purpose.

The words "fear Allah" signify that Zaid wanted to divorce Zainab, and as divorce according to Islam is very hateful in the sight of God, the Holy Prophet exhorted him not to do so.

The clause, "And then…thou shouldst fear Him," may apply to both Zaid and the Holy Prophet. Applying to Zaid it would mean that Zaid did not like that the cause of his separation from Zainab should come to light, perhaps because as the words "fear Allah," indicate the fault lay more with him than with Zainab. As, however, applying to the Holy Prophet, the words would signify that as the marriage between Zaid and Zainab was arranged at his instance and wish, he naturally did not like its breaking. The clause also shows that the Prophet feared that the break-down of the marriage which was arranged by him and which had been entered into in deference to his special wish, but which resulted in an ostensible failure of the experiment in Islamic brotherhood, would cause some mental confusion and uneasiness among people whose faith was weak. This was the anxiety that lay heavy on the Prophet’s heart. The words, "thou didst fear men," seem to point to this fear of his. But, as mentioned above, God had His own purpose in the failure of this marriage. He wanted to show that there was nothing in this failure to be afraid of. On the contrary, it was a blessing in disguise and was intended to serve a great purpose and therefore the Prophet’s fear was unfounded.

Christian and other hostile Critics of Islam pretend to find in the Holy Prophet’s marriage to Zainab a basis for mean attacks on him. It is stated that the Prophet, having by chance seen Zainab, became enamoured of her beauty and Zaid, having come to know of his desire to marry her, sought divorce from her. The fact that the Holy Prophet’s most inveterate enemies, before whose eyes the whole affair had actually taken place, dared not attribute the base motives ascribed to him by these critics after so many centuries, completely knocks the bottom from under this base and totally unfounded charge. Zainab was the Prophet’s own cousin and being so closely related to him he must have seen her many times, for "Purdah" had not as yet been enjoined. Besides, it was in deference to his own persistently expressed wish that Zainab had reluctantly agreed to marry Zaid. It is on record that she and her brother had desired before her marriage with Zaid that she should be taken in marriage by the Holy Prophet himself. What wasit that prevented the Holy Prophet from marrying her when she was a virgin and when she herself ardently desired to get married to him? The whole story evidently seems to be a figment of the "fertile" imagination of the Holy Prophet’s hostile critics and it is an insult to human intellect to give the least credence to it. But while there are some Christian critics like Muir and Margoliouth who find fault with the Holy Prophet for having married Zainab, there are others better informed and more honest like the good and noble Rev. Bosworth Smith who found nothing in this marriage to cavil at. The Rev, gentleman says:

"It should be remembered, however, that most of Mohammed’s marriages may be explained, at least, as much by his pity for the forlorn condition of the persons concerned, as by other motives. They were almost all of them widows who were not remarkable either for their beauty or their wealth, but quite the reverse. May not this fact, and his undoubted faithfulness to Khadijah till her dying day, and till he himself was fifty years of age, give us additional ground to hope that calumny or misconception has been at work in the story of Zainab" - ("Mohammed and Mohammedanism").

Commentary:

The reference in the words, "that which Allah has made incumbent upon him," and "the command of Allah is a decree ordained," is to the Holy Prophet’s marriage with Zainab. The words show that this marriage took place in obedience to express Divine command.

67:13.

Commentary:

Though the Holy Prophet knew that Zainab being the divorced wife of Zaid known to be his adopted son, his marriage to her would give rise to much criticism among the Arabs, he did not at all hesitate to marry her when he found that it was God’s command to do so. In the performance of his sacred mission the Holy Prophet never cared for the feelings and susceptibilities of anybody. In fact, God’s Prophets do not fear anyone in the discharge of their duties. So, the words "thou didst fear men" in v. 38 should be taken as signifying that the Holy Prophet did not fear men but he feared for them, lest by regarding Zainab’s marriage with Zaid a miscalculation of the Prophet, they might injure their own souls.

Important Words:

خاتم النبیین (Seal of the Prophets). خاتم (Khatam) is derived from ختم. They say ختم الشیء او ختم علیه i.e. he sealed, stamped, impressed or imprinted the thing or he put the seal on it. This is the primary signification of this word. Or the primary signification of ختم (khatmun) is the act of covering over the thing. It also signifies the protecting of what is in a writing by marking or stamping a piece of clay upon it, or by means of a seal of any kind. ختم الشیء also means, he reached the end of the thing. ختم القرآن means, he recited the whole of the Quran. This is the secondary meaning of the word. Thus خاتم(khatam) means, a signet-ring; a seal or stamp and a mark; the end or last part or portion and result or issue of a thing; the hollow of the back of the neck. The words ختم (khatmun) and خاتم (khatim and khatam) are almost synonymous and mean a signet. خاتم (khatam) also signifies, embellishment or ornament, the best and most perfect (Lane, Aqrab, Mufradat, Fath & Zurqani). So the expression خاتم النبیین would mean, the Seal of the Prophets; the best and most perfect of the Prophets; the embellishment and ornament of the Prophets. Secondarily, the expression may also mean, the last of the Prophets.

Commentary:

Much confusion and misunderstanding seems to prevail as to what is the real spiritual status and position of the Holy Prophet as indicated by the expression خاتم النبیین i.e. the Seal of the Prophets. A careful study of the context, however, removes the prevalent misconception. At Mecca when all the Holy Prophet’s male children died in their childhood, his enemies taunted him with being أبتر (one who has no male issue), meaning that in the absence of male heirs to succeed him his movement would sooner or later come to an end (Muhit). In answer to this taunt of disbelievers it was emphatically declared in Surah Al-Kausar (الکوثر) that not the Holy Prophet but his enemies would remain issueless. After the revelation of Surah Al-Kausar the idea naturally found favour with the early Muslims that the Holy Prophet would be blessed with sons who would live to an adult age. The verse under comment removed that misconception inasmuch as it declared that the Prophet is not, never was, nor will ever be the father of any grownup young men (رجالmeaning grown-up young men). The verse under comment while appearing to be in conflict with Surah Al-Kausar in which not the Holy Prophet but his enemies have been threatened with being issueless, in reality seeks to set at rest doubts and misgivings to which this seeming contradiction gives rise. It says that the Holy Prophet is رسول الله i.e. the spiritual father of a whole Ummat and he is also خاتم النبیین signifying that he is the spiritual father of all the past and future Prophets. So when he is the spiritual father of all the believers and all Prophets, how can he be said to be أبتر i.e. issueless. But if the expression be taken to mean that the Holy Prophet is the last of the Prophets and that no Prophet will come after him, then the verse appears to be out of tune with the context and instead of refuting the objection of disbelievers that the Holy Prophet was issueless, supports and reinforces it.

Briefly, according to the meaning of the word خاتم the expression خاتم النبیین can have four possible meanings:

(1) That the Holy Prophet was the Seal of the Prophets, i.e. no Prophet, past or future, can be regarded as true unless his prophethood bears the seal of the Holy Prophet. The prophethood of every past Prophet must be confirmed and testified to by the Holy Prophet and nobody can attain to prophethood after him except by being his أمتی (follower). All claims to prophethood must be judged and tested by reference to the revelation received by the Holy Prophet and to his teachings.

(2) That the Holy Prophet was the best, the noblest and the most perfect of all the Prophets and that he was also a source of embellishment for them (Zurqani, Sharah Mawahibul-Ladunniyya).

(3) That the Holy Prophet was the last of the Law-bearing Prophets. This interpretation has been accepted by many eminent Muslim theologians, saints and savants such as Ibn ‘Arabi, Shah Wali-Allah, Imam ‘AliQari, Mujaddid Alif Thani, etc. According to these great scholars and saints، no Prophet can come after the Holy Prophet who should abrogate his Millah or should not be in his Ummah (Futuhat, Tafhimat, Mukatabat & Yawaqit wal Jawahir). ‘A’ishah, the talented spouse of the Holy Prophet, has removed all ambiguity about the meaning of the expression خاتم النبیین. She is reported to have said: قولوا انه خاتم النبیین ولا تقولوا لا نبی بعدہ i.e. Say that he (the Holy Prophet) is خاتم النبیین but do not say that there will be no Prophet after him (Manthur). This saying of ‘A’ishah makes it quite clear that the expression خاتم النبیین and لانبی بعدہ were considered by her to be contradictory to each other in meaning and significance.

(4) That the Holy Prophet was the last of the Prophets, but only in this sense that all the qualities and attributes of prophethood found their most perfect and complete consummation and expression in him; خاتم in the sense of being the last word in excellence and perfection is of common use.

Moreover, the Quran clearly speaks of the advent of Prophets after the Holy Prophet. The following two verses leave no ambiguity on this point:

And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these (4:70).

O children of Adam! if Messengers come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing My Signs come unto you, then whoso shall fear God and do good deeds, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve (7:36).

The Holy Prophet himself was clear in his mind as to the continuity of prophethood after him. He is reported to have said: "If Abraham (his son) had lived long, he would have been a Prophet" (Majah, Kitabul-Janai’z), and, "Abu Bakr is best of men after me, except that a Prophet should appear" (Kanzul-‘Ummal).

4:104; 8:46; 62:11.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that the remembrance of God will play a great part in the wonderful revolution that the Holy Prophet will bring about among his people by his noble example.

3:42; 19:12.

2:258; 14:6; 57:10; 65:12.

Commentary:

The Surah under comment primarily deals with the domestic life of the Holy Prophet and tells us, how it was not only pure and beyond reproach but was an ideal and exemplary one. The present and the next few verses serve as a prelude to the real subject of marriage and divorce in relation to the Prophet, which begins with v. 50 below. The marriages of the Holy Prophet have been subjected to much mean and vile criticism. To this a somewhat detailed reference has already been made (33:38). The present verse, however, means to say that that great and noble Prophet who brought about such a wonderful revolution in the lives of his people and "brought them forth from darkness into light" could not be the type of man his traducers vainly try to depict him.

The words یصلی علیکم when used about God mean, "He sends down blessings upon you," but when used about the angels or the believers they mean, "they pray for you."

10:11; 36:59.

25:57; 35:25; 48:9.

Commentary:

In this and the next verse five prominent qualities of the Holy Prophet have been mentioned to show that he possesses all the necessary qualifications which a spiritual leader who is entrusted with the divine mission "to bring men out of darkness into light," should possess; (1) he is a witness i.e. a promulgator of the Law and a model; (2) he is a bearer of glad tidings, i.e. God has not lost interest in men and continues to send His Messengers and Prophets to reclaim lost humanity when there is need for one; (3) he is a Warner telling men that if they did not benefit from his teaching and persisted in their evil ways, they will come to grief; (4) he is a Summoner unto Allah by His command, i.e. he is not a self-appointed Reformer but a Divinely-commissioned teacher; and (5) he is a Lamp that gives light, i.e. now, he alone is "the light and the way."

Commentary:

In this verse the Holy Prophet has been likened to the sun, thus indicating that as the sun is the central point in the physical universe so is the Holy Prophet the central point in the spiritual realm, i.e. he is like the sun in the firmament of Prophets who are like so many stars and moons in comparison with him. He is also like the sun among his own Companions whom he himself has likened to stars. He is reported to have said: My Companions are like so many stars; whomsoever of them you follow you will be rightly guided (Saghir).

18:29; 25:53.

Commentary:

The reference in the words "leave alone their annoyance" might be to the vile attacks that were to be made by evil-minded critics upon the spotless character of the Holy Prophet on account of some of the marriages he had to enter into in the latter part of his life.

2:237.

Commentary:

The words "and send them away in a handsome manner" signify (1) that no reproach or disgrace should be considered to be attached to divorce; (2) that the divorced woman should ordinarily be paid more than her part of the stipulated dower, and (3) that after divorce her freedom to act as she likes with regard to herself should not be interfered with.

Commentary:

This verse should be read along with vv. 29 and 30 above. In those verses the wives of the Holy Prophet were offered a choice between the companionship of the Holy Prophet and the material benefits and comforts of life, but they preferred the Prophet’s company. The present verse by implication refers to that reply of the Prophet’s consorts which is recorded in the books of history but expressly nowhere in the Quran. Till they gave their reply, the marital relations between them and the Holy Prophet remained, as it were, in a state of suspension. The verse shows that while the wives of the Holy Prophet preferred his company to material goods and amenities of life, he too had great consideration for their feelings, and though he was given the choice to retain such of them as he liked (v. 52) he did not exercise the choice and in deference to his wishes God permitted him in the present verse to retain all his wives.

The verse refers to three kinds of women whom the Holy Prophet could marry in addition to his already wedded wives: (1) Women who were taken prisoner in wars against Islam; (2) women who had migrated to Medina with the Holy Prophet, and (3) a woman who should offer herself for marriage to him. This shows that the Holy Prophet’s marriages were motivated by considerations other than sensuous gratification as his ignorant and mischievous critics try to depict. Those who had left their hearths and homes for the sake of Islam and those whose husbands had been killed in wars fighting in defence of Islam had special claim on the Holy Prophet’s consideration. It is in view of these considerations that he married most of his wives. He married Hafsah whose husband was killed in the Battle of Badr; Zainab bint Khuzaimah whose husband was killed in the Battle of Uhud; Ummi Salmah whose husband died in 4 A.H., and Ummi Habibah, daughter of Abu Sufyan, who became a widow in 5 or 6 A.H. (in exile in Abyssinia). He married Juwairiyyah and Safiyyah, both widows, in 5 A.H. and 7 A.H. respectively, seeking a union with and pacification of their tribes. It is worthy of note that a hundred families of the Banu Mustaliq were liberated by Muslims when the Holy Prophet married Juwairiyyah. Maimunah, another widow, it is said, offered herself to be taken in marriage by the Holy Prophet which offer he condescended to accept in the interest of the education and training of Muslim women. He married Zainab, the divorced wife of Zaid in 5 A.H. in order to put a stop to a foolish custom prevailing among the Arabs and in order also to assuage her wounded feelings as the respected lady had felt deeply humiliated at being divorced by Zaid. He married Mariah in 7 A.H., and thus by raising a freed slave girl to the highly eminent spiritual status of the "Mother of the Faithful", he gave a death blow to slavery. Such were the pious and righteous motives of our noble Master in marrying widows and divorced women, by no means noted for their youth or beauty, and yet his cruel and mean traducers vainly try to depict him as a person who was given to gratifying his carnal desires. They deliberately ignore the patent fact that up to the age of 25 he lived the spotless life of a celibate. Then in the prime of his youth he married a lady fifteen years his senior and lived with her a most happy life till he was an old man of fifty and she about sixty-five. After her death he married Saudah, another lady of a very advanced age. He married all his other wives, to which exception has been taken by evil-minded carpers, between 2 A.H. and 7 A.H., a period when he was constantly engaged in active fighting and his life was perpetually in danger and the fate of Islam itself hung in the balance. Could any sane person in such situation of danger and uncertainty conceive of contracting marriage after marriage from motives attributed to the Holy Prophet? After this he lived for about three years as virtual ruler of the whole of Arabia when all the comforts and amenities of life were at his disposal and yet he entered into no further marriage. Does not this fact alone establish the honesty and sincerity of the Holy Prophet’s motives in marrying his wives?

The words "if she entrusts herself to the Prophet" have been taken as specially referring to Maimunah who is reported to have offered herself to be taken into marriage by the Holy Prophet. The clause, "This provision is only for thee as against other believers," means that it was a special privilege of the Holy Prophet and was due to the special nature of his duties as a Divine Prophet. In fact, marriages of the Holy Prophet were dictated by much higher and nobler considerations than merely personal ones. The clause may also refer to the special permission granted to the Holy Prophet, to retain all his wives, after the commandment contained in 4:4 was revealed, limiting to four the number of wives allowed to Muslims at one time.

The words, "We have already made known what We have enjoined on them concerning their wives," refer to the commandment contained in 4:4.

Important Words:

ترجی (thou mayest defer) is derived from رجأ. They say أرجأ الامر i.e. he postponed, put off, deferred or delayed an affair. The Quranic expression, مرجون لامر الله (9:107) means, those about whom decision has been deferred for the decree of Allah (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

Whereas on the one hand the wives of the Holy Prophet were given the option to choose between his company and the material comforts of life and worldly goods (33:29-30), on the other the Holy Prophet was also given the same choice to retain, or part with, any of his wives. All his wives lost no time in indicating their preference. They chose to cast in their lot with the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet, on his part, was equally considerate. He signified his intention to retain all of them. This decision of the Prophet greatly pleased them. This is the meaning of the words: That they may all be pleased with that which thou hast given them.

The present and the previous verse contain permissive regulations for the Holy Prophet, but the Prophet did not take advantage of any one of them, nor did he put aside or divorce any of his wives.

Commentary:

This verse was revealed in 7 A.H., after which the Holy Prophet contracted no further marriage. He was prohibited to do so. He was also not permitted to divorce any of the existing wives. This was possibly in deference to their dignity as "Mothers of the Faithful" and perhaps was also due to the fact that they had preferred the rigour and austerity of the Holy Prophet’s domestic life to worldly comforts. God appreciated their sacrifice and forbade the Holy Prophet to marry any more wife or to divorce any one of the existing wives.

The words "Allah is Watchful over all things" may signify that God knew full well the moral responsibilities of the wives of the Holy Prophet. Other women, although they might be superior to them in some respects, were not to be as useful or fitted for the great and noble task which the Prophet’s wives had to perform.

Commentary:

The teaching of social ethics and domestic morals and manners with special reference to the Holy Prophet’s marriage with Zainab and the calumnies and false charges of which the evil-minded hypocrites accused him form the subject of the present verse. Some of the social manners taught in this verse are: One should not enter a house uninvited and when invited one should be punctual. It is as bad to be before time as to be behind time. After meals one should depart, not wasting one’s own and other peoples’ time in the usual post-prandial idle talk. These are some of the rules of social conduct which need to be learnt and observed.

The commandment embodied in the words, "and when you ask them for anything, ask them from behind a curtain," is intended to discourage too much familiarity between the sexes, the pronoun ھن (them) by implication, applying to all women.

The clause, "That is purer for your hearts and their hearts," may mean; (a) that it may lead to purity of thoughts, and (b) that such conduct may protect women from slanderous tongues.

Marriage to the widows of the Holy Prophet has been declared a grievous sin in this verse. Being the "Mothers of the Faithful" it was inconsistent with their spiritual dignity to marry any of their "spiritual sons." Moreover, as wives of the Prophet, they were entrusted with the great task of the spiritual training of Muslim men and women which required utmost reverence for them on their part.

3:30; 40:150.

Commentary:

This verse lays down exceptions to the commandment given in verse 54 above. Women can go before these relations inside the house without observing "Purdah" or can converse freely with them.

Commentary:

The sending down of blessings by Allah and His angels upon the Holy Prophet signifies that those who seek to retard the progress of his cause by slandering him and bringing false accusations against him live in a fool’s paradise. By their nefarious activities they can do him no harm. His cause will continue to progress and prosper because God and His angels bless it.

9:61.

Commentary:

By "maligning Allah" is meant "seeking to retard the cause of truth" and by "maligning His Messenger," is meant "seeking to slander and defame him."

4:113; 24:24.

Commentary:

The word أذی which is infinitive noun from یؤذون means both annoying and maligning.

Important Words:

جلابیب (outer coverings) is the plural of جلباب which is derived from جلب. They say جلببه جلباباً i.e. he put on himself a garment of the kind called جلباب. This word has several meanings; (a) a woman’s outer wrapping garment; this is its primary signification; (b) a shirt; (c) a garment that envelops the whole body; (d) the kind of covering called خمار (e) a garment with which a woman covers her head and bosom; (f) a woman’s head-covering; (g) a garment worn by a woman that entirely envelops the body so that not even a hand is left uncovered; (h) a garment or other thing that one uses as a covering (Lane).

یدنین (draw close) is aorist from أدنی which is transitive verb from دنی which means, he or it was or became near. أدناہ means, he made him draw near. أدنت علیھا ثوبھا means, she let down her garment upon her and veiled herself with it. أدنیت الستر means, I let down the veil, or curtain, for the purpose of concealment (Lane & Aqrab)

Commentary:

This verse contains the basic commandment with regard to "Purdah" as enjoined by Islam. For a full discussion, however, of this subject see 24:32 where the present verse has also been discussed. Briefly, it may be stated here that Islamic "Purdah" is intended to serve a double purpose. It enjoins privacy and recommends decorum and dignified behaviour. Women are not allowed to meet men promiscuously and they are expected to observe certain rules regarding dress when going out of their houses.

Important Words:

مرجفون (who cause agitation) is the plural of مرجف which is active participle from أرجف which is the transitive form of رجفwhich means, it was or became in a state of commotion or agitation, or in a state of violent agitation. رجف القوم means, the people prepared themselves for war. أرجفوا فی الشیء means, they said what was false respecting the thing or they told many evil and false tales respecting the thing in order that the people might become in a state of commotion, agitation or disturbance in consequence thereof. أرجفوا alone means, they said what was false in relating tales of conflicts and factions or discords and the like. They say أرجفوا فی المدینة کذا i.e. they told in the town and country of such a matter, in order that they might cause commotion or agitation, etc. without there being anything thereof true in their estimation (Lane).

لنغرینک (We shall make thee take action against them) is formed from أغرا which is derived from غرا. They say غری به i.e. it adhered to it; he became attached to it; he loved it; he adhered, clung or clove to it. أغراہ به means, he made him to become attached to or fond of it, to adhere, cleave or cling to it; he incited, urged or instigated him to do it. أغریت الکلب بالصید means, I incited, or urged the dog against the game. أغراہ بھم means, he set him upon them or over them; or made him to have masterly dominion or authority over them. The Quranic expression أغری بینھم العداوة means, He cast enmity between them as though he made it cleave to them (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

As the present Surah deals with the vicissitudes through which Islam had to pass during the first few years of its life at Medina, some reference to the Hypocrites and Jews of Medina was called for, as they formed a substantial part of the population of Medina. They sought to put all sorts of obstacles and impediments in the way of Islam, lest it should gain political power and prestige. The main weapon in their armoury against Islam was the spreading of false news. The verse under comment foretold the doom of these people at a time when they thought that their plots and conspiracies against Islam would succeed. After the Battle of the Ditch Banu Quraizah, the last Jewish tribe living in Medina, were severely punished and Medina became completely rid of the Jews. The capacity of the Hypocrites to create mischief also received a severe setback, as the defeat and dispersion of the confederated armies added vastly to the political power and prestige of Islam.

Commentary:

It is an established fact of history that ignominy and humiliation have dogged the footsteps of the ill-fated Jewish people throughout the ages. Their return to Palestine and the establishment of the Republic of Israel seems to be only a temporary phase.

17:78; 35:44; 48:24.

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that it is an invariable Divine practice that the enemies of truth fail in their wicked designs against it and come to grief in the long run. This has happened in the time of every Divine Reformer and Prophet.