سورة الأحزاب   

Surah Name: Al-Ahzab Meaning: The Confederates

  • Revealed at Madinah
  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 9
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 73
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 33
  • Rukū / Section 7 contains Āyāt / Parts 6
  • Siparah / Volume 21 & 22

bismillah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانتَشِرُوا وَلَا مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَن تَنكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمًا

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tadkhuloo buyoota a(l)nnabiyyi illa an yuthana lakum ila taAAamin ghayra nathireena inahu walakin itha duAAeetum fa(o)dkhuloo faitha taAAimtum fa(i)ntashiroo wala mustaniseena lihadeethin inna thalikum kana yuthee a(l)nnabiyya fayastahyee minkum wa(A)llahu la yastahyee mina alhaqqi waitha saaltumoohunna mataAAan fa(i)saloohunna min warai hijabin thalikum atharu liquloobikum waquloobihinna wama kana lakum an tuthoo rasoola Allahi wala an tankihoo azwajahu min baAAdihi abadan inna thalikum kana AAinda Allahi AAatheema(n)

O you who believe! Enter not the houses of the Prophet-SW, except when leave is given to you, for a meal and at a time that you will have to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, then enter, and when you have had the meal, then disperse, without lingering to enter into familiar discourse. Verily this is heavy on the Prophet-SW, and he-SW is shy of asking you to depart, but Allah-SWT is not shy of the truth. And when you ask of them anything, ask it from behind a curtain. That shall be purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not lawful for you that you should cause annoyance to the Messenger-SW of Allah-SWT , nor that you should ever marry his-SW wives after him-SW; verily that shall be an enormity in the Sight of Allah-SWT .

(33:53)

إِن تُبْدُوا شَيْئًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا

In tubdoo shayan aw tukhfoohu fainna Allaha kana bikulli shayin AAaleema(n)

Whether you disclose a thing or conceal it, verily Allah-SWT is ever Knower of everything.

(33:54)

لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِي آبَائِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَائِهِنَّ وَلَا إِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَاء إِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَاء أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَائِهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ وَاتَّقِينَ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدًا

La junaha AAalayhinna fee abaihinna wala abnaihinna wala ikhwanihinna wala abnai ikhwanihinna wala abnai akhawatihinna wala nisaihinna wala ma malakat aymanuhunna wa(i)ttaqeena Allaha inna Allaha kana AAala kulli shayin shaheeda(n)

It is no sin for them in respect of their fathers or brothers, or their brother’s sons or their sister’s sons or their own women, or those whom their right hands own; and fear Allah-SWT , verily Allah-SWT is ever a Witness of everything.

(33:55)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Inna Allaha wamalaikatahu yusalloona AAala a(l)nnabiyyi ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo salloo AAalayhi wasallimoo tasleema(n)

Verily Allah-SWT and His-SWT angels send their benedictions upon the Prophet-SW. O you who believe! Send you benedictions also upon him-SW and salute him-SW with a goodly salutation.

(33:56)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا

Inna allatheena yuthoona Allaha warasoolahu laAAanahumu Allahu fee a(l)ddunya wa(a)lakhirati waaAAadda lahum AAathaban muheena(n)

Surely those who annoy Allah-SWT and His-SWT Messenger-SW – Allah-SWT has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter, and has prepared for them an ignominious torment.

(33:57)

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا

Wa(a)llatheena yuthoona almumineena wa(a)lmuminati bighayri ma iktasaboo faqadi ihtamaloo buhtanan waithman mubeena(n)

And those who annoy the believing men and women without their deserving it shall surely bear the guilt of calumny and evident sin.

(33:58)
In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

The believers are enjoined not to enter the abodes of the Holy Prophet-SW without permission. And if he-SW invites them for a meal, it is demanded by etiquettes that they should be there on time, so that they do not have to wait for the meal. They must not look around, rather enter with great respect and beg leave as soon as the meal is over. They must never sit to gossip, which causes discomfort to him-SW though he-SW feels shy of expressing it. But Allah-SWT expounds such matters as even the slightest displeasure naturally felt by him-SW might induce heaviness in his-SW heart and impede his-SW Barakah for the believers.

 

The right course of action is the one pronounced by Allah-SWT . If the believers have to ask for something from his-SW wives, they must do so from behind the curtain. This is an etiquette beneficial for both. The Holy Prophet-SW does not like an exposure by nature and it is irritating to him-SW. It does not befit the believers that any act of theirs may cause distress to him-SW. It is also his-SW peculiarity that a woman who enjoyed the status of his-SW wife cannot be married to anyone else after his-SW passing away. Not only is it improper but also a very serious crime with Allah-SWT .

 

Women's Pardah

Details pertaining to the laws of Pardah may be seen in other commentaries of the Quran, especially the commendable Mu'arif al Quran. It suffices to mention here that free mixing of the two sexes may prove to be extremely detrimental.

 

That is why the first addressees of these injunctions pertaining to Pardah are the noble wives of the Holy Prophet-SW. According to these injunctions, a Muslim woman must not display her clothing, jewellery or herself in any gathering or anywhere out door. She must not even unnecessarily step outside her home. Where it becomes inevitable to talk to people, she should not engage in unnecessary dialogue. A woman's voice and the way she talks are also to remain under check and cover. She must never display her jewellery in public, rather she should drape herself up in a wide shawl, and it is preferable to let it droop a little on her face as a cover. Or she can make a Hijab from a piece of cloth. The detrimental effects of its absence can be seen in the Western society at large, and in those Eastern societies that do not observe Pardah.

 

Whether done overtly or covertly, Allah-SWT is Aware of everything. However there is an exemption in this law whereby no Pardah is to be observed from fathers, sons, and brothers, from nephews and from other women, or bondswomen and maids. O’ believing women! Do not take this injunction lightly, and fear Allah-SWT in observing it. And do it thoroughly, as Allah-SWT is surely Watchful over everything.

 

Certainly Allah-SWT’s Mercy is being constantly showered upon His-SWT Prophet-SW. His-SWT angels are also invoking His-SWT Mercy and Blessings upon him-SW around the clock. So the believers must also repeatedly seek Allah-SWT’s Mercy and send their salutations to him-SW. This command also demands continuity and is a part and parcel of Salat, as prescribed Outside Salat, offering salutations like ‘Asalato wa Salam-o-'Alaika ya Rasul Allah-SWT ' at the tomb of the Holy Prophet-SW is Sunnah. It is also permitted from a distance as Allah-SWT conveys it to him-SW through His-SWT angels. The best of all the salutations are those he-SW has himself proscribed in Ahadith. Reciting these frequently is a source of spiritual elevation. Remember that these wordings are specifically used for the Prophets-AS, while ‘Radhi Allah-SWT ‘Unho’ and ‘Rahmat Allah-SWT ’ are for the Companions-RAU and the Aulia’ respectively. No one save a Prophet-AS should be referred to as “'Alaihay Salam” although other words of reverence may be used.

 

Those who annoy Allah-SWT and His-SWT Prophet-SW which means that annoying His-SWT Prophet-SW indeed tantamounts to annoying Him-SWT , like the hypocrites who annoyed the Holy Prophet-SW through sarcasm. This injunction also applies to the situation where he-SW and his-SW household or the Companions-RAU are subjected to sarcasm or abusive language. It is downright infidelity and the guilty are accursed by Allah-SWT in this world as well as in the Akhirah, where a humiliating punishment awaits them. Today the way certain people utter blasphemy against his-SW noble wives and great Companions-RAU are, by virtue of this rule, infidels as well as accursed. The honour and dignity of the Holy Prophet-SW, his-SW honourable household and his-SW Companions-RAU is far too exalted. Even blaming any believing man or woman of a crime he or she has not committed is a grave sin.

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