As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection concludes Surah 33, Al-Ahzãb or the Confederates, verses 53-73. These verses discuss conduct with the Prophet or his wives, blessings for the Prophet, dress code for women, punishment for Hypocrites and scandal mongers, and how the unbelievers will ask for double punishment from their leaders on the Day of Judgment.
Tafseer concerns the screen or hijab for the Prophet’s wives in verses 53-55.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.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 Messenger of Allah, nor ever to marry his wives after him; this would be a grievous offence in the sight of Allah.[53] Whether you reveal anything or conceal it, surely Allah has full knowledge of all things.[54] There is no blame on the ladies if they appear before their fathers, their sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women and those whom their right hands possess (slaves). O Ladies! Have fear of Allah: for Allah is a witness to all things.[55] 33:[53-55]
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.[56] Surely those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, are cursed by Allah in this world and in the hereafter. He has prepared for them a humiliating punishment.[57] And those who annoy believing men and believing women, for no fault of theirs, shall bear the guilt of slander and an evident sin.[58] 33:[56-58]
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.[59] 33:[59]
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.[60] They shall be cursed wherever they are found and they shall be seized and killed mercilessly.[61] 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.[62] 33:[60-62]
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.”[63] Surely Allah has laid a curse on the unbelievers and has prepared for them a blazing fire;[64] to live therein forever and they shall find no protector or helper.[65] That Day, when their faces will roll about in the fire, they will say: “Woe to us! Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.”[66] They will further say: “Our Lord! We obeyed our chiefs and our great ones and they misled us from the Right Way.[67] Our Lord! Give them double punishment and lay on them a mighty curse.”[68] 33:[63-68]
O believers! Be not like those who slandered Moses, but Allah cleared him of what they said – for he was honorable in the sight of Allah.[69] O believers! Fear Allah and always say the right thing;[70] He will bless your works and forgive your sins – for he that obeys Allah and His Messenger, has indeed achieved the highest achievement.[71] The fact is that We offered the Trust ( “freedom of choice” and to voluntarily use this option according to the will of Allah) to the heavens, to the earth and to the mountains, but they refused to undertake it and were afraid, but man undertook it. He was indeed unjust and foolish.[72] (The inevitable result of bearing the burden of Allah’s Trust is) that Allah will punish the hypocrite men, the hypocrite women, the mushrik men and the mushrik women, and that Allah will turn in mercy to the believing men and the believing women: for Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.[73] 33:[69-73]
Ameen.
Tafseer
The list in verse 55 refers back to the hijab or screen portion in verse 53:
The list of those before whom the Prophet’s wives could appear informally without a screen is their fathers, sons, brothers, brothers’ or sisters’ sons, serving women and household slaves or servants. Their women is held to mean all women who belongs to the Muslim community; other women were in the position of strangers whom they received not so intimately, but with the formality of a screen as in the case of men. Compare this list and the wording here with the list and wording in 24:31, which applies to all Muslim women. In the list here, we are speaking of a single household, that of the central figure of Islam [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]. In the wording, note that for Muslim women generally, no screen or hijab (Pardah) is mentioned, but only a veil to cover the bosom and modesty in dress. The screen was a special feature of honour for the Prophet’s household, introduced about five or six years before his death.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.