Sura-33 [Al Ahzab madina 90]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
يَا
أَيُّهَا
النَّبِيُّ
إِنَّا أَحْلَلْنَا
لَكَ ...
33:50 [Ali] O prophet!
We have made lawful to thee
C3741. This introduces no new exemption or privilege. Verses 50-52 merely declare the points in which, on account of the special circumstances (see n. 3706 above), the Prophet's marriages differed from those of ordinary Muslims.
This is considered under four heads, which we shall examine in the four notes following.
... أَزْوَاجَكَ اللَّاتِي آتَيْتَ أُجُورَهُنَّ...
- thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers;
C3742.
Head 1.
Marriage with dower (4:4):
this is the universal Muslim marriage.
- The difference in the Prophet's case was that there was no limitation to the number of four (4:3),
- and women of the People of the Book (5:5) were not among his wives, but only Believers.
These points are not expressly mentioned here, but are inferred by his actual practice. Obviously women who are expected to instruct other women in Islam must be Muslims.
وَمَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ مِمَّا أَفَاء اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ...
- and those whom thy right hand possesses out of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee;
C3743.
Head 2.
Women Prisoners of War: the same remark as in the last note.
The point does not arise, as the whole condition and incidents of war have been altered and slavery has been abolished by international agreement.
...وَبَنَاتِ عَمِّكَ وَبَنَاتِ عَمَّاتِكَ وَبَنَاتِ خَالِكَ وَبَنَاتِ خَالَاتِكَ...
- and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts,
...اللَّاتِي هَاجَرْنَ مَعَكَ ...
who migrated (from Mecca) with thee;
C3744.
Head 3.
These are first cousins, and not within the Prohibited Degrees of Marriage (see 4:23-24).
These are specially mentioned here by way of limitation. None of them could marry the Prophet unless she had performed the Hijrah with him. If she had not so performed it in spite of her close relationship, she could not be credited with any great fervour for Islam, or be considered suitable for instructing other women in Islam.
...وَامْرَأَةً مُّؤْمِنَةً إِن وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَهَا لِلنَّبِيِّ إِنْ أَرَادَ النَّبِيُّ أَن يَسْتَنكِحَهَا...
- and any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her --
C3745.
Head 4.
A believing woman who dedicates her soul to the Prophet:
obviously this case, like the last, is only applicable to the Prophet, and it is hedged round with the limitation that the Prophet considers it suitable and proper case of true service to the community, and not merely a sentimental woman’s freak.
Some Commentators think there was no such case. But others with whom I agree, think that this applies to Zaynab bint Khutaymah, who had dedicated herself to the poor and was called the Mother of the Poor (Umm al masakin). Similarly, the last head might possibly refer to Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was a daughter of the Prophet’s paternal aunt, herself a daughter of Abd al Muttalib.
...خَالِصَةً لَّكَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ...
this only for thee, and not for the Believers (at large);
...قَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا فَرَضْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِي أَزْوَاجِهِمْ ...
We know what We have appointed for them as to their wives
C3746. The ordinary law of Muslim marriage will be found chiefly in
and 5:5.
...وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ لِكَيْلَا يَكُونَ عَلَيْكَ حَرَجٌ...
and the captives whom their right hands possess -- in order that there should be no difficulty for Thee.
C3747. The words "this only for thee ... right hands possess" are parenthetical, and the words "in order that..." connect on with the previous clauses beginning with "O Prophet, We have made lawful .... wishes to wed her".
...وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٥٠﴾
And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
C3748. Marriage is an important relationship not only in our physical life, but in our moral and spiritual life, and its effects extend not only to the parties themselves but to children and future generations, A number of special problems arise according to special circumstances.
Every man and woman must seriously consider all sides of the question and must do the best in his or her power to temper instincts and inclinations with wisdom and guidance from Allah.
Allah wishes to make every one's path easy, for He is indeed "Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful".
تُرْجِي
مَن
تَشَاء مِنْهُنَّ
وَتُؤْوِي
إِلَيْكَ مَن
تَشَاء...
33:51. Thou mayest defer (the turn of) any of them that thou pleasest, and thou mayest receive any thou pleasest:
C3749. In 4:3 it is laid down that more than one wife is not permissible "if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with them".
In a Muslim household there is no room for a "favourite wife" in the sense that such a wife is recipient of favours denied to other wives. In the special circumstances of the Prophet there were more than one, and he usually observed the rule of equality with them, in other things as well as in the rotation of conjugal rights.
But considering that his marriages after he was invested with the Prophetic office were mainly dictated by other than conjugal or personal considerations (see n. 3706. 33:28), the rotation could not always be observed, though he observed it as much as possible. This verse absolves him from absolute adherence to a fixed rotation.
There are other interpretations, but I agree with most of the Commentators in the view I have explained. (R).
...وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ...
and there is no blame on thee if thou invite one whose (turn) thou hadst set aside.
C3750. Where the rotation was for some reason interfered with, it was permissible, by another interference with the usual rotation, to bring satisfaction to one who had been previously set aside.
This was not only permitted, but commended, as tending to remove dissatisfaction and cheer and comfort the eyes and hearts of those who were disappointed in their turn.
...ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ ...
This were nigher to the cooling of their eyes,
C3751. Cooling the eyes: an Arabic idiom for cheering and comforting eyes which yearn to see those they love.
A verse of Zeb al Nisa, daughter of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, may be rendered thus:
"My heart is glad whenever lover-wise
I dwell upon thy beauties and thy grace!
But how can I content my hungry eyes,
That ask continually to see thy face?"
... وَلَا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ...
the prevention of their grief, and their satisfaction -- that of all of them -- with that which thou hast to give them:
C3752. There was not much in the way of worldly goods or satisfaction that the Prophet could give them: see 33:28 above.
But he was kind, just, and true,-the best of men to his family, and they all clung to him.
...وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا ﴿٥١﴾
and Allah knows (all) that is in your hearts:
and Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.
C3753. Our human hearts, however good on the whole, may yet, in their motives, have possibly some baser admixture. The feminine hearts are not more immune in this respect than the masculine. But everything is known and understood by Allah. Who will in His mercy make all allowance for our human weaknesses. His title of "Most Forbearing" (Halim) also gives His devoted worshippers the cue: why should we not also forbear with the faults and weaknesses of our neighbors and fellow-creatures
Asad’s Version:
30:50
O PROPHET! Behold, We have made lawful to thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowers, 57 as well as those whom thy right hand has come to possess from among the captives of war whom God has bestowed upon thee: 58 And [We have made lawful to thee] the daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and the daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who have migrated with thee [to Yathrib]; 5 ' and any believing woman who offers herself freely to the Prophet and whom the Prophet might be willing to wed:™ [this latter being but] a privilege for thee, and not for other believers - [seeing that] We have already made known what We have enjoined upon them with regard to their wives and those whom their right hands may possess." [And] in order that thou be not burdened with [undue] anxiety - for God is indeed much- forgiving, a dispenser of grace –
(33:51) [know that] thou mayest put off for a time whichever of them thou pleasest, and mayest take unto thee whichever thou pleasest; and [that,] if thou seek out any from whom thou hast kept away [for a time], thou wilt incur no sin [thereby]:" 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."
[[Asad’s notes
57 The term ajr is in this context synonymous with faridah in its specific sense of "dower" (mahr): see surah 2, note 224.
58 As pointed out in several places (see, in particular, note 32 on 4:25), Islam does not countenance any form of concubinage, and categorically prohibits sexual relations between a man and a woman unless they are lawfully married to one another. In this respect, the only difference between a "free" woman and a slave is that whereas the former must receive a dower from her husband, no such obligation is imposed on a man who marries his rightfully owned slave (lit., "one whom his right hand possesses") - that is, a woman taken captive in a "holy war" (jihad) waged in defense of the Faith or of liberty (note 167 on 2:190 and note 72 on 8:67) -: for, in such a case, the freedom conferred upon the bride by the very act of marriage is considered to be equivalent to a dower.
59 This was - in addition to his not being allowed to divorce any of his wives (see verse 52 below) a further restriction imposed on the Prophet in the matter of marriage: whereas all other Muslims are free to marry any of their paternal or maternal cousins, the Prophet was allowed to marry only such from among them as had proved their strong, early attachment to Islam by having accompanied him on his exodus (the hijrah) from Mecca to Medina. In the opinion of Baghawi - an opinion obviously based on the corresponding, ancient Arabian usage - the term "daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts" comprises in this context not only the actual paternal cousins but, in general,
all women of the tribe of Quraysh, to which Muhammad's father belonged, while the term
"daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts" comprises all women of his mother's tribe, the Banu Zuhrah.
60 The relevant clause reads, literally, "if she offered herself as a gift (in wahabat nafsaha) to the Prophet". Most of the classical commentators take this to mean "without demanding or expecting a dower (mahr)", which, as far as ordinary Muslims are concerned, is an essential item in a marriage agreement (cf 4:4 and 24, and the correspanding notes; also surah 2, note 224).
61 The above parenthetic sentence refers to the previously revealed, general laws relating to marriage (see 2:221, 4:3-4 and 19-25, as well as the corresponding notes), and particularly the laws bearing on the question of dower.
62 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.
63 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".
64 According to a hadith on the authority of ' Aishah, 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 wivesl more than others." ]]
33:52 [Asad]
No [other] women shall henceforth be lawful to thee 65 - nor art thou [allowed] to supplant [any of] them by other wives," 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.
[[Asad’s notes -
65 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 2~29, 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).
66 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).
67 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. ]]
لَا
يَحِلُّ
لَكَ النِّسَاء
مِن بَعْدُ
وَلَا أَن تَبَدَّلَ
بِهِنَّ مِنْ
أَزْوَاجٍ
...
33:52. It is not lawful for thee (to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives,
C3754. This was revealed in A.H. 7. After that the Prophet did not marry again, except the handmaiden Mary the Copt, who was sent as a present by the Christian Muqawqas of Egypt. She became the mother of Ibrahim, who died in his infancy.
...وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ...
even thought their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess (as handmaidens):
...وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَّقِيبًا ﴿٥٢﴾
and Allah doth watch over all things.