QURAN CHAPTER - 33
Al-Ahzab - The Combined Forces
Revealed - Medinan
Ruku - 9
Ayat - 73
Theme - In this Surah the hypocrites and other foolish and mean people have been rebuked for the propaganda that they were carrying on at that time against Islam and the Muslims.
- Verses:1-8 The Holy Prophet was feeling the necessity that the concepts and customs and superstitions of ignorance concerning the adoption of the son should be eradicated, and he was also feeling that the delicate and deep sentiments the people cherished about the adopted relations merely on emotional grounds would not be rooted out until he himself took the initiative to eradicate the custom practically.
- In Verses:9-27 an appraisal has been made of the Battle of the Trench and the raid against the Bani Quraizah. This is a clear proof that these verses were sent down after these events.
- The discourse contained in Verses:28-35 consists of 2 parts.
1. Allah has given a notice to the wives of the Holy Prophet, who were being impatient of the straitened circumstances, to the effect:
- "Choose between the world and its adornments, and Allah, His Prophet and the Hereafter. If you seek the former, you should say so openly: you will not be kept back in hardship even for a day, but will be sent off gracefully. And if you seek the latter, you should cooperate with Allah and His messenger and bear patiently."
2. Initial steps were taken towards the social reforms whose need was being felt by the minds moulded in the Islamic pattern themselves.
- In this regard, reform was started from the house of the Holy Prophet himself and his wives were commanded to avoid behaving and conducting themselves in the ways of the pre Islamic days of ignorance, to remain in their houses with dignity, and to exercise great caution in their conversation with the other men. This was the beginning of the Commandments of Purdah.
- Verses:36-48 deal with the Holy Prophet's marriage with Hadrat Zainab. In this section the opponents objection about this marriage have been answered; the doubts that were being created in the minds of the Muslims have been removed; the Muslims have been acquainted with the Holy Prophet's position and status; and the Holy Prophet himself has been counseled to exercise patience on the false propaganda of the disbelievers and the hypocrites.
- In Verse:49 a clause of the law of divorce has been laid down. This is a unique verse which was sent down on some occasion probably in connection with the same events.
- In Verses:50-52 a special regulation of marriage has been laid down for the Holy Prophet, which points out that he is an exception to the several restrictions that have been imposed on the other Muslims in regard to marital life.
- In Verses:53-55 the second step was taken towards social reform. It consists of the following injunctions:
- Restriction on the other men to visit the houses of the Holy Prophet's wives;
- Islamic etiquette concerning visits and invitations;
- The law that only the near relatives could visit the holy wives in their houses;
- The injunction that the Holy Prophet's wives were forbidden for the Muslims like their mothers; and none could marry any of them after him.
- In Verses:56-57 warning was given to stop criticizing the Holy Prophet's marriage and his domestic life, and the believers instructed not to indulge in fault finding like the enemies of Islam, but to invoke the blessings of Allah for their Prophet; moreover, they were instructed that they should avoid falsely accusing one another even among themselves, not to speak of the person of the Prophet.
- In Verse:59 the third step for social reform was taken. All the Muslim women were commanded that they should come out well covered with the outer garments and covering their faces whenever they came out of their houses for a genuine need.
https://sites.google.com/site/activeislamicinfo/quran/quranic-chapters