Surah Al Ahzab Tafseer

Giving the Wives of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم the Choice

Here Allah commands His Messenger to give his wives the choice of separating from him so that they may go to someone else with whom they can find what they want of the life of this world and its attractions, or of patiently bearing the straitened circumstances with the Prophet for which they will have a great reward with Allah.

They chose Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, may Allah be pleased with them. Then Allah gave them the best both of this world and of the Hereafter.

Al-Bukhari narrated from A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet that the Messenger of Allah came to her when Allah commanded him to give his wives the choice. She said,

"The Messenger of Allah started with me, and said,

إِنِّي ذَاكِرٌ لَكِ أَمْرًا فَلَ عَلَيْكِ أَنْ تَسْتَعْجِلِي حَتْى تَسْتَأْمِرِي أَبَوَيْك

I am going to tell you about something and you do not have to hasten to respond until you consult your parents."

He knew that my parents would never tell me to leave him.

Then he said:

إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ

(Allah says) and he recited the two Ayat:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لاَِّزْوَاجِكَ إِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا

وَإِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالدَّارَ الاْإخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَاتِ مِنكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا