Surah Al Ahzab Tafseer

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ

And stay in your houses,

means, stay in your houses and do not come out except for a purpose.

One of the purposes mentioned in Shariah is prayer in the Masjid, so long as the conditions are fulfilled, as the Messenger of Allah said:

لَاا تَمْنَعُوا إِمَاءَ اللهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللهِ وَلْيَخْرُجْنَ وَهُنَّ تَفِلَات

Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the Masjids of Allah, but have them go out without wearing fragrance.

According to another report:

وَبُيُوتُهُنَّ خَيْرٌ لَهُن

even though their houses are better for them.

وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الاُْولَى

and do not Tabarruj yourselves like the Tabarruj of the times of ignorance,

Mujahid said:

"Women used to go out walking in front of men, and this was the Tabarruj of Jahiliyyah."

Qatadah said:

وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الاُْولَى

(and do not Tabarruj yourselves like the Taburruj of the times of ignorance),

"When they go out of their homes walking in a shameless and flirtatious manner, and Allah, may He be exalted, forbade that."

Muqatil bin Hayyan said:

"Tabarruj is when a woman puts a Khimar on her head but does not tie it properly."

So her necklaces, earrings and neck, and all of that can be seen. This is Tabarruj, and Allah addresses all the women of the believers with regard to Tabarruj.

وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَأةَ وَاتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ

and perform the Salah, and give Zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger.

Allah first forbids them from evil, then He enjoins them to do good by establishing regular prayer, which means worshipping Allah alone with no partner or associate, and paying Zakah, which means doing good to other people.

وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ

(and obey Allah and His Messenger). This is an instance of something specific being followed by something general.

The Wives of the Prophet are Members of His Household (Ahl Al-Bayt)

Allah says;

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification.

This is a clear statement that the wives of the Prophet are included among the members of his family (Ahl Al-Bayt) here, because they are the reason why this Ayah was revealed, and the scholars are unanimously agreed that they were the reason for revelation in this case, whether this was the only reason for revelation or there was also another reason, which is the correct view.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ikrimah used to call out in the marketplace:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification).

"This was revealed solely concerning the wives of the Prophet."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said concerning the Ayah:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family),

"It was revealed solely concerning the wives of the Prophet."

Ikrimah said:

"Whoever disagrees with me that it was revealed solely concerning the wives of the Prophet, I am prepared to meet with him and pray and invoke the curse of Allah upon those who are lying."

So they alone were the reason for revelation, but others may be included by way of generalization.

Ibn Jarir narrated that Safiyyah bint Shaybah said:

"A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said,

`The Prophet went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of black camel's hair. Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, came and he wrapped him in the cloak with him. Then Al-Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him, came and he wrapped him in the cloak with him. Then Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, came and he wrapped her in the cloak with him. Then Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, came and he wrapped him in the cloak with him, then he said:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification).

This was recorded by Muslim.

In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Yazid bin Hayyan said:

"Husayn bin Sabrah, Umar bin Muslim and I went to Zayd bin Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him, and when we had sat down with him, Husayn said:

`You are so fortunate, O Zayd! You saw the Messenger of Allah and heard his speeches, and you went on military campaigns with him, and you prayed behind him. You are so fortunate, O Zayd! Tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah.'

He said, `O son of my brother, by Allah, I have grown old and it has been a long time, and I have forgotten some of the things that I used to know from the Messenger of Allah. Whatever I tell you, accept it, and whatever I do not tell you, do not worry about it.' Then he said,

`One day, the Messenger of Allah stood up to address us by the well of Khumm, between Makkah and Al-Madinah, and he praised Allah and thanked Him, and he preached and reminded us. Then he said:

أَمَّا بَعْدُ أَلَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَنِي رَسُولُ رَبِّي فَأُجِيبَ وَأَنَا تَارِكٌ فِيكُمْ ثَقَلَيْنِ أَوَّلُهُمَا كِتَابُ اللهِ تَعَالَى فِيهِ الْهُدَى وَالنُّورُ فَخُذُوا بِكِتَابِ اللهِ وَاسْتَمْسِكُوا بِه

Thereafter! O people, I am merely a human being and soon the messenger of my Lord will come and I will answer him. I am leaving behind two things with you, the first of which is the Book of Allah in which is guidance and light, so seize the Book of Allah and hold fast to it.

He urged them to cling to the Book of Allah, then he said:

وَأَهْلُ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي

And the members of my family (Ahl Al-Bayt):Remember Allah with regard to the members of my family, remember Allah with regard to the members of my family.

saying it three times.' Husayn said to him, `Who are the members of his family (Ahl Al-Bayt), O Zayd! Are not his wives members of his family?'

He said, `His wives are members of his family, but the members of his family are those who are not permitted to receive charity after he died.'

He said, `Who are they!'

He said, `They are the family of Ali, the family of Aqil, the family of Jafar and the family of Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them.'

He said, `Were all of these forbidden to receive charity after his death!'

He said, `Yes."'

This Commentary is from Zayd bin Arqam and is not Marfu`

The Command to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah

The one who ponders the meaning of the Qur'an will have no doubt that the wives of the Prophet are included among those who are referred to in the Ayah:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification). The context clearly refers to them.

Allah then says