33. Surah Al-Ahzab (The Confederates)[73 verses]

Medina Period 90 [3-5 Hijrah]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ...

33: 35. - For Muslim men and women --

- for believing men and women,

C3718. Islam, or submitting our will to Allah's Will, includes all the virtues, as particularly specified in this verse.

See n. 3720.

...وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ...

- for devout men and women,

- for true men and women,

...وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ...

- for men and women who are patient and constant,

- for men and women who humble themselves,

...وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ...

- for men and women who give in charity

- for men and women who fast (and deny themselves),

C3719. A number of Muslim virtues are specified here, but the chief stress is laid on the fact that these virtues are as necessary to women as to men.

Both sexes have spiritual as well as human rights and duties in an equal degree, and the future "reward" of the Hereafter, viz., Spiritual Bliss, is provided for the one as for the other.

...وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ...

- for men and women who guard their chastity,

...وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ ...

- and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise --

C3720. The virtues referred to are:

1. Faith, hope, and trust in Allah, and in His benevolent government of the world;

2. devotion and service in practical life;

3. love and practice of truth, in thought and intention, word and deed;

4. patience and constancy, in suffering and in right endeavour;

5. humility, the avoidance of an attitude of arrogance and superiority;

6. charity, i.e., help to the poor and unfortunate ones in life, a special virtue arising out of the general duty of service (No. 2);

7. self-control, typically in food, but generally in all appetites;

8. chastity, purity in sex life, purity in motive, thought, word, and deed;

9. and constant attention to Allah's Message, and cultivation of the desire to get nearer to Allah.

...أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٣٥﴾

for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ ...

33: 36. It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman,

... إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ...

when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision:

C3721. We must not put our own wisdom in competition with Allah's wisdom. Allah's decree is often known to us by the logic of facts. We must accept it loyally, and do the best we can to help in our own way to carry it out. We must make our will consonant to the Allah's Will. (R).

...وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا ﴿٣٦﴾

if anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.

Asad’s Version:

33:35 [Asad]

VERILY, for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in

adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, 38 and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity," and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for (all of] them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward.

33:36 Now whenever God and His Apostle have decided a matter 40 , it is not for a believing man or a believing woman to claim freedom of choice insofar as they themselves are concerned: 41 for he who [thus] rebels against God and His Apostle has already, most obviously, gone astray.

[[Asad’s notes - 38 The term sa'im, usually rendered as "fasting", has here its primary connotation of "one who abstains [from anything]" or "denies to himself (anything]": cf. 19:26, where the noun sawm denotes "abstinence from speech" .

39 Lit., "the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard (them] " : see note 36 on 24:30.

40 I.e., whenever a specific law has been formulated as such in the Qur'an or in an injunction promulgated by the Prophet.

41 Lit., "to have a choice in their concern (min amrihim)" i.e., to let their attitude or course of action be determined, not by the relevant law, but by their personal interests or predilections. ]]