Al-Ahzab ( ar, الأحزاب, ; the confederates,

George Sale translation George Sale (1697–1736) was a British oriental studies, Orientalist scholar and practising solicitor, best known for his 1734 translation of the Quran into English. In 1748, after having read Sale's translation, Voltaire wrote his own ess ...

or "the clans", "the coalition", or "the combined forces") is the 33rd chapter (''

sūrah A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah (''Al-Ka ...

'') of the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

(Q33) with 73 verses ('' āyāt''). The ''sūrah'' takes its name from the mention of the parties (''al-aḥzāb''), or confederates (an alliance among the

Quraysh The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qur ...

and other tribes), who fought the Muslims at the

Battle of the Trench The Battle of the Trench ( ar, غزوة الخندق, Ghazwat al-Khandaq), also known as the Battle of Khandaq ( ar, معركة الخندق, Ma’rakah al-Khandaq) and the Battle of the Confederates ( ar, غزوة الاحزاب, Ghazwat al- ...

(5/627), also known as the Battle of the Parties and as the siege of Madinah.

Summary

*1-3

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

to obey God rather than the unbelievers *4-5 Adopted sons not to be regarded as real sons by Muslims *6 Muhammad’s wives the mothers of the faithful *7-8 The

covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

of the prophets with God *9-11 God’s favour to the Muslims at the Ditch *12-15 The disaffected people of Madína rebuked *16-17 None can flee from God’s anger *18-20 The treachery of the hypocrites of Madína exposed *21 Muhammad an example to the faithful *22-24 Patient endurance of the believers at the Ditch *25 The triumph at the Ditch attributed to God’s favour *26-27 Reference to the slaughter of the Bani Qainuqáa *28-29 Muhammad’s wives rebuked *30-31 Muhammad’s wives, if incontinent, to be doubly punished, but if faithful, to be doubly rewarded *32 33 34 They are exhorted to modest behaviour and

piety Piety is a virtue which may include religious devotion or spirituality. A common element in most conceptions of piety is a duty of respect. In a religious context piety may be expressed through pious activities or devotions, which may vary among ...

*35 Blessings promised to faithful men and women *36-40 Revelations touching the Zainab scandal *41-43 The blessedness of true believers *44-47 Muhammad a witness and preacher of good tidings *48 The law of

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

modified *49-51 Special privileges of Muhammad in respect to women *52 Muhammad limited in respect to wives *53-55 Conduct to be observed by believers at the Prophet’s house *56 God and the angels bless Muhammad, who should be treated with respect by believers *57-58 The curse of those who offend Muhammad or the Muslims *59 Command respecting the veiling of Muslim women *60-62 Threatened punishment of Madína hypocrites *63 Men know not the hour of judgment *64-68 Awful fate of infidels *69-71 Believers exhorted to respectful treatment of their Prophet *72-73 The responsibilities of the faithful

Exegesis

This surah mentions what happened at the

to remind believers the mercy and power of Allah since Allah made the various tribes who attacked

Medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

leave. Regarding the timing and contextual background of the believed

revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...

(''

asbāb al-nuzūl Occasions or circumstances of revelation ( ''al-nuzūl'', ) names the historical context in which Quranic verses were revealed from the perspective of traditional Islam. Though of some use in reconstructing the Qur'an's historicity, ''asbāb'' is ...

''), Q33 is a later period "

Medinan surah The Madni Surahs (Surah Madaniyah) or Madani chapters of the Quran are the latest 28 Surahs that, according to Islamic tradition, were revealed at Medina after Muhammad's hijrat from Mecca. The community was larger and more developed, as opposed t ...

". It contains instructions regarding treatment of the Prophet and his wives and warns the hypocrites of their bad behavior. According to some scholars, Medinan verses are concerned with the legal matters in Islamic society. These suras generally contain rules and regulations for the believers to follow.

5-6 Adopted and blood-related persons

Verse
33:5-6
are concerned with the differences between adopted and blood-related persons. Verse 33:5 refers to adoption in Islam and verse 33:6 contains a reference to the term "Mother of Believers", who were the Prophet's wives. This perhaps suggests their elevated standing with the community and in the later verses, these women are described as "unlike any other."

7-8 Sincerity of the prophets

Verse
33:7-8
show that God will test even the sincerity of the prophets. The beginning of the sura seems to be concerned with truthfulness. The sura reinforces that "God is enough to trust...All this is written in the Scripture...God will question

ven Ven may refer to: Places * Ven, Heeze-Leende, a hamlet in the Netherlands * Ven (Sweden), an island * Ven, Tajikistan, a town * VEN or Venezuela Other uses * von Economo neurons, also called ''spindle neurons'' * '' Vên'', an EP by Eluveiti ...

the truthful about their sincerity, and for those who reject the truth He has prepared a painful torment...speak in a direct fashion." Truthfulness and trust seem to be emphasized for believers and Muhammad since he was dealing with hypocrites and betrayers in Medina, who spread lies, deserted the army during the battle, or supported the attackers.

9-20 Battle of the Trench – aftermath

Verse
33:9-27
are concerned with the believers and hypocrites' reactions to the

. The believers are those who remain steadfast in their belief and courage whereas the hypocrites try to run for safety, abandon the Muslim army, and doubt God and Prophet Muhammad.

21 Prophet of Allah is an excellent model

Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much "Surely, in the Messenger of God there is for you a fairer, good example for those whose hope had been in God and the Last Day and remembered God frequently." shows that it is an important principle to follow the Messenger of God in all his words and deeds.

26 Siege of Banu Qurayza

contains a reference to the siege of the

Banu Qurayza The Banu Qurayza ( ar, بنو قريظة, he, בני קוריט'ה; alternate spellings include Quraiza, Qurayzah, Quraytha, and the archaic Koreiza) were a Jewish tribe which lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib (now known as M ...

and consequent looting of their possessions.

28–32 Mohammad's wives

contain a reference to Mohammad's wives and tell the believers the proper conduct with Muhammad and his household. The prophet's wives are called the Mothers of the Believers and thus have to follow certain rules and regulations as women who are "unlike other women".

33 Purification

35-36 Forgiveness and reward

show the characteristics of people who will be forgiven and rewarded by God. Some scholars take these verses to mean equal worth of women and men and thus reject claims that women are inferior to men.

37-47 God to be trusted, obeyed, and glorified

reaffirm that God needs to be trusted, obeyed, and glorified. contains a reference to Finality of Prophethood.

49-52 Who the prophet can marry

detail who the prophet can marry or not. Verse 50 was revealed pertaining to

Maymunah bint al-Harith Maymunah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah ( ar, مَيْمُونَة ٱبْنَت ٱلْحَارِث ٱلْهِلَالِيَّة, Maymūnah ibnat al-Ḥārith al-Hilālīyah; ), was a twelfth wife of Muhammad. Her original name was Barrah ( ar, بَ ...

53-58 House rules

tell the believers how they should interact with Muhammad when visiting him and his household.

59 Islam and gender segregation

uses the phrase ''adna al-jilbab'' which is sometimes understood as 'wrap around' and is used to acknowledge women to cover themselves, as an act of modesty.

60-73 Punishment for hypocrites and idolaters

tell the actions that God will take with the disbelievers and believers and will direct Muhammad to take against the hypocrites. The last verse ends with the proclamation that God will punish both hypocrites and idolaters, whether they are men and women, and reward the believers of both genders. Both genders are presented as equal since they are both punished or redeemed without any differences when judged by God.

References

Sources

* *

External links

Q33:56
50+ translations, islamawakened.com
Quran 33

Clear Quran translation Mustafa Khattab is a Canadian–Egyptian Muslim scholar, author, youth mentor, public speaker, imam, and university chaplain. He holds a professional ijâzah in the Ḥafṣ style of recitation. He is known for his translation of the Quran in ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Al-Ahzab Ahzab Islam and women Jihad