THE CONFEDERATE (33) (al-ahzab)
Number of Verses: 73
Prophet, have fear of God and do not yield to the infidels and hypocrites. God is All-knowing and All-wise (33:1).
Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord. God is All-aware of what you do (33:2).
Trust in God and be sure that He is a Sufficient Guardian. (33:3)
God has not created two hearts inside any one human being. God does not consider your wives whom you renounce by zihar as your mothers nor those whom you adopt as your sons. These are only words of your mouth. God tells the Truth and shows the right path (33:4).
Call them sons of their own fathers. It is more just in the eyes of God. If you do not know their fathers, they are your brothers and friends in religion. You will not be responsible for your mistakes, but you will be responsible for what you do intentionally. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (33:5)
The Prophet has more authority over the believers than themselves. His wives are their mothers. The relatives are closer to each other, according to the Book of God, than the believers and the emigrants. However, you may show kindness to your guardians. This also is written in the Book. (33:6)
We had a solemn covenant with you (Muhammad), and the Prophets: Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, the son of Mary (33:7).
This was a firm agreement. God will ask the truthful ones about their truthfulness and prepare a painful torment for the disbelievers. (33:8)
Believers, recall God's favor to you when the army attacked you. We sent a wind and the armies, which you did not see, to support you. God sees all that you do (33:9).
Eyes became dull and hearts almost reached the throat when they attacked you from above and below and you started to think of God with suspicion (33:10). There the believers were tested and tremendously shaken. (33:11)
It was there that the hypocrites and those whose hearts were sick, said, "The promise of God and His Messenger has proved to be nothing but deceit" (33:12).
It was there that a group of them said, "People of Yathrib, turn back for there is no place for you to stay." Another group, asking for the Prophet's permission, said, "Our homes are defenseless." In fact, they were not defenseless. They only wanted to run away. (33:13)
Had the army of the enemies invaded their homes and asked them to give-up their religion, they would have yielded to them without delay (33:14).
They had certainly promised God that they would not turn away. To promise God is certainly a (great) responsibility. (33:15) (Muhammad), tell them, "Running away will never be of any benefit to you even if you run away from death or being killed. Still you would not be able to enjoy yourselves except for a short while." (33:16)
Say, "Who can prevent God from punishing you or granting you mercy? They will not find anyone besides God as their guardian or helper." (33:17)
God certainly knows those among you who create obstacles (on the way that leads to God) and those who say to their brothers, 'Come quickly to us' and very rarely take part in the fighting (33:18).
They are niggardly in spending for you. When fear comes, you can see them looking at you, their eyes rolling about like to faint because of the agony of death. When their fear subsides, they start to bite you with their sharp tongues. They are miserly in spending for a virtuous cause and have no faith. God has turned their deeds devoid of all virtue. This was not at all difficult for God. (33:19)
They think that the confederate tribes have not yet gone. If the confederate tribes were to attack them, they would have wished to be left alone among the bedouin Arabs where they would only follow the news about you. Even if they were with you, only a few of them would take part in the fight. (33:20)
The Messenger of God is certainly a good example for those of you who have hope in God and in the Day of Judgment and who remember God very often. (33:21)
On seeing the confederate tribes, the believers said, "This is what God and His Messenger had promised us. The promise of God and His Messenger is true." This only strengthens their faith and their desire of submission to the will of God (33:22).
Among the believers there are people who are true in their promise to God. Some of them have already passed away and some of them are waiting. They never yield to any change. (33:23)
God will certainly reward the truthful ones for their truthfulness and punish or pardon the hypocrites as He wishes. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (33:24)
God repelled the unbelievers in their rage. They could not achieve anything good. God rendered sufficient support to the believers in fighting. God is All-powerful and Majestic. (33:25)
God brought down those among the People of the Book who had supported the confederate tribes from their castles and struck their hearts with terror. You did away with some of them and captured the others (33:26).
God made you inherit their land, houses, property, and a land on which you had never walked. God has power over all things. (33:27)
Prophet, tell your wives, "If you want the worldly life and its beauty, I shall allow you to enjoy it and set you free in an honorable manner, (33:28) but if you want the pleasure of God, His Messenger, and the life hereafter, know that God has prepared a great reward for the righteous ones among you." (33:29)
Wives of the Prophet, if anyone among you commits indecency, her torment will be
double. This is not at all difficult for God. (33:30) To whoever of you obeys God and His Messenger and acts righteously, We will give double reward and a honorable sustenance. (33:31)
Wives of the Prophet, you are not like other women. If you have fear of God, do not be tender in your speech lest people whose hearts are sick may lust after you (33:32).
Do not display yourselves after the manner of the (pre-Islamic) age of darkness. Be steadfast in the prayer, pay the religious tax, and obey God and His Messenger.
People of the house, God wants to remove all kinds of uncleanliness from you and to purify you thoroughly. (33:33)
Wives of the Prophet, remember the revelations of God and Words of wisdom that are recited in your homes. God is Most Kind and All-aware. (33:34)
God has promised forgiveness and great rewards to the Muslim men and the Muslim women, the believing men and the believing women, the obedient men and the obedient women, the truthful men and the truthful women, the forbearing men and the forbearing women, the humble men and the humble women, the alms-giving men and the alms-giving women, the fasting men and the fasting women, the chaste men and the chaste women, and the men and women who remember God very often. (33:35)
The believing men and women must not feel free to do something in their affairs other than that which has been already decided for them by God and His Messenger. One who disobeys God and His Messenger is in plain error. (33:36)
Say to the person to whom you and God have granted favor, "Keep your wife and have fear of God. You hide within yourself what God wants to make public. You are afraid of people while it is God whom one should fear." When Zayd set her free, We gave her in marriage to you so that the believers would not face difficulties about the wives of their adopted sons when they are divorced. God's decree has already been issued. (33:37)
The Prophet cannot be blamed for carrying out the commands of God. It was the tradition of God with those who lived before. The command of God has already been decreed and ordained (33:38).
Those who preach the message of God and are humble before Him should not be afraid of anyone besides God. God is Sufficient in keeping the account. (33:39)
Muhammad is not the father of any of your males. He is the Messenger of God and the last Prophet. God has the knowledge of all things. (33:40)
Believers, remember God very often (33:41) and glorify Him both in the mornings and in the evenings (33:42).
It is He who forgives you and His angels pray for you so that He will take you out of darkness into light. God is All-merciful to the believers (33:43).
On the day when they will be brought into the presence of their Lord, their greeting to each other will be, "Peace be with you." God has prepared an honorable reward for them. (33:44)
Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad news, a warner, (33:45) a preacher for God by His permission and as a shining torch (33:46).
Give glad news to the believers of their receiving great favor from God (33:47). Do not yield to the disbelievers or the hypocrites. Ignore their annoying you. Trust in God. God is your all Sufficient Protector. (33:48)
Believers, if you marry believing women and then divorce them before the consummation of the marriage, they do not have to observe the waiting period. Give them their provisions and set them free in an honorable manner (33:49).
Prophet, We have made lawful for you your wives whom you have given their dowry, slave girls whom God has given to you as gifts, the daughters of your uncles and aunts, both paternal and maternal, who have migrated with you.
The believing woman, who has offered herself to the Prophet and whom the Prophet may want to marry, will be specially for him, not for other believers. We knew what to make obligatory for them concerning their wives and slave girls so that you would face no hardship (because we have given distinction to you over the believers).
God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (33:50)
You may refuse whichever (of the woman who offer themselves to you) as you want and accept whichever of them you wish. There is no blame on you if you marry (one whom you had refused previously).
This would be more delightful for them. They should not be grieved but should be happy with whatever you have given to every one of them. God knows what is in your hearts. God is All-knowing and All-forbearing. (33:51)
Besides these, other women are not lawful for you to marry nor is it lawful for you to exchange your wives for the wives of others (except for the slave girls), even though they may seem attractive to you. God is watchful over all things. (33:52)
Believers, do not enter the houses of the Prophet for a meal without permission. if you are invited, you may enter, but be punctual (so that you will not be waiting while the meal is being prepared).
When you have finished eating, leave his home. Do not sit around chatting among yourselves. This will annoy the Prophet but he will feel embarrassed to tell you. God does not feel embarrassed to tell you the truth.
When you want to ask something from the wives of the Prophet, ask them from behind the curtain. This would be more proper for you and for them. You are not supposed to trouble the Prophet or to ever marry his wives after his death, for this would be a grave offense in the sight of God. (33:53)
Whether you reveal something or hid it, God has the knowledge of all things. (33:54)
It will not be an offense for the wives of the Prophet (not to observe the modest dress) in the presence of their fathers, sons, brothers, sons of their brothers and sisters, their own women, and their slave-girls. They should have fear of God. God witness all things. (33:55)
God showers His blessings upon the Prophet and the angels seek forgiveness for him. Believers, pray for the Prophet and greet him with, "Peace be with you." (33:56)
Those who annoy God and His Messenger will be condemned by God in this life and in the life to come. He has prepared for them a humiliating torment (33:57). Those who annoy the believing men and women without reason will bear the sin for a false accusation, a manifest offense. (33:58)
Prophet, tell your wives, daughters, and the wives of the believers to cover their bosoms and breasts. This will make them distinguishable from others and protect them from being annoyed. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (33:59)
If the hypocrites, those whose hearts are sick and those who encourage the spread of evil in the city, will not desist, We shall arouse you against them and they will only be allowed to be your neighbors for a short while (33:60).
They will be condemned wherever they are and will be sized and done away with for good (33:61).
This was the tradition of God with those who lived before. There will never be any change in the tradition of God. (33:62) (Muhammad), people ask you about the Day of Judgment. Say, "Only God has knowledge about it. Perhaps the Hour of Doom will soon come to pass." (33:63)
God has condemned the unbelievers and prepared for them a burning torment (33:64) wherein they will live forever without being able to find any guardian or helper (33:65).
On the day when their faces will be turned from side to side on the fire, they will say, "Would that we had obeyed God and the Messenger!" (33:66) They will say, "Lord, we obeyed our chiefs and elders and they caused us to go astray (33:67).
Lord, make them to suffer double torment and subject them to the greatest condemnation." (33:68)
Believers, do not be like those who annoyed Moses. God proved him to be innocent of what they had said about him. Moses was a honorable person in the sight of God (33:69).
Believers, have fear of God and speak righteous words (33:70).
God will reform your deeds and forgive your sins. One who obeys God and His Messenger will certainly achieve a great success. (33:71)
We offered Our Trust (Our deputation) to the heavens, to the earth, and to the mountains, but they could not bear this burden and were afraid to accept it. Mankind was able to accept this offer but he was unjust to himself and ignorant of the significance of this Trust (33:72).
(As a result of this) God will punish the hypocrites and the pagans, but He will accept the repentance of the believers. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful. (33:73)