[Shakir 66:1] O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:1]
As a preface to this surah refer to and study carefully the commentary of Ahzab : 28 to 32, 33, 34, 35 on pages 897 to 908 in which the character pattern of the two wives referred to in this surah, A-isha and Hafsa, has been discussed in the light of the traditions reported by Bukhari and other well known Muslim scholars.
The Holy Prophet used to drink a glass of honey-syrup whenever he visited the apartment of Zaynab. A-isha and Hafsa became resentful, and A-isha devised a plot. Knowing the Holy Prophet's dislike of unpleasant smells she held her nose when he came to her apartment after drinking a glass of honey-syrup prepared by Zaynab, and accused him of having eaten the produce of a very ill-smelling tree. When she accused him of having eaten maghafir (a nauseating herb) the Holy Prophet said that he had taken only honey. She said: "The bees had fed on maghafir." When he visited Hafsa she also acted just like A-isha. Displeased with their obnoxious behaviour the Holy Prophet vowed not to eat honey any more. This is recorded by Bukhari in his commentary on Tahrim, in his Sahih, Vol. 3, p. 136. In the same place are recorded several traditions as related by Umar bin Khattab stating that the two women, A-isha and Hafsa were insolent and haughty towards the Holy Prophet.
On a day assigned to Hafsa, when she was not found in her apartment as she went to her parent's house, the Holy Prophet spent the night with Marya, the coptic girl, presented to him by the ruler of Egypt, who became the mother of his son, Ibrahim. To calm the quarrelsome bad temper of Hafsa he vowed that he would have no more to do with Marya.
The wives of the Holy Prophet were expected to show a higher standard in behaviour, as they were in the company of the superior most teacher of manners, social behaviour and etiquette.
The Holy Prophet's mind was sorely distressed by the obnoxious behaviour of A-isha and Hafsa and he renounced the society of his wives for one month. Verse one was revealed to say that as Allah has allowed him honey and Marya, he did not have to forsake any of them.
If any vow prevents from doing good or acting rightly one should expiate the vow, but not refrain from doing good deeds. For the expiation of oaths and vows see commentary of Ma-idah: 89 and for the vain oaths and vows Baqarah: 225.
Verses 3 to 5 refer to A-isha and Hafsa who were envious and jealous to the point of sickness against the Holy Prophet's refined and highminded wives. Once Hafsa came to know about a very personal matter concerning the Holy Prophet which he thought should not be made public, therefore he asked her not to publish it. But she at once rushed to her friend A-isha and whispered to her a version which was in great part untrue. Hafsa who betrayed confidence and A-isha who encouraged the betrayal were commanded to turn in repentance to Allah. If they were to resist repentance and amends, they would be abetting each other's crime but could not harm the most perfect messenger of Allah whom all the spiritual forces always surrounded to protect from every type of slander and falsehood. Please refer to Kanz al Ummal, vol. 6 p. 294 and Ibn Sad's Tabaqat, vol.8, p. 115.
Salihul muminin, "the (most) righteous among the believers" refers to Imam Ali according to Tafsir Durr al Manthur by Jalal al Din al Suyuti, Tafsir al Husayni, Kamaluddin Husayn Kashifi and Hayat ul Awliya.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
To make a vow to do a thing which one has the option to do or not to do is permissible in Islam if there is good in it.
A husband can accommodate his wife's legitimate desires to a reasonable extent. Ma-idah: 89 gives details of expiation for cancelling the oath.
The recommendation in verse 2 to the Holy Prophet to dissolve his oath is put forward in view of the insolent behaviour of A-isha and Hafsa described in verse 3. The tone of the first two verses is like Bara-at: 43 wherein hypocrites have been blamed for falsehood.
Refer to the commentary of the verses of Ahzab mentioned above on pages 897 to 907 particularly Aqa Mahdi Puya's note on page 899. The Prophet had discretionary power to divorce any or all his wives, and if he did so Allah would give him good women as his wives in place of the existing wives, who were, in view of verse 5, ordinary women harbouring envy, jealousy, and ill-will against others; particularly A-isha's hostility towards Ali Ibn abi Talib has been recorded by all the well known historians. See commentary of Ahzab on pages 897 to 907. At last she led an army of insurgents against him in the battle of Jamal. See details of this battle in the Early History of Islam by Dr. Safdar Husain. At that time there were better women of character and integrity than the wives of the Holy Prophet. The evil demonstrated by the two has been described as sufficient transgression to be condemned to the fire of hell; so the believing and obedient wives of the Holy Prophet are warned to save themselves from a fire whose fuel is men and stones as stated in Baqarah: 24.
When verse 6 was recited by the Holy Prophet a man stood up and said: "I try my best to make the members of my family follow the commands of Allah, do good and avoid evil, but my advice falls on deaf ears and they-do not obey."
The Holy Prophet said:
The punishment the disbelievers will undergo is the result of their disbelief and evil deeds. It is the fruit of their own misdeeds, the result of their own deliberate choice.
[Shakir 66:2] Allah indeed has sanctioned for you the expiation of your oaths and Allah is your Protector, and He is the Knowing the Wise.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:2] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:3] And when the prophet secretly communicated a piece of information to one of his wives-- but when she informed (others) of it, and Allah made him to know it, he made known part of it and avoided part; so when he informed her of it, she said: Who informed you of this? He said: The Knowing, the one Aware, informed me.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:3] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:4] If you both turn to Allah, then indeed your hearts are already inclined (to this); and if you back up each other against him, then surely Allah it is Who is his Guardian, and Jibreel and -the believers that do good, and the angels after that are the aiders.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:4] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:5] Maybe, his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your place wives better than you, submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, adorers, fasters, widows and virgins.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:5] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:6] O you who believe! save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones; over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are commanded.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:6] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:7] O you who disbelieve! do not urge excuses today; you shall be rewarded only according to what you did.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:7] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:8] O you who believe! turn to Allah a sincere turning; maybe your Lord will remove from you your evil and cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the day on which Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him; their light shall run on before them and on their right hands; they shall say: Our Lord! make perfect for us our light, and grant us protection, surely Thou hast power over all things.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:8]
The oft-forgiving Lord invites man to turn to Him with sincere repentance so that He may bestow His grace on him and forgive his sins. Sincere repentance implies giving up and discontinuing of evil in thought and action with a firm determination not to repeat it ever again. If it is done then Allah will wipe off his past sins and admit him to the eternal land of bliss and happiness.
The Holy Prophet said:
"A sincere repentant never sins again as the milk drawn from the breast never can go back to its source."
"A sincere repentant (i) is ashamed of his past sins, (ii) takes up the duties overlooked and fulfils them, (iii) makes good the wilfully ignored conditions of a trust managed by him, (iv) forgives those who provoke him, (v) does not demand repayment of loans from those who are in financial distress, (vi) makes firm determination not to sin ever again, (vii) surrenders his self to the adoration, devotion and service of Allah when it had swelled to the point of exploding due to inordinate consumption of worldly pleasures, transgression and disobedience."
For "those who believe with him" refer to the commentary of Fat-h: 29.
In the light of Ahzab: 33, the Ahl ul Bayt alone are like the Holy Prophet in purity, wisdom and character because of which he took them with him in mubahilah (Ali Imran: 61), and because of which their love has been made obligatory on all Muslims in verse 23 of Shura, and they have been included in salawat or durud in verse 56 of Ahazab. Refer to the commentary of Baqarah: 2 to 5 (page 51) for what the Holy Prophet said about Fatimah Zahra.
The Holy Prophet said:
"Ali and I are from one and the same light."
"The children of Fatimah and Ali are my children."
"Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn."
Refer to Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al Maghazi, vol. 3, page 41 for the saying of the Holy Prophet: "O Ali, you are from me and I am from you."
Also refer to the commentary of Baqarah: 124.
As stated in Sad: 75 the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt belong to the class of alin (the most exalted). The righteous companions of the Holy Prophet or those believers who lived after him and shall come in this world till the day of resurrection are classified into different categories according to the degree of their submission to the will of Allah. There were people whose behaviour has been described in the commentary of several verses pertaining to battles of Uhad, Khandaq and Hunayn, and at the time of the treaty of Hudaybiya and at the time of the departure of the Holy Prophet (hadith al qirtas), can at most reach the level of pardoned sinners.
For "their light will run before them" refer to the commentary of Hadid: 12; Nur: 33 to 37.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:2] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:3] And when the prophet secretly communicated a piece of information to one of his wives-- but when she informed (others) of it, and Allah made him to know it, he made known part of it and avoided part; so when he informed her of it, she said: Who informed you of this? He said: The Knowing, the one Aware, informed me.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:3] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:4] If you both turn to Allah, then indeed your hearts are already inclined (to this); and if you back up each other against him, then surely Allah it is Who is his Guardian, and Jibreel and -the believers that do good, and the angels after that are the aiders.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:4] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:5] Maybe, his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your place wives better than you, submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, adorers, fasters, widows and virgins.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:5] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:6] O you who believe! save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones; over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are commanded.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:6] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:7] O you who disbelieve! do not urge excuses today; you shall be rewarded only according to what you did.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:7] (see commentary for verse 1)
[Shakir 66:8] O you who believe! turn to Allah a sincere turning; maybe your Lord will remove from you your evil and cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the day on which Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him; their light shall run on before them and on their right hands; they shall say: Our Lord! make perfect for us our light, and grant us protection, surely Thou hast power over all things.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:8]
The oft-forgiving Lord invites man to turn to Him with sincere repentance so that He may bestow His grace on him and forgive his sins. Sincere repentance implies giving up and discontinuing of evil in thought and action with a firm determination not to repeat it ever again. If it is done then Allah will wipe off his past sins and admit him to the eternal land of bliss and happiness.
The Holy Prophet said:
"A sincere repentant (i) is ashamed of his past sins, (ii) takes up the duties overlooked and fulfils them, (iii) makes good the wilfully ignored conditions of a trust managed by him, (iv) forgives those who provoke him, (v) does not demand repayment of loans from those who are in financial distress, (vi) makes firm determination not to sin ever again, (vii) surrenders his self to the adoration, devotion and service of Allah when it had swelled to the point of exploding due to inordinate consumption of worldly pleasures, transgression and disobedience."
For "those who believe with him" refer to the commentary of Fat-h: 29.
In the light of Ahzab: 33, the Ahl ul Bayt alone are like the Holy Prophet in purity, wisdom and character because of which he took them with him in mubahilah (Ali Imran: 61), and because of which their love has been made obligatory on all Muslims in verse 23 of Shura, and they have been included in salawat or durud in verse 56 of Ahazab. Refer to the commentary of Baqarah: 2 to 5 (page 51) for what the Holy Prophet said about Fatimah Zahra.
The Holy Prophet said:
"The children of Fatimah and Ali are my children."
"Husayn is from me and I am from Husayn."
Refer to Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al Maghazi, vol. 3, page 41 for the saying of the Holy Prophet: "O Ali, you are from me and I am from you."
Also refer to the commentary of Baqarah: 124.
As stated in Sad: 75 the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt belong to the class of alin (the most exalted). The righteous companions of the Holy Prophet or those believers who lived after him and shall come in this world till the day of resurrection are classified into different categories according to the degree of their submission to the will of Allah. There were people whose behaviour has been described in the commentary of several verses pertaining to battles of Uhad, Khandaq and Hunayn, and at the time of the treaty of Hudaybiya and at the time of the departure of the Holy Prophet (hadith al qirtas), can at most reach the level of pardoned sinners.
For "their light will run before them" refer to the commentary of Hadid: 12; Nur: 33 to 37.
[Shakir 66:9] O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be hard against them; and their abode is hell; and evil is the resort.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:9]
Refer to the commentary of Bara-at: 73.
[Shakir 66:10] Allah sets forth an example to those who disbelieve the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut: they were both under two of Our righteous servants, but they acted treacherously towards them so they availed them naught against Allah, and it was said: Enter both the fire with those who enter.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:10]
Read Nuh's story in Hud: 36 to 48 and Lut's in Araf: 83 and Hud: 81.
It is made clear that in the matters of conduct even the wives of the prophets who were false to their husbands cannot claim immunity from the application of law on the ground that they are the wives of a messenger of Allah. They will be punished like any other wicked woman. There is personal accountability before the Lord. One soul cannot claim the merits of another. See commentary of Baqarah: 48; Anam: 165, Bani Israil: 15, Fatir: 18; Zumar:7, Najm:38.
[Shakir 66:11] And Allah sets forth an example to those who believe the wife of Firon when she said: My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the garden and deliver me from Firon and his doing, and deliver me from the unjust people:
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:11]
Traditionally the wife of Firawn, known as Asiya, is one of the four divinely exalted perfect women, the other three are Maryam, mother of Isa; Khadijah, wife of the Holy Prophet and mother of Fatimah Zahra and Fatimah Zahra, daughter of the Holy Prophet and wife of Ali ibn abi Talib and mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, the progenitor of the rest of the Imams of the Ahl ul Bayt (see Baqarah: 124).
Firawn is known for arrogance, godlessness, wickedness and transgression of all bounds. To lay greater emphasis on what has been said in verse l0 that being a wife of a prophet in no way exempts a woman from punishment if she is evil; the reverse example of Asiya is given in this verse that in spite of being the wife of an accursed man like Firawn, she is among the four most honoured women of the world. As stated in verse 9 of Qasas she saved the life of Musa. After seeing the miracles performed by Musa in the court of Firawn her spiritual vision was directed to Allah and she became a believing women. She was persecuted for her true faith. Her prayer implies a desire for martyrdom. At last she attained her crown of martyrdom.
[Shakir 66:12] And Marium, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration and she accepted the truth of the words of her Lord and His books, and she was of, the obedient ones.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:12]
Imran was the name of the father of Maryam, the mother of Isa. See Ali Imran: 33 to 46 and Maryam: 16 to 34. Allah made her and her son a sign (miracle) for all peoples.
Will of Allah is not controlled by any law of nature, on the other hand all laws governing the universe and nature obey and follow His will, so whenever He wills they are adjusted to serve His plan and purpose. Call to mind all that which you have read so far about Maryam and Isa.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
Mere personal relationship or close association with the Holy Prophet, without faith and virtue can do no good.
PS :: To delve&discover deeper definitions, descriptions, details, discussions, dialogues, debates, dormant doors, degrees, dominions, dimensions.. etc with me feel free to mail me @ revolutionary.rhythmic.river@gmail.com, may Lord grant/give/gift you/us the alert/active/awesome.. ability/awareness/capability/capacity/concentration/contemplation/completely crystal clear cleansing consciousness.. to attune, acquire and act as in/out/per predestined perfectly positioned prescribed periodic peak point practical productive prayer[s].., IA/If Allah allows, Ameen/Illahi-Ameen/Summ[a] Ameen.., may Lord Almighty accept it from us all.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:9]
Refer to the commentary of Bara-at: 73.
[Shakir 66:10] Allah sets forth an example to those who disbelieve the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut: they were both under two of Our righteous servants, but they acted treacherously towards them so they availed them naught against Allah, and it was said: Enter both the fire with those who enter.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:10]
Read Nuh's story in Hud: 36 to 48 and Lut's in Araf: 83 and Hud: 81.
It is made clear that in the matters of conduct even the wives of the prophets who were false to their husbands cannot claim immunity from the application of law on the ground that they are the wives of a messenger of Allah. They will be punished like any other wicked woman. There is personal accountability before the Lord. One soul cannot claim the merits of another. See commentary of Baqarah: 48; Anam: 165, Bani Israil: 15, Fatir: 18; Zumar:7, Najm:38.
[Shakir 66:11] And Allah sets forth an example to those who believe the wife of Firon when she said: My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the garden and deliver me from Firon and his doing, and deliver me from the unjust people:
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:11]
Traditionally the wife of Firawn, known as Asiya, is one of the four divinely exalted perfect women, the other three are Maryam, mother of Isa; Khadijah, wife of the Holy Prophet and mother of Fatimah Zahra and Fatimah Zahra, daughter of the Holy Prophet and wife of Ali ibn abi Talib and mother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, the progenitor of the rest of the Imams of the Ahl ul Bayt (see Baqarah: 124).
Firawn is known for arrogance, godlessness, wickedness and transgression of all bounds. To lay greater emphasis on what has been said in verse l0 that being a wife of a prophet in no way exempts a woman from punishment if she is evil; the reverse example of Asiya is given in this verse that in spite of being the wife of an accursed man like Firawn, she is among the four most honoured women of the world. As stated in verse 9 of Qasas she saved the life of Musa. After seeing the miracles performed by Musa in the court of Firawn her spiritual vision was directed to Allah and she became a believing women. She was persecuted for her true faith. Her prayer implies a desire for martyrdom. At last she attained her crown of martyrdom.
[Shakir 66:12] And Marium, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration and she accepted the truth of the words of her Lord and His books, and she was of, the obedient ones.
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 66:12]
Imran was the name of the father of Maryam, the mother of Isa. See Ali Imran: 33 to 46 and Maryam: 16 to 34. Allah made her and her son a sign (miracle) for all peoples.
Will of Allah is not controlled by any law of nature, on the other hand all laws governing the universe and nature obey and follow His will, so whenever He wills they are adjusted to serve His plan and purpose. Call to mind all that which you have read so far about Maryam and Isa.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
Mere personal relationship or close association with the Holy Prophet, without faith and virtue can do no good.
PS :: To delve&discover deeper definitions, descriptions, details, discussions, dialogues, debates, dormant doors, degrees, dominions, dimensions.. etc with me feel free to mail me @ revolutionary.rhythmic.river@gmail.com, may Lord grant/give/gift you/us the alert/active/awesome.. ability/awareness/capability/capacity/concentration/contemplation/completely crystal clear cleansing consciousness.. to attune, acquire and act as in/out/per predestined perfectly positioned prescribed periodic peak point practical productive prayer[s].., IA/If Allah allows, Ameen/Illahi-Ameen/Summ[a] Ameen.., may Lord Almighty accept it from us all.
