Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 35

(Ayah 35) ➊ { اِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ الْمُسْلِمٰتِ … :} After encouraging the Mothers of the Believers towards pure deeds and morals, advising them to avoid bad conduct, and emphasizing the learning and teaching of the Book and Wisdom, the mention of these ten qualities of perfection is made, for those who adhere to them, Allah has prepared a great forgiveness and a tremendous reward. However, these qualities are mentioned in general terms, and all men and women are mentioned separately and explicitly, so that no one thinks it is exclusive to the Mothers of the Believers, nor considers these virtues and their rewards to be only for men.
➋ Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she said: "O Messenger of Allah! In the Qur'an, men are mentioned, but we women are not mentioned in the same way." Then suddenly one day I heard your voice from the pulpit, so I went near the door and listened, and you were saying: "O people! Allah the Exalted says: «{ اِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ الْمُسْلِمٰتِ وَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِ وَ الْقٰنِتِيْنَ وَ الْقٰنِتٰتِ وَ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ وَ الصّٰدِقٰتِ وَ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ وَ الصّٰبِرٰتِ وَ الْخٰشِعِيْنَ وَ الْخٰشِعٰتِ وَ الْمُتَصَدِّقِيْنَ وَ الْمُتَصَدِّقٰتِ وَ الصَّآىِٕمِيْنَ وَ الصّٰٓىِٕمٰتِ وَ الْحٰفِظِيْنَ فُرُوْجَهُمْ وَ الْحٰفِظٰتِ وَ الذّٰكِرِيْنَ اللّٰهَ كَثِيْرًا وَّ الذّٰكِرٰتِ اَعَدَّ اللّٰهُ لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةً وَّ اَجْرًا عَظِيْمًا }» [ الأحزاب : ۳۵ ] [ مسند أحمد : 301/6، ح : ۲۶۵۷۵، و قال المحقق صحیح ]
➌ { الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ الْمُسْلِمٰتِ :} The meaning of Islam is submission (to become obedient), and the meaning of Iman is affirmation. Then their usage is in three ways: sometimes both are used in the same meaning, as He said: «{ فَاَخْرَجْنَا مَنْ كَانَ فِيْهَا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ (35) فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيْهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِّنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ }» [ الذاریات : ۳۵، ۳۶ ] "So We brought out from it whoever was a believer, and We found there only one house of Muslims." Sometimes they are used with separate meanings, as He said: «{ قَالَتِ الْاَعْرَابُ اٰمَنَّا قُلْ لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوْا وَ لٰكِنْ قُوْلُوْۤا اَسْلَمْنَا }» [ الحجرات : ۱۴] "The Bedouins said, 'We have believed.' Say, 'You have not believed; but say, 'We have submitted.''" And sometimes the word Muslim is general, meaning the person who performs the outward acts of Islam, whether he truly believes or not, and the word Mu'min is specific, meaning the person who, along with performing outward acts, also truly believes in Allah and His truth in his heart. Apparently, in this verse, {’’ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ‘‘} refers to all Muslims, whether they only perform outward acts or also truly believe in their hearts. (Ibn Juzayy)
➍ { وَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِ :} Since in {’’ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ الْمُسْلِمٰتِ ‘‘} both the sincere and the hypocrite could be included, the mention of believing men and believing women is made, meaning those who, along with outward submission, also have faith in their hearts, because unless there is certainty in the heart, outward submission is of no benefit.
➎ { وَ الْقٰنِتِيْنَ وَ الْقٰنِتٰتِ :} Those who are always obedient. After Islam comes the rank of Iman, and as a result of both, Qunut, i.e., obedience and submission, is produced.
➏ { وَ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ وَ الصّٰدِقٰتِ:} For its details, see the commentary of Surah Tawbah, Ayah (119): «{ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ كُوْنُوْا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ }».
➐ { وَ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ وَ الصّٰبِرٰتِ :} For its explanation, see Surah Al-Baqarah (45 and 153).
➑ { وَ الْخٰشِعِيْنَ وَ الْخٰشِعٰتِ … :} That is, they are free from arrogance and pride, always humble before Allah, and with their hearts, tongues, bodies, and souls, they remain bowed before Him; when the truth comes before them, they neither turn away from it nor deny it. All the states of humility and submissiveness are gathered in prayer, so the highest level of Khushu' is in prayer, as He said: «{ قَدْ اَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ (1) الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ فِيْ صَلَاتِهِمْ خٰشِعُوْنَ }» [ المؤمنون : ۱، ۲ ] "Certainly, the believers have succeeded, those who are humble in their prayers." It is possible that here, along with the general state of Khushu', it is especially meant, because after this, charity and fasting are mentioned, and prayer, charity, and fasting are the three fundamental pillars of Islam. The words Khushu', charity, and fasting include both obligatory and voluntary acts.
➒ { وَ الْحٰفِظِيْنَ فُرُوْجَهُمْ وَ الْحٰفِظٰتِ :} This includes not only abstaining from adultery but also from being naked, and also from wearing such clothing that exposes the part of the body which must be covered. See Surah Al-Mu’minun (5 to 7) and Al-Ma’arij (29 to 31).
➓ { وَ الذّٰكِرِيْنَ اللّٰهَ كَثِيْرًا وَّ الذّٰكِرٰتِ … : } Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was walking on the way to Makkah, and he passed by a mountain called Jumdan. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ سِيْرُوْا هٰذَا جُمْدَانُ سَبَقَ الْمُفَرَّدُوْنَ ] "Keep moving, this is Jumdan. The 'Mufarridun' (those who remain alone in their work) have gone ahead." The people asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Who are the 'Mufarridun'?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ اَلذَّاكِرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ كَثِيْرًا وَّالذَّاكِرَاتُ ] [ مسلم، الذکر و الدعاء، باب الحث علی ذکر اللہ تعالٰی : ۲۶۷۶ ] "The men who remember Allah much and the women who remember Allah much." Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَلاَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ وَ أَزْكَاهَا عِنْدَ مَلِيْكِكُمْ وَأَرْفَعِهَا فِيْ دَرَجَاتِكُمْ وَ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ مِنْ إِنْفَاقِ الذَّهَبِ وَ الْوَرِقِ وَ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ مِنْ أَنْ تَلْقَوْا عَدُوَّكُمْ فَتَضْرِبُوْا أَعْنَاقَهُمْ وَ يَضْرِبُوْا أَعْنَاقَكُمْ؟ قَالُوْا بَلٰی قَالَ ذِكْرُ اللّٰهِ تَعَالٰی] [ترمذي، الدعوات، باب منہ : ۳۳۷۷، و قال الألباني صحیح ] "Shall I not tell you the best of your deeds, and the purest of them with your Lord, and the highest of them in your ranks, and better for you than spending gold and silver, and better than that you meet your enemy and strike their necks and they strike your necks?" The Companions said: "Certainly, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is the remembrance of Allah." Abdullah bin Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) says that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! The commands of Islam have become too many for me, so tell me something I can hold on to firmly." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ لاَ يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ ] [ ترمذي، الدعوات، باب ما جاء في فضل الذکر : ۳۳۷۵، و قال الألباني صحیح ] "Let your tongue always be moist with the remembrance of Allah."
Remember, verbal remembrance alone is not enough; rather, it is necessary to remember Allah in the heart and always be aware that my Master is watching me. As a result, a person avoids disobeying Allah, and if he does disobey, the remembrance of Allah compels him to rectify his relationship with his Lord, as Allah the Exalted has described the quality of His pious servants: «{ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اِذَا فَعَلُوْا فَاحِشَةً اَوْ ظَلَمُوْۤا اَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللّٰهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوْا۠ لِذُنُوْبِهِمْ وَ مَنْ يَّغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ لَمْ يُصِرُّوْا عَلٰى مَا فَعَلُوْا وَ هُمْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ }» [ آل عمران : ۱۳۵ ] "And those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who can forgive sins except Allah?—and they do not persist in what they have done while they know." And among the seven fortunate ones who will have the shade of Allah's Throne on the Day of Resurrection is the one about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ وَ رَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللّٰهَ خَالِيًا فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ ] [ بخاري، الأذان، باب من جلس في المسجد… : ۶۶۰ ] "A man who remembered Allah in seclusion, and his eyes overflowed with tears." To insist on disobedience to Allah while merely mentioning Him with the tongue and calling it remembrance is a result of heedlessness of the true meaning of "remembrance."

35-1. Hazrat Umm Salamah (RA) and some other female companions said that what is the matter that Allah Almighty always addresses men everywhere and not women, upon which this verse was revealed (Musnad-631, Tirmidhi number 3211). In this, the reassurance of women has been taken care of, otherwise in all rulings, women are included along with men except for those specific rulings which are only for women. From this verse and other verses, it is clear that in worship and obedience to Allah and in the ranks and virtues of the Hereafter, there is no distinction between men and women; for both, this field is equally open and both can earn as many good deeds and rewards as possible. There will be no increase or decrease in this on the basis of gender. Besides, by mentioning Muslim and believer separately, it is clear that there is a difference between the two; the rank of faith is higher than Islam, as other evidences from the Quran and Hadith also indicate this.

35. Surely, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, those who guard their chastity, and those who remember Allah much—Allah has prepared forgiveness [54] and a great reward for all of them.

[54]
The Ten Fundamental Values of Islam:

In this verse, ten such qualities of Muslims are mentioned which can be called the fundamental values of Islam. The first quality is embracing Islam, and this depends on two testimonies: that whoever declares that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, enters the fold of Islam. After Islam, the second quality is faith (iman). Faith means that the two testimonies settle in the heart, and the heart also affirms them, and a person becomes ready to fulfill the demands and basic pillars of Islam. As long as a person does not affirm with the heart and perform righteous deeds along with the claim of Islam, his claim to faith will be considered false and a lie. The third quality is that such people are not only verbally convinced of the commands of Allah and His Messenger, but are also always ready, in practice, to accept and obey them. The fourth quality is that they are truthful and upright. In their dealings, they avoid lying, deceit, hypocrisy, and treachery as much as possible. The fifth quality is that they endure the difficulties encountered in the path of Allah with a cheerful heart. They also act upon the divine commands with full patience and steadfastness. The sixth quality is that they have no trace of arrogance. Their appearance, manner of walking, and speech are free from pride and haughtiness. Instead, they possess humility and modesty towards others. They treat everyone with respect and honor. At this point, the word "khashi'een" is used, and "khushu'" means such fear or feeling whose effects become apparent on the limbs. Then, by using this word, prayer can also be meant, because khushu' is the soul of prayer, and taking prayer as the meaning here is also appropriate since charity and fasting are mentioned ahead. The seventh quality is that they are charitable, and this word includes three meanings. First, that they pay zakat (obligatory charity). Second, that they remove the needs of the needy through voluntary charity and spend in those matters which the Shariah has commanded. Third, that if someone owes them a debt, they forgive it, i.e., they forgo their right. The eighth quality is that they not only observe obligatory fasts but also keep voluntary fasts as much as they are able. The ninth quality is that they avoid adultery as well as indecency and nakedness. The tenth quality is that they remember Allah most of the time and keep Him in mind. By remembering is meant to keep the tongue moist with tasbih, tahlil, and the remembrance of Allah, and by keeping in mind is meant that whatever they do, they always have the fear of Allah in their hearts, which saves them from disobeying Allah. And the reality is that the soul of all worships is this remembrance of Allah or the remembrance of Allah. All other acts of worship have a fixed time, but this worship has no fixed time, and it can be done at all times. And it is through this remembrance of Allah that it becomes known how strong or weak a servant's relationship with his Lord is.

Why Are Men Generally Addressed? Men and Women Are Equal in the Reward of Deeds:

The context of this verse is that some of the noble wives asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ why, in the Quran, men are generally addressed, and women are rarely mentioned. Thus, in this verse, women are mentioned alongside men in each quality. And this was merely the eager desire of some of the wives (Sayyidah Umm Salamah ؓ) that women should be mentioned separately. Otherwise, it is the custom of every language, and likewise of the Arabic language, that when addressing a mixed gathering of men and women, the masculine plural form is used, and women are included in this address by implication. Thus, in this verse, it has been clarified that whether the doer is a man or a woman, no one's effort and earning is wasted with Allah. Secondly, there will be no difference in the reward of their deeds. The path to moral development and spiritual perfection is equally open to both. It is a separate matter that the sphere of action for men is different from that of women. If men have a higher rank in jihad, then women have a higher rank in the proper upbringing of children. However, in matters that pertain specifically to women, women are addressed directly.