Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 36

(Ayah 36) ➊ {وَ مَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَّ لَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ … : ’’ الْخِيَرَةُ ‘‘ ’’تَخَيَّرَ يَتَخَيَّرُ‘‘} is a verbal noun (masdar) from the form (تفعّل), just as the verbal noun of {’’تَطَيَّرَ ‘‘} is {’’اَلطِّيَرَةُ‘‘}. The scholars say that in this form, only these two verbal nouns come from this pattern. In the previous verses, Allah Almighty commanded the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to give his wives the choice to stay with him or to separate from him, so that it would be clear that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not want to cause anyone hardship for his own sake. Now it is said, this does not mean that just as the wives were given the choice to stay or separate, in the same way every person has the choice in every matter to obey or not obey the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, there are some matters in which no believing man or believing woman has the right to exercise their own will; these are the matters in which Allah Almighty or His Messenger gives a clear command and does not leave room for doing or not doing it. If they themselves give room, then that is another matter, as in the case of Barirah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was a slave woman and was married to Mughith (may Allah be pleased with him). When she was freed, due to her husband being a slave, she was given the choice to remain in his marriage or not. Barirah (may Allah be pleased with her) decided to separate from him. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): [ يَا عَبَّاسُ! أَلَا تَعْجَبُ مِنْ حُبِّ مُغِيْثٍ بَرِيْرَةَ، وَ مِنْ بُغْضِ بَرِيْرَةَ مُغِيْثًا ] "O Abbas! Are you not amazed at Mughith's love for Barirah and Barirah's dislike for Mughith?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: [ لَوْ رَاجَعْتِهِ؟ ] "If only you would return to him?" She said: "O Messenger of Allah! Are you commanding me?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّمَا أَنَا أَشْفَعُ ] "I am only interceding." She said: [ فَلَا حَاجَةَ لِيْ فِيْهِ ] [ بخاري، الطلاق، باب شفاعۃ النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم في زوج بریرۃ : ۵۲۸۳ ] "I have no need of him."
The meaning of {’’ اِذَا قَضَى اللّٰهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗۤ اَمْرًا ‘‘} is that when a decisive command comes from Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then no Muslim has any room left to exercise their own choice in any way. With {’’ كَانَ ‘‘}, the negation of {’’ مَا ‘‘} is further emphasized, because with {’’ كَانَ ‘‘}, the continuity and permanence of the negation is intended. That is, no believing man or believing woman ever has the right that when Allah and His Messenger...
➋ Most commentators have written the reason for the revelation of this verse is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told his paternal aunt Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib's daughter, Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her), to marry his adopted son and freed slave, Zayd bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him), but she refused, saying, "I am better than him in lineage." Upon this, this verse was revealed, so she agreed to the marriage, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married her to Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned two narrations of this reason for revelation. The first is 'Awfi from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), which al-Tabari narrated, and its chain is weak. The second is Ibn Lahi'ah from Ibn Abi 'Umrah from 'Ikrimah from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), which al-Tabari also narrated, and this too is weak due to Ibn Lahi'ah. Moreover, it is not certain that the marriage of Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) to Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) took place after the migration, whereas this surah is Madinan. Ibn 'Ashur has mentioned in the commentary of this verse and the following verse that this marriage took place in Makkah before the migration, and Ibn Kathir has quoted the statement of Muqatil bin Hayyan that Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) stayed with Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) for about a year, but this is not established, because Muqatil is a Tabi' Tabi'i, and he has not mentioned the Tabi'i or the Companion who narrated this. Mawlana Thanaullah Amritsari (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "If we look at it from the principles of Shariah, although marriage is a Shariah command, the matter that the Prophet would command someone to marry a particular woman to a particular man, or a particular man to a particular woman, is not Sahih in Shariah. That is, the Prophet cannot say, 'You must marry such-and-such man,' and if the woman does not agree, she is considered disobedient. Our claim is strongly supported by the hadith of Barirah (may Allah be pleased with her) (which has already been mentioned in the commentary of this verse)." (Tafsir Thanai) Therefore, it is better that instead of saying that Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) refused to obey the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) before the revelation of this verse, this verse should be understood as an emphasis on obeying the command of Allah and His Messenger, just as this emphasis has already been mentioned in even more comprehensive words at the beginning of this surah, where Allah Almighty said: «{ اَلنَّبِيُّ اَوْلٰى بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ مِنْ اَنْفُسِهِمْ }» [ الأحزاب : ۶ ] "The Prophet has more right over the believers than their own selves."
➌ Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "This verse is general for all rulings, that when Allah and His Messenger decide a matter, it is not permissible for anyone to prohibit it, nor does anyone have the choice to accept or reject it, nor does any analogy, opinion, or statement of anyone have any value in opposition to it, as Allah Almighty said: «{ فَلَا وَ رَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ حَتّٰى يُحَكِّمُوْكَ فِيْمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوْا فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَ يُسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمًا }» [ النساء : ۶۵ ] 'But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge in all disputes between them, then find in themselves no discomfort from what you have judged, and submit in full submission.'"
➍ { وَ مَنْ يَّعْصِ اللّٰهَ وَ رَسُوْلَهٗ … :} In this is a severe warning for disobeying Allah and His Messenger. Elsewhere, He said: «{ فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِيْنَ يُخَالِفُوْنَ عَنْ اَمْرِهٖۤ اَنْ تُصِيْبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ اَوْ يُصِيْبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ}» [ النور : ۶۳ ] "So let those beware who go against his command, lest a trial afflict them or a painful punishment befall them."

36-1. This verse was revealed regarding the marriage of Hazrat Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her). Hazrat Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was originally an Arab, but someone had forcibly captured him in his childhood and sold him as a slave. After the marriage of the Prophet ﷺ to Hazrat Khadijah, Hazrat Khadijah gifted him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ freed him and made him his adopted son. The Prophet ﷺ sent a marriage proposal for him to his paternal aunt's daughter Hazrat Zainab, upon which she and her brother hesitated due to family status, as Zaid was a freed slave and they belonged to a noble family. Upon this, this verse was revealed. Its meaning is that after the decision of Allah and His Messenger, no believing man or woman has the right to exercise their own choice. Rather, it is necessary for them to submit. Thus, after hearing this verse, Hazrat Zainab and others did not insist on their opinion and the marriage took place.

36. It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, to have any choice in their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger [55] has certainly gone far astray.

[55]
The Status of Freed Slaves in Society:

At the beginning of this surah, it has already been mentioned that there was a large number of slaves in Arab society. Slaves were considered an inferior and second-class creation. Even if a slave was freed, who was then called a "mawla," the society of free people was still not ready to absorb him into itself. Islam wanted to reform this social corruption. Allah Almighty willed that the beginning of this reform should be made from the person of the Prophet and his household.

Lady Zainab's Submission to Allah and His Command:

Youﷺ had a slave, Zaid bin Harithah, whom youﷺ freed and then adopted as your son. But even then, free people were not ready to give him equal social status. Youﷺ sought the hand of your paternal cousin Zainab for Zaid. The people found this insulting and extremely unpleasant. For this reason, they refused the proposal. But Allah willed that this matter must be accomplished. In this context, this verse was revealed. Thus, youﷺ recited this verse to Lady Zainab bint Jahsh, and she submitted to Allah's command and accepted the proposal. And Sayyiduna Zaid was married to Zainab bint Jahsh.