سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 36
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًا مُّبِينًا ﴿36﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allâh and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
(it) is
لِمُؤْمِنٍۢ
limu'minin
for a believing man
وَلَا
walā
and not
مُؤْمِنَةٍ
mu'minatin
(for) a believing woman
إِذَا
idhā
when
قَضَى
qaḍā
Allah has decided
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah has decided
وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ
warasūluhu
and His Messenger
أَمْرًا
amran
a matter
أَن
an
that
يَكُونَ
yakūna
(there) should be
لَهُمُ
lahumu
for them
ٱلْخِيَرَةُ
l-khiyaratu
(any) choice
مِنْ
min
about
أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ
amrihim
their affair
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
يَعْصِ
yaʿṣi
disobeys
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
وَرَسُولَهُۥ
warasūlahu
and His Messenger
فَقَدْ
faqad
certainly
ضَلَّ
ḍalla
he (has) strayed
ضَلَـٰلًۭا
ḍalālan
(into) error
مُّبِينًۭا
mubīnan
clear
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
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.
