سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 28
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ إِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا ﴿28﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O Prophet (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)! Say to your wives: "If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O Prophet
ٱلنَّبِىُّ
l-nabiyu
O Prophet
قُل
qul
Say
لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ
li-azwājika
to your wives
إِن
in
If
كُنتُنَّ
kuntunna
you
تُرِدْنَ
turid'na
desire
ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ
l-ḥayata
the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
وَزِينَتَهَا
wazīnatahā
and its adornment
فَتَعَالَيْنَ
fataʿālayna
then come
أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ
umattiʿ'kunna
I will provide for you
وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ
wa-usarriḥ'kunna
and release you
سَرَاحًۭا
sarāḥan
(with) a release
جَمِيلًۭا
jamīlan
good
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
28. O Prophet! Say to your wives: "If you desire the life of this world and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and release you in a gracious manner [40]."
[40]
The Wives Demanding Expenses from You:
Here, an entirely new topic begins. When, due to the spoils of war, some prosperity came to the Muslims, the noble wives also made some additional demands for expenses from youﷺ. According to the circumstances, this demand was not entirely unjustified, because all the other Muslims were becoming prosperous. However, due to your nature inclined towards asceticism, this demand from your wives was very hard on you. And due to this heaviness of heart, youﷺ intended to keep away from your wives for a month, as is evident from the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Jabir says: Sayyiduna Umar came to the Messenger of Allahﷺ and sought permission. Youﷺ granted him permission to enter. Sayyiduna Umarؓ saw that your wives were sitting around you, sad and silent. Youﷺ said: "They are sitting around me demanding expenses, as you can see." Then youﷺ separated from them for a month. [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح باب موعظۃ الرجل ابنتہ]
Details of the Incident of Ila’:
2. Sayyiduna Umar says: I and an Ansari neighbor of mine used to live in the village of Banu Umayyah bin Zayd, which is one of the upper villages of Madinah. We used to take turns going to the Prophetﷺ. One day he would go, and one day I would. When I went, I would inform him of all the news and revelation that had come to you that day, and when he went, he would do the same. One day my Ansari companion went on his turn, and when he returned, he knocked on my door loudly and said: "Is Umarؓ here?" I came out in alarm, and he said: "Today a great incident has occurred, (the Prophetﷺ has divorced his wives)." I went to Hafsah, and she was crying. [بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب التناؤب فی العلم]
3. Sayyiduna Umarؓ says: "One day my Ansari neighbor informed me that the Messenger of Allahﷺ had divorced his wives." I went to Hafsahؓ and she was crying. I asked her: "Did the Messenger of Allahﷺ divorce you?" She said: "I do not know, and he has secluded himself in that upper room." I went from there (to the mosque) and said to Aswad (the doorkeeper) to seek permission for Umarؓ to enter. The boy went inside and then came out and said: "I mentioned you, but youﷺ gave no reply." I went back to the mosque. People were sitting around the pulpit, weeping. I sat with them, but again the same worry overcame me. I went to the boy and said: "Seek permission for Umar." The boy went inside, then came out and said: "I mentioned you, but you gave no reply." I went back to the mosque and sat down. Again, the same worry overcame me. I went to the boy and said: "Ask for permission for Umar." The boy went inside, then came out and said: "I mentioned you, but youﷺ gave no reply." When I returned from there, the boy called me and said: "Come, you have been granted permission." I went inside, and at that time youﷺ were reclining on a mat. I saw that the marks of the mat were on your sides. I asked: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Have you divorced your wives?" Youﷺ said: "No." I exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar!" Then I said: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Look, we Quraysh used to keep our women under control, but when we came to Madinah, we saw people whose wives kept them under control. Our women also began to learn their habits. One day I was angry with my wife, and she began to answer me back, which I disliked. She said: Why are you upset? By Allah, the wives of the Prophetﷺ answer him back, and some of them remain upset with him until night." I asked Hafsahؓ: "Do you also answer the Prophetﷺ back?" She said: "Yes, and some of us remain upset with him all night." I said: "Whoever among you does this has failed and suffered loss. Do you not fear that because of the Messenger of Allahﷺ's displeasure, Allah will also be displeased and you will be ruined?" At this, the Prophetﷺ smiled. Then he said to his daughter Hafsahؓ: "Hafsah! Never answer the Messenger of Allahﷺ back, nor ask him for anything. Rather, whatever you want, ask me, and do not be deceived, for your companion Aisha is more beautiful and beloved to the Messenger of Allahﷺ than you." At this, the Messenger of Allahﷺ smiled again. Then I said to youﷺ: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Shall I cheer you up?" Youﷺ said: "Alright." I looked up and saw nothing in the house except three hides. I said: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Pray to Allah to grant your Ummah abundance. Allah has given abundance to Rome and Persia, even though they do not worship Him." Hearing this, youﷺ sat up and said: "O son of Khattab! Are you still in doubt? Those people have been given the reward for their good deeds in this world." Sayyiduna Umarؓ says: Youﷺ did not go to your wives for a whole month. Then Allah revealed to youﷺ the command of atonement for the oath and admonished you. Sayyidah Aishaؓ says: When twenty-nine days had passed, youﷺ came to us. [ترمذي۔ باب التفسير۔ سورة تحريم]
[40]
The Wives Demanding Expenses from You:
Here, an entirely new topic begins. When, due to the spoils of war, some prosperity came to the Muslims, the noble wives also made some additional demands for expenses from youﷺ. According to the circumstances, this demand was not entirely unjustified, because all the other Muslims were becoming prosperous. However, due to your nature inclined towards asceticism, this demand from your wives was very hard on you. And due to this heaviness of heart, youﷺ intended to keep away from your wives for a month, as is evident from the following hadiths:
1. Sayyiduna Jabir says: Sayyiduna Umar came to the Messenger of Allahﷺ and sought permission. Youﷺ granted him permission to enter. Sayyiduna Umarؓ saw that your wives were sitting around you, sad and silent. Youﷺ said: "They are sitting around me demanding expenses, as you can see." Then youﷺ separated from them for a month. [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح باب موعظۃ الرجل ابنتہ]
Details of the Incident of Ila’:
2. Sayyiduna Umar says: I and an Ansari neighbor of mine used to live in the village of Banu Umayyah bin Zayd, which is one of the upper villages of Madinah. We used to take turns going to the Prophetﷺ. One day he would go, and one day I would. When I went, I would inform him of all the news and revelation that had come to you that day, and when he went, he would do the same. One day my Ansari companion went on his turn, and when he returned, he knocked on my door loudly and said: "Is Umarؓ here?" I came out in alarm, and he said: "Today a great incident has occurred, (the Prophetﷺ has divorced his wives)." I went to Hafsah, and she was crying. [بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب التناؤب فی العلم]
3. Sayyiduna Umarؓ says: "One day my Ansari neighbor informed me that the Messenger of Allahﷺ had divorced his wives." I went to Hafsahؓ and she was crying. I asked her: "Did the Messenger of Allahﷺ divorce you?" She said: "I do not know, and he has secluded himself in that upper room." I went from there (to the mosque) and said to Aswad (the doorkeeper) to seek permission for Umarؓ to enter. The boy went inside and then came out and said: "I mentioned you, but youﷺ gave no reply." I went back to the mosque. People were sitting around the pulpit, weeping. I sat with them, but again the same worry overcame me. I went to the boy and said: "Seek permission for Umar." The boy went inside, then came out and said: "I mentioned you, but you gave no reply." I went back to the mosque and sat down. Again, the same worry overcame me. I went to the boy and said: "Ask for permission for Umar." The boy went inside, then came out and said: "I mentioned you, but youﷺ gave no reply." When I returned from there, the boy called me and said: "Come, you have been granted permission." I went inside, and at that time youﷺ were reclining on a mat. I saw that the marks of the mat were on your sides. I asked: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Have you divorced your wives?" Youﷺ said: "No." I exclaimed: "Allahu Akbar!" Then I said: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Look, we Quraysh used to keep our women under control, but when we came to Madinah, we saw people whose wives kept them under control. Our women also began to learn their habits. One day I was angry with my wife, and she began to answer me back, which I disliked. She said: Why are you upset? By Allah, the wives of the Prophetﷺ answer him back, and some of them remain upset with him until night." I asked Hafsahؓ: "Do you also answer the Prophetﷺ back?" She said: "Yes, and some of us remain upset with him all night." I said: "Whoever among you does this has failed and suffered loss. Do you not fear that because of the Messenger of Allahﷺ's displeasure, Allah will also be displeased and you will be ruined?" At this, the Prophetﷺ smiled. Then he said to his daughter Hafsahؓ: "Hafsah! Never answer the Messenger of Allahﷺ back, nor ask him for anything. Rather, whatever you want, ask me, and do not be deceived, for your companion Aisha is more beautiful and beloved to the Messenger of Allahﷺ than you." At this, the Messenger of Allahﷺ smiled again. Then I said to youﷺ: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Shall I cheer you up?" Youﷺ said: "Alright." I looked up and saw nothing in the house except three hides. I said: "O Messenger of Allahﷺ! Pray to Allah to grant your Ummah abundance. Allah has given abundance to Rome and Persia, even though they do not worship Him." Hearing this, youﷺ sat up and said: "O son of Khattab! Are you still in doubt? Those people have been given the reward for their good deeds in this world." Sayyiduna Umarؓ says: Youﷺ did not go to your wives for a whole month. Then Allah revealed to youﷺ the command of atonement for the oath and admonished you. Sayyidah Aishaؓ says: When twenty-nine days had passed, youﷺ came to us. [ترمذي۔ باب التفسير۔ سورة تحريم]
