33:37 Al-Ahzaab (The Clans)

وكان سبب نزول هذه الآيات، أن اللّه تعالى أراد أن يشرع شرعًا عامًا للمؤمنين، أن الأدعياء ليسوا في حكم الأبناء حقيقة، من جميع الوجوه وأن أزواجهم، لا جناح على من تبناهم، في نكاحهن.وكان هذا من الأمور المعتادة، التي لا تكاد تزول إلا بحادث كبير، فأراد أن يكون هذا الشرع قولاً من رسوله، وفعلاً، وإذا أراد اللّه أمرًا، جعل له سببًا، وكان زيد بن حارثة يدعى \"زيد بن محمد\" قد تبناه النبي صلى اللّه عليه وسلم، فصار يدعى إليه حتى نزل { ادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ ْ} فقيل له: \"زيد بن حارثة\" .وكانت تحته، زينب بنت جحش، ابنة عمة رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه وسلم، وكان قد وقع في قلب الرسول، لو طلقها زيد، لتزوَّجها، فقدر اللّه أن يكون بينها وبين زيد، ما اقتضى أن جاء زيد بن حارثة يستأذن النبي صلى اللّه عليه وسلم في فراقها.قال اللّه: { وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ْ} أي: بالإسلام { وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ ْ} بالعتق حين جاءك مشاورًا في فراقها: فقلت له ناصحًا له ومخبرًا بمصلحته مع وقوعها في قلبك: { أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ ْ} أي: لا تفارقها، واصبر على ما جاءك منها، { وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ ْ} تعالى في أمورك عامة، وفي أمر زوجك خاصة، فإن التقوى، تحث على الصبر، وتأمر به.{ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ ْ} والذي أخفاه، أنه لو طلقها زيد، لتزوجها صلى اللّه عليه وسلم.{ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ ْ} في عدم إبداء ما في نفسك { وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ْ} وأن لا تباليهم شيئًا، { فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا ْ} أي: طابت نفسه، ورغب عنها، وفارقها. { زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا ْ} وإنما فعلنا ذلك، لفائدة عظيمة، وهي: { لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ ْ} حيث رأوك تزوجت، زوج زيد بن حارثة، الذي كان من قبل، ينتسب إليك.ولما كان قوله: { لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ ْ} عامًا في جميع الأحوال، وكان من الأحوال، ما لا يجوز ذلك، وهي قبل انقضاء وطره منها، قيد ذلك بقوله: { إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا ْ} أي: لا بد من فعله، ولا عائق له ولا مانع.وفي هذه الآيات المشتملات على هذه القصة، فوائد، منها: الثناء على زيد بن حارثة، وذلك من وجهين:أحدهما: أن اللّه سماه في القرآن، ولم يسم من الصحابة باسمه غيره.والثاني: أن اللّه أخبر أنه أنعم عليه، أي: بنعمة الإسلام والإيمان. وهذه شهادة من اللّه له أنه مسلم مؤمن، ظاهرًا وباطنًا، وإلا، فلا وجه لتخصيصه بالنعمة، لولا أن المراد بها، النعمة الخاصة.ومنها: أن المُعْتَق في نعمة الْمُعْتِق.ومنها: جواز تزوج زوجة الدَّعِيّ، كما صرح به.ومنها: أن التعليم الفعلي، أبلغ من القولي، خصوصا، إذا اقترن بالقول، فإن ذلك، نور على نور.ومنها: أن المحبة التي في قلب العبد، لغير زوجته ومملوكته، ومحارمه، إذا لم يقترن بها محذور، لا يأثم عليها العبد، ولو اقترن بذلك أمنيته، أن لو طلقها زوجها، لتزوجها من غير أن يسعى في فرقة بينهما، أو يتسبب بأي سبب كان، لأن اللّه أخبر أن الرسول صلى اللّه عليه وسلم، أخفى ذلك في نفسه.ومنها: أن الرسول صلى اللّه عليه وسلم، قد بلغ البلاغ المبين، فلم يدع شيئًا مما أوحي إليه، إلا وبلغه، حتى هذا الأمر، الذي فيه عتابه.وهذا يدل، على أنه رسول اللّه، ولا يقول إلا ما أوحي إليه، ولا يريد تعظيم نفسه.ومنها: أن المستشار مؤتمن، يجب عليه -إذا استشير في أمر من الأمور- أن يشير بما يعلمه أصلح للمستشير ولو كان له حظ نفس، فتقدم مصلحة المستشير على هوى نفسه وغرضه.ومنها: أن من الرأي: الحسن لمن استشار في فراق زوجته أن يؤمر بإمساكها مهما أمكن صلاح الحال، فهو أحسن من الفرقة.ومنها: [أنه يتعين] أن يقدم العبد خشية اللّه، على خشية الناس، وأنها أحق منها وأولى.ومنها: فضيلة زينب رضي اللّه عنها أم المؤمنين، حيث تولى اللّه تزويجها، من رسوله صلى اللّه عليه وسلم، من دون خطبة ولا شهود، ولهذا كانت تفتخر بذلك على أزواج رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه وسلم، وتقول زوجكن أهاليكن، وزوجني اللّه من فوق سبع سماوات.ومنها: أن المرأة، إذا كانت ذات زوج، لا يجوز نكاحها، ولا السعي فيه وفي أسبابه، حتى يقضي زوجها وطره منها، ولا يقضي وطره، حتى تنقضي عدتها، لأنها قبل انقضاء عدتها، هي في عصمته، أو في حقه الذي له وطر إليها، ولو من بعض الوجوه.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن نبيه قال لمولاه زيد بن حارثة رضي الله عنه وهو الذي أنعم الله عليه أي بالإسلام ومتابعة الرسول "وأنعمت عليه "أي بالعتق من الرق وكان سيدا كبير الشأن جليل القدر حبيبا إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقال له الحب ويقال لابنه أسامة الحب ابن الحب قالت عائشة رضي الله عنها ما بعثه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في سرية إلا أمره عليهم ولو عاش بعده لاستخلفه رواه الإمام أحمد عن سعيد بن محمد الوراق ومحمد بن عبيد عن وائل بن داود عن عبد الله البهي عنها وقال البزار حدثنا خالد بن يوسف حدثنا أبو عوانه ح وحدثنا محمد بن معمر حدثنا أبو داود حدثنا أبو عوانه أخبرني عمر بن أبي سلمة عن أبيه قال حدثني أسامه بن زيد رضي الله عنهما قال: كنت في المسجد فأتاني العباس وعلي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنهما فقالا يا أسامة استأذن لنا على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال فأتيت رسول الله فأخبرته فقلت علي والعباس يستأذنان فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم أتدري ما حاجتهما؟ قلت لا يا رسول الله قال صلى الله عليه وسلم لكني أدري قال فأذن لهما قالا يا رسول الله جئناك لتخبرنا أي أهلك أحب إليك؟ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم أحب أهلي إلي فاطمة بنت محمد قالا يا رسول الله ما نسألك عن فاطمة قال صلى الله عليه وسلم فأسامة بن زيد بن حارثه الذي أنعم الله عليه وأنعمت عليه وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قد زوجه بابنة عمته زينب بنت جحش الأسدية رضي الله عنها وأمها أميمة بنت عبد المطلب وأصدقها عشرة دنانير وستين درهما وخمارا وملحفة ودرعا وخمسين مدا من طعام وعشرة أمداد من تمر قاله مقاتل بن حيان فمكثت عنده قريبا من سنة أو فوقها ثم وقع بينهما فجاء زيد يشكوها إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فجعل رسول الله يقول له أمسك عليك زوجك واتق الله قال الله تعالى "وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه وتخشى الناس والله أحق أن تخشاه "ذكر ابن أبي حاتم وابن جرير ههنا آثارا عن بعض السلف رضي الله عنهم أحببنا أن نضرب عنها صفحا لعدم صحتها فلا نوردها وقد روى الإمام أحمد ههنا أيضا حديث من رواية حماد بن زيد عن ثابت عن أنس رضي الله عنه فيه غرابة تركنا سياقه أيضا وقد روى البخاري أيضا بعضه مختصرا فقال: حدثنا محمد بن عبد الرحيم حدثنا يعلى بن منصور عن حماد بن زيد حدثنا ثابت عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال إن هذه الآية "وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه "نزلت في شأن زينب بنت جحش وزيد بن حارثه رضي الله عنهما وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا علي بن حاتم بن مرزوق حدثنا ابن عيينة عن علي بن زيد بن جدعان قال سألني علي بن الحسين رضي الله عنهما ما يقول الحسن في قوله تعالى "وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه "فذكرت له فقال لا ولكن الله تعالى أعلم نبيه أنها ستكون من أزواجه قبل أن يتزوجها فلما أتاه زيد رضي الله عنه ليشكوها إليه قال اتق الله وأمسك عليك زوجك فقال قد أخبرتك أني مزوجكها وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه وهكذا روي عن السدي أنه قال نحو ذلك وقال ابن جرير حدثني إسحاق بن شاهين حدثني خالد عن داود عن عامر عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنها قالت: لو كتم محمد شيئا مما أوحي إليه من كتاب الله تعالى لكتم "وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه وتخشى الناس والله أحق أن تخشاه "وقوله تعالى "فلما قضى زيد منها وطرا زوجناكها "الوطر هو الحاجة والأرب أي لما فرغ منها وفارقها زوجناكها وكان الذي ولي تزويجها منه هو الله عز وجل بمعنى أنه أوحى أن يدخل عليها بلا ولي ولا عقد ولا مهر ولا شهود من البشر قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا هاشم يعني ابن القاسم أخبرنا النضر حدثنا سليمان بن المغيرة عن ثابت عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال لما انقضت عدة زينب رضي الله عنها قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لزيد بن حارثة اذهب فاذكرها علي فانطلق حتى أتاها وهي تخمر عجينها قال فلما رأيتها عظمت في صدري حتى ما أستطيع أن أنظر إليها وأقول إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ذكرها فوليتها ظهري ونكصت على عقبي وقلت يا زينب أبشري أرسلني رسول الله يذكرك قالت ما أنا بصانعة شيئا حتى أؤامر ربي عز وجل فقامت إلى مسجدها ونزل القرآن وجاء رسول الله فدخل عليها بغير إذن ولقد رأيتنا حين دخلت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأطعمنا عليها الخبز واللحم فخرج الناس وبقي رجال يتحدثون في البيت بعد الطعام فخرج رسول الله واتبعته فجعل يتتبع حجر نسائه يسلم عليهن ويقلن يا رسول الله كيف وجدت أهلك؟ فما أدري أنا أخبرته أن القوم قد خرجوا أو أخبر فانطلق حتى دخل البيت فذهبت أدخل معه فألقي الستر بيني وبينه ونزل الحجاب ووعظ القوم بما وعظوا به "لا تدخلوا بيوت النبي إلا أن يؤذن لكم "الآية كلها ورواه مسلم والنسائي من طرق عن سليمان ابن المغيرة به وقد روى البخاري رحمه الله عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال إن زينب بنت جحش رضي الله عنها كانت تفخر على أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فتقول زوجكن أهاليكن وزوجني الله تعالى من فوق سبع سموات وقد قدمنا في سورة النور عن محمد بن عبد الله بن جحش قال تفاخرت زينب وعائشة رضي الله عنهما فقالت زينب رضي الله عنها أنا التي نزل تزويجي من السماء وقالت عائشة رضي الله تعالى عنها أنا التي نزل عزري من السماء فاعترفت لها زينب رضي الله عنها وقال ابن جرير حدثنا ابن حميد حدثنا جرير عن المغيرة عن الشعبي قال: كانت زينب رضي الله عنها تقول للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إني لأدلي عليك بثلاث ما من نسائك امرأة تدلي بهن: إن جدي وجدك واحد وإني أنكحنيك الله عز وجل من السماء وإن السفير جبريل عليه السلام وقوله تعالى "لكي لا يكون على المؤمنين حرج في أزواج أدعيائهم إذا قضوا منهن وطرا "أي إنما أبحنا لك تزويجها وفعلنا ذلك لئلا يبقى حرج على المؤمنين في تزويج مطلقات الأدعياء وذلك أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان قبل النبوة قد تبنى زيد بن حارثة رضي الله عنه فكان يقال زيد بن محمد فلما قطع الله تعالى هذه النسبة بقوله تعالى "وما جعل أدعياءكم أبناءكم "إلى قوله تعالى "ادعوهم لآبائهم هو أقسط عند الله "ثم زاد ذلك بيانا وتأكيدا بوقوع تزويج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زينب بنت جحش رضي الله عنها لما طلقها زيد بن حارثة رضي الله عنه ولهذا قال تعالى في آية التحريم "وحلائل أبنائكم الذين من أصلابكم "ليحترز من الابن الدعي فإن ذلك كان كثيرا فيهم وقوله تعالى "وكان أمر الله مفعولا "أي وكان هذا الأمر الذي وقع قد قدره الله تعالى وحتمه وهو كائن لا محالة كانت زينب رضي الله عنها في علم الله ستصير من أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Allah's rebuke to His Messenger and the Story of Zayd and Zaynab

Allah tells what His Prophet said to his freed slave Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, who was the one on whom Allah had bestowed grace, i.e., through Islam and following the Messenger .

وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ

(and you have done a favor to him) means, by freeing him from slavery. And he was a great leader, held in high esteem and beloved by the Prophet . He was known as the beloved, and his son Usamah was known as the beloved son of the beloved. `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never sent him on a campaign but he appointed him as its commander, and if he had lived after him he would have appointed him as his Khalifah." This was recorded by Imam Ahmad. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had given him in marriage to the daughter of his paternal aunt, Zaynab bint Jahsh Al-Asadiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, whose mother was Umaymah bint `Abd Al-Muttalib. For her dowery he gave her ten Dinars, sixty Dirhams, a veil, a cloak and a shirt, fifty Mudds of food and ten Mudds of dates. This was stated by Muqatil bin Hayyan. She stayed with him for a year, more or less, then problems arose between them. Zayd complained about her to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who told him, "Stay with your wife and have Taqwa of Allah." Allah says:

وَتُخْفِى فِى نِفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَـهُ

(But you did hide in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him.) Ibn Jarir narrated that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "If Muhammad ﷺ were to have concealed anything that was revealed to him of the Book of Allah, he would have concealed this Ayah:

وَتُخْفِى فِى نِفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَـهُ

(But you did hide in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him.)"

فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِّنْهَا وَطَراً زَوَّجْنَـكَهَا

(So, when Zayd had completed his aim with her, We gave her to you in marriage,) meaning, `when her marriage to Zayd was over and he had separated from her, We married her to you,' and the One Who was her Wali (guardian) in this marriage was Allah Himself, in the sense that He revealed to the Prophet that he should go in unto her without any Wali, contractual agreement, dowery or witnesses among mankind. Imam Ahmad recorded that Thabit said that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "When Zaynab's `Iddah finished, may Allah be pleased with her, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Zayd bin Harithah,

«اذْهَبْ فَاذْكُرْهَا عَلَي»

(Go to her and tell her about me (that I want to marry her).) So, he went to her and found her kneading dough. He (Zayd) said, `When I saw her I felt such respect for her that I could not even look at her and tell her what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said, so I turned my back to her and stepped aside, and said, `O Zaynab! Rejoice, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent me to propose marriage to you on his behalf.' She said, `I will not do anything until I pray to my Lord, may He be glorified.' So she went to the place where she usually prayed. Then Qur'an was revealed and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and entered without permission. We were there when she entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and for the wedding feast we offered bread and meat. Then the people left, and some men stayed behind conversing in the house after they had eaten. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out and I followed him. He started to go around all the apartments of his wives, greeting them, and they said, `O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, how did you find your (new) wife' I do not know whether I or someone else told him that those people had left, so he went and entered the house, and I went to enter after him, but he drew the curtain between himself and I. The ruling of Hijab was revealed and he exhorted the people as Allah had exhorted them:

لاَ تَدْخُلُواْ بُيُوتَ النَّبِىِّ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ

(Enter not the Prophet's houses, unless permission is given to you)." This was also recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i. Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Zaynab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her, used to boast to the other wives of the Prophet , saying, `Your families arranged your marriages, but Allah arranged my marriage from above the seven heavens."' In (our Tafsir of) Surat An-Nur we mentioned that Muhammad bin `Abdullah bin Jahsh said: "Zaynab and `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with them, were boasting to one another; Zaynab, may Allah be pleased with her, said, `I am the one whose marriage was revealed from above the heaven.' `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, `I am the one whose innocence was revealed from heaven.' So, Zaynab conceded that, may Allah be pleased with her."

لِكَىْ لاَ يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِى أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَآئِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْاْ مِنْهُنَّ وَطَراً

(so that there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them.) means, `We permitted you to marry her, and We did that so that there would no longer be any difficulty for the believers with regard to their marrying the ex-wives of their adopted sons.' Before prophethood, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had adopted Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, and he was known as Zayd, the son of Muhammad ﷺ. Allah put a stop to this when He said:

وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ

(nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons) until:

ادْعُوهُمْ لاًّبَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(Call them after their fathers, that is more just with Allah) (33:4-5). Then this was confirmed and made even clearer by the marriage of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Zaynab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her, when Zayd bin Harithah divorced her. Allah says in Ayat At-Tahrim:

وَحَلَـئِلُ أَبْنَآئِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَـبِكُمْ

(the wives of your sons from your own loins) (4:23) which specifically excludes adopted sons. This custom (of adopting sons) was widespread among them.

وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولاً

(And Allah's command must be fulfilled.) means, `this that has happened was decreed by Allah and was inevitable.' Allah knew that Zaynab, may Allah be pleased with her, would become one of the wives of the Prophet .

And when idh is dependent because of an implied preceding udhkur ‘mention when’ you said to him to whom God had shown favour by guiding him to Islam and to whom you too had shown favour by manumitting him — this was Zayd b. Hāritha who had been a prisoner of war before the coming of Islam in the period of al-jāhiliyya. The Messenger of God s purchased him before his call to prophethood and then manumitted him and adopted him as his son — ‘Retain your wife for yourself and fear God’ before divorcing her. But you had hidden in your heart what God was to disclose what He was to manifest of your love for her and of the fact that should Zayd part with her you would marry her and you feared people would say ‘He has married his son’s wife!’ though God is worthier that you should fear Him in all things so take her in marriage and do not be concerned with what people say. Zayd subsequently divorced her and her obligatory waiting period was completed. God exalted be He says So when Zayd had fulfilled whatever need he had of her We joined her in marriage to you — the Prophet consummated his marriage with her without the customary permission from her legal guardian and gratified the Muslims with a feast of bread and meat — so that there may not be any restriction for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have fulfilled whatever wish they have of them. And God’s commandment that which He has decreed is bound to be realised.

The Second Event

As ordered by the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the marriage of Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ ' was solemnized with Sayyidna Zayd Ibn Harithah ؓ . But, their temperaments did not match and merge with each other. Sayyidna Zayd used to complain about the sharpness of her tongue, the airs she assumed because of her inborn lineal nobility and her failure to listen to him. On the other side, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was informed through revelation that Zayd would divorce her where after she would be married to him. On a certain day, Sayyidna Zayd presented these very complaints before the Holy Prophet ﷺ and showed his intention to divorce her. The Holy Prophet ﷺ had, though, come to know through Divine revelation that things would transpire in a way that Zayd would divorce her after which she would be married to him, but it was for two reasons that he stopped Sayyidna Zayd from giving a divorce. Firstly, because giving a divorce, though permissible in the Shari'ah of Islam, it is not desirable. In fact, it is the most detested and repugnant of things permissible - and the happening of something as a creational (Takwini) imperative does not affect the operative religio-legal order (al-hukm at-tashri' ). Secondly, also crossing his blessed heart there was the thought: If Zayd were to give divorce and Zainab were to be married to him consequently, the Arabs would, very much in line with their custom of the Jahiliyyah, throw taunts on him that he had married the wife of his son. Although, the Qur'an has already demolished this custom of Jahiliyyah in the previous verse of this very Surah Al-Ahzab, following which there was no danger for a believer, even no scruple about it. But disbelievers, who reject the authority of the Qur'an itself, would still come out with their taunts because of their pagan custom of taking an adopted son as the real son in all aspects of the Law. This very apprehension also became the cause of his prohibiting Sayyidna Zayd from divorcing his wife. Revealed thereupon was an endearing reprimand from Allah Ta’ ala in the following verses of the Qur'an:

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وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّـهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّـهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّـهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَاهُ

And (remember) when you were saying to the one who was favored by Allah and favored by you," Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah." And you were concealing in your heart what Allah was going to reveal, and you were fearing people, while Allah is more entitled to be feared by you. (33:37)

The 'one favored' referred to here means Sayyidna Zayd ؓ and the first favour bestowed on him by Allah was that he was made a Muslim and secondly, that he was given the honor of staying in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . As for the favour done to him by the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the first thing he did was that he gave him his freedom from slavery. Secondly, he favored him by grooming and training him under his personal charge, he made him into a person who was respected even by the greatest of the great among the Sahabah. Onwards from here appears what he said to Sayyidna Zayd: اِمسِک عَلَیک زَوجَکَ وَ اتَّقِ اللہَ (Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah). It means: 'Hold your wife in your bond of marriage, and do not divorce her and fear Allah.' The order to fear Allah at this place could also be taken to mean that divorce is a detested and repugnant act from which he should abstain. And it could also be taken in the sense that once he decides to hold her in his nikah, let not his temperamental distaste become a cause of falling short in the fulfillment of her due rights. What the Holy Prophet ﷺ said was correct and sound in its place. But, after having learnt about the event as it would transpire through Divine revelation and after the intention of nikah with Sayyidah Zainab ؓ having emerged in his heart, this advice of not divorcing given to Sayyidna Zayd ؓ had remained at the level of a sort of formal expression of good wishes - something not appropriate to the station of a messenger of Allah, particularly so because, along with it, included therein was the apprehension of taunts from the people. Therefore, in the cited verse, the admonition was revealed in the words which mean, 'you were concealing in your heart what Allah was going to reveal.' When the information about his marriage with Sayyidah Zainab ؓ was conveyed to him from Allah and the intention of marriage had already crossed his heart, then, the act of hiding this intention and indulging in such formal remarks was not appropriate to his station. As for the apprehension of taunts from people, it was said, 'and you were fearing people, while Allah is more entitled to be feared by you - (37). In other words, 'when you knew that this thing is going to take place as a matter destined by Allah Ta’ ala - without there being any apprehension or danger of His displeasure in that case - then, simply because of the apprehension of taunts from people, such remarks were not appropriate.'

The details of this event appearing above have all been taken from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi and Ruh ul-Ma’ ani. As for the particular tafsir of the verse: تُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّـهُ مُبْدِيهِ (you were concealing in your heart what Allah was going to reveal - 37) that is, 'the thing that he kept to himself was the intention that should Zayd give the divorce, he would marry her in accordance with the Divine decree' - this tafsir was reported by Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi Hatim and other Hadith experts from a narration of Sayyidna ` Ali Ibn Husain Zain ul-` Abidin. Its words are as follows:

اَوحَی اللہُ تعالیٰ اِلَیہِ ﷺ اَنَّ زَینَبَ سَیُطَلِّقُھَا زَیدُ وَّ یَتَوَوَّجُھَا بَعدَہ، عَلَیہِ الصَّلوٰۃ وَ السَّلَامُ (روح از حکیم ترمذی)

Allah Ta` la had informed the Holy Prophet t through revelation that Zainab is going to be divorced by Zayd and after that she was to be married to him - Ruh ul-Ma'ani from Tirmidhi.

And Ibn Kathir has reported the following words with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim:

اِنَّ اللہَ اَعَلَمَ َبِیَّہ؛ اَنَّھَا ستکُونُ مِن اَزوَاجِہٖ قَبلَ اَن یَّتَزَوَّجَھَا فَلَمَّا اَتَاہُ زَیدُ لِیشکُوھَا اِلَیہِ قال اَتَّقِ اللہَ وَاَمسِک عَلَیکَ زَوجَکَ فَقَالَ اَخبَرتُکَ اِنِّی مُزَوِّجُکَھَا وَتُخفِی فی نَفسِکَ مَا اللہُ مُبدِیہِ؛

Allah Ta’ ala had made His prophet know that she (Sayyidah Zainab) will also become one of his blessed wives. After that, when Zayd came to him with a complaint against her, he said, 'Fear Allah, keep your wife, do not divorce her.' Thereupon, Allah Ta’ ala said, 'I had made it known to you that I shall have her married to you, and you were concealing in your heart the thing that Allah was going to disclose.'

The majority of commentators - Zuhri, Bakr Ibn al-` Ala', al-Qushairi and Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi - have adopted this very tafsir, that is, the mention of the thing he was keeping to himself was but this intention of marriage under Divine revelation. Counter to this there are narrations in which the words," and you were concealing in your heart" have been explained as love for Zainab. About this tafsir, Ibn Kathir has said, 'we did not like to mention these narrations as none of these is sound.'

Then the words of the Qur'an themselves lend support to this very tafsir mentioned above on the authority of Sayyidna Zain ul-` Abidin because, in this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has Himself said very clearly that the thing hidden in the heart was what Allah Ta’ ala is going to disclose - and the thing that Allah Ta’ ala disclosed in the next verse (37) is nikah or marriage with Sayyidah Zainab as said in: زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا (We gave her into your marriage -37) (Ruh ul-Ma'ani)

To protect oneself against taunts thrown by people is praiseworthy unless it affects some objective of the Shari'ah

A question arises here as to why the Holy Prophet ﷺ chose to conceal this matter which became the cause of Divine displeasure only to avoid the taunts of a hostile people? To answer that, it can be said that there is an essential general rule in this matter which stands proved from the Qur'an and Sunnah. According to this rule, when doing an act may cause misunderstanding among people or may invite their taunts, then, in order to protect the faith of people and save them from the sin of throwing taunts, it is permissible to avoid that act, subject to the condition that this act itself should not be one of the objectives of the Shari'ah, and no religious injunction of halal and haram is related with it - even though, the act in itself be praiseworthy; In this matter, a precedent exists in the Hadith and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ who said: When the Baytullah was constructed during the period of Jahiliyyah, several things have been done contrary to the original structure laid out by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . First of all, some part of Baytullah was left outside the constructed area. Then, there were two doors for people to enter inside the Baytullah in the original foundational plan of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) ، one towards the East and another towards the West because of which there used to be no difficulty with the entry in and exit from Baytullah. The people of the Jahiliyyah made two unwarranted changes in it. They blocked the Western door totally and raised the Eastern door which used to be at ground level so high that no one could enter inside it without the help of a ladder. The purpose was to let only those they permitted go in.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'Had there been no danger of throwing neo-Muslims into misunderstanding, I would have raised the Baytullah once again in accordance with the Abrahimic foundation.' This Hadith is present in all authentic books. From this we know that it was to save people from misunderstanding that the Holy Prophet ﷺ abandoned this intention of his, an intention which was, otherwise, praiseworthy in the light of the Shari'ah. And against this there came no admonition from Allah which also shows that this conduct of his was acceptable with Him. But, this matter of reconstructing the Baytullah in accordance with the Abrahimic foundation was not something among the objective of Shari'ah, nor something relating to the precepts of halal and haram.

As for the event of the marriage of Sayyidah Zainab ؓ ، there was an Islamic legal objective to be achieved therewith, that is, to refute an evil custom of the Jahiliyyah and to dispel, practically and openly, the erroneous notion of marriage being unlawful with the divorced wife of an adopted son. The reason is that eradication of wrong customs, dragging on and on among peoples for ages, becomes actually possible only when it is implemented practically and demonstrated openly. The Divine command had unfolded to fulfill this objective in a perfect manner in the case of the marriage of Sayyidah Zainab ؓ . On the basis of this deposition, the apparent dichotomy between the abandonment of the reconstruction of Baytullah and the implementation of the marriage of Sayyidah Zainab ؓ as Divinely ordained stands resolved, and answered.

And it seems that the Holy Prophet ﷺ took the oral communication of this injunction which has appeared in the earlier verses of Surah Al-Ahzab (Verses 4 5) as sufficient for declaring the law, while the need and wisdom of its practical demonstration escaped his attention. Therefore, he let it remain concealed despite the knowledge and intention. Allah Ta’ ala put it right and said: لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَ‌جٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرً‌ا (so that there may not be a problem for the believers in marrying wives of their adopted sons, when they finish their desire for them - 37). It means: We gave Zainab in marriage to you so that Muslims do not have to face any practical difficulty in marrying the divorced wives of adopted sons.

And the statement: زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا literally means: 'We solemnized her nikah with you' or 'We gave her into your marriage.' This tells us that Allah Ta’ ala blessed this nikah with such distinction that He Himself solemnized it - which makes it exempt from the usual conditions of nikah or marriage. And it could also mean : 'We gave the command for this nikah, now you marry her in accordance with the Islamic rules and conditions.' Some of the commentators have preferred the first probability while some others have gone by the second.

As for the saying of Sayyidah Zainab ؓ before other women, "Your nikah was done by your parents. My nikah was done by Allah Ta’ ala Himself on the heavens," which appears in Hadith narrations, it turns out to be true both ways. Under the first probability, it is very clear while the other one too is not contrary to it.