In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1- Why do you forbid that which God has made lawful for you [O Prophet], seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful.

2- God has already ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths (ayman) (of such a kind). And God is your Protector, and He is the Knower, the Wise.

3- When the Prophet confided a matter to one of his wives and she divulged it later on, God informed him of it.The Prophet made part of it known [to her] and held back a part. When he told her about it, she asked, “Who told you this?” He replied, “The Knower, the Aware informed me.”

4- Both of you should repent unto God, for your hearts have certainly deviated [from the right]. But if you continue to assist one another against him, [remember that] God is his protector, along with Gabriel and the righteous among the believers.Furthermore, the angels are his helpers.

5- It may happen that if he divorces you, his Lord will give him wives whoare better than you in terms of submitting, believing, devout obedience [to God], penitent, worshipping, and given to fasting (or traveler; sa’ih) – previously married and virgins.

6- O you who believe! Shield yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are angels, stern and severe, who do not disobey God’s commands but do what they are commanded.

7- O you who disbelieve! Make no excuses for yourselves this Day, foryou are only being compensated for what you used to do.

8- O you who believe! Repent unto God with sincere (nasuh) repentance (tawbah). It may be that your Lord will absolve you of your evil deeds and permit you to enter Gardens with rivers running below – the Day on which God will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will stream before them and on their right, and they will say, “Our Lord! Perfect for us our light, and forgive us. Truly, You have power over all things.”

9- O Prophet! Strive (jahid) against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh with them. Their refuge is Hell. What an evil end!

10- God cites an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who were married to two of our righteous servants and yet betrayed them so that they [their husbands] availed them nothing against God.It was said to both of them, “Enter the fire along with those who enter.”

11- God also cites an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she prayed, “My Lord! Build for me a home with you in the Garden, deliver me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and deliver me from the evildoing people.”

12 - And Mary, daughter of ‘Imrān. She guarded her chastity, and so We breathed into her from Our spirit. She believed our Lord’s words and His Scriptures, and was truly among the devoutly obedient (qānit).

Tahrīm is one of three chapters of the Qur’an that begin by addressing the Prophet, the others being chapter 65 (Divorce; at-Talāq) and chapter 33 (The Combined Forces[also translated as The Confederate Tribes];al-Ahzāb). They begin with the word “prophet” (nabī), a man who brings news (naba’) and conveys revelations from God, as opposed to“messenger” (rasūl), a man to whom God has assigned a specific mission. Prophecy (nubuwwah) is defined asbringing news from the Kingdom of Heaven.So when a chapter begins with “O Prophet,” we can expect something related to his prophethood (i.e., admonitions, wisdom, and messages) to follow, as opposed to a messenger’sassigned mission.

This chapter contains verses about the Prophet’s family life, as dochapters 33 (The Combined Forces; al-Ahzāb) and 4 (women; an-Nisā), whichrefer tohis wives. One may askwhy the Qur’an, a book meant for all societies across time and generations,includes issues pertaining to his personal life at all, forwhat social benefit(s) could possibly arise fromsuch information. Given that it generally abstains from mentioning personal and private details, does this not personalizeprophecy or exaggerate and over-indulge the Prophet?

Two answers come to mind. One, his life and interaction with members of his family represent a model for people in general, but especially for his followers, to emulate.Even after his death, the Prophet’s behavior at home and toward his wives was recounted. In fact, there are hundreds of hadithsjust about Ayesha. These written reports andthousands of others like them provide us with the Sunnah, also known as the “Tradition of the Prophet,”[which details how to implement the Qur’an’s teachings in all spheres of our daily lives]. The Prophet was unique. For instance, a president or head of state is only considered the head of the government’sexecutive branch, and so his or her domestic lifeis considered a private matter that has no real importance – unless, of course, one person wants to undermine another. Furthermore, the Prophet had several wives, which increases the importance of how he treated them, especially since Muslims are to follow him and his example as closely as possible.

Second, the hypocrites and unbelievers were constantly trying to discover any weaknesses and shortcomings in his life. Consider their slander against Ayesha, which was finally silenced only when (24:11) was revealed.Realizing they could not find fault with him, his antagonists attacked his family in an attempt to denigrate him – a practice that continues to this day. And it was not just him.The people of Moses, despite recognizing him as a prophet, harassed him so much that he actually asked them: “Why do you harass me so much, when you know that I have been sent to you by God? (61:5). His people talked ill of him, mocked him, and accused him of various things. All prophets have had to tolerate such behavior, of whichthe Qur’an recounts many examples.

And so the details of the Prophet’s life –how he treated those who were close to him and his more distant relations, his friends and enemies –had to be transparent and clear for his contemporaries and future generations. Nevertheless, accusations against him continue to this day, including by some Orientalists. For example, it is claimed that he married his adopted son’s (Zayd) ex-wife (Zaynab), a tabooed action among his people, who regarded an adopted child as being akin to one’s own flesh and blood. In other words, Zayd’s ex-wife was the Prophet’s daughter-in-law. But this is inaccurate, perhaps deliberately or perhaps not, because the Sunnah relates the fact that God intended to overturn this tradition through this marriage between the Prophet and Zayd’s ex-wife.Acting on God’s command, the Prophet thus “violated” this wrong and ancient tradition. And what did/do his enemies say? That he had fallen in love with Zaynab andtherefore forcedZayd to divorce her so he could marry her! This is yet another tall tale.We must always remember that in order to understand events, we need toacquaint ourselves with their social context instead of just relying upon our personal opinion.

While not directly the subject of discussion here, another issue is nevertheless relevant:Contemporary Western culture condemns polygamy and bigamy, and thus the Prophet’s polygamy has become a rather contentious topic. However, reading and researching history and perusing his practices can easily address this topic.In the prime of his life, aged twenty-five, Muhammad married the forty-year-old Khadijah,who had outlived two husbands and had adult children from her previous marriages.They remained married until her death at the age of sixty-something years, and during all of those years Muhammad took no other wife.

The Prophet and his followers moved to Madinah sometime after Khadijah passed away. He was nowaround fifty years old, not generally an age at which men seek women with the same intensity as they may do when they are young.And yet in Madinah some of his new wives hadchildren from prior marriages, some even older than the Prophet. Some of these women had lost their husbands on the battlefield,orhad been taken as prisoners of war. The tribal Arab communities of that time were different from today. For example, women could not work outside the home to make ends meet. At times, 20% of the men would die on the battlefield. As there was no organization or government entity to support these new widows, or others who wouldtake care of them, it was regarded as an act of benevolence to marry these widows and take responsibility for their wellbeing and that of their children.These marriages were not, as many people have claimed, undertaken to fulfill sexual desires or satiate malelust. Thus,the Prophet’s polygamous life cannot be criticized on this ground.

Moreover, it is worthy to note that only one of the Prophet’s wives – Ayesha – was a virgin at the time of their marriage.In addition, he married several women to strengthen tribal ties and to spread Islam. Those who want to learn more about this can read Dr. Ali Shariati’s Zan dar cheshm va del-e Muhammad(Women in Muhammad’s Eyes and Heart), the result of detailed research on each wife and the reasons for each of his marriages. Even the Prophet’s marriage to Abu Bakr’s daughter, Ayesha, the only virgin and young in age, was done to establish strong tribal ties.

In any case, this lengthy prologue was presented to clarify certain doubts and misconceptions concerning these women.Such matters have to be understood within their geographical and temporal contexts. In our current sex-obsessed world, some have generalized their own whims and fancies to speculate that the Prophet may have wanted beautiful and attractive women to satisfy his lust!The aforementioned book states that he marriedSawdah, the elderly widow, shortly after Khadijah’s death. Reportedly, she was so unattractive that noone would marry her – even though the Prophet had suggested to AbuBakr, Umar, Uthman, and others that they do so. And thus hemarried her so that she would have a home and someone to support her.

Another wife, Hafsa, the daughter of Umar, was so hot-tempered and obnoxious that even her father recommended that the Prophet whip her into obedience, rather than being his lenient and kind self. History books recount that at one time the Prophet grew so weary with and tired of his wives that he left home to live alone for a month.

These women were from different and relatively uncouth tribes [due to their limited social interaction and tribal upbringing at that time] and were prone to jealous rivalries.Even today, with all of the progress in culture and civility, if a man were to have two wives they would be at odds with one another or their children may harbor animosity toward each other. So it is imaginable that in an ancient tribal society that treated its women horrendously, these womenwould not have been raised with the best of manners.

As his house was not large enough to provide each wife with a separate room, all of his wives lived under one roof and did their best to cope with the limited financial means as well as the Prophet’s moderate lifestyle and many challenges.Furthermore, the Prophet had to tolerate and manage their personalrivalries. They often complained that although he was their society’s leader and that either he or his followers (or both) had conquered rich tribes and cities, unlike other leaders and kings who lived lavishly in their palaces,their lifestyle and food remained very basic (e.g., usually bread and dates or bread and milk). In fact, they complained so much that 33:28 was revealed to give them two options: (1) divorce with a suitable amount of worldly goods and the right to find another husband or (2)remain married to him if they wanted God, the Prophet, and the Hereafter, sure in the knowledge that God has provided a rich reward for those who do good. The Prophet patiently bore this turbulent lifestyle because these marriages enabled him to end many of theinter-tribal wars and battles.

The Arab tribes had a tradition whereby hostilities, even those that had lasted for twenty years, would end immediately if someone had married a member of the enemy tribe. Such marriages would lead to the former enemies formingan alliance. In fact, the Prophet sent a message to his arch-enemyAbu Sufyan declaring his willingness to travel to Makkah to ask for his daughter’s hand and hold a three-day wedding ceremony – all in an attempt to end this leader’slong-standing animosity and establish family ties with him. Everyone knew that the Prophet was not one for such ceremonies, and thus understood what he was trying to do.

Now that certain issues have been clarified, one shouldrealize why both the private (i.e., personal and domestic) and public life of someone who is to serve as a role model for humanity, even its most seemingly insignificant intimate and intricate details are important when it comes to properly understanding Islam.

[66:1] Why do you forbid that which God has made lawful for you [O Prophet], seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful.

Although the raisond’être for the first verse’s revelation is not quite clear, it has something to do with the Prophet’s relationship with his wives: For some reason, he has denied himself something that was lawful for him and probably everyone else. The verse continues, “…seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful.”In other words, the Prophet was to seek God’s forgiveness for having done so.However, the verse providesno furtherdetails about this incident.

Commentators have of course devised some theories.For example, some have mused that perhaps Zaynab bint Jahsh, one of the Prophet’s wives, brought some honey for him. Given that Arabia was – and remains –a barren and dry land, honey was imported from the Levant and elsewhere. As such, she wanted to please him and endear herself to him with this pricey delicacy. But this made the other wives of the Prophet jealous and they colluded with each other to falsely tell the Prophet that his mouth had a bad odor, probably due to something he had eaten. As he was always meticulous about his personal hygiene and cleanliness and used cologne, he thought that this may be due to the honey. Claiming that his wives wanted the Prophet to get madwithZaynab,these commentators relate that he was so displeased and upset that he decided to never eat honey again. Other commentators posit that maybe one wife was the source of great envy among the others and that they would object and cause a lot of drama whenever the Prophet spent time with her.And so he decided to stop spending time with her to pacify them. All such musings appear to be baseless. If it were necessary to know why this verse was revealed, God would have clarified it Himself. As He did not, all we need to know is the Prophet denied himself something lawful to please his wives.

One may ask that if even the smallest detail of the Prophet’s behavior is to serve as a model and guide, indeed a religious duty incumbent on every Muslim, then why did he forbid something that was permissible? Why would he deliberately displease God, knowing full well that Muslims would follow his example? This is analogous to some Christians believing that they should remain unmarried on the ground that they are following Jesus’ example.

The answer is that the Prophet neither acted contrary to God’s willnor did something wrong, because God revealed His displeasure only after he had decided to follow this course of action. Furthermore, he had sought to please his wives, which is intrinsically a good deed and pleases God to such an extent that the Qur’an urges people to do so.As soon as he realized that God was displeased with what he had done, the Prophet, who was duty bound to act in full compliance with His commands, immediately chose to please God instead of his wives. Thus hisbehavior is beyond reproach. Remember that God has commanded us to follow the example of the Prophet, who He supported and guided.

This incident conveys an important lesson: Do not forbid that which God has permitted,even though it might be unwelcoming or frowned upon by some people.

[66:2] God has already ordained for you the absolution of your oaths(aymān). And God is your Protector, and He isthe Knower, the Wise.

Aymān(“oaths”) is the plural of yamīn(“the right hand”). In the old days, shaking hands signified the undertaking of a mutually agreed upon obligation. Unlike many of today’s promises, deeds, and documents, that simple handshake formed a strong bond among the parties involved.Yamīn was used metaphorically to mean an oath. It appears that the Prophet had made a promise or taken an oath to his wives about something he had decided to do. This verse revealed that God wanted him to breakthis promise/oath because if the underlying reason for making it is shown to have been wrong, there is no logical reason to keep it. God is not focused on the literal promise/oath, but what is in the Prophet’s heart. People usually give more weight to the superficial and appearances, whereas God places moreimportanceon the person’s underlying intention(s). Of course one must atone for breaking an oath, but that is of no concern here.

[66:3] When the Prophet confided a matter to one of his wives and she divulged it later on, God informed him of it.The Prophet made known [to her] part of it and held back a part. When he told her about it, she asked, “Who told you this?” He replied, “The Knower, the Aware informed me.”

The Prophet once told one of his wives a secret and asked her not to disclose it to the others.Perhaps he may have found out that she had told others as opposed to a revelation, but God attributes this to Himself because everything is from Him.The Prophet “made known [to her] part of it and held back a part [or pretended not to know the rest].” Most of us do not behave like this when we learn of other people’s faults or mistakes. Rather, we tend to blame and scold them until we have so completely humiliated them that they will never do it again.We treat any such small fault as an ace up our sleeve that we can use it one day to gain power over them.This also happens among married couples. But the Prophet only mentions briefly that he is aware of what she has done, for he has no interest in blaming or belittling her. Such exalted traits are specific to him, and the Sunnah contains many such examples of his exceptional character. One must be highly dignifiedand honorablein terms of his/her own behavior before he/she cantry to preserve the honor of others despite their personal failings.In another incident, the Prophet reportedly came home later than usual one night and realized that his wife had already eaten dinner and left nothing for him, thinking he would not be coming home. Despite being famished, he went to bed hungry and said nothing to her because he did not want to upset her.

Thus, this verse also reveals another aspect of the Prophet’s character and decorum:When we learn ofa person’s faults or mistakes, we are to forgive them and not gossip about it with others.

She asked, “Who told you this?”The Prophet’s wife wanted to know which of his other wives had told him about her being indiscrete.He replied, “The Knower, the Aware informed me.”

The next verse is addressed to two of his wives, usually heldto be Ayesha and Hafsa.

[66:4] Both ofyou should repent unto God, for your hearts certainly deviated. But if you continue to assist one another against him, [remember that] God is his protector, along withGabriel and the righteous among the believers.Furthermore, the angels are his helpers.

They are being admonished to stop their gossiping and conspiring:“… for your hearts certainly deviated [from the right]” – have harbored jealousy and been open to conspiracy and ill will toward others.“But if you continue to assist one another against him, [remember that] God is his protector, along with Gabriel and the righteous believers.Furthermore the angels are his helpers.”

Two or three of the numerous accounts are about Umar.Muslim men would come to the Prophet and object to his lenience and kindness toward his wives, claiming that this emboldened their own wives to demand similar treatment instead of having to obey them blindly. They complained that if they askedone of their wives why she had done something, she would retort that it was none of his business and that he should look at how the Prophet treated his wives!Theytold him that before the advent of Islam they had never had such problems.In other words, the Prophet had elevated the status of women in a society that had never respected them in any way and considered them absolutely and unequivocally subservient to men.

The aforementionedincident, which caused the Prophet to move out and stay alone for a month, also displays the difference between himself and his male contemporaries:The Prophet simply decided to move out, whereas Umar became so angry with his daughter Hafsa that he wanted to kill her. In any case, God admonished the Prophet’s wives to mind their behavior toward the Prophet and that they can never dominate someone who is supported by God.

[66:5] It may happen that if he divorces you, his Lord will give himwives who are better than you in terms of submitting, believing, devout obedience [to God], penitent, worshipping, and given to fasting (or traveler; sā’ih) – previously married and virgins.

God is clearly threatening these womenwith the reality that the Prophet would not stay alone if he were to divorce them, or that he would feel lonely if they were all gone. God warns them that He would replace them with wives who are better than them in six regards: muslimāt (submitting to God),mu’mināt(true, as opposed to false, believers), andqānitāt(devoutly obedient).Note that this most probably refers to being obedient to God, a trait mentioned in this chapter’s final verse to describe Mary. Given that Mary had no husband, this should be interpreted as obedience to God, a conclusion supported by the preceding characteristics, both of which refer to the relationship between a person and God. Qunūtis derived from the same root asqānitāt:a recitationduring a prayer that symbolizes submission and humility,the shedding of any selfishness and hubris.

The other traits aretā’ibāt (those who repent and correct their wrongs),‘ābidāt (women who are prepared to obey and worship God), andsā’ihāt(a very strange characteristic that God has used to define good women). This term, which is mentioned two or three times in the Qur’an, is the plural form of sā’ih (someone who travels). Interpreters and commentators have long debated its definition.Obviously, it does not refer to women who like to travel and sightsee. Suggestions include women who fast, even though the appropriate word – sā’im– is not used.Sā’ih means someone who, like a tourist, is constantly moving and active, someone who flows like a river and thus cannot become stagnant and foul. In other words, a sā’ihmoves around and is active, an explorer, someone who does not have an inert personality. As such, it means women who seek a greater comprehension of their beliefs and research their religiosity.

Some commentators have interpreted this wordas referring to men who go to various mosques and listen to the doctrines and lectures of several teachers. In modern terms, these would be the people who read, research, seek knowledge, and are eager to learn and acquire a greater understanding. In this verse, therefore, sā’ihātapparently describesthose who are actively and energetically living their beliefs, who love knowledge and research, and who want to deepen and strengthen theirfaith. This interpretation is strengthened by the fact that thisword has been used alongside characteristics such as worship, repentance, and devout obedience [to God].Being inquisitive and constantly seeking to enrich and deepen their faith is a virtuous trait in anyone’s spouse. Note that none of the characteristics listed here refer to beauty and youth. This should be of interest to modern-day boys/girls and men/women.

Thayyibātand abkār – “previously marriedwomen and virgins” – are not add-ons to the previous traits.Rather, they denote that such characteristics may be true of both groups of women.

[66:6]O you who believe! Shield yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are angels, stern and severe, who do not disobey God in what He commands but do what they are commanded.

All believers have a duty to protect themselves, as well as their spouses and children, from Hell’s fire and God’s wrath. This verse reminds them to safeguard their family’s morals and behavior. In several instances, the Qur’an mentions that the prophets were mindful of what their families said and did, that they strovethereby to preserve their integrity.In chapter 52 (The Mount; at-Tūr), the Qur’an says that when those in Heaven are asked how they got there, they will reply: “When we were with our families, we were ever anxious” (52:26). In other words, they were concerned about and cared for their families. Most of us are only concerned with our spouses and children’s worldly affairs and do our best to make them happy. But if we were truly concerned for their wellbeing, we would also be mindful of their eternal fate and want the bestfor them in both worlds.

What does “whose fuel is people and stones” mean? Given our contemporary knowledge of atoms and the proof provided by science that everything contains a potentially huge amount of energy, this may be rather easy to understand. For example, a grain of wheat may contain several hundred thousand calories of energy if that energy is somehow released. The most well-known facet of this intrinsic energy is atomic or nuclear energy, whichunleashes a terrifying amount of destructive power. Human beings also create a fire with their sinful deeds, which shall burn them in the hereafter. This fire’s nature and quality will remainunknown until we enter the afterlife.Of course, the Qur’an has referred to it:“[It is] the fire of God, [eternally] kindled, rising over [and engulfing] the hearts” (104:6-7).

We do not know the nature of a fire that rises from the heart; what we do know isthat human beings create it and thatthe angels or keepers of Hell are strict and abrasive, because that is the nature of the torment and agony found there. The nature of a teacher or a sage is to be caring and concerned, and the nature of a mother is self-sacrificeand devotion. The guardians of Hell cannot– and should not– be gentle with the damned because God has commanded them not to disobey or show any forgiveness or tolerance.

[66:7]O you who disbelieve! Make no excuses for yourselves this Day, foryou are only being compensated for what you used to do.

Unbelievers are those who disregard the truth. One example of this is those people who do not care to shoulder the duty of ensuring the proper actions and beliefs of their family, spouse, and children. This causes them to become unbelievers, and they will reap in the afterlife what they have sowed in this life. As such, this future torment does not mean that God will cast you in the fire of Hell, but that you shall be tormented by having to face the bitter consequences of your deeds.

[66:8] O you who believe!Repent unto God with sincere(nasūh) repentance(tawbah). It may be that your Lord will absolve you of your evil deeds and permit you to enter Gardens with rivers running below – the Day when God will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will stream before them and on their right, and they say, “Our Lord! Perfect for us our light, and forgive us. Truly, you have power over all things.”

Sincere repentance is true and from the heart. Another verse says: “And repent unto God” (24:31). We all make mistakes and occasional slips. Reviewing our lives causes us to realize that we have been at fault and made many mistakes toward others – our spouse, children, family, strangers, and even ourselves.

It is necessary to briefly explainnasūh, which has the same root asnasīhah(pure benevolence). When you advise or admonish someone else without regard to any gain or profit, but only with the intent to benefit that person, this is called nasīhah and the person is called nāsih(lit. honey with no impurities). Thus, sincere repentance is one hundred percent pure and heartfelt. Merely exclaiming “I repent! Please, God, forgive me!” and then engaging in the same activities is not repentance at all. Tā’ib(one who repents) is someone who is truly and whole-heartedly sorry for his or her deed and has made a serious decision to abandon it forever and make amends for what they have done. Clearly,sincere repentance must meet certain conditions, the first one of which is the purity of the person’s intent.

“It may be that your Lord will absolve you of your evil deeds and permit you to enter Gardens with rivers running below,”for the source of life is constantly flowing there.“The Day when God will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him”means that on that Day they will receive the full reward for all of their efforts.“Their light will stream before them and on their right,” for light makes visible that which lies in front of us. Thus, beings of light (i.e., believers) will always have a visible path regardless of how much they move forward. The expression “on their right” is a metaphor for their current deeds,which shall ease and smooth their path in the future.“And they will say,Our Lord!Perfect for us our light”shows that they devote themselves to developing their faith and benefiting from the light of truth, for they know that the path to growth and development is always open in this life and the next.“And forgive us. Truly, you have power over all things.”They ask God to cleanse them from sin and to forgive them.

[66:9]O Prophet! Strive (jihād)against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh with them. Their refuge is Hell. What an evil end!

This verse about unbelievers and hypocrites has caused surprise, as people tend to wonder how it is related to the previous and following verses. Why does the Qur’an suddenly discuss that group in this context? As mentioned in this commentary’s introductory paragraphs, the Prophet’s relationship with his family was very important as an example and model for the believers. But the unbelievers and hypocrites were also interested in it because they were constantly looking for ways to discredit him.Many verses speak about these issues and how the Qur’an admonishes the Prophet’s wives to be sources of comfort instead of stress. In other words, his wives’ mistakes sometimes enabled the Prophet’s enemies to conspire against him.

In this context, to strive against (jihād) does not mean armed conflict or war. History shows that the Prophet never waged war against the hypocrites and that none of them were killed during his lifetime, for he followed a policy of tolerance toward them.Some historical records show thatmany of his Companions suggested that the Prophet execute Abdullah b. ‘Ubayy, their presumed leader.But he always refused to do so. After the Muslims migrated to Madinah, this person’s true nature became known to everyone. They eventually banished him;not even his own tribe wanted him to live among them. The Prophet told his Companions that “You wanted to kill him and I disagreed with you. If you had killed him, it would have been said that now that I have achieved power in Madinah, I am killing my opponent.” In fact, there is no single historical record or report of Muslims killing or harming a hypocrite.

The late Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’īcommented that since the phrase “be harsh with them”comes after “strive against the disbelievers,”jihād cannot be taken in its usual meaning because it would beillogical for God to order the execution of the disbelievers and hypocrites and then order the believers to be harsh with them. The converse, however, would make sense: to beat them up first and then kill them.This logical sequence means that “beharsh with them” is of a higher degree than jihād, a command to be stern toward these two groupsand show them no leeway. This is becausethis term’s literal meaning is persistent effort and striving – a very serious commitment to something and to prepare oneself to deal with any difficulties and shortcomingswhile attempting to achieve a specific objective. Their constant conspiring forced the Prophet to be alwayson guardto defuse the conspiracies. He was verycareful whenever he had to deal with them.

The next three verses give two examples of believing women and two examples of disbelieving women.The decreefor the first may also be applied to believing men.

[66:10] God cites an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who were married to two of our righteous servants and yet betrayed them so that they [their husbands]availed them nothing against God. It was said to both of them, “Enter the fire along with those who enter.”

These verses inform the Prophet’s wives that being married to him does not makethem immune from mistakes and sins or guarantee that they will automatically go to Heaven after they die”“… who were married to two of our righteous servants and yet betrayed them.” Used in this context“betrayed” connotes deceit and unstable belief, as opposed to its contemporary association with cheating on one’s spouse, beingpromiscuous, and having extra-marital relations. Instead of following the example of those prophets, they plotted against them and had contact with their enemies.

“… so that they [their husbands] availed them nothing against God.”Noah and Lotwere of absolutely no benefit to these women in God’s presence. Their husbands’ good deeds neither absolved nor exempted them from having to do good deeds on their own. Everyone is responsible for their own life, and being related to a prophet confers no exemption to this obligation. Noah prayed to God to save his son from drowning; God rejected his prayer and toldhimto repent for making such a request.

It was said to both of them, “Enter the fire along with those who enter.”These two women were told to enter Hell with the rest of the damned. Those who believe in intercession should take heed of this verse. In addition, the Prophet told his daughter: “Dear Fatimah, do what you can for your salvation, for I cannot do anything for you in the afterlife.” It is surprising how some people comfort themselves by thinking that God will forgive their sins just because the Prophet shall intercede for them on Judgment Day. Recently, a manuscript was published that makes the ludicrous claim that God has entrusted the authority of forgiving sins to the Prophet due to his intercession!

[66:11]God cites an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, who prayed, “My Lord! Build for me a home with you in the Garden, deliver me from Pharaoh and his deeds, and deliver me from the evildoing people.”

This is the prayer of the wife of one of history’s vilest despots – Pharaoh – a ruler who enslaved his people and was the enemy ofMoses, the prophet of his time. This is what she prayed at a time when women had no social status and all of the men had been enslaved.And therefore it is a lesson for us all: “Build for me a home with you in the Garden.” Living in Pharaoh’s palace with all of its glitz and glamor, parties and clothes, and gravitas had no attraction for her. She goes on to pray “deliver me from Pharaoh and his deeds,” showing that she despised her husband but could not save herself from him. She continues: “and deliver me from the evildoing people,” which shows that it was not a personal matter (i.e.,it was not the case that she was unhappy with him and tired of his abusive behavior), but that she was disgusted with the evil and oppression he inflicted upon his people. This shows that a woman can live in a palace as the wife of one of history’s most evil men, but still have the love of God in her heart.

This is extremely important, for her prayer reveals that there is no such thing as a “victim of circumstance” andthat one’s situation does not compelhim or herto do certain things. On Judgment Day, we cannot make excuses that “I had no choice,”“my husband made all the decisions,”“he was an atheist and would prevent or mock me if I wanted to pray to God,”“I was afraid that he would divorce me if I disobeyed him,” and so on. Pharaoh’s wife was living in the most difficult of circumstances imaginable for a believer, but managed to keep her faith. She did nottry to excuse herself by saying that “all ofmy social interactions were with people of the palace and high society and I had no contact with the believers,”“my life in the palace did not allow me to follow the rites and dictates of religion,”“I had no rights and had to attend the royal ceremonies and drink alcohol and dance with strangers,” and so on and so forth.

This particular prayer makes another important point in terms of judging others. We may consider a criminal’s wife to be the same as her husband.This is not a proper judgment, for she may be a true and faithful person who has the misfortune of being married to a bad person.History is full of examples of women who were married to criminals but had nothing to do with their crimes or share their beliefs.

[66:12]And Mary, daughter of ‘Imrān. She guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her from Our spirit. She believed our Lord’s words and His Scriptures, and was truly among the devoutly obedient(qānit).

The second example is the Virgin Mary, the daughter of Joachim.The verse says that she preserved her chastity and that “We breathed into her of Our spirit,” which denotes the exceptional ability she was given. “She believedour Lord’s words.” “Words” can mean Jesus or moral virtues. Mary did not just believe in the literal sense, for her very being was an expression of high moral virtues. She is the embodiment of divine virtues of modesty, piety, kindness, forgiveness, patience, and similarvirtues. “…and His Scriptures.”This means that she expressed the scripture’s rules, commandments, and values in her very being. “… and was truly among the devoutly obedient.”The verse ends with this phrase and the word qānit. Usually, a verse’s last words are very significant and meaningful. Here, qānit means humble and obedientto God.

In conclusion, Pharaoh’s wife was completely under her husband’s dominancebut nevertheless maintained her faith in God and sought immunity and exemption from her husband’s disbelief and oppression. Mary wasunder no man’s dominance, for her father hadpassed away before she was born and shehad no brothers. Thus it makes no difference if a woman is completely free of male influence or controlled and dominated by a man (or men) in a patriarchal environment.In either case she can be independent in terms of her faith and belief and thus serve as a role model for others in religion and faith. These verses reveal the independence and autonomy of women as regards their understanding and knowledge.

Women are independent, and being married to a prophet, a tyrant, or to no one at allmakes no difference in terms of who they are. She is who she is. God and the Prophet made this point 1,400 years ago by proclaiming that a woman’s value and worth is not tied to her husband. These examples, while ostensibly about the Prophet’s family and wives, are, in fact, a message to all believing womenthat, at least in terms of where they will spend eternity, they can depend upon no one but themselves. As such, this quite personal narrative provides an eternal warning for both men and women.

Translator: Hooman Movasagh
Editor: Hamid Mavani