The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 658
PT. 22 CH. 33 37. And it behoves not AL-AḤZĀB a believing man or a believing وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللهُ وَرَسُولُةٌ اَمْرًا اَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that there should be a choice for them in the matter concerning them. And whoso disobeys Allah and His Messenger, surely strays away الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَلًا مُّبِينًان وَإِذْ تَقُوْلُ لِلَّذِى اَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ And remember when thou. 38 وَاَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ in manifest error. 3103 didst say to him on whom Allah had bestowed favours and on whom thou also hadst bestowed favours: 'Keep thy wife to مُبْدِيْهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللهُ اَحَقُّ اَنْ thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst conceal in thy heart تَخْشُهُ فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدُ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا what Allah was going to bring 3103. Commentary: "4:66. The verse under comment continues the general theme of the preceding verses, viz. that believers should try as far as possible, to subordinate their own desires to the desire of the Holy Prophet and when he has given his decision regarding an affair, they should accept it unhesitatingly without the least mental reservation. The immediate occasion for the revelation of this verse may have been Zainab's hesitation to comply with the Holy Prophet's greatly cherished wish that she should marry Zaid, his freed slave. It goes to Zainab's credit that in deference to the Prophet's wish she agreed to her marriage with Zaid, much against her personal inclination. Zainab's marriage with Zaid and their subsequent separation has been dealt with in some detail in the next verse. It is, however, wrong to assume, as some commentators have mistakenly assumed, that the Holy Prophet pressed and compelled Zainab against her will to accept Zaid as her husband. It being inconsistent with Islamic teaching, 2572 the Holy Prophet could not have done this. Zainab only deferred to the wish of the Holy Prophet.