The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 671
PT. 22 AL-AHZAB CH. 33 بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ change them for other wives even though their goodness إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِيْنُكَ ، وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلَى please thee, except any that thy كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَقِيبًان right hand possesses. And Allah is Watchful over all things. 3113 R. 7. يَا يُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ O ye who believe! enter not. 54 إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامِ غَيْرَ the houses of the Prophet unless leave is granted to you for a meal, not waiting for its نُظِرِينَ إِنَّهُ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيْتُهُ appointed time. But enter when فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانْتَشِرُوا وَلَا you are invited, and when you b مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ without seeking to engage in have finished eating disperse, talk. That causes inconvenience to the Prophet, and he feels shy Allah is not shy of saying what b يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِ مِنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ of asking you to leave. But مَتَاعًا فَسْتَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ is true. And when you ask them—the ذلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ وَمَا Prophet for anything, ask wives of the them from behind a curtain. كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَلَا أَنْ That is purer for your hearts and 3113. Commentary: This verse was revealed in 7 A. H. , after which the Holy Prophet contracted no further marriage. He was prohibited to do so. He was also not permitted to divorce any of the existing wives. This was possibly in deference to their dignity as "Mothers of the Faithful" and perhaps was also due to the fact that they had preferred the rigour and austerity of the Holy Prophet's domestic life to worldly comforts. God appreciated their sacrifice and forbade the Holy Prophet to marry any more wife or to divorce any one of the existing wives. The words "Allah is Watchful over all things" may signify that God knew full well the moral responsibilities of the wives of the Holy Prophet. Other women, although they might be superior to them in some respects, were not to be as useful or fitted for the great and noble task which the Prophet's wives had to perform. 2585