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Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 37: meaning and tafsir
وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِىٓ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَتُخْفِى فِى نَفْسِكَ مَا ٱللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى ٱلنَّاسَ وَٱللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَىٰهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ زَيْدٌ مِّنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَٰكَهَا لِكَىْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِىٓ أَزْوَٰجِ أَدْعِيَآئِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا۟ مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ ٱللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا ٣٧
And [remember, O Prophet] when you were saying to the one[30] who was favored by Allah[31] and favored by you[32], “Keep your wife and fear Allah.” You were concealing in your heart what Allah was going to reveal[33], and you were fearing people[34], while it was more fitting that you should fear Allah[35]. When Zayd no longer had desire for her, We gave her to you in marriage, so that there would be no restraint for the believers in marrying the ex-wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have desire for them. And Allah’s decree is bound to be fulfilled.
Translation of the meanings: Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19 · QuranEnc.com
[30] It refers to the Prophet's adopted son, Zayd ibn Hārithah, before the adoption was abolished.
[31] By guiding him to Islam.
[32] By emancipating him from bondage.
[33] i.e., the command of Allah to the Prophet (ﷺ) to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh after Zayd divorced her; in order to make clear to people that a man can marry a woman previously married to his adopted son.
[34] i.e., fear that people may say that he married the former wife of his adopted son.
[35] By making Allah’s command known to people.
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Al-Mukhtasar: Abridged Explanation of the Quran
Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies · QuranEnc.com
37. O Messenger! When you said to the one whom Allah had blessed with the bounty of Islam, and you had favoured with freeing him - the person intended here is Zayd bin Ḥārithah may Allah be pleased with him - when he came to you seeking counsel in divorcing his wife Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, you said to him, “Keep your wife; do not divorce her, and be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and refraining from the things He has not allowed” whilst, O Messenger, you were hiding within your heart that which Allah was going to expose: that Zayd should divorce her and He would command you to marry her. You were fearing the people and did not express that which you knew, when Allah is more deserving of your fear than the people. So when Zayd disinclined from her, and was happy at heart with divorcing her, he divorced her and I married you to her, so that there would be no sin on the believers if they were to marry the wives of their adopted sons after they had divorced them. Allah’s command will always come to pass, nothing can stop or obstruct it.
Quran text: Tanzil Project (Tanzil Quran Text, Uthmani v1.1, CC BY 3.0). The translation and tafsir are quoted word for word, unchanged, from the Noble Quran Encyclopedia, QuranEnc.com, each credited to its source. Details on our sources page. These texts are quoted exactly as published; no answer is written by AI. Quran Chat does not issue fatwas.