33. Al-Ahzab/The Allied Factions

I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah

The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.

33:01
a. O The Prophet!
b. Remain conscious of Allah - The One and Only God of everyone and everything, and
c. do not yield to pressures brought about by the disbelievers and the hypocrites.
d. Surely Allah is All-Knowing of what they say and what their motives are and All-Wise.

33:02
a. Instead, follow what is being revealed on to you from your Rabb - The Lord.
b. Surely Allah is All-Aware of whatever you do: your deeds, dealings, and motives.

33:03
a. And trust Allah.
b. And Allah is Sufficient for you as a Guardian - to look after your affairs.

33:04
a. Allah has not placed two hearts in any person’s body.
b. And just as HE has never made your wives - whom you declare to be as your mothers’ backs - your biological mothers,
c. And, so too, HE has never made your adopted sons to be your biological sons.
d. These are merely phrases you utter from your mouths,
e. whereas Allah Speaks the truth in this and all matters.
f. And thus HE Guides you along the way of truth.

33:05
a. As for your adopted children, address them by the names of their biological fathers.
b. That is more just in the Sight of Allah.
c. But if you do not know the names of their biological fathers, then they are your brethren in faith and your protégés - so observe the due relationship within that social framework.
d. However, you will not be blamed for the mistakes you may have already made
unintentionally in this respect,
e. except for what your hearts may deliberately intend after this.
f. And Allah is always Forgiving of what was done in the past, and always Merciful in relation to what may happen in the future.

33:06
a. The Prophet is closer to the believers than they are to themselves,
b. and seeing that he is the Spiritual Father to them, his wives are as their spiritual mothers.
c. Those of the same wombs - blood relations – are closer to one another than other believers and the emigrants according to Allah’s Decree.
d. Nonetheless, you act with kindness towards your protégés and give some of your goodness to them as well.
e. This is decreed in the Book of Allah.

33:07
a. And there was a time when WE took from all the Prophets their pledge-
b. even from you - O The Prophet - as well as from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus son of Mary –
c. WE took from them a solemn pledge.

33:08
a. So that at the end of Time HE may question the truthful about The Truth entrusted to them, and
b. HE has especially prepared for the disbelievers a painful punishment.

33:09
a. O The Faithful!
b. Recall Allah’s Blessings upon you at the time when enemy forces came down upon you to attack, and
c. WE let loose upon them a fierce sandstorm and heavenly forces of the angels during the Battle of the Trench whom you could not even see.
d. And Allah is always Watchful of whatever you do.

33:10
a. For they came down upon you from above you and from below you, and
b. when your eyes rolled in fear, and
c. your hearts leapt up to the throats with terror and anguish, and
d. when those weak of faith among you thought all sorts of vain thoughts about Allah.

33:11
a. That is when the believers were tested.
b. In fact, they were severely shaken up - in a manner most severe.

33:12
a. And recall the time when the hypocrites and those who had a sickness in their hearts
panicked and were saying to one another:
b. ‘Allah and HIS Messenger promised us nothing but a fantasy.’

33:13
a. And another group of them attempted to persuade the People of Yathrib, who made up a part of The Prophet’s troops, to desert, and said:
b. O People of Yathrib!
c. You cannot withstand this assault as you neither match us in number nor in equipment,
d. so go back to your own houses as these are vulnerable to danger.
e. And a group of them with weak faith even sought permission from The Prophet, saying:
f. ‘In fact our houses are vulnerable’ so allow us to go -

g. while, in fact, they or their houses were not vulnerable to any danger.
h. They wanted nothing but just to run away from the front line.
i. Anyway, The Prophet allowed them to leave knowing they were hypocrites.

33:14
a. And if their houses had been invaded by the enemy from every side, and,
b. they were asked to betray their faith and their resolve to fight,
c. they would have definitely accepted it without delay and would have gone for it without hesitation.

33:15
a. Even though they had already pledged to Allah before this that they would never turn their backs and run away from the battlefield,
b. and, indeed, one will always be held accountable for a pledge to Allah.

33:16
a. Say to them:
b. ‘It will not benefit you to run away, if you are trying to run away from death or being killed
in this battle,
c. for even if you did get away, you will only live for a little while to enjoy’ this life.

33:17
a. Ask them:
b. ‘Who can protect you against the Will of Allah, if HE wishes evil for you, or if HE desires mercy for you?
c. They can never find for themselves any protector or helper apart from Allah’ to ward off evil from them.

33:18
a. Allah already knows those among you who are a hindrance – those keeping them back from
fighting,
b. as well as those who being hypocrites will say to their brethren:
c. ‘Come over here with us’ -
d. while they do not participate in the battle except a little.

33:19
a. They are holding back from extending any help to you.
b. But when fear/panic of battle comes upon them, you see them looking towards you for help –
c. with their eyes rolling around like someone being overtaken by death.
d. However, as soon as the fear/panic subsides, they lash out at you with sharp tongues,
e. and stretch themselves out to get whatever good from the spoils of war they can.
f. They are the ones who do not truly believe.
g. So Allah is going to render the value of their good deeds worthless.
h. And that is easy for Allah to do.

33:20
a. They thought that the Allied Factions had not yet withdrawn.
b. And if the Allied Factions were to return a second time, they - hypocrites- would once again wish they were in the desert among the desert nomads not fighting, asking for news about you from a distant point of safety.

c. Yet even if they were among you this second time, they would not have fought by your side
except very little for show and for fear of being reviled.

33:21
a. In the midst of stress and fear in and around the trench,
b. Certainly in the person of Allah’s Messenger Muhammad, you have a beautiful example of steadfastness to follow,
c. for whoever looks forward with awe and hope to Meeting with Allah and the Last Hour, and Remembers Allah unceasingly.

33:22
a. And so when the believers saw the Allied Factions approaching Madeenah to attack, they were saying:
b. ‘This is what Allah and HIS Messenger promised us to happen, and
c. Allah and HIS Messenger told the truth.’
d. And this – specter of the battle - only added to their faith and submission to Allah.

33:23
a. Among the believers are persons who fulfilled their pledge to Allah.
b. Some of them have already fulfilled their vow - by giving their lives in the Cause of Allah
- while others are still waiting to fulfill it,
c. and they have not changed their pledge at all.

33:24
a. This testing situation was arranged precisely for the reason that Allah should reward the sincere for their sincerity of holding on to their pledge,
b. and punish the hypocrites, if HE so desires,
c. or else accept their repentance and pardon them, if they repent.
d. Indeed, Allah is always Forgiving to those who repent, and always Immensely
Compassionate to those who die repentant.

33:25
a. Did you not see that for all their fury and frustration, Allah repulsed those who disbelieved,
b. having attained no advantage over the believers: no victory, no booty, no heads rolled down.
c. Allah was Sufficient for the believers in the battle.
d. Surely, Allah is All-Powerful over HIS enemies and in helping the believers, and Almighty
in retribution against the disbelievers.

33:26
a. And HE compelled those who supported them from among Followers of the Former Scriptures – in violation of their Treaty of Peace with Muslims to come down from their strongholds in the vicinity of Madeenah and cast dread and panic in their hearts -
b. some of them you killed and some you took captives.

33:27
a. And, thus, HE made you inherit
- their farm lands, and
- their habitations, and
- their possessions, and
- a land you had never set foot on before.
b. And Allah Manifests Sovereignty over all existence.

33:28
a. O The Prophet!
b. Tell your wives:
c. ‘If you are seeking this worldly life and its splendor,
d. then come, I will make provision for you,
e. but then release you of the marriage graciously.’

33:29
a. ‘However, if you are seeking Allah and HIS Messenger and the Home in the realm of the Hereafter - Paradise, then,
b. surely Allah has prepared a tremendous reward for seekers of excellence among you’ –
those desiring and deserving the realm of the Hereafter.

33:30
a. ‘O Wives of The Prophet!
b. Whoever of you were to commit a flagrant indecency, then punishment for her will be
doubled.
c. And that is easy for Allah.’

33:31
a. ‘And whoever among you is devoutly dutiful to Allah and HIS Messenger and practices righteousness,
b. WE will give her double the reward, and
c. WE will have prepared for her a generous provision’ in the realm of the Hereafter.

33:32
a. ‘O Wives of The Prophet!
b. You are not the like of any of the other married women,
c. if you are mindful of Allah – so do not be overly complaisant in your speech while conversing with men as you do not want those in whose heart is a sickness to aspire towards you.
d. So speak forthrightly’ to avoid misunderstandings.

33:33
a. O Wives of The Prophet!
b. And stay in your houses, and
c. if you do have to go out for a purpose, then do not display your charms as was the case with women in the pagan times of ignorance to provoke and to entice.
d. And
- establish the Salat/Prayers, and
- pay out the Zakat/annual charity, and
- obey Allah and HIS Messenger.
e. O Members of the Prophet’s Household!
f. Allah only wishes to cleanse you of any impurity and to purify you to the utmost purity.’

33:34
a. ‘And commemorate whatever is recited in your houses of Allah’s Revelations in The Qur’an, and the wisdom.
b. Indeed, Allah is All-Subtle in knowing whatever is in your hearts, and All-Aware’ of your righteousness.

33:35
a. However, HIS Kindness is not just restricted to the household of The Prophet alone.
b. The fact is that all
- the males who have accepted Islam, and
- the females who have accepted Islam, and
- the Muslim Faithful, males, and
- the Muslim Faithful, females, and
- the truly devout males, and
- the truly devout females, and
- the truthful males, and
- the truthful females, and
- the males patient in adversity, and
- the females patient in adversity, and
- the males in awe of Allah, and
- the females in awe of Allah, and
- the charitable males, and
- the charitable females, and
- the males who keep the Fast, and
- the females who keep the Fast, and
- the males who guard their chastity, and
- the females who guard their chastity, and
- the males who remember Allah unceasingly, and
- the females who remember Allah unceasingly -
b. for them Allah has especially prepared forgiveness and a glorious reward in the realm of the Hereafter.

33:36
a. And the hypocrites are now ridiculing the verdicts of Allah and HIS Messenger too.
b. However, they should know when Allah and HIS Messenger decide about some matter,
c. then it is not befitting of any believing male or believing female to express their concern/
reservation.
d. They must stand in full obedience to it.
e. And whoever disobeys Allah and HIS Messenger is misguided and clearly mistaken in error.

33:37
a. They attempted to create mischief on that occasion as well when you - O The Prophet - said to the one who was blessed by Allah and whom you had also favored:
b. ‘Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah.’
c. Whereas you were concealing within yourself that which Allah was to disclose.
d. In doing so you were afraid of people, whereas Allah was more worthy to be feared by you.
e. So when Zayd ended his claim on her by divorcing her, and she had completed her waiting period,
f. WE married her to you, so that there should not be any wrongdoing for believers in the permissibility of marrying the ex-spouses of their adopted children, in case they ended their claim on their relationship by divorcing them.
g. And, thus, Allah’s Command must always be enforced.

33:38
a. The Prophet should not have any uneasiness in doing what Allah made lawful for him.
b. Such has also been Allah’s Precedent for those Prophets who came before him.

c. And enforcement of Allah’s Command is always inevitable.

33:39
a. Such is how it is with those who convey the Messages of Allah and who fear HIM,
b. and not fearing anyone except Allah - WHO made it lawful for them.
c. Allah is Sufficient as a Reckoner for those who may either challenge it or ridicule it.

33:40
a. O The Faithful!
b. Know that the Prophet Muhammad is not the father of any of your men,
c. but he is the Messenger of Allah, and
d. he is also the Seal - the Last - of the Prophets.
e. Indeed, Allah is always Aware of everything.

33:41
a. O The Faithful!
b. Remember Allah unceasingly.

33:42
a. And glorify HIM by morning and by evening - at all times.

33:43
a. It is HE WHO confers blessings upon you and so do HIS Angels as well,
b. and through these blessings leads you out of the darkness into the enlightenment.
c. And HE is Ever-Compassionate to the believers.

33:44
a. The Time when they are going to meet HIM, their greetings will be:
b. ‘Salam!’
c. And HE will have prepared for them a generous reward – the Paradise.

33:45
a. O The Prophet!
b. Indeed, WE have assigned you with the Divine Mission as
- a Witness to the Truth, and
- a Herald of good news for those who follow you, and
- a Warner for those who ignore your teachings.

33:46
a. And as the one
- inviting them to Allah by HIS command, and
- as an illuminating lamp for their guidance.

33:47
a. And give the good news to the believers,
b. that they will have a great bounty from Allah: The Paradise.

33:48
a. And do not pay heed to the disbelievers and the hypocrites,
b. and disregard their mockery, abuse, and insults,
c. but trust in Allah -
d. Allah is Sufficient for you as a Trustee/Guardian – to take care of all matters.

33:49
a. O The Faithful!
b. When you marry female believers, and
c. then divorce them before you have touched her in skin-to-skin cohabitation,
d. in that case you do not have to count their waiting period.
e. So make some provisions for them according to your means,
f. and part with them in a gracious manner.

33:50
a. O The Prophet!
b. WE have made lawful for you your wives:
- to whom you have already given their bridal money, and
- those whom your right hand possesses in the qital/battle, and
- whom Allah has bestowed upon you; and
- the daughters of the brothers of your father, and
- the daughters of the sisters of your father, and
- the daughters of the brothers of your mother, and
- the daughters of the sisters of your mother, and
- those who migrated with you to Madeenah.
c. Also, any believing woman who offers herself to The Prophet, provided The Prophet also
wishes to marry her.
d. This is exclusively for you, not for the believers in general.
e. WE Know what WE have already made obligatory upon them concerning their wives, and those whom their right hand possess in the qital/battle.
f. So that there will not be any blame on you - if you act according to your privileged position vis-a-vis the believers.
g. Allah is always Forgiving, always Merciful.

33:51
a. O The Prophet!
b. You may not have to stick to strict rotation of intimacy with your wives, but postpone the turn of whom you wish of them, and you may take for yourself whom you wish of them.
c. And whom you take again, then there will be no blame on you.
d. Thus it is more likely that they will be comforted and they will not grieve, and
e. they will be pleased with whatever you may offer them.
f. And Allah knows what is in your hearts -
g. for Allah is All-Knowing, Ever-Compassionate.

33:52
a. O The Prophet!
b. Beyond that it is not lawful for you to marry any more of women,
c. and, you will also not substitute any one of them for other wives, even if their beauty were
pleasing to you, notwithstanding for those whom your right hand possesses.
d. And Allah is Watchful over everything.

33:53
a. O The Faithful!
b. Stay ever mindful of The Prophet ‘s exalted status, and, thus, show exceptional reverence to him and to his wives.
c. So do not enter the houses of The Prophet to attend a meal without waiting for the meal to be ready, unless permission is given to you.

d. And go as and when you are invited at the designated time.
e. And when you finish taking meals, you will disperse, and do not linger for mere conversation.
f. Surely that annoys The Prophet, but he is shy of you to tell you to leave as he does not like to hurt your feelings.
g. But Allah does not hesitate from teaching you the right manners.
h. When you ask them - his wives - for something, ask them from behind a curtain.
i. This is purer for your hearts and their hearts.
j. And it is not for you to annoy The Messenger of Allah in any way;
k. and it is also not conceivable that you ever marry any of his wives after him since all believers are spiritually their children.
l. Indeed, that would be a great offence in the Sight of Allah.

33:54
a. Regardless of whether you disclose something or conceal it - in respect of marrying Prophet’s wives after him,
b. remember that Allah is All-Aware of everything and will requite you for it.

33:55
a. There is no blame on them if they appear unveiled before the following category of relatives:
- their fathers, fathers-in-law, or
- grandfathers, paternal and maternal uncles, or
- their sons, grandsons, or
- their brothers, or
- the sons of their brothers, or
- the sons of their sisters, or
- their women visitors, or
- their female whom their right hand acquire and maids.
b. And remain conscious of Allah’s Injunction,
c. for Allah is, indeed, a Witness over everything.

33:56
a. Truly, Allah and HIS Angels send blessings upon The Prophet Muhammad.
b. O The Faithful!
c. So it is mandatory upon you to invoke blessings upon him too, and submit to him in total obedience;
d. or invoke peace upon him in a worthy manner!

33:57
a. Indeed, those who offend Allah and HIS Messenger -
b. Allah will curse them in this world and in the Hereafter, and
c. HE will have especially prepared for them a humiliating punishment.

33:58
a. And as for those who unjustifiably malign male believers and female believers – without their having done any wrong,
b. they will have surely burdened themselves with slander and also a blatant sin.

33:59
a. O The Prophet!
b. Direct your wives and your daughters, as well as the female believers,

c. to let down their outer garments over themselves whenever they go out in public.
d. This is more likely of their being recognized as respectable ladies and they are not harassed.
e. And Allah is always Forgiving of any negligence in the past, and always Compassionate to them in HIS veiling them.

33:60
a. In case -
- the hypocrites do not stop their treasonous activities, and
- those in whose hearts is a sickness, and
- those who spread false rumors in the City of Madeenah -
b. WE will certainly let you – the believers – empower them.
c. Then they will not be able to remain as your neighbors in the city except for a short while.

33:61
a. They will be cursed!
b. Wherever they will be found, they will be captured and slain completely.

33:62
a. This has been Allah’s Practice in handling those hypocrites and sick at heart who came before you, and
b. you will never find any change in Allah’s Practice.

33:63
a. People ask you - O The Prophet - about the timing of the Last Hour.
b. Tell them:
- its knowledge is only with Allah.
- And who knows - perhaps the Last Hour may well be very near.

33:64
a. Indeed, Allah has cursed the disbelievers, and
b. HE has especially prepared for them a Blazing Fire -

33:65
a. – therein to remain forever: never to leave, never to die.
b. They will not find any friend or helper to salvage them.

33:66
a. The Time when their faces will be turned over and over in the Blazing Fire,
b. they will cry out:
c. ‘Ooh – we are doomed!
d. We wish we had obeyed Allah and obeyed The Messenger.’

33:67
a. And they will also submit:
b. ‘O Our Rabb - The Lord!
c. In fact, we obeyed our leaders and our elders, and they misled us from the Path’ of the Truth.

33:68
a. ‘O Our Rabb - The Lord!
b. Give them a double share of the punishment, and
c. curse them with a great curse!’

33:69
a. O The Faithful!
b. Do not be the like those - Descendants of Jacob - who slandered Moses,
c. but Allah cleared him of all they alleged against him,
d. for he was honorable in the Sight of Allah.

33:70
a. O The Faithful!
b. Remain conscious of Allah in your speech, deeds, and dealings,
c. and always speak in a straightforward manner.

33:71
a. So that HE will set your deeds right for you and forgive you your sins.
b. And whoever obeys Allah and HIS Messenger has truly achieved a great success.

33:72
a. Indeed, WE offered the Trust to the celestial realm and the terrestrial world and the mountains,
b. but they all refused to accept it out of their apprehensiveness of the consequences.
c. Yet the human being accepted it when it was offered to him.
d. In fact, he was unjust to himself and emotional in making decisions.

33:73
a. So as a consequence, Allah punishes those who forsake the Trust, namely:
- the hypocrite males, and
- the hypocrite females, and
- the polytheist males, and
- the polytheist females.
b. And so, too, it is that Allah Accepts the repentance of the believing males and the believing females who fulfill the Trust.
c. And, indeed, Allah is Ever-Forgiving to believers, and Ever-Compassionate to them, too.