Episode 30: The wives of Muhammad

Surah 33: The Clans (Al-Ahzab)

This is but a saying of your mouths

¹ Don't obey disbelievers.

⁴ Allah hasn't made your wives who you claim (to be your mothers) your mothers, nor has he made those who you claim (to be your sons) your sons. That's just something you say with your mouths. ⁵ Proclaim real parentage.

Muhammad's wives are the mothers of believers

⁶ The prophet [Muhammad] is closer to believers than their own selves. And his wives are like their own mothers.

Nothing but delusion

⁸ Allah has prepared a painful doom for the unfaithful. ⁹ Remember when we [Allah] sent a big wind that you couldn't see? ¹² And when the hypocrites and those with diseased hearts said, Allah and his messenger promised us nothing but delusion. ¹⁹ Allah makes the deeds of nonbelievers fruitless. And that is easy for Allah.

Muhammad is a good example

²¹ The messenger of Allah [Muhammad] is a good example for you. ²² The true believers said, “This is just what Allah and his messenger promised us. Allah and his messenger are true.”

Allah cast panic into their hearts

²⁵ Allah repulsed the disbelievers. ²⁶ He cast panic into their hearts. You killed some and enslaved others. ²⁷ He gave you their land, houses, and wealth.

Wives of Muhammad - Stay in your houses!

²⁸ Oh prophet, say to your wives,

²⁹ If you're good, you'll get a big reward. ³⁰ But if you commit lewdness, you'll receive a double punishment. (And that's easy for Allah.) ³¹ If you're submissive to Allah and his messenger, we'll double your reward.

³² Oh you wives of the prophet, you aren't like other women. ³³ Stay in your houses, don't show off your charms, obey Allah and his messenger, and keep clean.

You may marry the wives of your adopted sons

³⁶ When Allah and his messenger [Muhammad] make a decision, believers have no say in it. Whoever rebels has gone astray.

³⁷ When Zeyd divorced his wife, we [Allah] gave her to Muhammad to marry. So now it's okay for believers to marry the divorced wives of their adopted sons. ³⁸ It's perfectly fine for the prophet [Muhammad] to do this. That's the way Allah wanted it done in the good old days.

⁴⁰ Muhammad isn't the father of any man among you, but he's Allah's messenger and the seal of the prophets.

⁴⁸ Don't listen to anything nonbelievers say.

The wives of Muhammad

⁴⁹ If you marry a believing woman and divorce her before you have sex with her, a waiting period is not required.

⁵⁰ Oh prophet [Muhammad], we [Allah] have made it lawful for you to marry the following women: wives that you paid dowries for, slave women from war or who Allah has given you, the daughters of your father's brothers, the daughters of your father's sisters, the daughters of your wife's brothers, the daughters of your wife's sisters, and any believing woman who gives herself to you and that you would like to marry.

These privileges are only given to you, not to the rest of believers.

⁵¹ You can have sex with any of your wives whenever you want. ⁵² But from now on you can't take any more wives (except for slaves) or exchange them for women that you think are more beautiful.

⁵³ Believers may not enter the prophet’s dwellings for a meal unless they are invited. Those who are invited must not hang around to talk after dinner. Lo! That would annoy the prophet. If a man wants to ask any of the prophet's wives something, he must do it from behind a curtain. And no man may marry any of Muhammad's wives. That would be an enormity in Allah's sight.

⁵⁵ Your wives may talk without a veil to their fathers, sons, brother's, nephews, other women, or slaves.

PB&J be upon him

⁵⁶ Allah and his angels shower blessing on the prophet [Muhammad]. Ask for blessing to be upon him. ⁵⁷ Those who malign Allah and his messenger are cursed by Allah. He has prepared for them the doom of the disdained.

Cover up your wives and daughters

⁵⁹ Wives and daughters must draw their cloaks about them when they go outside.

They will be slain with a fierce slaughter

⁶⁰ If the hypocrites, diseased hearts, and alarmists don't stop, we [Allah] will send you to attack them. ⁶¹ They will be slaughtered wherever they are found.

When their faces are turned over in the fire

⁶⁴ Allah has cursed disbelievers and has prepared for them a flaming fire. ⁶⁵ Where they will live forever, without a protecting friend or helper. ⁶⁶ When their faces are turned over in the fire, they'll say, “We wish we had obeyed Allah and his messenger!” ⁶⁸ Give them, Oh Lord, a double torment and curse them with a mighty curse.