A Question Regarding Sūrah al-Aḥzāb
Article:
The question:
The well-known Qur’anic researcher, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, asked me about the following verses in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb:
“Prophet, We have made lawful for you your wives whose bride-gift you have paid, and any slave women God has given you as part of the gains of war; the daughters of your paternal and maternal uncles and aunts who migrated with you; and any believing woman who gives herself to the Prophet––a privilege for you alone, not for the rest of the believers––We know exactly what We have made obligatory for them concerning their wives and slave women––so you should not be blamed: God is most forgiving, most merciful. You may make any of them wait and invite any of them as you please; you will not be at fault if you invite one you had previously set aside: this is the best way for them to be contented and not sad, and to be satisfied with what you give them. God knows what is in your hearts: He is all knowing, and forbearing.”
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb 33:50–51, MAS Abdel Haleem)
He then asked: What is the purpose of this? Especially considering what immediately follows:
“After this, other women are not lawful for you to marry, nor are you allowed to replace them with other wives, even if you are attracted by their beauty. Only your slave women are permitted: God is watchful over all things.”
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb 33:52, MAS Abdel Haleem)
And what does “even if you are attracted by their beauty” mean?
The answer:
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jaḥsh in the fifth year after the Hijrah. That was also the year of the Battle of the Confederates (al-Aḥzāb). Sūrah al-Aḥzāb discusses both this battle and the Prophet’s marriage to Zaynab.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) first married Khadījah (may Allah be pleased with her). After her death, he married Sawdah bint Zamʿah and ʿĀ’ishah bint Abī Bakr, followed by Ḥafṣah bint ʿUmar, then Zaynab bint Khuzaymah who passed away after only a few months, then Umm Salamah. When the verse was revealed:
“…Marry whichever women seem good to you, two, three, or four…”
(Sūrah al-Nisāʾ 4:3, MAS Abdel Haleem)
—the Prophet had four wives (Sawdah, ʿĀ’ishah, Ḥafṣah, and Umm Salamah). He told his Companions: whoever had more than four wives should choose four and let the rest go. As the Prophet had only four at the time, he did not need to take any action.
It is stated in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb that the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) participated in the work of Prophethood:
“Bear in mind the revelations of God and wise sayings recited in your homes: God is all subtle, all aware.”
(Sūrah al-Aḥzāb 33:34, MAS Abdel Haleem)
This role necessitated a larger number of wives. Hence, Allah made an exception for him, permitting more than four wives. This ruling was exclusive to him and not shared by the rest of the believers, as the justification for it did not apply to them. I will elaborate on this in a separate article, in shā’ Allāh.
In verse 50, Allah lists the categories of women made lawful for him, including daughters of his paternal and maternal aunts. Zaynab bint Jaḥsh was the daughter of his paternal aunt Umaymah bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. She was the first wife to take the number beyond four.
Then in verse 52:
“After this, other women are not lawful for you to marry”
—it is clarified that this expansion applies only to the categories mentioned earlier. He is not allowed to marry others or replace his current wives with new ones.
The phrase:
“…even if you are attracted by their bea
uty…”
—emphasises that this prohibition is absolute. Even if other women possessed greater beauty, lineage, or wealth, they remained unlawful for him. This is because the allowance for additional marriages was made for religious purposes—namely, to involve them in the work of teaching and daʿwah. Therefore, marrying anyone outside of that framework would not be permitted, regardless of their external qualities.
Disclaimer:
This article was translated by AI. To access the original article in Arabic, visit: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6082
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