Quran 33:59 – The Permanence Of Jilbab Directive In Surah Ahzab
These were two different directives . We shall discuss both of these directives briefly: 1 ) Directives specific to all women of that time : I n the age of the Prophet (sws) in Madinah when some miscreants started teasing and besmearing the characters of Muslim women, the Almighty in Surah Ahzab bade the wives of the Prophet (sws), his daughters and other Muslim women to draw over them any of the shawls they have when they go out to places which were insecure. Such dressing-up would distinguish them from women of lewd character and they would not be teased on the pretext of being outwardly similar to such women. It is reported in various narratives that when Muslim women in the dark of night or in the dim light of dawn would go out to relieve themselves, these miscreants would get after them and when they would be called to account, they would say that they actually wanted to talk to such and such a woman thinking that she was a slave-woman. The Quran says: وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًايَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًالَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَا يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًامَلْعُونِينَ أَيْنَمَا ثُقِفُوا أُخِذُوا وَقُتِّلُوا تَقْتِيلًا And those who harass believing men and believing women for what they never did [should know that] they shall bear the guilt of slander and a grievous sin. O Prophet! [In this situation] enjoin your wives, your daughters, and the wives of true believers to draw over them a shawl [when they go out]. It will become possible from this that they be distinguished [from other women] and not be harassed. God is Ever-forgiving and Merciful. If [after these measures also] these hypocrites and those who have the ailment [of jealousy] in their hearts and the scandal mongers of Madinah do not desist, We will rouse you against them, and their days in that city will be numbered. Cursed be they; wherever found, they would be seized and put to exemplary death . (Quran 33:58-61) It is evident from the words أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ and their context that they do not contain any directive related to hijab. It was a temporary measure adopted to distinguish the identity of Muslim women in order to protect them from the evil of lecherous people and from those who indulge in unfounded slander . Owing to similar reasons, the Prophet (sws) also forbade Muslim women from travelling alone on long journeys and from walking on pathways within a crowd of men. Consequently, if today Muslim women are faced with similar circumstances, they should adopt a similar measure to make themselves distinct from other women and to protect themselves. 2 ) Diretives specific to only the wives of the Prophet (sws) : The surah also mentions certain directives that are specific to the Prophet Muhammad (sws) in his capacity of a Messenger of God. They bear no relation to other people. A deliberation on the contents of the surah reveals the fact that when the hypocrites and miscreants mentioned above embarked upon a campaign to scandalize the private lives of the wives of the Prophet (sws) to make the common man averse to them and to damage the moral repute of both Islam and the Muslims, the Almighty took certain measures to curb this evil: First, He gave the noble wives the choice to leave the Prophet (sws) and live the life of common Muslim women enjoying its luxuries and comforts or to once again decide with full awareness to live forever as the wives of the Prophet (sws) in order to obtain the comforts and luxuries of the Hereafter. They were then informed that if they decided to stay with the Prophet (sws), then they must realize that their status as his wives entailed great responsibility. They are not like common women; they are like the mothers of the believers. Therefore, if they remain faithful to Allah and His Prophet (sws) and do righteous deeds with full sincerity, they will earn a two-fold reward. Likewise, they will be worthy of a two-fold punishment in relation to other women if they commit a sin. Their inner purification is beyond doubt; however, the Almighty also wants to morally cleanse them in the eyes of the people so that no one is given a chance to even cast slight aspersions on their characters. This is a requisite of their status and they must adopt certain things in their daily lives to achieve this purity. Firstly , if they are fearful of the Almighty they should not be kind and affectionate in speech to every person who enters their house . The Quran says: يَانِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِنْ النِّسَاءِ إِنْ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَعْرُوفًا Wives of the Prophet! You are not like other women. [So], if you fear God, do not be too complaisant in your speech, lest the lecherous-hearted should lust after you. Talk [with such people] in plain and simple words . (Quran 33:32) Secondly , they should remain in their homes in order to protect their rank and status . وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمْ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا And abide still in your homes and do not display your finery as women used to do in the days of jahiliyyah. Attend to your prayers, pay zakah and obey God and His Messenger. Women of this House! The Almighty wants to cleanse you from the filth [these hypocrites want to besmear you with] and to fully purify you . (Quran 33:33) Thirdly , they should try to communicate the verses of the Quran as well as the beliefs and moral teachings of Islam to people who come and visit them and refrain from other general gossip . وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا And communicate [to your visitors] what is taught to you of the verses of God and the wisdom revealed by Him. The Almighty is Very Discerning and All-Knowing . (Quran 33:34) It seems that even after all these measures, the miscreants did not mend their ways. Consequently, the Almighty gave some more directives to Muslims which were to be strictly followed. Muslims were told that no one should enter the house of the Prophet (sws) unless he was called . If people are invited to have food at the house of the Prophet (sws), they shall come right at the time of food. They shall then disperse immediately afterwards and not keep talking to one another. The wives of the Prophet (sws) shall be secluded from the Muslims and except for near relatives and women of their acquaintance no one shall come in front of them. Anyone who wants something from their private places must ask for it from behind a veil. The wives of the Prophet (sws) shall be the mothers of the believers . Those Hypocrites who have the desire to marry them should know that even after the death of the Prophet (sws) they cannot marry them. They are eternally prohibited for marriage after him . يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانْتَشِرُوا وَلَا مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِ مِنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِ مِنْ الْحَقِّ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَنْ تَنْكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمًاإِنْ تُبْدُوا شَيْئًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًالَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِي آبَائِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَائِهِنَّ وَلَا إِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَاءِ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَاءِ أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَائِهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ وَاتَّقِينَ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدًا Believers! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet except if you are permitted sometime to enter for a meal. In this case also, do not sit waiting for the food to be cooked. But if you are invited, enter and when you have eaten, disperse. Do not engage in familiar talk, for this would distress the Prophet and he would feel shy to bid you go; but of the truth God does not feel shy. And if you ask his wives for anything, speak to them from behind a curtain. This is more pure for your hearts and their hearts. And you must not harass God’s Messenger, nor shall you ever wed his wives after him; this would be a grave offence in the sight of God. Whether you reveal or conceal them, God has knowledge of all things. It shall be no offence for these women [– Prophet’s wives –] to come before their fathers, their sons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women of acquaintance, or their slaves. [O] Women [of the Household of the Prophet!] Have fear of God; surely God observes all things . (Quran 33:53-55) ____ ( For more details, please see : Discussion 30301 )