Quran 33:37 — Al-Ahzaab, verse 37
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
When you [Prophet] said to the man who had been favoured by God and by you, ‘Keep your wife and be mindful of God,’ you hid in your heart what God would later reveal: you were afraid of people, but it is more fitting that you fear God. When Zayd no longer wanted her, We gave her to you in marriage so that there might be no fault in believers marrying the wives of their adopted sons after they no longer wanted them. God’s command must be carried out:
وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا
wa-idh taqūlu lilladhī anʿama l-lahu ʿalayhi wa-anʿamta ʿalayhi amsik ʿalayka zawjaka wa-ittaqi l-laha watukh'fī fī nafsika mā l-lahu mub'dīhi watakhshā l-nāsa wal-lahu aḥaqqu an takhshāhu falammā qaḍā zaydun min'hā waṭaran zawwajnākahā likay lā yakūna ʿalā l-mu'minīna ḥarajun fī azwāji adʿiyāihim idhā qaḍaw min'hunna waṭaran wakāna amru l-lahi mafʿūlan
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- When thou saidst to him whom God had blessed and thou hadst favoured, 'Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear God,' and thou wast concealing within thyself what God should reveal, fearing other men; and God has better right for thee to fear Him. So when Zaid had accomplished what he would of her, then We gave her in marriage to thee, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them; and God's commandment must be performed.
- Muhammad Asad
- AND LO, [O Muhammad,] thou didst say unto the one to whom God had shown favour and to whom thou hadst shown favour, “Hold on to thy wife, and remain conscious of God!” And [thus] wouldst thou hide within thyself something that God was about to bring to light for thou didst stand in awe of [what] people [might think], whereas it was God alone of whom thou shouldst have stood in awe! [But] then, when Zayd had come to the end of his union with her, We gave her to thee in marriage, so that [in future] no blame should attach to the believers for [marrying] the spouses of their adopted children when the latter have come to the end of their union with them. And [thus] God’s will was done.
- Sahih International
- And [remember, O Muḥammad], when you said to the one on whom Allāh bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, "Keep your wife and fear Allāh," while you concealed within yourself that which Allāh is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allāh has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort [i.e., guilt] concerning the wives of their claimed [i.e., adopted] sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command [i.e., decree] of Allāh accomplished.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَإِذْwa-idh | And when | — |
| 2 | تَقُولُtaqūlu | you said | قول |
| 3 | لِلَّذِىٓlilladhī | to the one | — |
| 4 | أَنْعَمَanʿama | Allah bestowed favor | نعم |
| 5 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah bestowed favor | أله |
| 6 | عَلَيْهِʿalayhi | on him | — |
| 7 | وَأَنْعَمْتَwa-anʿamta | and you bestowed favor | نعم |
| 8 | عَلَيْهِʿalayhi | on him | — |
| 9 | أَمْسِكْamsik | Keep | مسك |
| 10 | عَلَيْكَʿalayka | to yourself | — |
| 11 | زَوْجَكَzawjaka | your wife | زوج |
| 12 | وَٱتَّقِwa-ittaqi | and fear | وقي |
| 13 | ٱللَّهَl-laha | Allah | أله |
| 14 | وَتُخْفِىwatukh'fī | But you concealed | خفي |
| 15 | فِىfī | within | — |
| 16 | نَفْسِكَnafsika | yourself | نفس |
| 17 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 18 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah | أله |
| 19 | مُبْدِيهِmub'dīhi | (was to) disclose | بدو |
| 20 | وَتَخْشَىwatakhshā | And you fear | خشي |
| 21 | ٱلنَّاسَl-nāsa | the people | نوس |
| 22 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | while Allah | أله |
| 23 | أَحَقُّaḥaqqu | has more right | حقق |
| 24 | أَنan | that | — |
| 25 | تَخْشَىٰهُ ۖtakhshāhu | you (should) fear Him | خشي |
| 26 | فَلَمَّاfalammā | So when | — |
| 27 | قَضَىٰqaḍā | ended | قضي |
| 28 | زَيْدٌۭzaydun | Zaid | — |
| 29 | مِّنْهَاmin'hā | from her | — |
| 30 | وَطَرًۭاwaṭaran | necessary (formalities) | وطر |
| 31 | زَوَّجْنَـٰكَهَاzawwajnākahā | We married her to you | زوج |
| 32 | لِكَىْlikay | so that | — |
| 33 | لَاlā | not | — |
| 34 | يَكُونَyakūna | there be | كون |
| 35 | عَلَىʿalā | on | — |
| 36 | ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَl-mu'minīna | the believers | أمن |
| 37 | حَرَجٌۭḥarajun | any discomfort | حرج |
| 38 | فِىٓfī | concerning | — |
| 39 | أَزْوَٰجِazwāji | the wives | زوج |
| 40 | أَدْعِيَآئِهِمْadʿiyāihim | (of) their adopted sons | دعو |
| 41 | إِذَاidhā | when | — |
| 42 | قَضَوْا۟qaḍaw | they have ended | قضي |
| 43 | مِنْهُنَّmin'hunna | from them | — |
| 44 | وَطَرًۭا ۚwaṭaran | necessary (formalities) | وطر |
| 45 | وَكَانَwakāna | And is | كون |
| 46 | أَمْرُamru | (the) Command | أمر |
| 47 | ٱللَّهِl-lahi | (of) Allah | أله |
| 48 | مَفْعُولًۭاmafʿūlan | accomplished | فعل |