What should be understood from verse 33:37 of Surah Al-Ahzab...
The content of verse 37 of Surah Al-Ahzab has always been a subject of debate. This is because people who only read this verse often fail to understand the entirety of the Quran, thus neglecting to grasp its true nature. To better understand this verse, let's first provide some background information:
1) Attempting to marry one's mother, sister, or aunt is considered abhorrent by almost everyone; it's a disgusting act that even one in a million people would never attempt. The Quran doesn't explicitly state, "No one would ever attempt to marry their mother," and this has been clarified.
Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters and your sisters, your paternal aunts and your maternal aunts, your brother’s daughters and your sister’s daughters, your [foster-]mothers who have suckled you and your sisters through fosterage, your wives’ mothers, and your stepdaughters who are under your care [born] of the wives whom you have gone into—but if you have not gone into them there is no sin upon you—and the wives of your sons who are from your own loins, and that you should marry two sisters at one time—excluding what is already past; indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful—
The inclusion of these in the book necessitates the presence of numerous verses, such as those listed below:
And We have certainly diversified for the people in this Qur'an from every [kind] of example, but most of the people refused [anything] except disbelief.
Thus do We elaborate the signs, so that they may come back.
And this is the path of your Lord, [leading] straight. We have detailed the verses for a people who remember.
However, Allah Almighty, by not explaining matters not addressed in His revelation, indicates that He will not hold His interlocutors accountable for them, and ultimately, He is most forgiving, gentle, and compassionate. How people will act in matters not mentioned in the Quran is left to their conscience. They are tested and attain degrees based on their piety, that is, their sensitivity to Allah's will.
O you who have faith! Do not ask about things, which, if they are disclosed to you, will upset you. Yet if you ask about them while the Quran is being sent down, they shall be disclosed to you. Allah has excused it, and Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Forbearing.
2) To further understand the verse, it's worth noting that many verses in the Quran are related to specific events that occurred during the period of its revelation. For example, consider the following verse:
O Prophet! Why do you disallow [yourself] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.
The historical background of this verse is that, according to tradition, the Prophet visited one of his wives, Hafsa, stayed with her for a while, and Hafsa offered him honey. When he returned to his other wives, Aisha and Sawda, they became jealous and accused him of spending more time with Hafsa than with them, suggesting that they too could offer him honey. This caused him great distress, and he declared that he would never taste honey again (making it forbidden for himself).
It should be stated that these historical events, whether true or not, are not included in the Quran because they do not contribute to the message of the book. Furthermore, the historical background of any Quranic verse never alters or invalidates the law inherent in the nature of the verse.
This verse states the following law:
- Neither the Prophet nor any human being has been given the authority to forbid anything that Allah has made lawful.
We should draw the following conclusions from this:
a- The claim that Allah revealed a specific verse containing a single rule or law in direct response to a particular historical event implies that if that historical event had not occurred, that rule/law might not have been given to us by Allah!
To imply that the event described above is the cause of a divinely ordained law is entirely a misconception. No Quranic verse containing Allah's laws was ever revealed with the intention of addressing a specific historical event.
b- To claim that the reason for the revelation of a particular Quranic verse is a specific historical event implies that the rules and laws contained in that verse are only relevant to local places and specific times. This contradicts the universal nature of Allah's Law, which applies to all people and all times, regardless of the historical event that occurred at that time. Allah's law is independent of all events related to time and place. Whether these events occurred or not, Allah's law would have been revealed.
c- The Quran mentions many historical events not because it is essentially a history book, but because the narration of these events contributes to the overall message of the Quran. Therefore, we are not given all the details of these historical events; only those details that serve the message of the Quran are provided.
Furthermore, to claim that the historical details given in the Quran regarding any given historical event are insufficient, and that we should read about that event from other sources to understand the Quran, contradicts Allah's assurance that the Quran is entirely detailed.
Based on this information, the message people should take away from verse 37 of Surah Al-Ahzab is:
- A believer should fear no one but Allah.
- It is not forbidden for a man to marry the wife his adopted son has divorced.
After the preliminary information
3) The Quran clearly states, particularly in the following verses, that adopted children, or those under one's care, are not and should not be regarded as one's own children:
4.Allah has not put for any man two hearts inside his body. Neither has He made your wives whom you declare to be like your mothers' backs, your real mothers. [AzZihar is the saying of a husband to his wife, "You are to me like the back of my mother" i.e. You are unlawful for me to approach.], nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. That is but your saying with your mouths. But Allah says the truth, and He guides to the (Right) Way.
5. Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah. But if you know not their father's (names, call them) your brothers in faith and Mawalikum (your freed slaves). And there is no sin on you if you make a mistake therein, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful.
4) In addition, let us also give the following verse, which is overlooked by those who focus on Surah Al-Ahzab 37 and want to portray the Prophet as a lustful person:
O Prophet! Say to your wives, ‘If you desire the life of the world and its glitter, come, I will provide for you and release you in a graceful manner.
It is narrated that the wives of Prophet Muhammad asked him for jewelry, ornate clothing, food, and means of livelihood. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah gave them all freedom of choice, starting with Aisha. All of them, beginning with Aisha, chose the Messenger and the Hereafter.
By stating that he could divorce wives who sought worldly possessions, the Prophet Muhammad demonstrated that he was not a womanizer. Such behavior would be inconceivable for someone who was obsessed with women. If he were, he would not have offered to divorce wives who sought worldly gains; because the address was to all his wives, and he could have separated from all of them if they wished. This alone is clear evidence that the Prophet Muhammad was not lustful or obsessed with women.
Let's move on to the content of the verse:
And when you said to him on whom Allah has bestowed Grace and you have done favour "Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah." But you did hide in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him. So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her, We gave her to you in marriage, so that there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them. And Allah's Command must be fulfilled.
The main purpose of the Prophet Muhammad's marriage to Zaynab was to convey the message that there is no difficulty or sin in other believers marrying the spouses of adopted children who have been taken into their care or protection, because those individuals are not their own biological children.
Initially, although Zaynab had requested her brothers to arrange her marriage to the Prophet, the Prophet married Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of his aunt Umayma, to Zayd. In fact, the Prophet's aim was to eliminate societal divisions such as rich-poor, influential-weak, noble-influential, etc., and to improve social order as much as possible by removing such flaws. He began this crucial matter within his own household, initially marrying the couple even if they initially refused due to perceived lack of equality, eventually persuading them to agree.
However, as the marriage showed signs of failing, Zayd complained about Zaynab, saying, "She is becoming arrogant towards me, boasting about her noble lineage and the lack of equality between us ." During this time, he frequently appealed to the Prophet for a divorce, but the Prophet tried to dissuade him by saying, "Keep your wife in your marriage; be Allah-fearing in matters of marriage."
When it became clear that the marriage was unsustainable and Zayd separated from his wife, Allah Almighty revealed that He had arranged the marriage between the Prophet and Zaynab. The purpose was to draw attention to the fact that adopted children are not biological children and to demonstrate that there is no problem in marrying the women they have divorced. Another primary goal was to alleviate the suffering of Zaynab, who was subsequently victimized after Zayd's death as a freed slave, and to prevent her from being swept away in social life.
In addition to the difficulties experienced in normal marriages followed by divorce, the fact that Lady Zaynab was divorced by a freed slave placed her in a much more ostracized and marginalized position in the society of that time.
The idea that the Prophet Muhammad had in mind, but didn't reveal for fear of gossip , was to marry Zayd after their separation, prevent him from going astray, and make him a member of his household. However, the problem was the tradition of considering an adopted child as one's own child, and viewing the adopted child's wife as one's own daughter-in-law. In a society that perpetuated this extremely grave injustice as a tradition, carrying out such a marriage was an extremely difficult and troublesome process. This issue is addressed in the following verses at the Quran.
Then, Almighty Allah informs us that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had a thought in his mind or kept hidden regarding the situation of Lady Zaynab, but he could not reveal this thought to people because he feared that Allah would bring it to light. However, the only one truly worthy of respect or whose punishment or condemnation should be feared is Almighty Allah.
Allah Almighty revealed this thought that he kept hidden because he feared gossip, and made known what was going through his mind during those days. The issue of "the divorced spouses of adopted children not being the daughters-in-law of the individuals under one's care," and therefore "there is no religious impediment to marrying them after a divorce," is also addressed in the following sentences.
As can be understood, if the Prophet had wanted to conceal anything in this revelation, he would have concealed this verse. Furthermore, if he had fabricated the revelation, as claimed, he would not have included such an event in his book. Ultimately, the issue is the Prophet's warning; however, it is not, as claimed, about womanizing or coveting his adopted son's wife, but rather about concealing his concern for what people would say, regarding the fact that his cousin, after a marriage that was clearly doomed, would be swept away in society as a woman divorced by a freed slave.
As a result, while people were preoccupied with the background of the verse, they strayed from its essence and message. The matter even reached the point of slandering the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims who incorporated anything and everything into their religion as a narration or the essence of faith could not refrain from mixing these fallacies into their religion as well. This serves as a very good example for believers to learn from, and to see how easily those who wish to distort religion can do so.
Furthermore, the distortions made by Western writers, particularly those hostile to the Prophet Muhammad, who seek excuses to attack the Prophet and the values of Islam, claiming that the Prophet Muhammad saw Zaynab when he went to her house to look for Zayd, fell in love with her, left without entering, and then divorced his adopted son and married her to himself, are utterly comical. First of all, the Prophet knew Zaynab throughout his life. He visited the house of his freed slave and adopted son, Zayd, countless times. To portray the Prophet's meeting with his aunt's daughter in such a context as an extraordinary coincidence and to base the slander on this would shame even ordinary people, let alone scholars. Moreover, the fact that he knew Zaynab wanted to marry him, and that as a Prophet he had the position and authority to marry her even if she did not want him, yet chose not to marry her and instead married her to Zayd, is a point that people should consider.
It is also necessary to recount an anecdote related to this event that took place in Medina. After the Hijra, when the Muhajirun (emigrants) settled in Medina, the Ansar (the people of Medina) divorced their second or third wives to facilitate the marriages of the Muhajirun with them. From this perspective, it should not be forgotten that moral values can change over time, that things that were considered normal at one time may not be considered normal now, or that things that are normal now may have seemed abnormal then. Therefore, instead of focusing on the historical background of events, it would be most appropriate to focus on the message given to humanity.