Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh))
كتاب التفسير
Chapter 285: "... Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily! Joining others in worship with Allah is a great Ẓulm (wrong) indeed." (V.31:13)
When there was revealed: 'It is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrong.' (6.82) It was very hard for the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), so they said, "Which of us has not confused his belief with wrong?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Verse does not mean this. Don't you hear Luqman's statement to his son: 'Verily! Joining others in worship, with Allah is a great wrong indeed.' (31.13)
Chapter 286: The Statement of Allah the Exalted: "Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour..." (V.31:34)
One day while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting with the people, a man came to him walking and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). What is Belief?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Belief is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the meeting with Him, and to believe in the Resurrection." The man asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) What is Islam?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Islam is to worship Allah and not worship anything besides Him, to offer prayers perfectly, to pay the (compulsory) charity i.e. Zakat and to fast the month of Ramadan." The man again asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) What is Ihsan (i.e. perfection or Benevolence)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) Allah sees you." The man further asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) When will the Hour be established?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "The one who is asked about it does not know more than the questioner does, but I will describe to you its portents. When the lady slave gives birth to her mistress, that will be of its portents; when the bare-footed naked people become the chiefs of the people, that will be of its portents. The Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah. Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs." (31.34) Then the man left. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Call him back to me." They went to call him back but could not see him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion." (See Hadith No. 47 Vol 1)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The keys of the Unseen are five." And then he recited: 'Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone).' (31.34)
Chapter 288: The Statement of Allah the Exalted: "No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy..." (V.32:17)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'I have prepared for my pious worshipers such things as no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and nobody has ever thought of." Abu Huraira added: If you wish you can read:-- 'No soul knows what is kept hidden (in reserve) for them of joy as reward for what they used to do.' 32.17.
The Prophet, said, "Allah said, 'I have prepared for My pious worshipers such things as no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and nobody has ever thought of. All that is reserved, besides which, all that you have seen, is nothing." Then he recited:-- 'No soul knows what is kept hidden (in reserve) for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.' (32.17)
Chapter 290
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is no believer but I, of all the people, I am the closest to him both in this world and in the Hereafter. Recite if you wish: 'The Prophet (ﷺ) is closer to the believers than their own selves.' (33.6) so if a believer (dies) leaves some property then his relatives will inherit that property; but if he is in debt or he leaves poor children, let those (creditors and children) come to me (that I may pay the debt and provide for the children), for them I am his sponsor (surely).
Chapter 291: "Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers. That is more just with Allah..." (V.33:5)
We used not to call Zaid bin Haritha the freed slave of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) except Zaid bin Muhammad till the Qu'anic Verse was revealed: "Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers. That is more than just in the Sight of Allah." (33.5)
Chapter 292: "Of them, some have fulfilled their obligations (i.e ., have been martyred) and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed (i.e., they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allah) in the least." (V.33:23)
We think that the Verse: 'Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah.' was revealed in favor of Anas bin An-Nadir.
When we collected the fragramentary manuscripts of the Qur'an into copies, I missed one of the Verses of Surat al-Ahzab which I used to hear Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reading. Finally I did not find it with anybody except Khuza`ima Al-Ansari, whose witness was considered by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) equal to the witness of two men. (And that Verse was:) 'Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah.'
Chapter 293: The Statement of Allah (the Exalted): "O Prophet! (Muḥammad pbuh)! Say to your wives: 'If you desire the life of this world and its glitter, - then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce)'." (V.33:28)
(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to me when Allah ordered him to give option to his wives. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) started with me, saying, "I am going to mention to you something but you should not hasten (to give your reply) unless you consult your parents.' He knew that my parents would not order me to leave him. Then he said, "Allah says:-- "O Prophet! Say to your wives..." (33.28-29) On that I said to him, "Then why should I consult my parents? Verily, I seek Allah, His Apostle and the Home of the Hereafter."
Chapter 294: The Statement of Allah the Exalted: "But if you desire Allah and His Messenger, and the home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allah has prepared for Al-Muhsināt (good-doers) amongst you an enormous reward." (V.33:29)
(the wife of the Prophet) when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was ordered to give option to his wives, he started with me, saying, "I am going to mention to you something, but you shall not hasten (to give your reply) unless you consult your parents." The Prophet (ﷺ) knew that my parents would not order me to leave him. Then he said, "Allah says: 'O Prophet (Muhammad)! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world and its glitter........a great reward." (33.28-29) I said, "Then why I consult my parents? Verily, I seek Allah, His Apostle and the Home of the Hereafter." Then all the other wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) did the same as I did.
Chapter 295: The Statement of Allah the Exalted: "And (remember) when you said to him (Zaid bin Haritha [may Allah be pleased with him] - the freed slave of the Prophet pbuh) on whom Allah has bestowed grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muḥammad pbuh too) have done favour (by manumitting him): 'Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah.' But you did hide in yourself (i.e., what Allah has already made known to you that He will give her to you in marriage) that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear people (i.e., Muḥammad pbuh married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him..." (V.33:37)
The Verse: 'But you did hide in your mind that which Allah was about to make manifest.' (33.37) was revealed concerning Zainab bint Jahsh and Zaid bin Haritha.
Chapter 296: The Statement of Allah the Most High: "You (O Muḥammad pbuh) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive whom you will. And whomsoever you desire of those whom you have set aside (her turn temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive her again)..." (V.33:51)
I used to look down upon those ladies who had given themselves to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I used to say, "Can a lady give herself (to a man)?" But when Allah revealed: "You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive any of them whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily).' (33.51) I said (to the Prophet), "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires."
`Aisha said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to take the permission of that wife with whom he was supposed to stay overnight if he wanted to go to one other than her, after this Verse was revealed:-- "You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives) and you may receive any (of them) whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily). (33.51) I asked Aisha, "What did you use to say (in this case)?" She said, "I used to say to him, "If I could deny you the permission (to go to your other wives) I would not allow your favor to be bestowed on any other person."
Chapter 297: The Statement of Allah the Exalted: "...O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses, except when leave is given to you for a meal... (up to) ... Verily! With Allah that shall be an enormity." (V.33:53)
I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Good and bad persons enter upon you, so I suggest that you order the mothers of the Believers (i.e. your wives) to observe veils." Then Allah revealed the Verses of Al- Hijab.
When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) married Zainab bint Jahsh, he invited the people to a meal. They took the meal and remained sitting and talking. Then the Prophet (showed them) as if he is ready to get up, yet they did not get up. When he noticed that (there was no response to his movement), he got up, and the others too, got up except three persons who kept on sitting. The Prophet (ﷺ) came back in order to enter his house, but he went away again. Then they left, whereupon I set out and went to the Prophet (ﷺ) to tell him that they had departed, so he came and entered his house. I wanted to enter along with him, but he put a screen between me and him. Then Allah revealed: 'O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet...' (33.53)
I of all the people know best this verse of Al-Hijab. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) married Zainab bint Jahsh she was with him in the house and he prepared a meal and invited the people (to it). They sat down (after finishing their meal) and started chatting. So the Prophet (ﷺ) went out and then returned several times while they were still sitting and talking. So Allah revealed the Verse: 'O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses until leave is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation .....ask them from behind a screen.' (33.53) So the screen was set up and the people went away.
A banquet of bread and meat was held on the occasion of the marriage of the Prophet (ﷺ) to Zainab bint Jahsh. I was sent to invite the people (to the banquet), and so the people started coming (in groups); They would eat and then leave. Another batch would come, eat and leave. So I kept on inviting the people till I found nobody to invite. Then I said, "O Allah's Prophet! I do not find anybody to invite." He said, "Carry away the remaining food." Then a batch of three persons stayed in the house chatting. The Prophet (ﷺ) left and went towards the dwelling place of Aisha and said, "Peace and Allah's Mercy be on you, O the people of the house!" She replied, "Peace and the mercy of Allah be on you too. How did you find your wife? May Allah bless you. Then he went to the dwelling places of all his other wives and said to them the same as he said to Aisha and they said to him the same as Aisha had said to him. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) returned and found a group of three persons still in the house chatting. The Prophet was a very shy person, so he went out (for the second time) and went towards the dwelling place of `Aisha. I do not remember whether I informed him that the people have gone away. So he returned and as soon as he entered the gate, he drew the curtain between me and him, and then the Verse of Al-Hijab was revealed.