Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab Verse 33

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Remain in your homes, and do not display (your) beauty as it used to be displayed in the days of earlier ignorance; and establish Salāh, and pay Zakāh, and obey Allah and His messenger. Allah only intends to keep (all sorts of) filth away from you, O members of the family (of the prophet), and to make you pure through a perfect purification.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Settle in your homes, and do not display yourselves as women did in the days of ˹pre-Islamic˺ ignorance. Establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only intends to keep ˹the causes of˺ evil away from you and purify you completely, O  members of the ˹Prophet’s˺ family!

Ruwwad Translation Center

Stay in your homes and do not display your charms as was done in the former days of ignorance; establish prayer and give Zakah; and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only intends to keep evil away from you, O members of the [Prophet’s] household, and to completely purify you.

A. J. Arberry

Remain in your houses; and display not your finery, as did the pagans of old. And perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and obey God and His Messenger. People of the House, God only desires to put away from you abomination and to cleanse you.

Abdul Haleem

stay at home, and do not flaunt your finery as they used to in the pagan past; keep up the prayer, give the prescribed alms, and obey God and His Messenger. God wishes to keep uncleanness away from you, people of the [Prophet’s] House, and to purify you thoroughly.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And stay in Your houses. and display not yourselves! with the display of the times of former Paganism; and establish the prayer and give the poor-rate and obey Allah and His apostle. Allah only desireth to take away uncleanness from you, people of the house-hold, and to purify you with a thorough purification.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.

Abul Ala Maududi

And stay in your homes and do not go about displaying your allurements as in the former Time of Ignorance. Establish Prayer, give Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only wishes to remove uncleanness from you, O members of the (Prophet's) household, and to purify you completely.

Ahmed Ali

Stay at home, and do not deck yourselves with ostentation as in the days of paganism; fulfil your devotional obligations, pay the zakat, and obey God and His Apostle. God desires to remove impurities from you, O inmates of this house, and to cleanse and bring out the best in you.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And remain in your houses and do not unveil yourselves like the unveiling prevalent in the times of ignorance, and keep the prayer established, and pay the charity, and obey Allah and His Noble Messenger; Allah only wills to remove all impurity from you, O the People of the Household, and by cleansing you make you utterly pure. (*The Holy Prophet’s household.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Stay in your houses and do not flaunt your finery like the former [days of pagan] ignorance. Maintain the prayer and pay the zakat, and obey Allah and His Apostle. Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.

Ali Ünal

And (prefer to) remain in your homes (unless there is a need. If you do go out for a need) do not go out flaunting your charms as (women used to do) in the former times of Ignorance. And establish the Prayer in conformity with its conditions, and pay the Prescribed Purifying Alms, and obey God and His Messenger (in whatever they command). God only wills to remove from you, O members of the (Prophet’s) household, all that may be loathsome, and to purify you to the utmost of purity.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And remain in your houses with grace and dignity (you being the mothers of the believers will not be allowed to merry) and do not show yourselves off as (did the women) in the bygone days of ignorance (who displayed their finery), and observe Prayer, present the Zakât (- the purifying dues) regularly and obey Allâh and His Messenger. Members of the house (of the Prophet of God)! verily, Allâh desires to rid you of (all) uncleanliness and to purify you completely.

English Literal

And join/dwell/be respected in your houses/homes, and do not show your beauty/decoration, the first pre-Islamic paganism`s/ignorance`s showing off (of) beauty/decoration, and stand/keep up (F) the prayers, and give/bring the charity/purification, and obey God and His messenger, truly God wants to eliminate/wipe off from you the filth/torture, people (of) the House/Home, and He purifies you purification .

Faridul Haque

And remain in your houses and do not unveil yourselves like the unveiling prevalent in the times of ignorance, and keep the prayer established, and pay the charity, and obey Allah and His Noble Messenger; Allah only wills to remove all impurity from you, O the People of the Household, and by cleansing you make you utterly pure. (*The Holy Prophet’s household.)

Hamid S. Aziz

O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women; If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in your speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn for you; and utter goodly (just, polite) speech.

Hilali & Khan

And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salat (IqamatasSalat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove ArRijs (evil deeds and sins, etc.) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet SAW), and to purify you with a thorough purification.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women. If you would keep your duty, be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a word of goodness.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle. Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of Ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor-due, and obey Allah and His messenger. Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness far from you, O Folk of the Household, and cleanse you with a thorough cleansing.

Muhammad Sarwar

Do not display yourselves after the manner of the (pre-Islamic) age of darkness. Be steadfast in the prayer, pay the religious tax, and obey God and His Messenger. People of the house, God wants to remove all kinds of uncleanliness from you and to purify you thoroughly.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Stay in your homes and do not display your finery as pagan women used to do in the olden Days of Ignorance. Establish your prayers, pay the obligatory charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. O family of the House, Allah only wishes to distance fault from you, and to cleanse you, and to purify you abundantly.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And stay in your houses, and do not Tabarruj yourselves like the Tabarruj of the times of ignorance, and perform the Salah, and give Zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove the Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification.

Wahiduddin Khan

Stay in your homes and do not flaunt your charms as in the former times of ignorance. Attend to your prayers, pay the zakat and obey God and His Messenger. Women of the [Prophet"s] Household, God seeks only to remove all impurity from you, and to make you completely pure.

Talal Itani

And settle in your homes; and do not display yourselves, as in the former days of ignorance. And perform the prayer, and give regular charity, and obey God and His Messenger. God desires to remove all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly.

Tafsir jalalayn

And stay in your houses (read qirna or qarna, derived from al-qarr, and is actually, aqrirna or aqrarna from qarirtu or qarartu; the vowelling of the r' is moved to the qf and [the r'] is omitted together with the conjunctive hamza) and do not flaunt your finery (tabarrajna, with one of the two original t' [of tatabarrajna] letters omitted) in the [flaunting] manner of the former Time of Ignorance, in other words, before Islam, when they used to display their beauty to men -- [the stipulation regarding] such `displays' after [the coming of] Islam is mentioned in the verse; and not to display their adornment except what is apparent [Q. 24;31]. And maintain prayer and pay the alms, and obey God and His Messenger. Indeed God will but to rid you of sin, O, People of the House, in other words, [O] women of the Prophet (s), and to purify you, of it, with a thorough purification.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ

And stay in your houses,

means, stay in your houses and do not come out except for a purpose.

One of the purposes mentioned in Shariah is prayer in the Masjid, so long as the conditions are fulfilled, as the Messenger of Allah said;

لَاا تَمْنَعُوا إِمَاءَ اللهِ مَسَاجِدَ اللهِ وَلْيَخْرُجْنَ وَهُنَّ تَفِلَات

Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the Masjids of Allah, but have them go out without wearing fragrance.

According to another report;

وَبُيُوتُهُنَّ خَيْرٌ لَهُن

even though their houses are better for them.

وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الاُْولَى

and do not Tabarruj yourselves like the Tabarruj of the times of ignorance,

Mujahid said;

"Women used to go out walking in front of men, and this was the Tabarruj of Jahiliyyah."

Qatadah said;
وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الاُْولَى
(and do not Tabarruj yourselves like the Taburruj of the times of ignorance),

"When they go out of their homes walking in a shameless and flirtatious manner, and Allah, may He be exalted, forbade that."

Muqatil bin Hayyan said;

"Tabarruj is when a woman puts a Khimar on her head but does not tie it properly."

So her necklaces, earrings and neck, and all of that can be seen. This is Tabarruj, and Allah addresses all the women of the believers with regard to Tabarruj.

وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَأةَ وَاتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ

and perform the Salah, and give Zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger.

Allah first forbids them from evil, then He enjoins them to do good by establishing regular prayer, which means worshipping Allah alone with no partner or associate, and paying Zakah, which means doing good to other people.

وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
(and obey Allah and His Messenger). This is an instance of something specific being followed by something general.
The Wives of the Prophet are Members of His Household (Ahl Al-Bayt)

Allah says;

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا



Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification.

This is a clear statement that the wives of the Prophet are included among the members of his family (Ahl Al-Bayt) here, because they are the reason why this Ayah was revealed, and the scholars are unanimously agreed that they were the reason for revelation in this case, whether this was the only reason for revelation or there was also another reason, which is the correct view.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ikrimah used to call out in the marketplace;
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification).

"This was revealed solely concerning the wives of the Prophet."

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said concerning the Ayah;
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family),

"It was revealed solely concerning the wives of the Prophet."

Ikrimah said;

"Whoever disagrees with me that it was revealed solely concerning the wives of the Prophet, I am prepared to meet with him and pray and invoke the curse of Allah upon those who are lying."

So they alone were the reason for revelation, but others may be included by way of generalization.

Ibn Jarir narrated that Safiyyah bint Shaybah said;

"A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said,

`The Prophet went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of black camel's hair. Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, came and he wrapped him in the cloak with him. Then Al-Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him, came and he wrapped him in the cloak with him. Then Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, came and he wrapped her in the cloak with him. Then Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, came and he wrapped him in the cloak with him, then he said;
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification).

This was recorded by Muslim.

In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Yazid bin Hayyan said;

"Husayn bin Sabrah, Umar bin Muslim and I went to Zayd bin Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him, and when we had sat down with him, Husayn said;

`You are so fortunate, O Zayd! You saw the Messenger of Allah and heard his speeches, and you went on military campaigns with him, and you prayed behind him. You are so fortunate, O Zayd! Tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah.'

He said, `O son of my brother, by Allah, I have grown old and it has been a long time, and I have forgotten some of the things that I used to know from the Messenger of Allah. Whatever I tell you, accept it, and whatever I do not tell you, do not worry about it.' Then he said,

`One day, the Messenger of Allah stood up to address us by the well of Khumm, between Makkah and Al-Madinah, and he praised Allah and thanked Him, and he preached and reminded us. Then he said;

أَمَّا بَعْدُ أَلَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَنِي رَسُولُ رَبِّي فَأُجِيبَ وَأَنَا تَارِكٌ فِيكُمْ ثَقَلَيْنِ أَوَّلُهُمَا كِتَابُ اللهِ تَعَالَى فِيهِ الْهُدَى وَالنُّورُ فَخُذُوا بِكِتَابِ اللهِ وَاسْتَمْسِكُوا بِه

Thereafter! O people, I am merely a human being and soon the messenger of my Lord will come and I will answer him. I am leaving behind two things with you, the first of which is the Book of Allah in which is guidance and light, so seize the Book of Allah and hold fast to it.

He urged them to cling to the Book of Allah, then he said;

وَأَهْلُ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي أُذَكِّرُكُمُ اللهَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِي

And the members of my family (Ahl Al-Bayt);Remember Allah with regard to the members of my family, remember Allah with regard to the members of my family.

saying it three times.' Husayn said to him, `Who are the members of his family (Ahl Al-Bayt), O Zayd! Are not his wives members of his family?'

He said, `His wives are members of his family, but the members of his family are those who are not permitted to receive charity after he died.'

He said, `Who are they!'

He said, `They are the family of Ali, the family of Aqil, the family of Jafar and the family of Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them.'

He said, `Were all of these forbidden to receive charity after his death!'

He said, `Yes."'

This Commentary is from Zayd bin Arqam and is not Marfu`
The Command to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah

The one who ponders the meaning of the Qur'an will have no doubt that the wives of the Prophet are included among those who are referred to in the Ayah;
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification). The context clearly refers to them.

Allah then says