Surat Al-'Aĥzāb (The Combined Forces)
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وَإِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَاتِ مِنكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
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Wa-in kuntunna turidna Allahawarasoolahu waddara al-akhirata fa-innaAllaha aAAadda lilmuhsinati minkunna ajranAAatheema
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But if you should desire Allah and His Messenger and the home of the Hereafter - then indeed, Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a great reward."
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At the time when this verse was sent down, the Holy Prophet had four wives with him: Hadrat Saudah, Hadrat 'A'ishah, Hadrat Hafsah and Hadrat Umm Salamah. He had not yet married Hadrat Zainab. (Ibn `Arabia Ahkam ai-Qur an. Egyptian Edition, 1958, vol. III, pp. 512-13). When this verse was revealed, he first spoke to Hadrat 'A'ishah, and said: "I ask you a thing; do not be hasty in answering; consult your parents, then decide." Then he told her of Allah's Command and recited this verse. She replied: "Should I consult my parents about this?-I seek Allah and His Messenger and the Hereafter. After this he went to each of his wives and asked the same thing and each one gave the same reply as had been given by Hadrat `A'ishah. (Musnad Ahmad, Muslim, Nasa'i).
This is termed takhyir, i. e. to give the wife the option to decide for herself whether she would stay in wedlock or would separate from the husband. This was obligatory for the Holy Prophet because he had been commanded by Allah to offer such an option to his wives. If a lady from among the holy wives had opted to separate she would not have separated automatically but would have been separated by the Holy Prophet, as is clear from the words: " . . . I shall give you of these and send you off gracefully." But the Holy Prophet would certainly have separated her because as a Prophet it would not behoove him not to honor the word. After divorce apparently the lady would have stood excluded from the category of the holy wives, and she would not be forbidden to any other Muslim; for she would have chosen divorce from the Holy Prophet only for the sake of the world and its adornments of which she had been given the choice, and obviously the option could not be exercised in case she was forbidden to re-marry. On the other hand, the intention of the verse also seems that the Holy Prophet was not left with any authority to divorce the wives who chose Allah and His Messenger and the Hereafter in preference to the world. For takhyir had only two sides: if a wife opted for the world, she would be divorced; if she opted for Allah and His Messenger and the Hereafter, she would not be divorced. Obviously, if a lady chose one alternative, the other would become forbidden in her case by itself.
In Islamic Law takhyir. in fact, amounts to delegation of the right to obtain divorce. The husband himself gives the wife the choice to stay in wedlock with him or be separated. Here are briefly the injunctions which the jurists have derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah in this regard:
(1) Once a husband has given this choice to a wife, he can neither withdraw it nor stop her from exercising it. However, it is not necessary that the woman must exercise it. She may choose to remain in wedlock with the husband, or may prefer to separate, or may opt nothing and let the right of divorce be annulled.
(2) There are two conditions of this choice being transferred to the woman: (a) The husband should have given her the right of divorce in clear words, or if there was no clear mention of the divorce, he should have had the intention of giving this right; e.g. if he says, "You have the choice" or "your business is in your own hand," such indirect words will not transfer the right of divorce to the woman without the intention of the husband. If the woman claims it and the husband states on oath that he had no intention of giving the right of divorce, his statement will be admitted, unless the woman produces evidence to the effect that those words were said during a dispute, or in connection with divorce, because in that context delegation of the right would mean that the husband had the intention of giving the right of divorce. (b) The woman knows that she has been given the right of divorce. If she was absent, she should receive information of this, and if she is present, she should hear the words. Unless she hears the words, or receives the news, the right will not be transferred to her.
(3) As to the time limit within which the wife has to exercise her right if the husband gives it her absolutely without specifying any limit, there is a difference of opinion among the jurists. Some jurists have expressed the opinion that the woman can exercise the right at the same sitting at which the husband gave it her; if she leaves the place without making a response, or turns her attention to something else which indicates that she does not want to make a response, she forfeits the right invested in her and her choice no longer remains. This is the opinion of Hadrat `Umar, Hadrat `Uthman, Hadrat Ibn. Mas`ud, Hadrat Jabir bin `Abdullah, `Atta, Jabir bin Zaid, Mujahid, Sha'bi, Nakha`i, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shafe`i, Imam Auza`i, Sufyan Thauri `and Abu Thaur. The other opinion is that her exercise of the choice is not confined to that sitting but she can exercise it even afterwards. This opinion is held by Hadrat Hasan Basri, Qatadah and Zuhri.
(4) If the husband specifies a time limit and says, for instance, "You have the option for a month or a year, or your business is in your own hand for so long," the wife would enjoy the option only for that long. However, if he says, "You can exercise this option as and when you like," her option would be unlimited.
(5) If the woman intends to obtain separation, she should express her intention clearly and definitely. Vague words which do not express the intention clearly will have no effect.
(6) Legally, the husband can give the option to the waft in three forms: (a) He may say, "Your business is in your own hand;" or (b) he may say: "You have the option; " or (c) "You are divorced if you so please. " The legal consequences of each arc separate as explained below:
(a) If the husband has said: "Your business is in your own hand," and the woman responds clearly to the effect that she would opt for separation, it would amount to an irreversible divorce according to the Hanafites. That is, after this the husband will forfeit his right to have her back as his wife. However, they can remarry if they so like after the expiry of the waiting period. And if the husband said, "Your affair is in your own hand to the extent of one divorce," this will be regarded as the first reversible divorce. That is, the husband can take her back as his wife within the waiting-period. But if the husband had the intention of all the three divorces at the time of delegating to the woman the right of divorce, or mentioned this specifically, the woman's exercise of the option in such a case would amount to divorce no matter whether she pronounces divorce thrice on herself or says only once that she has chosen separation or divorced herself.
(b) If the husband gives the woman the option to separate with the words: "You have the option," and the woman opts for separation in clear words, it will amount to one reversible divorce according to the Hanafites even if the husband had the intention of giving option for three divorces. However, if the husband has clearly given option for three divorces, the three divorces will take place only on the woman's exercise of the option for divorce. According to Imam Shafe'i, if at the time of giving the option, the husband had the intention of divorce, and the woman opts for separation, it will amount to one reversible divorce. According to Imam Malik, it will amount to three divorces in case the wife had been enjoyed; in case she had not been enjoyed, the husband's claim to have intended only one divorce will be admitted.
(c) In case the words "You are divorced if you so please" have been used and the woman has opted for divorce, it will be a reversible divorce and not an irreversible one.
(7) If after the husband has given the option for separation, the woman chooses to remain in wedlock, no divorce will take place at all. This is the opinion of Hadrat 'Umar, Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Hadrat 'A'ishah, Hadrat Abu ad-Darda, Ibn `Abbas and Ibn `Umar, and the same has been adopted by majority of the jurists. When Masruq asked Hadrat `A'ishah about this, she replied: "The Holy Prophet had given his wives the option and they chose to continue to live as his wives. Then, was it deemed to be a divorce?" The opinion of Hadrat `Ali and Zaid bin Thabit that has been reported in this regard is that one reversible divorce will take place. But according to another tradition these two great Companions also held the opinion that no divorce will take place at all.
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A Choice is Offered
Prophet! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its charms, I shall provide for you and release you in a becoming manner; but if you desire God and His Messenger and the life of the hereafter, know that God has readied great rewards for those of you who do good.’ (Verses 28-29)The Prophet chose for himself and his household a standard of living which was just about enough to meet their essential needs. The reason for so doing was not that he could not afford a better standard of living. Indeed, enormous tracts of land came under his control, yielding great wealth, and availing him of great riches if he so chose. Yet there were times when a month would pass without a fire being lit for cooking in any of his homes. At the same time, the Prophet was extremely generous when it came to giving gifts and charitable donations. Essentially, then, he made this choice so as to rise above material and worldly needs, and to sincerely seek what God keeps for believers. It was a question of preference. Neither his faith nor the law it lays down required that the Prophet lead such a life of austerity. Comfort and luxury are not disdained in Islam. Indeed, the Prophet did not turn his back on them when they were offered normally, without being sought after. Yet, he neither excessively indulged in them nor was he so preoccupied. We do not find any instruction from the Prophet requiring that any of his followers live the sort of life he chose for himself. He left it entirely o them, should they choose to emulate him in freeing themselves from the pressures of seeking life’s comforts.The Prophet’s wives were ordinary women who shared all human feelings and desires. Noble, virtuous and close to the Prophet as they all were, their natural desire for life’s comforts remained strong. When they felt that circumstances had changed and, by God’s grace, prosperity had replaced poverty in the Muslim society, they spoke to the Prophet about their standard of living. He did not welcome this. In fact it was unpleasant to him, because his noble soul preferred to live without any such preoccupation. He appreciated the freedom and sublimity such a life provides. It was not a matter of whether life’s comforts were lawful or not: there was no question of prohibition as Islam made it clear that such comforts were not prohibited for Muslims. It was rather a question of being free from material pressures.The Prophet was so upset at this turn of events that he did not go out to meet his Companions. That he stayed away was very hard for them. They, therefore, went to see him, but were not admitted. Imām Aĥmad relates on Jābir’s authority: “Abū Bakr went to the Prophet when people were sitting near his door, but he was not admitted. `Umar also went, sought permission to enter but no such permission was given. Later on though, he admitted both Abū Bakr and `Umar. As they went in, they saw the Prophet surrounded by his wives but he was silent. `Umar thought that he should say something to make the Prophet laugh. He said: ‘Messenger of God! I wish you had seen how last night my wife was asking me for more money and I thrust my fingers into her neck.’ The Prophet laughed heartily and said: ‘You see them surrounding me asking for more money.’ Abū Bakr rose to hit his daughter, ` ’ishah, while `Umar sought to do the same to Ĥafşah, his daughter. Both said to them: Are you asking the Prophet to give you what he has not?’ The Prophet told them not to hit their daughters, and both ` ’ishah and Ĥafşah said: ‘By God! We will never again ask the Prophet for anything he does not have.’ God then revealed the verses offering them the choice. The Prophet started with ` ’ishah saying to her: ‘I am going to tell you something which I would like you o consider carefully and consult your parents before you decide.’ He then read to her the two verses: “Prophet! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its charms, I shall provide for you and release you in a becoming manner; but if you desire God and His Messenger and the life of the hereafter, know that God has readied great rewards for those of you who do good.” She said to him: ‘Would I consult my parents about staying with you? I certainly choose God and His Messenger. However, I would request you nor o mention my choice to any of your other wives.’ He said to her: ‘God has not sent me to adopt a hard attitude, but He has made me a teacher and a facilitator. If any of them asks me about your choice, I will tell her.” [This ĥadīth is also related by Muslim on the authority of Zakariyyā ibn Isĥāq, and related in a slightly different wording by al-Bukhārī.]The Qur’ān defines the principal values in the Islamic concept of human life. These values must be practically reflected in the Prophet’s home and in his own private life. His home remains a beacon of light for Muslims throughout human life. Hence it should provide the best and most accurate example of Islamic values.The two verses gave the Prophet’s wives a choice: either world luxuries and life comforts or God, His Messenger and the life to come. No single heart can accommodate two different value systems. The Prophet’s wives had already said that they would never again ask the Prophet for what he did nor have. The Qur’ānic verses were revealed to define the principle involved. It is not a question of whether the Prophet has such luxuries or not: it is a question of choosing between God, the Prophet and the life to come on the one hand and the luxuries and adornments of the present life on the other. The Prophet’s wives were to choose whether they had worldly treasures at their disposal or their homes were without food. When this decisive choice was offered, they all made their preference clearly and absolutely, choosing God, the Prophet and success in the life to come. They proved themselves fit for the sublime standard their high position as the Prophet’s wives required. One report also mentions that the Prophet was delighted with their choice.All Were HumanWe need o pause a little to reflect on some aspects of this event which defines the Islamic concept of values. It leaves our hearts with no room for hesitation between worldly values and those of the life to come; between the world we live in and the world of heaven. It purges our hearts of any influence that hinders us from purely seeking God’s pleasure, to the exclusion of everything else.From another point of view, the event describes to us the nature of the Prophet’s lifestyle, as well as those who lived with him and were closely related to him. The most beautiful thing about this lifestyle is the fact that it was chosen by ordinary people who never lost sight of their human feelings, desires and preferences, despite rising to sublime standards of devotion and dedication. Their human feelings and emotions did not die; they only rose to an exalted level and were purged of impurity while retaining their natural human beauty. Thus, they enabled them o attain the highest standard of perfection possible.We often err when we give the Prophet and his Companions an untrue or incomplete image that does not consider all their human characteristics and emotions. We think that in this way we put them above what we consider to be a weakness. Our mistake renders the Prophet and his Companions opaque, devoid of their essential human features and characteristics. The human relation between us and them is severed, and we begin to see them as ghosts lacking a tangible reality. We begin to think of them as belonging to a different species: angels or a similar type of creature above human feelings and emotions. In this way they are removed from our lives and if we permit this they will no longer provide us with an example to follow or to be influenced by. When we read the history of the Prophet and his Companions we no longer find in this something for us to emulate, but instead we find ourselves looking at their lives with an awe and admiration that produces only vague feelings without practical effect. We also lose our ability to identify with such great personalities, because we no longer see them as ordinary humans who experienced the same emotions, feelings and reactions as we ourselves experience.We can clearly understand God’s wisdom in assigning His messages to ordinary men to deliver. This task was not assigned to angels or to creatures from any other species. This provides a real bond between the lives of the messengers and the lives of their followers. The latter continue o feel that the messengers’ feelings and emotions, exalted as they were, were always those of humans. Thus, they love them and try to emulate them in the same way as children try o emulate adults.In the question of the choice offered o the Prophet’s wives we note their natural desire for comforts and luxuries. We also see an image of the Prophet’s home life, with his wives asking their husband for more money. He is upset, but he does not allow Abū Bakr and `Umar to beat ` ’ishah and Ĥafşah, their daughters for their requests. The whole question is one of feelings and inclinations, which need to be refined, not suppressed. The question remains at this level until God orders the Prophet to give his wives the choice and they make their free choice without pressure or the suppression of any feelings. That his wives opted for the sublime standard he preferred greatly delighted the Prophet.We also need to reflect for a moment on what we see of sweet emotion in the Prophet’s heart. He shows that he loves ` ’ishah and that he would love it if she rose to the standard of values God wants for him and his household. He therefore offers her the choice. He wants o help her rise to the sublime, so he asks that she does not make a decision until she has consulted her parents. He knows that her parents would never ask their daughter o leave him. ` ’ishah does not overlook the Prophet’s sweet emotion towards her. She is delighted with it, and she mentions this in her report. In this ĥadīth we see the Prophet as a man in love with his young wife, and as someone who would be delighted o see her rise to, and maintain the standard he has adopted for his life. We also see her delighted to recognize her place in her husband’s heart, reporting his love and desire to keep her, which is manifested by his request that she consult her parents. We also see the woman in her as she requests him not to tell his other wives of her choice. She wants to be the one who makes that choice, ahead of at least some of them. But we also see the Prophet’s greatness as he tells her: ‘God has not sent me to adopt a hard attitude, but He made me a teacher and facilitator. If any of them asks me about your choice, I will tell her.’ He does not want to deprive any of them of what could help them make the right choice. He is not testing them to see who might fail; rather he is helping those who request help, so that they can rise above worldly attractions.All these are noble human elements which we must never ignore, suppress or undervalue as we read the Prophet’s life story. To understand them as they truly are establishes a strong and active bond between us and the Prophet’s person, as well as the personalities of his Companions. We can thus interact with them in a way that motivates us into emulation. - filter_vintageGiving the Wives of the Prophet صلى اللصلى الله عليه وسلم the ChoiceHere Allah commands His Messenger to give his wives the choice of separating from him so that they may go to someone else with whom they can find what they want of the life of this world and its attractions, or of patiently bearing the straitened circumstances with the Prophet for which they will have a great reward with Allah. They chose Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, may Allah be pleased with them. Then Allah gave them the best both of this world and of the Hereafter. Al-Bukhari narrated from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet that the Messenger of Allah came to her when Allah commanded him to give his wives the choice. She said, "The Messenger of Allah started with me, and said,«إِنِّي ذَاكِرٌ لَكِ أَمْرًا فَلَا عَلَيْكِ أَنْ تَسْتَعْجِلِي حَتْى تَسْتَأْمِرِي أَبَوَيْك»(I am going to tell you about something and you do not have to hasten to respond until you consult your parents.)'' He knew that my parents would never tell me to leave him. Then he said:«إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ:﴿يأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ قُل لاٌّزْوَجِكَ﴾»(Allah says: ("O Prophet! Say to your wives...'')) and he recited the two Ayat. I said to him, "Concerning what do I need to consult my parents I choose Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter.'' He also narrated it without a chain of narrators, and added, "She said, then all the wives of the Prophet did the same as I.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allah gave us the choice, and we chose him, so giving us that choice was not regarded as divorce.'' It was recorded by (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) from the Hadith of Al-A`mash. Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came to ask permission to see the Messenger of Allah and the people were sitting at his door, and the Prophet was sitting, but he did not give him permission. Then `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, came and asked permission to see him, but he did not give him permission. Then he gave Abu Bakr and `Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, permission, and they entered. The Prophet was sitting with his wives around him, and he was silent. `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `I will tell the Prophet something to make him smile.' `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `O Messenger of Allah, if only you had seen the daughter of Zayd -- the wife of `Umar -- asking me to spend on her just now; I broke her neck!' The Messenger of Allah smiled so broadly that his molars could be seen, and he said,«هُنَّ حَوْلِي يَسْأَلْنَنِي النَّفَقَة»(They are around me asking me to spend on them.) Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, got up to deal with `A'ishah; and `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, got up to deal with Hafsah, and both of them were saying, `You are asking the Prophet for that which he does not have!' But the Messenger of Allah stopped them, and they (his wives) said, `By Allah, after this we will not ask the Messenger of Allah for anything that he does not have.' Then Allah revealed the Ayah telling him to give them the choice, and he started with `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her. He said,«إِنِّي أَذْكُرُ لَكِ أَمْرًا مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَعْجَلِي فِيهِ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْمِرِي أَبَوَيْك»(I am going to tell you something, and I would like you not to hasten to respond until you consult your parents.) She said, `What is it' He recited to her:﴿يأَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ قُل لاٌّزْوَجِكَ﴾(O Prophet! Say to your wives...) `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, `Do I need to consult my parents concerning you I choose Allah and His Messenger, but I ask you not to tell of my choice to your other wives.' He said:«إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى لَمْ يَبْعَثْنِي مُعَنِّفًا، وَلَكِنْ بَعَثَنِي مُعَلِّمًا مُيَسِّرًا، لَا تَسْأَلُنِي امْرَأَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ عَمَّا اخْتَرْتِ إِلَّا أَخْبَرْتُهَا»(Allah did not send me to be harsh, but He sent me to teach in a gentle and easy manner. If any of them asks me what your decision was, I will tell her.)'' This was also recorded by Muslim, but not Al-Bukhari; An-Nasa'i also recorded it. `Ikrimah said: "At that time he was married to nine women, five of them were from Quraysh -- `A'ishah, Hafsah. Umm Habibah, Sawdah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them. And he was also married to Safiyyah bint Huyay An-Nadariyyah, Maymunah bint Al-Harith Al-Hilaliyyah, Zaynab bint Jahsh Al-Asadiyyah and Juwayriyyah bint Al-Harith Al-Mustalaqiyyah, may Allah be pleased with all of them.