Tafsir of Surah Al-Ahzab - Verse 61

The Command of Hijab

Here Allah tells His Messenger to command the believing women -- especially his wives and daughters, because of their position of honor -- to draw their Jilbabs over their bodies, so that they will be distinct in their appearance from the women of the Jahiliyyah and from slave women. The Jilbab is a Rida', worn over the Khimar. This was the view of Ibn Mas`ud, `Ubaydah, Qatadah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and others. It is like the Izar used today. Al-Jawhari said: "The Jilbab is the outer wrapper. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that Allah commanded the believing women, when they went out of their houses for some need, to cover their faces from above their heads with the Jilbab, leaving only one eye showing. Muhammad bin Sirin said, "I asked `Ubaydah As-Salmani about the Ayah:

يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَـبِيبِهِنَّ

(to draw their Jalabib over their bodies.) He covered his face and head, with just his left eye showing."

ذلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ

(That will be better that they should be known so as not to be annoyed. ) means, if they do that, it will be known that they are free, and that they are not servants or whores.

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

(And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) means, with regard to what happened previously during the days of Jahiliyyah, when they did not have any knowledge about this.

A Stern Warning to the Evil Hypocrites

Then Allah issues a warning to the hypocrites, those who make an outward display of faith while concealing their disbelief,

وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ

(those in whose hearts is a disease,) `Ikrimah and others said that this refers to adulterers in this instance.

وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ

(and those who spread false news among the people in Al-Madinah) means, those who say that the enemy has come and war has started, which is a lie and a fabrication. Unless they give up these actions and return to the truth,

لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ

(We shall certainly let you overpower them,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said, "We will give you power over them." Qatadah said: "We will incite you against them." As-Suddi said: "We will inform you about them."

ثُمَّ لاَ يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَآ

(then they will not be able to stay in it) means, in Al-Madinah,

إِلاَّ قَلِيلاًمَّلْعُونِينَ

(but a little while. Accursed...) `this describes their state while they are in Al-Madinah for this short time before they are expelled and sent far away.'

أَيْنَمَا ثُقِفُواْ أُخِذُواْ

(they shall be seized wherever found,) means, `they will be attacked, because they are so weak and so few,'

وَقُتِّلُواْ تَقْتِيلاً

(and killed with a (terrible) slaughter.) Then Allah says:

سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ فِى الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلُ

(That was the way of Allah in the case of those who passed away of old,) meaning, this is how Allah dealt with the hypocrites when they persisted in hypocrisy and disbelief and did not give it up; He incited the believers against them and caused them to prevail over them.

وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلاً

(and you will not find any change in the way of Allah.) means, the way in which Allah deals with this does not alter or change.

يَسْـَلُكَ النَّاسُ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيباً - إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ سَعِيراً - خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَداً لاَّ يَجِدُونَ وَلِيّاً وَلاَ نَصِيراً - يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِى النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يلَيْتَنَآ أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولاَ - وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّآ أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَآءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلاْ - رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِهِمْ ضِعْفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَالْعَنْهُمْ لَعْناً كَبِيراً

A person who turns an apostate (murtadd) after having embraced Islam is killed in punishment

Two mischiefs made by the hypocrites have been mentioned in the cited verse and it has been said that should they fail to abstain from indulging in these any further, the punishment they shall face will be: مَّلْعُونِينَ ۖ أَيْنَمَا ثُقِفُوا أُخِذُوا وَقُتِّلُوا تَقْتِيلًا (Wherever they are found, they shall be seized, and shall be killed thoroughly - 61). This punishment is not meant for disbelievers at large. Numerous textual authorities from the Qur'an and Sunnah bear it out that this is not the law of the Shari’ ah of Islam for disbelievers. In fact, the law is that they should first be invited to embrace Islam along with sincere efforts to remove any doubts they may have. If, even then, they elect not to enter the fold of Islam, they should be asked to live as Dhimmi subjects of the Muslim state. If they accept that, the protection of their life, property and honor becomes obligatory on Muslims very much like that of Muslims themselves. Yes, if there are those who do not accept this too, and choose the option of fighting, then, the command is to fight back against them.

The reason why this punishment to seize and kill them has been awarded in an absolute sense in the present verse is because this matter related to the hypocrites who used to call themselves Muslims - and when a Muslim starts demonstrating open hostility to and denial of Islam, such a person is called: Murtadd: apostate) in the terminology of the Shari` ah. With such a man, there is no compromise in the Shari’ ah of Islam - except that he repents and reverts to Islam and accepts the injunctions of Islam in word and deed. Otherwise, this person will be killed as it stands proved from clear statements of the Holy Prophet A and the collective practice of the noble Sahabah. The Jihad waged against the Liar Musaylimah and his cohorts with the collective approval of the Sahabah and the consequent killing of Musaylimah is sufficient as its proof. Then, in the last verse as well (62), this has been cited as the customary law and practice of Allah Ta’ ala which tells us that the punishment of an apostate (murtadd) in the religious laws of past prophets was no other but killing.

Some Rulings:

This verse proves that:

(1) When women have to go out of the house to take care of some need, they should go with their whole body covered with a long sheet and walk face-hidden with this sheet brought from over the head to hang on, or in front of, the face. The common 'burqa' also serves the same purpose.

(2) Spreading rumors among Muslims that subject them to anxiety or worry or cause harm is haram (forbidden, unlawful).

When a Muslim woman leaves her house on an errand, she should be so clad as to give the impression that she is a well-bred, respectable, modest woman, and that she has left her home for some serious need and not to make merry or to go in search of entertainment. Simple apparel, a modest gait, the body properly covered, etc.—these are the symbols of that approach.