The Importance of Nazm-e- Quran in Understanding the Commandments of Hijab (1)

In Surah Al-Ahzab (33), the commandments regarding hijab are addressed to the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) (may Allah be pleased with them). Additionally, general guidelines are given to all women in times of potential fitnah (mischief or temptation), advising them to take special precautions. Ignoring the context of the Surah or viewing these commandments as scattered instructions has led to irrelevant interpretations. However, when these commandments are understood within the framework of the Surah’s overall theme, as part of a coherent discourse, their meaning becomes clear, and the wisdom behind the commandments is revealed. This article attempts to clarify the relationship between the commandments of hijab and the Quranic structure (Nazm-e-Quran), demonstrating the significance of the latter in interpreting the Quran. To this end, the perspectives of Maulana Syed Abul A’la Maududi and Javed Ahmed Ghamidi are presented.

Maulana Syed Abul A’la Maududi’s Opinion

Maulana Maududi and some other scholars consider the commandments of hijab to be universally applicable to all Muslim women. According to them, the reason for addressing the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) (may Allah be pleased with them) was that if this pure way of life started in the household of the Prophet (pbuh), then other Muslim households would naturally follow . Based on this, they argue that a woman’s primary sphere of activity is her home, and¹ she should fulfill her duties within this sphere². Furthermore, under the verse of Jilbab (verse 59), they deduce that covering the face is an eternal obligation³. In our humble view, this interpretation of the hijab commandments overlooks the overall theme of the Surah and treats the commandments as isolated instructions.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s Opinion

In contrast, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi and the some other scholars as well view these commandments as special instructions given in a specific context of fitnah, intended only for the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) (may Allah be pleased with them) and having no direct relevance to the general Muslim women⁴. Additionally, according to them, the purpose of the verse of Jilbab (verse 59) is not to make face-covering obligatory for women but rather to provide a temporary measure of identification during times of fitnah, aimed at protecting women from the mischief of hypocrites[2]. According to them, the general etiquettes for the interaction between men and women are outlined in Surah An-Nur (24:27-31), which are unrelated to the special commandments mentioned in Surah Al-Ahzab⁵.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, in his discussion on the topic of hijab, has argued that when the theme and content of Surah Al-Ahzab are taken into account, there is no room for extending these specific commandments to all women⁶. In this way, he has used the clear evidence of the Quranic structure to support the majority opinion of scholars. Below, the details of his perspective are presented.

The Theme and Content of Surah Al-Ahzab

Reflecting on Surah Al-Ahzab, it becomes evident that this Surah addresses the situation of fitnah (mischief or temptation) created by the hypocrites against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Muslims. The hypocrites had targeted the homes of the Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslims to damage their moral standing in society. They made every possible attempt at conspiracy to achieve this evil goal. They were the ones who accused Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) of adultery, as detailed in Surah An-Nur⁷. Furthermore, they turned the Prophet’s marriage to Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) into a matter of severe propaganda[2]. This propaganda was so intense that even some of our books of tafsir (exegesis) were not spared, and false and fabricated stories were recorded in them⁸.

In addition, to damage the moral standing of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslims, the hypocrites targeted his wives, daughters, and female companions, hoping to create a scandal. If such a false scandal had been created, it would have severely damaged the Prophet’s reputation and caused irreparable harm to the religion. This is the situation that Surah Al-Ahzab addresses, and it is in this context that the commandments being discussed here were given.

The Context of the Hijab Commandments

The discussion on the hijab commandments begins in verse 28 of Surah Al-Ahzab. This verse is

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also known as “Ayat Takhyir” (The Verse of Choice) because it offered the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) (may Allah be pleased with them) a choice between the world and its adornments or Allah, His Messenger, and the Hereafter. If they chose separation, the Prophet (pbuh) would have parted with them gracefully. However, if they chose to remain with the Prophet (pbuh), the laws of reward and punishment would apply to them based on their special status. The Quran states:

“O Prophet (pbuh), say to your wives: ‘If you desire the worldly life and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and release you with a gracious release. But if you 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. O wives of the Prophet (pbuh), whoever among you commits a clear immorality will have her punishment doubled, and that is easy for Allah. But whoever devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness, We will give her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision⁹.’” (Al-Ahzab 33:28-31)

From the gradual development of the Surah’s content, it becomes clear that these verses were meant to address the situation of fitnah. The hypocrites sought to ensnare the Prophet’s (pbuh) wives in their plots, making them believe that, despite belonging to noble households, they were enduring difficult circumstances with the Prophet (pbuh). They suggested that if the wives wished, they could marry into high-ranking families. In this atmosphere, the purpose of granting the Prophet’s wives the choice to separate was to end this fitnah. It was expected that the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) would choose to remain with him, thereby causing this fitnah to die out on its own. This is exactly what happened, as all the wives chose to stay with the Prophet (pbuh).

Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, summarizing these verses, writes¹⁰:

“In these verses, there is no reprimand against the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) for any crime of materialism, as some have misunderstood. Rather, they were given a certificate of freedom by Allah and His Messenger to display their high moral character so that the hypocrites, who harbored vain hopes of ensnaring the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) with worldly desires, would be disheartened forever. After the declaration of choice, it was as if everyone was given a chance to test their hopes, but it became clear that the selection of the Prophet’s household was made by Allah Himself, and there was no room for intrusion into this sacred household.” (Tadabbur-e- Quran 6/207-208)

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ إِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًۭا جَمِيلًۭا وَإِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَٱلدَّارَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَٰتِ مِنكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا يَٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ يُضَٰعَفْ لَهَا ٱلْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًۭا ۞ وَمَن يَقْنُتْ مِنكُنَّ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتَعْمَلْ صَٰلِحًۭا نُّؤْتِهَآ أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا رِزْقًۭا كَرِيمًۭا

The preceding verses make it clear that by choosing to stay with the Prophet (peace be upon him), the wives no longer remained ordinary women. Therefore, special commandments were given to them in consideration of their status and to protect them from the hypocrites’ plots. The Quran says:

As mentioned earlier, the Prophet’s (pbuh) wives were given the choice in the “Ayat Takhyir” to separate from the Prophet (pbuh) and live like ordinary women if they wished. This was essential from a standpoint of fairness, as their status as the Prophet’s (pbuh) wives imposed certain restrictions on them, which made their lives very different from those of ordinary women. Therefore, it was necessary that if they chose to remain with the Prophet (pbuh), they did so willingly. Otherwise, they could have parted ways gracefully. However, when they chose to stay with the Prophet (pbuh), it was made clear that their status would no longer be like that of ordinary women, and the laws of reward and punishment for them would be in accordance with their unique status.

After clarifying these facts, the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) (may Allah be pleased with them) were given the above-mentioned instructions, which required them to cease all external activities, stay within their homes, engage in worship, and make the propagation of Allah’s religion their life’s purpose. It was made clear to them that, as the Prophet’s wives, they now had to stay in their homes and counter the hypocrites’ plots by focusing solely on the responsibilities of preaching and propagating Islam, so that no moral blemish could be associated with them by the hypocrites.

The instruction for the Prophet’s wives to remain at home had the specific intent that, unlike ordinary women who would still have to go out and attend to their affairs according to the norms of the time, it was better for the Prophet’s (pbuh) wives, considering their status and the prevailing conditions, to remain permanently in their homes.

In explaining the verse “ُب ُيو ِت ُك َّن ِفي ََو َق ْر” (And remain in your homes), Javed Ahmed Ghamidi writes:

“This directive is also in view of the status and responsibilities that the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) held. They should not go out displaying their adornments, like the wives of prominent men during the age of ignorance. In the circumstances they were facing, it was better to avoid going out altogether, because the hypocrites were constantly attempting to create a scandal involving them. This instruction has no connection to ordinary women. According to their circumstances and needs, they could go wherever they wished during that time, and they can do so even now. Displaying adornments in front of strangers is forbidden for them too, however, as Allah has given this command separately in Surah An-Nur, what is further clarified here is that displaying adornments in front of strangers is a practice of ignorance and has no place in Islamic culture.”

(Al-Bayan 4/131-132) To be continued…..