Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:29

The Almighty placed the aforementioned conditional clause before His saying: "And if you desire Allah and His Messenger..." because the occasion of the revelation is what you have heard. The Imam stated that this placement is an indication that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not inclined toward the world and its pleasures in the slightest. He mentioned that describing the release (sarah) as "gracious" (jamil) is also an indication of this.

The meaning of "If you desire Allah and His Messenger" is: if you desire the Messenger of Allah. Allah, the Almighty, mentioned His own Name to indicate the exalted status of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in His sight.

"...and the Home of the Hereafter," meaning its everlasting bliss, for which the world and all it contains have no value in His sight.

"...then indeed Allah has prepared"—meaning He has readied and facilitated—"for the doers of good among you"—in exchange for their benevolence—"a great reward." The greatness of which cannot be comprehended. The "min" (from/among) is for explanation, because they were all doers of good. It is said that it may also denote partition, implying that the doers of good are those who chose Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), though the choice of all was not known at the time of revelation; however, this is considered far-fetched, as al-Khafaji (may mercy be upon him) noted.

The apodosis (jawab) of "if" (in) is ostensibly not conjoined with the fa, though it is said that the past tense used there carries the meaning of the future, indicating that it is a certain occurrence. Others say the apodosis is omitted, such as "then you shall receive," and what is mentioned serves as its evidence. The first conditional clause was stripped of any warning to emphasize the realization of the meaning of "giving a choice" and to avoid the slightest taint of compulsion. It is said that this is the secret behind presenting the "bestowment of a gift" (tamti') before the "gracious release" (sarah) and describing the release as "gracious."

There is disagreement regarding the choice offered: was it a delegation of divorce to them such that the divorce would occur through the act of choosing itself? Al-Hasan, Qatadah, and most scholars—as stated in Irshad al-'Aql al-Salim, which is the apparent meaning—held that it was not a delegation of divorce, but rather a choice between two desires; if they desired the world, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would separate from them, as indicated by His saying: "Come, I will provide for you and release you." Others held that it was indeed a delegation of divorce, such that if they chose themselves, it would count as a divorce.

Similarly, there is disagreement regarding the ruling of giving a wife a choice—where a man says to his wife, "Choose," and she says, "I choose myself," or "Choose for yourself," and she says, "I have chosen." Zayd ibn Thabit held that it counts as three divorces, a view adopted by Malik regarding a wife who has been consummated with; regarding others, the husband's claim of a single divorce is accepted. Umar, Ibn Abbas, and Ibn Mas'ud held that it counts as one revocable divorce; this is the view of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Ibn Abi Layla, and Sufyan, and it is the view adopted by al-Shafi'i and Ahmad.

It is narrated from Ali (may Allah honor his face) that it counts as one irrevocable divorce; this is reported by al-Tirmidhi from Ibn Mas'ud and also from Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and Abu Hanifah (may mercy be upon him) adopted this. If she chooses her husband, Zayd ibn Thabit held that one divorce occurs. From Ali (may Allah honor his face) there are two narrations: one that it counts as a single revocable divorce, and the other that nothing occurs at all; the jurists of the major cities hold the latter.

Al-Tabarsi mentioned that what is narrated from the Imams of the Household (may Allah be pleased with them all) is that this choice was exclusive to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and for anyone else, it is not valid.

There is disagreement regarding the duration of the wife's right to choose once the husband says this to her. It is said she possesses it as long as she is in the sitting; this is narrated from Umar, Uthman, and Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them). Jabir ibn Abd Allah, Jabir ibn Zayd, Ata, Mujahid, al-Sha'bi, al-Nakha'i, Malik, Sufyan, al-Awza'i, Abu Hanifah, al-Shafi'i, and Abu Thawr held this view. Others say she possesses it during the sitting and thereafter; this is the view of al-Zuhri, Qatadah, Abu Ubaydah, and Ibn Nasr. The author of al-Mughni attributes this to Ali (may Allah honor his face). In the reports of Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, it is mentioned that Ali (may Allah honor his face) held the view of restricting it to the sitting, like the group (may Allah be pleased with them all). The complete discussion of this matter and the evidence for each of these opinions can be found in the books of jurisprudence (furu') such as the commentaries of al-Hidayah and related works. However, I say: the notion that what is in the verse is the exact same issue mentioned in the works of furu'—which is a subject of disagreement—is hardly tenable. Al-Khafaji’s interpretation of those who used this verse as evidence in this context is not without debate among those of understanding.

The Imam mentioned several points regarding the interpretation of this verse: First: That the choice offered by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was, without doubt, an obligation upon him, because it was a delivery of the Message. Second: If they, or any one of them, desired the world, the apparent meaning—considering the station of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)—is that he was obligated to bestow the gift and release them, for a reversal of a promise from him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is not permissible. Third: The apparent meaning is that the one who chooses separation is not forbidden to others after the finality of the divorce, otherwise the choice of enjoying the adornments of the world would not be possible. Fourth: The apparent meaning is that for the one who chooses Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), it is forbidden for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to divorce her, in consideration of his noble station. And Allah the Almighty knows best.