Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:31

(Meaning: Whoever is devout and submissive) { لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتَعْمَلْ } (and does) { صَالِحًا } (a righteous deed). This deed is distinct from devotion (qunut) to Allah—according to what you have heard of its interpretation—so there is no redundancy.

Some have interpreted qunut as obedience, resolving the redundancy by stating that the meaning is: "Whoever among you is obedient to the Messenger of Allah, and does a righteous deed for Allah the Exalted." The mention of Allah is solely to exalt the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) by making his obedience inseparable from obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He). Others have interpreted it similarly, but resolved the redundancy by stating that the "righteous deed" refers to good service and attending to the interests of the household, not acts like prayer and fasting; while the "obedience" to which qunut is interpreted, refers to complying with commands and avoiding prohibitions.

Others have interpreted it as "constancy in obedience." In resolving the redundancy, the same logic mentioned above is applied. It is also said that it means continuity in the preceding obedience, while "righteous deed" refers to the acts of worship they are tasked with thereafter.

It is also said that qunut means silence, as it is said regarding the Almighty’s statement: { وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ } (and stand, devoutly obedient to Allah). The intention here is silence regarding requesting what Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) have not permitted them—such as additional maintenance or luxurious clothing. Other interpretations also exist.

{ نُّؤْتِهَا أَجْرَهَا } (We shall give her her reward) which she deserves for that, out of favor and generosity, { مَرَّتَيْنِ } (twice). Thus, her reward is doubled. This is in counterpoint to the doubling of punishment for her.

Ibn Abi Hatim extracted from Al-Rabi’ ibn Anas that he said regarding the conclusion of the meaning of the two verses: Whoever among you commits an act of disobedience, the punishment for her is double that of the rest of the wives of the believers. Whoever does a righteous deed, the reward for her is double that of the rest of the wives of the believers. This implies that if the wives of the believers are rewarded tenfold for a good deed, they [the wives of the Prophet] are rewarded twentyfold. If something is added to the tenfold for the [other] women, its double is added for them.

It seems—and Allah the Exalted knows best—that the expression { نُّؤْتِهَا أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ } was used rather than "her reward shall be doubled," just as was said in the counterpoint { يُضَاعَفْ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ }, because the principle of doubling rewards is not exclusive to them; rather, every man and woman of this community who performs a righteous deed has their reward doubled. Thus, the speech was framed differently from what the parallel requires, as a symbol that the doubling of reward follows a style different from the style of doubling punishment. Furthermore, the aforementioned speech contains an indication of their heightened honor and the abundance of concern for them, for repeated favor is sweeter. Whoever contemplates both sentences will find the side of mercy prevailing over the side of wrath. The explicit statement of the Agent of giving the reward, the usage of the pronoun of majesty, and the expression of the blessings they are given as "reward" while attributing it to their pronoun—all while the sentence concerning the doubling of punishment lacks such elements—are witnesses to what has been mentioned.

Moreover, the doubling of their reward is due to their increased honor in the sight of Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He), as a bounty He bestowed upon them for being related to the Best of Creation (upon him be the best of blessings and the most complete salutation from Allah). The apparent meaning is that this is not limited only to their righteous deeds performed during his lifetime (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but their reward is also doubled for those [deeds] and for the righteous deeds they perform after his passing (upon him be peace and prayer).

Some prominent scholars have said: "These two times" refers to one for obedience and another for their seeking the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) pleasure through contentment and good conduct. In Al-Bahr and elsewhere, the cause for the doubling is attributed to this seeking [of pleasure] and that obedience. It is not hidden that what they have mentioned is suggestive of the absence of doubling for righteous deeds performed after his passing (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Some meticulous scholars have said that those who made the aforementioned points the cause for the doubling of their rewards intended to align with the wording of the verse, where they made qunut to Allah and His Messenger—along with what followed it—the cause. This incorporates the notion that the doubling of punishment stemmed from the fact that rebellion against the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and demanding things burdensome to him is not like rebellion against other spouses; therefore, it necessitated the doubling of the punishment. Likewise, his obedience, good character, and conduct with him are the opposite. This confirms what they said: that the cause of doubling the punishment is the increased ugliness of the sin from them. In this, the reverse necessitates the reverse; so contemplate it.

Some commentators said: The punishment promised as double is the punishment of this world followed by the punishment of the Hereafter. Likewise, for the reward, the "two times" means one in this world and the second in the other. Its weakness is evident.

Al-Jahdari, Al-Aswari, Ya'qub (in one transmission), as well as Ibn Amir, read { وَمَن تَقْنُتْ } with a feminine ta, based on the meaning. Al-Sulami, Ibn Waththab, Hamzah, and Al-Kisa’i read with a ya (masculine prefix) in the three verbs, based on the [grammatical] form—with the pronoun of Allah’s name being in { نُؤْتِهَا }. Abu al-Baqa’ mentioned that some read { وَمَن تَقْنُتْ } with a ta (feminine) based on meaning, and { وَيَعْمَلْ } with a ya (masculine) based on the [grammatical] form. Some grammarians said: "This is weak, because the masculine is the base (asl) and should not be made subordinate to the feminine." However, what they used as an argument is found similarly in the Qur'an, in His saying: { خَالِصَةٌ لِّذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِنَا } (Reserved for our males and forbidden to our wives). The matter ends here, so remember it.

{ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا } (And We have prepared for her) in Paradise, in addition to her doubled reward, { رِزْقًا كَرِيمًا } (a noble provision), meaning: of great value, high status, and pleasing to its recipient. It is also said that a "noble provision" is that which is free from every defect.

Ibn Atiyyah considered the possibility that this is a worldly promise: that her provision in this world is upon Allah the Exalted, and it is "noble" in that it is lawful (halal) and intended to be granted by the pleasure of Allah. It is as you see.