Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:36

(And it is not for a believing man or a believing woman), meaning: It is neither correct nor appropriate for a man or a woman among the believers (when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter), meaning: when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has decided. Allah Almighty is mentioned for the glorification of His command, by signaling that he (peace and blessings be upon him) is in a status before Allah Almighty such that his commands are the commands of Allah the Exalted. Or, it is to signal that what he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) does, he does only by His command, for he does not speak out of desire. Thus, the construction is either of the category of (Then indeed, for Allah is one-fifth of it and for the Messenger) or of the category of (But Allah and His Messenger are more worthy that they should satisfy Him).

(That they should have any choice in their affair), meaning: that they should choose whatever they wish regarding their affair. Rather, it is incumbent upon them to make their opinion follow his (peace and blessings be upon him) opinion, and their choice secondary to his choice.

Al-khiyarah (choice) is a verbal noun from takhayyara, just as al-tayarah is a verbal noun from tatayyara. It is said that no other verbal noun of this measure exists except for these two. It is also said that it is an active participle and interpreted as al-mutakhayyar (the one who chooses). Min amrihim (in their affair) is connected to it, or to an elided word that serves as a state (hal) for it. The plural pronoun in lahum (for them) is used in consideration of the meaning, because "believing man" and "believing woman" appear in a context of negation, and an indefinite noun occurring in that context is general. According to what is in al-Kashshaf, the rule would require it to be singular, as you would say: "No woman or man came to me, except that his case was such-and-such." Abu Hayyan countered this, stating that this is a conjunction with waw, and singularity in conjunction with aw (or)—like "Whoever comes to you, be it a noble or a lowly person, honor him"—is common, so the singular pronoun is not permissible there except by interpreting an elision.

The use of the plural in amrihim (their affair)—even though it refers to the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the first instance, and to Allah the Exalted in the second—is for glorification, as is said.

Some eminent scholars said: It did not appear to me as impossible for it to return to what the first [pronoun] returned to, on the condition that the meaning be "originating from their affair," i.e., their motivations leading them to choose the opposite of what Allah and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded. Or, the meaning could be "the choice in any of their affair," meaning their affairs which they are concerned with. It is argued that its return to what was mentioned is preferable because it avoids fragmentation. This was refuted by stating that such an argument is of little benefit, as it is self-evident that al-khiyarah (choice) originates from their motivations or occurs in their affairs, and it is a matter that needs no explanation. This is unlike the case where the meaning is "instead of his command which he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has decided," or [the case of them] overstepping his command, in order to emphasize and confirm the negation. This is what prevents its return to what the first [pronoun] returned to. The truth is that there is no obstacle to that, provided the meaning is: "It is not for the believers that they should have a choice in any of their affairs when Allah and His Messenger have decided an affair for them." We do not concede that what was considered an obstacle is indeed an obstacle; reflect upon this.

Perhaps the benefit of departing from the apparent [singular] in the first pronoun, according to what al-Tayyibi said, is to signal that just as it is not correct for each individual believer to have a choice, likewise, it is not correct for them to assemble and agree upon a single word, because the influence of a group and their agreement is stronger than the influence of one. From this, one may derive the benefit of the plural in the second pronoun, assuming it returns to what the first returned to, as well as the perspective of the singularity of "affair" if one examines it deeply. The two Haramiyyin, the two Arabiyyin, Abu 'Amr, Abu Ja'far, Shaybah, al-A'raj, and 'Isa read it with the feminine ta (takuna). This perspective is apparent. The perspective of the reading with ya (yakuna), which is the reading of the Kufans, al-Hasan, al-A'mash, and al-Sulami, is that the subject of the verb is separated [from the verb], and its feminine gender is not real [i.e., not a human female]. 'Isa ibn Sulayman read al-khiyarah with a quiescent ya.

(And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger) in any of the affairs (and works in it according to his own opinion, he has certainly strayed) from the path of truth (a clear straying), meaning: a manifest deviation from the path of correctness. The apparent [meaning] is that this concerns the affairs that have been decided, as indicated by the context. The verse, according to what is reported from Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah, Mujahid, and others, was revealed concerning Zaynab bint Jahsh, the daughter of the Messenger's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) aunt, Umaymah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, and her brother 'Abdullah. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) proposed her to his freedman, Zayd ibn Harithah, and said: "I wish to marry you to Zayd ibn Harithah, for I am pleased with him for you." She refused and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I do not find myself pleased with him for myself; I am the most noble of my people and the daughter of your aunt, so I would not do that."

In one narration, she said: "I am better than him in lineage." Her brother 'Abdullah agreed with her on this. When the verse was revealed, they both became pleased and submitted. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) married her to Zayd after she placed her affair in his hands. He provided her with a dowry of ten dirhams and sixty dirhams, a head cover, a cloak, a shirt, a lower garment, fifty mudd of food, and thirty sa' of dates.

Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Ibn Zayd, who said: It was revealed concerning Umm Kulthum bint 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, and she was the first woman to migrate among the women. She offered herself to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), so he married her to Zayd ibn Harithah. She and her brother were disappointed and said: "We only intended the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), yet he married us to his slave."