Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:52

(It is not lawful for you [to take] other women)—The use of the ya (in al-nisa') is because the feminine plural is not a "true" plural (i.e., it is a collective noun), and it has occurred with a separation (from the verb). The intent by "women" is the genus that includes the singular; a singular form was not brought because there is no singular of the same root. The term "woman" (imra'ah) includes the slave girl (jariyah), but she is not intended here, as the specification of "women" to mean free women is established by custom. The two Basrans and Sahl and Abu Hatim read it with the ta (tata'annathu). Regardless, the meaning is: it is forbidden for you to marry women.

(From after)—It is said: meaning from after the nine who are in your wedlock today. Ibn Sa'd narrated from 'Ikrimah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave his wives the choice, they chose him; so Allah, the Exalted, revealed: "It is not lawful for you [to take] other women from after these nine who have chosen you," meaning, it has been forbidden for you to marry any others besides them.

Abu Dawood in his Nasikh, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan narrated from Anas that he said: When he gave them the choice and they chose Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, He restricted him to them, saying (the Exalted): "It is not lawful for you [to take] other women from after." Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said regarding this verse: Allah, the Exalted, restrained him [from others] for their sake, just as He restrained them for his sake, upon him be blessings and peace. Some have estimated the omitted genitive mudaf ilayh to be "choice," meaning: from after their choosing Allah and His Messenger. The Imam said: This is more appropriate, as it is more indicative that the prohibition was an honor for them and an expression of gratitude for their good conduct.

Others suggested that the estimated meaning is "from after this day," and its implication is the prohibition of all except those who chose him, upon him be peace.

In al-Bahr, it is related from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah: When they were given the choice and chose Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, He rewarded them by forbidding him [from taking] women other than them or replacing them. Thus, the Exalted abrogated thereby the expansion that He had previously permitted him regarding all women. It is also related from Mujahid and Ibn Jubayr that the meaning is: "from after the general permissibility of women." It is also said that the estimation is "from after the nine," meaning that this number, regardless of the specificity of the items counted, was his limit (the Prophet's) in terms of wives, just as four is the limit for his nation; so the meaning is: it is not lawful for you to increase beyond nine.

(Nor that you replace)—Its origin is tatabaddal, which was lightened by dropping one of the two tas, meaning: it is not lawful for you to exchange them. (them with [other] wives)—by divorcing one of them and marrying another in her place. Thus, the verse contains two rulings: the prohibition of increasing [the number] and the prohibition of substitution. Its literal meaning implies it would be lawful for him, upon him be peace, to marry another woman if one of the nine were to die. If the intent of the verse is the prohibition of anyone other than those who chose him, the verse indicates that if one of them were to die, it would not be lawful for him to marry another. The aforementioned statement of Ibn Abbas is very clear on this. It is as if the saying of the Exalted (nor that you replace), etc., is there to dispel the illusion that the only thing prohibited is that he might "give them a turn" alongside a co-wife.

In another narration from 'Ikrimah, the meaning is: It is not lawful for you [to take] women after these whom Allah, the Exalted, named for you in His saying (the Exalted): "O Prophet, We have made lawful to you your wives," and the rest of the verse. Thus, it is not lawful for him, upon him be peace, [to take] those outside these four categories, such as Bedouin women or foreign women, while it is lawful for him to take from them [the four categories] whatever he wishes. 'Abd ibn Humayd, al-Tirmidhi (who classified it as hasan), and others narrated from Ibn Abbas something that is apparent in this regard, as he said in the report: And the Exalted said: "O Prophet, We have made lawful to you..." until His saying: "exclusively for you," and He prohibited what is other than that from the categories of women.

'Abdullah ibn Ahmad in Zawa'id al-Musnad, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and al-Diya' in al-Mukhtarah and others narrated from Ziyad, who said: I said to Ubayy ibn Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him: What do you think if the wives of the Prophet, upon him be peace, were to die, would it be lawful for him to marry? He said: What would prevent him from that? I said: The saying of the Exalted, "It is not lawful for you [to take] other women from after." He replied: He only made lawful for him a [specific] kind of women and described their qualities, saying: "O Prophet, We have made lawful to you your wives..." until the saying of the Exalted: "and a believing woman," etc. Then the Blessed and Exalted said: "It is not lawful for you [to take] other women after this description."

According to this view, al-Tayyibi said: The saying of the Exalted "(nor that you replace), etc." is an emphasis on what preceded it regarding the prohibition of anything other than what was specified from the four categories. It is as if the pronoun "them" (bihinna) refers to the categories mentioned in His saying: "O Prophet, We have made lawful to you your wives," and the meaning is: It is not lawful for you to leave these categories and turn away from them to other categories.

Shaykh al-Islam Abu al-Sa'ud, may mercy be upon him, said after relating the aforementioned view: The saying of the Exalted "(nor that you replace them with [other] wives)" rejects it, for the meaning is: the lawfulness of the mentioned categories is the lawfulness of marrying them, so replacing them would mean the lawfulness of marrying others in place of the lawfulness of marrying them; that is only imaginable through abrogation, which is not among human functions. End quote. Reflect on this and do not be heedless.

It is said that (nor that you replace) refers to the "substitution" that existed in the Pre-Islamic era; a man would say to another, "Swap your wife with me and I will swap my wife with you," and each of them would relinquish his wife to the other. Something similar is narrated from Ibn Zayd. Al-Tabari and others denied this interpretation of the verse, saying the Arabs never did such a thing. As for the report regarding 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn, who said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he entered upon him without permission while 'Aishah was with him: "Who is this Humayra'?" He said: "'Aishah." 'Uyaynah said: "O Messenger of Allah, if you wish, I will relinquish for you the lady of the Arab women in beauty and lineage." This is not substitution, nor did he intend that; he only belittled 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, because she was a young girl at the time.

"Min" (from) is for increasing the emphasis of inclusion; thus, the prohibition includes replacing all or some. His saying: (even if their beauty pleases you) is in the position of a state (hal); the actor of tabaddal (you replace), and the estimation is "assuming your being pleased by them." The summary is: Do not replace them with [other] wives in any case. The apparent meaning of some is that it is not permissible for it to be a hal from its object—i.e., "wives"—and they reasoned that by its depth in indefiniteness. This was countered by saying it contradicts the statement of the grammarians, as they permitted the hal from an indefinite noun if it occurs in a negative context, because it then becomes inclusive and its ambiguity is removed, as al-Radi explicitly stated.

It is said that the indefiniteness prevents the haliyyah (being a state) here because the state is measured by the adjective (sifah), and the waw prevents the adjectival quality, thus preventing the state. The necessity of the analogy was denied, although al-Zamakhshari and others permitted the entry of the waw upon the adjective to emphasize its attachment. It is said regarding the impermissibility of this: if the owner of the state is indefinite, it must be advanced, and it was not advanced here. This was countered by saying that this is not accepted in the case of the clause linked with the waw, because it is in the form of a conjunction. The author of al-Kashf deemed it likely to be permissible and mentioned that the meaning in both cases does not differ significantly, because if the verb is restricted, its dependencies must also be restricted; the difference is only in priority and subordination. The pronoun in "their beauty" refers to the wives, and the intent by "them" is those who would be assumed to be replacements for his wives who are currently in his wedlock. Thus, calling them "wives" is in consideration of what they would become eventually. This is based on the [assumption] that the ba' of substitution in bihinna enters upon the abandoned [the current wives] rather than the acquired [the new wives]. If it were considered to enter upon the acquired, the pronoun would refer to the women, not the wives.

Among those whose beauty pleased him, upon him be peace—as it is said—was Asma' bint 'Umays al-Khath'amiyyah, the wife of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, after his passing, may Allah be pleased with him. In His saying: (even if their beauty pleases you)—according to what is related from Ibn 'Atiyyah—is evidence for the permissibility of a man looking at the one he intends to marry. There is evidence for this in the narrations, and the detailed opinions regarding it are in the books of jurisprudence (furu').

There is disagreement as to whether the verse indicating the non-lawfulness of women for him, upon him be peace, is muhkam (firm/abrogated) or not. From Ubayy ibn Ka'b and a group, including al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin—and this was chosen by al-Tabari and deemed likely by Abu Hayyan—it is muhkam. From Ali, may Allah honor his face, Ibn Abbas, Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them, and al-Dahhak, may mercy be upon him, it is mansukh (abrogated). This is also narrated from 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.

Abu Dawood in his Nasikh, al-Tirmidhi (who authenticated it), al-Nasa'i, al-Hakim (who also authenticated it), Ibn al-Mundhir, and others narrated from her that she said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not die until Allah, the Exalted, made it lawful for him to marry whomever he wished of women, except those prohibited by blood relation, due to His saying (the Exalted): "You may postpone whom you please of them and take to yourself whom you please." This is apparent in that the abrogation is [by] His saying (the Exalted): "You may postpone," etc. This is based on the interpretation that it means: "You divorce whom you please and keep whom you please." The aspect of abrogation by this—under this interpretation—is that it indicates by its generality that it was made permissible for him, upon him be peace, to divorce and to retain whomsoever he wishes. Thus, it shows that he may divorce those he is married to and marry whom he wishes from others, since the intent of "retaining" is not limited to retaining those previously married [to him] only, because of the generality of "whom you please," and His saying (the Exalted): "and take" is not restricted to "among them." Thus said al-Khafaji, though there is some hesitation in the heart regarding this. According to the view that it is abrogated by this, it is necessary that it [the abrogating verse] was revealed after the abrogated verse, since abrogation is impossible with precedence, which is apparent. The order in the Mushaf does not contradict this, as its arrangement is not according to the order of revelation. Some have said: The abrogator is the Sunnah, and it is most probable that it was his action, upon him be peace.

Ibn Abi Shaybah, 'Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Shaddad that he said regarding the saying of the Exalted: (nor that you replace), etc.: That [was in case] if he divorced them, it would not be lawful for him to replace them. But he would marry after the revelation of this verse whatever he wished; it was revealed while he had nine wives, then he married after that Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan and Juwayriyyah bint al-Harith, may Allah be pleased with them. The apparent view, according to the opinion that the verse was revealed as an honor for those who chose him, to gladden their hearts and as a gratitude for their good conduct, is that there is no abrogation. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

His saying: (except what your right hand possesses)—an exception from the women, connected based on the origin of the language, due to its covering both free women and slave girls; and disconnected based on custom, due to the specialization of "women" there for free women. "Nor that you replace them with [other] wives" is explicit in that.

Ibn 'Atiyyah said: If "what" (ma) is a relative pronoun referring to the genus, it is an exception from the genus, and in it the nominative case is chosen as a substitution for "women," and the accusative case is permitted as an exception. If it is an infinitive (masdariyyah), it is in the position of the accusative because it is an exception from other than the first genus. End quote. This is not good, because he said the estimation is "except the possession of the hand," and milk (possession) means a possessed person (mamluk); if it means a possessed person, it is not correct to be certain that it is not of the same genus. Furthermore, the accusative is not strictly mandatory even if we assume it is truly from a different genus; rather, the people of Hijaz use the accusative, and the tribe of Tamim substitute it. Regardless, the apparent meaning is the lawfulness of the possessed [female slave] for him, upon him be peace, whether she was among what Allah, the Exalted, bestowed upon him as spoils or not.

(And Allah has been, over all things, an Observer)—meaning a watcher or overseer. The intent is: He has been a Preserver and Witness over all things. So beware of exceeding His limits, the Exalted, and crossing from His lawful to His forbidden, may He be glorified and exalted.