Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:31

Al-Ahzab (The Confederates): 33

Verse 31: And whoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness, We will give her reward twice. And We have prepared for her a noble provision.

[Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's Commentary]

The statement, "And whoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness," serves to clarify the increase in their reward, just as the increase in their punishment was clarified previously (referring to the preceding verse: "Allah will multiply the punishment for her twofold").

{We will give her reward twice}: This is in contrast to the statement: {Allah will multiply the punishment for her twofold}.

There is a subtle point here: When mentioning the giving of the reward, the Giver (Allah) is explicitly mentioned: "We will give her..." However, when mentioning the punishment, the Punisher is not explicitly named, only "{He will multiply...}" This is an indication of the perfection of His Mercy and Generosity. Just as a generous person reveals Himself and His action when conferring a benefit, He conceals Himself when inflicting harm.

{And We have prepared for her a noble provision}: This describes the provision of the Hereafter as Karīm (Noble/Generous).

There is a subtle meaning here: In this world, provision is often mediated by people. The merchant seeks provision from the common folk, the worker from the employers, and the rulers from the subjects, and vice versa. Thus, worldly provision does not come by itself; rather, it is subjugated to others who hold and send it to others.

However, in the Hereafter, there is no apparent intermediary holding or sending it; it comes by itself. For this reason, in this world, only the Provider (al-Razzāq) is described as Karīm (Generous). But in the Hereafter, the provision itself (al-Rizq) is described as Karīm.

Verse 32: O wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women. If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is disease should covet [you]. But speak with appropriate speech.