1. O Prophet, continue to be fearful of Allah and do not obey the unbelievers and hypocrites regarding anything which differs from your Sharı‘a. Allah is All-Knowing of what will be before it exists, All-Wise with respect to what He creates.

2. Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord – meaning the Qur’an. Allah is aware of what you do (read as ta‘lamuna, and also ya‘lamuna, “what they do”).

3. And put your trust in the command of Allah. Allah suffices as a Guardian. Although this is all addressed to the Prophet his community should follow him in all of it.

4. Allah has not allotted to any man two hearts within his breast – refuting a claim by the unbelievers that someone had two hearts with which he understood so that his intellect was greater than that of Muhammad – nor has He made those of your wives you equate with your mothers your actual mothers (read as tuzhiruna, tazharuna and tazzharuna); this occurred when a man, by saying to his wife, “You are to me like the back of my mother,” thereby made her unlawful for him. They used this in the Jahiliyya as a form of divorce. Expiation is obliged for it with its preconditions, as is mentioned in Surat al-Mudajala – nor has He made your adopted sons your actual sons. The word for “adopted sons”, ad‘iya’, is the plural of da‘i and refers to those whom people call their sons when they are not really their sons. These are just words coming out of your mouths – referring to the Jews and hypocrites. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married Zaynab bint Jahsh, who had been married to Zayd ibn Haritha, whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had adopted, they said, “Muhammad has married his son’s wife.” Those are things that Allah said that they lied about. But Allah speaks the truth about that and He guides to the Way of Truth.

5. Call them after their fathers. That is closer to justice in Allah’s sight. And if you do not know who their fathers were, then they are your brothers in the dın and people under your patronage. You are not to blame for any honest mistake you make, but only for what your hearts premeditate intentionally after the prohibition. Allah is Ever- Forgiving of what you did before it was prohibited, Most Merciful to you in that regard.

6. The Prophet has more right to the believers than their own selves with regard to what he invites them to when their own selves invite them to do something different, and his wives are their mothers in that it is forbidden for them to marry them. But blood-relations have more right – in respect of inheritance – to one another in the Book of Allah than the believers and Muhajirun with regard to inheritance, which was the case at the beginning of Islam and then was abrogated. All the same, you should act correctly by your friends with regard to bequests which are permitted; that – the abrogation of inheritance by virtue of faith and emigration in favour of inheritance by virtue of kinship – is inscribed in the Book. “ The Book” in both places refers to the Preserved Tablet.

7. Remember when We made a covenant with all the Prophets – when they emerged from the loins of Adam like atoms – with you and with Nuh and Ibrahim and Musa and Isa son of Maryam – to worship Allah and invite people to worship Him. The mention of five Prophets is a use of the particular to designate the general: in other words, all the Prophets are intended. We made a binding covenant with them to fulfil their task, involving them swearing an oath by Allah to do so –

8. …so that He might question the truthful about their sincerity in conveying the Message by which the unbelievers are rebuked; and He has prepared a painful punishment for the unbelievers.

9. You who believe, remember Allah’s blessing upon you when forces of unbelievers came against you in companies, during the time when the trench was dug; and We sent a wind against them and other forces – of angels – you could not see. Allah sees what you do (read as ta‘lamüna and also ya‘lamüna, “they do”, referring to when the idolaters form into parties).

10. When they came at you from above you and below you – from the top and bottom of the wadi, from the east and the west – when your eyes rolled – seeing nothing but the enemy on every side – and your hearts rose to your throats – a metaphor designating intensity of fear, and you thought unworthy thoughts about Allah – going from expectation of victory to despair –

11. …at that point the believers were tested – to make it clear who were sincere – and severely shake n by the intensity of the alarm they experienced.

12. Remember when the hypocrites and people with sickness – meaning weakness of belief – in their hearts said, ‘What Allah and His Messenger promised us r egarding victory was mere delusion and false.’

13. And a group of them (the hypocrites) said, ‘People of Yathrib – the old name of Madina – your position (read as muqam or maqam) is untenable – literally, you have no place – so return to your homes in Madina. ’ They had gone out with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Sal‘, a mountain outside of Madina, to fight. Some of them asked the Prophet for permission to go back and to excuse them, saying, ‘Our houses are exposed,’ meaning that they were not fortified and they feared for their safety – when they were not exposed. Allah said: It was merely that they wanted to run away from the battle.

14. If they had been overrun – in Madina – from every side, and had then been asked to revert to unbelief (idol worship) by the invaders, they would have done so and hesitated very little about it.

15. Yet they had previously made a contract with Allah that they would never turn their backs. Contracts made with Allah will be asked about – and whether they were fulfilled or not.

16. Say: ‘Flight will not benefit you if you try to run away from death or being killed, because after you flee then you will only enjoy a short respite: you will have a short time of enjoyment in this world before you die.’

17. Say: ‘Who is going to shield you and protect you from Allah if He desires evil – destruction and defeat – for you, or who is going to inflict evil on you if Allah desires mercy (good) for you?’ They will find no one to protect or help them besides Allah. No one but Allah can benefit them or keep them from harm.

18. Allah knows the obstructers among you – who hinder others from fighting jihad – and those who say to their brothers, ‘Come to us,’ and who only come to fight a very little – merely for appearance’s sake –

19. …and are begrudging as regards helping you. Then when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes rolling like people scared to death – like someone in its throes. But when fear departs and booty is taken they flay you with sharp tongues, harming you with their words, grasping for wealth – greedy to have some of the booty. Such people do not truly believe and Allah will make their actions come to nothing. That is easy for Allah if He so wishes.

20. They think that the Confederates of the unbelievers have not departed for Makka, because they are so afraid of them; and if the Confederates did appear again then they would wish they were out in the desert with the desert Arabs, asking for news of you with the unbelievers. If they were with you they would only fight a very little – for appearance’s sake because of their fear.

21. You have an excellent model (read as uswa and iswa) in the Messenger of Allah – with regard to imitating him in fighting and in remaining firm in his position – for all of you who put their hope in Allah – and fear Him – and the Last Day and remember Allah much.

22. When the believers saw the Confederates of the unbelievers they said: ‘This is what Allah and His Messenger promised us – in terms of victory and testing. Allah and His Messenger told us the truth with respect to this promise.’ It only increased them in belief in Allah’s promise and in submission to His command.

23. Among the believers there are men who have been true to the contract they made with Allah – a reference to their undertaking to remain firm with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Some of them have fulfilled their pact by death – by dying or being killed in the Way of Allah – and some are still waiting to do so, not having changed their contract in any way at all – this is different from the state of the hypocrites.

24. So that Allah might recompense the truthful for their sincerity and punish the hypocrites, if He wills, by making them die in their unbelief, or turn towards them. Allah is Ever - Forgiving to those who repent, Most Merciful.

25. Allah sent back those who disbelieved – meaning the Confederates – in their rage without their achieving any good at all with respect to their desire to defeat the believers. Allah saved the believers from having to fight by sending the angels and the wind. Allah is Most Strong, enabling Him to bring into being whatever He wishes, Almighty – controlling all things.

26. He brought down from their fortresses those of the People of the Book – meaning the Jewish clan of Qurayza – who supported them, and cast terror into their hearts. You killed some of them – those who were fighters – and some you took prisoner.

27. He bequeathed their land, their houses and their wealth to you, and another land you had not yet trodden on. The first reference is to the expulsion of Quray÷a from Madina, the second to Khaybar which was taken well after this was revealed. Allah has power over all things.

28. O Prophet, tell your nine wives, when they asked him for the adornment of this world ,which he did not have: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its finery, come and I will give you all you need – in the form of a gift given to a divorced wife – and release you with kindness – a divorce without causing them any harm.

29. But if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the abode of the Next World – meaning the Garden – Allah has prepared an immense reward – in the Next World, which is Pardise – for those among you who are good-doers and choose the Next World rather than this world.

30. Wives of the Prophet, if any of you commits an obvious (read as mubayyina and mubayyana) act of indecency she will receive double (read as yuda‘if and yuda‘‘if) the punishment that other women would receive. That is an easy matter for Allah.

31. But those of you who are obedient to Allah and His Messenger and act rightly (read as ta‘ mal and ya‘mal), We will give (read as nu’tiha, and also yu’tiha, which then means, “they will be given”) their reward twice ove r – double the reward received by other women – and We have prepared generous provision for them in Paradise on top of that.

32. Wives of the Prophet, you are not like other women provided you are godfearing. If you fear Allah, you are greater than other women. Do not be too soft-spoken in your speech – when speaking to men – lest someone with sickness (hypocrisy) in his heart become desirous. Speak correct and courteous words without submissiveness.

33. Remain (read as waqarna and waqirna) in your houses and do not display your beauty as it was previously displayed in the Time of Ignorance. Before Islam, women used to display their beauty to men. Showing oneself after Islam came is mentioned in another ayat: “and not display their adornments, except for what normally shows”. (24:31) Establish the prayer and pay zakat; and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah desires to remove all impurity from you, People of the House – meaning the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace – and to purify you completely.

34. And remember the Signs of Allah (the Qur’an) and the wise words (the Sunna) which are recited in your rooms. Allah is All-Pervading – kind to His friends, All-Aware of the totality of His creation.

35. Men and women who are Muslims, men and women who are believers, men and women who are obedient, men and women who are sincere regarding their faith, men and women who are steadfast in acts of obedience, men and women who are humble, men and women who give sadaqa, men and women who fast, men and women who guard their private parts from anything unlawful, men and women who remember Allah much: Allah has prepared forgiveness for them – for any acts of disobedience they have committed – and an immense reward – for their obedience.

36. When Allah and His Messenger have decided something, it is (read as yakuna or takuna) not for any man or woman of the believers to have a choice about it – to want something different from what Allah and His Messenger have commanded. This was revealed about ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his sister, Zaynab. The Prophet proposed to her on behalf of Zayd ibn Haritha. They disliked that when they learned about it because they had thought that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself would ask to marry her. Then they were content because of this yat. Anyone who disobeys Allah and His Messenger is clearly misguided. The Prophet may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave her in marriage to Zayd. Then later he looked at her and felt love for her whereas Zayd disliked her. Then he told the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “I want to divorce her.” He told him, “Keep your wife to yourself,” as Allah tells us in the following ayat.

37. Remember – when you said to him whom Allah has blessed – with Islam – and you yourself have greatly favoured – by setting him free: a reference to Zayd ibn haritha, who had been captured in the Jahiliyya and whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, bought before he was sent as a Messenger and then adopted – ‘Keep your wife to yourself and be fearful of Allah’ with regard to divorcing her, while concealing something in yourself which Allah wished to bring to light – meaning his love for her and that if Zayd were to divorce her, he would marry her – you were fearing people – and that they would say, “He has married his son’s wife,” – when Allah has more right to your fear in every matter, so that you should not fear what people say. Then Zayd divorced her and her ‘idda passed and Allah said: Then when Zayd divorced her We married her to you – Allah married her to the Prophet and he celebrated the marriage by feeding people with bread and meat – so that there should be no restriction for the believers regarding the wives of their adopted sons when they have divorced them. Allah’s command is always carried out.

38. There is no restriction on the Prophet regarding anything Allah allots to him and makes lawful for him. This was Allah’s pattern with those Prophets who passed away before – nothing can be held against them in respect of what Allah allowed them in marriage, and Allah’s command is a pre-ordained decree –

39. …those who conveyed Allah’s Message and were fearful of Him – meaning the previous Prophets – fearing no one except Allah and not fearing what people say about what Allah has made lawful to them. Allah suffices as a Reckoner of the actions of His creatures.

40. Muhammad is not the father of any of your men – not the father of Zayd, and so it is not unlawful for him to marry his ex-wife, Zaynab – but the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal (read as khatam and khatim) – the instrument by which something is ended and sealed – of the Prophets. He was not the father of any man and no one after him would be a Prophet. Allah has knowledge of all things. He knows that there is no Prophet after him and that when Isa descends, he will judge by his Shari‘a.

41. You who believe, remember Allah much,

42. …and glorify Him in the morning and the evening – the beginning and end of the day.

43. It is He Who calls down blessing on you, showing mercy to you, as do His angels – asking for forgiveness for you – to bring you out of the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. He is Most Merciful to the believers.

44. Their greeting from Allah on the Day they meet Him – on the tongues of the angels – will be ‘Peace!’ and He has prepared a generous reward for them: – Paradise.

45. O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness – against those to whom he was sent – and a bringer of good news of the Garden, to those who affirm him – and a warner about the Fire, for those who deny him,

46. …and a caller to obedience to Allah by His permission (command), and a light-giving (guiding) lamp.

47. Give good news to the believers that they will receive immense favour from Allah – meaning Paradise.

48. Do not obey the unbelievers and hypocrites in their opposition to your Shari’ a, and disregard their abuse of you. Do not harm them and do not pay them back for it until you are ordered to do so. Put your trust in Allah. He is well able to take care of your affairs. Allah suffices as Protector.

49. You who believe, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them (read as tamassuhunna and as tumassuhunna) – meaning, have sexual intercourse with them – there is no ‘ idda for you to calculate for them by menstrual cycles or other means; so give them a gift – which they can enjoy if no dower has been stipulated for them. If a dower has been fixed, they should have half of the stipulated amount only. This is what Ibn ‘Abbas said and is also the position of ash-Shafi‘i – and let them go with kindness – without causing them harm.

50. O Prophet, We have made lawful for you: your wives to whom you have given dowries and any slavegirls you own from the booty Allah has allotted you – from among those unbelievers you have captured, such as Safiyya and Juwayriyya – and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who have emigrated with you – but not of those who have not – and any believing woman who gives herself to the Prophet if the Prophet desires to marry her without any dowry – exclusively for you – meaning this option of marriage by gift without a dowry – as opposed to the rest of the believers – We know very well what We have prescribed for them (the believers) – in terms of rulings regarding their wives, so they may not have more than four wives, and may only marry with a guardian, witnesses and dowry – and any slavegirls they possess by means of purchase or other means such as capture, on condition that she be a woman of the Book, not a Magian or pagan, and the period of istibra’ ( the waiting period for slavegirls) has been observed – in order that there be no restriction on you regarding marriage. Allah is Ever - Forgiving of what is difficult to avoid, Most Merciful in respect of that.

51. You may refrain from any of them you will – defer the turn of any of your wives – and keep close to you (visit) any of them you will. And if you desire to visit any you have left alone – and missed their turn – there is nothing wrong in that. He was given a choice in that, whereas equal turns had previously been mandatory for him. This choice makes it more likely they will be comforted and not be grieved, and all of them will be content with what you give them. Allah knows what is in your hearts regarding women and inclination towards some of them rather than others. We have given you a choice about them to make it easier for you. Allah is All-Knowing about His creation, All-Forbearing with respect to His penalty.

52. After that – the nine wives about whom you have been given a choice – no other women are lawful (read as ya˛illu and ta˛illu) for you; nor may you exchange them for other wives – in other words, you may not divorce them and marry other women instead – even though their beauty might be pleasing to you, except for any you own as slaves – who are still lawful for you. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, owned Mariya, who bore him Ibrahim, who died while the Prophet was still alive. Allah is watchful over all things and records them.

53. You who believe, do not go into the Prophet’s rooms except when you are invited to come and eat. Do not wait there while the food is being cooked. Howe ver, when you are called, go in, and when you have eaten, disperse, not remaining there to chat with one another. Doing that causes annoyance to the Prophet though he is too reticent to tell you so and ask you to leave. But Allah is not reticent with the truth – making it clear that you should leave. When you ask his wives – meaning the wives of the Prophet – for something, ask them from behind a screen. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts – to avoid ambivalent thoughts. It is not right for you to cause annoyance to the Messenger of Allah – in any way or ever to marry his wives after him. To do that would be a dreadful thing in Allah’s sight.

54. Whether you divulge a thing – a reference to possible desire for marriage to them – or conceal it, Allah has knowledge of all things and will repay you for it.

55. They incur no blame in respect of their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their brothers’ or sisters’ sons, or their believing women or any slaves they own – male or female, if any of these people see them and speak to them without a screen. Be fearful of Allah with respect to what He commands. Allah is witness of all things. Nothing is hidden from Him.

56. Allah and His angels call down blessings on the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. You who believe, call down blessings on him and ask for complete peace and safety for him. Say, “O Allah, bless our master Muhammad and grant him peace.”

57. As for those who abuse Allah and His Messenger – meaning unbelievers who describe Allah in a way which is inappropriate for Him, such as attributing a son or partner to Him, and who deny His Messenger – Allah’s curse is on them in this world and the Next World. He has prepared a humiliating punishment for them – meaning the Fire.

58. And those who abuse men and women who are believers, when they have not merited it – accusing them of something they have not done – bear the weight of slander and lying and clear wrongdoing.

59. O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the women of the believers to draw their outer garments (jalabib) closely round themselves. Jalabib is the plural of jalbab, which is a covering cloth that a woman wraps round herself, part of which hangs over the head and face when they go out for their needs. This makes it more likely that they will be recognised – as free women and not slaves – and not be harmed by allusions, as happens with slavegirls who do not cover their faces. The hypocrites used to make overtures to them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving of what happened before owing to lack of covering, Most Merciful after covering has taken place.

60. If the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts – meaning those open to fornication – and the rumour-mongers in Madina do not desist from unsettling the believers by saying, “The enemy has come against you! Your forces have been slain! They have been defeated,” We will set you onto them and give you power over them. Then they will only be your neighbours – living near you – there a very short time and then they will be expelled.

61. They are an accursed people – far from mercy. Wherever they are found they should be seized and mercilessly put to death. This is the judgement on them.

62. This is Allah’s pattern and custom with those who passed away before – a reference to what happened in past nations to hypocrites who unsettled believers. You will not find any alteration in Allah’s pattern.

63. People will ask you about the Last Hour and when it will come. Say: ‘Only Allah has knowledge of it. What will make you understand? It may be that the Last Hour is very near.’

64. Allah has cursed the unbelievers and prepared a Searing Blaze for them, which they will enter –

65. …where they will remain timelessly, for ever and ever, not finding any protector to guard them from it or any helper to defend them from it.

66. They will say on the Day their faces are rolled over in the Fire, ‘If only we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!’

67. And they (the followers) will say, ‘Our Lord, we obeyed our masters (read as sadatana and sadatina) and great men and they misguided us away from the Way of guidance.

68. Our Lord, give them double the punishment and curse them many times over!’ One reading has kabiran instead of kathiran in which case the meaning becomes “curse them greatly”.

69. You who believe, do not be – towards your Prophet – like those who abused Musa – as when they said, “All that keeps him from bathing with us is that he has a defect.” Allah absolved him of what they said – when he placed his garment on a stone so that he could bathe and the rock ran away with it until it stopped with a group of the tribe of Israel. Musa caught up with it and took his garment and covered himself with it. They saw him and that he did not have the defect in his private parts imputed to him – and he was highly honoured in Allah’s sight. They abused our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he divided some booty and a man said, “This is a division which is not for the sake of Allah Almighty.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, became angry at that and said, “May Allah have mercy on Musa. He was abused with worse than this and remained steadfast.” Al- Bukhari related it.

70. You who believe, be fearful of Allah and speak words which hit the mark – meaning words which are correct and to the point.

71. He will put your actions right for you – and accept them – and forgive you your wrong deeds. All who obey Allah and His Messenger have won a mighty victory.

72. We offered the Trust – the prayers and other things which there is a reward for doing and a penalty for omitting – to the heavens, the earth and the mountains – and He created consciousness and articulation in them – but they refused to take it on and shrank from it. But man (Adam) took it on when it was offered to him. He is indeed wrongdoing and ignorant of it.

73. This was so that Allah might punish the men and women of the hypocrites, and the men and women of the idolators – who have squandered the trust – and turn towards the men and women of the believers – who have fulfilled the trust. Allah is Ever- Forgiving, Most Merciful to the believers.