Surah Al-Ahzab 33:37 — translation and meaning

الأحزاب · Verse 37 / 73 · Page 423

ۖ ۚ وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَاهُ فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِّنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا

Word by Word

ۖ
ۚ
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
تَقُولُ
taqulu
you said
لِلَّذِي
lilladhi
to the one
أَنْعَمَ
an'ama
Allah bestowed favor
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah bestowed favor
عَلَيْهِ
alayhi
on him
وَأَنْعَمْتَ
wa-an'amta
and you bestowed favor
عَلَيْهِ
alayhi
on him
أَمْسِكْ
amsik
Keep
عَلَيْكَ
alayka
to yourself
زَوْجَكَ
zawjaka
your wife
وَاتَّقِ
wa-ittaqi
and fear
اللَّهَ
al-laha
Allah
وَتُخْفِي
watukh'fi
But you concealed
فِي
fi
within
نَفْسِكَ
nafsika
yourself
مَا
ma
what
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah
مُبْدِيهِ
mub'dihi
(was to) disclose
وَتَخْشَى
watakhsha
And you fear
النَّاسَ
al-nasa
the people
وَاللَّهُ
wal-lahu
while Allah
أَحَقُّ
ahaqqu
has more right
أَن
an
that
تَخْشَاهُ
takhshahu
you (should) fear Him
فَلَمَّا
falamma
So when
قَضَى
qada
ended
زَيْدٌ
zaydun
Zaid
مِّنْهَا
min'ha
from her
وَطَرًا
wataran
necessary (formalities)
زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا
zawwajnakaha
We married her to you
لِكَيْ
likay
so that
لَا
la
not
يَكُونَ
yakuna
there be
عَلَى
ala
on
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
al-mu'minina
the believers
حَرَجٌ
harajun
any discomfort
فِي
fi
concerning
أَزْوَاجِ
azwaji
the wives
أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ
ad'iyaihim
(of) their adopted sons
إِذَا
idha
when
قَضَوْا
qadaw
they have ended
مِنْهُنَّ
min'hunna
from them
وَطَرًا
wataran
necessary (formalities)
وَكَانَ
wakana
And is
أَمْرُ
amru
(the) Command
اللَّهِ
al-lahi
(of) Allah
مَفْعُولًا
maf'ulan
accomplished

Transliteration

Wa iz taqoolu lillazeee an'amal laahu 'alaihi wa an'amta 'alaihi amsik 'alaika zawjaka wattaqil laaha wa tukhfee fee nafsika mal laahu mubdeehi wa takhshan naasa wallaahu ahaqqu an takhshaah; falammaa qadaa Zaidum minhaa wataran zawwajnaa kahaa likay laa yakoona 'alal mu'mineena harajun feee azwaaji ad'iyaaa'ihim izaa qadaw minhunna wataraa; wa kaana amrul laahi af'oolaa

Translation

And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, "Keep your wife and fear Allah," while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

O Messenger! When you said to the one whom Allah had blessed with the bounty of Islam, and you had favoured with freeing him - the person intended here is Zayd bin Ḥārithah may Allah be pleased with him - when he came to you seeking counsel in divorcing his wife Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, you said to him, “Keep your wife; do not divorce her, and be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and refraining from the things He has not allowed” whilst, O Messenger, you were hiding within your heart that which Allah was going to expose: that Zayd should divorce her and He would command you to marry her. You were fearing the people and did not express that which you knew, when Allah is more deserving of your fear than the people. So when Zayd disinclined from her, and was happy at heart with divorcing her, he divorced her and I married you to her, so that there would be no sin on the believers if they were to marry the wives of their adopted sons after they had divorced them. Allah’s command will always come to pass, nothing can stop or obstruct it.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

100% Free App

Join 50,000+ Muslims

Download for free and never miss a prayer again