Sūrah Al-Aḥzāb The Confederates: Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī The Source Commentary

Surah Overview

DetailInformationClassificationSignificance

SurahالأحزابMadanī 73 versesContext: Battle of the Trench, marriage laws, ḥijāb rules

Key DisagreementWhy could the Prophet marry beyond four wives?Prophetic exceptionAl-Ṭabarī: special divine permission (33:50) the Prophet's unique status required unique legislation

Competing OpinionsWhat does "jilbāb" mean in 33:59?Ḥijāb terminologyAl-Ṭabarī: a full outer garment covering the body from Ibn ʿAbbās and Companion practice narrations

MethodologyUsing asbāb al-nuzūl to establish legislative contextLegal tafsīrAl-Ṭabarī traces each legal verse to its specific occasion to understand its scope

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

The Zayd-Zaynab episode (33:36–40) is treated carefully by al-Ṭabarī. He presents the chain of events: Zayd was the Prophet's freed slave and adopted son (before adoption was ruled equivalent to biological parenthood by this sūrah); Zayd divorced Zaynab; Allah commanded the Prophet to marry her to establish that the ex-wife of an adopted son is not like the ex-wife of a biological son. Al-Ṭabarī uses narrations from Anas ibn Mālik (Bukhārī) who was present, and from ʿĀʾishah, to establish the historical context before deriving the legal ruling.

On the ḥijāb verse (33:59), al-Ṭabarī presents multiple Companion definitions of jilbāb: Ibn ʿAbbās a cloak (ridāʾ) worn over the head; others a garment drawn over the face; others covering everything except one eye. Al-Ṭabarī's preferred view based on strongest chains: a full outer cloak drawn down over the body so that believing women are recognized as such and not harassed. He traces the occasion to the harassment of women in Madīnah at night and how this garment served as a social signal.

مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ Mā kāna Muḥammadun abā aḥadin min rijālikum wa-lākin rasūla Allāhi wa-khātama n-nabiyyīn "Muḥammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets" (33:40) Al-Ṭabarī: khātam = seal, concluder no prophet after him; chains from multiple Companions confirm this as permanent finality of prophethood.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ Yā ayyuhā n-nabiyyu qul li-azwājika wa-banātika wa-nisāʾi l-muʾminīna yudnīna ʿalayhinna min jalābībihinn "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the women of believers to draw down their outer garments upon themselves" (33:59) Al-Ṭabarī: jilbāb = full outer cloak; idnāʾ = drawing it close/down; the purpose (recognition as believing women) is stated in the verse itself.

Seal of Prophets: Khātam = finality no prophet after Muḥammad ﷺ; al-Ṭabarī traces convergent chains from multiple Companions establishing this as absolute doctrinal closure.
Zayd episode: Al-Ṭabarī's chain-based account using Anas and ʿĀʾishah establishes the historical truth before deriving the legal ruling on adopted-son ex-wives.
Jilbāb defined: Full outer cloak al-Ṭabarī's preferred definition based on Ibn ʿAbbās's chain; the purpose (social recognition) is intrinsic to the ruling.
Amanah verse: 33:72 "We offered the trust to the heavens and earth and mountains but they declined; mankind carried it" is traced through Companion narrations on what the "trust" (amānah) is.
Battle of Trench context: The munāfiq behavior during the siege is traced through narrations from Companions present giving historical flesh to the descriptions of those who tried to flee.

Surah Overview

Key Themes from Al-Ṭabarī

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