Al-Ahzab Verse 35

Surely ˹for˺ Muslim men and women, believing men and women,[[ Though Islam and Îmân are sometimes used interchangeably in the Quran, Îmân is a higher state of Islam. A Muslim is someone who observes the five pillars of Islam, but a believer is someone with strong faith, who does everything purely for the sake of Allah, and is mindful of Allah in everything they say or do. Every Mu'min (believer/faithful) is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a Mu'min. See {49:14}.]] devout men and women, truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, charitable men and women, fasting men and women, men and women who guard their chastity, and men and women who remember Allah often—for ˹all of˺ them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.

Muslim men and women, believing men and women, obedient men and women, truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, charitable men and women, fasting men and women, and the men and women who guard their chastity, and men and women who remember Allah much – Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.

Men and women who have surrendered, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, enduring men and enduring women, humble men and humble women, men and women who give in charity, men who fast and women who fast, men and women who guard their private parts, men and women who remember God oft -- for them God has prepared forgiveness and a mighty wage.

For men and women who are devoted to God- believing men and women, obedient men and women, truthful men and women, steadfast men and women, humble men and women, charitable men and women, fasting men and women, chaste men and women, men and women who remember God often- God has prepared forgiveness and a rich reward.

Verily the Muslim men and Muslim women, and the believing men and the believing women, and the devout men and the devout women, and the men of veracity and the women of veracity, and the persevering men and the persevering women, and the men of humility and the women of humility and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their modesty and the women who guard their modesty, and the Allah-remembering men and the Allah remembering women: Allah hath gotten ready for them forgiveness and mighty hire.

For Muslim men and women,- for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in Charity, for men and women who fast (and deny themselves), for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise,- for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.

Surely the men who submit (to Allah) and the women who submit (to Allah), the men who have faith and the women who have faith, the men who are obedient and the women who are obedient, the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful; the men who are steadfast and the women who are steadfast, the men who humble themselves (to Allah) and the women who humble themselves (to Allah), the men who give alms and the women who give alms, the men who fast and the women who fast, the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember Allah much: for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a mighty reward.

Verily men and women who have come to submission, men and women who are believers, men and women who are devout, truthful men and truthful women, men and women with endurance, men and women who are modest, men and women who give alms, men and women who observe fasting, men and women who guard their private parts, and those men and women who remember God a great deal, for them God has forgiveness and a great reward.

Indeed the Muslim men and Muslim women, and the believing men and the believing women, and the men who obey and the women who obey, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and charitable men and the charitable women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, and the men who profusely remember Allah and the women who profusely remember Allah – for all of them, Allah has kept prepared forgiveness and an immense reward.

Indeed the muslim men and the muslim women, the faithful men and the faithful women, the obedient men and the obedient women, the truthful men and the truthful women, the patient men and the patient women, the humble men and the humble women, the charitable men and the charitable women, the men who fast and the women who fast, the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, the men who remember Allah greatly and the women who remember [Allah greatly]—Allah holds in store for them forgiveness and a great reward.

Surely all men and women who submit to God (whose submission is attested by their words and deeds), and all truly believing men and truly believing women, and all devoutly obedient men and devoutly obedient women, and all men and women honest and truthful in their speech (and true to their words in their actions), and all men and women who persevere (in obedience to God through all adversity), and all men and women humble (in mind and heart before God), and all men and women who give in alms (and in God’s cause), and all men and women who fast (as an obligatory or commended act of devotion), and all men and women who guard their chastity (and avoid exposing their private parts), and all men and women who remember and mention God much – for them God has prepared forgiveness (to bring unforeseen blessings) and a tremendous reward.

Verily, Allâh has in store protection (from faults) and a great reward for the men and women who submit themselves (to the will of God), and for the men and women who believe, and for the men and women who are obedient to Allâh, and for the men and women who are patiently persevering (in their faith and righteousness,) and for the men and women who are humble (before God) and for the men and women who give alms and for the men and women who fast and for the men and women who guard their chastity, and for the men and women who remember and glorify Allâh (with all His praises) again and again.

That truly the Moslems/submitters (M) , and the Moslems/submitters (F), and the believers (M), and the believers (F), and the obeying humbly (M) , and the obeying humbly (F) , and the truthful (M), and the truthful (F), and the patient (M), and the patient (F), and the humble/submissive (M) , and the humble/submissive (F) , and the charity givers (M), and the charity givers (F), and the fasters (M) ,and the fasters (F) , and the protecting/observing (M) their genital parts between their (M) legs, and the protecting/observing (F) , and the mentioning/remembering God much, and the mentioning/remembering (F) , God prepared for them a forgiveness and a great reward .

Indeed the Muslim men and Muslim women, and the believing men and the believing women, and the men who obey and the women who obey, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and charitable men and the charitable women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, and the men who profusely remember Allah and the women who profusely remember Allah – for all of them, Allah has kept prepared forgiveness and an immense reward.

And keep in mind what is recited in your houses of the revelations of Allah and the wisdom. Verily, Allah is Subtile, Aware.

Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women, the believers men and women (who believe in Islamic Monotheism), the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the men and the women who are patient (in performing all the duties which Allah has ordered and in abstaining from all that Allah has forbidden), the men and the women who are humble (before their Lord Allah), the men and the women who give Sadaqat (i.e. Zakat, and alms, etc.), the men and the women who observe Saum (fast) (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the optional Nawafil fasting), the men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues (while sitting, standing, lying, etc. for more than 300 times extra over the remembrance of Allah during the five compulsory congregational prayers) or praying extra additional Nawafil prayers of night in the last part of night, etc.) Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise).

And remember that which is recited in your houses of the messages of Allah and the Wisdom. Surely Allah is ever Knower of subtilties, Aware.

Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember-- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.

Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward.

God has promised forgiveness and great rewards to the Muslim men and the Muslim women, the believing men and the believing women, the obedient men and the obedient women, the truthful men and the truthful women, the forbearing men and the forbearing women, the humble men and the humble women, the alms-giving men and the alms-giving women, the fasting men and the fasting women, the chaste men and the chaste women, and the men and women who remember God very often.

For men and women who have surrendered believing men and women; obedient men and women; truthful men and women, patient men and women, humble men and women, men and women who give charity, men and women who fast, men and women who guard their privates, men and women who remember Allah in abundance, for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a mighty wage.

Verily, the Muslims: men and women, the believers: men and women, the Qanit: men and the women, the men and women who are truthful, the men and the women who are patient, the Khashi`: men and the women, the men and the women who give Sadaqat, the men and the women who fast, the men and the women who guard their chastity and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.

Surely, for men and women who have surrendered [to God] -- believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, charitable men and charitable women, fasting men and fasting women, men and women who guard their chastity, men and women who are ever mindful of God -- God is ready with forgiveness and an immense reward.

Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, charitable men and charitable women, fasting men and fasting women, men who guard their chastity and women who guard, men who remember God frequently and women who remember—God has prepared for them a pardon, and an immense reward.

Indeed the men who have submitted [to God] and the women who have submitted [to God], and the believing men and the believing women, and the obedient men and the obedient women, and the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful, in their faith, and the patient men and the patient women, [steadfast] in [performing] acts of obedience, and the humble men and the humble women, and the charitable men and the charitable women, and the men who fast and the women who fast, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard their private parts, from what is unlawful, and the men who remember God often and the women who remember God often -- for them God has prepared forgiveness, of [their] acts of disobedience, and a great reward, for their acts of obedience.

The Reason for Revelation

Imam Ahmad recorded that Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet said,

"I said to the Prophet, `Why is it that we are not mentioned in the Qur'an as men are?'

Then one day without my realizing it, he was calling from the Minbar and I was combing my hair, so I tied my hair back then I went out to my chamber in my house, and I started listening out, and he was saying from the Minbar;
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ
(O people! Verily Allah says);

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُوْمِنِينَ وَالْمُوْمِنَاتِ

Verily, the Muslims;men and women, the believers;men and women...) to the end of the Ayah."

This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i and Ibn Jarir.

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُوْمِنِينَ وَالْمُوْمِنَاتِ

Verily, the Muslims;men and women, the believers;men and women...

indicates that Iman is something other than Islam, and that it is more specific, because Allah says;

قَالَتِ الاٌّعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُوْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ

The Bedouins say;"We believe."

Say;"You believe not but you only say, `We have surrendered (in Islam),' for faith has not yet entered your hearts." (49;14)

In the Two Sahihs, it says;

لَاا يَزْنِي الزَّانِي حِينَ يَزْنِي وَهُوَ مُوْمِن

The adulterer does not commit adultery at the time when he is a believer.

For it snatches away his Iman, although that does not mean he is a disbeliever, according to the consensus of the Muslims. This indicates that Iman is more specific than Islam, as we have stated at the beginning of our commentary on Al-Bukhari.

وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ

the Qanit;men and the women,
Al-Qunut means obedience during quite time.

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ ءَانَأءَ الَّيْلِ سَـجِداً وَقَأيِماً يَحْذَرُ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُواْ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ

Is one who is (Qanit) prostrating himself or standing in the middle of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord...) (39;9)

وَلَهُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are Uqnuti (Qanitun) to Him. (30;26)

يمَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِى وَارْكَعِى مَعَ الرَكِعِينَ

O Maryam! "Uqnuti to your Lord and prostrate, and bow with Ar-Raki`in (those who bow)." (3;43)

وَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ قَـنِتِينَ

And stand before Allah Qanitin. (2;238)

So, beyond Islam there is a higher level to be reached, which is Iman, and Qunut stems from them both.

وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ

the men and women who are truthful,

This refers to their speech, for truthfulness is a praiseworthy attribute. Some of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were never known to have lied even once, neither during Jahiliyyah nor in Islam. Truthfulness is a sign of faith, just as lying is a sign of hypocrisy. Whoever is truthful will be saved;

عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَلَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ صِدِّيقًا وَلَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ كَذَّابًا

You have to be truthful, for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise.

And beware of lying, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hell.

A man will keep telling the truth and striving to do so until he will be recorded with Allah as a truthful. And a man will keep telling lies and will persist in doing so until he will be recorded with Allah as a liar.

And there are many Hadiths on this topic.

وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ

the men and the women who are patient,

This is the attribute of those who are steadfast, which is patience in the face of adversity and knowing that what is decreed will inevitably come to pass. So, they face it with patience and steadfastness. Patience is the most difficult when disaster first strikes, then after that it becomes easier, and this is true steadfastness.

وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ

the Khashi`;men and the women,
Khushu` means serenity and tranquility, deliberation and dignity and humility. What motivates a person to be like this is the fear of Allah and the awareness that He is constantly watching, as mentioned in the Hadith;

اعْبُدُ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك

Worship Allah as if you can see Him, for if you cannot see Him, He can see you.

وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ

the men and the women who give Sadaqat,
As-Sadaqah (charity) means doing good to people who are in need or who are weak and have no means of earning a living and none to financially support them. They give them from the excess of their wealth in obedience to Allah and as a good deed to His creation.

It was recorded in the Two Sahihs;

سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللهُ فِي ظِلِّهِ يَوْمَ لَا ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ فَذَكَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا حَتَّى لَاتَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا تُنْفِقُ يَمِينُه

There are seven whom Allah will shade with His Shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His Shade -- and among them he mentioned -- . ..a man who gave in charity and concealed it to the extent that his left hand did not know what his right hand was giving.

According to another Hadith;

وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِىءُ الْخَطِييَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِىءُ الْمَاءُ النَّار
Sadaqah extinguishes bad deeds just as water extinguishes fire.

There are many Hadiths which encourage charitable giving;

this topic is discussed in detail elsewhere.

وَالصَّايِمِينَ وَالصَّايِمَاتِ

the men and the women who fast,

According to a Hadith narrated by Ibn Majah;

وَالصَّوْمُ زَكَاةُ الْبَدَن

Fasting is the Zakah of the body.

In other words, it purifies it and cleanses it of things that are bad in both physical and Shar`i terms.

Sa`id bin Jubayr said;

"Whoever fasts Ramadan and three days of each month, is included in the Ayah,
وَالصَّايِمِينَ وَالصَّايِمَاتِ
(the men and the women who fast),"

Fasting is also one of the greatest means of overcoming one's desires, as the Messenger of Allah said;

يَامَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاء

O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is most effective in lowering the gaze and protecting the chastity. And whoever cannot get married, then let him fast, for it will be a protection for him.

It is quite apt that next should be mentioned;

وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ

the men and the women who guard their chastity,

i.e., they protect their private parts from forbidden and sinful things, except for that which is permitted.

Allah says;

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـفِظُونَ

إِلاَّ عَلَى أَزْوَجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَاءَ ذلِكَ فَأُوْلَـيِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ

And those who guard their chastity. Except from their wives or the whom their right hands possess -- for they are not blameworthy. But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers. (70;29-31)

وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ

and the men and the women who remember Allah much,

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said;

إِذَا أَيْقَظَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّيَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ كُتِبَا تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ مِنَ الذَّاكِرِينَ اللهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَات

If a man wakes his wife at night and they pray two Rak`ahs, they will recorded that night as being among the men and the women who remember Allah much.

This was recorded by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah from the Hadith of Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with them both, from the Prophet.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said;

"The Messenger of Allah was walking along a road in Makkah, and he came to (the mountain of) Jumdan, and said,

هَذَا جُمْدَانُ سِيرُوا فَقَدْ سَبَقَ الْمُفَرِّدُون

This is Jumdan, go ahead, for the Mufarridun have gone ahead. (The men and the women who remember Allah much).

Then he said,

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُحَلِّقِين

O Allah, forgive those who shaved their hair.

They said, `And those who shortened.'

He said,

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُحَلِّقِين

O Allah, forgive those who shaved their hair.

They said, `And those who shortened.'

وَالْمُقَصِّرِين

And those who shortened.

This was recorded by Imam Ahmad with this chain of narration.

It was also recorded by Muslim, except for the last part of it.

أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا



Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.

Here Allah tells us that for all of those mentioned in this Ayah, He has prepared for them forgiveness of their sins and a great reward, meaning, Paradise