seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 33:28. O Prophet! Say to your wives, “If you desire the life of this world and its finery, then let me compensate you, and release you kindly.
29. But if you desire God, His Messenger, and the Home of the Hereafter, then God has prepared for the righteous among you a magnificent compensation.”
30. O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits a proven indecency, the punishment for her will be doubled. And that would be easy for God.
31. But whoever of you remains obedient to God and His Messenger, and acts righteously, We will give her a double reward; and We have prepared for her a generous provision.
32. O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women, if you observe piety. So do not speak too softly, lest the sick at heart lusts after you, but speak in an appropriate manner.
33. And settle in your homes; and do not display yourselves, as in the former days of ignorance. And perform the prayer, and give regular charity, and obey God and His Messenger. God desires to remove all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly.
34. And remember what is recited in your homes of God's revelations and wisdom. God is Kind and Informed.
There's a lot of commentary... so only a few verses this morning.The introduction of the subject of the Holy Prophet’s simplicity in domestic life is most fitting here. The Muslims were now growing powerful and wealthier. The victory at Badr, and the possession of the lands and property of the Qurai˚ah, had increased their wealth. It was natural, in the circumstances, that the wives of the Prophet should desire to be furnished with better necessities of life than they had previously enjoyed. But just at this time we find a revelation enjoining the strictest simplicity upon them. These strictures could not emanate from an impostor, nor even from a man of the world whose power and wealth were increasing daily. If the Prophet had allowed his wives to share in the general prosperity of the community, there could not have been the least objection. But he received a revelation which deprived him and those most nearly related to him of those material benefits which others could easily acquire. The splendours of this world could be obtained, and were not forbidden to any Muslim, but such transitory vanities were not to be admitted into the household of God’s Prophet. As he possessed the means, his wives would be allowed to depart with rich and ample gifts, if such was their desire. This passage also throws light on the object of the Prophet’s marriages, for if his object were sensual enjoyment, he could not have been ready to sacrifice the ease and comforts attendant upon mere carnal desire to the retention of that Spartan simplicity enjoined upon his household.
The word f å√ishah means any evil exceeding the proper bounds, anything not agreeable with truth and with rule or measure, or anything unseemly. As already shown, it includes hatred and desertion of the husband, doing harm to the husband and his family. It does not necessarily mean adultery or lewdness. Hence many commentators take the word f å√ishah here in its broadest sense as meaning anything which may give offence to the Prophet.
It should be noted that not only are the Prophet’s wives denied the comforts of life which were available to other Muslim ladies, but any unseemly conduct on their part brought double the ordinary punishment. Could this be the work of an impostor? In their case the punishment is increased because, being in the Prophet’s house, they had a better chance to be guided aright and to pass their lives in the greatest purity. It should be noted that there is no actual occurrence of the least indecency on the part of any of the Prophet’s wives.
The double reward spoken of here means only greater reward, as the words honourable sustenance show. The greater reward is due to their having denied themselves the ordinary comforts of life by remaining in the Prophet’s house.
Though the injunction is given in particular to the wives of the Prophet, it is really a rule of life for all Muslim women, and promotes purity of heart and chastity in the relations between the sexes. They are not forbidden to speak to men, but, as a safeguard against possible inclination of the heart to evil thoughts, they are told not to indulge in soft and amorous conversation with the opposite sex. The wives of the Prophet are here told that they were not like other women, as they had to come in contact with large numbers of people, who would come to them to learn the treasures of wisdom which they received from the Prophet. An allusion to this is contained in the concluding words of the verse, and speak a word of goodness.
The means of purification are suggested in the previous verses: to observe the utmost simplicity of life, to avoid every indecency, and not to display their beauty to others. The uncleanness which Allåh will thus take away is the uncleanness of the desire for worldly riches. As the Prophet himself was an exemplar to the faithful, so was his household to be an example of simplicity and purity to Muslim women; hence they are called mothers of the faithful.
It should also be noted that the Prophet’s wives are here addressed as ahl al-bait, or the people of the household, they being primarily so, while his children and children’s children may also be included. The use of the phrase ahl al-bait on the only two other occasions in the Holy Qur’ån is to signify the wife, as in the case of Abraham’s wife and Amrån’s wife or Moses’ mother, and this use also shows that it is the wife, who is mistress of the house, that is indicated by the phrase ahl al-bait. Thus under this verse the Prophet’s children could only claim a sanctity in which his wives also shared.
It is a fact that not only did the wives of the Prophet retain the utmost simplicity of life in his lifetime, but even after his death, when the Muslims grew a very wealthy nation and big stipends were paid to the Prophet’s wives, they did not allow wealth to accumulate in their houses but distributed it to deserving people. Of ‘Å’ishah especially it is related that she was so generous in giving away what came to her that she would sometimes be left without the means for an evening meal.
The wives of the Prophet were not only to serve as models of virtue to the faithful, men as well as women, but they were also required to teach the precepts of religion, of that which was recited in their houses of the messages of Allåh and of Wisdom, to the faithful. Hence they are told that they must remember not only the injunctions of the Holy Qur’ån — the messages of Allåh — but also the Wisdom which the Prophet taught by his practice and word, i.e., the Sunnah.
Well.... to put it plain and simple.... women in the Quran..... they are like a good preacher's wife. They don't need much.... don't want to appear to like the stuff here on earth. They are teachers.... and example for other women they come in contact with. They are given a budget.... but they are to spend the majority of the household budget on charity. Even if they were given a million dollars.... they would keep a thousand and donate the rest.Check it out... in verse 28..... if they weren't happy living the simple life.... well they could take their payoff and leave.
Simple enough right?
Muslim women are supposed to act like a preacher's wife.
