Does the order "And stay quietly in your houses,…" in verse 33 of the chapter of al-Ahzab address all believing women or the wives of the Prophet?

- The following is stated verse 33 of the chapter of al-Ahzab:
"And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless." Does this verse address the wives of the Prophet or all believing women?
- I will be glad if you explain what is meant in this verse.

Dear Brother / Sister,

"And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless." (al-Ahzab, 33/33)

"And stay quietly in your houses." The verb (qarna) in the verse is the imperative form of the word "qarar" in Arabic; the original form of the word is “iqrirna” like “zalna”; it means stay in your houses. Do not go out like the former times of Ignorance; that is, do not go out by walking coquettishly by showing your ornaments and in order to be seen like the custom of the women of Jahiliyya before Islam. This verse made it wajib for the wives of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) not only “hijab (tasattur)” but also “khidr/mukhaddara”, which means not to appear before non-mahram men with this order and prohibition. Tasattur (hijab) is wajib for the other Muslim women as it is mentioned in the chapter of an-Nur but “khidr” is not wajib, but mustahab for them. It is a right and honor for all Muslim women to imitate the lifestyle and ethics of the wives of the Messenger of Allah but if mukhaddara were fard for all of them, it would be difficult.

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad)" (al-Ahzab, 33/59)

Therefore, the verse above, which comes later in the chapter of al-Ahzab, makes the order of hijab general for all Muslim women but the order "and stay quietly in your houses" (al-Ahzab, 33/33) was sent down only for the Prophet’s wives, who are described as "Ye are not like any of the (other) women" (al-Ahzab, 33/32). And it is stated that this order includes the daughters of the Messenger of Allah too because they are Ahl al-Bayt, the members of the family of the Prophet. However, the following is also stated so that it would not be understood as ‘stay in your houses idly, without doing anything’: Stay in your houses and perform prayers so that you will avoid resembling conceited and bosting people, and give zakah, which means assume the high ethics that Allah, who is generous and merciful, likes and worship him in accordance with His name ar-Razzaq (the Sustainer). Doubtlessly, it is really something important to search the poor and to listen to them in order to give zakah. It is also understood from the verse that they have the amount (nisab) to give zakah. If they do not, this order gives him the glad tiding that they will have. And obey Allah and His Messenger.

The obligations are not only the deeds of worshipping that are mentioned. Obey whatever else Allah and His Messenger orders and prohibits. Are they pressure and difficulty? No. O Ahl al-Bayt! Allah wants impurity, that is, the sins that may tarnish your honor, to keep away from you and to make you pure and clean. Ahl al-Bayt are the fortunate members of the family of the Prophet.

Since the verses addresses the wives of the Prophet (pbuh), the first meaning that the phrase Ahl al-Bayt brings to mind is “them”. However, the pronoun “kum (plural form of you that includes both male and female)” is used. In Arabic, when the feminine plural form kunna is used, it includes only women but when the masculine plural form kum is used, it includes both men and women.

So, the phrase "Ahl al-Bayt" used in the following verse includes the Prophet’s children along with his wives:, that is, all members of his family: "And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless." Hz. Hasan and Hz. Husayn, his grandsons, Hz. Ali, who was brought up in the house of the Prophet (pbuh) and who married Hz. Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, are also included in the phrase Ahl al-Bayt. However, that they are of Ahl al-Bayt does not prevent the Prophet’s other daughters and their children from being included among Ahl al-Bayt; on the contrary, it necessitates their inclusion too.

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