Sura 33 The Parties (Al-Ahzaab)

In the name of God, the Almighty, the Merciful.

[33:1] O you prophet, reverence God, and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, God is Knowledgeable, Wise.

[33:2] And follow what is being revealed to you from your Lord. Indeed, God is All-Aware of what you all do.

[33:3] And put your trust in God. God suffices as a Trustee.

[33:4] God did not place two hearts in any man's interior, nor did He make your wives, whom you estrange by equating them with your mothers, your actual mothers, nor did He make your adopted sons your real sons. These are but the utterances of your mouths, but God speaks the truth, and He guides to the path.

[33:5] Name them after their fathers. This is more equitable in the sight of God. If you do not know who their fathers are, then call them after your brethren in religion and those close to you. There is no blame on you for what you do by mistake, but only for what your hearts deliberately intend. God is Forgiver, Merciful.

[33:6] The prophet is to be given priority by the believers over themselves, and his wives are in the position of their mothers. The blood-relatives are to be given priority among themselves in God's Book over the other believers and the immigrants. All the same, you should do good to your close associates. This has been inscribed in the Book.

[33:7] When We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary; We took from them a solemn covenant

[33:8] so that He may question the truthful about their truthfulness. He has prepared for the disbelievers a painful punishment.

[33:9] O you who believe, remember God's blessing upon you when soldiers came towards you, and so We sent upon them a wind and soldiers whom you did not see. God is Seer of what you do.

[33:10] When they came towards you, from above you and from below you, and when the sights deviated and the hearts reached the throats, and you harboured doubts about God;

[33:11] that was when the believers were tested and were shaken a mighty shaking.

[33:12] And when the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts said, "God and His messenger have promised us nothing but delusion."

[33:13] And when a group of them said, "O people of Yathrib, you cannot make a stand, so go back," a group among them asked the prophet to excuse them, saying: "Our homes are exposed," when they were not exposed. They just wanted to flee.

[33:14] Had they been invaded from all quarters, then some testing demands were asked of them, they would have done so and would not have hesitated except briefly.

[33:15] Yet, they had pledged an oath to God previously that they would not turn their backs. An oath to God will certainly be called to account.

[33:16] Say, "Fleeing will never benefit you. If you think that you ran away from death or killing, in fact, it was but already decreed that you would have enjoyment for a little longer."

Footnote 33:16 – When the time of any person comes, he cannot delay death nor bring it forward (16:61). When a person emerges safely from a tragic accident (e.g. car accident), he may think that his life was extended when in fact, all it meant was that he was never destined to die in such an accident; his time had not come yet. It follows that words such as "I escaped death" and "I was given a new lease of life" are utterly meaningless.