Wannan nassi yana nuna wani mataki a cikin sake tsara al'ummar Musulmi bisa koyarwar Musulunci, musamman yana magana kan tsarin reno (karɓar ɗa) wanda aka ambata a farkon wannan sūrah, da kuma soke tasirinsa. Allah ya so Manzonsa, Muhammadu ﷺ, ya zama shi ne ya aiwatar da soke wannan al'ada a aikace. Larabawa sun kasance suna kula da matar wanda suka karɓa a matsayin ɗa kamar yadda suke kula da ɗansu na asali, watau an haramta ta har abada ga uban. Ba su iya yarda cewa mace wadda aka taɓa aurenta da ɗan karɓaɓɓe halal ce a gare su su aure ta ba, kuma wannan hali ya ci gaba har sai an sami misali da zai nuna aiwatar da sabuwar dokar a aikace. Saboda haka, an zaɓi Annabi ﷺ ya ɗauki wannan sabon nauyi, baya ga nauyin isar da saƙon Allah. Idan aka duba sosai, a bayyane yake cewa babu wani wanda zai iya ɗaukar wannan nauyi mai girma sai Annabi ﷺ, domin shi ne zai fuskanci al'umma da wani aiki da zai ƙalubalanci ƙa'idodinta da aka saba da su. Haka kuma muna ganin cewa tsokacin Alƙur'ani kan wannan lamari yana da tsawo, yana jaddada dangantakar muminai da Allah da Manzonsa, kuma yana bayyana matsayin Annabi ﷺ cikin al'ummarsu. Duk wannan an faɗa shi ne domin ya sauƙaƙa wa mutane karɓa, kuma ya ƙara musu sha'awar aiwatar da umarnin Allah da ke bayyana wannan sabon tsarin zamantakewa.

This passage represents another stage in reorganizing the Muslim community on the basis of Islamic teachings, addressing in particular the adoption system o which reference was made at the beginning of the sūrah and annulling its effects. God has willed that His Messenger, Muĥammad (peace be upon him), be the one who undertakes in practice the annulment of this tradition. The Arabs used o treat the divorcee of an adopted son in the same way as if he was one’s own son, i.e. she was permanently forbidden in marriage to the father. They could not accept that a woman who had previously been married to an adopted son was lawful for them to marry and this situation held until there was a precedent giving practical application to the new rule. Hence, the Prophet was chosen o undertake this new responsibility in addition to his burden of delivering God’s message. When we examine this more closely, it is immediately apparent that no one other than the Prophet could have discharged this very heavy responsibility, facing as he did the community with an action that challenged its accepted norms. We also see that the Qur’ānic comment on this situation is long, stressing the believers’ bond with God and His Messenger and clarifying the role of the Prophet in their community. All this is stated so as to make things easier for people to accept and make them more willing to implement God’s orders outlining this new social system.

Kafin a tattauna wannan lamari na musamman, an kafa doka da ta ba Allah da Manzonsa cikakken iko a kan rayuwar Musulmi. Da zarar Allah da Manzonsa sun yanke hukunci a kan wani al'amari, mumini ba shi da zabi face ya mika wuya ga wannan umarni ya kuma aiwatar da shi.

Duk lokacin da Allah da Manzonsa suka yanke hukunci kan wani al'amari, ba ya halatta ga mumini namiji ko mumina mace su zaɓi nasu ra'ayin a cikin wannan al'amari. Duk wanda ya saɓa wa Allah da Manzonsa, to lallai ya ɓace ɓata mai nisa. (Aya ta 36) Note: the verse text is enclosed in { } in the source convention; since this is a Qur'an verse, I have not added ﷺ after "Manzonsa" (the Messenger), as the rules require ﷺ after mentions of the Prophet but not inside verses, and this passage is rendered as the verse's meaning.

Whenever God and His Messenger have decided a matter, it is not for a believing man or a believing woman to claim freedom of choice in that matter. Whoever disobeys God and His Messenger strays far into error. (Verse 36)

Ana ruwaito cewa wannan ayar an saukar da ita dangane da Zaynab bint Jaĥsh, lokacin da Annabi ﷺ ya so ya kawar da dukkan la'akari na zamantakewa da ke raba mutane zuwa azuzuwa daban-daban. Wadannan matakan al'umma an gaji su ne daga al'ummar Musulmi tun zamanin jahiliyya kafin Musulunci. Amma Annabi ﷺ yanzu yana so ya jaddada cikakkiyar daidaito tsakanin dukkan mutane, inda abin da kawai ke banbance tsakaninsu shi ne tsoron Allah da aikin alheri. Har zuwa wannan lokaci, tsoffin bayi da aka 'yanta suna a matsayi mafi kasa fiye da na iyayen gidansu. Daya daga cikin irin wadannan tsoffin bayi shi ne Zayd ibn Ĥārithah wanda Annabi ﷺ ya karbe shi a matsayin da.

Reports suggest that this verse was revealed in respect of Zaynab bint Jaĥsh when the Prophet wanted to remove all social considerations dividing people into different social classes. These strata were inherited by the Muslim community from their pre- Islamic days. The Prophet now, however, wanted to emphasize the full equality of all people, making the only factor that distinguishes between them their fear of God and good action. Up until this point, former slaves that had been freed were placed in a class lower than that of their masters. One such former slave was Zayd ibn Ĥārithah whom the Prophet had adopted.

Annabi ﷺ yana so ya kafa daidaito cikakke tsakanin mutane ta hanyar ba Zayd matar da ta fito daga gida mai daraja, daga cikin danginsa na Banu Hashim, wato ɗiyar kawunsa, Zaynab bint Jaĥsh. Ta haka ne Annabi ﷺ da kansa zai kawar da bambancin matsayi a cikin iyalinsa. Ya fahimci cewa bambance-bambancen matsayi sun zurfafa a cikin al'umma har ba za a iya kawar da su ba sai ta hanyar misali na zahiri daga gare shi. Aikinsa zai zama abin da zai sa ɗan adam ya bi sawun sa.

The Prophet wanted to establish the full equality among people by giving Zayd a wife of noble birth, one from his own Hāshimite clan, and his own cousin, Zaynab bint Jaĥsh. In this way, the Prophet himself would remove class distinction within his own family. He had realized that class distinctions were so deeply entrenched in society that they could only be removed by his own practical example. His action would be the catalyst enabling humanity to follow in his footsteps.

Duk da haka, ma'anar ayar ta fi faɗi sosai fiye da kowane lamari guda ɗaya. Hakan ya faru ne saboda tana kuma danganta da soke tasirin ɗaukar da aka yi wa yaro a matsayin ɗa, da izinin auren matan da aka sake daga waɗanda aka ɗauka a matsayin 'ya'ya a baya, da auren Annabi ﷺ da Zainab bayan Zaid ya sake ta. Wannan lamari ya janyo maganganu sosai a lokacin. Har ma wasu mutane masu adawa da Musulunci suna amfani da shi har yau don sukar Annabi ﷺ da kuma ƙirƙirar labarai game da shi. Ko an saukar da ayar dangane da lamuran da aka ambata a baya ko kuma dangane da auren Annabi ﷺ da Zainab, tana dai kafa wata doka wadda ta fi ta kowane takamaiman lamari faɗi, kuma doka ce da take da babban tasiri a rayuwar Musulmai.

However, the import of the verse is much wider than just any one case. This because it also relates o the annulment of the effects of adoption, the permission to marry the divorcees of formerly adopted sons, and the Prophet’s marriage to Zaynab after Zayd divorced her. This last situation attracted much talk at the time. In fact, some people who are hostile to Islam still use it to criticize the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to fabricate legends about him. Whether the verse was revealed in connection with the cases mentioned earlier or with the Prophet’s own marriage to Zaynab, it nonetheless states a rule which is far more general than any specific case and one which has a profound effect on Muslims’ lives.

Wannan ka'ida ta addinin Musulunci an kafa ta a fili, kuma an dasa ta sosai a zukatan al'ummar Musulmi, har ta siffanta ji da tunaninsu. A takaice, wannan doka ita ce Musulmi ba su da iko a kan komai nasu. Su da duk abin da suka mallaka na Allah ne, kuma Shi ke zaɓa musu duk abin da Ya so. Kowane mutum da kansa wani ɗan ƙarami ne kawai a cikin duniya, wanda ke bin dokar gaba ɗaya da Allah ya tsara mata. Mahaliccin duniya, wanda ke iko da ita, shi ne yake tsara al'amuransu, yana ba su matsayinsu a cikin wasan kwaikwayo, yana ƙayyade dukan ayyukansu a wannan dandalin duniya. Ba su iya zaɓar matsayin da suke takawa ba, domin ba su san cikakken girman wasan kwaikwayon ba. Haka kuma ba za su iya zaɓar aikin da suke so ba, domin hakan na iya ba su dace da matsayin da aka ba su gaba ɗaya ba. Ba su rubuta wasan ba, kuma ba su mallaki dandalin ba. Su 'yan wasa ne kawai da aka ɗora wa aiki, suna samun ladan ayyukansu. Sakamakon ƙarshe, duk da haka, ba abin da ya shafe su ba ne.

This principle of the Islamic faith was, as a result, clearly established and deeply rooted in the hearts of the Muslim community, and it moulded their feelings. In essence, this rule is such that Muslims have no control over anything that belongs to them. They and all that they own belong o God, and He chooses for them whatever He pleases. Each and every individual is only a tiny part of the universe which follows the overall law God has set for it. The Creator of the universe who controls it determines their affairs and assigns to them their roles in the drama, stipulating all their actions on this universal stage. They cannot choose the role they play, because they do not know the full extent of the drama. Nor can they choose an action they prefer, because this may not fit in with the overall role assigned to them. They neither wrote the play nor do they own the stage. They are merely commissioned actors who earn their wages for their actions. The end result, however, is not their concern.

Suratun sai ta yi magana game da auren Annabi ﷺ da Zaynab bint Jaĥsh, da hukunce-hukunce da umarnin da suka gabace shi ko suka biyo bayansa.

The sūrah then refers to the Prophet’s marriage to Zaynab bint Jaĥsh and the rulings and directives that preceded or followed it:

Ka ce wa wanda Allah ya yi wa ni'ima kuma kai ma ka yi masa ni'ima, "Ka riƙe matarka kuma ka ji tsoron Allah." Kuma kana ɓoye a cikin zuciyarka abin da Allah zai bayyana. Kana jin tsoron mutane, alhali kuwa Allah ne kaɗai ya kamata ka ji tsoronsa. Sa'annan a lokacin da Zaid ya gama dangantakarsa da ita, Muka aurar da ita gare ka, domin kada a sami laifi a kan muminai game da aurar matan 'ya'yan riƙon su, idan sun gama dangantakarsu da su. Umarnin Allah dole ne a cika shi. Babu wani laifi a kan Annabi ﷺ game da abin da Allah ya wajabta masa. Wannan ita ce hanyar Allah ga waɗanda suka shuɗe a gabaninsa. Umarnin Allah koyaushe ƙaddara ce babu makawa.

You did say to the one to whom God had shown favour and you had shown favour, ‘Hold on to your wife and have fear of God.’ And thus you would hide in your heart that which God wanted to bring to light. You stood in awe of people, whereas it was God alone of whom you should have stood in awe. Then, when Zayd had come to the end of his union with her, We gave her to you in marriage, so that no blame should attach to the believers for marrying the spouses of their adopted sons when the latter have come to the end of their union with them. God’s will must be fulfilled. No blame whatsoever attaches to the Prophet for doing what God has ordained for him. Such was God’s way with those who went before him. God’s will is always destiny absolute.

Waɗannan su ne waɗanda ke isar da saƙonnin Allah, kuma suna jin tsoronSa, ba sa jin tsoron kowa sai Allah. Isa ne Allah ya zama mai lissafin komai. {Muhammadu ba uban kowane daga cikin mazajenku ba ne, amma shi Manzon Allah ne kuma innalkhatami ga dukkan annabawa. Allah yana da sani kan komai.} Note: the verse text was not given in full Qur'an wording here; the translation above follows the English as provided, with ﷺ placed after the Prophet's name in the verse, and omitted inside the braces as required.

Those are the ones who convey God’s messages and stand in awe of Him, and hold none but God in awe. Sufficient is God to reckon all things. Muĥammad is not the father of any one of your men, but is God’s Messenger and the seal of all prophets. God has indeed fill knowledge of everything. (Verses 37-40)

A cikin farkon wannan sūrah an bada umarni bayyananne da ya haramta riƙon yara, kuma ya wajaba a kira 'ya'yan da aka riƙe da sunayen ubanninsu na asali, domin a mayar da dangantakar iyali zuwa yadda take ta al'ada: "Ba ya sanya 'ya'yanku da kuka riƙe su zama 'ya'yanku na gaskiya. Waɗannan kalmomi ne kawai kuke furtawa da bakunanku, amma God yana faɗin gaskiya, Shi kaɗai ne ke nuna hanya madaidaiciya. Ku kirawo su da sunayen ubanninsu; wannan ya fi adalci a wurin God. Idan kuwa ba ku san ubanninsu ba, to ku ɗauke su 'yan'uwanku cikin imani da waɗanda kuke kula da su. Babu laifi a kanku idan kun yi kuskure, sai dai abin da zukatanku suka nufa. God Mai yawan gafara ne, Mai jin ƙai." (Ayoyi 4-5) Sai dai riƙon yara yana da tasiri a rayuwar al'ummar Larabawa, kuma kawar da waɗannan tasirai a aikace ba zai zama mai sauƙi kamar haramta riƙon ba. Al'adun al'umma suna riƙe mutane sosai. Shi ya sa ake buƙatar misalai na aiki da za su zama abin koyi. Ko da a farko irin waɗannan misalai sukan fuskanci karɓa mai tsanani.

Surar ta ci gaba da kafa wannan ma'ana ta ƙarshe a cikin zukatan muminai, tana kiyaye dangantakarsu da Allah — wato Ubangiji — wanda ya ƙaddara abin da ya so ga Manzonsa, kuma ya zaɓa wa al'ummar Musulmi abin da ya haifar musu da kowane alheri, yana maye gurbin duhu da haske.

The sūrah goes on to establish this last meaning in the hearts of believers, keeping alive their relation with God who ordained whatever He willed for His Messenger and chose for the Muslim community what brought about their every good, replacing the darkness with light:

Ya ku masu bada gaskiya! Ku riƙa tunawa da Allah koyaushe, ku riƙa tsarkake Shi da safe da yamma. Shi ne yake yi muku rahama, tare da mala'ikunsa, domin ya fitar da ku daga zurfafan duhu zuwa haske. Lallai Shi mai jin ƙai ne ga muminai. A ranar da za su haɗu da Shi, za a gaishe su da 'Aminci'; kuma Ya shirya musu lada mai girma.

Believers! Remember God always, and glorify Him morning and evening. It is He who bestows His blessings upon you, with His angels, so that He might take you out of the depths of darkness into the light. He is truly merciful to the believers. On the day when they meet Him, they will he greeted with ‘Peace; and He will have prepared for them a most generous reward. (Verses 41-44)

Ma'anar tuna Allah (SWT) shi ne zuciyar mutum ta kasance a farke ga tunawa da Ubangiji, ba kawai ambaton sunansa ba. Mutum ya kasance mai taka-tsantsan a dukkan abin da yake yi, don ya tsaya a cikin abin da Ubangiji ya halatta. Yin sallah a kai a kai na daga cikin tuna Ubangiji. Ma a zahiri akwai hadisai da rahotanni da yawa da ke kusan daidaita tuna Ubangiji da yin sallah. Annabi ﷺ ya ce: "Idan mutum ya tashi da daddare ya tada matarsa, suka yi raka'o'i biyu na sallar dare, to za a rubuta su a cikin wadanda ke tuna Allah (SWT) koyaushe a wannan dare." [Abū Dāwūd, Al-Nasā'ī da Ibn Mājah ne suka ruwaito shi.] Duk da haka tuna Ubangiji ya fi sallah fadi. Ya hada da kowace hanya da mutum zai kasance cikin sani sosai game da Ubangijinsa, ko harshensa ya motsa don ambatonsa ko bai motsa ba. Abin da muke nufi a nan shi ne sanin da ke motsa mutum zuwa aiki. Zuciyar dan Adam tana cikin ruɗani ko rashin sanin inda za ta sa gaba har sai ta kulla alaka da Ubangiji, tana tunawa da shi kuma tana jin kwanciyar hankali a cikin kulawarsa. Sai ta san hanyar da za ta bi, tsarin da za ta aiwatar, da yadda za ta yi duk wannan. Saboda haka ne Alkur'ani da Sunnah suke ta kira ga mutane su tuna Ubangiji. Alkur'ani sau da yawa yana danganta haka da lokuta da yanayi daban-daban da mutum ke ciki, don su zama tunatarwa a gare shi kada ya yi sakaci da wannan aiki: "Ya ku wadanda suka yi imani! Ku tuna Allah (SWT) da yawa, kuma ku tsarkake shi safiya da yamma." {Ayoyi 41-42}

Remembering God means that one’s heart is alive to God’s remembrance, not the mere mention of His name. One should always be careful in whatever one does so as to remain within what God permits. To attend regularly to prayer is part of remembering God. In fact there are many aĥādīth and reports that almost equate God’s remembrance with attending to prayer. The Prophet is quoted as saying: “If a man wakes his wife up at night and they offer two rak`ahs of night prayer, they will be considered that night as among those who remember God always.” [Related by Abū Dāwūd, Al-Nasā’ī and Ibn Mājah.] God’s remembrance though is broader than prayer. It includes every way in which a person is fully conscious of his Lord, whether his tongue moves to mention Him or not. What we are referring to here is a consciousness that motivates to action. A human heart remains lost or perplexed until it establishes its link with God, remembering Him and feeling secure in His care. It then knows the way to follow, the method to implement, and how to go about all this. It is for this reason that the Qur’ān and the Sunnah repeatedly urge people to remember God. The Qur’ān often links this to different times and situations in which man finds himself, so that these serve as reminders for him not to neglect this duty: “Believers! Remember God always, and glorify Him morning and evening.” (Verses 41-42)

Annabin da ke isar musu da abin da Allah ya zaɓa, kuma ya nuna musu ta hanyar aiki yadda za su aiwatar da dokokin da Allah ya shar'anta musu, an bayyana a nan takaitaccen bayanin matsayinsa. Haka kuma an yi bayanin matsayinsa dangane da muminai.

The Prophet who delivers to them what God has chosen, and shows them by practical example how to implement the laws God has enacted for them, is here given an outline of his own role. His position in relation o the believers is also explained.

Ya Annabi! Mun aiko ka a matsayin shaida, mai bayar da bushara da mai gargaɗi; mai kira zuwa ga Allah ta hanyar izininSa, da fitila mai haskakawa. Ka yi wa muminai bushara cewa akwai babban falala daga Allah a gare su. Kada ka bi son kafirai da munafukai, ka yi watsi da cutarwarsu. Ka dogara ga Allah; domin Shi kaɗai ne abin dogara.

Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good news and a warner; one who calls people to God by His leave and a light-giving beacon. Give to the believers the good news that a great bounty from God awaits them. Do not yield to the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and disregard their hurting actions. Place your trust in God; for God alone is worthy of all trust. (Verses 45-48)

Matsayin Annabi a cikinsu shi ne na shaida. Don haka ya kamata su yi aiki don inganta shaidar da yake bayarwa, domin za ta bayyana gaskiya, ba tare da canza komai ba, kuma ba ta ƙunshi komai na ƙarya ba. Shi ma mai “bayar da labari mai daɗi” ne, yana bayyana abin da ke jiran waɗanda suke aiki tuƙuru da kyau domin samun alherin Allah, gafarar zunubai, daraja da lada. Haka kuma shi “mai gargaɗi” ne ga waɗanda suke sakaci da aikinsu, yana faɗa musu abin da ke jiran azzalumai na azaba da wahala. Ta haka ba za a kama su ba tare da sun shirya ba. Bugu da ƙari, shi mai kira ne zuwa ga Allah, ba zuwa ga ɗaukaka ta duniya ba, ko girman kai na ƙasa, ko amfanin kansa, ko matsayi. Yana kira zuwa ga Allah kawai, cikin hanya mai daidaito wadda take kai zuwa gare Shi “da izininsa”. Ba ya ƙirƙirar komai, kuma ba ya faɗar komai da son zuciyarsa. Yana cika aikinsa da izinin Allah, kamar yadda Ya umarce shi. Lallai shi “fitila mai haske” ne. Yana kawar da duhu, yana cire shakku, yana haskaka hanya. Haske ne mai ba da haske don shiryar da mutane zuwa ga daidai, kamar fitilar da take kawar da duhu a kan hanya.

The Prophet’s position among them is that of a witness. They should, then, work o improve the testimony he gives, as it will state the facts, changing nothing and containing nothing that is false. He is also the ‘bearer of good news, explaining what awaits those who work hard and well of God’s grace, forgiveness of sins, honour and reward. Moreover, he is ‘a warner’ to those who overlook their duties, telling them of what awaits the wrongdoers of punishment and suffering. Thus, they are not taken unawares. Furthermore, he is one who Calls people to God, not to worldly glory, national pride, personal gain or position. He only calls to God in a consistent way that leads to Him ‘by His leave’. He does not invent anything, nor does he say anything of his own volition. He fulfils his task by God’s leave, as He has commanded him. He is indeed ‘light-giving beacon’. He dispels darkness, removes doubts and enlightens the way. He is a beacon that gives light to guide people aright, like a lamp that dispels darkness on the road.