Skip to content

Al-Ahzab 59

Ayah 59 of 73 · Medinan

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزۡوَٰجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَآءِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يُدۡنِينَ عَلَيۡهِنَّ مِن جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدۡنَىٰٓ أَن يُعۡرَفۡنَ فَلَا يُؤۡذَيۡنَۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا ٥٩

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments.1 That is more suitable that they will be known2 and not be abused. And ever is Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.3

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 The jilbāb, which is defined as a cloak covering the head and reaching to the ground, thereby covering the woman's entire body.

2 As chaste believing women.

3 Or "and Allāh was Forgiving and Merciful" of what occurred before this injunction or before knowledge of it.

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاO Prophetyāayyuhā
  2. ٱلنَّبِيُّO Prophetl-nabiyu
  3. قُلSayqul
  4. لِّأَزۡوَٰجِكَto your wivesli-azwājika
  5. وَبَنَاتِكَand your daughterswabanātika
  6. وَنِسَآءِand (the) womenwanisāi
  7. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ(of) the believersl-mu'minīna
  8. يُدۡنِينَto drawyud'nīna
  9. عَلَيۡهِنَّover themselvesʿalayhinna
  10. مِن[of]min
  11. جَلَٰبِيبِهِنَّۚtheir outer garmentsjalābībihinna
  12. ذَٰلِكَThatdhālika
  13. أَدۡنَىٰٓ(is) more suitableadnā
  14. أَنthatan
  15. يُعۡرَفۡنَthey should be knownyuʿ'rafna
  16. فَلَاand notfalā
  17. يُؤۡذَيۡنَۗharmedyu'dhayna
  18. وَكَانَAnd iswakāna
  19. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  20. غَفُورٗاOft-Forgivingghafūran
  21. رَّحِيمٗاMost Mercifulraḥīman

Tafsir

O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters, and the wives of the believers: “Let your outer garments you wear hang loosely over you so that your bodies are not revealed to unrelated men.” That is more likely to distinguish them as free women so that they are not subject to harassment like the servant girls are. And Allah Forgiving of the sins of whichever of His servants repents, and He is merciful to them.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran