Commentary

In the previous verses, Muslims were warned against doing what caused pain to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . But, some Muslims used to get involved into doing such things unintentionally simply because of their lack of knowledge or attention. For example, walking into his living quarters without having been invited or, in the event of an invitation to eat at the house, coming in and sitting there much earlier than the time set for it or, once the meals were over, just keep hanging at the house talking to each other and keep delaying their due departure. Upon this, a warning has been served in the verse: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ (0 those who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet - 33:53). This was the pain caused to the Holy Prophet ﷺ without any volition or intention, simply by negligence. On this, only a warning was considered sufficient. Mentioned in the two verses cited above is the pain that was caused to him intentionally by the disbelievers and hypocrites. It is for this reason that Maulana Ashraf Thanavi (رح) has parenthetically added the word: قَصدَاً (qasdan: intentionally) at this place in his abridged summary which includes many a physical pain caused to him at the hands of disbelievers on different occasions as well as the emotional ones that were caused to him in the form of taunts and insults and false accusations against his blessed wives. The cited verses also gives a warning of Divine curse and punishment to those who cause such pains to him by intention.

Although, in the beginning of the verse, warning is given to those who cause pain to Allah (Surely, those who cause pain to Allah... 33:57), while Allah Ta’ ala is beyond any effect or impression, and no one can cause pain to Him in real terms, yet the deeds that usually cause pain to others have been referred to as 'causing pain to Allah.'

Leading authorities of Tafsir, however, differ in defining the acts that are termed here as 'causing pain to Allah'. Some of them have maintained that these are the words and deeds about which it has been specifically declared in the spoken ahadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that they cause pain to Allah Ta’ ala. For example, it is mentioned in a Hadith that those who curse the 'time' cause pain to Allah. The background of this Hadith is that the people in the days of ignorance used to blame the 'time' for all sorts of accidents and sufferings, because they believed that the 'time' is the real cause of all happenings in this world. Therefore whenever they faced a suffering, they used to curse and hurl abuses to the 'time', while in fact the real doer of all acts is none but Allah Ta’ ala, and in this context their curse and abuses would turn to Him. It is therefore mentioned in the of Divine curse and punishment Hadith that this behavior causes pain to Allah Ta’ ala. Moreover, as it appears in Hadith narrations, making pictures of living creatures cause pain to Allah Ta’ ala. the expression of 'causing pain to Allah' would be referring to these very words and deeds.

And other authorities of Tafsir said that the real purpose at this place is to warn against causing pain to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . But, it has been termed in the verse as causing pain to Allah Ta’ ala, because causing pain to the Prophet ﷺ is tantamount to causing pain to Allah Ta’ ala Himself. This interpretation is supported by the context of the Qur'an, because it is the subject of causing pain to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that was mentioned in the text earlier and the same subject is repeated again in the forthcoming words. And that the pain caused to the Holy Prophet ﷺ turns out to be pain for Allah Ta’ ala stands proved from the narration of Sayyidna ` Abdur-Rahman Ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani given below:

قاَلَ رسول اللہ ﷺ : اللہَ اللہَ فِی اَصحَابِی لَا تَتَّخِذُوھُم غَرَضاً مَن بَعدِی فَمَن اَحَبَّھُم فَبِحُبِّی اَحَبَّھُم ومَن اَبغَضَھُم فَبِبُغضِی اَبغَضَھُم وَ مَن اَذَبھُم فَقَد اٰذَنِی و مَن اٰذَنِی فَقَد اٰذی اللہَ وَ مَن اٰذَی اللہَ یُوشِکُ اَن یَّاخُذَ (ترمذی)

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Fear Allah, fear Allah in the matter of my Companions. Do not make them the target of your objections and criticisms because whoever loves them loves them because of his love for me, and whoever dislikes them dislikes them because of his disliking against me, and whoever caused pain to them has definitely caused pain to me and whoever caused pain to me has definitely caused pain to Allah, and whoever caused pain to Allah, it is likely that he will be seized by Him. (Tirmidhi)

Just as this Hadith tells us that the pain inflicted on the Holy Prophet ﷺ causes pain to Allah Ta’ ala, very similarly, it also tells us that inflicting pain on any of the noble Companions or being audacious enough as to speak ill of them becomes pain caused to the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

There are several narrations relating to the background in which this verse was revealed. According to some of these, it was revealed about the false accusation made against Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ . For example, a narration from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہما says: When false accusation was made against Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ ، some people gathered at the home of the hypocrite, ` Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy and indulged in the conspiracy of giving currency to this false accusation. At that time, the Holy Prophet ﷺ complained before his noble Companions ؓ saying that the man was causing pain to him - (Mazhari).

According to some other narrations, this verse was revealed when some hypocrites had thrown taunts at the time of the marriage of Sayyidah Safiyyah ؓ . However, the fact of the matter is that this verse has been revealed concerning each such case which caused pain to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Thus, included here is the false accusation made against Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ the taunts thrown by the hypocrites on the occasion of the marriages of Sayyidah Safiyyah and Zainab ؓ as well as calling other noble Companions ؓ bad, passing ill remarks against them or maligning them in any other way, public or private تَبَرَّاء (tabarra).

Causing pain to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in any form or manner is kufr (infidelity)

Ruling

A person who inflicts any pain on the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، suggests any fault in his person or attributes, whether expressly or in an implied manner, becomes a kafir - and according to this verse (57), the curse of Allah Ta’ ala will be upon him in this world as well as in the Hereafter. (As stated by Qadi Thana'ullah in at-Tafsir al-Maz hari).

The second verse has declared that causing pain to any believer is also forbidden (haram) as being a grave sin a manifest slander, but in the case of common believers the prohibition of causing pain is subjected to a condition that they should not have deserved it by committing a wrongful act. This is because, in their case it is possible that they have done something as a consequence of which causing pain to them is permissible under the dictates of the Shari'ah, while in the case of the Allah and the Holy Prophet ﷺ it is simply impossible that causing pain to Allah and His Messenger may be justified on any ground. Therefore, no such condition is mentioned in verse 57.

Hurting or causing pain to any Muslim without a valid Islamic legal justification is forbidden (Haram)

It stands proved from the cited verse (58): الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (And those who hurt believing men and believing women without their having done anything (wrong), they shall bear the burden of slander and a manifest sin.) that it is forbidden (Haram) to cause any pain, harm or hurt any Muslim without a justification recognized by Shari’ ah. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said:

اَلمُسلِم مَن سَلِمَ المُسلِمُونَ مِن لِّسَانِہٖ وَیَدِہٖ وَالمُؤمِنُ مَن اَمِنَہُ النَّاسُ عَلٰی دِمَآیٔھِم وَاَموَلِھِم ، رواہ الترمذی عن ابی ھُریرۃ ؓ (مظھری)

A (true) Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands all Muslims remain unharmed and safe. And a (true) mu'min (believer) is the one from whom people remain unaffected and safe in the matter of their lives (lit., bloods) and their properties (being his or her duty to ensure that so these do) - reported by Tirmidhi from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ . (Mazhari)