Special instructions given to the Blessed Wives

Before we describe these instructions in details as they appear from the next verse: يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ (0 wives of the prophet, you are not like any other women, if you observe taqwa. So, do not be too soft in your speech ... 32), it will be useful to recollect that, in the previous verses, the blessed wives have been restrained from placing demands before the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the fulfillment of which will be hard on him, or those which may be inappropriate in view of his high prophetic station. And once they have chosen to live in that arrangement, their status was raised higher than other women to the extent that one deed done by them was made to stand for two. Now, in and onwards from verse 32, they have been given some instructions in order to correct and groom their conduct as appropriate for wives living with the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Though, all these instructions are not restricted to the blessed wives in particular, in fact, virtually all Muslim women are obligated to observe these. But, at this place, the blessed wives have been addressed specially to bring it to their attention that they should make it a point to observe these rules of conduct that apply to all Muslim women as incumbent and obligatory - more avidly as compared to others. It is this kind of particularity that is meant by the expression: لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ (you are not like any other women - 32).

Are the blessed wives superior to all women of the world?

The arrangement of these words in the verse seems to obviously suggest that the blessed wives ؓ are superior to the women of the whole world. But, in the verse of the Qur'an about Sayyidah Maryam (علیہا السلام) it has been said: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَ‌كِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ (Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you over the women of all the worlds - 'Al-` Imran, 3:42). This proves the superiority of Sayyidah Maryam (علیہا السلام) over the women of all the worlds. Then, there is the Hadith of Sayyidna Anas ؓ in Tirmidhi where the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said, 'Sufficient for you (to hold in esteem) out of all women are: Maryam daughter of ` Imran, Khadijah daughter of Khuwailid (Ummul- Mu'minin), Fatimah daughter of Muhammad ﷺ and 'Asiyah wife of the Pharaoh.' In this Hadith, three other women along with Sayyidah Maryam (علیہا السلام) have been identified as superior to women of all the worlds.

Therefore, the superiority or precedence of the blessed wives described in this verse occurs here in itch special status, that is, the status of their being the wives and women of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the status in which they are doubtlessly superior to women of all the worlds. However, it does not prove the kind of universally absolute superiority which may be counter to other nusus (textual authority). (Mazhari)

Soon after the opening sentence of verse 32: لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ (you are not like any other woman), there appears the condition of: إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ (if you observe Taqwa. This condition refers to the superiority they have been blessed with by Allah Ta’ ala because of their being women and wives of the Prophet ﷺ . The purpose thereby is to caution them against relying solely on this relationship of theirs with the Prophet ﷺ that they are, after all, the wives of the Messenger of Allah. Instead of that, this superiority is based on the condition that they observe Taqwa and obey Divine injunctions. (Qurtubi and Mazhari)

After that, some instructions have been given to the blessed wives ؓ

The First Instruction

It relates to restrictions on the modality of voice and speech as part of the rules of hijab or pardah applicable to women and begins with the words: فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ (so do not be too soft in your speech- 32). It means, even if there be the need to talk to someone who is not a mahram from behind a screen (or something else obstructing the view), even then, while speaking, effort should be made to avoid the delicacy and grace in diction naturally present in the voice of women. The delicacy and grace mentioned here refer to a certain level of softness which might make some inclination rise in the heart of the addressee as stated immediately after: فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَ‌ضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُ‌وفًا (lest someone having disease in his heart should develop fancies (about you); and do speak with appropriate words. - 32) The sense is that one should not talk softly in a manner that would cause temptation and tilt in a person who already has some disease in his heart. Disease means hypocrisy, or its offshoots. That a real hypocrite will be so tempted is all too obvious. But, a person who, despite being a sincere believer, inclines towards something unlawful may not be a hypocrite but weak in faith he certainly is. And this weakness in faith which makes one tilt towards the unlawful is really nothing but an offshoot of hypocrisy. With faith being pure and having not the least element of hypocrisy in it, no one can ever tilt towards what is Haram, unlawful. (Mazhari)

In essence, the aim of the first instruction is to empower women to achieve the high station of self-protection from non-Mahram men through personal avoidance and legal hijab so that they do not go even near a non-Mahram weak in faith lest some temptation or tilt creeps into his heart. A detailed discussion of the hijab of women will appear within this Surah under the verses that follow. Being given at this point is simply an explanation of what has appeared here as part of the special instructions for the blessed wives. So, once the noble mothers of the believers had heard the instruction about speech or address, some of them were so alerted that they, while talking to a non-Mahram male after the revelation of this verse, used to put their hand over their mouth so that their voice would change. Therefore, it appears in a Hadith of Sayyidna ` Amr Ibn al-'As: اِنَّ النَّبِیَّ ﷺ نَھٰی اَن یُّکَلِّمَ النِّسَآُء اِلَّا بِاذنِ اَزواجِھِنَّ (The Holy Prophet ﷺ had prohibited that women talk without the permission of their spouses) (Reported by at-Tabarani with 'good' chain of authority, Mazhari)

Ruling

At least this much stands proved from this verse, and from the Hadith quoted above, that the voice of a woman is not included under satr, that is, under what must be concealed. But, a precautionary restriction has been placed here too. Then, consideration has also been given in religious injunctions and acts of worship that women do not talk at a high pitch that could be heard by men. If the Imam makes a mistake, those following him in the congregation are duty-bound to interrupt and correct him verbally. But, women have been taught that, instead of correcting the Imam verbally, they should simply clap by striking one hand over the back of the other so that the Imam is alerted. They have to say nothing verbally.