An Analysis of Selected Juristic Issues in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: In the Light of al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān

سورۃ الأحزاب کی منتخب فقہی مباحث کا جائزہ: الجامع لأحكام القرآن کی روشنی میں

Abstract

The present research article, entitled “An Analysis of Selected Juristic Issues in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: In the Light of al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, presents a research-based study of selected important juristic issues addressed in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb. The study primarily draws upon Imam al-Qurṭubī’s renowned Qur’anic exegesis, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, as its principal source and examines the jurisprudential dimensions of the relevant verses. In addition, the views of eminent Muslim jurists and scholars, along with relevant Prophetic traditions, are examined to further elucidate and critically analyze these issues. Following an introduction to Sūrah al-Aḥzāb, including its name, the reason for its designation, the period of its revelation, and its major themes, the study focuses particularly on resemblance to disbelievers and transgressors, Ẓihār, the legal implications of addressing one’s wife as a mother, sister, or daughter, and the Sharīʿah rulings concerning an adopted son. The study establishes that the ruling regarding resemblance to disbelievers varies according to its nature, intention, and association with their distinctive religious symbols and practices. From a Sharīʿah perspective, a distinction must be made between resemblance in ordinary or customary matters and the deliberate adoption of distinctive religious symbols and practices associated with non-Muslims. Similarly, the nature of Ẓihār, its legal consequences, and the prescribed expiation are examined in the light of the Qur’an, Prophetic traditions, and authoritative works of Islamic jurisprudence. The study further demonstrates that merely addressing one’s wife as a mother, sister, or daughter does not necessarily constitute divorce or Ẓihār; rather, the specific wording, intention, and relevant Sharīʿah principles must be taken into consideration. Furthermore, with regard to an adopted son, the verses of Sūrah al-Aḥzāb establish the principle that an adopted child should be attributed to his biological father and that the distinction between a biological son and an adopted son must be maintained in matters relating to lineage and its associated legal rulings. The objective of this study is to systematically present the juristic rulings derived from Sūrah al-Aḥzāb in the light of Imam al-Qurṭubī’s exegetical approach and other authoritative sources of Islamic jurisprudence and Hadith, while providing a scholarly clarification of misconceptions that have emerged in the contemporary context concerning these issues. The study also highlights the importance of examining the interrelationship between Tafsīr, Hadith, and Islamic jurisprudence for a proper understanding of the juristic implications of the verses of the Holy Qur’an.