وَ اِذۡ تَقُوۡلُ لِلَّذِیۡۤ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَیۡہِ اَمۡسِکۡ عَلَیۡکَ زَوۡجَکَ وَ اتَّقِ اللّٰہَ وَ تُخۡفِیۡ فِیۡ نَفۡسِکَ مَا اللّٰہُ مُبۡدِیۡہِ وَ تَخۡشَی النَّاسَ ۚ وَ اللّٰہُ اَحَقُّ اَنۡ تَخۡشٰہُ ؕ فَلَمَّا قَضٰی زَیۡدٌ مِّنۡہَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجۡنٰکَہَا لِکَیۡ لَا یَکُوۡنَ عَلَی الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ حَرَجٌ فِیۡۤ اَزۡوَاجِ اَدۡعِیَآئِہِمۡ اِذَا قَضَوۡا مِنۡہُنَّ وَطَرًا ؕ وَ کَانَ اَمۡرُ اللّٰہِ مَفۡعُوۡلًا ﴿۳۷﴾
37. And (remember) when you said to him whom Allah had blessed, and you (too) had blessed: ‘Retain your wife for yourself (in the bond of marriage) and be God-conscious.’ And you had concealed (the secret) within yourself; what Allah would reveal (later). And (out of decency) you were worried about the people (that they might misunderstand the situation). Whereas it is more befitting that you consider Allah’s command fearfully. But when (your adopted son) Zayd gave up his claim upon her (through divorce), We wedded her to you. So, there should be no restriction for the believers in (marrying) the ex-wives of their adopted sons when they have finished their marital relationship with them. And Allah’s command is bound to be fulfilled.
* This verse refers to the inability of Zaynab bint Jahsh to reconcile with Zayd b. Haritha because she insisted on getting a divorce. According to another report, Zayd insisted on divorcing her. Since Zayd and Zaynab came from two different social classes, the marriage was not successful, despite the Prophet’s advice to them on several occasions to retain the marriage. In contrast, Allah had willed that Zaynab would be wedded to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) after her divorce. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) was worried that people would misunderstand the situation. Hence, this verse was revealed.
