Message #10411

[N. Truth Seeker]

Hummm, I suppose it's not easy to know the exact context of such verses that clearly refer to family circumstances, whether it be the Prophet's family or any other.  

The Hadith has come up with a certain explanation but Hadith is Hadith and just can't be trusted.  I quote Maududi's tafsir on this verse based on Hadith but it could be a pure fabrication.  Only Allah knows best.

Quote
.. sent down in the period contiguous to the Battle of the Trench and the raid on Bani Quraizah.  According to a tradition related in al-Muslim on the authority of Hadrat Jabir bin `Abdullah, "One day when Hadrat Abu Bakr and Hadrat 'Umar visited the Holy Prophet, they saw that his wives were sitting around him and he was quiet. Addressing Hadrat `Umar, he said: `They are sitting around me as you see: they are asking for money for household expenditure'." At this both the Companions rebuked their daughters and said, "Why do you embarrass the Holy Prophet and demand from him that which he does not have." This event shows how hard pressed the Holy Prophet was economically at that time and how distressed and embarrassed he was feeling at his wives' demand for domestic expenditure during the period when a bitter conflict was going on between Islam and paganism.  
Unquote

Frankly, as in the case of all hadith, the description of the wives sitting around the Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakr and Umar coming and seeing the family 'siege' on the Prophet (pbuh) is certainly a hadith theatrical portrayal and I don't trust it at all.

However, the fact that the Prophet (pbuh) and his family particularly after coming to Medinah led a very simple life with very little money is a confirmed fact through various historical information.  Once, a few years ago, I read an article by a much more reliable writer whose name I don't recall, and he came up with a different explanation on this Verse as a possibility which made more sense.  He mentioned to the affect that this verse was most likely revealed at a time when the Muslims had won several battles and were in possession of much booty & wealth which was meant to be used by the State of Medinah for the benefit of the land and to help the needy.  At such a time, several families in Medinah started making demands highlighting their needs to acquire some share of that wealth.  Probably some of the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) might have wanted a little of that money for their personal use and thus pressured the Prophet (pbuh) concerning it.  The Prophet did not yield to their demands and was likely somewhat upset by their attraction to worldly riches.  And this Verse 33:28 refers to that situation.  

This sounds very plausible.  However only Allah knows the actual truth.