The Command for Jihad against the Disbelievers and the Hypocrites. Allah the Exalted orders His Messenger to perform Jihad against the disbelievers and hypocrites, the former with weapons and armaments and the later by establishing Allah's legislated penal code, {and be severe against them} meaning, in this life. {their abode will be Hell, and worst indeed is that destination.} that is, in the Hereafter. The Disbeliever shall never benefit from His Believing Relative on the Day of Resurrection. Allah the exalted said, {Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve} meaning, the disbelievers who live together in this life with Muslims, their mixing and mingling with Muslims will not help the disbelievers, nor will it avail them with Allah, until and unless they gain faith in their hearts. Then Allah mentioned the parable, saying, {the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They were under two of our righteous servants} means, they were the wives of two of Allah's Messengers and were their companions by day and night, eating with them and sleeping with them, as much as any marriage contains of interaction between spouses. However, {they both betrayed them} meaning, in the faith, they did not adhere to the faith sent through their husbands nor accepted their message. Therefore, all the intimate knowledge of their husbands neither helped them nor prevented punishment, hence Allah's statement, {So, they availed them not against Allah} means, because their wives were disbelievers, {and it was said} meaning, to these wives, {Enter the Fire along with those who enter!} The part of the Ayah that reads, {but they both betrayed them} does not pertain to committing illegal sexual intercourse, but to refusing to accept the religion. Surely, the wives of the Prophets were immune from committing illegal sexual intercourse on account of the honor that Allah has granted His Prophets, as we explained in Surat An-Nur. Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas, "They betrayed them by not following their religion. The wife of Prophet Nuh used to expose his secrets, informing his oppressive people whenever any person embraced the faith with Nuh. As for the wife of Lut, she used to betray him by informing his people about his guests so that they could commit their abominable deed with them." Allah said, {And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe: the wife of Fir'awn, when she said: "My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir'awn and his work, and save me from the people who are wrongdoers."} This is an example of how the believers can be among the worst people, yet remain steadfast in their faith without being harmed by their association with the disbelievers. The wife of Fir'awn was Asiyah bint Muzahim, and she was a believing woman who kept her faith concealed. Ibn Jarir said that Sulayman said, "The wife of Fir'awn was tortured under the sun and when Fir'awn would finish the torture session, the angels would shade her with their wings. She was shown her house in Paradise." Ibn Jarir said that Al-Qasim bin Abi Bazzah said, "Fir'awn's wife used to ask, 'Who prevailed?' When she was told, 'Musa and Harun prevailed', she said, 'I believe in the Lord of Musa and Harun.' Fir'awn sent his aides to her and said to them, 'Find the biggest stone. If she insists on keeping her faith, throw the stone on her, otherwise she is my wife.' When they came to her, she looked up to the sky and was able to see her house in Paradise. She persisted on the faith and her soul was then captured. The stone was thrown on her lifeless body." This is the meaning of her statement, {My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir'awn and his work,} means, 'deliver me from him, because I am innocent of his actions,' {and save me from the people who are wrongdoers.} Her name was Asiyah bint Muzahim, may Allah be pleased with her. Allah said, {And Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran who guarded her chastity (private part).} meaning, who protected and purified her honor, by being chaste and free of immorality, {And We breathed into it (private part) through Our Ruh} meaning, through the angel Jibril. Allah sent the angel Jibril to Maryam, and he came to her in the shape of a man in every respect. Allah commanded him to blow into a gap of her garment and that breath went into her womb through her private part; this is how 'Isa was conceived. This is why Allah said here, {And We breathed into it through Our Ruh, and she testified to the truth of her Lord's Kalimat, and His Kutub} meaning His decree and His legislation. {and she was of the Qanitin.} Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah drew four lines on the ground and said, 'Do you know what these lines represent?' They said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'The best among the women of Paradise are Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint 'Imran and Asiyah bint Muzahim, wife of Fir'awn.'" It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs from Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari that the Messenger of Allah said, "Many men have reached the level of perfection, but none among women have reached this level except Asiyah - Fir'awn's wife, Maryam-the daughter of 'Imran, and Khadijah-the daughter of Khuwaylid. And no doubt, the superiority of 'A'ishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other meals." In my book, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, I have mentioned these Hadiths using their various chains of narration in relating the story of Prophet 'Isa and his mother Maryam, peace be upon them, all praise be to Allah. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat At-Tahrim, all thanks and praise are due to Allah.