Juz 22: Al-Aḥzāb 31 to Yā Sīn 27
Section 4 of 18 · Tafsir of the Qur’an · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
4. Equal Recognition of Male and Female Believers
Among the most significant passages in the Quran regarding gender equality is found in Surah Al-Ahzab, where Allah explicitly acknowledges the spiritual equality of men and women across ten essential qualities of faith and practice:
إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
“Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (33:35)”
This verse is remarkable in the context of Quranic discourse because it explicitly mentions women alongside men in every spiritual quality enumerated. While the general rule in Quranic Arabic is that masculine plurals can include both genders (unless context indicates otherwise), this verse deliberately breaks from that pattern to emphasize the complete spiritual equality of men and women.
The verse systematically pairs male and female believers across ten qualities that represent the comprehensive framework of Islamic faith and practice:
1. Islam (submission) – Muslims and Muslimāt
2. Iman (faith) – Mu'minīn and Mu'mināt
3. Qunut (devotion/obedience) – Qānitīn and Qānitāt
4. Sidq (truthfulness) – Sādiqīn and Sādiqāt
5. Sabr (patience/steadfastness) – Sābirīn and Sābirāt
6. Khushū' (humility/reverence) – Khāshi'īn and Khāshi'āt
7. Sadaqah (charitable giving) – Mutasaddiqīn and Mutasaddiqāt
8. Siyām (fasting) – Sā'imīn and Sā'imāt
9. Hifz al-furūj (chastity) – Hāfizīn furūjahum and Hāfizāt
10. Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) – Dhākirīn and Dhākirāt
The deliberate pairing of male and female forms in this verse serves as a powerful declaration that in matters of spiritual