A scientific and comparative study of the roles of the wives of the prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran: In the light of Tafsir Zia-ul-Quran and Tafsir Ma'rif-ul-Quran

ازواجِ انبیاءؑ کا معاشرتی و فکری کردار: ضیاء القرآن اور معارف القرآن کی تفسیری تعبیرات کا عصرِ حاضر کے تناظر میں تقابلی مطالعہ

Abstract

The wives of the Prophets (peace be upon them) were not only their companions in their private lives but also played a profound practical role in their calling, training and community building. While the Holy Quran mentions the messages, lives and trials of the Prophets, their wives are also mentioned in various contexts, which is very insightful and educational. In particular, in standard exegetical sources like Zia-ul-Quran by Pir Karam Shah al-Azhari and Ma’rif al-Quran by Mufti Muhammad Shafi, the mention of the wives of the Prophets (peace be upon them) has not only been examined in spiritual, moral and social terms but their role has been highlighted as the foundation of Islamic family values. In these exegetical works, the examples of the wives of Noah (peace be upon him) and Lot (peace be upon him) provide a glimpse of the trials found in the families of the Prophets, while the mentions of the wives of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) provide the highest examples of mercy, understanding, loyalty and partnership in the mission. In the present era, when the institution of the family is undergoing severe moral and social pressure, it becomes very important to understand the role of the wives of the Prophets and the Quranic instructions related to them in order to gain guidance from these inspired models. In the study under review, these same points will be presented in the light of Zia-ul-Quran and Ma'rif-ul-Quran, and these interpretative interpretations will be examined in the context of the social and intellectual challenges of the present era.