The Quran

عَسىٰ رَبُّهُ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبدِلَهُ أَزواجًا خَيرًا مِنكُنَّ مُسلِماتٍ مُؤمِناتٍ قانِتاتٍ تائِباتٍ عابِداتٍ سائِحاتٍ ثَيِّباتٍ وَأَبكارًا

Ali Unal

It may happen that his Lord, if he should divorce you (O wives of the Prophet), will give him in your place wives better than you – submissive to God (muslimah), true in faith (mu’minah), devout in obedience to God, penitent, dedicated to worship and fasting – widows or virgins.¹

This is the second warning in the Qur’ān to the wives of God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings (for the first one, see 33: 29–33; and for the Messenger’s relationship with his wives, see 33, note 16). This verse does not mean that his wives did not have the praiseworthy qualities mentioned. Rather, it reminds them that, both as Muslim women and, especially, as the wives of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, they should set an example for all other believing women; thus, they should have these qualities in the highest degree and retain them.