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. 35 And it is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His apostle have decreed an affair, that they should have any choice in their affair. And whosoever disobeyeth Allah and His apostle hath strayed with a manifest straying. 36 AND LO, [O Muhammad,] thou didst say unto the one to whom God had shown favour and to whom thou hadst shown favour, "Hold on to thy wife, and remain conscious of God!" And [thus] wouldst thou hide within thyself something that God was about to bring to light for thou didst stand in awe of [what] people [might think,] whereas it was God alone of whom thou shouldst have stood in awe! [But] then, when Zayd had come to the end of his union with her, We gave her to thee in marriage, so that [in future] no blame should attach to the believers for [marrying] the spouses of their adopted children when the latter have come to the end of their union with them. And [thus] God's will was done. 37 [Hence,] no blame whatever attaches to the Prophet for [having done] what God has ordained for him. [Indeed, such was] God's way with those that have passed away aforetime and [remember that] God's will is always destiny absolute; 38 Those who preached the messages of Allah and feared Him, and feared none save Allah; and Allah sufficeth as a Reckoner. 39 Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things. 40