Why did verse (50) of Surat Al-Ahzab specifically mention "daughters of your paternal uncles and paternal aunts, and maternal uncles and maternal aunts" and not "your paternal uncles and maternal uncles"?

Scholars have differed regarding the reason for mentioning 'uncle' (عَمّ) and 'maternal uncle' (خَال) in the singular form, and 'paternal aunts' (عَمَّات) and 'maternal aunts' (خَالات) in the plural form in the verse: (And the daughters of your paternal uncles, and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles, and the daughters of your maternal aunts) [Al-Ahzab: 50]. They have presented several viewpoints on this matter:

1. Linguistic Convention: The terms 'uncle' (عم) and 'maternal uncle' (خال) are considered generic nouns (اسم جنس) in the Arabic language, whereas 'paternal aunt' (عمة) and 'maternal aunt' (خالة) are not. Thus, the phrase "daughters of an uncle" (بنات عم) can include the daughters of one uncle or several uncles. As for "daughters of an aunt" (بنات عمة), it usually refers to a specific aunt, hence the plural form "your paternal aunts" (عماتك) was used to avoid restricting it to a single specific aunt. 2. Varied Expression: This is considered part of the eloquence and subtlety of expression in the Quran, where the use of singular in some places and plural in others fits the context and the intended meaning. 3. Special Reference: Imam Taqi al-Din al-Subki pointed out that the singular mention of "uncle" (العم) might be a special reference to Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The daughters of paternal aunts and maternal aunts were mentioned in the plural because there was nothing among them that necessitated a singular mention.

Additionally, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had paternal uncles and aunts from his father's side, but his mother had no brothers or sisters. The terms "your maternal uncle" (خالك) and "your maternal aunts" (خالاتك) in the verse refer to his mother's clan, who are Banu Zuhrah.