Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 27–31

24. An-Noor · The Light

Madinan64 verses

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تَسْتَأْنِسُوا۟ وَتُسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

24:27O you who have faith! Do not enter houses other than your own until you have announced [your arrival] and greeted their occupants. That is better for you. Maybe you will take admonition.

فَإِن لَّمْ تَجِدُوا۟ فِيهَآ أَحَدًۭا فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا حَتَّىٰ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱرْجِعُوا۟ فَٱرْجِعُوا۟ ۖ هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌۭ

24:28But if you do not find anyone in them, do not enter them until you are given permission. And if you are told: ‘Turn back,’ then do turn back. That is more decent for you. Allah knows best what you do.1

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ مَسْكُونَةٍۢ فِيهَا مَتَٰعٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ

24:29There will be no sin upon you in entering [without announcing] uninhabited houses wherein you have goods belonging to you. Allah knows whatever you disclose and whatever you conceal.2

قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

24:30Tell the faithful men to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts. That is more decent for them. Allah is indeed well aware of what they do.

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

24:31And tell the faithful women to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts, and not to display their charms, beyond what is [acceptably] visible, and let them draw their scarfs over their bosoms, and not display their charms except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slave girls, or male dependants lacking [sexual] desire, or children who are not yet conscious of female sexuality. And let them not thump their feet to make known their hidden ornaments. Rally to Allah in repentance, O faithful, so that you may be felicitous.34

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 30

1.Be it known that Allah orders you not to look up, in this auspicious verse of the Holy Quran, but from whom and when is not mentioned. On the contrary it is admitted that it is not obligatory to cast down the looks every time and the same command is for women, that means we have to refer to the traditions for details and then situations would be decided, as to where and when it becomes obligatory to cast the looks down.

Verse 31

2.Ornaments here means the beautiful parts of body otherwise it is not unlawful to display beauty in the real sense of the word. Traditions say that it is necessary to cover the whole body except the face and palms, and it is not necessary to cover these until there is risk of mischief or disagreement.

3.Muslim woman can display her body in front of other Muslim women except her private parts and it is permissible in front of her own relatives but not permissible to display before the non-Muslim women because they will praise her beauty before their family members and perhaps this would create mischief and clash and also would create feelings of her bad character in their mind.

4.This is the sign that after hiding the ornaments, woman should not act illegally to create sexist feelings from it which would create moral ills in society.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    The condition of attachment is permission and the command for salaam indicates that permission should be based on love and loyalty. It should not be forced. Similarly traditions speak of seeking permission three times from the owner of the house and to give some time so that he is prepared to admit you.

  2. 1

    The question arises that if no one is at home, who will give the permission? The commentators have explained that it is possible there is someone in the house but he is not capable to give permission. Like a slave or a child etc.

  3. 2

    This denotes the public places, like hotels, shops etc. anyone can enter without seeking permission provided it has the items needed by him.

  4. 3

    Khamr - It is the plural of Khumar - The head cloth of a woman. Juyub - is the plural of Jeb, that is neck. Thus it denotes the chest.

  5. 4

    The children who do not know the parts that should be covered and their sexual use. They cannot discriminate between them and other organs.

  6. Benefit

    Please note that the ayat mentions the nephews but it does not mention the paternal and maternal uncles, although Hijab is not obligatory from them too. It is probably because since the nephews are mehram from one side, it implies that the uncles will also be mehram from the other side.