Verses 59–61
24. An-Noor · The Light
Madinan64 verses
وَإِذَا بَلَغَ ٱلْأَطْفَٰلُ مِنكُمُ ٱلْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَـْٔذِنُوا۟ كَمَا ٱسْتَـْٔذَنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
24:59When your children reach puberty, let them ask permission [at all times] just as those [who grew up] before them asked permission. Thus does Allah clarify His signs for you, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.1
وَٱلْقَوَٰعِدُ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ٱلَّٰتِى لَا يَرْجُونَ نِكَاحًۭا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَن يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ مُتَبَرِّجَٰتٍۭ بِزِينَةٍۢ ۖ وَأَن يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّهُنَّ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
24:60As for women advanced in years who do not expect to marry, there will be no sin upon them if they put off their cloaks, without displaying their adornment. But it is better for them to be modest, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.2
لَّيْسَ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌۭ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ إِخْوَٰنِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَعْمَٰمِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ عَمَّٰتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخْوَٰلِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ خَٰلَٰتِكُمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكْتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ ۚ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأْكُلُوا۟ جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًۭا ۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُم بُيُوتًۭا فَسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
24:61There is no blame upon the blind, nor any blame upon the lame, nor any blame upon the sick, nor upon yourselves if you eat from your own houses, or your fathers’ houses, or your mothers’ houses, or your brothers’ houses, or your sisters’ houses, or the houses of your paternal uncles, or the houses of your paternal aunts, or the houses of your maternal uncles, or the houses of your maternal aunts, or those whose keys are in your possession, or those of your friends. There will be no blame on you whether you eat together or separately. So when you enter houses, greet yourselves with a salutation from Allah, blessed and good. Thus does Allah clarify His signs for you so that you may exercise your reason.3
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 61
1.In the past people thought that blind, lame and sick people should not taken as companions during eating as the blind has no manner of good or bad and the lame can’t sit properly on the ground and the sick man takes a long time to eat upsetting the whole system and it was a custom that to enter in house of another was forbidden until they were allowed to. The Holy Quran clarified both the questions that handicapped people can also eat with you and you too can partake with them. This is wonderful unification that one believer does not consider himself separate from other believer and remembers while eating in the other’s house that he also has a right to eat without permission.
2.Some people think that family dispute is the sign that Islam is not the supporter of joint family. Actually Islam encourages separate houses for everyone so that a man would be safe from jealousy, greed and misunderstanding and also can make arrangement of veil in accordance with law.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
Qawaid are women who have passed their marriageable age. Or those that have stopped menstruating or have no sexual urge remaining. Such ladies are permitted to discard the chador or headscarf. The rest of the Hijab is necessary.
- 1
The Almighty Allah has time and again announced that He is aware of the secret of the heart. And all the laws are based on divine wisdom. Allah does not do anything without hidden wisdom.
- 2
Aged women can remove their outer garments before namehram provided the aim is not to exhibit their beauty. Because they might be aged but there is no dearth of sensual and evil people in the world.
- 3
Buyutekum denotes the homes, ones family and the repetition of the word ‘Buyut’ indicates that if the clan dwells in separate houses, even then fond can be eaten in any way and for this no special permission is required. Also. saluting oneself could also be saluting ones relatives because they are like our own selves. It could also be saluting oneself because the traditions advise us to say Assalaamo Alaina min Inde Rabbana.