Verses 1–11
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate
Sūrah al-Muʾminūn (The Believers) was revealed in Mecca and consists of 118 verses. This chapter calls to believing in God and in the Last Day. It distinguishes the believers from the disbelievers by presenting the beautiful manifestations of servitude in the former, against the moral vices and evil deeds of the latter. The chapter then gives glad tidings to the believers, and warnings to the disbelievers. These warnings involve a mention of punishments in the hereafter, as well as God’s worldly punishments that uprooted the previous nations who rejected the call of truth, backdating from the time of Noah to the time of the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary. The content of the chapter shows that it was revealed in Mecca.
Commentary
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ١
(23:1) Successful (aflaḥa, from falḥ) indeed are the believers (al-muʾminūn, from īmān).
Al-Rāghib says (summarized):
Falḥ means shaqq (to split, to crack). It is said that “iron is split (yuflaḥu) by iron.” Falāḥ means “victory, success, achieving one’s goal.” There are two types of falāḥ: worldly and otherworldly. Worldly falāḥ is gaining what helps, facilitates and enhances one’s life in this world, such as health, wealth and honor. Otherworldly falāḥ consists of four things: life without death, wealth without need, honor without humiliation, and knowledge without ignorance. That is why it has been said, “There is no [real] pleasure except that of the hereafter.”
Success is called falāḥ (lit. “splitting”) because it splits the barriers and cracks open one’s intended objective.
Īmān (belief, faith) is “to admit and confirm a statement and abide by its implications.” In Qur’anic terminology, īmān means: to accept God’s Oneness, His messengers and their teachings, and the reality of the Last Day, accompanied by obedience [to God and His religion] in general. That is why we see that whenever the Qur’an praises a positive quality of the believers, or describes one of their lofty rewards in the hereafter, it couples belief with righteous deeds. For example: Whoever does good, whether male or female, and he is a believer, We will most certainly make him live a good life (), [As for] those who believe and do good, a good final state shall be theirs and a goodly return (), and numerous other verses.
Merely acknowledging something is not considered having īmān in it, until the acknowledgement is accompanied by observing its requirements and implications in practice. This is because there are two elements in īmān:
(1) knowing about something; and
(2) having conviction and confidence toward it.
Having conviction toward something necessitates abidance by its implications, unlike having knowledge of something, which can be devoid of conviction and observance. For example, many individuals are addicted to evil deeds or harmful habits, and whereas they admit the evil or harm in their actions, they do not quit, using the excuse of addiction. Similarly, God says [about the Pharaoh and his people’s denial of God’s clear signs]: And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them ().
Having said that, it is possible for īmān to be accompanied by disobedience toward some of its requirements due to personal impediments and/or pleasant attractions. However, īmān cannot be completely devoid of obedience as its implication.
الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ٢
(23:2) Who are humble (khāshiʿūn, from khushūʿ) in their prayer.
Khushūʿ is a specific emotional state of a person who is dominated and defeated by a mighty being, such that it disconnects the person from everything else and directs his attention only to that mighty being. Khushūʿ is apparently a state of the heart, but based on some viewpoints, it is also ascribed to other organs and members. This extension of the meaning of khushūʿ is seen in the Prophetic narration about a person who was playing with his beard in prayer: “Had his heart been humble (khashaʿa), his limbs would have also been humble.” Another example is the verse: And the voices shall be low (khashaʿat) before the Beneficent God ().
The above is a comprehensive definition of humility which incorporates all other suggested meanings of the term by other exegetes, such as:
(1) a feeling of awe accompanied by serenity of limbs;
(2) lowering one’s gaze and being humble in behavior;
(3) bowing one’s head [in humility];
(4) being focused and not turning right or left;
(5) glorifying God’s position and focusing one’s attention on Him;
(6) demonstrating one’s subservience.
These eight verses [-] describe the qualities of the believers that are necessary outcomes of their belief being alive and active. It is such faith that will bring about what is meant for īmān to bring about: salvation. Prayer is when one who has nothing but need and humiliation turns one’s attention toward the Threshold of Magnificence and Greatness, and toward the Source of Might and Glory: God. A person who is conscious of God’s position will necessarily be impressed by it, as he finds himself immersed in a feeling of humiliation and abasement before His Lord. This will sever his heart from any attachment or engagement that is of no significance in what he is facing [that is, his eternal life]. If one’s belief is genuine, then it will concentrate his focus on one thing alone whenever he turns to his Lord. He will not be distracted by anything else, as he is completely absorbed by his Lord. After all, how does a beggar react when he faces a rich person whose wealth cannot be measured? And what does a helpless person behave when he faces the Absolute Might that can never be tainted by humility and humiliation?
This idea [of faith having outward effects] is seen in a tradition where the Prophet says to Ḥārithah b. al-Nuʿmān, “Surely there is a sign for every truth, and there is a light for every right.”
Discourse
The discussion “The Impact of Belief” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ٣
(23:3) And who keep aloof (muʿriḍūna, from iʿrāḍ) from what is vain (al-laghw).
An action is called vain (laghw) if there is no benefit in it. This can differ according to the different types of benefit. For example, an act might be vain in one respect, but beneficial and useful in another.
From the point of view of religion, vain acts are permissible acts that: (1) have no benefit in the hereafter, and (2) have no benefit in this world in a way that would continue to the hereafter. An example of such acts would be eating and drinking for the pleasure of it, as opposed to eating and drinking to gain strength to serve God. Therefore, if an action neither benefits one in the hereafter nor in this world such that it somehow results in a benefit in the hereafter, then it is vain. To be more precise, a vain act is any action other than the obligatory and recommended acts (wājibāt and mustaḥabbāt).
The verb used in this verse is iʿrāḍ (to turn away, to keep aloof), as opposed to tark (to avoid, to quit, to desert). God does not say that the believers “avoid” vain acts in an absolute sense, because after all, humankind is always subject to slip and mistake, and God pardons the lesser sins as long as they avoid the major ones: If you shun the great sins which you are forbidden, We will do away with your [lesser] evil deeds (). Instead, He has described the believers as those who “turn away” from vanity, which means that their overall direction is not toward vanity. Iʿrāḍ (turning away, keeping aloof) is an active decision, where one is being pulled toward an action, but he turns his face away from it because he does not care about it and does not see it significant. This means that the person elevates his soul above base acts. He prefers to strive for greater objectives and more significant affairs, instead of simply engaging in matters that are contrary to nobility and goodness.
It is indeed most befitting of īmān (belief, faith) to inspire one toward such nobility, because it connects one to the Origin of Magnificence and Grandeur, and the Source of Nobility and Honor: God. A believer in this sense would not be concerned with anything except achieving an everlasting, timeless and happy life. Thus he would not engage himself in anything other than what God deems to be great, and would not have a high regard for what ignorant and ignoble people care about. And when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace (); And when they pass by what is vain, they pass by nobly ().
These verses show that their description as “those who keep aloof from vanity” is a way of describing the loftiness of their determination and the nobility of their souls.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ ٤
(23:4) And who are doers of charity (al-zakāh).
Given the mention of prayer (ṣalāh) above [in verse ], what is meant by zakāh here is also a ritual. Therefore, zakāh here is meant in its financial sense, which is paying the poor-rate or almsgiving, as opposed to zakāh in the sense of self-purification from moral vices. Meanwhile, it should be noted that this chapter was revealed in Mecca, while zakāh as a financial duty in Islam was legislated later in Medina. That was when zakāh gradually became a specific term, meaning the amount of money that one pays, and this specific meaning dominated the other meanings of the word. Therefore, it is more likely that zakāh here is meant as a verbal noun (maṣdar), meaning the act of purifying one’s wealth by spending part of it in God’s way, as opposed to the actual amount that is paid.
Given this sense of zakāh—as the act of charity and almsgiving—it makes sense to say that they are “doers” (fāʿilūn) of zakāh, as the verse does. It means that they are active in helping the poor financially. However, if zakāh is interpreted as the actual money that is paid, then one cannot say that they are doers of it, because money is not an action to be ascribed to a “doer.” To amend this discrepancy, some exegetes who have chosen this sense of zakāh—as the money that is paid—have interpreted the verse as: “And who are doers of paying the zakāh,” assuming that the word “paying” is omitted and implied in the verse. Other exegetes have tried to avoid this discrepancy by interpreting zakāh as “purification of the soul from moral vices.” That is to avoid interpreting the verse as, “They are doers of the poor-rate.”
Saying that they are “doers” (fāʿilūn) of charity shows their special attention to this act, as opposed to saying that they are “fulfillers” or “payers” of charity. For example, when someone asks a person to drink water: if the person says, “I will be a doer,” it conveys a higher degree of attention and determination to performing the act than if he says, “I will be a drinker.”
Belief in God is such that it calls one to financial charity. One cannot achieve total happiness unless one lives in a felicitous society where each person receives their due rights. And a society is not felicitous unless its classes are close to one another in terms of standard of living and quality of life. Giving financial charity to the poor and the less fortunate is one of the most effective ways of achieving this objective of equity.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ٥
(23:5) And who guard their private parts (li-furūjihim).
Furūj is the plural of farj, which has been defined as “the body part in both men and women that one is ashamed of mentioning” (that is, private parts). “Guarding one’s private part” means abstaining from sexual intercourse, which includes adultery, sodomy, intercourse with animals, and other such forms of it.
إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ٦
(23:6) Except before their mates (azwājihim) or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blameable.
This verse mentions an exception to guarding the private parts. Azwāj means lawful wives. “Those whom their right hands possess” refers to their bondswomen. The believers are not blameable in sleeping with their lawful wives and/or slave girls.
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ٧
(23:7) But whoever (fa-man) seeks to go beyond that, these are they that exceed the limits.
This verse is mentioned as a consequence and conclusion that builds on the exception in the previous verse, as indicated by the letter fāʾ (lit. “so, then, therefore”; translated as “but” here). That is, belief necessitates the absolute guarding of their private parts except with two groups of women: wives and bondswomen. Then, those who seek to go beyond that—that is, those who seek to have intercourse with anyone who is not among the lawful ones—they are transgressors and violators of the limit that God has defined for them.
We already presented a discussion on how adultery (zinā) destroys and ruins the human species under the verse: And go not nigh to fornication; surely it is an indecency and an evil way ().
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ٨
(23:8) And those who are keepers (rāʿūn, from riʿāyah) of their trusts (li-amānātihim) and their covenant (ʿahdihim).
Amānah is originally a verbal noun (meaning the act of “entrustment”), but sometimes it refers to the thing that is entrusted to someone, such as money. This second sense is meant in this verse. Amānāt is in plural form in this verse, apparently referring to the different types of trust among the people. Some have suggested that it includes not only entrustment between the people, such as entrusting each other with wealth and possession, but also God’s trust to human beings, which includes:
(1) God’s covenants and rules that people must follow; and
(2) the body parts, organs and faculties that one should use in a way that pleases God.
However, this interpretation is an unlikely possibility given the primary meaning of the words, although it is true once we analyze and generalize the meaning.
In the shariah, ʿahd (covenant) is when one commits to something by uttering a prescribed formula. It stands parallel to nadhr (vow) and yamīn (oath). However, ʿahd could also include any duty that has been laid upon a believer. This usage can be seen in the verses: Is it not that whenever they made a covenant, a party of them would cast it away? (), and: And certainly they had made a covenant with Allah before, that they would not turn (their) backs; and Allah’s covenant shall be inquired of (). In these verses and other similar verses, the words covenant (ʿahd) and contract (mīthāq) refer to having a belief that is coupled with observance of the practical duties prescribed by God. Perhaps the singular form of ʿahd [in the current verse] implies this very meaning [of God’s covenant with humankind]: all religious duties are included in a single covenant which is that of īmān (belief, faith).
Riʿāyah means ḥifẓ (to preserve, to maintain). Some have said:
The root word raʿy originally means “to protect an animal,” either by giving it the food that it needs to survive or by defending it against its enemies. However, in terms of usage, the root raʿy is used for any kind of protection and maintenance.
The opposite is arguably more plausible.
Either way, the verse describes the believers as those who preserve their trusts from being breached, and keep their covenants from being broken. Indeed īmān (belief, faith) calls for such attitude, because it involves a sense of composure, confidence and security. When one shows trust in a believer by leaving one’s possession with him, or shows confidence in the person by making a contract with him, then that possession or contract will remain stable with him, and will be secure from loss and damage due to a breach of trust or a break of contract.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ٩
(23:9) And those who keep a guard on their prayers (ṣalawātihim).
Ṣalawāt is the plural of ṣalāh (prayer). The verse talks about keeping a guard on the prayers, which means maintaining their number and order. That is, they are careful not to miss any of the obligatory prayers, and are constantly mindful of them. Again, this is a necessary consequence of īmān.
The verse says “prayers” in plural, while earlier we read “prayer” in singular: Who are humble in their prayer (). This is because humbleness (khushūʿ) is a quality that equally applies to any prayer. Therefore, the singular form of “prayer” in that verse indicates genus (jins), which effectively includes all prayers.
أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ ١٠
(23:10) These are they who are the heirs,
Paradise (al-firdaws) is the highest of the heavenly gardens. We discussed its meaning and some of its characteristics under the verse: Their place of entertainment shall be the gardens of paradise ().
الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ ١١
(23:11) Who shall inherit the Paradise; they shall abide therein.
This verse is an elaboration of “the heirs” in the previous verse. “Inheriting” Paradise is meant in the following sense: initially, anyone can earn and enter Paradise, but some people fail to do so. Thus they forfeit their potential share and chance, and instead, the believers become heirs to them. According to the narrations, each person initially has a place in heaven and in hell. If a person dies and enters hell, then the people of heaven will “inherit” his place in heaven. We will review these traditions in our examination of narrations below.
Examining Narrations
- Concerning “Who are humble (khāshiʿūna, from khushūʿ) in their prayer” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: That is to lower your gaze when you pray and to be focused on your prayer.
Author’s comment: As we pointed out above, these qualities are some of the consequences of humbleness (khushūʿ). In other words, this narration defines humbleness by some of its implications. The same is seen in the next narration.
- [Imam] ʿAlī said: It [khushūʿ] is to not turn aside in your prayers.
- The Messenger of God said: We deem any humility of the body that is beyond the humility of the heart as hypocrisy.
Author’s comment: A similar hadith is narrated from him in al-Durr al-manthūr as follows:
- The Messenger of God said, “Seek refuge in God from humility of hypocrisy.” Then someone asked him, “What is humility of hypocrisy?” He replied, “It is when the body appears to be humble while the heart is not.”
- The Prophet saw a man playing with his beard while praying. He said: If his heart were humbled, then his body parts would also be humbled.
- It has been narrated that the Messenger of God used to raise his eyes toward the heaven when he prayed, but after the revelation of this verse [], he kept his head lowered, and directed his gaze at the ground.
Author’s comment: The last two traditions are also narrated in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of several collections of hadith. There are many other narrations about the meaning of khushūʿ (humility, humbleness).
- Concerning “And who keep aloof from what is vain (laghw)” () Imam al-Ṣādiq said: It means that when someone makes a false allegation against you or describes you by a quality that you are exempt from, you should turn away from him for the sake of God.
- In another narration the Imam said: It [laghw] means chanting (ghinā) and instruments of diversion and distraction (malāhī).
Author’s comment: The last two narrations quoted from Majmaʿ al-bayān present some examples and applications [of laghw]. The next narration—quoted from al-Irshād—is a generalization of the term by analyzing its meaning:
- Imam ʿAlī said: Any speech in which there is no remembrance of God is vain (laghw).
- Imam ʿAlī said: There are three ways in which a woman can become lawful for a man: (1) through a marriage that comes with inheritance; (2) through a marriage that comes without inheritance; and (3) by means of slavery.
- Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked about temporary marriage (mutʿah). He said: It is permissible, but do not marry except a chaste woman. Indeed God says: And who guard their private parts (). So do not place your private part where you do not trust to place your money.
Author’s comment: This narration involves a generalization of the meaning of guarding one’s private part, such that it also includes avoiding the marriage of an unchaste woman.
As one can see, the last two narrations count temporary marriage (mutʿah) as a form of marriage and wedlock. There are numerous narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt to this effect, and Shia jurisprudence is based on these narrations.
This is also confirmed by the Qur’an and what was practiced at the time of the Prophet. Besides the case of a bondswoman, there are two forms of sexual intercourse: either by marriage or adultery (zinā). God has made the latter unlawful and has emphasized its prohibition in many verses that were revealed both in Mecca and Medina. Some examples can be found in Chapters 25 (al-Furqān) and 17 (al-Isrāʾ) which are Meccan, and Chapters 24 (al-Nūr) and 60 (al-Mumtaḥinah) which are Medinite.
God has prohibited adultery as sifāḥ (fornication) in Chapters 4 (al-Nisāʾ) and 5 (al-Māʾidah). He (s.w.t) has also condemned and prohibited it as faḥshāʾ (indecency) in Chapters 7 (al-Aʿrāf), 29 (al-ʿAnkabūt), 12 (Yūsuf), 16 (al-Naḥl), 2 (al-Baqarah) and 24 (al-Nūr), where the first three [Chapters 7, 29 and 12] are Meccan, while the rest—or the last two—are Medinite.
God has also called adultery fāḥishah (indecency) and has prohibited it in Meccan chapters like Chapters 7 (al-Aʿrāf), 6 (al-Anʿām), 17 (al-Isrāʾ), 27 (al-Naml), 29 (al-ʿAnkabūt), 42 (al-Shūrā) and 53 (al-Najm), as well as in Medinite chapters like Chapters 4 (al-Nisāʾ), 24 (al-Nūr), 33 (al-Aḥzāb) and 65 (al-Ṭalāq).
Furthermore, God has indirectly hinted at the prohibition of adultery in Chapter 23: But whoever seeks to go beyond that, these are they that exceed the limits (). This verse also appears in Sūrah al-Maʿārij []. It was well known at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission that wine and fornication are unlawful in Islam.
It is certain [from history] that temporary marriage was practiced [by Muslims] in Mecca before the Prophet’s migration, and also for some time after that in Medina. If temporary marriage were not really a form of marriage, and if a temporary wife were not genuinely a lawful mate included in “Except before their mates” (), then it means that the Muslims used to practice a form of adultery (zinā). This implies that temporary marriage was a form of adultery that the Prophet legalized due to some necessity at the time [in Mecca, and for some time in Medina]. Besides the Prophet’s legalization, one can also infer the legalization of temporary marriage from the verse: Then as to those whom you profit by, give them their dowries as appointed ().
What follows from the above thread is this: (1) Temporary marriage was initially viewed to be permissible. (2) This permissibility was then abrogated by verses such as the current verses of discussion: Except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess… that exceed the limits (; also in ). (3) Then, all the Meccan verses and some of the Medinite verses that prohibit adultery were abrogated as temporary marriage was legalized again, either by the Prophet’s or by verse . This order of events specifically matches the word of some scholars, saying that the Prophet legalized and illegalized temporary marriage several times. What this means is that the verses which prohibit adultery were abrogated, then reestablished, then abrogated and then reestablished (several times). However, no Muslim claims that these verses were abrogated even once, let alone many times. Is such abrogation and restatement anything but playing with the Book of God? The Prophet is far from such disrespect.
Furthermore, the tone and justifications found in the verses that prohibit adultery do not leave any room for abrogation. How could it be that God describes an action to be an abhorrent indecency [] and “an evil way” (), and state that its doer “shall meet the requital of sin; the punishment shall be doubled to him on the day of resurrection, and he shall abide therein in abasement” (), yet He legalizes it later, then prohibits it and then legalizes it again? This is not logical, not to mention that it does not make sense for a hadith to abrogate the Qur’an.
In addition, some of those who performed temporary marriage at the time of the Prophet were among his prominent Companions—those who were most careful about following the laws. How could it be that they asked permission from the Prophet to commit adultery? How come they did not find it to be reprehensible? How could they accept such disgrace and dishonor? For instance, Zubayr had a temporary marriage with Asmāʾ b. Abī Bakr, who then gave birth to ʿAbd-Allāh b. Zubayr and ʿUrwah b. Zubayr, both of whom inherited from Zubayr after his assassination. All of them [Zubayr and his two sons] were among the Prophet’s Companions.
Moreover, the narrations regarding the Prophet’s prohibition of temporary marriage are self-contradictory. The narrators of history and hadith have unanimously reported that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb prohibited temporary marriage during his caliphate. This account refutes the above narrations which say that the Prophet prohibited temporary marriage and abrogated its previous permissibility. We discussed this topic in our exposition of the verse: And lawful for you are (all women) besides those, provided that you seek (them) with your property, taking (them) in marriage not committing adultery. Then as to those whom you profit by, give them their dowries as appointed; and there is no blame on you about what you mutually agree after what is appointed ().
Here is a subtle indication that temporary marriage is a form of marriage, not adultery: the verse refers to it—where it says, “Then as to those whom you profit by…”—right after saying: in marriage not committing adultery.
The above discussion shows that in the language of the Qur’an and the shariah, mutʿah (temporary marriage) is indeed a form of marriage, not adultery or anything unlawful. This we cannot deny, whether we believe that it was abrogated later by the Qur’an or the Sunnah, as most Sunnis believe; or we say that it was not abrogated, as the Shias do, following their Imams of Ahl al-Bayt.
Hence, marriage is of two types:
(a) Permanent marriage, which has its own laws about the number of wives allowed, inheritance (irth), chastity (iḥṣān), obligatory expenses (nafaqah), sleeping together (firāsh), ʿiddah, and so on.
(b) Temporary marriage, which is meant to be simpler. It has some of the laws of permanent marriage, such as: the wife exclusively belonging to the husband, the ascription of the children to the father [in terms of lawfulness, expenses and inheritance], and ʿiddah.
This shows the incorrectness of the argument posited by some Sunni scholars, saying that mutʿah is not a form of marriage; because if it were so, then mutʿah would have had the same rules of marriage including number, inheritance, expenses, chastity, and so on. The flaw in this argument is that marriage is divided into two types: permanent and temporary, each of which has its own laws. Temporary marriage is based on simplicity and is governed by only some of those laws of permanent marriage, as we just mentioned.
Some have raised another objection: The purpose of legislating marriage is to continue the human race through the permanent relationship of the couple, while the goal that is served by mutʿah is only a fulfillment of the sexual need by the discharge of one’s water. This is fornication (sifāḥ, lit. to shed), not marriage (nikāḥ), because it is only to fulfill the desire of shedding of one’s water (safḥ).
The problem with this argument is that the continuation of the human race is a wisdom and benefit that ensues from marriage, not a cause of its legislation. Otherwise, marriage would have been unlawful for barren women, women who have reached menopause, and boys or girls who have not reached puberty yet [while it is not]. Furthermore, there is no contradiction between mutʿah and having children. This is seen in the case mentioned previously, of ʿAbd-Allāh and ʿUrwah, the two sons of Zubayr who were born from Asmāʾ b. Abī Bakr by mutʿah.
Some exegetes, like the author of al-Manār, have said: Mutʿah reduces the woman to a game and entertainment for men, just like a ball that rolls between players in ball games.
To answer this point, we should firstly note that it is first and foremost an objection against the Legislator [that is, God], for it is certain that mutʿah was lawfully practiced for a period of time early in Islam. Whatever the Legislator says in this regard will also be our answer.
Secondly, all of what is sought in mutʿah—such as sexual pleasure, procreation and composure of mind—is common between man and woman, so there is no point in singling out women as being made objects of game and entertainment and not vice versa, unless one just wants to insist on his opinion.
There is more material on this topic, which shall be presented in an independent discussion, if God wills.
- Ibn Abī Malīkah says: I asked ʿĀʾishah about temporary marriage. She said, “Between me and you is the Book of God” and she recited: And who guard their private parts, except before their mates (azwājihim) or those whom their right hands possess (), and she ended it by saying, “But whoever seeks anything beyond what God has given him in [permanent] marriage or by possession of right hand, he has exceeded the limits.”
Author’s comment: A similar narration to this has been narrated by al-Qāsim b. Muḥammad [also in al-Durr al-manthūr]. Our discussion above should have clarified that one’s partner in mutʿah is his wife (zawj, singular of azwāj in the verse) which is declared as lawful by these verse, as opposed to what the above narration says.
- Concerning “But whoever seeks to go beyond (ibtaghā warāʾ) that” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: It [ibtaghā warāʾ] means to transgresses and pass beyond.
- Concerning “And those who keep a guard on their prayers” () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: It means being watchful over their times and rules.
- Al-Fuḍayl b. Yasār says: I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq about God’s words: And those who keep a guard on their prayers (). He said, “It refers to the obligatory prayers (farīḍah).” Then I asked him about: Those who are constant at their prayer (). He said, “It refers to the supererogatory prayers (nāfilah).”
- The Prophet said: There is no one amongst you except that he has two homes: a home in Paradise and a home in hell. If he enters hell after his death, the people of Paradise will inherit his home there.
Author’s comment: A similar narration has been reported by al-Qummī in his Tafsīr as part of a long hadith, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr, from Imam al-Ṣādiq. We also presented another similar narration under the verse: And warn them of the day of intense regret, when the matter shall have been decided ().
Discourse
The discussion “A Social and Legal Discussion” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
Reported in al-Kāfī and other books of hadith. ↩︎
This is a subtle distinction that rather applies to Arabic specifically. It is based on the word fāʿil (doer, actor) conveying a more active sense of fulfilling a task than the subject form of other verbs. (Trans.) ↩︎
Although this verse primarily describes believing men, the entire verses are about all believers, both male and female. Therefore, it can be inferred that the same standard holds for believing women: they do not sleep with any man who is unlawful to them. For any differences between men and women in this regard, one should refer to Islamic jurisprudence. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 25, pp. 114ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
That is, it is more likely that the original meaning of the root was protection in general, but then it was applied to the protection of animals in particular. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 26, pp. 272ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of several collections of hadith. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Mismaʿ b. ʿAbd al-Malik, from Imam al-Ṣādiq. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of several collections of hadith, on the authority of Abū al-Dardāʾ. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Al-Mufīd’s al-Irshād. ↩︎
The author has explained this below. In short, the first case is ordinary or permanent marriage, where the wife inherits from the husband in case he dies. The second case is temporary marriage. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Khiṣāl, from Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad, from his father, from his fathers. ↩︎
This part of the hadith means that you should be at least as cautious in marital and sexual matters as you are in financial matters. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Isḥāq b. Abī Sārah. ↩︎
Faḥshāʾ and fāḥishah both mean “indecency,” except that the first conveys a stronger and more emphasized meaning. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is according to what Ibn Hishām says in his Sīrah (biography of the Prophet). We quoted his account in our Discussion of Traditions under the verse: Intoxicants and games of chance… (), in volume 6 of this book. (Auth.) See volume 11, pp. 160ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
We presented the narrations that suggest this in our Discussion of the Traditions under verse in volume 4 of this book. (Auth.) See volume 8, pp. 124ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
This has been discussed and shown in the science of principles of jurisprudence (uṣūl) such that it needs no further elaboration. (Auth.) ↩︎
See volume 8, pp. 124ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Permanent wives and husbands inherit from one another, as discussed in verse . Iḥṣān refers to the laws of chastity of the couple after marriage, and their penalty if they break it, as discussed in verses and . Nafaqah refers to the obligatory living expenses of wife and children upon the man, as mentioned in verses and . ʿIddah is the period of few months that a woman must wait after divorce or death of her husband before remarriage, as discussed in verses -, , and . It literally means “count” but it can be translated as “observation time” or “interim period.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim and al-Ḥākim (who has authenticated it). ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
See volume 27, pp. 70-71 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎