Verses 27–34

Chapter 24: Al-Nūr (The Light) · Printed edition: Volume 29, pp. 143–158

These verses discuss certain laws and rulings that relate to the previous verses.

Commentary

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتاً غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَ تُسَلِّمُوا عَلى‏ أَهْلِها ذلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٧

(24:27) O you who believe! Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you have asked permission (tastaʾnisū, from istīnās) and saluted their inmates; this is better for you, that you may be mindful.

Having uns with or toward something means having a peaceful relationship and affinity with it. Istīnās [in the form istifʿāl] means “seeking” or “asking for” such a condition and relationship. It is done practically by mentioning God’s name or doing tanaḥnuḥ (coughing, clearing the throat, hemming, making a sound like “hem” or “ahem”) in order to make the host realize one’s presence and willingness to enter the house. This is a way of informing the owner to prepare for the entrant’s presence, because he might be in a condition that he does not want other to see him or find him in that state.

Therefore, the wisdom behind this law is to cover the private affairs of the people and respect the honor of the believers. When one asks permission and informs the owner before entering a house, and then salutes the owner afterwards, he is helping the owner to cover his private affairs and is assuring the owner about himself [that he has no ill will and is not intending any harm].

Persistence with this good custom leads to the strengthening of a general sense of brotherhood, friendship and mutual support to reveal the fair and conceal the foul. This is referred to by saying: this is better for you, that you may be mindful (). It means: May it be that by consistent practice of this custom you would be mindful of what you should observe and revive—in terms of the brotherhood and bond of the hearts, for that is where all social happiness lies.

One exegete has said: “that you may be mindful” is a justification and explanation for something omitted. The implied meaning is: “You are given these instructions so that you may be mindful of God’s admonitions and learn their reasons.” This is an acceptable interpretation.

Another exegete has said: There is a shift of order in “until you have asked permission and saluted their inmates.” What is meant is: “until you have saluted their inmates and asked permission.” However, the implausibility of this view is clear.

فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فِيها أَحَداً فَلا تَدْخُلُوها حَتَّى يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ وَ إِنْ قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا هُوَ أَزْكى‏ لَكُمْ وَ اللَّهُ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ ٢٨

(24:28) But if you do not find any one therein, then do not enter them until permission is given to you; and if it is said to you: “Go back”, then go back; this is purer for you; and Allah is Knower of what you do.

If you realize that there is no one there—that is, no one there to give permission—then do not enter the house because you do not have the owner’s permission. The verse does not mean that you should peek into the house and check, and then if you do not find anyone there then you should not enter. The context shows that all of these laws and prohibitions are in fact against looking at and learning about the people’s private affairs.

The first part of this verse describes the rule for entering someone else’s house when there is no one there to give permission. The previous verse described the rule of entering while the owner of permission is there and does not deny [the entrant form entering]. As with the case when the owner of permission is there but does not give permission for the guest to enter, its rule is described by the second part of this verse: and if it is said to you: Go back, then go back; this is purer for you; and Allah is Knower of what you do ().

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُناحٌ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتاً غَيْرَ مَسْكُونَةٍ فِيها مَتاعٌ لَكُمْ وَ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ ما تُبْدُونَ وَ ما تَكْتُمُونَ ٢٩

(24:29) There will be no sin upon you if you enter uninhabited houses wherein (fīhā) you have some goods (matāʿ) belonging to you; and Allah knows what you do openly and what you hide.

“Wherein you have” is not joined with a conjunction [like “and” or “or”] to the previous part. This, given the context of the verse, shows that “houses” is a noun with two adjectives: “uninhabited” and “wherein you have some goods belonging to you.” Another possibility, albeit less likely, is that “wherein you have some goods belonging to you” explains and justifies why “there will be no sin upon you.” Also, the word matāʿ in this verse apparently means istimtāʿ (enjoyment, usufruct, utility).

The verse gives permission to enter non-residential buildings that are meant for various purposes and functions, such as rest areas, bathhouses, and mills. The fact that they are built to meet [public] needs suggests a universal permission for entering them.

Some exegetes have said: Matāʿ is meant as a noun [that is, “merchandise, commodity”; as opposed to istimtāʿ which is a verbal noun, implying a verbal meaning]. It means that if you have some merchandise or commodity in places like markets or shops which are meant for sale and trade, then you can enter. The verse is giving universal permission for entering in such cases.

The above interpretation is only remotely compatible with the wording of the verse.

قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصارِهِمْ وَ يَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذلِكَ أَزْكى‏ لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِما يَصْنَعُونَ ٣٠

(24:30) Say to the believing men that they cast down (yaghuḍḍū, from ghaḍḍ) their eyes (min abṣārihim) and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.

Ghaḍḍ means “closing one’s eyelids.” Abṣār is the plural of baṣar, which means “eye.” Therefore, the particle min [lit. “of” or “from”; not translated above] shows the starting point of closing and casting down. Unlike what some exegetes have suggested, it is not an extra particle; it does not indicate genus; and it is not partitive. The meaning is: They should go about casting and curtailing of looks, starting from their own eyes.

Say to the believing men that they cast down their eyes…: The second part of this statement is an independent sentence, saying: “they cast down their eyes” or “they will cast down their eyes.” However, it is mentioned as a complement of “say” [in the imperative]. This shows that “say” means “order, command.” The meaning, including the implied omitted part, is: “Order the believers to cast down their eyes, because if you order them to cast down their eyes, then they will cast down their eyes.” Hence, the verse’s message is a command to cast down the eyes. Alternatively, you can say that it is a prohibition of looking at what one should not look at—including what is unlawful to see of all unrelated individuals, including both male and female, because it is an unconditional statement.

… and guard their private parts (furūjahum)…: Furūj is the plural of furjah and farj, meaning “a split between two things.” This term is used metaphorically in reference to the private organs. This is the meaning of furūj in the Qur’an’s language, which is full of courtesy and decorum. Later on, due to frequent usage, this metaphorical polite meaning became like a primary meaning for the term, as al-Rāghib has explained. What is meant here is: And order them to guard their private parts.

Some exegetes have suggested that “guard their private parts” means guarding them from adultery and sodomy. However, since this phrase is added to “cast down their eyes,” it means guarding the private parts from the looks of others. It is narrated from al-Ṣādiq: “Every verse in the Qur’an about guarding the private parts is a prohibition of adultery except this verse [] which is a prohibition of unlawful look.”

Based on this narration, we can qualify the first sentence by the second one. Thus, the verse is prohibiting the believers from looking at the private parts of others, and is commanding them to cover their own.

The verse then refers to the wisdom and benefit in this law, and urges them to observe it, by saying: that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.

وَ قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِناتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصارِهِنَّ وَ يَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَ لا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ ما ظَهَرَ مِنْها وَ لْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلى‏ جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَ لا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبائِهِنَّ أَوْ آباءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْناءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَواتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسائِهِنَّ أَوْ ما مَلَكَتْ أَيْمانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلى‏ عَوْراتِ النِّساءِ وَ لا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ ما يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ٣١

(24:31) And say to the believing women that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or dependent men not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! So that you may be successful.

The first part of the verse—“And say to the believing women that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts”—has the same meaning as the first part of the previous verse: Say to the believing men that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts (). Thus, it is not permissible for women to look at unlawful scenes; they must cover their private parts from unrelated men and women.

… and do not display (yubdīna, from ibdāʾ) their ornaments except what appears thereof…: The word ibdāʾ means iẓhār (to show, to disclose, to display, to expose). Obviously, there is nothing impermissible in showing the actual jewelry like earrings and bracelets, but what is meant by “displaying ornaments” is the body parts that bear those ornaments; that is, the places where women wear jewelry.

God has made an exception for what appears of these parts. According to the narrations, “what appears thereof” includes the face, the hands, and the feet, as we shall see below [in our examination of narrations].

… and let them wear their head-coverings (bi-khumurihinna) over their bosoms (juyūbihinna)…: Khumur is the plural of khimār, which is what a woman uses to cover her head, and which hangs over her breast. Juyūb is the plural of jayb (collar). Here, jayb means ṣadr (chest, breast, bosom). The meaning of this part is: They should let the two ends of their head covering to come down so that they would cover their bosoms with them.

… and not display their ornaments except to their husbands (li-buʿūlatihinna) or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women…: Buʿūlah [plural of baʿl] means “husbands.” The other seven groups are their lawfully related men, through either blood or marriage. The grandfathers of their husbands would have the same rule as their fathers-in-law, and the grandsons of their husbands would have the same rule as their husbands’ sons.

… or their women…: Qualifying “women” by the possessive pronoun “their” shows that “their women” means “Muslim women.” Thus, it is not permissible for Muslim women to take off their covering before non-Muslim women. There are narrations to this effect from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt.

… or those whom their right hands possess…: The unconditional form of this phrase makes it inclusive of both male and female servants. This is also found in the narrations, as we shall present below, by God’s will. Here is a case of using the particle mā (lit. “that, which, what”) for intelligent beings [accordingly translated as “whom”].

… or dependent (al-tābiʿīn) men not having need (al-irbah) (of women)…: Irbah means ḥājah (need). Here, it means sexual need and desire that should be satisfied by marriage. The verse literally says: “or dependents not having need min al-rijāl,” where min al-rijāl (of men, among men) describes and defines al-tābiʿīn (dependents). Al-tābiʿīn in this verse refers to mentally disabled individuals who are under the guardianship of others and have no sexual desire, as interpreted by the narrations.

… or the children (al-ṭifl) who have not attained knowledge (lam yaẓharū, from ẓuhūr) of (ʿalā) what is hidden of women…: The article al- (lit. “the”) shows istighrāq (inclusion, comprehensiveness, coverage). Ẓuhūr here means “to overcome, to dominate.” The meaning is: “All children who are not capable and potent over those affairs of women that are bad to be mentioned explicitly.” This is a way of referring to puberty, as suggested by the exegetes.

… and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known …: What is meant here is making a sound from ornaments like anklets, necklaces, earrings and bracelets.

… and turn (tūbū, from tawbah) to Allah all of you, O believers! So that you may be successful: Given the theme of the verses, what is meant by tawbah (repentance, return) here is turning to God by obeying His commands and refraining from His prohibitions. Overall, it means following His path.

وَ أَنْكِحُوا الْأَيامى‏ مِنْكُمْ وَ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبادِكُمْ وَ إِمائِكُمْ إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَراءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَ اللَّهُ واسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٣٢

(24:32) And marry (al-inkāḥ) those among you who are single (al-ayāmā) and those who are fit (al-ṣāliḥīn) among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.

The word inkāḥ means tazwīj (to give in marriage, to make someone marry). Ayāmā is the plural of ayyim, meaning “a single man or a single woman.” The latter is also called ayyimah [in feminine form]. In this verse, the word ṣāliḥīn (lit. “righteous”) means those who are fit for marriage, not those who are righteous in terms of deeds.

… if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace…: This is a promise of wealth and abundance, which is then emphasized by: and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. Every being receives its rizq (sustenance, provision, livelihood) according to its capacity [to receive], based on the mashiyyah (will, decree) of God. God-willing, we shall present a discussion about the abundance of provision in our exposition of the verse: And by the Lord of the heavens and the earth! It is most surely the truth, just as you do speak ().

وَ لْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لا يَجِدُونَ نِكاحاً حَتَّى يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَ الَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ الْكِتابَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمانُكُمْ فَكاتِبُوهُمْ إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْراً وَ آتُوهُمْ مِنْ مالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي آتاكُمْ وَ لا تُكْرِهُوا فَتَياتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغاءِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَ تَحَصُّناً لِتَبْتَغُوا عَرَضَ الْحَياةِ الدُّنْيا وَ مَنْ يُكْرِهْهُنَّ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِكْراهِهِنَّ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ٣٣

(24:33) And let those who do not find (the means of) marriage keep chaste (yastaʿfif, from istiʿfāf) until Allah makes them free from want out of His grace. And (as for) those who ask for a writing from among those whom your right hands possess, give them the writing if you know any good in them, and give them of the wealth of Allah which He has given you; and do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek the frail good of this world’s life; and whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Istiʿfāf and taʿaffuf are synonymous (abstinence, restraint, curtailment). “Not finding marriage” means not being able to afford the dowry and the expenses of having a wife. The verse addresses those who cannot marry, commanding them to guard themselves against adultery and be chaste until God makes them financially solvent out of His grace.

… And (as for) those who ask for a writing (al-kitāb) from among those whom your right hands possess, give them the writing if you know any good in them…: Kitāb here means mukātabah (contract of manumission). “Asking for mukātabah” is when a slave asks his owner to write a contract with which he would be freed in exchange for a payment [which he would earn by labor]. The verse orders the masters to accept this offer if they “know any good in them,” which refers to verifying if they are fit and suitable to be freed.

… and give them of the wealth of Allah which He has given you…: This refers to a legal ruling about obligatory zakāh (alms, poor-rate), where part of the zakāh fund should be allocated to paying the agreed amount of mukātabah. Thus, they have a share in zakāh money which belongs to them, as stated in the verse: and the (ransoming of) captives (). This part of the verse could also be a moral advice, telling the owners to give some discount to the slaves on the agreed price.

This verse and the previous one involve several legal discussions that should be sought in books of fiqh (Islamic law, jurisprudence).

… and do not compel your slave girls (fatayātikum) to prostitution (al-bighāʾ), when they desire to keep chaste (taḥaṣṣunan), in order to seek the frail good (ʿaraḍ) of this world’s life: Fatayāt means “slave women and slave girls.” Bighāʾ means “adultery.” It is in the form mufāʿalah, from the root baghy (transgression). Taḥassun has two meanings: (1) taʿaffuf (keeping chaste, abstinence, restraint); and (2) izdiwāj (marriage). “Seeking the ʿaraḍ of this world” means seeking wealth. The meaning is clear.

The verse prohibits forcing slave girls to prostitution, conditional on “when they desire to keep chaste.” This qualification is because there would be no forcing or compulsion (ikrāh) if there is no such desire of chastity on their part. God then promises these ladies forgiveness if they are forced to do so by saying: and whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. The rest of the meaning should be clear.

وَ لَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنا إِلَيْكُمْ آياتٍ مُبَيِّناتٍ وَ مَثَلاً مِنَ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَ مَوْعِظَةً لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ٣٤

(24:34) And certainly We have sent to you clarifying communications and a description (mathalan) of those who have passed away before you, and an admonition to those who guard (against evil).

Mathal here is synonymous with ṣifah (attribute, description). It could be that this verse is an independent message and expresses a new point. The meaning would be: I swear that We have sent to you the following: (1) communications that elucidate for you religious teachings by which you may reach salvation; (2) descriptions of those who were before you, both their good-doers and their evildoers, so that it may become clear to you what you should take and what you should drop; and (3) admonition to those of you who are God-conscious.

The word “and” at the beginning of the verse could also mean “while.” In that case, the verse would be a description of the subject in “and turn to Allah all of you” ().

Examining Narrations

1. Concerning verse (Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you have asked permission (tastaʾnisū, from istīnās) and saluted their inmates) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Istīnās is stamping your shoes [to make a sound] and saying salaam.

Author’s comment: Al-Ṣadūq has also narrated this in Maʿānī al-akhbār, on the authority of Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, with an unmentioned chain of transmission (marfūʿ) up to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, from the Imam.

2. Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī said: Once we asked, “O Messenger of God, what is istīnās?” He said, “It is uttering God’s glorification (tasbīḥ), praise (taḥmīd) or exaltation (takbīr), or doing tanaḥnuḥ (coughing, clearing the throat, hemming) as a signal to the people in a house.
3. Once, a man walked into one of the chambers of the Messenger of God while he was combing his hair. He [the Messenger of God] said to the man, “Had I known that you are looking, I would have struck it [the comb] in your eyes. [The law of] asking permission is exactly meant for [preventing this kind of] looking.”
4. Once, a man asked the Prophet: “Should I ask permission to enter [even] from my mom?” He answered, “Yes.” The man asked, “She has no servant other than me. Should I ask permission from her every time that I want to enter?” He replied, “Do you like to see her naked?” The man answered, “No!” He said, “So ask her permission.”
5. Once a man coughed and cleared his throat (tanaḥnuḥ) as a means of asking permission from the Messenger of God to enter. He said to a woman there named Rawḍah: “Go to this man and tell him to say, ‘Peace be upon you, may I enter?’” The man heard this and said it. Then the Prophet said, “Come in!”

Author’s comment: Al-Durr al-manthūr has narrated the above narrations from several collections of hadith.

6. The Messenger of God was once asked about asking permission to enter the homes. He said: One who looks [inside a house] before asking permission and saluting [the inhabitants] has indeed disobeyed God and deserves no permission.
7. Concerning verse (But if you do not find any one therein, then do not enter them until permission is given to you) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: It means that if you do not find anyone there to give you permission [to enter], then do not enter until you are given permission.
8. Concerning verse (There will be no sin upon you if you enter uninhabited houses wherein you have some goods belonging to you) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: This pertains to bathhouses, rest areas and mills. You can enter them without permission.
9. In a narration about what God has made incumbent upon different organs, Imam al-Ṣādiq said: He has prescribed for the eye to not look at what God has made unlawful for it, and to turn away from the unlawful scenes that God has prohibited. This is the eye’s action, and it is part of īmān (faith, belief). He says: Say to the believing men that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts (). Thus He has prohibited them from looking at the private parts of each other. One should not look at his brother’s private part, and should guard his own from being seen. He also says: And say to the believing women that they cast down their eyes and guard their private parts (). Thus, a Muslim woman should not look at the private part of her sister, and should guard her own from being seen.

The Imam then said: Every verse in the Qur’an about guarding the private parts is a prohibition of adultery except this verse [] which is a prohibition of [unlawful] look.

Author’s comment: Qummī has also narrated the subsequent part of this hadith in his Tafsīr, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr, from the Imam. It is also narrated from Abū al-ʿĀliyah and Ibn Zayd.

10. Imam al-Bāqir said: Once, a young man of Anṣār (Medinite Supporters) came across a woman in Medina, walking from the opposite side. That was a time when women used to wrap their head covers behind their ears. The man looked at her as they were facing each other. When she passed him, he continued to look behind to see her, and at the same time he entered an alley named after a certain tribe. As he was looking back, he went bang into a piece of bone or glass sticking out of a wall, and that tore his face. When the woman was out of his sight, he turned his head and saw the blood pouring on his clothes and chest. He thought to himself, “By God I shall go to the Messenger of God and inform him of this.”

Thus he set off. When the Messenger of God saw him, he asked, “What happened to you?” The man told him what happened. Then Gabriel came down with the verse: Say to the believing men that they cast down (yaghuḍḍū, from ghaḍḍ) their eyes and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do ().

Author’s comment: Al-Durr al-manthūr has narrated a similar account, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, from ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib.

This narration suggests that ghaḍḍ (casting down), in this verse, apparently means not to look at unrelated women altogether [that is, closing the eye and not looking at all, as opposed to merely lowering and curtailing one’s gaze while still looking]. The same can be deduced from some of the previous narrations that specifically prohibit looking at the private part of others.

11. Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked, “What parts of an unrelated woman are permissible to look at?” He said, “The face, the hands and the feet.”

Author’s comment: This is also narrated in al-Khiṣāl, on the authority of some of our companions, from the Imam.

12. ʿAlī b. Jaʿfar asked his brother Mūsā b. Jaʿfar: “What parts of an unrelated woman can a man look at?” He said, “The face, the hand, and the place of bracelet [that is, the wrist].”
13. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: It is permissible to look at the heads of the people of Tihāmah [in the Arabian Peninsula], the desert Arabs, people of the outskirts, and infidels, because if they are told to stop they will not do so.

He also said: As women who are insane or feeble-minded, it is permissible to look at their hair and body as long as one does not intentionally do so [that is, gaze at them, out of lust].

Author’s comment: Apparently what the Imam means by “as long as one does not intentionally do so” is the act of looking for sexual pleasure (rībah).

14. The Prophet said to the Commander of the Faithful: O ʿAlī! The first glance is for you [that is, permissible], but the second one is against you, not for you.
15. In another similar account, the Messenger of God said to ʿAlī: Do not make successive looks [at an unrelated woman], because the first one is yours but not the second.
16. Umm Salamah said: Once I and Maymūnah were with the Prophet, when Ibn Umm Maktūm came by, and that was after he had ordered us to maintain a veil []. He told us: “Veil yourselves.” We asked, “O Messenger of God! Is it not that he is blind and does not see us?” He said, “But are you also blind? Is it not that you see him?”

Author’s comment: Al-Durr al-manthūr has also narrated this on the authority of Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasāʾī and al-Bayhaqī, from her.

17. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: It is not permissible for a [Muslim] woman to uncover in front of a Jewish or Christian woman, because they might describe it to their husbands.
18. Concerning “those whom their right hands possess” (), Majmaʿ al-bayān says: This has been interpreted as male and female servants, as narrated from Imam al-Ṣādiq.
19. ʿAbd al-Rāḥmān b. Abī ʿAbd-Allāh says: I asked him [Imam al-Ṣādiq] about “dependent men not having need” (). He said: These are mentally disabled individuals who are under the guardianship of others and who do not sleep with women [that is, do not have its ability and/or its desire].
20. The Messenger of God said: If one refrains from marriage because of fearing poverty, then he is pessimistic of God, for God has promised: If they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace ().

Author’s comment: There are abundant narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt confirming the ones quoted above. Those who are interested should refer to the books of hadith.

21. Concerning “give them the writing if you know any good in them” () Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “Good” means: (1) testifying that there is no god but God and that Muḥammad is God’s Messenger; and (2) currently having a job as a source of earning, or having some skill [by which he can make a living].

Author’s comment: There are also other narrations to this effect.

22. ʿAlāʾ b. al-Fuḍayl says: Concerning “give them the writing if you know any good in them, and give them of the wealth of Allah which He has given you” (), Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “[It means that] you reduce some of their instalments that you were not planning to discount before, albeit within your ability.” I asked, “Like how much?” He said, “[My father] Abū Jaʿfar had a slave who owed him 6000; he gave the slave a discount of 1000.”
23. It is narrated in from ʿAlī that it [the discount] should be a quarter [of the agreed price].

Author’s comment: The narrations overall suggest that apparently no specific percentage has been set for this.

24. Under the exposition of verse (and the (ransoming of) captives) we reported al-ʿAyyāshi’s narration that the mukātab (slaves who are written off their contracts of manumission) are entitled to the part of zakāh (alms, poor-rate) that is allotted to the freeing of captives.
25. Concerning verse (and do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, when they desire to keep chaste) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: The Arabs and Quraysh used to purchase slave girls, impose heavy duties on them to pay, and order them, “Go, prostitute, and earn money!” Thus God prohibited them from doing so by saying: and do not compel your slave girls to prostitution… Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (). The verse means that God will not hold these slaves accountable for this if they are forced into it.
26. Concerning verse (in order to seek the frail good of this world’s life) Majmaʿ al-bayān says: It has been said that ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy had six slave girls whom he had compelled to make earnings by prostitution. When it was revealed that adultery is unlawful, they went to the Messenger of God and complained [about their case]. Thus this verse was revealed.

Author’s comment: There are also some narrations reported in al-Durr al-manthūr which state that ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy had slave girls whom he had compelled to prostitution. However, the part about the prohibition of adultery [as being the cause of revelation of this verse] is weakened by the fact that adultery was not prohibited in Medina [where this chapter was revealed and ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy used to live], but it was prohibited in Mecca before the migration [of the Prophet to Medina]. Rather, the unlawfulness of adultery was one of the necessary and undoubtable laws of Islam since its call of truth first appeared. As we said in our exposition of Sūrah al-Anʿām [under verse ], the unlawfulness of indecencies (al-fawāḥish)—one of which is adultery—is among the universal laws that are not restricted to any particular religious legal code.

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1. The reason for the shift of order is that salutation (that is, saying salaam) in this verse is a means of asking permission (istīnās), which occurs before one enters a place. This is different from the salaam that one says after entry. The implausibility of this view is because “and saluted their inmates” interprets and describes “until you have asked permission” by showing how one should ask permission. (Trans.) ↩︎

2. This has rather to do with the Arabic text of the verse, where the subsequence part—“wherein you have some goods belonging to you”—is disjointed from the first part. The meaning favored by the author springs first to the mind. It is also more comprehensive than the second, because it effectively means that the lawfulness of entering such places without asking permission is because of two conditions: (1) they are uninhabited; and (2) you have some right or belonging there. (Trans.) ↩︎

3. In other words, matāʿ in this verse does not mean an object or commodity in particular, but it means the right to enjoy or use something or some place. (Trans.) ↩︎

4. If the particle min is extra, then it means that dropping it from the verse would not affect its meaning. If it is for genus (jins), then it means: “Eyes or looks in general should be cast down.” If it is for partition (tabʿīḍ), then it means: “Some of eyes or gazes should be curtailed and cast down.” The last two meanings are more compatible with the interpretation of baṣar as “look or gaze.” (Trans.) ↩︎

5. The qualification is that “cast down their eyes” is not an unconditional prohibition, but it means to curtail and divert one’s gaze from what is unlawful, namely the private organs of others. (Trans.) ↩︎

6. In other words, the particle min is descriptive (bayāniyyah), implying that tābiʿīn (dependents) can be replaced by rijāl (men). It is not partitive (tabʿīḍiyyah, implying that tābiʿīn is a subset of rijāl. (Trans.) ↩︎

7. Ẓuhūr can also mean “to learn, to know.” This is how most English translation (including the one above) have interpreted the word. According to this interpretation, the verse describes immature children as lacking sexual knowledge. According to the author’s interpretation, it describes them as being sexually inactive and impotent. The author’s interpretation is more consistent with other cases in the Qur’an when ẓuhūr is used with the particle ʿalā (on, over, above), as in the current verse. (Trans.) ↩︎

8. The form mufāʿalah is most commonly used when there are two sides in an action. Thus, bighāʾ literally means a “two-sided transgression,” which is used courteously to denote adultery. (Trans.) ↩︎

9. It is called ʿaraḍ because it does not last. (Trans.) ↩︎

10. That is: “Turn and repent to God while We have sent to you clarifying communications…” This implies justification, and the word “while” would mean “because.” (Trans.) ↩︎

11. Tafsīr al-Qummī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī ʿAbd-Allāh. ↩︎

12. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

13. Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Sahl b. Saʿd. ↩︎

14. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

15. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

16. Al-Durr al-manthūr has narrated hadith number 2 from Abū Ayyūb, and number 3 from Sahl b. Saʿd [just like the narrations in Majmaʿ al-bayān]. Number 5 is narrated from ʿAmr b. Saʿd al-Thaqafī. ↩︎

17. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of ʿUbādat b. al-Ṣāmit. ↩︎

18. Tafsīr al-Qummī. ↩︎

19. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū ʿAmr al-Zubayrī. ↩︎

20. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Saʿd al-Iskāf. ↩︎

21. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Marwak b. ʿUbayd, on the authority of some of our companions. ↩︎

22. Al-Ḥimyarī’s Qurb al-isnād. ↩︎

23. The pronoun “they” in this hadith is masculine. It is based on taking these women to be a “people” (ahl or qawm, which are both masculine). (Author.)Thus the meaning is: “If these women are ordered to stop exposing their hair, they will not do so.” Another meaning suggested by ʿAllāmah Majlisī is that the pronoun “they” refers to their men: “If their men are told to stop exposing their wives, they will not stop.” Majlisī, Mirʾāt al-ʿuqūl (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1404), 20:353-354. (Trans.) ↩︎

24. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbbād b. Ṣuhayb. ↩︎

25. Deriving sexual pleasure in any form or degree—whether by sight, voice and touch—is only permissible from one’s lawful spouse. Rībah literally means “doubt or suspicion.” In Islamic law it specifically means “impious look,” meaning a look that could involve sexual attraction and pleasure. It is called rībah because it involves a risk and possibility (rībah) of falling into sin, or because it may raise suspicion (rībah) about the looker in the minds of others. (Trans.) ↩︎

26. Al-Khiṣāl. ↩︎

27. Al-Durr al-manthūr, from several collections of hadith, on the authority of Buraydah. ↩︎

28. Jawāmiʿ al-jāmiʿ. ↩︎

29. Man lā yaḥḍuruhu al-faqīh, on the authority of Ḥafṣ b. al-Bakhtarī. ↩︎

30. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎

31. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar, from his father, from his fathers. ↩︎

32. Man lā yaḥḍuruhu al-faqīh, on the authority of al-ʿAlāʾ, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Muslim. ↩︎

33. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎

34. Majmaʿ al-bayān and al-Durr al-manthūr. ↩︎