SURAH (24) AN-NOUR (AYA 11 to 30)

SECTION 2

The scandal against Ayesha

About the accusation against Ayesha when she had been left behind by the caravan.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِنْكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَكُمْ ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الْإِثْمِ ۚ وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ {24:11}

[Q24:11] Innal lazeena jaaa'oo bilifki 'usbatum minkum; laa tahsaboohu sharral lakum bal huwa khairul lakum; likul limri'im minhum mak tasaba minal-ism; wallazee tawallaa kibrahoo minhum lahoo 'azaabun 'azeem. 
[Q24:11] Surely they who concocted the lie are a party from among you. Do not regard it an evil to you; nay, it is good for you. Every man of them shall have what he has earned of sin; and (as for) him who took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous chastisement.

[Q24:11] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang membawa berita yang amat dusta itu ialah segolongan dari kalangan kamu; janganlah kamu menyangka (berita yang dusta) itu buruk bagi kamu, bahkan ia baik bagi kamu. Tiap-tiap seorang di antara mereka akan beroleh hukuman sepadan dengan kesalahan yang dilakukannya itu dan orang yang mengambil bahagian besar dalam menyiarkannya di antara mereka, akan beroleh seksa yang besar (di dunia dan di akhirat).

THE PARTICULAR INCIDENT REFERRED TO HERE OCCURRED ON THE RETURN FROM THE DEFENSIVE EXPEDITION of the Bani Mustaliq in 5-6 Hijra.

°          At one of the halts, Ayesha, Prophet Muhammad's wife, withdrew from the camp to cleanse herself in the nearby desert. There she lost her necklace. As it was dark there she took time to discover it.

°          In the meantime the march was ordered. As her litter was veiled, it was not noticed that she was not in it. When she returned to the camp, she could do nothing but wait. She fell asleep.

°          Next morning she was found by Safwan who had been left behind to pick up anything inadvertently left behind. He put her on his camel and brought her, leading the camel on foot.

°          This episode furnished some malicious enemies of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), particularly the hypocrites, with an opportunity to raise a scandalous storm in order to hurt the feelings of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

°          The ringleader among them was the chief of the Madina hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubay. Mistah, her uncle, also helped him. Ibn Ubay is referred to as the man who "took on himself the lead among them" to spread the scandal.

Ali ibne Abi Talib knew that it was an obvious lie (as said in verse 12), concocted to hurt the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), so he asked Burayrah, the maid of Ayesha, to tell the mischief-makers the truth about her mistress. On Burayrah's report the scandal was diffused.

For verse 13 refer to the commentary of verse 4.

Ø  Mistah was a sahabi (companion) of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) BUT BECAUSE of his role in the incident he was punished by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). It shows that every sahabi was not righteous. According to ALLAH (SWT)'s law (indallah) four witnesses have to be produced even if the accusation is true.

PEOPLE MAY THINK IT IS AN INSIGNIFICANT MATTER TO SPEAK LIGHTLY OF SOMETHING WHICH DAMAGES A PERSON'S CHARACTER OR REPUTATION, BUT WITH ALLAH (SWT) IT IS A MOST SERIOUS MATTER IN ALL CASES, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT INVOLVES THE HONOUR AND REPUTATION OF PIOUS MEN AND WOMEN.

ä  DISSEMINATION OF SCANDALOUS news and gossip is a wide-spread social evil. In modern times it is carried out through books and magazines, and all forms of social media through the internet syberspace.

For *thorough purification see commentary of Ahzab 33:33 and for *partial purification verse 26 of this surah.

Verse 22 refers to Abu Bakr, the father of Ayesha, and Mistah, his cousin. Abu Bakr was given ample means by ALLAH (SWT). He used to support Mistah, BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT he withdrew his help.

r  According to the highest standards of Islamic ethics, as said in this verse, a truly generous patron should not, in personal anger, withdraw his support even from a delinquent if he is in need. The general application holds good for all time.

THOSE WHO DESIRE THAT ALLAH (SWT) SHOULD FORGIVE THEIR FAULTS MUST BE FORGIVING AND MERCIFUL IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH MEN WHO HAVE WRONGED THEM.

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(24:11) Those who have invented the slander, *8 are some of your own people. *9 You should not, however, regard this matter as evil for it has good in it for you. *10 Whoso took any part in this, he earned his share of the sin accordingly, and the one, who had the greatest share of responsibility in it, *11 shall have a terrible punishment.

*8 THIS IS AN ALLUSION TO THE SLANDER AGAINST HADRAT `A'ISHAH. ALLAH HAS HIMSELF DESCRIBED IT AS IFK (false accusation, calumny) WHICH IMPLIES ITS TOTAL REFUTATION
From here begins the mention of the incident which provided the occasion of this Surah's revelation. We have reproduced the initial part of it in the Introduction as related by Hadrat `A' ishah herself; the rest of it is reproduced below. She says:
"Rumours about this slander went on spreading in the city for about a month, which caused great distress and anguish to the Holy Prophet. I cried due to helplessness and my parents were sick with mental agony. At last one day the Holy Prophet visited us and he sat near me, which he had not done since the slander had staved. Feeling that something decisive was going to happen that day, Hadrat Abu Bakr and Umm Ruman (Hadrat `A'ishah's mother) also sat near us. The Holy Prophet started the conversation, saying: `A'ishah, I have heard this and this about you: if you are innocent, I expect that Allah will declare your innocence. But it you have committed a sin, you should offer repentance and ask for Allah's forgiveness; when a servant (of Allah) confesses his guilt and repents, Allah forgives him.' Hearing these words, tears dried in my eyes. I looked up to my father expecting that he would reply to the Holy Prophet, but he said, `Daughter, I do not know what I should say.' Then I turned to my mother, but she also did not know what to say. At last I said, `You have all heard something about me and believed it. Now if I say that I am innocent-and Allah is my witness that I am innocent-you will not believe me; and if I confess something which I never did and Allah knows that I never did it-you will believe me.' At that time I tried to call to memory the name of Prophet Jacob but could not recall it. Therefore in view of the predicament that I was placed in, I said, ' `I cannot but repeat the words which the father of Prophet Joseph had spoken: fa-sabrun jamil: I will bear this patiently with good grace.' (XII: 83). Saying this I lay down and turned to the other side. I was thinking that Allah was aware of my innocence, and He would certainly reveal the truth, but I could never imagine that Divine Revelation would come down in my defense, which the people will read and recite till the Last Day. What I thought probable was that the Holy Prophet would see a dream in which Allah would indicate my innocence. But in the meantime suddenly, the state of receiving Revelation appeared on the Holy Prophet, when pearl-like drops of perspiration used to gather on his face even in severe winter. We all held our breath and sat silent. As for me I was fearless, but my parents seemed to be struck with fear; they did not know what the Divine Revelation would be. When the Revelation was over, the Holy Prophet seemed to be very pleased. Overjoyed with happiness the first words he spoke were: `Congratulations, `A'ishah, Allah has sent down proof of your innocence' and then he recited these ten verses (11-21). At this my mother said to me, `Get up and thank the Holy Prophet.' I said, 'I shall neither thank him nor you two, but thank Allah Who has sent down my absolution. You did not even so, much as contradict the charge against me.' (This is not the translation of any one tradition, but the substance of many traditions which are found in the books of Hadith in connection with the incident of the slander against Hadrat `A'ishah).
One subtle point to be understood here is that before mentioning the absolution of Hadrat 'A'ishah, a full section of verses has been devoted to the Commandments pertaining to zina, qazf and li'an by which Allah means to admonish that zina is not a slight matter which may be used as a means of entertaining the people in a gathering. It is very serious.'If the accuser is right in his accusation he should produce witnesses, and get a most horrible punishment inflicted upon the adulterer and the adulteress. If the accuser is false, he deserves to be given 80 stripes, so that nobody may dare to bring a false charge against the other person. And if the accuser is a husband, he will have to exercise li’an in a court of law to settle the matter. So, none who utters such an accusation will have peace. The Islamic society which has been brought about for the purpose of establishing goodness and piety in the world, can neither tolerate zina as a means of entertainment nor endure loose talk about it as a diversion and amusement. 
*9 Only a few persons have been mentioned in traditions, who were spreading the rumours. They were: `Abdullah bin Ubayy, Zaid bin Rifa'ah (who was probably the son of Rifa'ah bin Zaid, the Jewish hypocrite), Mistah bin Uthathah, Hassan bin Thabit, and Hamnah bint Jahsh. The first two of these were hypocrites, and the other three Muslims, who had been involved in the mischief due to misunderstanding and weakness. Names of the other People who were more or less involved in the mischief have not been mentioned in the books of Hadith and life of the Holy Prophet. 
*10 That is, "You should not lose heart. Though the hypocrites, according to their own presumptions, have made the worst attack on you, it will eventually bring misfortune on them, and will prove to be a blessing in disguise for you."
As mentioned in the Introduction above, the hypocrites had planned to inflict a defeat on the Muslims on the moral front, which was their real field of superiority and responsible for their victory on every other front against the opponents. But Allah turned this mischief into a means of strength for the Muslims. On this occasion, the conduct and attitude adopted by the Holy Prophet, Hadrat Abu Bakr and his family, and the Muslims at large proved beyond any doubt that they were the purest people morally, tolerant and just in nature, noble and forbearing in character. If the Holy Prophet had wished he could have got the people responsible for the attack on his honour beheaded immediately. But he bore everything with patience for a whole month. And when Divine injunction came down from Allah, he enforced the punishment for qazf only on those three Muslims whose guilt was established, and even spared the hypocrites. Hadrat Abu Bakr's own relative, whose whole family he had been supporting all along, continued heaping disgrace on him publicly, but that noble man neither severed his family relations with him nor stopped monetary help to him and his family. None of the wives of the Holy Prophet took the least part in the slander nor even expressed the slightest approval of it. So much so that Hadrat Zainab (a wife of the Holy Prophet), for whose sake her real sister, Hamnah bint Jahsh, was taking part in the slander, did not utter anything about her rival (Hadrat `A'ishah) except good words. According to Hadrat `A'ishah, herself: "Zainab among the wives of the Holy Prophet was my strongest rival, but when in connection with the incident of the slander, the Holy Prophet asked her opinion of me, she said, `O Messenger of Allah, I swear by God that I have perceived nothing in her except piety'." Hadrat `A'ishah's own nobility of character can be judged by this that though Hassan bin Thabit had played a prominent role in the campaign of slander against her, she continued to treat him with due honour and esteem. When the people reminded her that he was the man who had slandered her, she retorted, `No, he it was who used to rebut the anti-Islamic poets on behalf of the Holy Prophet and Islam.' Such was the conduct and attitude of those people who were directly affected by the slander. As for the other Muslims, their attitude can be judged from one instance. When Hadrat Abu Ayyub Ansari's wife mentioned before him the rumours of the slander, he said, "Mother of Ayyub, if you had been there in place of `A'ishah, would you have done that?" She replied, "By God, I would never have done it." Hadrat Ayyub then said, "Well, `A'ishah is a much better woman than you. As for myself if I had been in place of Safwan, I could never have entertained such an evil thought and Safwan is a better Muslim than I. ° Thus, the result of the mischief engineered by the hypocrites was contrary to what they had planned to achieve, and the Muslims emerged out of this test morally stronger than before.
Then there was more good to come from this. The incident became the cause of some very important additions to the social law and injunctions of Islam. Through these the Muslims received such Commandments from Allah by which the Muslim society can be kept clean and protected against the creation and propagation of moral evils, and if at all they arise, they can be corrected promptly.
Furthermore, there was another aspect of goodness in it also. The Muslims came to understand fully that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had no knowledge of the unseen. He knew only that which Allah taught him. Beside that his knowledge was the same as that of a common man. For one full month he remained in great anxiety with regard to Hadrat `A'ishah. He would sometimes make enquiries from the maid-servant, sometimes from his other wives, and sometimes from Hadrat `Ali and Hadrat Usamah. At last when he spoke to Hadrat `A'ishah, he spoke only this: "If you have committed the sin, you should offer repentance, and if you are innocent, I expect that Allah will declare your innocence." Had he possessed any knowledge of the unseen, he would not have felt so upset„ nor would have made enquiries, nor counselled repentance. However, when Divine Message revealed the truth, he received that knowledge which he had not possessed for more than a month. Thus Allah arranged to safeguard the Muslims, through direct experience and observation, against exaggerated notions in which people generally get involved in regard to their religious leaders on account of excessive blind faith. Perhaps this was the reason why Allah withheld Revelation for a month, for if Revelation had been sent down on the very first day, it could not have had any beneficial effect. 
*11 That is, `Abdullah bin Ubayy, who was the real author of the false accusation and mischief. In some traditions it has been wrongly claimed that this verse refers to Hadrat Hassan bin _Thabit; this is actually due to a misunderstanding of the narrators themselves. As a matter of fact, Hadrat Hassan bin Thabit's only weakness was that he became involved in the mischief engineered by the hypocrites. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has rightly observed that if this tradition had not been included in Bukhari, it would not have deserved any notice. The greatest falsehood, rather a calumny, in this connection is the assertion by the Umayyads that it was Hadrat `AIi who had been referred to in this verse. A saying of Hisham bin `Abdul Malik has been cited in Bukhari, Tabarani and Baihaqi to the effect: "The one who had the greatest share of responsibility in it" refers to `Ali bin Abi Talib. The fact, however, is that Hadrat `Ali had no hand whatever in this mischief. The truth is that when Hadrat `Ali saw the Holy Prophet in a perturbed state of mind and the Holy Prophet asked for his counsel, he said: "Allah in this matter has not laid any restriction on you: suitable women are plenty: you may if you like divorce `A'ishah and marry another woman." But this did not at all mean that Hadrat `Ali had supported the accusation against Hadrat `A'ishah. His object was only to allay the Holy Prophet's mental anguish. 

لَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًا وَقَالُوا هَٰذَا إِفْكٌ مُبِينٌ {24:12}

[Q24:12] Law laaa iz sami'tumoohu zannal mu'minoona walmu'minaatu bi anfusihim khairanw wa qaaloo haazaaa ifkum mmubeen. 
[Q24:12] Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own people, and say: This is an evident falsehood?

[Q24:12] Sepatutnya semasa kamu mendengar tuduhan itu, orang-orang yang beriman lelaki dan perempuan, menaruh baik sangka kepada diri (orang-orang) mereka sendiri dan berkata: Ini ialah tuduhan dusta yang nyata.  

IT IS THE DUTY OF THE BELIEVER MEN AND WOMEN TO ALWAYS ENCOURAGE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND NOT VICE--- i.e., to maintain the integrity of each other in good faith.

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(24:12) When you heard of it, why didn't the Believing men and the Believing women have a good opinion of themselves, *12 and why did they not say, "This is a manifest slander?" *13

*12 This may also be translated as: "Why did they not have a good opinion of the people of their own community and society?" The words in the Text are comprehensive and contain a subtle meaning which should be understood well. What happened concerning Hadrat `A'ishah and Safwan bin Mu`attal was only this: A woman belonging to the caravan (apart from the fact that she was the Holy Prophet's wife) was left behind, and a man belonging to the same caravan, who was also left behind, chanced to see her and brought her on his camel to the camp. Now if a person alleges that when the two found themselves alone, they became involved in sin, the accusation would imply two other hypotheses: First, if the accuser himself (whether man or woman) had been there, he would certainly have availed of the rare opportunity and committed the sinful act, for he had never before chanced upon a person of the opposite sex in a situation like this. Second, the accuser's assessment of the moral condition of the society he belongs to is that in that society there is no man or woman who could possibly have abstained from sin in similar circumstances. This will be the case when it involves any one man and any one woman. But supposing if the man and the woman happened to belong to the same place, and the woman who was left behind by chance was the wife, or sister, or daughter of a friend, or a relative, or a neighbour, or an acquaintance of the man, the matter would become much more serious and grave. Then it would mean that the one who utters such an accusation has a very poor and degraded opinion of himself as well as of his society, which has nothing to do with morality and good sense. No gentleman can imagine that if he finds a woman belonging to the family of a friend, or a neighbour or an acquaintance, stranded on the way, the first thing he would do would be to molest and dishonour her, and then would think of escorting her home. But here the matter was a thousand times more serious. The lady was no other than the wife of the Holy Prophet of Allah, whom every Muslim esteemed higher than his own mother, and whom Allah Himself had forbidden for every Muslim just like his own mother. The man was not only a follower of the same caravan and a soldier of the same army, and an inhabitant of the same city, but also a Muslim, who believed in the lady's husband to be the Messenger of Allah and his religious leader and guide, and had even followed him and fought in the most dangerous battle at Badr. Viewed against this background, it would seem that the person who uttered such an accusation and those who considered the accusation as probable, formed a very poor opinion not only of their moral selves but also of the whole society.
*13 That is, `The accusation was not worth any consideration; the Muslims should have rejected it there and then as a lie and a falsehood." A question might be asked: Why did not the Holy Prophet and Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq reject it on the very first day, and why did they give it all that importance? The answer is that the position of the husband and the father is different from that of the common people. Though none else can know a woman better than her husband and a righteous husband cannot doubt the character of a virtuous and pious wife only on account of the people's accusations, but when the wife is accused, the husband is placed in a difficult situation. Even if he rejects it outright as a calumny, the accusers will not listen. They will rather say that the woman is clever and has beguiled the husband into believing that she is virtuous and pious whereas she is not. A similar situation is faced by the parents. They also cannot remove the accusers' slander regarding their daughter's chastity even if they know that the accusation is manifestly false. The same thing had afflicted the Holy Prophet, Hadrat Abu Bakr and Umm Ruman, otherwise they did not entertain any doubt about Hadrat `A'ishah's character. That is why the Holy Prophet had declared in his sermon that he had neither seen any evil in his wife nor in the man who was being mentioned in the slander. 

لَوْلَا جَاءُوا عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَدَاءِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ {24:13}

[Q24:13] Law laa jaaa'oo 'alaihi bi-arba'ati shuhadaaa'; fa iz lam yaatoo bishshuhadaaa'i fa ulaaa 'ika 'indal laahi humul kaaziboun. 
[Q24:13] Why did they not bring four witnesses of it? But as they have not brought witnesses they are liars before ALLAH (SWT).

[Q24:13] Sepatutnya mereka (yang menuduh) membawa empat orang saksi membuktikan tuduhan itu. Oleh kerana mereka tidak mendatangkan empat orang saksi, maka mereka itu pada sisi hukum ALLAH (SwT), adalah orang-orang yang dusta. 

According to a report, the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) executed the sentence upon Mistah who was involved in spreading this scandal against Ayesha, Mistah was a companion of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

¥  THUS IT IS A PROOF POSITIVE that everyone who happened to move with the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and called himself his Sahabi (companion) was not a religious man.

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(24:13) Why did the slanderers not bring four witnesses (to prove their charge)? Now that they have not brought witnesses, they themselves are liars in the sight of Allah. *14

*14 ` .... in the sight of Allah": in the Law of Allah, or according to the Law of AIlah. Obviously, in Allah's knowledge, the accusation was by itself false and its falsehood was in no way dependent on the production of witnesses by the accusers.
Here nobody should have the misunderstanding that failure to bring witnesses is being regarded as the basis and argument to prove that the accusation was false, and that the Muslims are also being told to regard it as a manifest calumny only because the accusers did not bring four witnesses. This misunderstanding can arise if one dces not keep in view the background of the actual incident. As a matter of fact, none of the accusers had actually witnessed the thing which they were uttering with their tongues. The only basis of their accusation was that Hadrat `A'ishah had been left behind from the caravan and afterwards Safwan had brought her to the camp on his camel. From this nobody with a little common sense could conclude that Hadrat `A'ishah's being left behind was intentional. These are not the ways of those who do these things. It cannot happen that the wife of the army commander quietly stays back with a man, and then the same man makes her ride on his camel and makes haste to catch up with the army at the next halting place in the open daylight at noon. The situation itself warranted that they were innocent. There could, however, be some justification in the charge if the accusers had seen something with their own eyes, otherwise the circumstances on which the accusers had based their accusation did not contain any ground for doubt and suspicion.

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ {24:14}

[Q24:14] Wa law laa fadlul laahi 'alaikum wa rahmatuhoo fiddunyaa wal aakhirati lamassakum fee maaa afadtum feehi 'azaabun 'azeem. 
[Q24:14] And were it not for ALLAH (SWT)'s grace upon you and His mercy in this world and the hereafter, a grievous chastisement would certainly have touched you on account of the discourse which you entered into.

[Q24:14] Dan kalaulah tidak kerana adanya limpah kurnia ALLAH (SwT) dan rahmatNya kepada kamu di dunia dan di akhirat, tentulah kamu dikenakan azab seksa yang besar disebabkan kamu turut campur dalam berita palsu itu; 

(see commentary for verse 11)

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(24:14) Were it not for Allah's grace and mercy towards you in this world and in the Hereafter, a painful scourge would have visited you because of the things in which you were involved.

إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ مَا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ {24:15}

[Q24:15] iz talaqqawnahoo bi alsinatikum wa taqooloona bi afwaahikum maa laisa lakum bihee 'ilmunw wa tahsaboo nahoo haiyinanw wa huwa 'indl laahi 'azeem. 
[Q24:15] When you received it with your tongues and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you deemed it an easy matter while with ALLAH (SWT) it was grievous.

[Q24:15] Iaitu semasa kamu bertanya atau menceritakan berita dusta itu dengan lidah kamu, dan memperkatakan dengan mulut kamu akan sesuatu yang kamu tidak mempunyai pengetahuan yang sah mengenainya dan kamu pula menyangkanya perkara kecil, pada hal ia pada sisi hukum ALLAH (SwT) adalah perkara yang besar dosanya. 

PEOPLE ORDINARILY THINK THAT IT IS AN INSIGNIFICANT MATTER TO SPEAK OUT MATTERS WHICH DAMAGE OTHERS INTEGRITY AND REPUTATION, BUT with ALLAH (SWT) is a grievous matter of magnitude, particularly when it affects the reputation and integrity of pious men and women.

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(24:15) (Just think how erroneous you were,) when you passed this lie on from one tongue to the other and uttered with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge. You took it as a trifling matter whereas it was a grave offence in the sight of Allah.

وَلَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُمْ مَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَنْ نَتَكَلَّمَ بِهَٰذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هَٰذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ {24:16}

[Q24:16] Wa law laaa iz sami'tu moohu qultum maa yakoonu lanaaa an natakallama bihaazaa Subhaanaka haaza buhtaanun 'azeem. 
[Q24:16] And why did you not, when you heard it, say: It does not beseem us that we should talk of it; glory be to Thee! This is a great calumny?

[Q24:16] Dan sepatutnya semasa kamu mendengarnya, kamu segera berkata: Tidaklah layak bagi kami memperkatakan hal ini! Maha Suci Engkau (ya ALLAH (SwT) dari mencemarkan nama baik ahli rumah Rasulullah)! Ini adalah satu dusta besar yang mengejutkan. 

(see commentary for verse 11)

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(24:16) Why did you not, as soon as you heard of it, say, "It is not proper for us to utter such a thing? Glory be to Allah! This is a great slander."

يَعِظُكُمُ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَعُودُوا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَدًا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ {24:17}

[Q24:17] Ya'izukumul laahu an ta'oodoo limisliheee abadan in kuntum mu'mineen. 
[Q24:17] ALLAH (SWT) admonishes you that you should not return to the like of it ever again if you are believers.

[Q24:17] ALLAH (SwT) memberi pengajaran kepada kamu, supaya kamu tidak mengulangi perbuatan yang sedemikian ini selama-lamanya, jika betul kamu orang-orang yang beriman. 

(see commentary for verse 11)

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(24:17) Allah admonishes you that in future you should never repeat a thing like this, if you are true Believers.

وَيُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ {24:18}

[Q24:18] Wa yubaiyinul laahu lakumul Aayaat; wallaahu 'Aleemun Hakeem. 
[Q24:18] And ALLAH (SWT) makes clear to you the communications; and ALLAH (SWT) is Knowing, Wise. 

[Q24:18] Dan ALLAH (SwT) menjelaskan kepada kamu ayat-ayat keterangan (hukum-hukumNya); kerana ALLAH (SwT) Maha Mengetahui, lagi Maha Bijaksana. 

(see commentary for verse 11)

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(24:18) Allah makes His Revelations clear to you, and He is All-Knowing, All-Wise. *15

*15 These verses, especially verse 12, wherein Allah says: "Why did not the Believing men and the Believing women have a good opinion of themselves 'I" provide the general principle that all dealings in the Islamic society must be based on `good faith'. The question of a bad opinion should arise only when there is a definite and concrete basis for it. Every person should, as a matter of principle, be considered as innocent unless there are sound reasons to hold him guilty or suspect. Every person should be considered as truthful unless there are strong grounds for holding him as unreliable

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ {24:19}

[Q24:19] Innal lazeena yuhibboona an tashee'al faahishatu fil lazeena aamanoo lahum 'azaabun aleemun fid dunyaa wal Aakhirah; wallaahu ya'lamu wa antum laa ta'lamoon. 
[Q24:19] Surely (as for) those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the hereafter; and ALLAH (SWT) knows, while you do not know.

[Q24:19] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang suka terhebah tuduhan-tuduhan yang buruk dalam kalangan orang-orang yang beriman, mereka akan beroleh azab seksa yang tidak terperi sakitnya di dunia dan di akhirat dan (ingatlah) ALLAH (SwT) mengetahui (segala perkara) sedang kamu tidak mengetahui (yang demikian). 

(see commentary for verse 11)

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(24:19) As for those, who like that indecency should spread among the Believers, they deserve a painful punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, *16 for Allah knows and you do not know (its consequences). *17

*16 The direct interpretation of the verse, in the context in which it occurs, is this: "Those who cast aspersions, propagate evil, publicise it and bring Islamic morality into disrepute, deserve punishment." The words in the Text, however, comprehend all the various forms that can be employed for the propagation of evil. These include actual setting up of brothels, production of erotic stories, songs, paintings, plays and dramas as well as all kinds of mixed gatherings at clubs and hotels, which induce the people to immoralities. The Qur'an holds all those who resort to such things as criminals, who deserve punishment not only in the Hereafter but in this world as well. Accordingly it is the duty of an Islamic government to put an end to all such means of propagating immorality. Its penal law must hold all those acts as cognizable offences which the Qur'an mentions as crimes against public morality and declares the offenders punishable. 
*17 "You do not know...": "You do not visualise the full impact of individual acts on society as a whole: Allah knows best the number of people who are affected by these acts and their cumulative effect on the collective life of the community. You should accordingly trust in Him and do all you can to eradicate and suppress the evils pointed out by Him.These are not trivial matters to be treated lightly; these have very serious repercussions and the offenders must be dealt with severely."

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ {24:20}

[Q24:20] Wa law laa fadlul laahi 'alaikum wa rahmatuhoo wa annal laaha Ra'oofur Raheem. 
[Q24:20] And were it not for ALLAH (SWT)'s grace on you and His mercy, and that ALLAH (SWT) is Compassionate, Merciful.

[Q24:20] Dan kalaulah tidak kerana adanya limpah kurnia ALLAH (SwT) dan rahmatNya kepada kamu, dan juga (kalaulah tidak kerana) bahawa ALLAH (SwT) Amat melimpah belas kasihanNya, (tentulah kamu akan ditimpa azab dengan serta-merta).  

It is said Mistah, a cousin of Abu Bakr who was of the companions of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), was spreading the scandal against Ayesha. Mistah is said to have been punished by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). Abu Bakr was helping Mistah at the time of his need, but since the scandal, Abu Bakr stopped helping Mistah. IT IS NOTEWORTHY TO WHAT AN EXTENT ISLAM preaches tolerance, forgiveness and mercy, extends even to people like Mistah who had committed such a grave offence of blackmailing one of the wives of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

Ø  IT IS SAID THAT THIS VERSE WAS REVEALED TO CORRECT THE ATTITUDE OF ABU BAKR WITHDRAWING HIS SUPPORT TO MISTAH OWING TO HIS PERSONAL ANGER AGAINST HIM FOR THE SCANDAL AGAINST HIS DAUGHTER AYESHA.

The last clause ‘Do you not love that ALLAH (SWT) should pardon you?’ Means---‘Why should not those who aspire for ALLAH (SWT)’s pardoning their own sins, pardon others who offend them?’ this can by no means be a compliment. It is a clear admonition against a moral failure or petty-mindedness.

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(24:20) If Allah had not shown His grace and mercy to you, (this scandal would have produced very evil results): Allah is indeed very Kind and Merciful.

SECTION 3

Slandering chaste women

Not to follow Satan’s footsteps for the bids filthand evil – Slandering chaste women shall be punished in this world and in the hereafter.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ {24:21}

[Q24:21] Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa tattabi'oo khutuwaatish Shaitaan; wa many-yattabi' khutuwaatish Shaitaani fa innahoo yaamuru bilfahshaaa'i walmunkar; wa law laa fadlul laahi 'alaikum wa rahmatuhoo maa zakaa minkum min ahadin abadanw wa laakinnal laaha yuzakkee many-yashaaa'; wallaahu Samee'un 'Aleem. 
[Q24:21] O you who believe! do not follow the footsteps of the Shaitan, and whoever follows the footsteps of the Shaitan, then surely he bids the doing of indecency and evil; and were it not for ALLAH (SWT)'s grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been pure, but ALLAH (SWT) purifies whom He pleases; and ALLAH (SWT) is Hearing, Knowing. 

[Q24:21] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, janganlah kamu menurut jejak langkah Syaitan; dan sesiapa yang menurut jejak langkah Syaitan, maka sesungguhnya Syaitan itu sentiasa menyuruh (pengikut-pengikutnya) melakukan perkara yang keji dan perbuatan yang mungkar dan kalaulah tidak kerana limpah kurnia ALLAH (SwT) dan rahmatNya kepada kamu, nescaya tidak ada seorang pun di antara kamu menjadi bersih dari dosanya selama-lamanya; akan tetapi ALLAH (SwT) membersihkan sesiapa yang dikehendakiNya (menurut undang-undang peraturanNya) dan (ingatlah ALLAH (SwT) Maha Mendengar) lagi Maha Mengetahui 

(see commentary for verse 11)

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(24:21) O Believers, do not follow in Satan's footsteps, for he will incite to indecency and wickedness any who will follow him. If Allah had not shown His Brace and mercy to you, none of you would have been able to cleanse yourself, *18 for it is Allah alone Who cleanses whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. *19

*18 `Satan' is bent upon involving you in all kinds of pollutions and indecencies: had it not been for the mercy and kindness of Allah Who enables you to differentiate between good and evil and helps you to educate and reform yourselves, you would not have been able to lead a pure and virtuous life on the strength of your own faculties and initiative alone. 
*19 It is Allah's Will alone which decides whom to make pious and virtuous. His decisions are not arbitrary but based on knowledge. He alone knows who is anxious to live a life of virtue and who is attracted towards a life of sin. Allah hears a person's most secret talk, and is aware of everything that passes in his mind. It is on the basis of this direct knowledge that Allah decides whom to bless with piety and virtue and whom to ignore, 

وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُولُو الْفَضْلِ مِنْكُمْ وَالسَّعَةِ أَنْ يُؤْتُوا أُولِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِين فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا وَلْيَصْفَحُوا ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ {24:22}

[Q24:22] Wa laa yaatali ulul fadli minkum wassa'ati ai yu'tooo ulil qurbaa walmasaakeena walmuhaajireena fee sabeelillaahi walya'foo walyasfahoo; alaa tuhibboona ai yaghfiral laahu lakum; wal laahu Ghafoorur Raheem. 
[Q24:22] And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear against giving to the near of kin and the poor and those who have fled in ALLAH (SWT)'s way, and they should pardon and turn away. Do you not love that ALLAH (SWT) should forgive you? And ALLAH (SWT) is Forgiving, Merciful.

[Q24:22] Dan janganlah orang-orang yang berharta serta lapang hidupnya dari kalangan kamu, bersumpah tidak mahu lagi memberi bantuan kepada kaum kerabat dan orang-orang miskin serta orang-orang yang berhijrah pada jalan ALLAH (SwT) dan (sebaliknya) hendaklah mereka memaafkan serta melupakan kesalahan orang-orang itu; tidakkah kamu suka supaya ALLAH (SwT) mengampunkan dosa kamu? Dan (ingatlah) ALLAH (SwT) Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Mengasihani. 

THIS IS A MORAL INSTRUCTION THAT THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO SCANDALS SHOULD NOT RETALIATE ON THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED THE SLANDER AND THE SCANDAL and in Verse 23 and 24 the slanderers are warned against their conduct.

»    VERSE 22 REFERS TO ABU BAKR, the father of Ayesha, and Mistah, his cousin. Abu Bakr was given ample means by ALLAH (SWT). He used to support Mistah, but after this incident he withdrew his help.

According to the highest standards of Islamic ethics, as said in this verse, a truly generous patron should not, in personal anger, withdraw his support even from a delinquent if he is in need. The general application holds good for all time.

THOSE WHO DESIRE THAT ALLAH (SWT) SHOULD FORGIVE THEIR FAULTS MUST BE FORGIVING AND MERCIFUL IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH MEN WHO HAVE WRONGED THEM.

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(24:22) Those among you, who are bountiful and persons of means, should not swear on oath that they would withhold their help from their relatives, the indigent and those who have left their homes for the cause of Allah: they should forgive and forbear. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.  *20

*20 Hadrat `A'ishah has stated that after the revelation of verses 11-21 absolving her from the accusation, Hadrat Abu Bakr swore that he would no longer support Mistah bin Uthatha. This was because the man had shown absolutely no regard for the relationship nor for the favours that Abu Bakr had all along been showing him and his family. At this verse 22 was revealed and Hadrat Abu Bakr, on hearing it, immediately said: "By God! We do want that Allah should forgive us." Consequently he again started to help Mistah and in a more liberal manner than before. According to Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Abbas, some other Companions besides Hadrat Abu Bakr, also had sworn that they would discontinue helping those who had taken an active part in the slander. After the revelation of this verse, all of them revoked their oaths and the ill-will that had been created by the mischief was gone.
Here a question may arise as to whether a person, who swears for something and Later on revokes the oath on fording that there was no good in it and adopts a better and more virtuous course, should offer expiation for breaking the oath or not. One group of the jurists is of the opinion that adoption of the virtuous course itself is the expiation and nothing more needs to be done. They base their argument on this verse where Allah commanded Hadrat Abu Bakr to revoke his oath but did not require him to atone for it. They also cite a Tradition of the Holy Prophet in support of their argument, saying: "lf anybody takes an oath for something and later on fords that another course is better and adopts it, his adoption of a better course by itself is the atonement for breaking the oath."
The other group is of the view that there is a clear Commandment in the Qur'an concerning the breaking of oath (II: 225, V: 89), which has neither been abrogated by this verse nor clearly amended. Therefore the earlier Commandment stands. No doubt, Allah commanded Hadrat Abu Bakr to revoke his oath but He did not tell him that expiation was not necessary. As regards the Tradition of the Holy Prophet, it only means this that the sin of taking an oath for a wrong thing is wiped out when the right course is adopted; it does not absolve one from making expiation for the oath itself. Another Tradition of the Holy Prophet clarifies this view. He said: "Whoso swears for something and then finds that another course is better than the one he had sworn for, he should adopt the better course and atone for his oath." This shows that expiation for breaking one's oath and expiation of the sin for not doing good are different things. The expiation for the first is to adopt the right course, and for the second the same as has been laid down in the Qur'an. For further explanation, see E.N. 46 of Surah Sad. 

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ {24:23}

[Q24:23] Innal lazeena yarmoonal muhsanaatil ghaafilaatil mu'minaati lu'inoo fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati wa lahum 'azaabun 'azeem,
[Q24:23] Surely those who accuse chaste believing women, unaware (of the evil), are cursed in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have a grievous chastisement.

[Q24:23] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang menuduh perempuan-perempuan yang terpelihara kehormatannya, yang tidak terlintas memikirkan sebarang kejahatan, lagi yang beriman, akan dilaknat (oleh ALLAH (SwT)) di dunia dan di akhirat dan mereka pula akan beroleh azab seksa yang besar; 

TO SLANDER A CHASTE WOMAN, who is not even aware of the sin she is accused of, is the gravest moral offence. Such slanderers are cursed in this life and in the hereafter where they shall be severely punished.

ì  IT IS TO BE NOTED HOW ISLAM HAS GUARDED the [1] internal and [2] external, [3] secular as well as [4] the spiritual health of every individual member of the human family and [5] that of the social harmony of the human brotherhood.

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(24:23) Those who charge with slander those Believing women, who are chaste but simple souls, *21 are accursed in this world and in the Hereafter: there is a great punishment for them.

*21 The word ghafilat as used in the Text means the women who are simple, unpretentious souls, who do not know any artifice, who have pious hearts and have no idea of immorality. They cannot even imagine that their names could ever be associated with any slander. The Holy Prophet has said: "To slander chaste women is one of the seven 'deadly' sins." According to another Tradition cited by Tabarani from Hadrat Huzaifah, the Holy Prophet said: "To slander a pious woman suffiices to ruin the good deeds of a hundred years."

يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ {24:24}

[Q24:24] Yawma tashhhadu 'alaihim alsinatuhum wa aideehim wa arjuluhum bimaa kaanoo ya'maloon. 
[Q24:24] On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet shall bear witness against them as to what they did.

[Q24:24] Pada hari lidah mereka dan tangan mereka serta kaki mereka menjadi saksi terhadap diri mereka sendiri, tentang segala yang mereka lakukan.

OUR LIMBS AND OUR FACULTIES WILL BE THE STRONGEST WITNESSES AGAINST OUR EVIL DEEDS ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT, because ALLAH (SWT), being the real truth, makes all things manifest. All that we thought of hiding will be clear as daylight.

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(24:24) They should not forget the Day when their own tongues and their own hands and test will bear testimony in regard to their misdeeds.21a

*21 (a). For explanation, see E.N. 55 of Surah Ya Sin and E.N. 25 of Ha Mim Sajdah.

يَوْمَئِذٍ يُوَفِّيهِمُ اللَّهُ دِينَهُمُ الْحَقَّ وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِينُ {24:25}

[Q24:25] Yawma'iziny yuwaf feehimul laahu deenahumul haqqa wa ya'lamoona annal laaha Huwal Haqqul Mubeen. 
[Q24:25] On that day ALLAH (SWT) will pay back to them in full their just reward, and they shall know that ALLAH (SWT) is the evident Truth.

[Q24:25] Pada hari itu ALLAH (SwT) akan menyempurnakan untuk mereka balasan (azab seksa) yang berhak mereka mendapatnya dan mereka pula akan mengetahui bahawa ALLAH (SwT) ialah Tuhan Yang Maha Adil, lagi nyata keadilanNya. 

(see commentary for verse 24)

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(24:25) On that Day Allah will give them the full recompense they deserve, and they will realize that Allah is the very Truth, Who makes the Truth manifest.

الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَالْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَاتِ ۖ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ ۖ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ {24:26}

[Q24:26] Alkhabeesaatu lilkha beeseena walkhabeesoona lilkhabeesaati wattaiyibaatu littaiyibeena wattaiyiboona littaiyibaat; ulaaa'ika mubar ra'oona maimma yaqooloona lahum maghfiratunw wa rizqun kareem. 

[Q24:26] Bad women are for bad men and bad men are for bad women. Good women are for good men and good men are for good women.
[Q24:26] (Lazimnya) perempuan-perempuan yang jahat adalah untuk lelaki-lelaki yang jahat, dan lelaki-lelaki yang jahat untuk perempuan-perempuan yang jahat dan (sebaliknya) perempuan-perempuan yang baik untuk lelaki-lelaki yang baik dan lelaki-lelaki yang baik untuk perempuan-perempuan yang baik. Mereka (yang baik) itu adalah bersih dari (tuduhan buruk) yang dikatakan oleh orang-orang (yang jahat); mereka (yang baik) itu akan beroleh pengampunan (dari ALLAH (SwT)) dan pengurniaan yang mulia.

THIS VERSE SAYS THAT THE WIVES OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) ARE FREE FROM IMPURITY OF ADULTERY.

This verse is like verse 3 of this surah. There is no legislative significance. The pure consort with the pure, and the impure with the impure. It refers to the general pattern of human behaviour.

±  Verse 66:10 of At Tahrim says that the wicked wives of Nuh and Lut betrayed their purified husbands, the prophets of ALLAH (SWT). To remove the contradiction it is necessary to restrict the meaning of the cleanness to chastity and impurity to adultery in this verse, BECAUSE it was revealed in connection with the accusation of adultery. "They are free from what they say" confirms it.

±  Verse 66:10 of At Tahrim clearly accuses the wicked wives of the two prophets of disloyalty to their husbands. The wives of the prophets are free from the dirt of adultery BUT they are not free from other evils.

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(24:26) Impure women are for impure men and impure men for impure women, and pure women are for pure men and pure men for pure women. They are free from those scandals which the slanderers utter. *22 There is forgiveness for them and honourable provision.

*22 This verse enunciates a fundamental principle: Impure men are a fit match for impure women and pious men are a fit match for pious women. It never happens that a man is good in all other aspects but is addicted to a solitary vice. As a matter of fact, his very habits, manners and demeanour, all contain a number of evil traits, which sustain and nourish that single vice. It is impossible that a man develops a vice all of a sudden without having any trace of its existence in his demeanour and way of life. This is a psychological truth which everybody experiences in the daily lives of the people. How is it then possible that a man who has all along lived a pure and morally clean life, will put up and continue to live for years in love with a wife who is adulterous? Can a woman be imagined who is an adulteress, but she does not manifest her evil character through her talk, gait, manners and deportment? Is it possible for a virtuous man of high character to live happily with a woman of this type? What is being suggested here is that people in future should not credulously put their belief in any rumour that reaches them. They should carefully see as to who is being accused and on what account and whether the accusation fairly sticks on the person or not. And when there exists no trace of evidence to support the accusation, people cannot believe it just because a foolish or wicked person has uttered it.
Some commentators have interpreted this verse to mean that evil things are for the evil people and good things for the good people: the good people are free from the evil things which the wicked people utter about them. Some others have interpreted it to mean that evil deeds only go with evil people and good deeds with good people: the pious people are free from the evil deeds which the wicked people ascribe to them. Still others interpret it to mean that evil and filthy talk is indulged in only by the evil and filthy people and good and pious talk only by the good and pious people: the pious people are free from the sort of talk that these mischievous' people are indulging in. The words of the verse are comprehensive and can be interpreted in any of the three ways, but the first meaning that strikes the reader is the one that we have adopted above, and the same fits in more meaningfully with the context than others. 

SECTION 4

Control and regulation of moral

Restrictions against uncontrolled visits to other’s residences – Guarded dealings between males and females – Exhortation for chastity among men as well as women – Display of personal beauty and adorning prohibited – Appearance of women before males, other than her husband, regulated – Wedlock commanded – Liberation of slaves enjoined – Compulsion to slaves to yield to unchaste ways prohibited – God’s pardon for the repentants promised.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ{24:27}

[Q24:27] Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo laa tadkhuloo buyootan ghaira buyootikum hatta tastaanisoo wa tusallimoo 'allaa ahlihaa; zaalikum khairul lakum la'allakum tazakkaroon. 
[Q24:27] O you who believe! Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you have asked permission and saluted their inmates; this is better for you, that you may be mindful.

[Q24:27] Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, janganlah kamu masuk ke dalam mana-mana rumah yang bukan rumah kamu, sehingga kamu lebih dahulu meminta izin serta memberi salam kepada penduduknya; yang demikian adalah lebih baik bagi kamu, supaya kamu beringat (mematuhi cara dan peraturan yang sopan itu). 

ISLAM REGARDS sudden and abrupt entry into another's house an act of moral offence. THE CONVENTIONS OF PROPRIETY AND PRIVACY ARE ESSENTIAL TO A REFINED LIFE OF DECENCY AND MORALITY.

r  Tastanisu-to seek familiarity-has been used figuratively for asking permission so as to stop the practice of entering stealthily without notice.

It is essential to invoke peace on the inmates of the house (say: assalamu alaykum) AND obtain definite permission to enter the house, be it of parents, brothers, sisters or any relative.

The rule about dwelling houses is strict, BECAUSE PRIVACY IS PRECIOUS AND NECESSARY TO A REFINED, DECENT AND WELL-ORDERED LIFE, BUT such restrictions are not applicable to other houses used for commercial and social purposes, though permission should be obtained from the owner or in-charge.

ISLAM REGULATES EVERY ASPECT OF HUMAN LIFE, INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS COLLECTIVE.

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(24:27) O Believers, *23 do not enter other houses than your own until you have the approval of the inmates *24 and have wished them peace; this is the best way for you: it is expected that you will observe it. *25

*23 The Commandments given in the beginning of the Surah were meant to help eradicate evil when it had actually appeared in society. The Commandments being given now are meant to prevent the very birth of evil, to reform society and root out the causes responsible for the creation and spread of evil. Before we study these Commandments, it will be useful to understand two things clearly:
First, the revelation of these Commandments immediately after the Divine appraisal of the incident of the "slander" clearly indicates that permeation of a calumny against the noble person of a wife of the Holy Prophet in the society, was the direct result of the existence of a sexually charged atmosphere, and in the sight of Allah there was no other way of cleansing society of the evil than of prohibiting free entry into other people's houses, discouraging free mixing of the sexes together, forbidding women to appear in their make up before the other men, excepting a small circle of close relatives, banning prostitution, exhorting men and women not , to remain unmarried for long, and arranging marriages even of the slaves and slave-girls. In other words, the movement of the women without purdah and the presence of a large number of unmarried persons in society were, in the knowledge of Allah, the real causes that imperceptibly give rise to sensuality in society. It was this sexually charged atmosphere which kept the ears, eyes, tongues and hearts of the people ever ready to get involved in any real or fictitious scandal. Allah in His wisdom did not regard any other measure more suitable and effective than these Commandments to eradicate this evil; otherwise He would have enjoined some other Commandments. 
The second important thing to remember is that Divine Law does not merely forbid an evil or only prescribe a punishment for the offender, but it also puts an end to all those factors which provide occasions for the evil, or incite or force a person to commit it. It also imposes curbs on the causes, incentives and means leading to the evil so as to check the wrongdoer much before he actually commits the crime. It does not like that people should freely approach and loiter about near the border lines of sin and get caught and punished all the time. It does not merely act as a prosecutor but as a guide, reformer and helper, too. So it uses all kinds of moral, social and educational devices to help the people to safeguard themselves against evil and vice.
*24 The Arabic word tasta`nisu in the Text has been generally interpreted to mean the same as tasta`zinu. There is, however, a fine difference between the two words which should not be lost sight of. Had the word in the Text been tasta `zinu, the verse would have meant: "Do not enter other people's houses until you have taken their permission". Allah has used tasta`nisu which is derived from the root uns, meaning fondness, affection, regard, etc. According to this, the verse would mean: "Do not enter other people's houses until you are sure of their affection and regard for yourself." In other words, you should make sure that your entry in the house is not disagreeable to the inmates and you are sure of a welcome. That is why we have translated the word into 'approval' of the inmates instead of `permission' of the inmates, because the word `approval' expresses the sense of the original more precisely. 
*25 According to the Arab custom of the pre-Islamic days, people would enter each other's house freely without permission just by pronouncing `good morning' or `good evening'. This unannounced entry sometimes violated the privacy of the people and their women folk. Allah enjoined the principle that everybody has a right to privacy in his own house and no one is entitled to force his entry unannounced and without permission of the inmates. The rules and regulations enforced by the Holy Prophet in society on receipt of the above Commandment are given below serially: 
(1) The 'right of privacy' was not merely confined to the question of entry in the houses, but it was declared as a common right according to which it is forbidden to peep into a house, glance from outside, or even read the other person's letter without his permission. According to Thauban, who was a freed slave of the Holy Prophet, the Holy Prophet said: "When you have already cast a look into a house, what is then the sense in seeking permission for entry?" (Abu Da`ud). Hadrat Huzail bin Shurahbil has reported that a man came to see the Holy Prophet and sought permission for entry while standing just in front of the door. The Holy Prophet said to him: "Stand aside: the object of the Commandment for seeking permission is to prevent casting of looks inside the house." (Abu Da'ud). The practice of the Holy Prophet was that whenever he went to see somebody, he would stand aside, to the right or the left of the door, and seek permission as it was not then usual to hang curtains on the doors. (Abu Da'ud). Hadrat Anas, the attendant of the Holy Prophet, states that a man glanced into the room of the Holy Prophet from outside. The Holy Prophet at that time was holding an arrow in his hand. He advanced towards the man in a way as if he would thrust the arrow into his belly. (Abu Da'ud). According to Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Abbas, the Holy Prophet said: "Whoever glances through the letter of his brother without his permission, glances into fire." (Abu Da'ud). According to Muslim and Bukhari; the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "If someone peeps into your house, it will be no sin if you injure his eye with a piece of stone." In another Tradition, he has said: "The inmates of a house, who injure the eye of the man peeping into their house; are not liable to any punishment." Imam Shafi`I has taken this Commandment literally and permits smashing of the eye of the one who casts a glance like this. The Hanafis, however, do not take the Command in the literal sense. They express the opinion that it is applicable only in that case where an outsider forces his entry into a house in spite of the resistance from the inmates and has his eye or some other limb smashed in the scuffle. In such a case, no penalty will lie on the inmates. (Ahkam'al--Qur an, Al-Jassan, Vol. III, p. 385).
(2) The jurists have included `hearing' also under `glancing'. For instance, if a blind man enters a house without permission, he will not be able to see anybody, but he will certainly be able to hear whatever is going on in the house. This also amounts to violation of the other person's right of privacy. 
(3) The Command to seek permission is not only applicable in cases where a person wants to enter the other people's houses, but it also applies to entry in the house of_ one's own mother or sister. A man asked the Holy Prophet: "Sir, should I seek permission to enter my mother's house also?" The Holy Prophet replied that he should. The man stated that there was nobody beside him to look after her, and asked whether it was necessary to get permission every time he wanted to go in. The Holy Prophet replied: "Yes; would you like that you should see your mother in a naked state" (Ibn Jarir quoting from `Ata bin Yasar). According to a saying of `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, one should seek permission even when going to see one's own mother or sister. (Ibn Kathir). He has suggested that even when a person goes to visit one's wife in one's own house, he should announce his arrival by coughing, etc. It is related by his wife Zainab that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud would always announce his arrival by coughing, etc. and never liked that he should enter the house unannounced all of a sudden. (Ibn Jarir). 
(4) The only exception to the general rule is that no permission is needed in case of an emergency or a calamity like theft, fire, etc. One can go for help without permission in such cases. 
(5) In the beginning when the system of seeking permission was introduced, people did not know the exact procedure to be followed. Once a man came to the Prophet's house and shouted at the door, "Should I be in?" The Holy Prophet said to his maid servant, Roudah, "Go and instruct him about the correct way. He should say: Assalam-o- `alaikum (peace be upon you): May I come in?" (Ibn Jarir, Abu Da'ud). Jabir bin `Abdullah says that once he went to the Holy Prophet's house in connection with certain liabilities of his father and knocked at the door. The Holy Prophet asked: "Who is it?" I replied, "It's me." The Holy Prophet thereupon repeated twice or thrice: "It's me, it's me!" That is, how can one understand from this who you are? (Abu Da'ud).
A man named Kaladah bin Hanbal went to see the Holy Prophet and got seated without the customary salutation. The Holy Prophet told him to go out and come in again after calling: Assalam-o-`alaikum (peace be upon you). (Abu Da'ud). Thus, the correct method of seeking permission was to disclose one's identity first and then ask for permission. It is related that whenever Hadrat `Umar went to see the Holy Prophet, he would say: "Assalam-o- alaikum ya Rasul-Allah, I am `Umar: May I enter!" (Abu Da'ud). The Holy Prophet enjoined that permission should be asked thrice at the most. If there is no reply even at the third call, one should come back. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu D'ud). The same was his own practice. Once he went to the house of Hadrat Sa'd bin `Ubadah and sought permission twice after greeting with: Assalam-o-`alaikum wa Rahmatullah (peace be upon you and mercy of Allah), but there was no response. After calling for the third time when he received no response, he turned back. Sa'd came out running from the house, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I was hearing you all right, but I desired to have Allah's peace and mercy invoked upon me through your sacred tongue as often as possible; therefore, I was replying to you in a low voice. " (Abu D'ud, Ahmad). The three calls as enjoined above should not be made in quick succession, but at suitable intervals so as to allow sufficient time to the inmates to make the response in case they are not free to do so.
(6) The permission for entry should come from the master of the house himself or from some other reliable inmate like a servant or a responsible person, who gives permission on behalf of the master. One should not enter the house on the word of a mere child.
(7) Undue insistence for permission to enter or to keep standing at the door obstinately even after refusal, is not permissible. If no entry is permitted even after three calls, or the master refuses to see, one should go back. 

فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فِيهَا أَحَدًا فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا حَتَّىٰ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا ۖ هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ {24:28}

[Q24:28] Fa il lam tajidoo feehaaa ahadan falaa tadkhuloohaa hattaa yu'zana lakum wa in qeela lakumurji'oo farji'oo huwa azkaa lakum; wallaahu bimaa ta'maloona 'Aleem. 
[Q24:28] 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 (SWT) is Cognizant of what you do. 

[Q24:28] Maka sekiranya kamu tidak mendapati sesiapa (yang berhak memberi izin) maka janganlah masuk ke dalam rumah itu sehingga kamu diberi izin dan jika dikatakan kepada kamu "baliklah", maka hendaklah kamu berundur balik; cara yang demikian adalah lebih suci bagi kamu dan (ingatlah) ALLAH (SwT) Maha Mengetahui akan apa yang kamu lakukan.

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INVOKE PEACE ON THE INMATES OF THE HOUSE (SAY: ASSALAMU ALAYKUM) AND OBTAIN DEFINITE PERMISSION TO ENTER THE HOUSE, BE IT OF PARENTS, BROTHERS, SISTERS OR ANY RELATIVE. The rule about dwelling houses is strict, because privacy is precious and necessary to a refined, decent and well-ordered life, **BUT such restrictions are not applicable to other houses used for commercial and social purposes, though permission should be obtained from the owner or in-charge. ISLAM REGULATES EVERY ASPECT OF HUMAN LIFE, INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS COLLECTIVE.

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(24:28) Then, if you do not find anyone therein, do not enter until you have been given permission, *26 and if you are told to go back, you should go back. This is a purer way for you; *27 and Allah has full knowledge of what you do.

*26 Entry into an empty house is not allowed unless permitted as such by the master of the house. One may, for instance, have told a visitor or sent him a message to wait in his room till his arrival. The mere fact that there is nobody in the house or the call is not answered does not entitle anybody to enter without permission. 
*27 That is nobody should mind if entry is refused, for everybody has a right to refuse to meet another person, or offer a plea if otherwise busy. The Command "Go back", according to the jurists, means going back in the literal sense and moving away from the door. Nobody has any right to compel the other person for a meeting or to embarrass him by standing obstinately at his door. 

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ مَسْكُونَةٍ فِيهَا مَتَاعٌ لَكُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ {24:29}

[Q24:29] Laisa 'alaikum junaahun ann tadkhuloo buyootan ghaira maskoonatin feeha mataa'ul lakum; wallaahu ya'lamu maa tubdoona wa maa taktumoun. 
[Q24:29] It is no sin in you that you enter uninhabited houses wherein you have your necessaries; and ALLAH (SWT) knows what you do openly and what you hide.

[Q24:29] Tidaklah menjadi salah kamu memasuki (dengan tidak meminta izin) mana-mana rumah yang tidak didiami orang, yang ada keperluan kamu padanya dan (ingatlah) ALLAH (SwT) mengetahui akan apa yang kamu zahirkan dan apa yang kamu sembunyikan. 

NOTE THE STRICTNESS WITH WHICH THE PRECEDING TWO VERSES impose the previous permission being obtained before entering any residential quarter in view of the regard for the right of the privacy of the inmates, in their own quarters which undoubted are essential for a respectable and honourable life.

Ü  BUT AS REGARDS THE NON-RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS like the shops, store-house etc, and public quarters like the inn or a caravan-sarai, such strictness need not be observed, BUT ordinary decency and politeness in behaviour demands seeking of permission for entry into these places also.

THERE ARE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC ETIQUETTES WHICH PROVE THAT NO ASPECT OF THE HUMAN LIFE IS LEFT OVER UNREGULATED BY ISLAM. The reason is given in the last clause.

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(24:29) There is, however, no harm if you enter houses which are not dwelling places, but contain something useful for you ; *28 Allah knows what you disclose and what you conceal.

*28 "Houses which are not dwelling place" are the hotels, inns, guest houses, shops, staging bungalows, etc. which are generally open to all people. 

قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ {24:30}

[Q24:30] Qul lilmu'mineena yaghuuddoo min absaarihim wa yahfazoo furoojahum; zaalika azkaa lahum; innallaaha khabeerum bimaa yasna'oon. 
[Q24:30] Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely ALLAH (SWT) is Aware of what they do.

[Q24:30] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad) kepada orang-orang lelaki yang beriman supaya mereka menyekat pandangan mereka (daripada memandang yang haram) dan memelihara kehormatan mereka. Yang demikian itu lebih suci bagi mereka; sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) Amat Mendalam PengetahuanNya tentang apa yang mereka kerjakan.

THE RULE OF MODESTY APPLIES TO MEN AS WELL AS WOMEN.

It is man, as the stronger sex, who ignites the flame of passion into woman, so he is addressed first to observe the rules of discipline mentioned in these verses. *Not to look freely at the faces of the women who are not his sisters, daughters, mothers or wives is the fundamental injunction to put a complete ban on the lusting with the eyes which serves as a most powerful agency for the prevention and control of sexual crimes. The way in which sense-perceptions give rise to sex stimulation can hardly be overrated.

Islam does not allow free and unrestricted intermingling of the sexes. *It insists upon [1] segregation of the sexes AND [2] bans altogether lewd audio and video presentation of life, real as well as imaginary. [3] It completely bans every form of nudity.

On account of the differentiation of the sexes in nature, temperament, and social life, a stricter discipline is required for woman than for man, ESPECIALLY in the matter of dress and public exhibition of the beauty of the body. 

ù  Zinat implies the beauty of the body as well as the adornment a women adds to make it more attractive and stimulating.

THE WOMAN IS ASKED NOT TO MAKE A DISPLAY OF HER FIGURE except to the classes of people mentioned in verse 31.

·         It is reported that once Abdullah bin Makhtum, a blind companion of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), came to meet him at his daughter's house. Bibi Fatimah immediately went inside her room. Afterwards she told her father that she went away because, although Abdullah was a blind man, she was not.

·         Earlier in a similar situation the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) had advised his wives Ummi Salima and Maymuna not to stay in the company of even a blind man like Abdullah because of the same reason Bibi Fatimah had given.

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) **HAS STRONGLY DISAPPROVED THE WOMEN WHO DO NOT KEEP THEIR BODIES CLEAN AND ATTRACTIVE FOR THEIR HUSBANDS, OR **GIVE FALSE EXCUSES TO AVOID THE FULFILMENT OF THEIR HUSBAND'S DESIRES. **HE HAS ALSO CONDEMNED THE HUSBANDS WHO ALLOW THEIR WIVES TO DISPLAY THE BEAUTY OF THEIR BODIES TO OTHERS.

·         In another tradition it is stated that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) has advised all wives to obey the instructions of their husbands, no matter what the circumstances are, because obedience and faithfulness unto their husbands would earn forgiveness of the sins they have committed.

These verses contain the legislation regarding modesty in dress, and discipline in intermingling of sexes, for both men and women. Women are not allowed to display their parts of body, adorned or not, to men except those mentioned in verse 31. They have to cover their bodies except face, hands (from the wrist) and feet (including ankles), BUT they should not be adorned as to stimulate sexual desire when they go out of their homes. There is no restriction on them if they have to come out from their houses. In any event what the Muslim women are doing under the influence of western civilisation is against the tenets of Islam.

The HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD) had cursed four kinds of women:

1.        The one who does not keep her body clean for the sake of her husband;

2.        The one who does not keep her face duly attractive for her husband;

3.        One who delays to respond to call of her husband;

4.        One who gives false excuses to respond to her husband’s called.

A man had gone on some journey and had instructed his wife not to step out of the house until he returned home. The father of the woman fell ill and the lady sought permission of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) to visit her father. The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said that she must be indoors as commanded by her husband. The father of the lady died and on seeking permission to attend the funeral of her father, the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) issued the same instruction to be indoors until her husband returns. The lady acted as she was commanded by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) AND the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) sent word to her saying that in return for her obedience and faithfulness to her husband, ALLAH (SWT) has pardoned her sins and the sins of her father.

The HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD) said: ‘you give me the guarantee for six (6) things on behalf and I will guarantee you getting Paradise for your eternal abode.

1. To speaks always the truth

2. To fulfill your promise

3. To discharge faithfully a trust

4. To guard your private parts against any forbidden use

5. To be away from the forbidden acts

6. Guard yourself against consuming the forbidden OR ill-earned food or drink.’

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(24:30) And O Prophet, enjoin the believing men to restrain their gaze *29 and guard their private parts. *30 This is a more righteous way for them: Allah has knowledge of what they do.

*29 The word ghedd means to reduce, shorten or lower down something. Accordingly, ghadd basar is generally translated as `lowering the gaze' or 'keeping it lowered'. But the Command of ghadd basar does not imply that the gaze should always be kept lowered. It only means to imply that one should restrain one's gaze and avoid casting of looks freely. That is, if it is not desirable to see a thing, one should turn the eyes away and avoid having a look at it. The restriction of a 'restrained gaz' is applicable only in a limited sphere. The context in which the words occur shows that this restriction applies to the men's gazing at women, or casting looks at the satar of the other persons, or fixing the eyes at indecent scenes.
The details of this Divine Commandment as explained in the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet are given below:
(1) It is not lawful for a tnan to cast a full gaze at the other women except at his own wife or the mahram women of his family. The chance look is pardonable but not the second look which one casts when one feels the lure of the object. The Holy Prophet has termed such gazing and glancing as wickedness of the eyes. He has said that man commits adultery with aII his sensory organs. The evil look at the other woman is the adultery of the eyes; lustful talk is the adultery of the tongue; relishing the other woman's voice is adultery of the ears; and touching her body with the hand or walking for an unlawful purpose is adultery of the hands and feet. After these preliminaries the sexual organs either bring the act of adultery to completion or leave it incomplete. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud).
According to a Tradition related by Hadrat Buraidah, the Holy Prophet instructed Hadrat 'Ali: "O 'Ali, do not cast a second look after the first look. The first look is pardonable but not the second one." (Tirmizi; Ahmad, Abu Da'ud). Hadrat Jarir bin 'Abdullah Bajali says that he asked the Holy Prophet, "What should I do if I happen to cast a chance look?" The Holy Prophet replied, "Turn your eyes away or lower your gaze."(Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmizi, Abu Da'ud, Nasa'i). Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud quotes the Holy Prophet as having said: "Allah says that the gaze is one of the poisonous arrows of Satan. Whoever forsakes it, out of His fear, he will be rewarded with a faith whose sweetness he will relish in his own heart." (Tabarani). According to a Tradition related by Abu Umamah, the Holy Prophet said: "If a Muslim happens to glance at the charms of a woman and then turns his eyes away, Allah will bless his worship and devotion and will make it all the more sweet. ''. (Musnad Ahmad). Imam Ja'far Sadiq has quoted from his father, Imam Muhammad Baqir, who has quoted Hadrat Jabir bin 'Abdullah Ansari as saying: "On the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, Fadal bin'Abbas, who was a young cousin of the Holy Prophet, was riding with him on the camelback during the return journey from Mash`ar al-Haram. When they came to a few women passing on the way, Fadal started looking at them. Thereupon the Holy Prophet put his hand on his face and turned it to the other side." (Abu Da'ud). On another occasion during the same Pilgrimage, a woman of the clan of Khath'am stopped the Holy Prophet on the way and sought clarification about a certain matter pertaining to Hajj. Fadal bin `Abbas fixed his gaze at her, but the Holy Prophet turned his face to the other side. (Bukhari, Abu Da'ud, Tirmizi).
(2) Nobody should have the misunderstanding that the Command to restrain the 'gaze was enjoined because the women were allowed to move about freely with open faces, for if veiling of the face had already been enjoined, the question of restraining or not restraining the gaze would not have arisen. This argument is incorrect rationally as well as factually. It is incorrect rationally because even when veiling of the face is the usual custom, occasions can arise where a man and a woman come face to face with each other suddenly, or when a veiled woman has to uncover her face under necessity. Then even if the Muslim women observe purdah, there will be non-Muslim women who will continue to move about unveiled. Thus, the Commandment to lower the gaze or restrain the eyes, does not necessarily presume existence of a custom allowing the women to move about with unveiled faces. It is incorrect factually because the custom of purdah which was introduced after the revelation of the Commandments in Surah Al-Ahzab included veiling of the face, and this is supported by a number of Traditions relating to the time of the Holy Prophet himself. Hadrat `A'ishah in her statement relating to the incident of the "slander", which has been narrated on the authority of reliable reporters, has said: "When I came back to the camp, and found that the caravan had left, I lay down and was ' overpowered by sleep. In the morning when Safwan bin Mu`attal passed that way he recognised me because he had seen me before the Commandment of purdah had been sent down. On recognising me he exclaimed: Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji`un: `To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return'; and I awoke and covered my face with my sheet." (Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Hisham). Abu Da'ud contains an incident that when the son of Umm Khallad was killed in a battle, she came to the Holy Prophet to enquire about him and was wearing the veil as usual. It was natural to presume that on such a sad occasion one is liable to lose one's balance and ignore the restrictions of purdah. But when questioned she said, "I have certainly lost my son but not my modesty." Another Tradition in Abu Da'ud quoted on the authority of Hadrat `A'ishah relates that a woman handed an application to the Holy Prophet from behind a curtain. The Holy Prophet enquired: "Is it a man's hand or a woman's?" She replied that it was a woman's. Thereupon the Holy Prophet said: "If it is a woman's hand, the nails at least should have been coloured with henna!" As regards the two incidents relating to the occasion of Hajj, which we have mentioned above, they cannot be used as an argument to prove that the veil was not in vogue in the time of the Holy Prophet. This is because wearing of the veil is prohibited in the state of ihram. However, even in that state pious women did not like to uncover their faces before the other men. Hadrat `A'ishah has stated that during the Farewell Pilgrimage when they were moving towards Makkah in the state of ihram, the women would lower down their head sheets over their faces whenever the travellers passed by them, and would uncover their faces as soon as they had passed by. (Abu Da'ud). 
(3) There are certain exceptions to the Command of lowering the gaze or restraining the look. These exceptions relate to occasions when it is really necessary to see a woman, for instance, when a man intends to marry her. It is not only permissible to see the woman in such a case but even commendable. Mughirah bin Shu'bah has stated. "I wanted to marry in a certain family. The Holy Prophet asked me whether I had seen the girl or not. When 1 replied in the negative, he said: `Have a look at her; this will enhance harmonious relationship between you two'." (Ahmad, Tirmizi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Darimi). According to a Tradition related by Abu Hurairah, a man wanted to marry in a family of the Ansar. The Holy Prophet asked him to have a look at the girl, for the Ansar usually had a defect in their eyes. (Muslim, Nasa'i, Ahmad). According to Jabir bin 'Abdullah, the Holy Prophet said: "When a person from among you wants to marry a woman, he should have a look at her to satisfy himself that there is some quality in the woman which induces him to marry her. " (Ahmad, Abu Da'ud). According to another Tradition emanating from Abu Humaidah and quoted in Musnad Ahmad, the Holy Prophet said that there was no harm in such a procedure. He also permitted that the girl may be seen without her being aware of it. From this the jurists have concluded that there is no harm in looking at a woman when it is really necessary. For instance, there is no harm in looking at a suspect woman when investigating a crime, or in the judge's looking at a female witness, who appears in the court, or in the physician's looking at a female patient, etc.
(4) The intention of the Command to restrain the gaze also implies that no tnan or woman should look at the private parts of the other man or woman. The Holy Prophet has said: "No man should look at the satar of another man nor a woman at the sater of another woman." (Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmizi). Hadrat 'Ali has quoted the Holy Prophet as saying: "Do not look at the thigh of another person, living or dead". (Abu Da'ud, Ibn Majah). 
*30 "Guard their private parts": Abstain from illicit sexual gratification and from exposing their satar before others. For males, the satar is the part of the body from the navel to the knee, and it is not permissible to expose that pan of the body intentionally before anybody except one's own wife. (Daraqutni, Baihaqi). Hadrat Jarhad Aslami states that once he was sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet with his thigh exposed. The Holy Prophet said: "Do you not know that the thigh has to be kept concealed." (Tirmizi, Abu Da'ud, Mu'atta). Hadrat 'AIi reports that the Holy Prophet said: "Do not expose your thigh." (Abu Da'ud, Ibn Majah). Not only is the satar to be kept concealed before others but even when alone. The Holy Prophet has warned: "Beware, never remain naked, for with you are those (that is, the angels of goodness and mercy), who never leave you alone except when you ease yourself or you go to your wives. So feel shy of them and give them due respect." (Tirmizi). According to another Tradition, the Holy Prophet said: "Guard your satar from everybody except from your wife and your slave-girl." The questioner asked, "Even when we are alone?" The Holy Prophet replied, "Yes, even when alone, for Allah has a greater right that you should feel shy of Him." (Abu Da'ud, Tirmizi, Ibn Majah).