Ан-Нур 24:31–60

With regard to ladies, satr defines which parts of her body a woman must cover and which parts she may keep uncovered, either in or outside her house, and before whom, when and under what conditions. The literal meaning of ‘O! You Believers! Turn all together towards God,’ is that in carrying out the instructions of the Islamic law, the most important virtues are the receptivity and sincerity of people’s hearts. The male and female Companions of the Prophet Muhammad maintained the highest standard in this respect. ‘A’ishah says, ‘By God! I have never found anybody better than the women of the Ansar when it comes to honouring the Book of God and having faith in its instructions.’ When the following verse of the chapter entitled al-Nur, ‘They should put shawls over their bosoms’, was revealed, the Ansar men returned to their houses and conveyed to their wives, daughters and sisters the instructions revealed for them by God. Some untied their waist-belts while others used their covering sheets and made shawls out of them. The next morning when they offered prayers (salat) led by the Prophet Muhammad, it seemed as if crows sat on their heads (because of the scarves they wore). (Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. III, p. 284 ).

Islam clearly approves of married life for both men and women. In case certain persons remain unmarried, due to lack of resources, it is necessary that all the members of society unanimously view it as a common problem and do not rest content until it is solved. In the period when Islam came into existence, the system of owning slaves was prevalent in Arabia and, indeed, throughout the whole world. Islam, following its basic principles, started abolishing slavery in a very systematic though gradual manner. One of the methods followed was known as makatibah. The literal meaning of kitab or makatibah is ‘writing’. Here this term denotes a bond by which a male or female slave promises his or her owner to earn for him a specified amount within stipulated time, after which he or she will be free. Both male and female slaves were thus being set free either by makatibah or by other methods, so much so, that by the end of the period of early Islamic history (the period of the ‘four rightly guided caliphs’) the institution of slavery had been almost completely abolished. In pre-Islamic times and even in the very early period of Islam, there were people who used to make their slave girls work as prostitutes. Abdullah ibn Ubayy had many slave girls whom he forced into prostitution and thus earned a profit out of them. When one of these slave girls embraced Islam and wanted to give up prostitution, Abdullah ibn Ubayy started harassing her. Ultimately, at the behest of the Prophet Muhammad, she was freed from his clutches by paying for her freedom.

This is a metaphor with many layers of meaning. ‘Light’ symbolizes the guidance of God Almighty. ‘Niche’ is man’s heart and ‘lamp’ is faith (iman), sheltered in that niche. The image is elaborated by two more points of reference: ‘crystal of star-like brilliance’ and ‘luminous oil’. Faith, already compared to a ‘lamp’ standing in the ‘niche’ of the human heart, is safe and well protected from any external influence by the ‘crystal’ or the walls of the niche (human heart). The ‘luminous oil’ filling the lamp and ready to be lit at any moment, speaks of the eagerness with which faith waits for the Truth to appear before it, so that it may accept it without the slightest delay and sets itself ablaze. The fact is that the only source of light in this universe is God. All receive light and guidance from this source alone. Furthermore, God instilled an intense longing for the Truth in the very nature of man. This desire is very strong and, if not diluted, constantly demands gratification. By nature, man’s receptivity to Truth is so immense and inflames so easily that it may be compared to petrol, which flares up as soon as a spark comes in contact with it. A seeker is one who has not let his natural instincts become impaired, so that, the moment he hears the genuine call for the acceptance of Truth, his instincts are aroused. The light of guidance coupled with the light of nature then illuminates his entire existence.

A mosque in an inhabited locality has the same importance as the heart in the human body. The heart of a human being is illuminated by faith, while mosques are illuminated by prayers. Mosques are constructed so that within their sacred precincts, devotees may concentrate their thoughts on God and spend some time in offering prayers to Him. In the spiritual atmosphere prevailing therein, they turn quite naturally towards their Maker. A human being, on whom God bestows the gift of divine guidance, learns to recognize the call of truth. His heart is filled with feelings of awe towards God and he decides to lead a God-oriented life. It is people such as these who become self-effacing and self-sacrificing God-worshippers. They are the ones who will receive the unlimited blessings of God.

In stark contrast to the person who revives his inner natural urge and consequently is blessed with the wealth of faith, there exists the other type whose ‘oil’ does not become ignited by the fire of Truth. Of the second type, are those who follow a concocted religion. They build a palace of false hopes and are happy in it. Thus they live with their misconceptions till they are overtaken by death, which suddenly dispels the magical spell of their misconceptions. They then realise that what they thought of as their goal until now, was nothing but a pit of destruction. Another category consists of open rebels and rejecters of Truth. Disregarding God’s guidance, they become utter failures and grope in the dark forever.

What God requires of man, is that he should always remain in the state of submission as demanded by acknowledgement of the Truth. This is the true religion. Viewed from this point, the whole Universe follows the religion of Truth, because everything in the Universe behaves in fact exactly as it should. Take the example of a bird. When a bird spreads its wings and flies in the air, it presents the ultimate example of being in perfect harmony with the eternal world of reality. There is a specific mode of prayer and a way of glorifying God prescribed for every single creature of God, which it is expected to adhere to. Similarly, there is a specific method of glorifying God as prescribed for a human being and he is expected to follow it. If a man indulges in heedless or rebellious behaviour on this score, he shall have to pay a heavy price for it.

Events of the physical world give direct introduction of the Creator, but only to those who possess insight. Rain for example, results after a series of events that comprise the rain cycle. The lightning and thunder, and the succession of day and night are likewise miraculous phenomena. On seeing such occurences an insightful man mentally journeys to reach beyond external appearances to grasp the higher, innate reality of things. This is called ‘ibrah, meaning ‘to traverse’.

To all appearances, this is a world of multiplicity. Basing their belief on this view, the people of ancient times assumed the creators of all the numerous things of this world to be numerous themselves. But one who deeply observes nature finds that a certain uniformity is hidden in all its apparent multiplicity and diversity; this observation gives an entirely different hue to previous assumptions. There are many different kinds of animals. But, an in-depth study shows that the underlying biological system of all animals is uniform. Given these facts, the multiplicity and diversity of life around us must be regarded as a miracle of nature’s creation. Things which, seen from one angle, appear to manifest the multiplicity of creation, observed from another angle, demonstrate the proof of the unity of creation. The present world is the one in which one has to discover reality amidst falsity. Here, one has to set oneself above things that are deceptive in order to perceive the Truth. Man has been given wisdom solely for this purpose. Only one who properly uses this divine torch of wisdom shall find the right path, while one who does not, shall descend into a state of moral chaos.

While the Prophet was in Madinah, there was a group which had apparently accepted Islam, but which was not really sincere about religion. This group was called the hypocrites (munafiqun). These people mouthed their obedience to God and His Prophet, but in practice, at the time of need, their actions would belie their pretensions. At that time, due to prevailing circumstances, a regular Islamic Court had not yet been established. The Jewish chiefs had been deciding cases as a matter of convention for centuries. But now the Prophet Muhammad had migrated to Madinah and established himself there. It was typical of the half-hearted hypocritical Muslims to agree to have their disputes (with other Muslims) settled by the Prophet Muhammad, provided they were sure that it would be decided in their favour. But when it seemed that the outcome might be unfavourable to them, these hypocrites (munafiqun) preferred going to a Jewish chief to have the matter decided. To all appearances this was an act of great cleverness, but in actuality they were just wronging themselves. Such apparent winners shall have lost their case even before reaching the court of God.

The believer is one who makes himself subservient to God and His Prophet. The moment the decision of God and His Prophet is made known to him, he unhesitatingly complies with it, irrespective of whether it is in accordance with his wishes or against them, whether it protects his personal interests or harms them. In the life Hereafter, success will crown one who bows down before the commandments of God and His Prophet and whose realisation of God is such that he fears Him the most; to save himself from the displeasure of God becomes the greatest concern of his life.

One whose heart has been deeply permeated by God-realisation always has his eyes downcast. His sense of responsibility prepares him for great sacrifices and makes him a man who is frugal with words as he is conscious of his accountability before God. On the contrary, one who is remiss in his relations with God is assiduous in his relations with other people. He compensates for his shortcomings in deeds by an excess of words. Since he has no proof of good character, he remonstrates with big words in order to promote his image as a trustworthy and respectable person. Those who try to influence others by using the charm of words think that all matters are between human beings. Those who are certain that the real matter is rather between God and man experience a sea-change in their attitude.

The promise of the grant of a dominant status applied initially to the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, but it also applies to the whole community of the believers. It is observed here that men of faith need not make the possession of power and dominance their target, for these are actually blessings of God, conferred upon deserving believers as a reward for their faith and good deeds. The purpose of granting this dominant status is to provide the believers with stability in this world, so that they may be able to live peacefully and in safety, lead their lives as the subjects of the One God and pray to Him freely, without fearing their enemies. The dominant status of the people of faith shall continue so long as they remain grateful to God and do not lose their fear of God (taqwa). Appointing a successor, khalifah, or ‘one who comes afterwards’, entails the conferring of dominant status and stability on one community in place of the community, which had earlier enjoyed this position. The dominant position is, in fact, a part of the divine trial. God gives this position to all communities, one after another, and thus puts them to the test. For people of faith, this position is a means of judging them.

The blessings of God refer to the position of dominance in the present world and Paradise in the Hereafter. Those who want to make themselves worthy of this blessing should foster three virtues in themselves: piety, charity and the willingness to follow the example of the Prophet. The first quality is evinced in the regular saying of prayers. Observance of prayers regularly acts as a strong incentive to lead a life of sincerity, modesty and humility, rather than one of false pride and arrogance. The second quality takes its practical form in zakat, the prescribed alms-giving, which means the setting aside of some amount at the prescribed rate from one’s wealth and handing it over to bayt al-mal or the ‘Public Fund’. Zakat, conveys the message that people should not be selfish but should be the well-wishers of others. Their well-wishing should go to the extent of fostering a feeling that others have a certain right over them. The third quality is obedience to the Prophet Muhammad. During his lifetime, this meant obeying him personally, while beyond his lifetime, it means obeying his sunnah or tradition. In other words, in all matters of life, the ideal example for the people should be the life of the Prophet of God. People should accept only him as their guide and when confronted with his pronouncements, they should forego their personal opinions. The Prophet should be in the lead and all others should be behind him.

In some of the preceding verses certain instructions regarding social behaviour are given. Now these verses were revealed, perhaps as a supplement to and an elaboration of them. For instance, one of the instructions given initially to women regarding the covering of the body was that they should cover their bosoms with scarves or sheets (verse 31). In verse 60 those old women who are past the marriageable age have been exempted from the general rule, and it is laid down that there is no harm in their not following it. These two sets of instructions could have been revealed at one and the same time, but there are four intervening paragraphs (ruku‘), in which different subjects have been dealt with. It is gathered from traditions that after the initial instructions had been revealed, some practical problems arose. Therefore, in clarification, these later verses were revealed. This shows that the Quran’s method is one of gradualness and not that of taking sudden steps. It was possible for God to have revealed all the instructions together at one time, but He chose to reveal them bit by bit, according to the circumstances.