Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
An-Nur 24:61–64
24:61Page 358
لَّيۡسَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ حَرَجٞ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَعۡرَجِ حَرَجٞ وَلَا عَلَى ٱلۡمَرِيضِ حَرَجٞ وَلَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَن تَأۡكُلُواْ مِنۢ بُيُوتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ ءَابَآئِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ إِخۡوَٰنِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَعۡمَٰمِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ عَمَّٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ أَخۡوَٰلِكُمۡ أَوۡ بُيُوتِ خَٰلَٰتِكُمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكۡتُم مَّفَاتِحَهُۥٓ أَوۡ صَدِيقِكُمۡۚ لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَأۡكُلُواْ جَمِيعًا أَوۡ أَشۡتَاتٗاۚ فَإِذَا دَخَلۡتُم بُيُوتٗا فَسَلِّمُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ تَحِيَّةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُبَٰرَكَةٗ طَيِّبَةٗۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ ٦١
There is not upon the blind [any] constraint nor upon the lame constraint nor upon the ill constraint nor upon yourselves when you eat from your [own] houses or the houses of your fathers or the houses of your mothers or the houses of your brothers or the houses of your sisters or the houses of your father's brothers or the houses of your father's sisters or the houses of your mother's brothers or the houses of your mother's sisters or [from houses] whose keys you possess or [from the house] of your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace1 upon each other - a greeting from Allāh, blessed and good. Thus does Allāh make clear to you the verses [of ordinance] that you may understand.
Before the advent of Islam, Arab society enjoyed total freedom. Thereafter, however, Islam imposed some restrictions on entry into houses, as mentioned above. People thereupon felt that because of these restrictions, their social lives would become very constrained. These verses were then revealed to clarify matters. It was made clear that the restrictions were meant to regulate and systematize social life and not to curtail legitimate freedom. For instance, if the blind, the lame and the sick were isolated from attendants, relatives, etc., it would amount to making them physically helpless. But this was never the intention of Islam. So, leeway has been made in the earlier provisions and their true spirit has been indicated. It is stated that Islam’s real purpose is that people should be each other’s true well-wishers. When a man enters another’s house, he should make a salutation, saying: ‘Peace be on you and His (God’s) blessings be showered on you.’ If people are imbued with this spirit, most social evils will automatically cease.
24:62Page 359
إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَإِذَا كَانُواْ مَعَهُۥ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرٖ جَامِعٖ لَّمۡ يَذۡهَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَسۡتَـٔۡذِنُوهُۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَـٔۡذِنُونَكَ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦۚ فَإِذَا ٱسۡتَـٔۡذَنُوكَ لِبَعۡضِ شَأۡنِهِمۡ فَأۡذَن لِّمَن شِئۡتَ مِنۡهُمۡ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٦٢
The believers are only those who believe in Allāh and His Messenger and, when they are [meeting] with him for a matter of common interest, do not depart until they have asked his permission. Indeed, those who ask your permission, [O Muḥammad] - those are the ones who believe in Allāh and His Messenger. So when they ask your permission due to something of their affairs, then give permission to whom you will among them and ask forgiveness for them of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Circumstances often merit holding consultations on common issues to seek co-operation collectively. At such times, it may happen that certain people lose interest after a while and want to leave. This is not the correct Islamic attitude. However, even among those who are free of this attitude, there may be some who, because of some urgent need, want to leave the gathering before time. These persons must take proper permission from the responsible person (and during the period of the Prophet, it had to be taken from the Prophet himself). Furthermore, if the responsible person does not give them permission, they must ungrudgingly remain till the end of the proceedings. One who is responsible for the collective affairs of Muslims should possess the temperament and attitude to willingly accede to any request to be excused made on the plea of having something more urgent to attend to. He should pray for the one making such a request to be helped by God Almighty.
24:63–64Page 359
لَّا تَجۡعَلُواْ دُعَآءَ ٱلرَّسُولِ بَيۡنَكُمۡ كَدُعَآءِ بَعۡضِكُم بَعۡضٗاۚ قَدۡ يَعۡلَمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَسَلَّلُونَ مِنكُمۡ لِوَاذٗاۚ فَلۡيَحۡذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنۡ أَمۡرِهِۦٓ أَن تُصِيبَهُمۡ فِتۡنَةٌ أَوۡ يُصِيبَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ٦٣
Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another. Already Allāh knows those of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those beware who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophet's] order,1 lest fitnah2 strike them or a painful punishment.
أَلَآ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ قَدۡ يَعۡلَمُ مَآ أَنتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَيَوۡمَ يُرۡجَعُونَ إِلَيۡهِ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُواْۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمُۢ ٦٤
Unquestionably, to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and earth. Already He knows that upon which you [stand]1 and [knows] the Day2 when they will be returned to Him and He will inform them of what they have done. And Allāh is Knowing of all things.
The commandment to obey the Prophet of God was directly applicable to his contemporaries and subsequently became applicable to all believing men and women. Those who avoid devoting any efforts to collective affairs may think that they are strengthening their individual interests by not wasting their time on matters which are the concern of the entire community. But any group, which loses its collectivism, makes itself vulnerable to its enemies. The destruction that follows is of a general nature and the harm so caused affects everybody. It does not spare even those who were under the impression that they had made themselves safe by giving full attention to their own matters.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences