يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ
بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهْلِهَا ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ
لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فِيهَا أَحَدًا فَلَا
تَدْخُلُوهَا حَتَّى يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ قِيلَ لَكُمْ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا
هُوَ أَزْكَى لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ
جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ مَسْكُونَةٍ فِيهَا مَتَاعٌ لَكُمْ
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ذَلِكَ أَزْكَى لَهُمْ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ
أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا
ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ
زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ
أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي
إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ
نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوْ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُوْلِي
الْإِرْبَةِ مِنْ الرِّجَالِ أَوْ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَى
عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ
مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (٢٤:
٢٧-٣١)
Believers!
Enter not the houses other than your own until you have introduced yourselves
and wished peace to those in them. That is best for you that you may be heedful.
If you find no one in the house, enter not until permission is given to you. If
you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. Allah has knowledge
of all which you do. It is no sin for you to enter non-residential places in
which there is benefit for you. And Allah has knowledge of what you reveal and
what you conceal. [O Prophet!] tell believing men to restrain their eyes and
guard their private parts [if there are women present in these houses]. That is
purer for them. And Allah is well aware of what you do. And tell the believing
women to restrain their eyes and to guard their private parts and to display of
their ornaments only those [which are worn on limbs] which are normally revealed
and to draw their coverings over their bosoms. They should not reveal their
ornaments to anyone save their husbands or their fathers or their husbands’
fathers or their sons or their husbands’ sons or their brothers or their
brothers’ sons or their sisters’ sons or other women of acquaintance or their
slaves or the subservient male servants who are not attracted to women or
children who have no awareness of the hidden aspects of women. They should
[also] not stamp their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden
ornaments. Believers turn to Allah in repentance that you may prosper.
(24:27-31)
In order to
protect the society from moral misconduct and to safeguard the sanctity of
personal relationships, the above quoted verses outline the norms and etiquette
of gender interaction. They are stated in Sūrah Nūr with the warning that these
norms of social interaction and communal contact must be adhered to in order to
maintain the purity of heart and are the most appropriate set of principles in
this matter. If people follow these norms, they will obtain the great blessings
and favours they entail. However, to obtain these, it is essential that they
follow these norms while regarding the Almighty to be all embracing in knowledge
and always remain aware of the fact that the Almighty is not only aware of their
deeds but also the intentions and motives behind them.
These norms
are:
1. If friends,
relatives or acquaintances visit one another, they should follow a certain
decorum. Suddenly barging into a house without introducing one’s self is
improper. The visitor should first of all properly introduce himself by paying
salutations to the residents of a house. This will make the residents aware of
the visitor, provide them with the opportunity to determine the purpose of his
visit and whether it is appropriate for them to let him in. If the visitor hears
a reply to his salutations and is given permission, only then should he enter.
If there is no one present in the house to give him permission or if someone is
present and the visitor is told on his behalf that meeting him is not possible,
he should withdraw without any feelings of ill-will.
In this regard,
while explaining this directive, the Prophet (sws) has directed the visitor to
seek permission three times and if he hears no reply even after his third call,
he should turn back.
Similarly, the
Prophet (sws) is reported to have said that the permission to enter must not be
sought by standing right at the front door of the house and while peeping in
because the very reason for seeking permission is that the visitor should not
catch a glimpse of the residents.
2. In case the
visited place is non-residential, no formal permission is required. The Qur’ān
uses the words ‘بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ مَسْكُونَةٍ’ (houses
which are not residential) for such places. They include hotels, rest houses,
guest houses, shops, offices and meeting places. A person can enter such places
because of some need without seeking permission as per the dictates of this
verse.
3. In both
types of visited places, if women are present then the divine directive is that
both the men and women present should restrain their gazes. The words used for
this directive are ‘يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ’ (yaghuddū
min absārihim). If there is modesty in the gazes, and men and women refrain from
feasting their eyes on the physical attributes of one another and ogling each
other, then no doubt the purport of the directive stands fulfilled. The
expression ‘غَضِّ بَصَرْ’ (ghaddi basr) does not mean
that men and women have to constantly stare at the floor while interacting with
one another. It means to guard one’s gaze from taking undue liberty and to
refrain from staring at one another. If this vigil on the eyes is not kept, then
in the words of the Prophet (sws), this would be tantamount to adultery of the
eyes. Once a person indulges into it, his sexual organ either fulfills the
ultimate objective of what his eyes initiated or is unable to do so.
It is regarding this first accidental gaze about which the Prophet (sws) has
directed the believers to turn away.
Barīdah (rta)
reports that the Prophet (sws) told ‘Alī (rta): ‘O ‘Ali! One must not follow up
one’s first glance by a second one because the first glance shall be forgiven
while the second not’.
Jarīr Ibn
‘Abdullāh reports that he asked from the Prophet (sws): ‘What if such a glance
takes place suddenly?’. The Prophet (sws) replied: ‘Immediately turn it away or
lower it’.
Once during the
Prophet’s farewell pilgrimage when a lady from the Khath‘am tribe stopped the
Prophet (sws) on his way, Fadl Ibn ‘Abbās started to stare at her. When the
Prophet (sws) saw him, he caught hold of his face and turned it to the other
side.
4. One must
properly cover one’s sexual organs on such occasions of interaction. The
expression employed by the Qur’ān is ‘حِفْظِ الفُرُوْج’
(hifzu’l-furūj). At various instances in the Qur’ān, this expression is used to
connote inappropriate indulgence in sexual activity. However, it is evident from
both the context in which it is used and the way it is used that in the above
quoted verses this expression implies that men and women must properly cover
their sexual# organs. The purpose of the directive is that on occasions of
gender intermingling body parts that need to be covered must be covered even
more carefully. The primary way to achieve this end is to wear decent clothes.
Men and women should wear such clothes which not only hide the ornaments worn
but also the sexual organs. Moreover, on such occasions, care should be taken
that a person does not expose his sexual organs. This is the very objective of
hifzu’l-furūj. The Qur’ān wants that believing men and women besides restraining
their eyes also observe this norm of modesty.
5. It is
necessary for women in particular not to display any of their ornaments except
before their close relatives, attendants and people of acquaintance. However,
exempted from this are ornaments which are generally never covered: ie the
ornaments worn on the hand, the face and the feet. In the opinion of this
writer, the correct meaning of the Qur’ānic words ‘إِلَّا مَا
ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا’ (illā mā zahara minha) used to indicate this meaning is
the one pointed out by Zamakhsharī in the words:
إِلَّا مَا جَرَتِ اْلعَادَة وَ اْلجِبِلَّة عَلى ظُهُورِهِ وَ
اْلاَصْل فِيِهِ الْظُهُوْر
Except limbs
which a person does not cover generally and instinctively and they are always
left bare.
Therefore,
barring the ornaments worn in these places, women must hide the ones worn in all
other places. So much so that they should not walk by striking their feet in a
manner which draws attention to any hidden ornaments they may be wearing. On
these very grounds, the Prophet (sws) bade women not to use strong perfumes when
they go out.
Relatives and
people of acquaintance before which the above mentioned display of ornaments is
not forbidden are:
i. Husband
ii. Father
iii. Father in
law
For the latter
two relations, the word used by the Qur’ān is ‘آبَا’ (āba).
This word not only implies the father but also the paternal and maternal uncles
and grandfathers. Therefore, a lady can display her ornaments before adults of
both her maternal and paternal family and those of her husband’s just as she can
before her father and father-in- law.
iv. Sons
v. Sons of the
Husband
vi. Brothers
vii. Brothers’
Sons
viii. Sisters’
Sons
The word ‘son’
implies the maternal grand and great grand sons as well as the paternal ones.
The same implies for the sons of brothers and sisters. In these relations also,
the sons of real, step and foster brothers and sisters is understood to be
included.
ix. Women of
acquaintance and Maids
It is evident
from these words that unknown women should be treated the same way as men and a
Muslim lady should be very careful in displaying her concealed ornaments before
them. The reason is that this can result in both moral and financial
afflictions, and in some cases a careless attitude in this regard may invite
even graver dangers.
x. Slaves
The institution
of slavery existed in Arabia in the times of the Prophet Muhammad (sws). The
words used in the above quoted verse while referring to this institution are
‘مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ’. Some jurists have
understood this expression to only mean ‘slave-women’. However, there is no
reason for this exception. Writes Imām Amīn Ahsan Islāhī:
Had only
slave-women been implied by this expression then the appropriate words would
have been ‘اَوْ اَمَاءِهِنٌ’. A common expression that
connotes both slave-men and slave-women would never have been used. Moreover,
the verses already mention the category which as, has been explained, includes
both women with whom one is generally acquainted as well slave-women and
maidservants. After a mention of this category, an independent mention of
slave-women is needless.
xi. People who
live in a house as dependents and because of their subservience or owing to any
other reason are incapable of feeling any attraction towards women.
xii. Children
who are as yet unaware of sexual matters.
6. Since the
chest of women is means of sexual attraction, and there also may be jewelry worn
in the neck, they are directed to cover their chests with a cloak. In this way,
the neckline shall also be covered as much as possible. If by some other means
this objective is achieved, then this cannot be objected to either. The real
purpose is that women must not reveal their chest and neckline before men; on
the contrary, these should be concealed in a manner that they do not become
prominent in any way.
The sūrah also
mentions certain other clarifications regarding these norms.
Firstly,
slave-men and women and sexually immature children who generally frequent a
house are not required to take permission every time they enter private rooms.
They are just required to seek permission in three particular times of the day:
before the Fajr prayer when the residents are generally in bed, during the nap
in the afternoon when they may not be wearing proper clothes and after the ‘Ishā
prayer when they go off to bed for sleep. These three periods of time require
privacy. If someone suddenly enters a private room in these times, he may see
the residents in an inappropriate state. Barring these three times of the day,
sexually immature children and slave-men and women can enter the private rooms
and other areas of the house without taking any permission. This then cannot be
objected to. However, in the above mentioned three times, they must seek
permission when they want to enter a private room. Once children reach sexual
maturity, they too need to seek permission at all times. The fact that they have
been frequenting the house ever since their childhood is not reason enough for
them to continue with the exception granted to them. Consequently, once they
reach this age, they must follow the regulations that pertain to all:
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِيَسْتَأْذِنْكُمْ الَّذِينَ
مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَبْلُغُوا الْحُلُمَ مِنْكُمْ ثَلَاثَ
مَرَّاتٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَحِينَ تَضَعُونَ ثِيَابَكُمْ مِنْ
الظَّهِيرَةِ وَمِنْ بَعْدِ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ ثَلَاثُ عَوْرَاتٍ لَكُمْ لَيْسَ
عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا عَلَيْهِمْ جُنَاحٌ بَعْدَهُنَّ طَوَّافُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ
بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ الْآيَاتِ وَاللَّهُ
عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْأَطْفَالُ مِنْكُمْ الْحُلُمَ
فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا كَمَا اسْتَأْذَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ كَذَلِكَ
يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (٢٤:
٥٨-٥٩)
Believers,
let your slave men and women and those who are under age ask your permission on
three occasions when they come in to see you: before the Fajr prayer, when you
have put off your garments in the heat of noon and after the Ishā prayer. These
are the three occasions when none may intrude upon your privacy. At other times,
it shall be no offence for you, or them, [because you] go around visiting one
another. Thus God explains to you His verses and God is all-knowing and wise.
And when your children reach the age of puberty, let them still ask your
permission as their elders do. Thus God explains to you His verses and God is
all-knowing and wise. (24:58-9)
Secondly, the
directive of covering the chest and neckline does not pertain to old women who
are no longer of marriageable age on the condition that they their intention is
not to display their ornaments. It is not necessary for a woman to cover her
chest and neckline in the age in which she generally loses her sexual urge and
in which a man feels no attraction for her. So old women can dispense with the
cloth that covers the stipulated area. However, what is more pleasing in the
sight of Allah is that even in this age they be careful and not dispense with
this garment:
وَالْقَوَاعِدُ مِنْ النِّسَاءِ اللَّاتِي لَا يَرْجُونَ
نِكَاحًا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِنَّ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ يَضَعْنَ ثِيَابَهُنَّ غَيْرَ
مُتَبَرِّجَاتٍ بِزِينَةٍ وَأَنْ يَسْتَعْفِفْنَ خَيْرٌ لَهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ
عَلِيمٌ (٦٠:٢٤)
It shall be
no sin for aged women who have no hope of marriage to discard their cloaks on
the condition that they do not display their ornaments. Better if they do not
discard them. God hears all and knows all. (24:60)
Thirdly, it is
explained in these verses that there is absolutely no harm if people and their
relatives who are disabled or impaired in any manner come and visit one another
and whether men and women among them eat together or separately in their own
houses of their children, of their fathers’, mothers’, brothers’ and sisters’,
of their paternal uncles’ and aunts’, maternal uncles’ and aunts’ and people who
are financially dependent on them. Indeed, when they enter such houses they must
greet the residents in the prescribed way. The Muslim religious greeting (al-salāmu
alaykum) is in fact a beautiful invocation to the Almighty to strengthen
personal relationships. The norms of social interaction that are outlined in
these verses are not meant to deprive people of mutual support or to curtail
their social freedom. If people show prudence, they can maintain all these
relationships even after following these norms. They must not think that these
directives are meant to put them through difficulties. The Almighty does not
intend to prohibit social interaction in any way:
لَيْسَ عَلَى الْأَعْمَى حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى الْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ
وَلَا عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ حَرَجٌ وَلَا عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا مِنْ
بُيُوتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ آبَائِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ
إِخْوَانِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ إِخْوَانِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخَوَاتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ
أَعْمَامِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ عَمَّاتِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ أَخْوَالِكُمْ أَوْ بُيُوتِ
خَالَاتِكُمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكْتُمْ مَفَاتِحَهُ أَوْ صَدِيقِكُمْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ
جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَأْكُلُوا جَمِيعًا أَوْ أَشْتَاتًا فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمْ بُيُوتًا
فَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ تَحِيَّةً مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً
طَيِّبَةً كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (٦١:٢٤)
There is no
harm if the blind, the lame, and the sick eat at your table nor if you eat in
the houses of your own children, your fathers’, your mothers’, your brothers’
and your sisters’, your paternal uncles’, your paternal aunts’, your maternal
uncles’, your maternal aunts’, or your friends’; or of those who are
[financially] dependent on you. There is no harm if men and women eat together
or apart. [However, this much you should do that] when you enter a house, say
‘peace to you’ – an invocation fixed by God, and let your greeting be devout and
kindly. Thus God explains to you His revelations, so that you may grow in
wisdom. (24:61)
These are the
norms of social interaction in general circumstances. However, in the age of the
Prophet (sws) in Madīnah when some miscreants started teasing and besmearing the
characters of Muslim women, the Almighty in Sūrah Ahzāb bade the wives of the
Prophet (sws), his daughters and other Muslim women to draw their cloaks over
them when they go out to places which were insecure. Such dressing-up would
distinguish them from women of lewd character and they would not be teased on
the pretext of being outwardly similar to such women. It is reported in various
narratives that when Muslim women in the dark of night or in the dim light of
dawn would go out to relieve themselves these miscreants would get after them
and when they would be called to account they would say that they actually
though that they were talking to slave-women.
The Qur’ān says:
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا
يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ
الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِي
الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَا يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَا إِلَّا
قَلِيلًا مَلْعُونِينَ أَيْنَمَا ثُقِفُوا أُخِذُوا وَقُتِّلُوا تَقْتِيلًا (٣٣:
٥٨-٦١)
Those who
harass believing men and believing women unjustifiably shall bear the guilt of
slander and a grievous sin. O Prophet! Enjoin your wives, your daughters, and
the wives of true believers to draw their cloaks over them [when they go out].
That is more proper, so that they may be distinguished [from slave women] and
not be harassed. God is ever forgiving and merciful. If the hypocrites and those
who have the ailment [of jealousy] in their hearts and the scandal mongers of
Madīnah do not desist, We will rouse you against them, and their days in that
city will be numbered. Cursed be they; wherever found, they would be seized and
put to death. (33:58-61)
It is evident
from the words ‘أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ’ and
the context in which they are used that the directive mentioned in the preceding
verses was not of permanent nature. It was a temporary measure adopted to
protect Muslim women from the evil of lecherous people. Owing to similar
reasons, the Prophet (sws) also forbade Muslim women from traveling alone on
long journeys and from walking on pathways within a crowd of men.
Consequently, if today Muslim women are faced with similar circumstances, they
can adopt a similar measure to make themselves distinct from other women.
The sūrah also
mentions certain directives that are specific to the Prophet Muhammad (sws) in
his capacity of a Messenger of God. They bear no relation to other people;
however, since certain scholars have extended their sphere of application to all
Muslims, their explanation seems appropriate here.
A deliberation
on the contents of the sūrah reveals the fact that when the hypocrites and
miscreants mentioned above embarked upon a campaign to scandalize the private
lives of the wives of the Prophet (sws) to make the common man averse to them
and to damage the moral repute of both Islam and the Muslims, the Almighty took
certain measures to curb this evil: First, He gave the noble wives the choice to
leave the Prophet (sws) and live the life of common Muslim women enjoying its
luxuries and comforts or to once again decide with full awareness to live
forever as the wives of the Prophet (sws) in order to obtain the comforts and
luxuries of the Hereafter. They are then informed that if they decided to stay
with the Prophet (sws), then they must realize that their status as his wives
entails great responsibility. They are not like common women; they are like the
mothers of the believers. Therefore, if they remain faithful to Allah and His
Prophet (sws) and do righteous deeds with full sincerity, they will earn a
two-fold reward. Likewise, they will be worthy of a two-fold punishment in
relation to other women if they commit a sin. Their inner purification is beyond
doubt; however, the Almighty also wants to morally cleanse them in the eyes of
the people so that no one is given a chance to even cast slight aspersions on
their characters. This is a requisite of their status and they must adopt
certain things in their daily lives to achieve this purity.
Firstly, if
they are fearful of the Almighty they should not be kind and affectionate in
speech to every person who enters their house. Though in normal circumstances,
one must be gentle and kind when he speaks to others, but, in the circumstances
they are facing, such an attitude would only embolden the miscreants and the
hypocrites around them to take undue advantage of them. Such an attitude of
kindness would create in them the expectation of success in their mission – the
mission of whispering evil in people’s hearts. So if ever they have to talk to
such people they must speak in clear and simple tones so that those among their
addressees who intend evil realize that they cannot achieve their objective. The
Qur’ān says:
يَانِسَاءَ
النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِنْ النِّسَاءِ إِنْ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا
تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا
مَعْرُوفًا (٣٢:٣٣)
Wives of the
Prophet, you are not like other women. So, if you fear God, do not be too
complaisant in your speech, lest the lecherous-hearted should lust after you.
Talk with such people in plain and simple words. (33:32)
Second, they
should remain in their homes in order to protect their rank and status. All
their attitudes and mannerisms should be in accordance with the status that the
Almighty has conferred them with. So if they have to go out to meet some
compelling need, they must not go out displaying their ornaments and finery –
something which was the way of women of the age of ignorance. Both their status
and responsibility entail that they remain in their houses and diligently pray
and spend in the way of Allah as much as they can and with full sincerity spend
their time in obedience to the Almighty and His Prophet (sws). However, if due
to some unavoidable reason they must leave their place, then they should do so
in the most befitting of manners exemplifying the culture and tradition of the
Muslims and not let any hypocrite to even cast an aspersion on them:
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ
الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ
اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمْ الرِّجْسَ
أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا (٣٣:٣٣)
Abide still
in your homes and do not display your finery as women used to do in the days of
ignorance. Attend to your prayers, give alms and obey God and His Messenger. O
woman of this house, the Almighty wants to cleanse you from the filth [these
hypocrites want to besmear you with] and to fully purify you. (33:33)
Thirdly, they
should try to communicate the verses of the Qur’ān as well as the beliefs and
moral teachings of Islam to people who come and visit them and refrain from
other general gossip. It is for this very objective that the Almighty has chosen
them. Their purpose of life now is the dissemination of the message of Islam and
not indulgence in the luxuries of life:
وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ
وَالْحِكْمَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا (٣٤:٣٣)
Communicate
what is taught to you of the verses of God and the wisdom revealed by Him [to
your visitors]. The Almighty is very discerning and all-knowing. (33:34)
It seems that
even after all these measures, the miscreants did not mend their ways.
Consequently, the Almighty gave some more directives to Muslims which were to be
strictly followed.
Muslims were
told that no one should enter the house of the Prophet (sws) unless he was
called. If people are invited to have food at the house of the Prophet (sws),
they shall come right at the time of food. They shall then disperse immediately
afterwards and not keep talking to one another.
The wives of
the Prophet (sws) shall be secluded from the Muslims and except for near
relatives and women of their acquaintance no one shall come in front of them.
Any who wants something from their private places must ask for it from behind a
veil.
The wives of
the Prophet (sws) shall be the mothers of the believers. Those Hypocrites who
have the desire to marry them should know that even after the death of the
Prophet (sws) they cannot marry them. They are eternally prohibited to marry
after him. Consequently, every believer should honour and respect them the way
he honours and respects his own mother. The Prophet (sws) is greatly distressed
by the wrong attitudes of these miscreants. They must know that bothering the
Prophet (sws) is not something trivial. A person may fashion out an excuse for
his misdemeanor in this world but he would not be successful in justifying it
before the Lord of the worlds who is aware of what is in the hearts:
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ
النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ
وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانْتَشِرُوا وَلَا
مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِ
مِنْكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِ مِنْ الْحَقِّ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ
مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ
وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَنْ
تَنْكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ
عَظِيمًا إِنْ تُبْدُوا شَيْئًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ
شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا لَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِي آبَائِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَائِهِنَّ
وَلَا إِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَاءِ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَا أَبْنَاءِ
أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَائِهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ وَاتَّقِينَ
اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدًا (٣٣:
٥٣-٥٥)
Believers,
do not enter the houses of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper
time, unless you are given leave. But if you are invited, enter; and when you
have eaten, disperse. Do not engage in familiar talk, for this would distress
the Prophet and he would feel shy to bid you go; but of the truth God does not
feel shy. If you ask his wives for anything, speak to them from behind a
curtain. This is more chaste for your hearts and their hearts. You must not
speak ill of God’s Messenger, nor shall you ever wed his wives after him; this
would surely be a grave offence in the sight of God. Whether you reveal or
conceal them, God has knowledge of all things. It shall be no offence for the
Prophet’s wives to come before their fathers, their sons, their brothers, their
brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women of acquaintance, or their
slave-girls. [O] women [of the household of the Prophet!], have fear of God;
surely God observes all things. (33:53-5)
(Translated by
Shehzad Saleem from ‘Mīzān’)
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