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Ayah
Word by Word
لَّيۡسَ
Not
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
upon you
جُنَاحٌ
(is) any blame
أَن
that
تَدۡخُلُواْ
you enter
بُيُوتًا
houses
غَيۡرَ
not
مَسۡكُونَةٖ
inhabited
فِيهَا
in it
مَتَٰعٞ
(is) a provision
لَّكُمۡۚ
for you
وَٱللَّهُ
And Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
knows
مَا
what
تُبۡدُونَ
you reveal
وَمَا
and what
تَكۡتُمُونَ
you conceal
لَّيۡسَ
Not
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
upon you
جُنَاحٌ
(is) any blame
أَن
that
تَدۡخُلُواْ
you enter
بُيُوتًا
houses
غَيۡرَ
not
مَسۡكُونَةٖ
inhabited
فِيهَا
in it
مَتَٰعٞ
(is) a provision
لَّكُمۡۚ
for you
وَٱللَّهُ
And Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
knows
مَا
what
تُبۡدُونَ
you reveal
وَمَا
and what
تَكۡتُمُونَ
you conceal
Translation
It is no fault on your part to enter houses not used for living in, which serve some (other) use for you: And Allah has knowledge of what ye reveal and what ye conceal.
Tafsir
You would not be at fault if you enter [without permission] uninhabited houses wherein is comfort, some benefit, for you, in the way of finding shelter and so on, as in the case of travellers inns and charitable hostels. And God knows what you disclose, [what] you do openly, and what you hide, what you do secretly when entering houses other than your own, be it for a righteous purpose or otherwise. It will be mentioned shortly that they should bid themselves peace when entering their own houses.
A Threat to Those who accuse Chaste Women, Who never even think of anything touching their Chastity and are Good Believers
Allah says,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرۡمُونَ الۡمُحۡصَنَاتِ الۡغَافِلَتِ الۡمُوۡمِنَاتِ
Verily, those who accuse chaste believing women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity and are good believers --
This is a warning and threat from Allah to those who accuse chaste women, who never even think of anything effecting their chastity since they are good believers. The Mothers of the believers are more entitled to be included in this category than any other chaste woman, especially the one who was the reason for this Ayah being revealed:A'ishah bint As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with them both.
All of the scholars agree that whoever slanders her or makes accusations against after what has been said in this Ayah, is a disbeliever, because of his being obstinate with the Qur'an. The same ruling applies to all of the Mothers of the believers.
لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنۡيَا وَالاۡخِرَةِ
are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter,
This is like the Ayah:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُوۡذُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, (33:57)
وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
and for them will be a great torment.
Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,
This is about A'ishah, and whoever does anything similar nowadays to Muslim women, the same applies to him, but A'ishah is the one who is primarily referred to here.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said:
اجۡتَنِبُوا السَّبۡعَ الۡمُوبِقَاتِ
Shun the seven destructive sins.
He was asked, What are they, O Messenger of Allah!
He said:
الشِّرۡكُ بِاللهِ
وَالسِّحۡرُ
وَقَتۡلُ النَّفۡسِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلاَّ بِالۡحَقِّ
وَأَكۡلُ الرِّبَا
وَأَكۡلُ مَالِ الۡيَتِيمِ
وَالتَّوَلِّي يَوۡمَ الزَّحۡفِ
وَقَذۡفُ الۡمُحۡصَنَاتِ الۡغَافِلَتِ الۡمُوۡمِنَاتِ
Associating partners with Allah;
magic;
killing a soul whom Allah has forbidden to be killed, except with just cause;
consuming Riba;
consuming the property of orphans;
desertion at the time of war;
accusing chaste women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity and are good believers.
This was recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim in the Two Sahihs.
Then Allah says,
يَوۡمَ تَشۡهَدُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَلۡسِنَتُهُمۡ وَأَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَأَرۡجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعۡمَلُونَ
On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their legs will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said,
This refers to the idolators when they realize that no one will enter Paradise except the people who used to perform Salah. They will say, `Come, let us deny (everything).' So they will deny (everything), then their mouths will be sealed and their hands and feet will testify against them, and they will not be able to hide anything from Allah.
Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded that Anas bin Malik said,
We were with the Prophet and he smiled so broadly that his back teeth could be seen, then he said:
أَتَدۡرُونَ مِمَّ أَضۡحَكُ
Do you know why I am smiling?
We said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.'
He said,
مِنۡ مُجَادَلَةِ الۡعَبۡدِ لِرَبِّهِ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ أَلَمۡ تُجِرۡنِي مِنَ الظُّلۡمِ فَيَقُولُ بَلَى فَيَقُولُ لَا أُجِيزُ عَلَيَّ شَاهِدًا إِلاَّاِمنۡ نَفۡسِي فَيَقُولُ كَفَى بِنَفۡسِكَ الۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكَ شَهِيدًا وَبِالۡكِرَامِ عَلَيۡكَ شُهُودًا فَيُخۡتَمُ عَلَى فِيهِ وَيُقَالُ لاَِرۡكَانِهِ انۡطِقِي فَتَنۡطِقَ بِعَمَلِهِ ثُمَّ يُخَلَّى بَيۡنَهُ وَبَيۡنَ الۡكَلَمِ فَيَقُولُ بُعۡدًا لَكُنَّ وَسُحۡقًا فَعَنۡكُنَّ كُنۡتُ أُنَاضِلُ
Because of the way a person will dispute with his Lord. He will say, O Lord, did you not protect me from doing wrong!
Allah will say, Of course,
The person will say, I will not accept for anyone to give testimony concerning me except myself.
Allah will say, You are sufficient as a witness against yourself.
Then a seal will be put upon his mouth and it will be said to his faculties, Speak. So they will speak about his deeds.
Then he will be permitted to speak, and he will say, Away with you! I was only speaking in your defence!
This was recorded by Muslim and An-Nasa'i
يَوۡمَيِذٍ يُوَفِّيهِمُ اللَّهُ دِينَهُمُ الۡحَقَّ
On that Day Allah will pay Dinahum,
Ibn Abbas said,
دِينَهُمُ
(Dinahum),
Meaning `their account.'
Every time Dinahum appears in the Qur'an it means `their account.'
This was also the view of other scholars.
وَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الۡحَقُّ الۡمُبِينُ
and they will know that Allah, He is the Manifest Truth.
means, His promise, His threat and His reckoning are all just and there is no unfairness in them
The Goodness of `A'ishah because She is married to the best of Mankind
Allah says,
الۡخَبِيثَاتُ لِلۡخَبِيثِينَ وَالۡخَبِيثُونَ لِلۡخَبِيثَاتِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَالطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ
Bad statements are for bad people and bad people for bad statements. Good statements are for good people and good people for good statements:
Ibn Abbas said,
Evil words are for evil men, and evil men are for evil words; good words are for good men and good men are for good words. This was revealed concerning A'ishah and the people of the slander.
This was also narrated from Mujahid, Ata', Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan bin Abu Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Habib bin Abi Thabit and Ad-Dahhak, and it was also the view favored by Ibn Jarir.
He interpreted it to mean that evil speech is more suited to evil people, and good speech is more suited to good people. What the hypocrites attributed to A'ishah was more suited to them, and she was most suited to innocence and having nothing to do with them.
Allah said:
أُوۡلَيِكَ مُبَرَّوُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ
such (good people) are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say;
Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said,
Evil women are for evil men and evil men are for evil women, and good women are for good men and good men are for good women.
This also necessarily refers back to what they said, i.e., Allah would not have made A'ishah the wife of His Messenger unless she had been good, because he is the best of the best of mankind. If she had been evil, she would not have been a suitable partner either according to His Laws or His decree.
Allah said:
أُوۡلَيِكَ مُبَرَّوُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ
such are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say;
meaning, they are remote from what the people of slander and enmity say.
لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ
for them is forgiveness,
means, because of the lies that were told about them,
وَرِزۡقٌ كَرِيمٌ
and honored provision.
meaning, with Allah in the Gardens of Delight.
This implies a promise that she will be the wife of the Messenger of Allah in Paradise
Seeking Permission and the Etiquette of entering Houses
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَاا تَدۡخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ حَتَّى تَسۡتَأۡنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهۡلِهَا
O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them;
This is the Islamic etiquette. Allah taught these manners (of seeking permission) to His believing servants and commanded them not to enter houses other than their own until they had asked permission, i.e., to ask for permission before entering and to give the greeting of Salam after asking.
One should seek permission three times, and if permission is given, (he may enter), otherwise he should go away.
It was reported in the Sahih that when Abu Musa asked `Umar three times for permission to enter and he did not give him permission, he went away. Then Umar said, Did I not hear the voice of Abdullah bin Qays asking for permission to enter Let him come in.
So they looked for him, but found that he had gone. When he came later on, Umar said, Why did you go away?
He said, I asked for permission to enter three times, but permission was not given to me, and I heard the Prophet say,
إِذَا اسۡتَأۡذَنَ أَحَدُكُمۡ ثَلَثًا فَلَمۡ يُوۡذَنۡ لَهُ فَلۡيَنۡصَرِفۡ
If any one of you asks for permission three times and it is not given, then let him go away.
Umar said, You should certainly bring me evidence for this or I shall beat you!
So he went to a group of the Ansar and told them what Umar said.
They said, No one will give testimony for you but the youngest of us. So Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri went with him and told Umar about that.
Umar said, What kept me from learning that was my being busy in the marketplace.
Imam Ahmad recorded a narration stating that Anas or someone else said that the Messenger of Allah asked for permission to enter upon Sa`d bin Ubadah.
He said:
السَّلَمُ عَلَيۡكَ وَرَحۡمَةُ اللهِ
As-Salamu `Alayka wa Rahmatullah,
Sa`d said, Wa `Alaykas-Salam Wa Rahmatullah, but the Prophet did not hear the returned greeting until he had given the greeting three times and Sa`d had returned the greeting three times, but he did not let him hear him (i.e., Sa`d responded in a low voice). So the Prophet went back, and Sa`d followed him and said,
O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransomed for you! You did not give any greeting but I responded to you, but I did not let you hear me. I wanted to get more of your Salams and blessings.
Then he admitted him to his house and offered him some raisins. The Prophet ate, and when he finished, he said,
أَكَلَ طَعَامَكُمُ الاَۡبۡرَارُ وَصَلَّتۡ عَلَيۡكُمُ الۡمَلَيِكَةُ وَأَفۡطَرَ عِنۡدَكُمُ الصَّايِمُونَ
May the righteous eat your food, may the angels send blessings upon you and may those who are fasting break their fast with you.
It should also be known that the one who is seeking permission to enter should not stand directly in front of the door; he should have the door on his right or left, because of the Hadith recorded by Abu Dawud from Abdullah bin Busr, who said,
When the Messenger of Allah came to someone's door, he would never stand directly in front of it, but to the right or left, and he would say,
السَّلَمُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ
السَّلَمُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ
As-Salamu `Alaykum,
As-Salamu `Alaykum.
That was because at that time the houses had no covers or curtains over their doorways.
This report was recorded by Abu Dawud only.
In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said:
لَوۡ أَنَّ امۡرَءًا اطَّلَعَ عَلَيۡكَ بِغَيۡرِ إِذۡنٍ فَخَذَفۡتَهُ بِحَصَاةٍ فَفَقَأۡتَ عَيۡنَهُ مَا كَانَ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ جُنَاحٍ
If a person looks into your house without your permission, and you throw a stone at him and it puts his eye out, there will be no blame on you.
The Group recorded that Jabir said,
I came to the Prophet with something that was owed by my father and knocked at the door. He said,
مَنۡ ذَا
Who is that?
I said, I am!
He said,
أَنَا أَنَا
I, I, as if he disliked it.
He did not like it because this word tells you nothing about who is saying it, unless he clearly states his name or the name by which he is known, (nickname) otherwise everyone could call himself Me, and it does not fulfill the purpose of asking permission to enter, which is to put people at their ease, as commanded in the Ayah.
Al-`Awfi narrated from Ibn Abbas,
Putting people at ease means seeking permission to enter.
This was also the view of others.
Imam Ahmad recorded from Kaladah bin Al-Hanbal that at the time of the Conquest (of Makkah), Safwan bin Umayyah sent him with milk, a small gazelle, and small cucumbers when the Prophet was at the top of the valley. He said, I entered upon the Prophet and I did not give the greeting of Salam nor ask for permission to enter.
The Prophet said,
ارۡجِعۡ فَقُلۡ السَّلَمُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَأَدۡخُلُ
Go back and say:As-Salamu `Alaykum, may I enter?
This was after Safwan had become Muslim.
This was also recorded by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i.
At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Gharib.
Ibn Jurayj said that he heard Ata' bin Abi Rabah narrating that Ibn Abbas, may All�h be pleased with him, said,
There are three Ayat whose rulings people neglect.
Allah says,
إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتۡقَاكُمۡ
(Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one who has the most Taqwa. (49:13), But (now) they say that the most honorable of them with Allah is the one who has the biggest house.
As for seeking permission, the people have forgotten all about it.
I said, Should I seek permission to enter upon my orphan sisters who are living with me in one house?
He said, Yes.
I asked him to make allowances for me but he refused and said, Do you want to see them naked?
I said, No.
He said, Then ask for permission to enter.
I asked him again and he said, Do you want to obey Allah!
I said, Yes.
He said, Then ask for permission.
Ibn Jurayj said,
Ibn Tawus told me that his father said, `There are no women whom I hate to see naked more than those who are my Mahrams.'
He was very strict on this point.
Ibn Jurayj narrated that Az-Zuhri said,
I heard Huzayl bin Shurahbil Al-Awdi Al-A`ma (say that) he heard Ibn Mas`ud say, `You have to seek permission to enter upon your mothers.'
Ibn Jurayj said,
I said to Ata':`Does a man have to seek permission to enter upon his wife?'
He said, `No, it can be understood that this is not obligatory, but it is better for him to let her know that he is coming in so as not to startle her, because she may be in a state where she does not want him to see her.'
Abu Ja`far bin Jarir narrated from the nephew of Zaynab -- the wife of Abdullah bin Mas`ud -- that Zaynab, may Allah be pleased with her, said,
When Abdullah came back from some errand and reached the door, he would clear his throat and spit, because he did not want to come suddenly and find us in a state he disliked.
Its chain of narration is Sahih.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَاا تَدۡخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ حَتَّى تَسۡتَأۡنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهۡلِهَا
O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them;
Muqatil bin Hayyan said:
During the Jahiliyyah, when a man met his friend, he would not greet him with Salam; rather he would say Huyyita Sabahan or Huyyita Masa'an (equivalent to Good morning or Good evening).
This was the greeting among the people at that time. They did not seek permission to enter one another's houses; a man might walk straight in and say, I have come in, and so on. This was difficult for a man to bear, as he might be with his wife. So Allah changed all that by enjoining covering and chastity, making it pure and free of any sin or impropriety. So Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَاا تَدۡخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ حَتَّى تَسۡتَأۡنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهۡلِهَا
O you who believe! Enter not houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and greeted those in them...
What Muqatil said is good.
Allah said:
ذَلِكُمۡ خَيۡرٌ لَّكُمۡ
that is better for you,
meaning, seeking permission to enter in is better for you because it is better for both parties, the one who is seeking permission to enter and the people inside the house.
لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
in order that you may remember
فَإِن لَّمۡ تَجِدُوا فِيهَا أَحَدًا فَلَإ تَدۡخُلُوهَا حَتَّى يُوۡذَنَ لَكُمۡ
And if you find no one therein, still enter not until permission has been given.
This has to do with the way in which one deals with other people's property without their permission. If he wants to, he can give permission, and if he wants to he can refrain from giving permission.
وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارۡجِعُوا فَارۡجِعُوا هُوَ أَزۡكَى لَكُمۡ
And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you.
means, if you are turned away at the door, before or after permission has been given,
فَارۡجِعُوا هُوَ أَزۡكَى لَكُمۡ
(go back, for it is purer for you),
means, going back is purer and better for you.
وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
And Allah is All-Knower of what you do.
Qatadah said that one of the emigrants said:
All my life I tried to follow this Ayah, but if I asked for permission to enter upon one of my brothers and he asked me to go back, I could not do so happily, although Allah says,
وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارۡجِعُوا فَارۡجِعُوا هُوَ أَزۡكَى لَكُمۡ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
And if you are asked to go back, go back, for it is purer for you. And Allah is All-Knower of what you do.
وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارۡجِعُوا فَارۡجِعُوا
(And if you are asked to go back, go back....), Sa`id bin Jubayr said,
This means, do not stand at people's doors.
لَّيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَدۡخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ مَسۡكُونَةٍ
فِيهَا مَتَاعٌ لَّكُمۡ وَاللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا تَكۡتُمُونَ
There is no sin on you that you enter houses uninhabited,
This Ayah is more specific than the one that comes before it, because it states that it is permissible to enter houses where there is nobody, if one has a reason for doing so, such as houses that are prepared for guests -- if he has been given permission once, then this is sufficient.
Ibn Jurayj said,
Ibn Abbas said:
لَاا تَدۡخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ بُيُوتِكُمۡ
(Enter not houses other than your own),then this was abrogated and an exception was made, and Allah said:
لَّيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَدۡخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيۡرَ مَسۡكُونَةٍ
فِيهَا مَتَاعٌ لَّكُمۡ
There is no sin on you that you enter houses uninhabited, (when) you have any interest in them.
This was also narrated from Ikrimah and Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
وَاللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا تَكۡتُمُونَ
And Allah has knowledge of what you reveal and what you conceal.
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