24

QURAN CHAPTER - 24

An-Nur - The Light

Revealed - Medinan

Ruku - 9

Ayat - 64

Theme - This Surah was sent down to repair the cracks that had appeared in the unity of the Muslim Community.

Allah sent the following instructions to strengthen and safeguard the moral front, and to counteract the storm of propaganda that was raised on the occasion of the marriage of Hazrat Zainab:

- The wives of the Holy Prophet were enjoined to remain within their private quarters, to avoid display of adornments and to be cautious in their talk with other persons. (Verses:32-33)

- The other Muslims were forbidden to enter the private rooms of the Holy Prophet and instructed to ask whatever they wanted from behind the curtain. (Verse:53)

- A line of demarcation was drawn between the mahram and the non-mahram relatives. Only the former were allowed to enter the private rooms of those wives of the Holy Prophet with whom they were so closely related as to prohibit marriage with them. (Verse:55)

- The Muslims were told that the wives of the Prophet were prohibited for them just like their own real mothers; therefore every Muslim should regard them with the purest of intentions. (Verses:53-54)

- The Muslims were warned that they would invite the curse and scourge of Allah if they offended the Holy Prophet. Likewise it was a heinous sin to attack the honor of or slander any Muslim man or woman. (Verses:57-58)

- All the Muslim women were enjoined to cover their faces with their sheets if and when they had to go out of their houses. (Verse:59)

This Surah of Quran makes use of the psychological occasion to reform the Community by the adoption of legal, moral and social measures:

- Fornication which had already been declared to be a social crime was now made a criminal offense and was to be punished with a 100 lashes.

- It was enjoined to boycott the adulterous men and women and the Muslims were forbidden to have any marriage relations with them.

- The one, who accused the other of adultery but failed to produce 4 witnesses, was to be punished with 80 lashes.

- The Law of Lian was prescribed to decide the charge of adultery against his own wife by a husband.

- The Muslims were enjoined to learn a lesson from the incident of the "Slander" about Hadrat Aishah, as if to say, "You should be very cautious in regard to charges of adultery against the people of good reputation, and should not spread these".

- Those who spread news and evil rumors and propagate wickedness in the Muslim Community, deserve punishment and not encouragement.

- A General Principle was laid down that relations in the Muslim Community should be based on good faith and not on suspicion: everyone should be treated as innocent unless he is proved to be guilty.

- The people were forbidden to enter the houses of others unceremoniously and were instructed to take permission for this.

- Both men and women were instructed to lower their gaze and forbidden to cast glances or make eyes at each other.

- Women were enjoined to cover their heads and breasts even inside their houses.

- Women were forbidden to appear with make-up before other men except their servants or such relatives with whom their marriage is prohibited.

- They were forbidden to put on jingling ornaments, while they moved out of their houses.

- Marriage was encouraged and enjoined even for slaves and slave girls, for unmarried people help spread indecency.

- The institution of slavery was discouraged and the owners and other people were enjoined to give financial help to the slaves to earn their freedom under the Law of Mukatabat.

- Prostitution by slave girls was forbidden in the first instance, for prostitution in Arabia was confined to this class alone. This in fact implied the legal prohibition of prostitution.

- Sanctity of privacy in home life was enjoined even for servants and under age children including one's own. They were enjoined not to enter the private rooms of any man or woman without permission; especially in the morning, at noon and at night.

- Old women were given the concession that they could set aside their head covers within their houses but should refrain from display of adornments. Even they were told that it was better for them to keep themselves covered with head wrappers.

- The blind, lame, crippled and sick persons were allowed to take any article of food from the houses of other people without permission, for it was not to be treated like theft and cheating, which are cognizable offenses.

- On the other hand, the Muslims were encouraged to develop mutual relationships by taking their meals together.

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