Tafsir of An-Nur 24:36-37

36. Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah, and performance of prayer, and giving of zakat; they fear a Day in which hearts and eyes will turn about.

(Men): This is an inception to clarify the state of those who attained guidance to that light, and to mention some of their heart-felt and physical deeds. The prepositional phrase—I mean "In houses"—is connected to His saying "they glorify Him." The repetition [of "in them"] is for emphasis and to remind of what follows in the sentence, and to signal that the placement at the beginning is for importance, not for restriction. Similar to this repetition for emphasis is His saying, "In the mercy of Allah, they are therein abiding," and your saying, "I passed by Zayd, by him." Some grammarians parsed the like of this as a substitution (badal), as in Sharh al-Tashil. In al-Mughni, it is considered an emphasis of the particle by repeating what it entered upon in a pronominal form. The prepositional phrase is not an emphasis of the preceding one, because a noun (the manifest) is stronger and is not emphasized by a pronoun. Nor is the genitive a substitution by repeating the preposition, because a pronoun is not substituted for a manifest noun, though some grammarians allowed it by analogy. You know that what has been mentioned is invalid, because the combination is either a substitution or an emphasis, and the manifest was brought to avoid repetition.

(Men) is the subject of "glorify," and its postponement from the prepositional phrases is because there is a length in its description, so placing it at the beginning would disrupt the beauty of the arrangement. al-Rummani said: "In houses" is connected to "is kindled." al-Hufi said: It is connected to an implied word serving as an adjective for the "niche." It is also said it is an adjective for the "lamp," or an adjective for the "glass." According to these four opinions, it is a restriction of the similitude for the sake of hyperbole. The indefinite nature of the noun is for the type, not for individualization, so that this does not contradict the plurality of "houses."

It was objected to what was mentioned that none of it is appropriate for the dignity of the Majestic Revelation. How could it be otherwise, when what follows His saying, "Even if fire did not touch it"—according to what is true—or after His saying, "Light upon light"—according to what has been said—up to His saying, "All-Knowing of everything," is speech connected to the similitude absolutely. Inserting it between the parts of the similitude, while being of the type of separating the tree and its bark with something extraneous, leads to the mention of the state of those who benefit from the similitude—those guided to His light—being by way of following and digression, while the exposition of the state of their opposites is intended in essence. Such a thing is unprecedented in human speech, let alone being attributed to the Inimitable Speech. al-Khafaji refuted this, saying it is hollow speech, for there is no separation in it, and what precedes this point is part of the similitude. The apparent truth to me is that the similitude was completed at His saying, "Even if fire did not touch it." It is also said it is connected to "they glorify" or the like, implied. That sentence, according to what is said, is consequent to what precedes it, and the fa (so) was omitted because it is known, as in "Stand, he calls you." They prohibited its connection to "is mentioned" because it is a conjunction to an, so it cannot act upon what precedes it.

The intent by "houses" is all mosques, as was narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), Qatadah, and Mujahid. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn Zayd that he said: "They are but four mosques, none built them except a prophet: the Ka'bah, built by Ibrahim and Isma'il (peace be upon them both); the Sacred House (Bayt al-Maqdis), built by Dawud and Sulayman (peace be upon them both); the Mosque of Medina and the Mosque of Quba, built by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)." From al-Hasan, it is said the intent is the Sacred House, and the plural [is used] in the sense that there are places within it that are distinguished from one another; this is very contrary to the apparent meaning.

Ibn Marduyah recorded from Anas bin Malik and Buraydah that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recited this verse: "In houses," etc. A man stood up to him and said: "Which houses are these, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The houses of the prophets (peace be upon them)." Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, is this house one of them?" [referring to the house of Ali and Fatimah]. He said: "Yes, one of the most excellent of them." If this is authentic, it should not be turned away from.

Abu Hayyan said: The apparent meaning is that it is absolute, applying to mosques and houses where prayer and knowledge take place. It was permitted that the intent be the prayers of the believers, or their bodies—in that their prayers, which gather verbal and physical worship, or their bodies, which are surrounded by lights, are similar to the mentioned houses, i.e., the mosques, and then their name is borrowed for this. This was refuted by saying there is no beauty in what was mentioned. I think you are not satisfied with this amount of criticism.

The intent by "permission" is command, and by "raised" is glorification—i.e., He commanded that their dignity be glorified. This was narrated from al-Hasan and al-Dahhak. It is not hidden that if "mosques" is intended, then glorifying their dignity is by various things, such as safeguarding them from the entry of the ritually impure (junub), menstruating women, and those in postnatal bleeding, even if only passing through. They have said this is forbidden. Also, [safeguarding them from] entering with something in which contamination is feared. Thus, they said: "It is appropriate for one who wants to enter the mosque to check his sandals and boots for filth before entering, to avoid contaminating the mosque." Also, prohibiting the entry of the deceased, and prohibiting the entry of children and the insane—which is forbidden if their contamination is prevalent, otherwise it is disliked. The command has come to keep them away from mosques absolutely.

Ibn Majah recorded from Wathilah bin al-Asqa' from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "Keep your mosques away from your children, your insane, your trading, your selling, your disputes, the raising of your voices, the execution of your legal penalties, and the unsheathing of your swords. Place purification [facilities] at their doors, and fumigate them on Fridays." Also, prohibiting the announcement of lost property and the recitation of poetry. al-Tabarani, Ibn al-Sunni, and Ibn Mandah recorded from Thawban who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: 'Whoever you see reciting poetry in the mosque, say: "May Allah shatter your mouth" three times. And whoever you see announcing lost property in the mosque, say: "May you not find it" three times.'" The prohibition of reciting poetry should be restricted to when it contains something blameworthy, like satirizing a Muslim, describing wine, or mentioning women and beardless youths, or other things blameworthy in the Shari'ah. But if it contains praise of Prophethood and Islam, or contains wisdom, or acts as a stimulus for noble character, asceticism, and other types of good, there is no harm in reciting it therein.

Prohibiting the throwing of a louse in it after killing it is disliked (makruh tanzihan), as stated by some late scholars. It is recommended that a louse not be thrown in the mosque. Ibn Abi Shaybah and Ahmad recorded from a man of the Ansar who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "If any of you finds a louse in the mosque, let him wrap it in his garment until he takes it out." Also, prohibiting urination in it, even in a vessel, and they have explicitly stated this is forbidden. In al-Ashbah, as for bloodletting in the mosque in a vessel, I have not seen it, but it should be that there is no difference, because both urine and blood are severe impurities. Prohibiting spitting in them... In al-Bada'i', it is disliked to perform ablution in the mosque because it is naturally disgusting, so the mosque must be kept pure from it, just as it must be kept pure from mucus and phlegm. Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded from al-Sha'bi that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw a globule of phlegm in the direction of the qiblah of the mosque, so he stood up to it and scraped it with his noble hand, then called for perfume and smeared the spot. al-Sha'bi said: "It is a Sunnah." They mentioned that throwing phlegm over a mat is lighter than placing it underneath; if one is forced to it, he should bury it. In a hadith recorded by Ibn Abi Shaybah from Anas, attributed to the Prophet: "Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is to cover it." al-Tabarani recorded in al-Awsat from Ibn Abbas, also attributed to the Prophet, the like of it.

Prohibiting sexual intercourse in them and above them is like relieving oneself; they explicitly stated this is forbidden. Prohibiting the entry of one who has eaten something with a foul odor, such as garlic, onions, and leeks, and eating radishes if one belches the same. In the time of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), if a man was found to have the smell of garlic, he would be taken by the hand and led out to al-Baqi'. The apparent [meaning] is that the person with foul breath or body odor has the same ruling as the eater of garlic and onions, and likewise the person whose clothes have a foul smell, such as oil sellers and tanners. From Malik: oil sellers are delayed and not brought forward—i.e., to the first row—and sit at the back of the people. Prohibiting eating in them for one who is not in i'tikaf. Prohibiting sitting in them for mourning or for talking about worldly affairs. Prohibiting the use of them as a thoroughfare—this is disliked or forbidden, and the prohibition of that has come in a hadith narrated by Ibn Majah from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) attributed to the Prophet.

Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded from Ibn Mas'ud that using them as a thoroughfare is one of the signs of the Hour. In al-Qunyah: "The one who habitually does this sins and is corrupt." Yes, if there is an excuse, passing through is not disliked. Among their glorification is sprinkling and sweeping them. Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded from Zayd bin Aslam who said: "The mosque used to be sprinkled and swept in the time of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)." He also recorded from Ya'qub bin Zayd that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to follow the dust of the mosque with a palm branch. Likewise, hanging lamps in them and carpeting them with bricks and mats. In Miftah al-Sa'adah: "The people of the mosque may carpet the mosque with bricks and mats and hang lamps, but from their own money, not from the mosque's money, except by the order of the ruler." Perhaps that is where the endower has not designated any of the endowment's revenue for that. Lighting many lamps in them on known nights of the year, like the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan, which causes the gathering of children, idle people, their playing, raising their voices, and holding the mosques in contempt, is an abominable innovation. Likewise, carpeting them with patterned velvet that distracts the worshippers and removes their reverence is the same.

Also among the glorification is placing the right foot forward when entering and the left when leaving, and the entering person praying two units (rak'ahs) before sitting, if his entry is not for prayer, according to what some have mentioned. Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded from Abu Qatadah that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Give the mosques their right." It was said: "And what is their right?" He said: "Two rak'ahs before you sit." Among that is also building them high and elevated, not like other houses, but they should not be decorated in a way that distracts the worshippers. In a hadith recorded by Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani from Jubayr bin Mut'im attributed to the Prophet: "They are not to be built with images, nor decorated with glassware." Some interpreted "raising" as building them high, as in His saying: "And when Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House, and Isma'il." The best [view] to me is interpreting it as what preceded, and considering their building as such to be included in the generality. This includes many matters other than what we mentioned, which the jurists have mentioned and elaborated upon.

Some exegetes claimed that the attribution of "raising" to them is metaphorical, and the intent is that needs are raised to Allah in them. It is also said: voices are raised with the remembrance of Allah in them. The weakness in this is clear. In expressing the command as "permission," there is an allusion that what is befitting the state of the one commanded is that he be directed toward what he is commanded with before the command, intending to realize it, as if he is seeking permission for that; thus the command falls into the place of being a command to do so. The intent by "mentioning His name" is what encompasses all His remembrances, and among that is making the scientific discussions related to Him (Exalted is He) included. From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the intent is His Oneness, which is the saying: "There is no god but Allah." From him also: the intent is the recitation of His Book. It is said: mentioning His Most Beautiful Names. The apparent is what we put forward. Conjoining "mention" to "raising" is of the type of conjoining the specific to the general, for mentioning His name in them is one of the types of glorifying them, and it is not an explanatory conjunction by any means, contrary to what one might imagine.

Tasbih is declaring transcendence and sanctification. It is used with the lam and without it, as in His saying: "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High." The intent is either its apparent meaning or prayer, due to its inclusion of it. This was narrated from Ibn Abbas, al-Hasan, and al-Dahhak. From Ibn Abbas: "Every tasbih in the Quran is prayer." Supporting the intent of prayer here is the designation of the times by His saying (Exalted is He): "In the mornings and the evenings." al-Ghuduw is the plural of ghadah, like fata and fatah, or a verbal noun applied to the time of morning. It is supported by the fact that Mujlis recited "and the ay-sal" as a verbal noun, i.e., entering into the time of the asil. al-Asal is, as al-Jawhari said, the plural of asil, like sharif and ashraf. A group chose this, although the plural of fa'il as af'al is not standard. al-Zamakhshari chose that it is the plural of asal, like 'unuq and a'naq. al-Asl is like al-asil, the evening, which is from the sun's decline to the morning; thus it includes the times except the morning, which is from the beginning of the day to the decline. Both are applied to the beginning of the day and its end. Singling them out for mention is because they are the most honorable of them, and because they are the most famous times in which actions are undertaken and occupations are engaged in. From Ibn Abbas: he interpreted the morning as the time of the Duha (forenoon). This is what is required by what Ibn Abi Shaybah and al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman recorded from him (may Allah be pleased with him) from his saying: "The Duha prayer is indeed in the Quran, and the deep divers do not reach it," and he recited the verse until he reached "the evenings."

Ibn 'Amir, Abu Bakr, al-Buhturi from Hafs, Mahbub from Abu 'Amr, al-Minhal from Ya'qub, al-Mufaddal, and Aban recited "is glorified" with the ya (passive voice). The deputy subject is "for Him" or "therein" if "in houses" is not connected to it, or "in the mornings." The priority is for the first because it is adjacent to the verb, and the attribution to it is real, not the latter two. It was permitted that the genitive in what was mentioned be the deputy subject, and the preposition in it is redundant—this is committing to something for which there is no justification. Raising (men) on this reading [is allowed] as the subject of an implied verb or the predicate of an implied subject, as in al-Bahr, i.e., "are glorified for Him," or "the ones glorified for Him are men." The sentence is an explanatory inception that occurred as an answer to a question arising from the previous speech. This is like his saying: "Here I am, a desperate man cries out because of a dispute, and one who walks [in darkness] from what the calamities topple." This is standard for many; thus it is permitted for them to say: "Zayd was struck by Hind," by estimating her striking or her striker is Zayd. This is not like mentioning the subject as a discriminator after the verb built for the passive, such as "Your brother struck a man," which Ibn Hisham in the fifth chapter of al-Mughni stated is not permissible, even if the reason might imply it is like it, so contemplate.

Abu Haywah and Ibn Wathab read "glorify" with the ta (active voice), and the subject is "men." It is feminine because the broken plural is often treated as feminine. Abu Ja'far read "is glorified" with the ta (passive voice), and [the subject] is His saying: "in the mornings and the evenings," on the basis that the ba is redundant and the attribution is metaphorical, making the times in which the Lord is glorified also glorified. Abu Hayyan permitted that the attribution be to the pronoun of the tasbih indicated by "glorify"—i.e., it, the tasbih, glorifies, as they said in His saying: "That He may recompense a people" on the reading of one who built "recompense" for the passive: i.e., that it, the recompense, may recompense. In Irshad al-'Aql al-Salim, it says: "This is better than the first direction, because there is no explicit object here." Some weakened it here by saying the unity does not suit the context. It was answered by committing to the unity being generic. Regardless, raising (men) on this reading is as the subject or the predicate, as you heard earlier. The indefinite [accusative-ending] in it, on all readings, is for aggrandizement.

His saying (Exalted is He): "Neither commerce distracts them" is an adjective for him, confirming the aggrandizement that the indefinite form provides. It is useful for the perfection of their devotion to Allah without any distraction turning them away, nor any attachment diverting them, whoever they may be. Specifying "men" is because they are the most rightful for the mosques. Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi recorded from Umm Salamah from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "The best mosques for women are the innermost parts of their houses." Specifying "commerce"—which is absolute exchange—with this is because it is the strongest of distractions for them and the most famous. Meaning: no type of commerce distracts them, "nor sale," i.e., nor any individual unit of sales, even if it is in the extreme of profit. Singling it out for mention while it is included under commerce is to signal its superiority over other types, because its profit is certain and immediate, while the profit of what is other than it is expected in the second state upon sale. Thus, negating the distraction of what is other than it did not necessitate negating the distraction of it; therefore, the word "nor" was repeated to remind of the negation and emphasize it. It was permitted that "commerce" be intended as profitable exchange and "sale" as absolute exchange; thus its mention after it is by way of generalization after specification for hyperbole.

It was narrated from al-Waqidi that the intent by "commerce" is purchase, because it is its root and beginning, so there is no specification or generalization. It is said: the intent by commerce is importing, because it is the most prevalent in it, so it is usually necessary for it. From it is said: "He traded in such-and-such," i.e., he imported it. This is supported by what Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Marduyah recorded from Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said regarding those described with what was mentioned: "They are those who strike in the land, seeking of the bounty of Allah." al-Daylami and others recorded from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri something similar. In that is also what requires that they were merchants, and that is what the apparent meaning of the verse indicates, because it is not said: "So-and-so is not distracted by commerce" unless he is a merchant. This was narrated from Ibn Abbas. al-Tabarani and Ibn Marduyah recorded from him that he said: "By Allah, they were merchants, yet neither their commerce nor their sale distracted them from the remembrance of Allah." al-Dahhak said the same.

It is said: they were not merchants, and the negation returns to the restriction and the restricted, as in his saying: "On a track, one is not guided by its beacon." As if it were said: "They have no commerce and no sale, so they are distracted." For the verse was revealed regarding those who detached themselves from the world, like the People of the Suffah. You know that the verse, according to the first [opinion] supported by what you heard, is more praiseworthy, and we have not found for its revelation regarding those who detached from the world a strong or weak chain of transmission, and mere possibility is not sufficient in this chapter.

"From the remembrance of Allah" by tasbih, tahmid (praise), and the like, "and performance of prayer," i.e., performing it at its times without delay. The root is aqwam, then the vowel of the waw was transferred to what precedes it; thus two static letters met, so it was deleted, and it was said: iqam. al-Zajjaj said: the waw was turned into an alif, then deleted due to the meeting of two alifs. It was objected that there is no justification for turning it into an alif while its condition is missing, which is that what follows it should not be static. al-Farra' mandated the substitution of the ta for the permissibility of this deletion, so it is said: iqamah, or the genitive construction, as here. According to this came his saying: "The partners hastened the separation and stripped away, and they broke their promise to you... the matter that they promised," for he intended the promise of the matter. Khalid bin Kulthum interpreted what is in the line of poetry on the basis that 'ada is the plural of 'udwah meaning side, as if the poet intended the sides and aspects of the matter. Sibawayh's school of thought is the permissibility of deletion without substituting the ta or the genitive.

"And giving of zakat," i.e., the wealth that was ordained to be taken out for those deserving it, as narrated from al-Hasan. The apparent meaning of attaching the giving to it, rather than the action, points to this interpretation of zakat. From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the interpretation of giving zakat is the sincerity of the obedience to Allah, and there is remoteness in it, as you see. Mentioning this action here, even if it is not among what is done in houses, is because it is a companion that does not separate from performing prayer in most places, along with what is in it of alerting that their good deeds are not limited to what happens in mosques. Likewise, His saying (Exalted is He): "They fear" to the end, for it is another adjective for men, or a state from the object of "does not distract them," or an inception driven for the reason. Regardless, their fear is not limited to their being in the mosques.

His saying (Exalted is He): "A Day" is the object of "they fear," assuming a genitive—i.e., the punishment of a Day and its terror—or without it. Making it an adverb of time for an implied object is far-fetched. As for making it an adverb of time for "they fear" and the object being implied, it is nothing at all, for the intent is that they fear a Day in this world—"in which hearts and eyes will turn about."

37. [Not that they fear something in that Day described as turning about...] The intent by it is the Day of Resurrection. The meaning of the turning of hearts and eyes in it is their agitation and change themselves in it due to the terror and panic, as in His saying (Exalted is He): "When the eyes grew wild, and the hearts reached the throats," or the change of their states—in that the hearts understand what they were not understanding, and the eyes see what they were not seeing, or that the hearts expect salvation at one time and fear destruction at another, and the eyes look to the right at one time and to the left at another, because most of the people of the gathering do not know from which side they will be taken, nor from which direction they will be given their records. It is said: the intent is the turning of the hearts and eyes upon the embers of Hell, and it is nothing. Similar to it is the saying of al-Jubba'i: that the intent is moving from state to state, so the fire scorches it, then cooks it, then burns it. Ibn Muhaisin recited "turn about" with the static second ta.