Tafsīr Sūrat'L-Nūr (Confidential) (Hosna)

Qabeel at Hosna | Student Notes
January 2014

Qabeelat Hosna Confidential: Tafs!r S"ratl-N"r
January 2014 Shaykh Kamal El Mekki
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Tabl e of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 4
Al-isti#dhah ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Basmalah ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Verse 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Verse 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 17
Verse 3 ......................................................................................................................................................... 45
Verse 4 ......................................................................................................................................................... 48
Verse 5 ......................................................................................................................................................... 52
Verses 6-10 ................................................................................................................................................. 54
Verse 11 ....................................................................................................................................................... 63
Verse 12 ....................................................................................................................................................... 65
Verse 13 ....................................................................................................................................................... 66
Verse 14 ....................................................................................................................................................... 67
Verse 15 ....................................................................................................................................................... 67
Verse 16 ....................................................................................................................................................... 68
Verse 17 ....................................................................................................................................................... 68
Verse 18 ....................................................................................................................................................... 69
Verse 19 ....................................................................................................................................................... 69
Verse 20 ....................................................................................................................................................... 69
Verse 21 ....................................................................................................................................................... 70
Verse 22 ....................................................................................................................................................... 71
Verse 23 ....................................................................................................................................................... 72
Verse 24 ....................................................................................................................................................... 73
Verse 25 ....................................................................................................................................................... 73
Verse 26 ....................................................................................................................................................... 74
Verse 27 ....................................................................................................................................................... 75
Verse 28 ....................................................................................................................................................... 79
Verse 29 ....................................................................................................................................................... 80
Verse 30 ....................................................................................................................................................... 80
Verse 31 ....................................................................................................................................................... 86
Verse 32 ....................................................................................................................................................... 90
Verse 33 ....................................................................................................................................................... 91
Verse 34 ....................................................................................................................................................... 94
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Verse 35 ....................................................................................................................................................... 95
Verse 36 ....................................................................................................................................................... 98
Verse 37 ....................................................................................................................................................... 99
Verse 38 ..................................................................................................................................................... 100
Verse 39 ..................................................................................................................................................... 101
Verse 40 ..................................................................................................................................................... 103
Verse 41 ..................................................................................................................................................... 104
Verse 42 ..................................................................................................................................................... 105
Verse 43 ..................................................................................................................................................... 106
Verse 44 ..................................................................................................................................................... 106
Verse 45 ..................................................................................................................................................... 107
Verse 46 ..................................................................................................................................................... 108
Verse 47 ..................................................................................................................................................... 108
Verse 48 ..................................................................................................................................................... 108
Verse 49 ..................................................................................................................................................... 109
Verse 50 ..................................................................................................................................................... 109
Verse 51 ..................................................................................................................................................... 110
Verse 52 ..................................................................................................................................................... 110
Verse 53 ..................................................................................................................................................... 111
Verse 54 ..................................................................................................................................................... 111
Verse 55 ..................................................................................................................................................... 112
Verse 56 ..................................................................................................................................................... 113
Verse 57 ..................................................................................................................................................... 113
Verse 58 ..................................................................................................................................................... 114
Verse 59 ..................................................................................................................................................... 115
Verse 60 ..................................................................................................................................................... 115
Verse 61 ..................................................................................................................................................... 117
Verse 62 ..................................................................................................................................................... 119
Verse 63 ..................................................................................................................................................... 120
Verse 64 ..................................................................................................................................................... 122
Appendix | Slavery in Islam ................................................................................................................... 124

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The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Whoever seeks a path towards
knowledge, All!h will facilitate a path for them to Paradise. From a %ad!th: the angels
lower their wings for the students of knowledge. One explanation is that they dont fly
on top of them out of respect. The other explanation is that they surround you with
their wings to and from the place of knowledge. They protect you because you are a
student of knowledge, which is an amazing honor.
Introducti on

Why i s i t so i mportant to l earn S"rat l -N"r?

The reason why we are covering this s"rah is the first ten #yahs. The lowest level of
!m#n is to hate a sin in your heart. People now laugh and make jokes about zina. Zina
does so much damage to individuals and society as a whole.

In this class, we are going to take another look at the Shar!ah. The Shar!ah makes
Islamic law. It is not fair to describe all of the Shar!ah with just the %ud"d punishments.
In democracy, there is capital punishment but no leader promotes democracy by
advertising capital punishment.

Why i s thi s course cal l ed Confi denti al ?

Anything you see of sins or bad behavior or even witnessing zina is to be kept to
yourself confidential. Even things that happen at someone elses home are
confidential and should not be spread to the community. Lower your gaze at
someones home. Some people come in and look at everything. It is confidential! Hide
peoples faults and flaws.

S"rat l -N"r

N"r is light. This is the only known name for this s"rah. Sometimes s"rahs have more
than one name, and they may be used interchangeably. After time, one name may be
the common one. S"rah Sulaym!n is S"ratl-Naml. S"ratl-Nabi is S"ratl-Ta%r!m. S"ratl-
Dhih#r is S"ratl-Muj#dilah. S"ratl-Ib#dah is S"ratl-K#fir"n. S"ratl-Taw%!d is S"ratl-
An#m. S"ratl-F#ti%ah is also called Umml-Kit#b. S"ratl-Shar!ah is also called S"ratl-
J#thiyah.

Revel ati on of S"rat l -N"r

It was either sent down in 5 AH or 6 AH. For the most part, it seems that it was sent
down after S"ratl-A%z#b, so it is closer to 6 AH or at the end of 5 AH. It is a Mad"nan
s"rah and there is no disagreement amongst the scholars on this. There are incidents
referred to in the s"rah that occurred in Mad"nah such as the slander of #ishah
(ra&yAll#hu anha).

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Where does the name come? Verse 35 which mentions the Light of All!h (sub%#nahu wa
ta#la). All!h is the Light of the heavens and the earth.

This s"rah is 64 verses and 1326 words in length and 5980 letters. In certain qir#at they
consider it to have 62 verses because they considered certain stops at pauses. Light is
mentioned 49 times in the Qur$!n and in this s"rah the Light of All!h is mentioned.
There are two kinds of light mentioned in the Qur$!n: light that we see and the light of
guidance.

What is light? What is the definition?
Something that makes things visible or affords illumination.

There were two major theories on vision:
Emission Theory: This was supported by a number of known thinkers. They thought
that light rays come out of the eyes and hit the object which is why you can see.
Emission Theory claimed that sight worked when the eye emitted light rays that
reached an object. This was supported by thinkers such as Euclid and Ptolemy

Intromission Theory: They thought that physical forms enter the eye from the object.
Intromission Theory claimed that physical forms entered the eye from an object. This
was supported by Aristotle and his followers

The Muslim scientist Ibnl-%aytham (Alhazen) argued that the process of vision occurs
neither by rays emitted from the eye nor through physical forms entering it. He
scientifically defined the basic nature of light and optics in his seven volume Kit#bl-
Man#'ir, (Alhazens Book of Optics). He argued that light rays could not travel from our
eyes to reach distant stars the moment we open our eyes. If light was emitted by our
eyes, then why couldnt we see an object in the dark? If it was the case, then it would
be impossible to open your eyes and immediately see the stars because they are so far
away.

Ibnl-Haytham described vision as what it really is. He said that it would be impossible
that when you open your eyes and look at the stars that you can see them immediately
because if light comes from the eye to the object, it takes time for the light to reach the
object. He also made the point that if you put an object in a dark room and stand
outside, then you cannot see the object. If eyes shone light, then you would be able to.
He was of those who put a system of experimentation. He came with the experimental
method of proving and disproving.

When there is no light, you either harm or are harmed. Similarly, without the light of
All!h (guidance) you either destroy yourself or others (injustice, oppression).

Light allows you to see things and allows you to interact and deal with your
surroundings in a way for you to interact with it and avoid harm. When there is light,
you can avoid harm. Likewise, it prevents you from harming others (i.e. you stepping
on someone else).
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When the sun sets, human beings try to find other sources of light: candles, lanterns,
filament lamp, halogen lamp. As time passed, they upgraded to better sources of light.
No matter what source of light they have, in the morning when the sun rises, everyone
shuts off their lights. The Light of Guidance is enough. We take our guidance just from
All!h. Who needs a candle when the sun is out? When the Light of All!h from the
Qur$!n is shining, we dont need anyone else to say I think

When you dont have light from All!h, you either injure yourself or destroy yourself or
destroy others (injustice, oppression). We need this light from All!h (sub%#nahu wa
ta#la).

The light source of All!h is the sun. When the sun goes down, it gets dark and we try to
find our own sources of light and we always try to upgrade. With inventions, people
upgrade to better light forms such as from the candle to lamps. Despite these artificial
light forms, when the sun comes up, we turn off all artificial light sources because the
light of All!h has come. When All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) is offering you guidance
(light), you shut off all other sources of light. No one can give you guidance like All!h
(sub%#nahu wa ta#la) can. When the source is from All!h, then you shut off every other
source. Who needs anyone elses input when All!h is giving His commands?

Does this mean to shut off your brain and turn off your intellect?

Sources of Knowledge

You dont need a candle when the sun is up. What does this mean? Does this mean we
should shut our brains off? No! Your brain is not a source of knowledge. The sources
of knowledge are:

- Revelation: Qur$!n and Sunnah

Direct and indirect revelation. Direct revelation (mub#shir) is the Qur$!n, and
indirect revelation (ghayr mub#shir) is from the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam).
- The Universe: anything you learn has to be within the universe

Can you set up an experiment to prove something from the unseen? No, you cannot.
You cannot set up an experiment to show al-Law%l-Ma%f"'. We know about these
things from revelation.

Can you conclude there is a Jannah from the universe? No, it comes from revelation.

How do we get knowledge from the universe? From the means of acquiring knowledge.

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The Means for Acquiring Knowledge

- The senses
- The mind

In S"ratl-Na%l v. 78, All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) says, All!h brought you out of the
wombs of your mothers not knowing anything. Then He gave you hearing, sight, and
intelligence so that perhaps you may be thankful / give thanks.
The Qur$!n is mentioning that we came without knowledge and All!h gave the means
(hearing, seeing, thinking). These are means through which we acquire knowledge but
they are not the sources.

The Methodology of Attaining Knowledge

This involves experimentation and observation. An experiment is one of the ways of
attaining knowledge. An experiment is not the source.

In the West, there is one source of knowledge, which is the universe. They dont accept
revelation as a source of knowledge, especially within the scientific world. Muslims
will study a discipline in the West and then deny things from revelation. For example,
in psychology in the West, there is no such thing as jinn, so Muslim psychologists say
that a person may have a chemical imbalance in the brain or explain it in different
ways.

There is knowledge in the universe around, but you need to touch, taste, and feel in
order to learn something. The brain is not a source of knowledge.

Can your intellect disagree with the Qur!n and Sunnah? No! Your opinion and whims
and desires can disagree. Your intellect never disagrees with the Qur!n and Sunnah.
This is why there is nothing in Islam that is silly. This is the comfort we get from being
Muslim.

O mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof from your Lord, and We
sent down to you a manifest light (this Qur'!n). [Al-Nis#, 174]

Themes & Commandments

- The ruling and punishment for fornication
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- Muslims being forbidden to marry fornicating men and women
- The punishment of those who accuse others of zina with no witnesses
- What to do if a man catches his wife in the act and he doesnt have four witnesses.
- The story of ifk (slander against #ishah (ra&yAll#hu anha))
- Warning against spreading rumors.
- Not to be suspicious of others.
- Seeking permission to enter homes. How many times do you knock? Where do you
stand? Do you look at everything or lower the gaze from objects in the house?
- Lowering the gaze
- Rulings of %ij#b
- The verse on the Light of All!h
- The verse on the light of guidance
- All!h promising this ummah the upper hand. What is the one thing we are not
doing?
- How people within the home should seek permission to come into the bedroom and
so on and so forth
- The %ij#b rulings for old women

Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) used to instruct his am!r in Kufa in Iraq to tell the women to
memorize S"ratl-N"r. There are so many a%k#m within the homes, and the women
implement these rulings. It applies to them so much as well.

There is a weak %ad!th: Teach your men S"ratl-M#idah and teach your women S"ratl-
N"r. This is a weak %ad!th and we dont act upon it. There is also a narration of
#ishah (ra&yAll#hu anha) which is weak and tells to memorize S"ratl-N"r.

Hi stori cal Background

Period of revelation

This is a Mad"nan s"rah. There are two opinions concerning the year in which this
s"rah was revealed.

5 AH Arguments:
- Ibn Sad (he compiled the biographies and s!rah) said one of the campaigns took
place in Shab#n and another battle took place in that same year. The incident of
ifk is in S"ratl-N"r. In the incident, #ishah narrates that there was a dispute
between Sad b. Ub!dah and Sad b. Mu!dh. Sad b. Mu!dh died in one of the
campaigns after the Battle of the Trench. Therefore, it must have been in 5 AH.

6 AH Arguments:
- There are other narrations where #ishah mentions Usayd b. Qudayr and Sad b.
Ub!dah had a dispute and not Sad b. Mu!dh.
- There is a difference of opinion on if the campaign Bani Mustalaf took place in 5
AH or 6 AH. There are narrations that it was in the 6
th
year after the hijrah.

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Al -i sti #dhah

The meaning of al-isti#dhah (!"#$%&'()

So when you want to recite the Qur!n, seek refuge with All!h from Shay(#n (Satan),
the outcast (the cursed one). [Al-Na%l, 98]

The Qur$!n sends away the Shay(#n. In one of the du#s for entering the masjid, we seek
refuge in All!h for protection against the Shay(#n. Why do we say this when the masjid
is a place where there is no Shay#(!n? There are a number of explanations.
- Scholars say it is clearing the way. For example, before $al#h, you make wu&" to
prepare. Before eating, you wash the item you are going to eat. Before reciting the
Qur$!n, you clear the path and get the Shay(#n out of the way. You are seeking
refuge in All!h from the evil of the Shay(#n and his whisperings which distract you.
Sometimes the Shay(#n can make you misunderstand a verse or give you an
incorrect understanding of the verse.
Notice where Shay(#n is waiting for you. In S"ratl-Ar#f, All!h says that Iblis says,
Because You have led me astray, I am going to lie in wait on the straight path.
- Another explanation: so that the Shay(#n doesnt divert you from reciting the
Qur$!n.

Ruling: The majority say it is musta%ab; some have said it is w#jib and used the above
verse (Al-Na%l v. 98) as evidence.

Al-isti#dhah is not part of the Qur$!n. You can say it in the beginning, middle, or end.

Recited out loud:
1. When teaching or reciting out loud to others

Said silently:
1. In $al#h
2. When reciting with a group and you are not the first to begin
3. When reciting by yourself whether out loud or silently

If you sneeze or yawn, do you have to say the isti#dhah again? No. However, if it is a
longer pause, then you say the isti#dhah again.

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Abu Sa"d al-Khudri narrates a %ad!th of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam):
Before reciting the Qur$!n, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) would say a"dhu
bill#hi min al-Shay(#n al-raj!m. [)a%!%]

There are different ways of saying the isti#dhah.
1.
2.
3.
Basmal ah

1. Stop stop
A"dhu bill#hi min al-Shay(#n al-raj!m. [stop] Bismill#hl-Ra%m#nl-Ra%!m. [stop] Qul
huwAll#hu a%ad
2. Stop - go - go
3. Go - go - stop
4. Go - go go
a"dhu bill#hi min al-Shay(#n al-raj!mi bismill#hl-Ra%m#nl-Ra%!mi qul huwAll#hu
a%ad

Every s"rah except for Suratl-Tawbah starts off with the basmalah. S"ratl-Tawbah starts
off with a warning, so it is not befitting to start with the basmalah. There are 114
basmalahs in the Qur$!n. It is a verse in S"ratl-Naml. It is stated to mark the different
s"rahs.

If you start reciting from the middle of a s"rah, you would say the isti#dhah and then
start reciting Qur$!n. However, if you do recite the basmalah, the scholars say there is
no harm. The exception is S"ratl-Tawbah: it is purposely not there, so you dont do it.
Also, if there is another verse that is a warning or a threat and you are starting to recite
from that verse, then you shouldnt say the basmalah first. The default is that you are
sufficed with the isti#dhah, but if you recite the basmalah, then there is no harm. It is
sunnah to recite the basmalah before al-F#ti%ah in every rakah.

Weak %ad!th: Any statement that doesnt begin with the praise of All!h and blessings
upon me is bereft and deficient of blessings. This is a weak %ad!th and we dont act
upon it.

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The meaning of al-basmalah:
- The ! shows seeking help or assistance.
- It contains no verb, which means you can place any verb before or after it. In
the Name of All!h, we begin. In the Name of All!h, we eat. Some scholars
say it is preferred to have the verb after.
- Mentioned for blessing. You say bismill#h when you want blessings to occur.

What does All!h mean? Some scholars explain etymologically that All!h means al-
il#h (the God). Other scholars do not like this explanation because it is a Name of All!h
and say that it is a Name of All!h Who is worshipped out of love from His creation. He
is the One who is loved in the heavens and the earth.

Al-Ra%m#n: The Merciful. This is an attribute of All!h.

Al-Ra%!m: This is a manifestation of the attribute.
Verse 1

Note: many times translations are done without tafs!r, so they are strange.

A s"rah which We have sent down and which We have enjoined (ordained its legal
laws) and in it We have revealed manifest #y#t that you may remember.

S"rah means:
1. An elevated and honor place/level !"#$%&' !()*$&' !&+,-&'

!"# (s"r): !"#$% & '()* +,-. / a high wall or a fence or any structure that is a bit
high

so a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein; inside it will be
Mercy, and outside it will be torment. [Al-*ad!d, 13]

All!h called chapters in the Qur$!n s"rah because of their high place with All!h
and because of their high place with the believers.

Scholars use pre-Islamic Arabic poetry to explain verses because they want to
show how the language was understood at the time because All!h revealed the
Qur$!n in a language that already existed. All!h calls it s"rah because it has a
high place with All!h and a high place in the hearts.
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In the tafs!r of this verse, you find lines of poetry by al-N!bilah who praises the
king al-Num!n b. al-Mundhir. Al-N!bilah tells the king: Do you not see that
All!h has given you a s"rah? This means high, elevated stature or level. He
says, Every other king is at awe or in worry of this level and place that you
have been given. You are the sun and the other kings are stars. When the sun
comes out not a single star is visible. Al-N!bilah is praising the king and telling
him that All!h has given him a high, elevated place.

A s"rah has a high and elevated place in the hearts of the Qur$!n. Also, by nature
they are high and elevated because they are the Speech of All!h.

2. S"rah from sur (!"# ), which means leftover or a part of something
A s"rah is a part of the Qur$!n. The Qur$!n is broken up and spaced out with the
basmalahs between them. S"ratl-N"r is a part of the Qur$!n.

3. !"#$%# &'( is an animals leftover water after drinking.

Linguistically:
Why not !"#$%&' ? Because it is the royal We. Weve sent it down It is shown to
indicate greatness. Something comes down when it descends from a high place to a
lower place. The scholars say this is also evidence that All!h is above His Creation (the
uluww of All!h). Many verses in the Qur$!n indicate this. They fear their Lord above
them. To Him ascends the good speech. Many verses indicate that All!h is above His
creation.

How do we know if All!h is using the royal We or if All!h is speaking about Himself with
the angels? If All!h is speaking about something only the Creator or Lord does, then it
is the royal We. If He is speaking about something we can do, then We can mean
All!h and His angels/soldiers.

Verily, We have given you al-kawthar. Ibn Taymiyyah said this refers great good
and can refer to All!h the angels or wind and rain. We have created the human being
from a mixed drop. In this #yah, We refers only to All!h.

Lesson / Benefits:
- It shows that All!h is above His Creation. These are issues of aq!dah.
- All!h says that this is a s"rah We sent down and it is obligatory to follow it.

Linguistically: We have obligated upon you to act upon what is in it.
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Meaning
- It is obligatory upon you to act upon what is in it.
- We have explained what is lawful and unlawful in great detail.
- We have explained and clarified it (Ibn Abb!s).
Ibn Jar"r al-&abari, the great scholar and mufasir, chose both explanations because
they dont contradict each other.

In another recitation: farradhn#ha.
Wa farradhn#ha means: We brought it down in different parts / chunks. The word
far!dhah means piece.
Ilml-farr#id is inheritance. Why? Because that is what you do with the persons
wealth: break it up into parts. Right from the beginning, All!h is saying to pay
attention. Far!dhah is a piece because in the knowledge of inheritance, you portion out
and give everyone a piece. The verses came down in parts based on the incidents (i.e.
the incident of ifk).

All the issues people have right now (%ij#b, zina, whipping, cutting off the hand) are all
in S"ratl-N"r. If they only contemplated verse 1, they would not say anything.

So now we have

Arent all suwar sent down and obligatory to act upon? So why this beginning?

Isnt every single s"rah sent down? Dont we have to act upon every s"rah? Some
scholars say that it is an uncommon beginning. Why this beginning? All!h is
indicating the importance of this s"rah with Him. It is to bring to your attention of
what is to come of commands and prohibitions. We all know it is from the Qur$!n and
that we have to act upon it. When All!h tells us this, then we pay attention. This is the
wisdom behind it. It shows that this is very important.

The s"rah discusses very serious things: %ij#b, the accusation against #ishah
(ra&yAll#hu anha), etc. It also mentions things of lesser seriousness: seeking
permission to enter someones home, looking after someones home, other minor
things (children knocking on the bedroom door before entering), lowering the gaze,
rules of visitation. All!h is saying to pay attention to everything in this s"rah: big or
not as big. You have to pay attention and still follow it. You have to follow all of the
rulings in it. All!h started this s"rah in such a unique way and despite this powerful
beginning, people still mess around.

Notice! twice in one #yah. Why is that?
- It is tawk!d (reaffirmation).
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- Some scholars also say the #y#t are part of the s"rah. (The whole s"rah was sent
down and the #y#t, which are part of the s"rah, were sent down). One is for the
s"rah and the other is specifically referring to the #y#t.

Linguistically: +y#t is the plural of #yah
Some translations mention many meanings to cover all bases: proofs, evidences,
lessons, signs. However, this is not how it is used in the verse.

Meaning:
- Signs
An #yah is stronger than a mujizah (miracle). A mujizah is something you are
not able to do. An #yah is so powerful that no one can do it it is a sign from
All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la).

And it is He who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and
rivers and of every kind of fruits He made zawjayn ithnayn (two in pairs - may
mean two kinds or it may mean: of two sorts, e.g. black and white, sweet and
sour, small and big, etc.) He brings the night as a cover over the day. Verily, in
these things, there are #y#t (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.) for people
who reflect. [Al-Rad, 3]

From this context, we see that in this #yah, #y#t means signs and not verses.

- Verse

Alif-L#m-M!m-Ra. These are the #y#t of the Book, that which has been revealed
unto you from your Lord is the truth, but most people do not believe. [Al-Rad,
1]

- Admonition (ibrah)
15

Indeed in that (there) is an #yah for those who fear the torment of the
Hereafter. That is a day whereon mankind will be gathered together, and that is
a day when all (the dwellers of the heavens and the earth) will be present.
[H'd, 103]

In this #yah, it means warning or admonition.

Which meaning is intended in S"ratl-N"r? It means verses.

Mub!n means clear. +y#tin bayyin#t means clearly explained #y#t. Guidance has to be
clear. It cannot be vague. If it is not clear, then it is not guiding you. All!h revealed
clear #y#t so that no one can play games. Sub%#nAll#h, after all of this intro that this is
clear and All!h sent it down and such a strong beginning, people still play games. As
you go in detail, you reAlize how strong it is.

The Qur$!n is a book of guidance, and it is only fair if it is clear. If it is not clear, then it
is not guidance. It is not acceptable that the things that will take you to Jannah or
Jahannam are not clear.

Shaykh Kamal asked someone to show explicit proof in the Bible regarding the trinity,
and he said that it is there but he could not see it because the Lord has not touched
him. This would mean everyone has an argument against God on the Day of Judgment
because they can say the book made no sense to them.

It only makes sense that if All!h sent down #y#t, they have to be clear. Society
functions based on applying these verses. Who will clarify if All!h did not clarify?
There is no excuse.

Laalla in Arabic shows hope. Does it show hope here? Hope is for those who dont
know the outcome. All!h knows what will happen, so He doesnt have to hope for
outcomes. Here, laalla cannot mean hope. The l#m here means so that you may
remember. Another explanation is so you may take heed. Another explanation is
that it does mean hope but from the perspective of people reminding each other, i.e.
in the hope that you may remind each other. The more likely explanation is that it
means so that you may take heed. When you remember, then you act upon
something.

Note: There is a big difference between reading translation and reading tafs!r.
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Meaning:
- So you may remember
To remember, you must have prior knowledge.
- So you may take heed
For example, if you see a horrific accident, then you say it was a good reminder
for you (i.e. of the #khirah and that life can end suddenly). It can be a reminder
in the sense of an admonition.

!"#$% is the opposite of heedlessness and forgetting; when you remember, you act upon
something. When you remember, it is the opposite of being heedless and forgetting.

The three stages you go through with the book of All!h:
1. Listening to it
2. Contemplating it
3. Acting upon it as a result of contemplating and understanding

What is the value of hearing, contemplating and understanding and not acting upon it?
It makes absolutely no sense. Once you believe something, you must act upon it.
Actions have to go in line with beliefs.

Forgetting can also occur in the sense of ignoring or disregarding. Forgetting can be
actually forgetting (not recalling) or it can be ignoring and disregarding.

But Whosoever turns away from My reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur!n nor
acts on its orders, etc.) verily for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up
blind on the Day of Resurrection. He will say: O My Lord! Why have You raised me up
blind while I had sight (before)? (All!h) will say: Like this, Our #y#t came unto you, but
you forgot them (disregarded them), and so this Day, you will be forgotten (meaning:
neglected (in the Hellfire, away from All!hs Mercy). [,a-Ha, 124-126]

Forgetting here means ignoring.

In Islam, if you forget, then you are not blameworthy. You are not blameworthy if you
forget or are coerced or asleep. Here, forgetting means ignoring. When you forget
something, you did not act upon it. All!h does not forget. What does today you are
17

going to be forgotten mean? It means: today you will be ignored and not given any
importance. Forgetting means not acting on something and not giving it attention.

Remembering is the opposite: it means to act upon something.

There is a strong beginning to this s"rah. The %al#l and %ar#m are explained clearly.

What happens when you hear a verse like this? You sit up and pay attention and are
ready to receive the guidance of All!h in this s"rah. You then use the means (your
brain you contemplate and think).
Verse 2

The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a
hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by
All!h, if you believe in All!h and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness
their punishment. (This punishment is for unmarried persons guilty of the above crime,
but if married persons commit it, the punishment is to stone them to death, according
to All!hs law).

Shaykh ibn Uthaym"n said, When you read the verse, before you read the tafs!r, think
about what the verse may mean and what All!h is saying in it before reading the tafs!r.

Notice! We get into the topic right away with no introductions.

Definition
Linguistically: Zina, in Arabic, means immorAlity.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, All!h has decreed for every son of #dam
his share of zina, and there is no way to escape from it. The zina of the eye is a glance,
the zina of the tongue is speaking, and the zina of the mind is wishing and hoping; then
the private part either acts upon this or it does not. [Bukh!ri and Muslim]
Imam Bukh!ri included this %ad!th in a chapter entitled: The Chapter of Zina of the
Limbs / Faculties Besides the Private Parts.
18

Al-%#fi' Ibn %ajar said looking and speaking are called zina because they lead to zina. No
one just falls into zina just like that, but there are many steps that lead to it which
involve these other parts. This is why the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said the
private part acts upon this or doesnt. This means the zina of these parts is thinking or
anything related to actual fornication.

The scholars say that there are certain things not defined in the Qur$!n because they
are known such as zina or murder.

Or it can refer to:

Technical Definition

Intercourse between a man and a woman, in her private part without any marriage
between them nor any doubt (that they may be married) with her consent.
Explanation: If it is not with her consent, then it is rape and she is not blameworthy
and in that case only the man would be punished.

Problem: We have become desensitized to zina. There is no longer hatred in the heart
for the sin of zina. We laugh at sitcoms where the entire episode is about zina.

During the time of Imam Abu %an"fah, they were at a gathering where Imam Abu
%an"fah and al-Sufy!n al-Thawri were present. A man came in and said there was a
calamity: two brothers were getting married to two sisters on the same night and a
mistake was made and the wrong wives were given to the brothers and they
consummated the marriage. Al-Sufy!n al-Thawri said, Dont make it a big deal. Each
one pays the woman he was with the mahar because he consummated the marriage and
then gets his original wife back. Imam Abu %an"fah didnt look comfortable and
someone said to him, Give your opinion. Al-Sufy!n al-Thawri said, What other
opinion is there? Imam Abu %an"fah asked them to bring the brothers and asked, Are
you okay with staying with the wife that you have? They both said yes. He said, Each
one of you say, I divorce C / D and marry the one you have now. When they did that,
everyone was happy. This is an example of al-shubhah in marriage. It looked like they
were married but they werent, which is why it was not zina.

Another definition: One private part entering into the other with desire being there
and with it being %ar#m.

Story on the hi story of zi na

This is from the Israiliyyaat and Ibn (Abb!s commented on it. Zina occurred first
during the time of the Prophet Sh"th (the first son of Adam). Qaabeel was rough and
harsh. He was a farmer. H!b"l was gentle and raq!q and he was a shepherd. Hawwa
would give birth to a boy and girl and another boy and girl and they would marry from
each other. It was permissible for that time. Q!b"ls twin sister was very beautiful and
19

was to marry H!b"l. When H!b"l is born, his twin sister is very unattractive. Q!b"l
wanted the one he was born with, which was impermissible. Each one brought an
offering and the offering of H!b"l was accepted and Q!b"l became angry and killed him.
He then was overtaken by guilt and shame and couldnt go meet his father again, so he
took his wife and went away to the mountains. His offspring lived in the mountains. In
the meantime, the offspring of H!b"l remained in the flatlands.

In the Shar!ah of Sh"th, the people in the flatlands were not allowed to intermingle with
each other. The women of the flatlands were beautiful and the men were unattractive,
and in the mountains, it was the opposite. Ibl"s came to the men in the flatlands in the
form of a young boy and taught him singing and flutes (music), so the people in the
mountains became interested from the interesting sounds. They started to draw near.
Shay(#n makes plans and has time to wait. The people of the flatlands had a day of -d
and adorned themselves and the people of the mountains came close. The Shay(#n
came to the good people and used music. Lure whoever you can from amongst them
with your voice. What is the voice of Shay(#n? Vain talk, the Qur$!n of Shay(#n, the
facilitator of zina. One day a man from the people of the mountains mixed with them
and saw the beauty of the women of the flatlands and went back to tell his people. The
fitnah happened and it was the first time zina started. Ibn (Abb!s said: All!h says in the
Qur$!n, Do not adorn yourself with the adornment of the first j#hiliyyah. Ibn (Abb!s
said that the first j#hiliyyah was when the women adorned themselves and the men saw
them.

There are no verses on Sh"th. There is only one authentic %ad!th about him. All!h sent
down 104 scrolls, and of these 54 were sent down to Sh"th.

Quick Review of Verse 1 & Revelation of this S"rah

Scholars agree that this is a Madinian s"rah, but there is a difference of opinion on if it
was the 5
th
or 6
th
year after the hijrah.

5
th
year: This is according to Ibn Sad. It was revealed after the campaign of Bani
Mustalaq because verses 11-26 deal with the incidents of the ifk, which happened after
that campaign. Ibn Sad said the campaign against Bani Mustalaq took place in 5 AH
and the Battle of the Trench took place later in the same year.

In the Battle of the Trench, the a%z#b left and then Jibr"l knocked on the door of the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and asked if his men had taken off his armor and
told him the angels had not yet. They had to take care of Banu Quraydah, and this was
when Sad b. Mu!dh died.

In the narration of #ishah, she mentions a fight between Sad b. Mu!dh and Sad b.
Ubaydah, which means the battle was in 5 AH.

6
th
: Ibn Is)!q. It was revealed after the Battle of A%z#b. After the battle of A%z#b, the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) married Zaynab bint Ja)sh. Zaynabs sister spoke
20

out against #ishah in the incident of ifk because the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) was married to her sister. The strongest argument of Ibn Sad was that Sad b.
Mu!dh was alive, but other narrations do not mention Sad b. Mu!dh, and it is possible
that the name was mixed up in the narration. This is the more popular opinion.

Summary: Sad b. Mu!dh was alive in the incident of ifk and #ishah mentions his
name. Muhammad b. Ishaq says there are other authentic narrations which dont
mention Sad b. Mu!dh and the narrator mixed up the name, and it happened after the
Battle of Ahzab. After Ahzab, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) married Zaynab
bint Ja)sh, and this is why her sister was interfering in the incident of ifk in defense of
her sister.

The Aims of the Shar!ah
Scholars looked at all of the rulings in the Shar!ah and saw that for the most part, they
fall into one of five different areas and protect certain vital needs: religion, life, the
mind, wealth, lineage.

Examples of how Islam protects your life: qi$#$, suicide is %ar#m, texts saying life is
sacred.

Examples of how Islam protects your wealth: zak#h, severe punishment for steAling,
forbidding riba

Examples of how Islam protects your mind: alcohol and drugs are forbidden

Examples of how Islam protects lineage: Islam protects the family by commanding you
to respect your parents and keep ties of kinship.

Shar!ah - Islamic law came to protect and guarantee vital needs, those on which the life
of humans depends

When you look at the Shar!ah Islamic laws, you find that they came to protect certain
things.

The Shar!ah came to preserve the family/ lineage; therefore, Islam is severe with those
who engage in sexual relations outside of marriage as that may result in the inevitable
destruction of the family.

For example, Shar!ah protects wealth by making usury %ar#m, steAling %ar#m, a severe
punishment for steAling. The Shar!ah protects life because you arent allowed to kill
yourself, people are not allowed to strike your face, murder is not allowed, there is a
strong punishment for murder. The Shar!ah came to protect aql so intoxicants and
drugs are %ar#m. The Shar!ah came to protect lineage, and part of protecting lineage is
that people know who the father is. There are strict punishments for those who
commit zina. All of these four protect the religion itself. Telling people they have to
practice the religion protects the religion.
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There are strong deterrents to offset the strong desires that people have.

Dont tell jokes about things like zina because it becomes not a big deal then.

The Effects of Zi na on:

Society as a whole
- Not knowing father, lineage
People try to come up with their own ways of rectifying these problems (i.e. talk
shows).
This is a problem even non-Muslims recognize.
- Illegitimate children
Crime
Orphanages
- Diseases
- Zina leads to more zina
One study showed that girls born to adolescent parents were more likely to become
teenage mothers themselves. In one study, 82% of teenage mothers were
themselves the daughters of teenage mothers. A son born to a woman in her young
teens is three times more likely to go to prison.

- A rape victim is quickly accused of consenting since there is nothing wrong with it
The majority of rape cases are date rape, and the woman knows the man. Only 25%
of these reports end up in an arrest. Only a small percentage of these end up in
court. A rape victim is quickly accused of consenting. When someone is accused of
rape, the defense lawyer falls on saying that it was consensual and not rape but zina.
If zina was a bad thing, then they wouldnt say this.

Individuals in Society
- Sexual deviance
People are not satisfied and become stranger and stranger in this regard.

- It devalues intimacy with the spouse later on
One study showed that couples who lived together before marriage had a higher
divorce rate than those who did not. What is the value of the piece of paper for
marriage for them? It devalues the institute of marriage.

- Males devalue women
Women are regarded as sexual objects. People look at the opposite sex for nothing
but sex, and this is what men get used to. In America, men have a hard time taking
orders from an attractive woman. The only time men accept orders from women is
when she is androgynous (i.e. Madeline Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Margaret
Thatcher short hair, deep voice).

22

Lecture on YouTube: Why are they covered like that? This video includes
research on how men view women as an object.

- Makes it difficult to commit to a monogamous relationship

Ibn al-Qayyim (ra%imahull#h) said: Zina encompasses all the characteristics of evil:
Lack of religious commitment. Loss of piety. Lack of protective jealousy (gh!rah).
Wrath of All!h/hardness of the heart and the extinguishing of its light.

Women
Many times sexual maturity is reached before psycho-social maturity is reached. As a
result:
- Teenage mothers face
Social isolation
Low education level
Stress and depression
Greater risk of leaving school or attaining a lower level of education
This is from a study done in Canada.
- It makes them feel that sex is all they are really valued for. Therefore, in order to
be accepted, they embrace their sexual image and develop it further.
- Abortion - sin of killing the child
Now it is framed in a different way: the right to choose. In the end, we end up at
the same place, and this is just playing games.

Children
- Teenage pregnancy causes attachment disorders
Bonding is the intense attachment that develops between both parents and their
baby. When there is no bonding, it can be disastrous. Psychologists have a chart
which shows how the strength of the bond affects the personAlity (i.e. the stronger
the bond, the person is more humanitarian). If someone doesnt have a strong
bond, then they dont mind lying, etc. At the end of the spectrum is serial killers.
The majority of famous serial killers were children of teenage mothers.

If young children feel repeatedly abandoned, isolated, powerless, or uncared forfor
whatever reasonthey will learn:
That they cant depend on others and the world is a dangerous and frightening
place.
Difficulty connecting with others. They dont have much empathy.
Difficulty managing their emotions.
Lack of trust and low level of self-worth.
Fear of getting close to anyone.
Anger problems.
The need to be in control (control freaks). They try to control everything to
avoid the chaos.
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Poor academic performance in children of teenage mothers. More likely than
average to fail to graduate from secondary school/be held back a grade level/or
score lower on standardized tests.
The occurrence of developmental disabilities and behavioral issues is increased
in children born to teen mothers (serial killers)!
They hate their parents, both mother and father.

This unstable family is a result of a common factor: being abandoned by either one of
their parents, which brings us to effects of zina on the male.

Male
- (Young) fathers often do not involve themselves very deeply.
- The man often leaves the childs mother during pregnancy or during the two years
after birth.
- HomosexuAlity
Theres a book entitled HeAling HomosexuAlity. The author points out that the
main cause behind it is not the hormones but that it is Alienation from males
during infancy or from male peers later on in life. This means the child doesnt see
men and how men behave but is always around women.

Notice! You find people who think its OKAY for the man to commit zina but not the
woman. They have no protective jealousy for sons, just girls. (Even though their
punishment is the same). This is a double standard and hypocrisy.

*ad!th about the children of zina:

Ibn Kath!r narrates a %ad!th that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, The child
of zina will not enter into al-Jannah. Al-&abar!ni narrates: The son of zina will not
enter al-Jannah and nothing from his lineage until the seventh great-grandchild. Ibn
Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) narrates that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said,
The children of zina will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment in the image of pigs
and monkeys.
[Side note: A sin can affect later generations, but they do not take the sin.]

Al-Qurtubi comments on these a%#d!th: I dont think there is a single correct narration
or chain to these a%#d!th. All of these a%#d!th are weak. In the Qur$!n, it is clear: No
one takes the sin of someone else. In the Bible it says the same thing as well: The
child should not bear the sin of the parent and nor should the parent bear the sin of the
child.

In an authentic %ad!th narrated by #ishah, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
said, There is nothing upon the child of zina from the sin of his parents. Also, there is
an authentic %ad!th: The child of zina does not inherit from the father. He can inherit
from the mother.

24

Family
- Teen pregnancy influences younger siblings.
- Younger sisters of teen mothers are less likely to emphasize the importance of
education and employment and more likely to accept human sexual behavior,
parenting, and marriage at younger ages.
- Younger brothers were found to be more tolerant of non-marital and early births,
in addition to being more susceptible to high-risk behaviors.
- Effects with parents; ruins the father-daughter relationship in particular.
- Can lead to death as spouses may kill due to zina

The Punishment for Zina

Zina is one of the major sins, and it is worse than consuming alcohol. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, The one who is addicted to alcohol meets All!h on the
Day of Judgment as someone who worships an idol. How do we know zina is a worse
sin? When we combine this %ad!th and the following #yah: Those who do not call upon
any god besides All!h and who do not commit shirk and dont commit zina All!h
mentions these three together. Zina was mentioned before alcohol here which means
that it is worse.

The person who commits zina will be in the Hellfire and one of the inhabitants of the
oven.

Disclaimer: It is important to note that the punishment for zina can only be
implemented by the ruling government or authority in an Islamic State. It is not to be
carried out by groups or individuals; nor is it the responsibility of Muslims living in
non-Muslims lands to apply this or any of the other punishments prescribed in the
Shar!ah.

Zina is one of the major sins. How high is zina on the list? Is zina worse or alcohol
worse? What about a person who is an alcoholic? The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, The one who is addicted to alcohol will meet All!h at the level of someone
who worships idols. An alcoholic is at the level of a mushrik.

The scholars say that zina is worse. They cite evidence:
All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) says in S"ratl-Furq#n, Those who do not call on or invoke on
any except All!h and dont kill a soul All!h has made sacred except with its rights and
dont commit zina. Scholars say zina is worse than the consumption of alcohol.

The punishment for consuming alcohol is less than the punishment for zina. Scholars
say it was mentioned with idol worship and murder to show how serious zina is.

One of the punishments in the #khirah of the people who commit zina are that they
become that inhabitants of al tann"r (oven).

Not all Zina is Equal!
25

The Greatest Zina

Rule: The closer, the greater the sin.

- With the wife of a muj#hid
In Muslim: The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, The wives of the muh#jir!n
are sacred to those left behind as their own mothers. There is no man who stays
behind and is entrusted with the family of the muh#jir!n and betrays him except
that he will be detained on the Day of Judgment until the muh#jir takes as many of
his good deeds as he wants. What is the big deal? This means that if someone had
a pile of bad deeds and a mountain of good deeds and if the muh#jir takes all of the
good deeds, then the bad deeds will take that person into the Hellfire.

- With relatives
Zina with relatives is worse than zina with a stranger. The closer the relative, the
greater the sin.

- With a neighbors wife
We know the high place of the neighbor in Islam. Be good to your neighbor even if
they are non-Muslim. The %ad!th refers to anyone who lives in the neighbors
household. To come near the neighbors daughter is also of the highest forms of
zina.

- When an old man commits zina
The sin is greater. The %ad!th mentions him with those whom All!h will not look at
on the Day of Judgment. Who are the others in the %ad!th? A king who is a liar,
someone who is poor and is arrogant, the old man who commits zina. The old man
has no need to commit zina and he should have lost some sha%wah. If he does have
desires, he can control it better than the younger man.

- In sacred places or times
Committing zina in a masjid is worse than in a house. Committing zina in Ramadan
is worse than outside of Ramadan.

We have become desensitized to zina and there are many euphemisms used now for it
such as making love or sleeping together. The euphemism makes something
horrible sound innocent.

Review:
We defined light and said it is something that affords illumination and allows you to
see. We will make a comparison with the light of guidance. If you dont have light,
then you injure yourself. You cannot tread carefully without light. You may injure
others without light. You damage things or you damage yourself. Without the
guidance of All!h, you can hurt yourself or others (injustice, transgression of others
rights). People need light. When the light source goes away, people try to find other
26

sources of light and they go to better and better forms of light. When the sun comes
up, then people turn off all artificial light because it is not needed. Similarly, when
All!h is giving you guidance, then that is the source of guidance and not your brain or
someone else. Non-Muslims can gives words of wisdom, but when the sun comes up,
we dont take from any other light source. This doesnt mean you shut off your
intellect. Your intellect always agrees with the Qur$!n and Sunnah.

There are means for acquiring knowledge, which involve the senses. There are
methodologies for attaining knowledge which involves experimenting.

Al-isti#dhah: If you starting to read from the beginning, middle, or end of a s"rah, you
always start with the isti#dhah first. You are clearing the way and asking for protection
from the Shay(#n messing up your understanding.

Preventing Zina
- Fasting
- Early marriage
- Limiting leaving the house for women
- Covering the beauty of women. (%ij#b, perfume, jewelry)
- Shutting the avenues to zina
- Making marriage easy
- *al!h (and good deeds in general)
- Polygamy
- Patience and the great reward for abstaining

- Fasting

- Lowering the gaze
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, O young men, whoever amongst you
can afford al-b#a (scholars say this is a few bites to sustain you during the day and a
shelter over the head) should get married. If you cannot, then fast. It is better for
your gaze and private parts. These standards were acceptable at the time of the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) because people ate very little. Today, you
cannot live in a tent. The standards have changed. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) is saying that whoever can afford the bare minimum acceptable at the time,
then he should get married. All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) created men to be aroused
by looking, so if they lower their gaze, then they will have no problems. One thing
that helps men not look is fasting. Scholars say that when you fast, then the
stomach is hungry and the other body parts are full, but when your stomach is full,
then your other body parts are hungry and want to do things.

The problem is that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) gives advice and people
dont take it. Guys come and ask shuyukh what to do and say to not tell them to fast
or lower their gaze or be patient.

- Early marriage
27

Islam encourages getting married at an early age. Imam Abu %an"fah would tell his
students to finish studies and work and then get married so that the woman is not
put through difficulty. However, if someone is fearing they will commit zina, then
this person should get married quickly.

- Limiting leaving the house for women
For example: $al#h. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said in Mad"nah that
the womens prayer in her room is better than the masjid. The masjid there was
Masjid al-Nabawi. In another authentic %ad!th, he ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said,
Do not prevent the female slave of All!h from going to the mas#jid of All!h.

- *ij#b

- Women not wearing perfume

- Women not wearing anklets that wear noise
Some scholars even liken the high heels to this. High heels make a woman appear
taller which is associated with showing her beauty and the heels clink.

- Shutting the avenues to zina
All!h says, Do not come near zina. Looking leads to zina. Talking leads to zina.
Being alone and touching lead to zina. Islam prohibited all of these things.

- Islam made marriage easy
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, If someone comes to you and you are
pleased with his d!n and akhl#q, then wed him. Culture has added other things:
pride, madh-hab, skin complexion, bank account balance, education level, house, car
possessions

Umar b. Abdul-Az"z wrote to his governor, Seek out every unmarried men with
no wealth who wants to get married and give him money to get married. [Sunan
Abi D!w'd and is $a%!%]

- )al#h
)al#h helps prevent all kinds of fa%shah. Salah prevents the faw#ish and munkar
(evil acts). Almost every time we see f#%ishah in the Qur$!n, it refers to illicit sexual
relations.

- Continuous dhikr

- There is great reward for abstaining from zina.
On the Day of Judgment, All!h will resurrect everyone on a plain and level earth.
The sun will be one mile away from everyones heads and it will last 50,000 years.
People will want the judgment to begin even if they go to the Hellfire. There are
seven types of people All!h will allow to be under the Shade of His Throne and
28

amongst them are man whom a woman of beauty of position invites him to do zina
and he refuses out of fear of All!h.

- Polygamy
Sometimes a man is not sufficed with one woman, and sometimes women do not
enjoy intimacy.

- Forbidding alcohol

- Patience
A person is patience in staying away from %ar#m.

- Du#
The Islamic state can be concerned with marrying people off. During the time of
Umar b. Abdul-Az"z, he wrote to his governor in Iraq and said for him to seek out
the young men who were not married and if they had no wealth, then give them
zak#h funds to get them married.

- Tawbah
If someone commits zina once, tawbah helps a person to stop.

flog each of them with a hundred lashes

The Early Ruling on Zina

Women would stay in homes until death came to them.

And those of your women who commit illegal sexual intercourse, take the evidence of
four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them (i.e.
women) to houses until death comes to them or All!h ordains for them some (other)
way. [Al-Nis#, 15]

29

Then this ruling was abrogated.

Ibn Abb!s says, That used to be the ruling until All!h sent down S"ratl-N"r, so He
abrogated (the ruling) with whipping and stoning.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Take from me. Take from me. All!h
found a way out for them. An unmarried or virgin committing zina is whipped 100
times and banished for a year. If they are married or previously married, then they are
whipped 100 times and stoned.

By ijma imprisoning in the home has been abrogated.

Does Isl am j ust want to puni sh?

We dont accuse All!h of being brutal or unfair. Many texts discourage from turning
yourself in, and if you commit a sin, keep it between you and All!h and make tawbah for
it.

An athar is a statement from a tabiI or a $a%#bi (or it can include some of the imams).
There is an athar that says: Whoever commits a sin in private, let him make his tawbah
in private. Whoever makes a sin publicly, then make tawbah publicly (so that people
think well of you and know that you went back).

- The Messenger of All!h ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said: O people, the time has
come for you stop transgressing the sacred limits set by All!h. Whoever
commits any of these evil actions, let him conceal himself with the concealment
of All!h, for whoever discloses his actions, then we have to carry out the %add
punishment (that is prescribed in) the Book of All!h. [Muwa((a Im!m M!lik]

-
Ta#fl-%ud"dah fi ma baynakum, fama balaghani min %#din fa qad wajab. [D!w'd,
al-Nas!i, Musnad of Imam A)mad]
Translation: Pardon the sins that have a prescribed punishment (%ud"d)
amongst each other. Try to deal with each other before bringing it to the court.
If it reaches me (the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) refers to the court),
then it has to go through. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) is saying to
forgive each other and settle these things amongst yourselves. If it is brought to
the court, then you have to go by the book.

30

- Ibn (Abb!s said, If the mistake is kept private, then it only harms the one who
did it. Dont bring it out and dont make it public. He means that you dont
have to turn yourself into a court. If sins become public, then people start
defending their sins and everyone gets used to it and it starts to harm everyone.
People sing about zina and write movies about it and now it is a normal thing.

- The judge is to try to get you to not testify against yourself. Al-%asan al-Ba+ri, a
great scholar and judge, would ask a man, Did you steal? Say no! In the
Western system, there is a prosecutor paid by the state to prove that you are
guilty.

- A weak %ad!th: Push away the prescribed punishments (%ud"d) with shubu%#t
(issues that are unclear, have some doubt). This is a weak %ad!th, but it is
correct as a statement of #ishah (ra&yAll#hu anha).

Ibn Mas'd reported that a man came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and
told him that he had kissed or touched a woman, or something similar, as if he was
asking how he could expiate for this (according to another report: a man had done
something with a woman that fell short of actual intercourse.) He came to Umar b. al-
Kha,,!b, who regarded it as something very serious. Then he came to Abu Bakr, who
regarded it as something very serious. Then he came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) who according to one narration didnt respond to him and went away and then
later on sent for him. Then All!h revealed the #yah:

And perform al-$al#h at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily,
the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e., small sins). That is a reminder (advice) for
the mindful (those who accept advice). [H'd, 114] The man asked, Is this concerning
me, O Messenger of All!h? He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said:

It is concerning whoever of my ummah who does this. (Reported by Muslim
(ra%imahull#h) in his )a%!%, 4963)

Many times people feel like they need to punish themselves, but this is not in Islam.
Just make tawbah! An early Muslims touched a woman with his hand and then put his
hand on hot coals as punishment to himself, but scholars dont recommend telling
stories such as this in khu(bahs.

31

To be convicted of zina:

There are two ways to be convicted to zina. It is very difficult.

1. Confess, without going back on his/her word. If he/she retracts, then no
punishment and the case is dropped.

- The story of M!iz b. M!lik narrated in Bukh!ri and Muslim
J!bir narrated that a man from the tribe of Aslam came to the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam) when he was in the masjid and said, I have committed zina.
He was a married man. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) turned his face
away from him. The man came to the side and said the same thing and the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) turned his face, and the man did this again
and the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) turned his face and the man did it
again and the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) turned his face again. The
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Are you mad? The man said, No.
In some narrations, he ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) had the companions smell his
mouth to see if he was drunk. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) asked if
he was married and he said yes. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) then
asked the people (the tribe of Aslam), How is M!iz? He ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) was told he is of the righteous. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
said, Perhaps you just kissed? He said, Rather, I committed zina! The
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Perhaps it was intercrural sex (not in
the private part)? In one narration, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
explicitly used a word he had never used before and never used again, and said,
Did that from you enter that from her? and the man said, Yes. The man
said, I got %ar#m from her as a man gets %al#l from his wife. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) commanded him to be stoned in the place of Id
prayer.

When the stone hit him, he started running away. He then said he wanted to
retract and that the people tricked him, but they continued with the
punishment. When the news reached the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) of
this, he said, Why didnt you leave him? The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) prayed over him.

Some scholars used this story to say that to admit to zina, you have to testify
four times.

Two companions commented and said he should have concealed himself.
Someone said, He was stoned like a donkey. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) pointed to the carcass of a dead donkey and said, Eating from this dead
carcass is less of a sin in the sight of All!h than what you have said about your
brother. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) called him your brother
even though he committed this major sin.

32

Haz!d came and said, M!iz committed zina. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, Ya Haz!d, if you would have covered him with your garment, it
would have been better for you. This means that he shouldnt have exposed
him.

In another narration: Haz!d encouraged M!iz to turn himself in. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Ya Haza!d, what a horrible thing you have
done! If you would have covered him with the edge of your garment, it would
have been better for you. Haz!d had told M!iz to go to the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam) to confess his sin. Haz!d said, I didnt know that this issue
was so vast? (i.e. he didnt know that there was this option).

If you commit a sin, you can make tawbah, *ajj, Umrah, good deeds, etc, but you
will not be 100% that All!h has forgiven you. If someone has the prescribed
punishment carried out, then you will not be asked about it on the Day of
Judgment. Therefore, you have the choice to turn yourself in or repent in
secret, which is encouraged.

In one narration of M!iz, they knew who M!iz committed the sin with. The
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) had her come to him, and when she came to
him, he told her, Go. He is teaching us a lesson. She didnt turn herself in and
there were no witnesses to do anything to her. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) brought her and told her to go.

M!iz committed zina with a slave girl who was never known. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) closed the door on this issue. It was more dramatic
to make her come all the way in front of him and then tell her to go back. It
closes the door so that no one can ever say, What about the woman?

How many chances was this man given for mercy? Many times!
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) turned his face away from him.
This was his chance to go away.

- The story of al-gh#midiyyah
It was narrated that a man said a woman from the tribe of Gh!mid came and
said, Ya Ras"lull#h, I have committed zina, so purify me. In another narration,
I am pregnant from zina, so purify me. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, May All!h have mercy on you. Seek the forgiveness of All!h and
repent to Him. She said, I think you intend to send me back as you did to
M!iz b. M!lik. He said, What has happened to you? She said, I have become
pregnant from zina. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Is it you who did it?
She said yes. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, You will not be punished until
you give birth to what is in your womb.

She had months to reconsider and go back on what she had said. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) gave her infinite chances! Many things happen in
33

pregnancy that cause the woman to become attached to the child (i.e. child
moving). Also giving birth is a huge factor that could change her mind.

A man from the an$#r came and sponsored her needs until she delivered the
child. Then the man told the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) she gave birth.
In another narration, she came and he ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Go until
you wean the child. Weaning is for two years. She came back with the child
showing he is eating solid food, and he ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) had the
punishment carried out. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Her tawbah was so
sincere that if it was distributed to everyone in Mad"nah, it would have been
enough for everyone.

In this story, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) never asked her about the
man! They never sent people to find out who he was. The man chose to keep it
secret and repent between him and All!h. She chose to turn herself in. The
expiation of the sin cancels out the sin. Someone may repent for years, but they
dont know if All!h has accepted. Some people from their level of taqwa want to
end it on earth.

There was a woman at the time of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) who had a
bad reputation and men were always entering and leaving her place. He ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam) said, If I were to take someone without clear evidence, it would have
been her. It was known she was a prostitute. Look at the mercy of Islam! You are
recommended to take the mans option and not turn yourself in.

2. Have four reliable and pious witnesses who very explicitly say what they saw.

X We saw him on top of her and they were naked.
X We saw him doing with her what a man does with his wife.
! We bear witness that his penis was in her vagina.

The M!likis say that if there are four righteous witnesses (stay away from major sins
and dont insist on minor sins either) and they see the zina happening and if of the one
men sees it, it is not permissible for him to turn the attention of the other three to see.
The idea is not to expose people.

Ibn Taymiyyah said that from the death of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) until
his time, not a single case of zina was proved using four witnesses. Until Ibn
Taymiyyahs time until our time, not a single case of zina was proved using four
witnesses.

Further deterrents:

- If four quAlified witnesses see someone commit zina, they are encouraged to
keep it to themselves.
34

What is the ruling in Islam if you see someone committing zina and have the
four ud"l? You are encouraged to keep it to yourself and not to take it to court.
- If one quAlified person sees it and three other quAlified individuals are right
next to him, he is not required to call them.
- They start with the stoning (in the case of adulterer).
If it is an adulterer and leads to stoning, then these four ud"l have to throw the
first stones.
- If they stutter or differ about the womans complexion or any detail, THEY WILL
BE WHIPPED!

3. Pregnancy is not proof of zina!?

If a womans husband is away for a few years and she becomes pregnant, it is not proof.
Umar b. al-Kha,,!b based on his ijtih#d said the pregnancy could have been longer. A
woman came to Umar and she was pregnant and her husband was away. He said,
How? She said, I am a very heavy sleeper and I woke up and found wetness there.
Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) didnt punish her.

Rule: push away the punishment using doubt.

It is possible to be such a deep sleeper (narcolepsy). Shaykh Y'suf Shubayri said there
was a man who was such a deep sleeper that to wake him up for fajr they would hit him
and kick him. He said a brother lifted up his legs and another brother took off his belt
and started whipping the bottom of his soles with full strength and the man was still
sleeping. He was whipped so hard that when the man finally woke up and stood up, he
said his feet were hurting so much he couldnt stand. As a fiqh benefit point: this type
of person is not blameworthy for missing fajr.

There is also something called frottage where a woman can become pregnant without
her hymen being broken while she is still a virgin. It is not always through intimacy
that a woman becomes pregnant. It is very rare, but the chances are there.

As long as there is some doubt, there is no %add. This is why Umar pushed away the
%add. The point is not to try to punish people.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that at his time no case of zina was proven
by means of testimony from the time of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) until
his time.

Is video accepted in Islamic court? This is one witness. What if it is shown on a big
screen? Is that acceptable in an Islamic court? It is not accepted in an Islamic court.
The point is that if you find any reason to doubt, then it is a reason to be set free. This
is ra%mah. It may be a clip where the innocent womans face and it may show a
different angle and you cannot tell who the woman is. What if there were twins? What
if the video was altered? We take the doubt to push away the %add.

35

Why does the verse start with the woman first?
- She is the gateway to zina. If she does not allow it, then it will not happen. This
is why it starts with the woman first.
- The woman who intends it may dress for it and invite it.
- Zina for a woman is more harmful. In Muslim lands, the man who commits zina
with a woman will not marry her ever. Also, it is harmful because it can result
in pregnancy.
- Scholars say it is worse for the woman in the sense that it is the bigger
embarrassment for her and her family. It is an embarrassment for both, but it is
bigger for the woman.
- The woman has more hay# than the man. If she falls into this crime, she loses
her hay# and can lose her iman. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said,
The z#ni does not commit zina while he is a believer. It is also narrated by Abu
D!w'd in a $a%!% %ad!th that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, When
the man commits zina, his iman leaves him and hovers above him like a cloud.
Once he is done, it comes back to him.
- The man commits the sin and moves on. He gets married and his wife cannot
tell if he is a virgin or not.
- For a man to commit zina with 100 women, then there have to be 100 z#niy#t.
For 100 men to commit zina, there can just be one crazy woman.
- In j#hiliyyah, homes of prostitution were marked as flags. It was still seen as
shameful and was a reason for them to kill the newborn girls.
- Perhaps if All!h did not mention the woman, then it may have caused confusion
just like the man who was intimate with his wife in Ramadan. A man came to
the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and said that he had relations with his
wife in Ramadan, and the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) told him to free
slaves, and he said he only owns himself. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) told him to fast for 60 days, and the man said that the problem started
was because he couldnt hold himself. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
told him to feed the poor, and the man said that no on is poorer than himself.
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) took the money and gave it back to him.
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) never mentioned his wife in the %ad!th,
which led to a big discussion amongst the scholars. Some scholars asked, Does
the woman pay or not? Does she expiate or not for being intimate with her
husband? The majority of scholars said it is only for the man. Other scholars
said that if she invited him to this, then she has to pay. There is ikhtil#f. This
disagreement arose because the woman wasnt mentioned. Some scholars said
that All!h mentioned the woman in verse 2 of S"ratl-N"r so that it is clear. The
#y#t are bayyin#t. This makes sure that no confusion arises and there is no room
for doubt.

Zina takes away the human part of the human being because the one who commits zina
chases his desires like an animal. Animals are even better in this sense because for the
most part, they mate to procreate. Animals never mate with a pregnant female.

36

Two bedouins came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam). One said, This man
employed my son and he committed zina with his wife. I paid ransom on behalf of my
son, and when I consulted with others, they said that he should be banished for a year
and get 100 lashes and the mans wife should be stoned to death. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, By the One in whose hand is my soul, I will judge
between you by the Book of All!h. The slave girl and goats go back to you and your son
is to be struck 100 lashes and sent out of town for a year. Go, Unays, to this mans wife
and if she admits, then stone her.

The Qur!n left the other situations to be defined in the Sunnah, which is a source of
legislation as well. Sometimes it comes as muakkiddah (affirming) what is commanded
in the Qur!n and sometimes mufassirah (explaining /clarifying).
- Virgin and unmarried: he should be banished in addition to being given one
hundred stripes.
The majority of scholars said that if he is male, then he is banished for a year.
Imam Abu %an"fah said it is up to the judge. Imam M!lik said the woman is not
banished because she has no ma%ram. Scholars add that if she is banished, then
it would be a larger harm because if she is in another city where people dont
know her, then it could make it easier to commit zina.

What if the male is the main breadwinner? Is he still banished? No.

- But if married, meaning he has had intercourse within the bounds of lawful
marriage, and he is free, an adult and of sound mind, then he should be stoned
to death. It was purposely made severe to deter people which is why it only
happened a handful of times in Islamic history.

Imam M!lik narrates that Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) got up and glorified All!h and said,
O people All!h sent Muhammad ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and revealed to him the
book. One of the verses revealed to him was the #yah of stoning to death, which we
have recited and understood. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) performed rajm
and we performed it after his death. I fear that time will pass and someone may say,
We dont find an #yah of rajm in the book of All!h, and will go astray from something
in the book of All!h.

Verses can be abrogated in a number of ways: recitation and ruling as is the case here.
It can be abrogated in ruling but the recitation is still there such as imprisoning women
in the homes.

Umar said, I fear a day when people will say, I dont find this in the Book of All!h.

Why doesnt the ruling for the married person appear in the Qur!n?

Punishments for Zina in the +khirah

- One of the major sins
37

And those who do not invoke any other il#h (god) along with All!h, nor take the
life as All!h has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual
intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. [Al-Furq#n, 68]

- The one who persisted in drinking alcohol will meet All!h like one who worshipped
idols.

- Being one of the inhabitants of the oven (tann"r) in which the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam) saw the adulterers and adulteresses.

flog each of them with a hundred lashes

- The command is for all Muslims but the sul(#n does it on their behalf.
This #yah is a command for all one Muslims. The scholars say the command is
for all Muslims but the implementation is done by the ruler only. Imam al-
Qurtubi said, Any %add that All!h obligated in zina or for drinking alcohol or
accusing a chaste woman is only for the sultan to implement.

Only the authority does this not individuals! If it were open to people, it
would create chaos.

- Flogging in the case of %ud"d punishments is not meant to kill, injure, or maim;
rather, it is intended as a form of discipline and rebuke and to purify the person
of sin.

- The judge needs to look at situation to determine if there was a shubhah (doubt)
or not and if the person is sane or insane.

To err on the side of clemency (mercy, lenience) is better than to err on the
punishment. To make a mistake by being too lenient is better than to make a
mistake in punishment.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, To execute a %add on a land is better for
it than for it to rain [in a desert area] for 30 or 40 nights [or 30 or 40 mornings]. It
protects them from many bad things as a result of zina.

38

The Flogger

The one who is doing the flogging should be of the best of people, chosen for those
quAlities. Why? This is a serious issue, and you dont want him to transgress and whip
harder or to whip with hatred. If he is not righteous, he may give him harder whips for
extra measure or a few more whips. A person of taqwa wont do this. Al-Qurtubi said,
The prescribed %add should only be executed from the rulers and only by the best of
people.

The Hardness

The whip is something broken off of a tree. It is not dyed and treated. It is a stick with
no thorns and is not too weak. There is a mursal %ad!th (the chain is cut off at the t#bii)
in which a man confessed to zina so they brought a broken whip and the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said for them to bring one better than this, and they
brought one with thorns, and he ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said something besides
that.

The hardness: You dont whip like someone who whips with anger inside and you dont
whip like a dead person. Many fuqah# pointed out that it must be done with moderate
force. The person whipping should not raise the arms so high such that the armpits
show.

Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) says to the flogger: Hit and let not your armpit show. Nor do
you strip the person of his clothing unless he is wearing something really thick such as
a fur coat. M!lik, Abu %an"fah, al-Layth and al-Sh!fii said you have to uncover the
back of the man and the woman should be covered. Imam al-Awz!i said it is up to the
judge. Al-Sh!bi said the clothes are not taken off, which is the same opinion as that of
Ibn Mas'd. It is also required to not whip them at a hot time and to not whip them at a
very cold time. If you freeze or bake them in the sun, then it is added punishment.

Note: the imams position is not necessarily the madh-habs position.

Many have the erroneous belief that the whipping is severe and that the skin breaks. If
the deterrent is not necessarily the severe pain, then what is it?

It was narrated from Ali (ra&yAll#hu anhu) that he said: Moderate blows with a
moderate whip. Not so harsh as to kill and not so weak as to be no deterrent. He should
not raise his arm completely, nor keep it so low that it causes no pain.

The Position/Place

The back or the whole body? The scholars said that it is spread around and distributed.
Do not concentrate all of the hitting in one place. Even if it was light hitting one
hundred times, the person will be injured and the skin will break. He is hit between the
neck and waist (back). The legs and not the private parts.
39

At the time of Umar, a man was to be whipped. Ali and Ibn Mas'd brought whips of
medium standard and it was said to the flogger, Strike, and (let us) not see your armpit
and give each body part its due right.

Ibn Mas'd said, It is not prescribed in our religion to make the offender lie down or to
tie him up or remove his clothing. The person being punished should be flogged
standing, according to the majority of scholars as well, and blows to the face, head and
genitals are to be avoided.

A man came and said, My wife committed zina. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, Give me a clear proof or a punishment on your back? The most common
place for whipping is the back. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) didnt just
mean only the back. It is mentioned to scare and to warn but not to indicate that it is
the only place. This was meant as a warning.

Ali said, Strike and give each body part its %aqq, and stay away from the head.

Ibn Mas'd said, It is not prescribed in our religion to make the offender lie down
The person should be standing and there are no blows to the face or genitals.

There were times when it was in the masjid and there were times it was in the court.

Counter evidence!
In the %ad!th the Prophet (+allall!hu alayhi wa sallam) said, (Bring me) clear proof or
the prescribed punishment (will be carried out) on your back!

The Numbers
Qadhf (accusing a woman without sufficient witnesses): 80
Zina: 100
Consuming alcohol: 80 (This number was decided upon at the time of Umar (ra&yAll#hu
anhu) There was no number before this).

Ibn al-Arabi, the great scholar and historian and mufasir, said, These numbers are as
long as people dont increase in doing the sin and as long as the sins dont have a
sweetness to them. He is saying that if they do, then we can warrant an increase in
the numbers.

These numbers can increase based on severity of time and place, repeat offenders, etc.

So how do we justify the increase?

- The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, If a person consumes alcohol,
whip him. If he drinks a second time, whip him. If he drinks a third time, whip
him. If he drinks a fourth time, you can kill him. From this, we see that the
punishment can increase based on the severity of the sin. This is known as taz!l
40

(discretionary punishments). A ruler with a group of scholars can decide a
punishment.
- A man drank in Rama-!n so Umar had him whipped 100 times 80 for the %add,
and 20 for the sanctity of Rama-!n.
- A man fondled a boy during the time of Im!m M!lik; the wAli ordered that he be
given 300 lashes. Imam M!lik didnt object to it when the news reached him.
- During the time of Umar, a very weak man was given only 40 lashes for
consuming alcohol.
- During the time of Uthm!n, a man was given 40 lashes and another time he was
given 80 lashes for zina because he was a weak person.
- During the time of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam), an old man who was
sick committed zina. He was so weak that if they whipped him he would die.
- During the reign of Umar, a man counterfeited Umars seal to get money from
the treasury. Umar had this man whipped 100 times and had him taken to
prison until he became better and then had him whipped 100 times again and
then took him to prison again until he became better again, and then he
whipped him 100 times more.

During isr# wal-mir#j, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) saw people with good
meat next to them but they were eating unclean and dirty meat. Jibr"l told the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) that these were the people who committed zina.

If a man commits zina, he is to be banished for a year, but if his mother needs him, then
he stays back. It is up to the judge to decide.

The Adulterer

The sin of zina is more serious here because All!h gave them a way out (where to place
their desires) and they left what was permissible and went to the %ar#m.

It is treachery in the worst degree for a spouse to leave what is %al#l to them and go out
for the %ar#m.

- When Shur!)ah was brought to Ali, he whipped her on Thursday and stoned
her on Friday and then said, I whipped her with (the rulings in) the book of
All!h, and stoned her with (the rulings in) the Sunnah of the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam).

- The narrations of M!iz and al-gh#midiyyah dont mention whipping.
Is there whipping and then stoning or just stoning? There is a general rule: If
there is a situation where one narration is quiet about a punishment and
another mentions it, then we give precedence to the one that mentions it. if
there is a statement of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) where he says to
not do something and another example where he did something, then it clarifies
that it is not %ar#m. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said to not drink
while standing. One day Ali drank while standing and he told the people he saw
41

the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) drinking while standing many times.
This indicates that it is not %ar#m.

If someone gets married and their marriage lasted for 3 months and then they are
single for 15 years and he commits zina. What is the ruling? He is whipped and stoned.
He is treated like a married person. What are the wisdoms behind this? A ruling will
remain even if we cannot think of the possible wisdoms behind it. We can come up
with possible wisdoms. Scholars dont have a specific reason.
- You cannot downgrade to zina
- The person who went through the marital experience, it is to encourage people
to continue with the marital institute.
- The chances of falling into zina may be more than the one who didnt
experience marriage.

The Slave

Slaves get half the number of lashes.

If they commit illegal sexual intercourse, their punishment is half that for free
(unmarried) women. [Al-Nis#, 25]

Islam takes into consideration the position of the slave. They are already in the lower
situation. It would be unfair that the free man is free to do what he wants and is not
restricted by anyone and he gets a certain punishment and someone in bondage gets
the same punishment.

Other examples of things that are easier for slaves: The dress code is more relaxed for
the slaves (including the slave girls). Exceptions to Jumuah include slaves.

Do not let mercy or pity overtake you.

Linguistically: Pity, mercy
It is a type of mercy heartfelt and soft.

Lesson / Benefits:
Why this warning?
- The whipped can cry and say, Tubtu! (I repent).
- The person could be a friend or relative.

42

What kind of rafah is warned against here? The natural one?

It is not natural pity. Islam always praises when you have natural pity. The rafah in
the heart is natural and you cannot turn it on or off. A beautiful %ad!th: A man came to
the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and said, Ya Ras"lull#h, I slaughtered the sheep
while I had ra%mah for it. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, And you get
reward in it. The man feels sorry for the animal but had to kill it for its meat. The
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said he had reward for the feeling of sorrow.
Ra%mah is natural and All!h praises it when it comes.

Therefore, this #yah is not talking about the natural ra%mah. What is warned against
here is a pity or ra%mah that will decrease the punishment (strength of the hitting)
itself. Or it is a rafah that will make the hakim cancel the command altogether or
decrease the numbers. You can naturally feel sorry for someone and give them the
same number of lashes as All!h ordained.

A noblewoman stole and they came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) to
intercede so that her hand was not cut. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, You came
to intercede in a prescribed punishment of All!h? By All!h, if Fatimah stole, her hand
would be cut.

How can we be moved and take the side of criminal?
Many times we take the side of the criminal. Many times when watching movies we
take the side of the criminals.

The true mercy is in the prescribed punishment. The true mercy for the ummah and
society is in implementing the prescribed punishment even though the prescribed
punishment looks scary. It is a mercy to have that danger eliminated from the society.
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, To execute a %add on a land is better for
it than for it to rain [in a desert area] for 30 or 40 nights [or 30 or 40 days]. When you
do that, it is preserved. When you let it go, you get to where the world is today and
nobody does anything about these crimes and they are rampant.

Why enjoin good and forbid evil?

If this is not done, then the evil starts to spread. There are multiple rights involved.
For example, if someone robs you and the judge decides to let him go, then what about
your rights? It then becomes a bigger issue.

There is the right of the community and there is the Right of All!h. It is the Right of
All!h that the %add is carried out. In many Muslim lands, because of culture they will
kill the girl because they think she did something. If they had Islamic law, then it
would be more of a ra%mah for her. People are killing and murdering over this sin.

Can we take the side of the criminal? It happens all the time in movies. Movies are
from the perspective of the bad guy, and you are on his side.
43

= in His obedience and in His decrees, in the Law of All!h
When does the word d!n mean law? We have proof from S"rat Y'suf:

He could not take his brother by the law of the king [Y'suf, 76]

Y'suf (alayhil-sal#m) was a minister and could not take his brother as a slave under the
law of the king. D!n means law.

if you truly believe in All!h and the Last Day

Why? +y#t are already addressing the believers, so why mention this again?
- The scholars said that this is a form of ta%y!j (telling someone: if you are a man,
then do it the manhood is mentioned to challenge and invoke a response).
- Scholars also say that rafah is pushed away by !m"n. -m#n keeps you firm. If you
let it go, then it encourages other to do it and the world looks like it does now
(i.e. zina is rampant).
- The scholars also mention the point that you cannot reverse this #yah and have
a correct meaning. The opposite is not true. If you feel rafah, you are not a
k#fir.

and let a party of the believers witness their punishment.

Yash-had can mean:
1. To have knowledge of something, to know with certainty
2. To attend / witness
The meaning here is attend / witness.

What is the purpose behind this?
- This adds an element of fear of embarrassment.
A person may prefer more lashes with no witnesses than lesser lashes in front of
more witnesses. It is a deterrent more than the pain.
- It is also an admonition for those witnesses.
It is a reminder for the believers that they dont want to commit the sin.
- The believers witnessing might make du# for the person to be rectified,
forgiven, etc.
- When believers witness it, we can verify that it happened.
44

Notice! A believing group and not others in line to be punished. Not other drunks or
zun#t waiting in line!

How many should there be in this group?
- Imam M!lik and Imam al-Sh!fii said four.
Evidence: Since the witnesses for zina are four, then there should be at least
four witnesses for the punishment.
- A group of scholars said it has to be a group that is enough to be around
something, just like (aw#f.
- Ibn (Abb!s (ra&yAll#hu anhu) said, One man or more.
Dal!l: In the Qur$!n, All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) said in S"ratl-*ujur#t v. 9, If two
groups from the believers fight This #yah was revealed about two men and
each one was called a (#ifah. This is why Ibn (Abb!s said one man and above is
enough to witness the punishment.

And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting... [Al-*ujur#t, 9]

Other Issues
1. Zina is a debt!
Imam al-Sh!fii said: Zina is a debt. If you take this debt of zina, the repayment will
be from the people in your family. Sometimes the punishment is befitting the
crime. If someone makes sincere repentance, then insh#All#h that is the end of the
story. If someone doesnt repent, then sometimes All!h gives the repayment from
their own home.

A young man was about to go on a journey, and his father said, Fear All!h when it
comes to your sister. He comes back and the father said, Didnt I tell you to fear
All!h when it comes to your sister? The boy confessed that he had kissed someone
on the journey. The father said that the milkman had kissed his daughter, so he
knew his son had done something.

2. Zaw#j urfiy.
This is an unacceptable form of marriage where a woman says to a man, I marry
you to myself, and he says, I accept. He then does to the woman what a man
does with his wife.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Any woman who gets married
without the permission of her wAli, her marriage is invAlid, her marriage is
invAlid, her marriage is invAlid. There are many other a%#d!th like this. The wAli
is her safeguard.
45

Some fuqah# say publicizing the marriage is a condition of it being vAlid because it
shows the difference between marriage and zina.

3. The carrying out of the %add punishment for a sin is an expiation for that sin.

4. Sincere repentance from sin is also an expiation for that sin. The one who repents
from sin is like the one who did not sin.

And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds, then verily, he repents
towards All!h with true repentance. [Al-Furq#n, 71]

Publicizing the marriage is to prevent zina.

1) Stop doing it
2) Dont go back to it again
3) Feel remorse
Verse 3

The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a mushrikah and the adulteress none
marries her except an adulterer or a mushrik, such a thing is forbidden to the
believers.

This is one of the most disputed about verses in the Qur$!n.

Yanki% here means to be wed. Nik#% has two meanings in Arabic: intimacy or marriage.

Why does this verse start with the male? Scholars say it is because the male starts
when it comes to marriage. The male proposes and pays the mahar. The woman gets
married (she doesnt marry). This is further evidence that she cannot marry herself but
gets married off.

Some scholars mention as there is no verse in the Qur$!n with as much back and forth
and disagreement as this verse.
46

What does this verse mean? Two different opinions:
1. If we take !"#$ to mean marriage, then the verse means:
- It is %ar#m for a z#ni to marry except a similar z#niyah or a mushrikah and for a
believing woman to marry someone who is a z#ni.
- It is not permissible to marry a z#niyah or z#ni unless they have repented. If the
man or woman has not repented, then the marriage is not vAlid.

2. If we take !"#$ to mean !"#$% (intercourse):
Then the #yah is saying that a man who commits zina will only do that with
someone who is a z#niyah or with someone who is a mushrikah.
Those who disagree with this say that this is obvious so then what is the
purpose of the verse?

Ibn (Abb!s said it means intimacy.

Ibn al-Qayyim said there is no way it means intimacy. He says the #yah has no benefit
or meaning at all if you say a z#ni only commits zina with a z#niyah. Al-Zajjaj, a scholar
of language, said that if you say it means intimacy, then it goes against the Qur$!n
because nik#% in the Qur$!n always means marriage. Some scholars defended the
opinion of Ibn (Abb!s and responded that there is an incident in the Qur$!n in S"ratl-
Baqarah v. 221 where All!h mentions nik#% but means consummation. The word
tanki% means consummation in this verse. They also said a believer cannot marry a
mushrikah, and if they interpret it in that way, then it means a believing woman can
marry a mushrik. The general meaning is that a z#ni doesnt desire to marry anyone
except someone like him. In reAlity, this is not the case either.

A third group took a different stance and said the work yanki% means both marriage
and consummation. Response to this opinion: you can say a sentence that has multiple
meanings and cannot say that all have the correct meaning.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, until he tastes from you and you taste
from him Some scholars even said both meanings are correct and in one part it
means marriage and in another part it means intimacy (for the man). Later scholars
disagreed and said that this is not how things are understood.
One sentence was interpreted three ways:
They said it could mean 1) the thieves gouged the eyes of Zayd, 2) they ruined the
water source, 3) the thieves stole all the money of Zayd. Therefore it is unacceptable
to say it is either this or that meaning in the Qur$!n. Remember the first verse: All!h
said it is #y#tin bayyin#t so it cannot be vague.

The opinion of Said b. M'sayyib is the closest to the truth.
Opinion of Said b. M'sayyib and it was adopted also by Imam al-Sh!fii: The third verse
of S"ratl-N"r was abrogated. The meaning of the verse is that a male Muslim who
commits zina should only marry a female Muslimah who committed zina or a pagan,
and a female Muslimah who commits zina should marry a male Muslim who committed
47

zina or a pagan. This verse was revealed in 5 AH. At that time, the Muslim woman could
marry a mushrik, and that is what this verse is saying. The verse that prohibits this was
revealed in S"ratl-Mumta%anah, which by the consensus of the scholars was revealed
after Hudaybiyyah and after S"ratl-N"r. At the time of this verse, it was not %ar#m yet
to marry a mushrik.

The meaning of yanki%u here means the marriage as is most common in the Qur$!n.
The meaning of the verse is: it is not appropriate for a mumin to marry a z#niyah and
it is not appropriate to marry a mushrik The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
would use this verse to tell people to not marry others. For example, there is a
narration of Imam A)mad that a man came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
and wanted to marry a woman Umm Mahzood who was known for prostitution. She
stipulated that she would marry him but she would have to spend on him, and the
scholars said that perhaps she did this so that she had the upper hand. He went to the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and asked permission from him. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) in response recited verse three in S"ratl-N"r. The verse is
prohibiting believers to marry those who commit zina or are mushriks.

Why is it compared to shirk in this #yah?
What is proof that the word !"#$ can mean !"#$% and not marriage? All!h says in S"ratl-
Baqarah about a woman who has been divorced three times and then wants to get
married again:

And if he has divorced her (the third time), then she is not lawful unto him thereafter
until she has married another husband. [Al-Baqarah, 230]

How does this help? In this verse !"#$ means marry.

You can read the #yah with both meanings below:
The man who agrees to marry (have a sexual relations with) a mushrikah (female
polytheist, pagan or idolatress) or a prostitute, then surely he is either an adulterer, or
a mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater, etc.) and the woman who agrees to marry (have
a sexual relations with) a mushrik (polytheist, pagan or idolater) or an adulterer, then
she is either a prostitute or a mushrikah (female polytheist, pagan, or idolatress, etc.).

Those who said !"#$% are more correct.

If the #yah was talking about marriage, then it would be saying that a muslimah who
commits zina can marry a mushrik!

48

such a thing is forbidden to the believers
1. If refers to the marriage, then the meaning would be:
Indulging in this, or marrying prostitutes, or marrying chaste women to
immoral men is forbidden to the believers.
2. If refers to the zina then the meaning would be:
Committing such acts (the zina) is forbidden to the believers.
Verse 4

And those who accuse chaste women and produce not four witnesses, flog them with
eighty lashes, and reject their testimony forever, they indeed are the f#siq"n.

Sa"d b. Jubayr said this verse was revealed concerning #ishah. Other scholars
disagreed and said this #yah is general and is protecting the reputation of all believing
women and is a deterrent against making false accusations.

Ai m four: the preservati on of one s repute

Any unjustified defamation of someones character is forbidden. Spreading of rumors,
lying about someone, backbiting, etc.

Physically: For throwing a rock or shooting an arrow or solid object. This is for
something physical.

Striking them with stones of sijj!l.

Figuratively: also used for tongue, as if hurled something like a rock or worse than rock
at them.
What is meant here is accusing them with zina.

49

Notice the imagery being created: it is as if they hurled a rock or something worse than
a rock at these women.

!"#$ generally means a married or previously married person but in this verse it
refers to !"#$%& (chaste). Mu%san means to prevent. The evidence is from the Qur$!n:
Maryam protected her private parts. The wording allows for protecting everyone.
The wording is so accurate and detailed and perfect that it doesnt allow for any fooling
around. A fort is a %isn it protects and keeps them away from the enemy. The
mu%sanah is the woman who prevented herself from what is not permissible to unite
with.

If they commit illegal sexual intercourse, their punishment is half that for free
(unmarried) women. [Al-Nis#, 25]

Why does the #yah only mention woman? What about the man?
If a man accuses another man, yes he is punished. The #yah only mentions a woman
because of the shame and it is a bigger deal. When a woman is accused, the anger is
greater. The ruling applies to a woman and a man.

and do not produce four witnesses, flog them with eighty lashes, and reject their
testimony forever, they indeed are the f#siq"n (liars, rebellious, disobedient to All!h).
- The accuser is whipped 80 times.
- No other testimony is accepted from them after that.
- And he is labeled a f#siq.

The #yah only mentions if he doesnt bring four witnesses. What if its a:
- Madman
No punishment.

- Small child who hasnt reached puberty
There is no %add, but there is whipping. The judge may decide on the number of
whips.

- Man who was coerced into making such an accusation
When someone is forced to do something, it is not counted against them.

50

- Grown man who accuses a very young girl
The scholars say there is no punishment because it only occurs when intimacy is
possible. Some scholars say it applies to ages 9 and above.

- What if it is someone very famous for fuj"r?
We push away the punishment with shubahah. Because of her bad reputation,
we push away the punishment from the man.

- What if the insult is not clear?
Someone may say, Hey, at least I know who my father is! Scholars refer to
this as al-kinay#t. With the M!liki madh-hab, they carry out the punishment.
The majority of scholars say that there is no punishment. They ask him to
clarify what he meant.

- What if its a Muslim man who accuses his non-Muslim wife?
The majority of scholars say that it applies to anyone who has signs of iffah
(loyalty), protecting herself, and is chaste. What if someone accuses a Magean
woman of zina? The punishment would apply. Only the Ahnaf disagreed and
said it is only for Muslims and not for non-Muslims.

Slander is indeed a major sin!

And the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said: Avoid the seven sins that doom a
person to Hell (al-*#fi' Ibn %ajar said, What is meant by the sins that doom a person to
Hell are major sins.). It was said: What are they, O Messenger of All!h?" He said:
Associating others with All!h (shirk); witchcraft; killing a soul whom All!h has
forbidden us to kill, except in cases dictated by Islamic law; consuming orphans
wealth; consuming riba; fleeing from the battlefield; and slandering chaste, innocent
women. [Bukh!ri and Muslim]

These witnesses have to be righteous and upstanding individuals (staying away from
kab#ir, doesnt insist on $agh#ir). He stays away from the major sins and for the most
part stays away from the minor sins.

So if only three from the $a%#bah came forward, they would be whipped. There have to
be four.

1. Physical punishment.
2. Same type of whip we discussed before.

The wisdom behind the %add punishment for slander:
51

1. It prevents accusations of immorAlity.
2. It protects peoples honor from being transgressed and protects their
reputations from being tarnished.
3. It prevents enmity and grudges; wars may break out because of slurs against
peoples honor.
4. It prevents such things becoming part of public opinion and protects people
from having to hear them.
5. It prevents the spread of rumors among the believers, because when there are a
lot of accusations and such talk becomes common and is easily spoken of, the
foolish become bold enough to commit such actions.

In Islamic court, we see examples of how the tongue is taken more seriously than the
hand. If you go to an Islamic court because someone slapped you, then the judge may
say to slap him back just as hard (not harder and not softer) or he may make him pay a
fine. If someone comes to court who has accused a chaste woman of zina and has no
witnesses, then he will receive 80 lashes.

The tongue can be more dangerous than the hand. We live in a society that only
focuses on not touching other people.

Do not accept a shah#dah from them at all; even though they might be noble. Some
early Muslims said, If such a person told me the sky is above you, I would not believe
them.

= at all, ever. So long as they dont repent or take back their accusation

You can be noble and upstanding and testimony will never be accepted from you even
if you are known as honest. Some early Muslims said, If they said the sky was above,
then I wouldnt believe them because All!h said not to take any shah#dah from them.

Scholars say that as long as they dont repent and dont take back their accusation, then
we dont take shah#dah from them.

Plural of f#siq, dissolute
in language = !"#$%& to come out of obedience of All!h

So three punishments:
1. Lashes
2. Not accepting testimony
52

3. Labeled f#siq. A f#siq is the one who comes out of obedience to his Lord or
someone who lacks moral restraint.

If a righteous individual accuses a person of zina, is he punished or not? According to
verse 4, those who accuse chaste women (mu%sin#t a woman who guards her private
parts from %ar#m). There was a woman at the time of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) and men would come and go from her house. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) knew what was happening. This woman is not a mu%sin#t.

If an imam accuses a person, it is wrong. In her case, there is no punishment because
there are not four witnesses. The imam did not violate verse 4, and this is used to
remove the punishment away from him. Does this mean he did the right thing? No. he
did something wrong, but not to the level where he will be whipped for it.

If a sane, old man accuses a young girl (i.e. 1 year old), then it is not possible she did
zina and the punishment doesnt apply. The ruler may admonish him.

Kinay#t (hinting at it). What if two people are speaking and someone says, At least I
know who my father is. What happens when someone hints? According to M!liki
fiqh, the punishment will be carried out. He gets punishment for qadhf. The majority
of other madh#hib and other scholars say that we ask the man what he meant.

In a Muslim state, what if a non-Muslim accuses any other non-Muslim woman? He
gets punished. What if a Muslim accuses a non-Muslim woman? He gets punished. The
majority of scholars say it applies to anyone who is mu%sin#t they all get this
protection. All!h honored all women. Islam came to protect the womans reputation.
The a%naf were the only ones who said it was only for Muslim women.

When Jibr"l came to Maryam to give her the news of Isa (alayhil-sal#m), her concern
was her reputation. How will I explain this to people?

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Avoid the seven sins which will doom a
person to the Hellfire. The companions said, What are they? He ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, Witchcraft,and slandering chaste, innocent women. [Bukh!ri, Muslim]
Verse 5

Except those who repent thereafter and do righteous deeds, (for such) verily, All!h is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

= Except: those who repent
53

Verse 4 said no testimony and label them f#siq. This verse says except for those who
repent. What is the exemption? What is dropped from the three punishments?
- Some said the exception applies to everything that came before it, so all three
are dropped.
- The majority of scholars said the whipping is never dropped but the other two
can be dropped.
- Imam Abu %an"fahs opinion is the exception goes to the last one in the list, so it
means that they will no longer be labeled f#siq anymore.

If they repent and make tawbah and retract their statement, then they get the
whipping, but their testimony can now be accepted and no one calls them a f#siq
anymore.

Some said if he does tawbah and righteous deeds and others said that we wait a year
before deciding if his label of f#siq can be removed and whether or not his testimony
can be accepted.

The person has to withdraw his statement. The great companion Abi Bakrah accused
another great companion al-Mughirah b. Shubah of zina and saw him. Abi Bakrah saw
al-Mughirah with a woman. He had married her in secret, and Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu)
had forbidden marriage in secret. Four people came to witness against him, and some
people retracted and Abi Bakrah insisted. Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) had them all
whipped even though they were companions and righteous people. Umar said,
Retract and Ill accept your testimony. Abi Bakrah refused to retract because he had
seen. The point is that his testimony would have been accepted and the label removed.
Another interesting point: there were four and three retracted, so when Abi Bakrah
refused to retract, Umar said he would whip him again. Four of them saw it, and one of
them backed out so it became three left. The other three were whipped including Abi
Bakrah. The other two made tawbah and retracted. Abi Bakrah refused to retract.
Umar told him to back down or he would whip him again, and Ali (ra&yAll#hu anhu)
said, If you whip him again, then you have to stone your friend al-Mughirah. Why?
Because if he was whipped a fourth time, then it is like considering him a fourth
witness, so then Umar stopped and didnt do it.

Al-Mughirah b. al-Shubah refused to defend himself because Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu)
did not allow marriages in secret.

= meaning after punishment, label and not accepting testimony

All this is in the case of available witnesses. What if a man sees another man with his
wife, and he hears and sees clearly what is zina. What does he do? Its impossible to get
four witnesses and its also not possible for him to continue a normal life.

54

Verses 6-10

What if a man sees a man with his wife and sees clearly what is zina? It is not possible
for him to get four witnesses, and he cannot continue life with her.

Imam A)mad recorded that Ibn (Abb!s said that when the #yah was revealed about the
four witnesses, Sad b. Ub!dah, one of the leaders of the an$#r, said, Is this how it was
revealed, ya Ras"lull#h? The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) was upset with this.
He said, O an$#r, dont you hear what your leader is saying? They said, Ya Ras"lull#h,
dont blame him. He is a very jealous man. By All!h, he never married a woman who
was not a virgin, and he never divorced a woman except none of us would dare to
marry her. Sad said, Wall#hi, ya Ras"lull#h, I know this #yah is true, but Im surprised.
If I find a wicked man lying with my wife, should I not disturb him before finding four
witnesses? All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) then revealed verses 6-10.

The Verses of Li#n

And for those who accuse their wives, but have no witnesses except themselves, let
the testimony of one of them be four testimonies (i.e. testifies four times) by All!h that
He is one of those who speak the truth. And the fifth (testimony) (should be) the
invoking of the curse of All!h on him if he be of those who tell a lie (against her). But it
shall avert the punishment (of stoning to death) from her if she bears witness four
times by All!h that he (her husband) is telling a lie. And the fifth (testimony) should be
that the wrath of All!h be upon her if he (her husband) speaks the truth. And had it not
been for the Grace of All!h and His Mercy on you (He would have hastened the
punishment upon you)! And that All!h is the one who accepts repentance, the All-
Wise.

The swearing is called a testimony here. The fifth testimony is that he invokes the
curse of All!h upon him if he is a liar.
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Laana means you are saying may All!h send you away from His Mercy in this dunya,
which means may He never guide you to Islam and never have mercy on you in the
next life. Imam al-Nawawi said, Cursing a believer is like killing him. Why? When a
person is killed, the dont get any khayr (good). When you curse someone, it is like
killing them. This is why it is so serious. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said
the believer is not a slanderer or engages in profanity or foul talk and does not curse a
great deal.

Why li#n was prescribed:
A quote from Sad b. Ub!dah:
If I found some wicked man lying down with my wife, should I not disturb him until I
have brought four witnesses? By All!h, he would have finished what he was doing
before I could bring them!

When li#n is prescribed:
1. If the husband accuses his wife of zina and cannot produce four witnesses, then he
may get the )add punishment for slander waived by engaging in li#n.
2. If he wants to deny that a child is his.
For example, if the man was gone for three years and he comes back and finds his
wife was pregnant.

How it works
- The husband solemnly swears four times to the fact and invokes a curse on himself
if he is lying, prima facie evidence of her guilt.
- But if she swears four times and invokes a curse on herself, she is acquitted of guilt.
- If she doesnt do that, the charge is proved and she is punished.
- In either case, the marriage is dissolved.

The incident with Hil!l b. Umayyah.

Hil!l is one of the three who stayed behind in Tabuk and were forgiven by All!h. Hil!l
came back from his farms at night and saw a man with his wife and saw with his eyes
and heard with his ears and did not disturb them until the morning. He then went to
the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and told him. Hil!l said, if I speak, I get
whippedIf Im quiet, then I am bottling anger. Hil!l said, Wall#hi, I hope that All!h
will make a way out for me from this problem. Ya Ras"lull#h, I see how upset you are by
what Ive said, but All!h knows that I am telling the truth. The narrator said, Wall#hi,
Ras"lull#h wanted to have him whipped but then the revelation came from All!h and
they could tell. All!h revealed the #yahs. When the revelation was finished, Ras"lull#h
said, Rejoice, ya Hil!l! All!h has made for you an ease and a way out! Hil!l said, I
was hoping for this from my Lord, may He be glorified.

They called for his wife, and Ras"lull#h recited the #y#t to her. Ras"lull#h made both of
them do the li#n and Hil!l swore four times. When he came to the fifth testimony, he
was told, Ya Hil!l, have taqwa of All!h. The punishment of this world is easier than
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that of the Hereafter. Hil!l said, Wall#hi, All!h will not cause me to be punished for
this just like he saved me from being whipped. He testified for the fifth time and then
Ras"lull#h said to the wife, Swear by All!h four times that he is telling a lie. When she
reached the fifth testimony, Ras"lull#h said, Have taqwa of All!h, the punishment of
All!h is easier in this life, and this will mean the punishment is inevitable for you. She
hesitated for a while and then said, Wall#hi, I will not expose my people to shame, and
she then swore the fifth time. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) then separated
between them and decreed that the child not be attributed to any father and that the
child not have any repercussions. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said that
Hil!l was not obligated to house or feed her because they were not separated by
divorce.

And for those who accuse their wives, but have no witnesses except themselves, let
the testimony of one of them be four testimonies (i.e. testifies four times) by All!h that
he is one of those who speak the truth.

= Testimonies here means swears (called testimony because the swear
comes in the place of the four testimonies). This is why All!h calls it shah#dah and not
qasam.

He brings her before the im!m and states what he is accusing her of.

And the fifth (testimony) (should be) the invoking of the curse of All!h on him if he be
of those who tell a lie (against her).

The punishment of zina should be carried out against her, and nothing can prevent the
punishment unless she also swears the oath.

Cursing is Serious!

A curse is asking to be cast away from the mercy of All!h.

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The Messenger of All!h ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said: When a person curses
something, the curse ascends to heaven, and the gates of heaven are closed to it. Then
it comes back down to earth and the gates of earth are closed to it. Then it looks right
and left, and if it does not find anywhere to go, it goes to the one who was cursed, and if
he deserves it (it befalls him), otherwise it goes back to the one who uttered it.
[Narrated by Abu D!w'd]

It is such a strong statement to stay: May you be cast out of the Mercy of All!h. The
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, The believer doesnt curse. It is not from the
way of the believer to be constantly cursing.

But it shall avert the punishment (of stoning to death) from her if she bears witness
four times by All!h that he (her husband) is telling a lie.

The punishment for zina should be carried out on her, and nothing can prevent the
punishment except if she also swears the oath of condemnation (li#n).

And the fifth (testimony) should be that the wrath of All!h be upon her if he (her
husband) speaks the truth.

The wrath of All!h is mentioned specially in the case of the woman because usually a
man would not go to the extent of exposing his wife and accusing her of zina unless he
is telling the truth.

What is worse the curse of All!h or His Wrath? Scholars say the wrath is more severe
than the curse.

The scholars say the wrath of All!h is mentioned specifically in the case of a woman
because the curse is saying, May All!h kick you out of His Mercy and the wrath of
All!h is saying, May All!h be angry with you. Why is the bigger one with the woman?
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A man wouldnt go to the extent of accusing his wife of zina unless he is telling the
truth. For righteous people, it is unlikely that a man would accuse his wife. In a way,
he is shaming himself, and he wouldnt say something unless he believes it. However, if
she is truthful, then it doesnt matter what she is invoking and if she is truthful, then
she will say it easily. It is hard to get one to admit, which is why the wife of Hilal almost
did it but then she said she wont shame her people.

If a man lies against his wife in court, his sin is qadhf (accusing a chaste woman), and
the punishment is 80 lashes. If a woman is lying in this situation, her biggest sin is zina,
which is punishable by stoning. Therefore, it is appropriate that he has the lesser
punishment.

Scholars say that if a woman catches her husband and sees with her own eyes, then she
can advise him that it is not proper or she can get khul.

Why is li#n legislated? Because of the child. The man wants to distance himself from
the child. If a man cheats on the woman, there is no dispute on who the mother is.
Both cases end in divorce.

And had it not been for the Grace of All!h and His Mercy on you

Meaning: many of your affairs would have been too difficult for you,
And that All!h is the one who accepts repentance, the All-Wise.

Means: from His servants, even if that comes after they have sworn a confirmed oath.

This is the only verse in the Qur$!n where Al-Taww#b is followed by Al-*ak!m. It is
commonly followed by Al-Ra%!m. Scholars say because of the wisdom of what All!h
legislated (a way out for people), Al-*ak!m is mentioned.

Usually with !"#$ the word !"#$ is appropriate; but here it says !"#$. Why is that?
Scholars say that with Taww#b, Ra%!m is more appropriate. *ak!m is used here because
of what All!h legislates, and this legislation has wisdom in it.

The All-Wise in what He prescribes, commands and forbids.

The Story of the If k

The story is narrated by #ishah herself in great detail.
Background: In the 5
th
or 6
th
year of the hijrah, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
took an army to meet Bani Mustalaf. On the way back from this ghazwah, an altercation
59

happened between one of the muh#jir!n and an an$#r. The feelings of tribAlism
increased. Abdull!h b. Ubayy al-Sal'l, a hypocrite, was insulted. He said, When we
get back to Mad"nah, the more honored will kick out the ones who are in the lower
position. Your dog will eat you. This was severe. The news of this statement spread
in the army. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) doesnt want this to be an issue,
and he let the army march the whole day into the night without stopping and then
they marched the entire night without stopping and the entire next day without
stopping. That night everyone went to sleep because of fatigue.

When they reached Mad"nah, the son of Abdull!h b. Ubayy al-Sal'l, who was known to
be respectful of his father, stopped his father with his sword and said he would not let
him in until the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) let him because the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) is more honored. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
eventually allowed him to go in.

Whenever the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) would go on a journey, he would
draw lots amongst his wives and would take with him whoevers lot was drawn. The
scholars said three prophets drew lots: Y'nus on the boat, Zakariyya when it was
decided who would sponsor Maryam, and the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).
Scholars say it is permissible to do when everything looks the same and everyone is in
an equal position. #ishah said, The lot drew on me, and I went with him after the
rule on %ij#b had been revealed. I was carried in my %awdah (a box put on top of the
camel) and put down in it. When it was time to leave, she would get in it and they
would put it on the camel again.

When we approached the city of Mad"nah, they announced the time of departure. I
went far off to respond to the call of nature. I came back to my riding animal and
touched my neck and found my necklace was missing, so I returned to look for my
necklace. The search for it detained me. In the meanwhile, the people carrying my
%awdah put it back on my camel and thought I was in it. Women were light in weight
and flesh did not cover their body in abundance as they used to eat little food. At the
time, I was still a young girl. She was 12 or 13 years old at that time. They made the
camel rise and all of them went along with it. I found the necklace and went to the
camping place and found no one. I went back to the place where I would stay thinking
someone would miss me and come back for me. This shows intelligence. When you
are with a group and get lost, then you wait at the last point where they expect you to
be.

While I was sitting in my resting place, I was overwhelmed by sleep and slept. The
scholars say that when someone sleeps in a difficult situation, it is proof of help from
All!h. When you are alone in a dark desert and dont know what is out there and there
is no protection and you sleep, it is proof of assistance from All!h just like in the Battle
of Badr when the Muslims were outnumbered. A companion was behind the army. One
explanation is that he used to oversleep and follow the way. Others said that his job
was to stay behind to pick up lost items left behind.

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When he reached my place in the morning, he saw a figure of a sleeping person and
recognized me on seeing me as he had seen me before the order of compulsory veiling.
This is very clear that her face was covered. Her face was uncovered in the incident
and he recognized it because he had seen it before the order for %ij#b. When he saw
her, he said, Inna lill#hi wa inna ilayhi r#ji"n. I woke up when he recited this and
veiled my face at once. Wall#hi, we did not speak a single word and I did not hear him
say a single word except istija. I got up on the camel and rode on it. They caught up
with the army in the extreme heat of midday while they were at a resting point. Some
people who brought destruction upon themselves, and the one who spread the lie the
most was Abdull!h b. Ubayy al-Sal'l.

There is clearly innocence here. Abdull!h b. Ubayy al-Sal'l didnt say zina but hinted
to it. He said, Safw!n and #ishah didnt let it go until he got something from her and
she got something from him. He is not clearly saying zina. Urwah b. al-Zubayr (note:
he was one of the first to start writing the seerah) said, The people propagated the
slander and talked about it in Abdull!h b. Ubayy al-Sal'l and he confirmed it. None
was mentioned as of the slanders group except %ass!n b. Th!bit, Mi+,a) (a Badri), and
the sister of Zaynab bint al-Ja)sh and said the word zina and the hypocrite got away
with it. It is said that the one who carried the most of the slander was Abdull!h b.
Ubayy. Urwah said, #ishah disliked having %ass!n in her company.

#ishah said, After we returned to Mad"nah, I became ill for a month, and the people
were propagating the forged statements of slanderers. During that sickness, I was not
receiving the same kindness from the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) as I had
before. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) would only come greet me and ask,
How is she? and leave. This roused my suspicion, but I didnt discover the slander
until I went out with Umm Mi+,a). Umm Mi+,a) was the daughter of the paternal
aunt of Abu Bakr. We used to answer the call of nature and not go out except for at
night. It would be troublesome for us to take latrines near our houses. Umm Mi+,a),
whose mother was the aunt of Abu Bakr, went out and then returned to my house after
answering the call of nature. On the way back, Umm Mi+,a) stumbled and almost fell.
She said, Let Mi+,a) be ruined!
Why did Umm Mi+,a) say this? Scholars say
- She meant: I almost fell on myself because of my sons bad deeds.
- Other scholars say she wanted to tell #ishah about what happened and because
of her manners was looking for the right time.
- If #ishah already knew, then it is telling her that she is taking her side and is
against her own son.

#ishah says, What a horrible thing youve said! You curse a man who witnessed
Badr! This shows how serious Badr was with the companions. Umm Mi+,a) said,
Didnt you hear what he said? Then she told her what happened. #ishah said,
When the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) came, I asked to go to my parents home.
He allowed me and I asked my mother, O mother, what are people talking about? She
said, O my daughter, rarely is a woman charming to her husband except that other
women will find faults with her. Sub%#nAll#h! I kept weeping that night until I
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couldnt stop weeping and couldnt sleep until the morning. I kept weeping when no
divine revelation came. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) called Ali b. Abi &!lib
and Us!mah b. Zayd to consult them. Why these two? They were both raised in their
household and were close individuals. Not Abu Bakr because he is the father of #ishah
and not Umar because he is not from the household.

#ishah said, Us!mah said, She is your wife and we know nothing but good from her.
Ali said, ask the peopleLets ask the maidservant. Ali saw the distress this was
causing the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and first made an offer to relieve the
pressure and then his statement on taking the investigatory route. This is very
intelligent advice because the maids know you intimately. Scholars explained that he
made the suggestion based on the stress it was causing the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam). The maidservants see people intimately and know what others dont know.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) called Bar"rah and said, Ya Bar"rah, did you
ever see anything that aroused your suspicion? She said, By All!h, I have never seen
anything wrong of #ishah except that she is a young girl who sleeps leaving the dough
of her family exposed and the goats come and eat from it. On that day, the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) got up on the minbar and said, O Muslims, who will relieve
me from the pain from that man? I know nothing but good about my family. I know
only good about Safw!n. Sad b. Mu!dh got up and said, I will relieve you! If he is
from our tribe of Aws, then I will chop off his head. If he is from Khazraj, then we will
fulfill your order. A man from Khazraj (Sad b. Ub!dah) got up and before this incident
he was a pious man (this means that this is what they knew of him), but his love for his
tribe goaded him into saying, Wall#hi, you have told a lie and if he belonged to your
tribe, you would not say it. Usayd said to Sad b. al-Ub!dah, You are a liar and we will
surely kill him! The two tribes of Aws and Khazraj got up and were about to fight
while the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) was on the minbar. The Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) kept quieting them down until they all became silent. I kept
weeping that day with my tears never stopping. In the morning, my parents were with
me and I wept for two full nights and a day with my tears never ceasing and I couldnt
sleep until I thought my liver would burst with crying. An An$#ri woman sought
permission to enter my home and she sat down and started weeping with me. This is a
kind of support.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) came in and greeted us and sat down. He
hadnt sat with me since the slander. He then recited tashahhud and said amma bad
and said, Ya #ishah, I have been informed such-and-such about you. If you are
innocent, then soon All!h will reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin,
then ask All!h for forgiveness because All!h accepts repentance. He started with her
innocence because he was sure of it. if you are innocent, then All!h will reveal your
innocence, and if you are sinful, then repent to All!h for the sin, and All!h forgives sins.

Why didnt the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) just defend #ishah and proclaim
that she was innocent?
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He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) had no proof. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) was in the
position of a judge. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) was the court. In the position of a
judge, we go based on evidence and proof. As a judge, he cannot declare her innocence
because it requires proof.

Notice! He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) asked her to admit to the sin while we studied
that the judge is not to get the person to admit. Why is that?
She is now the wife of a prophet, and it is not befitting that if she commits a sin like this
that he would keep her. A man may forgive his wife for something like that, but for the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam), it is not acceptable to keep a woman who
committed zina. Never in history has a wife of a prophet cheated on him. it would be
an insult to the prophet and impugn his honor, and it would put questions in the
lineage of prophets.

Note: In contemporary Arabic, it sounds like the wives of Lut and Huh cheated on them
because the word khiy#nah is used, which in contemporary Arabic means cheating.
Scholars said khiy#nah doesnt have to be in the bed, and it can be in aqeedah (belief).

When the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) finished his speech, my tears stopped
flowing and I no longer felt a single drop. I said to my father, Reply to the Messenger
of All!h on my behalf concerning what he said. Abu Bakr said, I dont know what to
say. I said to my mother, Reply to All!hs Messenger on my behalf. She said, I dont
know what to say to All!hs Messenger. From the adab of her parents, they dont have
proof so they cant just jump in and say something. In spite of the fact that I was a
young girl and had little knowledge of the Qur$!n, I said, Wall#hi, no doubt I know that
you heard this slanderous speech so it has been implanted in your hearts (meaning:
minds) and you have taken it as true. If I tell you that Im innocent, you will not believe
me, and if I confess and All!h knows I am innocent, you will believe me. I find no
similitude to my incident except that of what Abu Y'suf (Yaq'b) said, A beautiful
patience is most befitting against that which you assert. All!h alone is the One whose
help can be sought. Then I turned to my other side and hoped that All!h would reveal
my innocence, but I didnt think All!h would reveal divine revelation to be recited
forever as I considered myself too unworthy. I hoped that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi
wa sallam) would have a dream in which my innocence is proved. Before the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) left his seat to get up, the divine inspiration came to him.
The same difficult situation came to overtake him. The sweat was dropping from his
body like pearls because of the weighty statements being revealed. When it was done,
the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) got up smiling and said, Ya #ishah, All!h has
revealed your innocence. My mother told me, Ya #ishah, go to him to thank him! I
said, I will not praise anyone except All!h!

Abu Bakr used to give money to Mi+,a) because he was poor, a muh#jir, and related to
him and when the innocence came in the #y#t, Abu Bakr swore that he would never
give to Mi+,a) after what he said. Then All!h revealed v. 22. When Abu Bakr heard
these #y#t, he said, Wall#hi, I would love All!h to forgive me and wAll#hi I would never
63

deprive him of it at all, and he went on giving Mi+,a) as before. In a narration in
Tabarani, he doubled the amount.

From amongst the wives of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam), Zaynab was my
peer. Zaynab only said what is good about #ishah and didnt even hint to what is bad.
All!h saved her from the evil because of her taqwa. Her sister Hamna was of those
were destroyed (she fell into saying the word zina). Abu Ayyub al-An+!ris wife came
to him wanting to open up this subject, and he said, Would you do that (commit
adultery)? She said, God forbid! He said, #ishah is better than you.

If someone swears an oath and it isnt a good thing, then they should pay the penalty
and do something good.

Notice! Proof that he was a genuine Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).
This story is proof that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) was a true prophet of
All!h. For a month he was stressed and waiting for revelation to come.

Other lessons/Benefits of story:
- If she had committed a crime, would she come in the daylight back to the army?
There is nothing being hidden there.
- An answer to orientAlists who want to claim that the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) wasnt a genuine prophet. An imposter would have solved the issue the
moment the rumor came out. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) waited one
month until the revelation came.
- !"# rulings came as a result of this incident.
- It raised the ranks of those affected. It was an expiation for them.
- All!h defends His awliy#. All!h defends those who are close to Him.
- Danger of mun#fiq!n.
- Not permissible to admit to something you did not do.
- The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) doesnt know the future.

The Hellfire is so severe that the instant it touches your skin is no less severe than the
ten thousandth time. Screaming doesnt decrease the punishment of the Hellfire
either.
Verse 11

Listen to v. 11-20 by Shaykh Tawfique Sayegh.

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Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against #ishah (ra&yAll#hu anha) the
wife of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)) are a group among you. Consider it not
a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid
that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater
share therein, his will be a great torment.

Linguistically:
= worst kind of lie

A lie is when what is said doesnt match reAlity. Thats why the Arabs used !"#$ to
mean you are mistaken. In one narration, #ishah was told what Abu Hurayrah said,
and she said, He is mistaken. She is not calling him a liar. Abu Sufy!n said,
Muhammad has been killed after Uhud, and Abu Bakr said, You are wrong!

A piece of news can be !"# but the bearer of the news is not !"#$ (a liar).

Meaning:
With !"# there is no hint of truth, everything is overturned.
It is said, !"#$ %& !'() *+, -./0* 123
And in the Qur!n:

And He destroyed the overturned cities. [Al-Najm, 53]

This means it is something totally flipped or turned around. There is no sign of truth in
ifk. A lie (something incorrect): Brother %ass!ns cat is very gentle. Br. %ass!n has a
cat but it isnt gentle, so the information is wrong. Ifk: Brother %ass!ns dog is very
gentle. But br. %ass!n doesnt have a dog and is allergic to dogs. This is ifk. Ifk is total
reversal of the truth. There is no sign of truth at all in this statement.

Lesson / Benefits:
= a group from amongst you
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= do not consider it (O believers)
= rather it is good for you (lessons, rulings, benefits). The benefits
that came out of it benefit every Muslim today. All!h says to not consider it a bad
thing.

!"# (kasaba) is usually used for good things. They come naturally and easily. Typically
it is used for something good, %al#l, and natural.

!"#$% (iktasab) is usually for sins. They require effort to be put into it. The %al#l is easy
and natural and there is no guilt with it. A scholar said, When you do a sin, you have
to put effort into it. When you do good, you do it nonchalantly. When a cat is given a
piece of meat, it eats it slowly, but when it steals meat, it runs away and eats it quickly.

In Suratl-Masad, it is referring to wealth, which he got through easy means.

and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great
torment.

Who is this referring to: %ass!n b. Th!bit or Abdull!h b. Ubayy b. Sal'l?
Abdull!h b. Ubayy b. Sal'l is the more correct opinion. All!h purified the believers of
the sin, but All!h is promising the punishment coming to Abdull!h b. Ubayy b. Sal'l.
Verse 12

Why then did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander)
think good of their own selves (people) and say: This (charge) is an obvious lie?

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is internal. All!h is telling how you should have felt internally and externally.
Internally, everyone should have thought well of each other. Themselves is used as if
they are one unit.

of your own selves,
Why didnt the #yah say they didnt think well of others. When verses talk about
others, it says you. Scholars say it is to ask yourself if you would do that.

Externally, it should have been said that this has no truth in it. It was clear that there
was no cause for suspicion.

Why is it mub!n? They came riding in on Safw!ns camel and the entire army was there.
Verse 13

Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not
produced witnesses! Then with All!h they are the liars.

Why and not !"#$%? Ul#ik is far. All!h distanced them. All!h is distancing
them in the language because they did such a bad thing.

Why is it (with All!h)? In the *ukm of All!h. He may be a truthful person and
may have made a mistake and may not be a liar in anything else. He made one mistake.
The verses are there according to the *ukm of All!h.

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Verse 14

Had it not been for the Grace of All!h and His Mercy unto you in this world and in the
Hereafter, a great torment would have touched you for that which you had spoken.

Why? Because the honor of the greatest prophet is a very serious issue. All!h
destroyed people in the past of disbelief who mistreated their prophets.

La massakum = it would have happened.

!"#$% is when you charge towards something, kept going with it.
Verse 15

When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that
whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with All!h it was
very great.

Isnt !"#$ done with the ear? Why does the #yah mention with tongues? Talaqqi is
receiving with the ear, but this verse is saying when the received it with their tongues.
It shows the speed through which it is moving. It is like saying that it comes straight
into the tongue and straight out again. It doesnt go through the ears and you dont
contemplate and think about it and then speak. They heard it and spread it
immediately without ink#r (denying it).
= something simple. It is something that is easy, little, simple.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, A man will speak a word without any
care to it / without reAlizing its seriousness that will anger All!h. He will be thrown
into the Hellfire a distance greater than the heavens and the earth because of this word
that he spoke.
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The scholars say the sin is increased depending on who is transgressed upon.
Verse 16

And why did you not, when you heard it, say, It is not right for us to speak of this.
Glory be to You (O All!h). This is a great lie.

This verse is essentially saying this is how they should have reacted.

All!h calls the ifk something else here, which shows it is a big thing.

Some of the scholars also say that in this verse is proof that you say sub%#nAll#h or la
il#ha illa All#h when you are amazed. You dont make $al#h upon the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam).
Verse 17

All!h forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever if you are
believers.

literally means admonishes you, so what does it mean in this verse?

- Ibn Abb!s says it means makes %ar#m for you.
- Muj#hid says it means All!h forbids you.

Notice! and not !" !
Limithlihi is any similar situation. This verse includes every believing woman and
man. Dont ever do something similar to this again.

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Verse 18

And All!h makes the #y#t plain to you, and All!h is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

The word #y#t here means verses. These verses are all incredibly clear.
Verse 19

Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be
propagated among those who believe; they will have a painful torment in this world
and in the Hereafter. And All!h knows and you know not.

Tar!m ishaatl-f#%ishah,
- It is referring to those who started and propagated the ifk (hypocrites and
believers).
- It is referring to the kind of people who love to spread rumors.

It is very important to hate the faw#ish even if they cannot do anything about it. You
have to hate the sin.

and All!h knows and you know not. This means:
- All!h knows their lies.
- Return the matter to Him and you will be guided.
Verse 20

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And had it not been for the Grace of All!h and His Mercy on you; and that All!h is full
of kindness, Most Merciful.

The verb is not mentioned, which is the punishment. So the meaning would be: Had it
not been for the Grace of All!h and His Mercy upon you, punishment would have
come. All!h omitted that part because it is clear.
Verse 21

O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shay(#n. And whosoever follows the
footsteps of Shay(#n, then verily he commands al-fa%sh# and al-munkar. And had it not
been for the Grace of All!h and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been
pure from sins. But All!h purifies whom He wills, and All!h is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Notice! It doesnt say dont follow the Shay(#n, but rather, dont follow the steps of the
Shay(#n. This indicates that the Shay(#n works in steps. The Shay(#n has time and
doesnt tell you to do the sin. Shay(#n first introduced shirk to humanity by coming to a
generation of N')s people. He told them to build something in the place of worship of
the great men who had just died. Shay(#n then comes back to their grandchildren (the
third generation). Shay(#n plans in steps.

The scholars say that using steps is an indication that Shay(#n is clever and crafty.
here is referring to the Shay(#n

Dhaki is clever and smart and zaki is pure.

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Verse 22

And let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give
to their kinsmen, and those who left their homes for All!hs cause. Let them pardon and
forgive. Do you not love that All!h should forgive you? And All!h is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.

Abu Bakr said, Wall#hi, I will not give Mi+,a) money anymore. All!h revealed this
verse in response. Abu Bakr was angered for the sake of All!h, so he had a right to be
angry. Even though he was correct, All!h tells him this.

Linguistically:

= Swear

= a lot of wealth

= Wealth

and he has not been given enough wealth... [Al-Baqarah, 247]

All!h is still commanding Abu Bakr to pardon him even though he spoke about his
daughter and the wife of a great prophet. You see the ra%mah. What is the difference
between !"# and!"#? Afuw is when you pardon. )af% is an even higher level. The
scholars say there are three levels:
1. To pardon (afuw)
2. )af% (turn to the side). You turn away from it.
For example: two sisters had a fight and one of them pardoned the other
(the lowest level), but she didnt forget it in her heart. Every time she sees
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that sister, her smile disappears because she remembers. The higher level is
to pardon and do $af% (turn away from what happened and erase it). Not
many people can do this.
3. Do good to that person

Notice! Despite the bad deed, Mi+,a) still deserved good. He is still a muh#jir, a Badriy
and still a great man. He was related to Abu Bakr.

Forgive like you want All!h to forgive you! This was a question, and when Abu Bakr
heard this #yah, he responded, Yes, I would love for All!h to forgive me, and he
continued to give to Mi+,a).

Notice! The next verse goes back to our original topic. Why was this #yah in the
middle? In the Qur$!n, when All!h is talking about divorce, He then talks about $al#h
and goes back to divorce. It makes you rethink the issue and come back to it again it
is like a breather and a point to rethink and gather your thoughts. Here, it shows the
importance of the issue. We stop from it and come back to it again.
Verse 23

Verily, those who accuse chaste women, who never even think of anything touching
their chastity and are good believers, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter, and
for them will be a great torment,

Lana means to be sent away from the mercy of All!h.

- Some scholars said verse 23 is specific to the Mothers of the Believers.
- Others said this verse is general for all believers and verses 24 and 25 are the
manifestation of this curse.

Linguistically:

= heedless, unaware

Meaning: not considering that

Lesson / Benefits: This shows that the sin never even occurred to them

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Lana is a curse and being sent away from All!hs Mercy. Lan is only for major sins. A
major sin is something for which there is a punishment for on earth or there is a threat
related to it in the next life. For example, All!h promised a punishment in the next life
for backbiting which is an indication that it is a major sin.
Verse 24

On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their legs will bear witness against
them as to what they used to do.

This verse describes what they were promised in Verse 23.
Verse 25

On that Day All!h will pay them their d!n in full, and they will know that All!h, He is
the manifest truth.

How can they be given (their d!n)? This means their recompense.

Ibn Abb!s said it means:

Means: His promise, His threat and His reckoning are all just and there is no unfairness
in them. He said that every time d!nahum appears in the Qur$!n, it means their
account, and this was the opinion of other scholars as well.

They will get their recompense and they will know that All!hs Promise is true. All!h
will hold them accountable and then they will know that His reckoning is just and there
is no unfairness in it.
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Verse 26

Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad
statements (or bad men for bad women). Good statements are for good people (or good
women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good
women), such (good people) are innocent of (each and every) bad statement, which
they say, for them is forgiveness, and rizqun kar!m (generous provision i.e. Paradise).

One explanation is that this is talking about people, and another explanation is that this
is talking about words. Both make sense.

Bad statements are for bad people, and bad people for bad statements, and good
people for good statements. Such good people are innocent of each and every bad
statement they say, and for them is rizqun kar!m. This means a bad statement only
comes out of a bad person. The verse is saying that #ishah is not deserving of bad
statements.

The other meaning: Bad women are for bad men and good women are for good
men.such good people are innocent of bad statements which people have forged
against them, and for them is rizqun kar!m. The meaning here is: birds of a feather
flock together. This defends #ishah because she is married to the best man. This is
still in defense of #ishah and still very strong as well.

Meaning:
- A bad statement only comes out of a bad person, and vice versa; so #ishah is
not deserving of bad statements.
- According to Ibn Jar"r it means their bad statements are more suited to them for
being bad people. He looks at it from another angle. Therefore, the #yah is a
reprimand for those who accused #ishah and praise for those who defended
#ishah.
- Bad women are for bad men and good women are for good men. And since
#ishah is married to the best man, this verse is also in her defense.

Rizqun kar!m here means Jannah.

Notes: Scholars have the ruling that if anyone slanders #ishah in our times, then the
Muslim ruler should execute this person because when you impugn the honor of
#ishah, you are disbelieving in the Qur$!n. This is only within Islamic courts (not in
the West! It is not your right to do that and it is not your job).
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Scholars also unanimously agree that the one who slanders #ishah has disbelieved in
the clear and unambiguous statements in the Qur$!n regarding her innocence.

What about the verse that says the wives of N') and L', betrayed them? Scholars say
that never ever will a wife of a prophet cheat on him. She may be a k#fir but her kufr
doesnt come back to him. If she cheated on him, then the dishonor would come back
to him, so it is impossible. Those who think that their wives did this, then verse 26 is an
answer to them. It is not befitting for a prophet to be married to a woman who did this.
What does this mean then that they betrayed them? Scholars say that it means that
they did not follow the same religion. They give proof from the Qur$!n: they didnt
follow the way of their prophets.

Slandering #ishah is disbelief in the Qur!n and impugning the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam).

Are all the other wives of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) regarded as being like
her? They are all like her, and the scholars quote this verse as evidence. All the wives
of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) are married to a good man and are included
in this.
Verse 27

O You who believe! Do not enter houses other than your own, until you have asked
permission and greeted those in them. That is better for you, in order that you may
remember.

What is the link from zina to li#n to qadhf to ifk to seeking permission? What is the
relationship between this theme and the one before it? Why go from talking about the
ifk incident to the etiquettes of entering homes?
The s"rah begins by talking about zina and then li#n. There is a link: a man by himself
sees something in his home without witnesses. From li#n, we go to qadhf of accusing
chaste women. The evidence is getting weaker and weaker (zina to li#n to qadhf, which
is just people accusing). Then we go to the story of ifk, which is a story of accusation.
All!h says to never do anything similar to this again. From ifk, we go to seeking
permission.

Note: A woman cannot do li#n if she catches her husband. The reason: what is the
purpose behind li#n? The wife can get khul and li#n causes divorce in the end. The
conclusion is the same. The man goes through this stage because of the crime of
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attributing a son that is not his. The man has the issue of the son taking his name or
not and spending on the child. It absolves him from taking care of the child of zina.

Some scholars explained that in j#hiliyyah, there were no etiquettes of seeking
permission and sometimes a man would come barging into the home or be found
leaving someones home. Entering someones home and making sure the man of the
house is there before a strange man walks in is the link.

All!h always says ya ayyuhalladh!na #manu to cause you to spring into action.

Why and not !"#$%&' ? It is choosing the best time to visit. It shows
picking the appropriate time to come.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, If one of you seeks permission three
times and is not given permission, then let him go back. The idea is that they heard
you knock. They have the right to refuse. Scholars use these etiquettes to rule on
Skype and calling cellphones.

A man once entered upon the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and he told him to go
back and say sal#m.

Abu Ubaydah (the son of Abdull!h b. Mas'd) said, If someone enters the house, let
him speak in a loud voice so that people know you are coming.

Abu M'sa al-Ashari visited Umar and announced who he was. Many times people will
knock on the door and when asked who it is, they will say, It is me. What does that
mean? Jabir b. Abdull!h came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and knocked
on his door and when asked who it was, he said, Me.

From adab and akhl#q, you knock on your own doorbell.

Linguistically:
- is more encompassing
- To seek !"# is to come and knock or ring, announce your presence and ask
permission.
- But , starts even before seeking permission. It is to estimate if it is the
right time to visit. Is the person busy at this particular time?

Meaning:
Seek the right times to visit/pleasantness in speech with your host.

Lesson / Benefits:
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What are benefits of coming at right time?

until you have asked permission and greeted those in them,

From the Etiquette of Visitation:
- Stand to the left or right of the door. Seeking permission was prescribed
because of al-ba$ar (the gaze)

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. [Bukh!ri and Muslim]

- Pick the right time.
- Announcing your presence.
If one of you seeks permission (to enter) three times, and permission is not
given to him, then let him return.

Is there an exception if you have an appointment? This is different because the
person told you to come. The whole idea behind knocking three times is that
perhaps it isnt a good time for that person.

- Identifying yourself
The group recorded that J!bir said, I came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) with something that was owed by my father and knocked at the door. He
said,
!"
#
$ % &
#
'
(Who is that?) I said, (Its) Me! He said,
!"#
"
$ !"#
"
$
(Me, Me) as if he disliked it.

- Consultation
- You dont overstay

Someone knocked on the door of Shubah b. al-Hajjaj. He asked who it was, and the
man said, Ana. He said, I dont have any friends names Ana. He came out and
asked him to introduce himself properly.

Do you have to announce your presence even to your wife? What if you live with your
mother and sisters? It is narrated in the Muwa((# of Imam M!lik that a man lived with
his mother and sisters and he asked if he should seek permission when entering his
own home, and the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Yes! Would you like to
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see your own mother unclothed? It makes sense that even in your own home you seek
permission and even with your own wife. Ring the doorbell before you enter.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, A man is never alone with a woman
except that Shay(#n is the third.

that is better for you

Meaning: seeking permission to enter is better for you because it is better for both
parties.

Beware of entering upon women. A man of the an$#r asked, O Messenger of All!h
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam), what about the brother-in-law? He said, The brother-in-
law is death, the brother-in-law is death.

A companion asked about the brother-in-law, and the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam) said, The brother-in-law is death. The brother-in-law is death. Imam al-
Nawawi gives five explanations of this: Being alone with the brother-in-law may lead
to religious doom if it results in sin, it may lead to actual death, it may spell disaster for
the woman if the husbands jealousy leads to death, you should fear being alone with
the non-ma%ram woman just as you fear death, being alone with a non-ma%ram woman
is as terrible as death.

The proper etiquette: Knock on the door and stand either on the left or right side so
that when the door is opened, you dont stare directly into the house. There could be a
woman uncovered inside the house or the house may be messy.

in order that you may remember
When you remember something and take heed, you act upon it.

Whenever the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) returned from a ghazwah, he would
settle in Dhul-*ulayfah 6 miles away so that the women who wanted to remove hair
could so.

A young man came to A,a and he said he had sisters in is house, so he asked if he needs
to announce coming. A,a said, Yes. Would you like to see your sister naked? There
is no one a person would hate to see the private parts more of than his ma%#rim.

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One time the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) is combing his hair and some guy
comes. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) made a gesture towards him with the
comb. This shows how serious it is and whose fault it would be.

Whoever looks into a persons home without their permission, if they poke his eye, it
would not be blameworthy / their fault.
Verse 28

And if you find no one therein, still, enter not until permission has been given. And if
you are asked to go back, go back for it is purer for you, and All!h is All-Knower of what
you do.

This verse deals with homes in which there is no one there.

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 (you are refused permission to enter). Then
going back is purer and better for you.

= and All!h is All-Knower of what you do

Why do you thi nk the verse ends l i ke thi s?

All!h knows what you do. In one verse, All!h is saying dont enter until someone gives
permission to you. If you know that someone is a bachelor and his friend has been
given the green light to come any time, then it is permissible.

If someone tells you it is not a good time to visit, then leave and dont be upset. Dont
make them feel guilty!

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Verse 29

There is no sin on you that you enter (without taking permission) houses uninhabited
(i.e. not possessed by anybody), (when) you have any interest in them. And All!h has
knowledge of what you reveal and what you conceal.

This #yah 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 guest houses.

Some scholars say this applies to public places such as even restaurants or places where
people dont live (gym, school, deserted house).

Notice the verse ending again? These endings are found in #y#t which talk about doing
things. For example, in the previous #yah, you can enter someones home when theyre
not there and they would have no idea if you did it. These #y#t remind you that All!h is
watching and All!h knows. All!h knows what you reveal and what you conceal.
Verse 30

Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and
protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Verily,
All!h is All-Aware of what they do.

Why would this verse be right after visitation? Right after visitation is lowering the
gaze. You knocked on the door and have asked permission to enter and have been
allowed to enter.

Lowering the Gaze
This is a problem for a lot of people single and married. Commercials are made to
make men desire women. A study in the US said that men look at ten women every day
and spend 43 minutes, which is a year of their life looking at %ar#m over their lifetime.
Women spend 20 minutes a day looking at 6 men. Men are aroused by looking. Being
single becomes difficult and all women become attractive. Everyone then becomes less
attractive looking, and it leads to zina and other addictions like pornography.

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Linguistically:
= reduce, diminish, decline

In Arabic, you say, So-and-so yaghu&&u from the status or rank of ful#n. This means
that he lowers his rank or puts him down or speaks about him in a bad way.

With the eyesight, it means you decrease from what you look at and cannot look at
everything.

Meaning:

Ibn al-Manz'r said in Lis#n al-Arab: Lowering the gaze means restraining it.
from their gaze.
1) Some people argue that here means you can look at women but lower gaze at
certain times.
Some scholars have the opinion that if there is no sha%wah involved, then you can
look. All!h knows what is involved.
2) Others said !"#$% means to lower the gaze from the %ar#m as opposed to the %al#l.
3) Some scholars say it means the second glance. The first glance is %al#l, but the
second glance is the one you are supposed to restrain.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Ya Ali, do not follow a glance with
another glance because the first one is for you and the second one is against you. Why
is the first one for you? You may be standing there and not reAlize. Some guys think
they are smart and take one long glance, but it doesnt work like that.

Jar"r b. Abdull!h al-BajAli, may All!h be pleased with him, said, I asked the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) about the sudden glance, and he commanded me to turn my
gaze away. [Muslim]

Min shows that even the lowest degree you have to do. According to this opinion, dont
look at even the lowest degree of %ar#m.

Scholars say if you are looking (i.e. talking to a waitress or looking at a professor) and
the thoughts start to go somewhere, then you lower the gaze.

Practical Points to Lower the Gaze
- Look down
- Dont wear your classes
- Make istighf#r and make dhikr

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The Benefits of Lowering the Gaze

Ibn al-Qayyim made a list of the benefits of lowering the gaze. Ibn al-Qayyim (may All#h
have mercy on him) said in al-Jaw#b al-K#fi (125):
There are a number of benefits in lowering the gaze:
1 It i s obedi ence to the command of Al l !h, which brings happiness to man in
this world and in the next.
There is nothing more beneficial to a person in this world and in the next than obeying
the commands of his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and those who are happy in
this world and the next can only attain that happiness by obeying His commands, and
those who are doomed in this world and in the next are only doomed because they
ignore His commands.
2 It prevents the poi soned arrows (of the Shay(#n), which may lead to his
doom, from reaching his heart.
3 It creates a heart that i s devoted to and focused on Al l !h. Letting the
gaze wander distracts the heart and keeps it far from All!h. There is nothing more
harmful to a person than letting his gaze wander, as it creates Alienation between a
person and his Lord.
4 It strengthens the heart and brings it peace, just as letting the gaze wander
weakens it and makes it sad.
5 It bri ngs l i ght to the heart, just as letting the gaze wander brings darkness to
it. Hence All!h mentioned the verse of light immediately after the command to lower
the gaze, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and
protect their private parts [Al-N"r, 24:30]
Then straight after that He says (interpretation of the meaning):
All!h is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there
were) a niche and within it a lamp [Al-N"r, 24:35]
i.e., the likeness of His light in the heart of His believing slave who obeys His commands
and heeds His prohibitions. If the heart is enlightened blessings will come to it from all
sides, but if it is darkened, calamity and evil will come to it from all places.
Whatever exists of innovation, misguidance, following whims and desires, avoiding
true guidance and turning away from the means of happiness and focusing on the
means that lead to doom, that will be recognizable by means of the light that is in the
heart. If that l i ght i s l ost then one wi l l l eft l i ke a bl i nd man stumbl i ng i n
the darkness.
6 It generates true i nsi ght whi ch can di sti ngui sh between truth and
fal sehood, sincerity and lies. All!h rewards His slave for his good deeds with
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something similar and if he gives up something for the sake of All!h, He will
compensate him with something better than it.
So if he lowers his gaze and refrains from looking at things that All!h has forbidden,
All!h will compensate him with enlightenment; he will compensate him for restraining
his gaze for the sake of All!h, and will open to him the doors of knowledge, faith and
true insight which he only attained by means of the light in his heart.
The opposite of that is the blindness which All!h attributed to the homosexuals, which
is the opposite of insight. All!h says (interpretation of the meaning):
Verily, by your life (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of All!h be upon him), in their
wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly [Al-*ijr, 15:72]
7 It creates a heart that i s steadfast, brave and strong. All!h will give him
both insight and power and strength, as it says in the report: The one who goes against
his whims and desires, the Shay(#n flees from his shadow.
On the other hand, the one who follows his whims and desires will feel a sense of
humiliation, indignity, worthlessness and insignificance, which is the punishment
which All!h has decreed for those who disobey Him as al-%asan said: Even i f they
ri de the f i nest of mounts, the ef f ect of si n wi l l never depart f rom them. Al l #h
i nsi sts that the one who di sobeys Hi m wi l l be humi l i ated.
All!h, may He be glorified and exalted, has connected strength to obedience to Him,
and humiliation to disobedience to Him. All!h says (interpretation of the meaning):
But honor, power and glory belong to All!h, and to His Messenger (Mu)ammad (peace
and blessings of All!h be upon him), and to the believers [Al-Mun#fiq"n, 63:8]
So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in
victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. [+le-Imr#n, 3:139].
Faith is both words and deeds, inward and outward. All!h says (interpretation of the
meaning):
Whosoever desires honor, power and glory then to All!h belong all honor, power and
glory [and one can get honor, power and glory only by obeying and worshipping All!h
(Alone)]. To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the
goodly words are not accepted by All!h unless and until they are followed by good
deeds) [F#(ir, 35:10]
i.e., whoever desires power, let him seek it by means of obedience to All!h and
remembrance of Him, by speaking good words and doing good deeds. In du# al-qun"t it
says: he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, nor is he honored who You take as an
enemy.
Whoever obeys All!h is His friend in as much as he obeys Him, and he will have support
and honor from Him commensurate with his obedience towards Him. Whoever
disobeys Him is His enemy in as much as he disobeys Him, and he will have humiliation
from Him commensurate with his disobedience towards Him.
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8 It bl ocks the Shay(#n from a means of enteri ng hi s heart, for he may
enter with looking, and penetrate the heart faster than the wind blowing through an
empty space, and he may present to him the image that he looked at and make it
attractive, like an idol to which his heart becomes devoted, then he encourages him
and gives him hopes, and fans the flames of desire in his heart, adding the fuel of sin
which could not have reached his heart without looking at that image.
So his heart becomes inflamed and surrounded with fire on all sides, resulting in
infatuation and frustration, and he is in the midst of it like a lamb in the oven. Hence
the punishment for those whose desires were fuelled by %ar#m looking is that in al-
barzakh they are placed in an oven of fire.
9 It di stracts one from thi nki ng of what i s i n one s best i nterests, so his
affairs become neglected and he follows his whims and desires and neglects to
remember his Lord. All!h says (interpretation of the meaning):
and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the
world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and
who follows his own lusts, and whose affair (deeds) has been lost [Al-K#hf, 18:28]
10 Between the eyes and the heart there i s a connecti on whi ch means
that the one i s affected by the other, and if one of them becomes good, the
other will also become good, and if one becomes corrupt the other will become corrupt.
If the heart becomes corrupt the gaze will become corrupt, and if the gaze become
corrupt the heart will become corrupt, and similarly if one is sound the other will also
be sound.

and protect their private parts

Why is there no min here? Scholars say that the gaze in general is %al#l with the
exception of what All!h made %ar#m. With the private parts, everything is %ar#m
except for what All!h made %al#l.

Why does the mention of private parts come after the mention of the gaze? The gaze
can lead to it.

those who protect and guard their private parts except for their wives or what their
right hand possesses. [S"ratl-Mumin"n, 5-6]
Now there is only one place for the private parts, which is with the spouse.
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This does not mean that looking is pure and not looking is purer!

This ending is very appropriate as only All!h will know if you looked at something you
shouldnt have or not.

Some scholars said protecting the private parts doesnt just mean not committing zina
but also protecting them from being exposed to others.

Scholars mention that a man may have to lower his gaze from another young man or
from a child. Scholars say that there has been in the past an ummah that fell into %ar#m
with males. A man is required to lower his gaze from anything that arouses him, which
can even include a mannequin at a store or a doll or a cartoon character.

The ending of this s"rah: All!h is aware. You may glance and no one else may know,
but All!h is aware.

This is further explained in the Qur!n:

All!h knows the fraud of the eyes and all that the breasts conceal. [Al-Mumin"n, 19]
Ibn (Abb!s was asked about verse 19 in S"ratl-Mumin"n and what it means.
He said it means a man sitting with other men and a woman passes and he shows them
that he lowered his gaze, and when they are not aware, he takes a glance at her, and
All!h knows in his heart he would even want to look at her private parts.

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Verse 31

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and protect their private parts and
not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent and to draw their
veils all over juy"bihinna and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands,
their fathers, their husbands fathers, their sons, their husbands sons, their brothers or
their brothers sons, or their sisters sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their
right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigor, or small children who have no
sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they
hide of their adornment. And all of you beg All!h to forgive you all, O believers, that
you may be successful.

All!h begins to count the people to whom a woman can show her zina to.

- Some scholars said that it is permissible for women to look at non-ma%ram men
as long as there is no desire involved.
The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) was watching the Abyssinians playing
with the spears in the masjid on the day of -d and #ishah was watching them
from behind the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam) allowed her to look at these men because there was no desire
involved.
- Others said even if there is no desire it is not permissible as desire can creep in
later on.
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Abdull!h b. Umm Makhtum came to the house of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam), so the Prophet told his wives to shield themselves from him. They said, He is
blind! He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Are you blind?

Min is used because some is inevitable and some has sha%wah. If it does, then she lowers
her gaze.

and protect their private parts...
- Sa"d b. Jubayr said: From immoral actions.

- Abu al-#liyah said: Every #yah of the Qur!n in which protecting the private
parts is mentioned means protecting them from zina except for this #yahwhich
means protecting them from being seen by anybody.

and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent,

This is the %ij#b or niq#b discussion.

What does the word z!nah refer to? It means they should not show anything of their
adornment to non-ma%ram men except for whatever is impossible to hide.

Ibn Mas'd said: Such as clothes and outer garments.

and to draw their khim#rs (veils) all over their juy"b
Linguistic meaning of khim#r:

Linguistically:
Imam Abu al-Fida Ibn Kath"r: Khumur is the plural of khim#r which means something
that covers, and is what is used to cover the head. This is what is known among the
people as a khim#r.

The dictionary of classical Arabic Aqrab al-Maw#rid: [The word khim#r refers to] all such
pieces of cloth which are used to cover the head. It is a piece of cloth which is used by a
woman to cover her head.
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And not to reveal their adornment which adornment is this? The first adornment
was what is apparent from it we said, external clothing, and this time internal; al-z!na
al-khafiyyah), which can be shown to:
- Their husbands, !"#$%&' = !"# is husband or master.
- or their fathers, includes grand and great grandfathers (maternal and paternal)
- or their husbands fathers,
- or their sons (grandchildren, from sons and daughters),
- or their husbands sons (from another woman)
- or their brothers
- or their brothers sons,
- or their sisters sons

They can show zinah to their husbands or fathers (which includes grandfathers and
great-grandfathers on both sides) or their husbands fathers or their sons and
grandsons or their brothers or their brothers sons or their sisters sons.

or their women

- All women in general.
- Believing women only.

Shaykh Uthaym"n said it means they can show it to anyone of their gender and others
said it is just in front of believing women. He said we are more inclined towards the
first view because there is no difference between a Muslim woman and non-Muslim
woman as long as there is no temptation and no fear of fitnah (such as a woman
describing her to male relatives). If there is fear of fitnah, then she should take
precautions and not uncover.

or their right hand possessions

Can woman show other z!nah in front of servant girl or in front of a male servant? Yes,
they can. #ishah covered her legs so her hair was uncovered, and the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, There is no harm upon you, it is only your father and
your slave here. Scholars saw this as a proof that she can partially uncover in front of
the abd.
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T#bi!n among men who do not have desire,

= !"#$ (use /need/desire)
In S"rah ,# Ha, M'sa (alayhil-sal#m) talks about his staff using this word: I have other
uses for this stick as well.

This would include men who are:
- Feeble-minded and have no interest in or desire for women.
- Effeminate men.
- Hermaphrodites.

NOT those who are gay and not those with Klinefelters Syndrome! This is a genetic
disorder where they have XXY. Ibn (Abb!s said that this is a person who has no desire.
The condition is that he also does not look at women.

There used to be an effeminate man who used to sit with the family of the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam). This was in the home of Umm Salamah. Her brother
Abdull!h b. Umayyah was with her. Then the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) came
in as this effeminate man was speaking to her brother. He was describing a woman and
said, If al-&!if is conquered, go after Badiya bint Faylan. When she comes, she comes
with four folds (of fat) and when she turns, she goes with eight folds. This was a
beautiful woman for their standards. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) kicked
him out of the city. He was not allowed to come back during the time of Abu Bakr or
Umar. During the time of Uthm!n, he was given permission to only come back on
Fridays to get food and what he needs. The reason is because he noticed womens
bodies, he was not allowed to sit with them.

or children who are not aware of the nakedness of women
This is a child who has not reached puberty. However, exceptions are a child who has
become aware of women and can differentiate between beautiful and not.

Beware as children are starting to become sexually aware at earlier ages!

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The Etiquette of Women Walking in the Street

All!h is saying:

and let them not stamp their feet...
What about high heels with a metal point that makes a sound and attracts attention?
Some scholars say you should wear the ones with the rubber point so it doesnt make
noise.

As if to say there is no perfect man nor perfect woman, and there will be short comings,
so He opened the doors of ra%mah and tawbah and said, and repent to All!h, all of you,
O believers, so you may be successful.

If people become overwhelmed with error, then they become despondent. All!h is
reminding us to come back to All!h and that the doors of tawbah are open.
Verse 32

And marry those among you who are single and the $#li%"n of your slaves and maid-
servants if they be poor. All!h will enrich them out of His Bounty. And All!h is All-
Sufficient for His creatures needs, All-Knowing.

And marry is wrong. It should be and wed. What is the relationship with the
previous verse? The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Whoever is able to
provide al-baa, then let him get married. Whoever cannot, then let him fast.

Means wed not marry!

!
"
#$"%
"
&', plural of !"# ! = one who has no spouse (regardless of whether they have been
married and then separated or have never been married at all.) In Arabic, the word
zawj refers to the male or female. Ayyim is also someone who is divorced or separated.
It encompasses everyone.

So the #yah is a command to facilitate marriage for those who are not married.

What is relationship between this theme and the past themes?
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if they be poor, All!h will enrich them out of His Bounty

Why is this specific aspect of enrichment so appropriate? For the most part, the
number one reason for people not getting married has to do with wealth / house / car.
All!h is saying that if they are poor, then All!h will give them out of His Bounty. Ibn
(Abb!s commented that All!h commanded both free men and servants to get married
and promised to enrich them. Ibn Mas'd said, Seek richness through marriage.

Is marriage w#jib or a choice? Some scholars said that if you cant fast and have the
ability, then it is w#jib to get married. Some scholars said it is preferred. If there is no
fear of fitnah, then it is a choice. It differs according to people. Those who have high
stress and fear they may fall into zina should be told to get married quickly even if they
arent done with school.

In the language is proof that women should have a wAli. They are married off.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, There are three it is a right upon All!h to
help: the one who gets married seeking chastity, the slave who makes a muk#taba
(buying his freedom), the one who is going out in jih#d fisabilill#h.

Scholars mention wisdoms behind having the wAli. One reason is that so that the man
does not trick her.
Verse 33

And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste
until All!h enriches them of His Bounty. And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of
emancipation), give them such writing if you know that they are good and trustworthy.
And give them something yourselves out of the wealth of All!h which He has bestowed
upon you. And force not your maids to prostitution if they desire chastity in order that
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you may make a gain in the (perishable) goods of this worldly life. But if anyone
compels them (to prostitution), then after such compulsion, All!h is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful (to those women, i.e. He will forgive them because they have been forced
to do this evil action unwillingly).

So now this verse is looking at someone who doesnt even have that bare minimum.

Notice! Scholars say in this #yah is an indication that mu(ah marriage is %ar#m because
if it were an option All!h wouldnt have commanded al-iffah (keeping ones self chaste).
Mu(ah marriage is when a man marries a woman at night and divorces her in the
morning. This verse is an indicate that mu(ah is %ar#m because if it was permissible,
then All!h would not say to those who cannot afford marriage to be patient.

Iffah is guarding your private parts. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) would
make du#, All#humma inni asaluka al-huda wal-tuqa wal-af#f wal-ghina. (O All!h, I
beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity, and contentment.) [Muslim]

dont have the means,

Pay an amount of money in installments in order to buy my freedom. Is it obligatory if
he pays to let him go free?

One group of scholars said yes. Proof #yah revealed in such an incident. Ibn Jar"r
recorded that Sir"n (father of Mu)ammad b. Sir"n!) wanted Anas b. M!lik to write a
contract of emancipation and he delayed, then Umar said to him, You should
certainly write him a contract of emancipation. Hit him with al-durrah. Its chain of
narrators is $a%!%.

Other group said you dont have to accept it. Musta%ab, yundabu ilayha. Proof:
muk#tabah connected to another issue in Alimtum f!him khayran.

if you find that there is good and honesty in them

Some said this means:
- Trustworthiness.
- Honesty.
- A skill and ability to earn.

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Muk#tabah: a slave has a right to go to the owner and ask for the price of freedom.
People can help him gather his money. The scholars say that it is obligatory if he pays
him to let him go free. Other scholars say it is musta%ab for him to let him go free. The
proof is that the muk#tabah itself is connected to another issue: if you know that there
is good in them. Some scholars said that this means if there is honesty in them, then
take from him and let him go free. Others say it is a skill and ability to earn, so the
verse is saying that if they ask for muk#tabah and they have the skill and ability to earn,
then let them go free.

and give them something out of the wealth of All!h which He has bestowed upon
you

Notice! The wording reminds you that its All!hs money! All!h made it possible and
All!h gave this.

Ibn Abb!s said: All!h commanded the believers to help in freeing slaves.

and do not force your slave-girls into prostitution...

Abdull!h b. Ubayy al-Sal'l would force them into prostitution and take the earnings
and he wanted them to have children so that the number of his slaves would increase.
This verse came down to prohibit it. Bigh# is prostitution.

They used to call these people bimbs, and they had feathers in their turbans.

if they desire chastity means: if they want to be chaste, which is the case with the
majority of slave-girls.

in order that you may make a gain in the goods of this worldly life...
Meaning: from the money they earn.

But if anyone compels them, then after such compulsion, All!h is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful

To whom? All!h is forgiving for them for being forced into it.
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Al-%asan al-Ba+ri would recite this verse and say
Verse 34

And indeed We have sent down for you #y#t that make things clear, and the example of
those who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who are al-muttaq"n
(the pious - see V. 2:2).

= as if All!h is swearing to His servants that He has sent #y#t that make the a%k#m
and the %ud"d of All!h clear.

Mubayyin#t and not bayyin#t. Bayyin#t means they are themselves clear; mubayyin#t
means they clarify issues. They are clear and clarifying.

and indeed We have sent down for you #y#t that make things plain,

and the example of those who passed away before you

This means the reports about the nations of the past and what happened to them when
they went against the commandments of All!h. All!h left us their remnants and signs
and writings on the wall. What is the message behind them? All!h puts them as a
warning and a reminder. On the way to Tabuk, the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam),
When you pass by a place where the punishment of All!h touched down, pass by it
quickly and while crying. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) forbade from the
people to drink from their wells.

This ties back to verse 1 of this s"rah. All!h is telling us to pay attention and carry out
what is in this s"rah. All!h sent down the #y#t in this s"rah. This brings to attention the
seriousness of this s"rah. Pay attention to everything in it the big and not so big.
All!h is giving examples in this verse of examples of the people of the past who did not
listen.

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As All!h says:

And We made them a precedent, and an example to later generations. [Al-Zukhruf, 56]

for those who have taqwa meaning: for those who remember and fear All!h.
Verse 35

All!h is the light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is as a niche
and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a
blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow
forth, though no fire touched it. Light upon light! All!h guides to His light whom He
wills. And All!h sets forth parables for mankind, and All!h is All-Knower of
everything.

The s"rah is named after this verse. Scholars went back and forth about this verse. Is it
talking about the Light of All!h? Or is it a parable about the guidance of All!h
(sub%#nahu wa ta#la)? All!h is giving a comparison to His Guidance. N"r in the Qur$!n
talks about guidance from All!h.

A lamp is put in a niche in order to reflect more light into the room. It helps the room
become brighter. Most scholars say the niche represents the heart of the believer.
All!h is giving the example of how His light illuminates the heart of the believer. If a
lantern is put into the niche, there would be some shadows. The niche will not be
completely lit and there will be some dark spots. All!h describes a lamp which has no
dark spots at all. There will be less darkness, but the light will bend. All!h describes a
lamp which is all glass and the glass is shining in and of itself and in it is an excellent
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type of oil, and there is no possibility of a speck of darkness inside this niche of the
heart of the believer. All!hs guidance comes down complete.

Meaning All!h is the one who guides those in heavens and earth. Other scholars said:
All!h is the One who illuminates in the heavens in the earth.
We will follow the explanation of it being guidance from All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la).

Ibn (Abb!s said, This means the guides of the inhabitants of the heavens and the
earth. Other scholars says He is controlling their affairs and the sun and the moon and
so forth.

= the parable of his light

There are two views concerning the meaning of the pronoun (His).
1. It refers to All!h
2. It refers to the believer

= is a niche and within it is a lamp

A niche is an opening in the wall for putting a lamp in it. Some scholars say the niche
in the wall represents the heart of the believer. The lamp is the #y#t of All!h
(sub%#nahu wa ta#la). The oil in the lamp is the fi(rah (natural disposition / inclination
that All!h put in every human being).

Ubay b. Kab said, The lamp is the light, and this refers to the Qur!n and the faith that
is in his heart.

The lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star,

Everything that can make the lamp at its best is there. The niche helps increase the
light. The glass is clear and very bright itself. It is filled with oil. The glass is as if it
were itself a star that is shining. It is lit. The fuel is the oil from a blessed tree (an olive
tree).

Lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west

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It is not in the eastern part of the land so that it does not get any sun in the first part of
the day, nor is it in the western part of the land so that it is shaded from the sun before
sunset, but it is in a central position where it gets sun from the beginning of the day
until the end, so its oil is good and pure and shining.

It is in the middle of a desert so the sun can hit it all day. Ibn (Abb!s said it is a tree in a
desert not shaded by any other tree, mountain, or cave. The tree receives sunlight all
the time. The best type of olive oil comes from the tree with the largest amount of
sunlight.

Olive oil has a high flash point so it has to reach a high temperature to burn.

Whose oil would almost shine (by itself), though no fire touched it.

The oil itself is so pure that it would almost light and shine by itself. When you have a
clear container with oil and light bounces off, then the colors look bright. This oil is so
pure that even before light touches it, it is glowing itself.

Light upon light!

Light of the fire and the light of the oil: when they are combined they give light, and
neither of them can give light without the other. Similarly the light of the Qur!n and
the light of faith give light when they are combined, and neither can do so without the
other.

If this is the heart of the believer and the #y#t and the fi(rah, then some scholars said it
is like combining the light of the Qur$!n and iman (like the light of the fire and the oil).

All!h guides to His light whom He wills.

This means that All!h shows the way to the ones He chooses. Those deserving to be led
astray he allows to be led astray. If someone says, If All!h guided one person and open
his heart, then wouldnt those not guided have an argument? The scholars say that
there are four types of guidance:
1) General guidance. All!h regulates everything. The child knows how to come
out of the womb. The birds know which direction to fly.
2) All!h sends prophets and messengers. All!h sends revelation and books to
people.
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3) All!h opens someones heart to Islam.
4) All!h guides people to their house in Jannah.
This means that the person doesnt have an argument against All!h because of type #2:
revelation.

and All!h sets forth parables for mankind, and All!h is All-Knower of everything.

The virtues of the masjids, the correct etiquette, and the virtues of those who take care
of them

The mishkah is the heart of the believer. The lamp is the #y#t of the Qur$!n. Some said
the glass lamp is the heart of the believer. The point is that All!h is describing that
when He guides, there is no room for shadow. It is the guidance of the fi(rah and on top
of it the guidance of the Qur$!n.

Al-Izz b. Abdl-Sal!m you will not get to anything without the Help of All!h. How can
they get to All!h without All!h? Scholars say the greatest gift All!h has given you is
guidance. This is a gift you had nothing to do with.

Scholars say it is amazing that this verse comes after the verses of lowering the gaze.
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that one of the things lowering the gaze helps you do is help
you have the n"r of ba$!rah (insight, intuition). It creates a heart devoted to and
focused on All!h.
Verse 36

In houses (mosques), which All!h has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be
honored), in them His Name is glorified in the mornings and in the afternoons or the
evenings,

In houses = mas#jid, houses of All!h, all things belong to Him, but to honor the mas#jid,
All!h referred to them as His homes.

= to be raised, to be built
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The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, For the remembrance of All!h and what
comes related to that There is great reward for building a masjid. Some scholars said
even if it is like a doves nest (a simple masjid), All!h will build for him a house in
Jannah.

Dont over-decorate the masjid. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, The Day
of Judgment will not come until people start to show off with the construction of the
mas#jid.

Meaning:

In them His Name is remembered.

Ibn Abb!s said, This means that His Book is recited therein.

Therein glorify Him in the mornings and in the evenings.

In the mas#jid, people make tasb!% of All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la). Who is making tasb!%?
It is followed up in the next s"rah.

Note: some scholars believe that this s"rah is 62 verses depending on where the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) paused.
Verse 37

Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the remembrance of All!h, nor
from performing al-$al#t, nor from giving the zak#t. They fear a Day when hearts and
eyes will be overturned.

All!h is describing the types of men in the mas#jid. Excellent men who are not diverted
from the worship of All!h. The material world is represented here with (trade)
and (selling).

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= from the remembrance of All!h
Refers to prayer.

Meaning: they give priority to obeying All!h and doing what He wants and what pleases
Him over doing what they want and what pleases them.

They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned.

Means: the Day of Resurrection when peoples hearts and eyes will be overturned, due
to the intensity of the fear and terror of that Day. The hearts will be overturned from
fear.

How will the eyes be turning? The sight of the people will be lowered. Eyes will be cast
down.

Their eyes will be cast down, ignominy will cover them [Al-Qalam, 43, likewise Al-
Ma!rij, 44]

Their eyes cast down. [Al-N#zi#t, 9]

Verse 35 described guidance. Verse 36 described the place (mas#jid). Verse 37
described the type of people. (note: the only time women are not included is when the
#yah is speaking about something specific to males)
Verse 38

That All!h may reward them [according to] the best of what they did and increase
them from His bounty. And All!h gives provision to whom He wills without account.
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When you get what you deserve, that is justice. All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) gives you
from His Fa&l (Graciousness), which is better than justice. All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la)
will reward them according to the best of their deeds. He will add to that and give
them from His Graciousness, which is more than justice.

Imagine going to someone and wanting to buy rice. The man puts enough rice grains
until the balance is exactly in the middle. This is justice. He then takes another bunch
and puts it on top then he is adding from graciousness. To All!h is the best example.

All!h is Al-Sh#kir and Al-Shak"r. All!h appreciates what you do. This is an important
description. Some people dont appreciate anything, especially those who have things.
This description should comfort us as humans. All!h has the phenomenal worship of
the angels. Dont belittle any deeds. We may think it is simple, but All!h multiplies and
multiplies it.

All!h gives rizq to whomever He wills bighayri %is#b. What does this mean?
Note: Rizq is not just wealth. Scholars say rizq is anything you benefit from (courage,
money, wisdom).
- When All!h gives, He gives without fear and without worry. When we give, we
look back. If you are giving with a refugee organization and see the line, you
keep looking back at what you have because you want to give everyone and are
afraid it will diminish and end. All!h gives without any fear that what is with
Him may finish.
- All!h gives without counting. Sometimes All!h will multiply good deeds by ten.
Sometimes He will multiply that ten by seven. Then He will multiply that 70 by
100. All!h keeps multiplying for whomever He wills. Sometimes All!h says
bighayri %is#b which scholars understood as without any mathematical
equation All!h will just give.
- Without being held accountable. They will enter Paradise without being held
accountable.

All!h considers the best of deeds and is going to increase you from His Graciousness.
Verse 39

As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one
thinks it to be water until he comes up to it. He finds it to be nothing, but He finds All!h
with him, who will pay him his due (Hell). And All!h is swift in taking account.

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Linguistically:
!"#$ (sar#b) = is a mirage !"#
A mirage is when light bends because of a rapid shift in air density.

!"#$ = plural of !"# or flat land (in the same way that !"#$ is the plural of !"# (neighbor)).

Meaning:
A thirsty person runs to water and when he gets there he finds nothing. Rather, he
finds All!h there (the punishment of All!h). It signifies chasing after nothingno
guidance, no certaintylooking for relief only to find punishment.

The comparison is to the deeds of the kuff#r. They can do as many good deeds as they
want, but without la il#ha illa All#h, there will be nothing.

Lesson / Benefits:
Notice their deeds are like a mirage, not there!

What does it mean that he finds All!h there? It means that he finds the punishment of
All!h. It is almost like an anguish. He thinks he is going to quench his thirst, and
instead of relief, he finds punishment there.

Kuff#r are chasing after nothing. There good deeds are not there are all. They look for
relief and find punishment, which is the opposite. In another verse in the Qur$!n in
S"rah Ibr!h"m, All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) describes how those who disbelieve come and
their deeds are like ashes the wind blew upon severely on a windy day. Nothing is left!
Without la il#ha illa All#h Mu)ammadan Ras"lull#h, deeds mean nothing. Verses like this
encourage you to feel more merciful and want to encourage others to All!h.

Some scholars mention that the worst combination is to have kufr and faqr (poverty)
together. One du# is: I seek refuge in You from kufr and poverty. They have nothing
in this dunya and get nothing in the #khirah.

If someone died 10,000 years ago, how would he find All!h swift in taking account?
Wouldnt he have to wait a long time for his !"#$?
The scholars explain that:
- Death can come at any moment, which is how it is fast. When you die, your
qiy#mah al-sughrah is then. Between that and the resurrection you are in the life
of the barzakh so you dont feel time pass.
- When you die, the Day of Judgment is right there. You dont feel the years pass.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, Whoever dies, his qiy#mah has come.
This is why it is better to be concerned with that. Some speakers will delve for hours
and hours into the signs of the Day of Judgment and al-Dajj#l. In the end, it is an issue of
the unseen so you will not have definite knowledge. Also, you are concerning yourself
103

with something you perhaps will not live to see. You should concern yourself with
your death.

A man came to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and said, Ya Ras"lull#h, when is
the Day of Judgment? The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) wanted to direct this
man to something better. He ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, What have you prepared
for it?
Verse 40

Or is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with a great wave topped by a
great wave, topped by dark clouds, darkness, one above another. If a man stretches out
his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom All!h has not appointed light, for him
there is no light.

All!h describes the severe darkness. The first one showed his deeds and account. Here
we have the state of the disbeliever is like a darkness.

Meaning:
!"# = much water, depth

Waves topped by another wave. Even on top of the waves there is no sunlight, just
clouds.

The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) never went to the sea. The description here
says waves are followed by waves but not on top. There are different layers of waves
deep within the ocean. Some waves are 1.5 km down. There are waves on top of each
other. Some waves are so large that they can be seen from outer space. These are
waves inside the water. They are generated by wind.

This verse is amazing. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) had never seen the sea
and mentions this.

Not just cant see anything but cant even see a part of his own body.
104

Meaning:
Why is it and not ? It means in a deep ocean.

There is darkness upon darkness and wave on top of wave. He is not even close to
being able to see his own hand.
Verse 41

Do you not see that All!h, it is He Who is glorified by all that is in the heavens and the
earth, and the birds with wings out-spread of each one He knows indeed his $al#t and
his glorification, and All!h is All-Aware of what they do.

Do you not see When All!h informs you of something in the Qur$!n, it is just as
good as seeing it.

Why is this mentioned here? How does this fit in with all the commands of the s"rah
after all commands of lowering the gaze, the rules of visitation, guarding tongue
against women, guidance and misguidance etc.?
After all of the commands of All!h (laws discussed, lowering the gaze, guarding the
tongue against innocent women), All!h is bringing to your attention how much of the
creation obeys Him. The whole of the creation prays and obeys and doesnt step
outside of the obedience of All!h.

All!h says in S"ratl-Baqarah: They are like cattle but even more misguided. Scholars
say that at least the owner directs them and they go in that direction. This is worse
because All!h is directing but we dont go in that direction.

The angels are glorifying All!h in the heavens. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
heard the heavens creak. There is not the length of a hand-span except that there is an
angel there standing, bowing, or prostrating. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
described that these angels have been doing this ever since All!h created them. They
dont stop to take a break or sleep. They have been worshipping All!h like this ever
since He created them. The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) said, When the
trumpet is blown into to start the Day of Judgment, they will say, O All!h, we have not
worshipped You enough.

105

Meaning:

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the elephant? [Al-F!l, 1]

!"#$% = !"#$% to glorify, to have All!h be far removed from imperfections.

Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies All!h, and He is the All-Mighty,
All-Wise. [Al-*ad!d, 1]

Why mention the birds specifically? All!h already mentioned what is in heavens and
earth which includes birds. So why mention them again?
Some scholars say it is because birds have an ability given to them by All!h to be
between the heavens and the earth (to fly they dont touch the ground). All!h
mentions that they are outstretching their wings.

Scientists estimate the number of birds to be 100 billion. They have the ability to fly
and they are mentioning All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la).

All of them make tasb!% of All!h. What is our excuse then? All!h raised us a rank above
these creatures, and All!h made these creatures to serve us. All!h is bringing mention
to His Greatness and how much He is being obeyed in the heavens and the earth, so
where do we fit in?
Verse 42

And to All!h belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and to All!h is the
return (of all).

After bringing our attention to all the great and magnificent numbers worshipping
All!h, All!h says the Dominion and Sovereignty is His. Whenever you see the Greatness
of All!h in things like this, it increases you in trust in All!h.

When you look at the verses of tawakkul in the Qur$!n, they refer to a powerful
description of All!h. Put your tawakkul on the Ever-Living who never dies. Why rely
on anyone else? Put your tawakkul on the One in whose Hands is the heavens and
earth.

106

Verse 43

Do you not see that All!h drives the clouds gently, then joins them together, then
makes them into a heap of layers, and you see the rain comes forth from between them.
And He sends down from the sky hail (like) mountains, (or there are in the heaven
mountains of hail from where He sends down hail), and strike therewith whom He will,
and averts it from whom He wills. The vivid flash of its (clouds) lightning nearly blinds
the sight.

All!h is describing the clouds. Sometimes you see clouds piled up which look like
mountains. Sana is brightness. The brightness of the lightning could blind people. The
flash of lightning is for a very short period of time. If it wasnt for a very short period
of time, many people would be blinded. It is very bright but very brief.

Then joins them together means He brings them together after they have been
scattered.

Then makes them into a heap of layers means He piles them up on top of one
another.

means rain

Verse 44

All!h causes the night and the day to succeed each other. Truly, in these things is
indeed a lesson for those who have insight.

107

Notice! The descriptions in the Qur!n of the type of people who understand the lessons
and signs of All!h.

This means that if the day is gone, then the night comes and if the night is gone, then
the day comes.

Some scholars say yuqallib refers to how the days are long in some seasons and the
night is short and in other seasons the night is long and the days are short.
Verse 45

All!h has created every moving creature from water. Of them there are some that
creep on their bellies, some that walk on two legs, and some that walk on four. All!h
creates what He wills. Verily! All!h is able to do all things.

Most living things are composed of water, which is a recent discovery. The early
Muslims understood this as nu(fah (from the drop). This is also a correct
understanding. Sometimes people are arrogant that there is science to understand the
Qur$!n, but their understanding made sense too! We can understand it in both ways.

Only when you start contemplating do you see how amazing it is. Documentary: Inside
Natures Giants. They dissect the largest creatures on earth.

Scholars said that it is amazing that of the animals on two feet, the human being is on
two feet. All!h made us stand on two feet because we dont have to use the other two
for locomotion. All!h honored the human being that they dont have to walk on their
hands and eat from the same hands they are walking on.

All!h is bringing to our attention the different creatures He has created, and if you
contemplate, you will find variety and diversity in the creation of All!h.

What is the relationship between these verses that are describing the creation and the
main themes of this s"rah?

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Verse 46

We have indeed sent down manifest #y#t. And All!h guides whom He wills to a Straight
Path.

+y#t means verses. Another qir#ah says mubayyin#t, which means clarified. It means
clarified by other #y#t or by the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).

Meaning:
What is the difference between !"#$%& and !"#$%?
Verse 47

They (hypocrites) say: We have believed in All!h and in the Messenger (Mu)ammad),
and we obey. Then a party of them turn away thereafter, such are not believers.

The hypocrites are so dangerous that in S"ratl-Baqarah, there are a few verses on the
believers and kuff#r and a full page on the hypocrites. All!h is warning of them and
how dangerous they are.

Turn away from what?
Verse 48

And when they are called to All!h and His Messenger, to judge between them, Lo! A
party of them refuse and turn away.

The one who does the judging in the dunya is the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).
Why is All!h mentioned? The Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) is the physical judge
on earth using All!hs Laws. The importance of accepting the judgment of the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) cannot be understated. All!h swears by Himself in S"ratl-
Nis#: Know by your Lord that they do not believe until they make you judge in their
109

affairs and they find no resistance to your judgment and submit completely and in
totally. This is very strong.

Why does All!h say a group of them will turn away? Scholars say that some out of
embarrassment may come for judgment and others come because they know theyll
win. Muridoon: they turn away from the judgment of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam).

Why the mention of hypocrites here?

Can we link these verses to the beginning of the s"rah?
Verse 49

But if the right is with them, they come to him willingly with submission.

If they know they will win, they come rushing to the judgment of the Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam).

Meaning:

A wise man once said, Everyone wants from Islam what secures their rights, but
nobody wants what secures the rights of other from him.
Verse 50

Is there a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt or fear lest All!h and His
Messenger ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) should wrong them in judgment. Nay, it is they
themselves who are the '#lim"n.

.ulm is the opposite of justice. It is to put something where it does not belong.

Meaning:
to have doubt in

110

It is only those who believe not in All!h and the Last Day and whose hearts are in
doubt that ask your leave (to be exempted from jih#d). So in their doubts they waver.
[Al-Tawbah: 45]

Verse 51

The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to All!h (his words, the
Qur!n) and His Messenger ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam), to judge between them, is that
they say: We hear and we obey. And such are the prosperous ones (who will live
forever in Paradise).

In S"ratl-A%z#b, All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) says, It is not for a believing man or woman
that if All!h makes a decree that they have any choice in the matter. You submit.

Innama shows that this is the only response that can come out of believers. Whether or
not they win or lose the judgment, they obey. For the believer, if you know you will
win or lose, you go to the fair judgment. Someone may know they dont have the right
but they have papers proving it. A Muslim knows that this is 'ulm and unfair.

Scholars say that this verse is talking about the hukm (the ruling) and the Prophet
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) judging.
Verse 52

And whosoever obeys All!h and His Messenger, fears All!h, and keeps his duty, such
are the successful ones.

111

This verse is about general obedience. Many times in the Qur$!n obeying All!h is
followed by obeying the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).

In contrast to the hypocrites, in these two verses we see the attitude of the true
believers when it comes to obedience to All!h and His Messenger.

Taqwa comes form wiq#yah. Wiq#yah puts a barrier between you and the anger of All!h.
In other qir#at, the word is pronounced differently but the meaning does not change.
Verse 53

They swear by All!h their strongest oaths that if only you would order them, they
would leave (their homes for fighting in All!hs cause). Say: Swear you not; (this)
obedience (of yours) is known (to be false). Verily, All!h knows well what you do.

They put effort into swearing. This #yah is referring to the hypocrites.

The kind of obedience All!h wants from you is a known obedience.

The ending here is very befitting. All!h is reminding that He is well aware of what you
do. All!h knows what kind of obedience you have.

Meaning:

Verse 54

Say: Obey All!h and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he is only responsible
for the duty placed on him and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be
on the right guidance. The Messengers duty is only to convey in a clear way.

112

The duty of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) is to convey the message.

Some have used this verse saying the Qur!n uses the double negative to emphasize
that the only job of the Messenger ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) is to convey the message.
The Messengers duty is only to clearly convey; therefore, his sunan are not to be
followed since he is a messenger in the same sense a courier is a messenger.

This #yah is talking to the hypocrites.
Verse 55

All!h has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that
He will certainly grant them succession to in the earth, as He granted it to those before
them, and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion, that which
He has chosen for them and He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after
their fear they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me. But whoever
disbelieved after this, they are the f#siq"n (rebellious, disobedient to All!h).

This is a very strong verse. It is a promise from All!h.

!"#$% = a promise of khayr to come in the future, usually tied to a stipulation.
All!h says, Who is more truthful than All!h in speech? No one.

A hypocrite can do a good deed and so can a pagan, but what is required here is a good
deed from a good source/heart.

talking to companions, but does the same promise apply to us? The promise is
general and includes us as well.

Why is it and not !"#$%&'()? It means swearing. He will give them the
control and upper hand on the earth.
113

Who were ? D!w'd, Sulaym!n, other prophets from Bani Isr!"l who
were given power and control. They were given control of the earth.

Linguistically:
!"#$% = keep firm

Meaning:
That it regulates life, meaning it is utilized !"#$
It will be firm in its control over the earth.

All!h will replace their state of fear with a state of safety. The stipulation is that they
worship All!h with no partner with Him. This stipulation is not being met, so thats
why we dont have the upper hand. The stipulation is that there is no shirk in the
worship of All!h. Taw%!d is the link to the religion being firm and having the upper
hand.
Verse 56

And perform al-$al#t, and give zak#t and obey the Messenger that you may receive
Mercy.

Verse 55 promises !"#$% on earth; and verse 56 promises mercy.

Notice! The mention of obeying the Messenger ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) in these
#y#t. What is interesting about the placement of this command? The scholars say that
when you establish $al#h and pay zak#t, you get the details for this in obeying the
Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).

The same argument we use against the Qur!niy'n (i.e. asking them how they pray) is
used here by All!h in a different way.
Verse 57

Consider not that the disbelievers can escape in the land. Their abode shall be the fire,
and worst indeed is that destination.
114

This verse is talking to the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam). He is given the promise
of victory and now told of the fate of his enemies.

= their abode is the fire, this means they cant escape
Verse 58

O you who believe! Let your legal slaves and slave-girls, and those among you who
have not come to the age of puberty ask your permission on three occasions; before fajr
prayer, and while you put off your clothes for the noonday and after the ish# prayer.
Three times are of privacy for you, other than These times there is no sin on you or on
them to move about, attending you each other. Thus All!h makes clear the !y!t to you.
And All!h is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Scholars say this #yah is specific while verse 27 is general.
Verse 27 deals with all people and at all times while this verse is specifically mentioning
the right hand possession (slaves) and small children.

Three different times:
- Before fajr prayer
- During the noon rest
- After the ish# prayer
These are times when you remove your outer clothing.

This verse shows how people within your home need to conduct themselves with each
other. Train your young children.

= these are three times of awr#t for you (meaning times when you may
not be well covered). We should prohibit people to open closed doors at these times
without knocking and given permission.
115

Shows that at other times they can enter without seeking permission.
If they enter at other times, there is no sin and no blame. Since the time of the
companions, they used to talk about how these etiquettes were not being taught.

= slaves, and not the children. How do we know that?

Thus All!h makes clear the to you. And All!h is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Verse 59

And when the children among you come to puberty, then let them ask for permission,
as those senior to them. Thus All!h makes clear his #y#t for you. And All!h is All-
Knowing, All-Wise.

All-Knowing in what is best for His servants; AllWise in His legislations.

Verse one talks about how this s"rah even has fine points on how children should enter
the bedroom. Verse one tells us to pay attention to everything in this s"rah.
Verse 60

116

And as for women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock, it is no sin on them if
they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to
refrain is better for them. And All!h is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Linguistically:
!"#$% is the plural of !"#$ and not !"#$%
For a man, we would also say !"#$. Why not use the feminine form in the verse?

Meaning:

= still decent

!"#$ from !"#$ the plural of !"# which means palace and stars (bright and decorating
the heavens.)
- So elderly women can uncover their faces before non-ma%ram men.
This is one of the points of argument for niq#b because the face was covered. If
you are arguing that the face is uncovered, then what will they uncover when
they are old?
- That is subject to the condition that they dont uncover anything of their
adornment that may cause temptation
- They should not wear attractive or fancy clothes or put any cosmetics on their
faces to beautify them. Tabarruj is when they adorn themselves and put
makeup. The stars beautify the heavens and adorn them and shine.

Ibn Mas'd and Muj!hid said: Women past childbearing who do not expect wedlock
are those who do not want it, and their outer garments are their jilb#bs.

Then he said: There is no dispute that the hair of an elderly woman is awrah and it is
not permissible for a non-ma%ram to look at it, as is the case with the hair of a young
woman. If she prays with her head uncovered, then like a young woman (in the same
situation), her prayer is invAlid. So it cannot be that the meaning is that she may take
off her head covering in the presence of a non-ma%ram man.

Rather, it is permitted for an elderly woman to take off her outer garment in the
presence of men, after she has covered her head, and it is permitted for her to uncover
her face and hands, because she is not desirable.

All!h says

But to refrain (i.e. not to discard their outer clothing) is better for them.

117

Verse 61

There is no restriction on the blind, nor any restriction on the lame, nor any
restriction on the sick, nor on yourselves, if you eat from your 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 fathers brothers, or the houses of your
fathers sisters, or the houses of your mothers brothers, or the houses of your mothers
sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or of a friend. No sin on you whether you
eat together or apart. But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a
greeting from All!h, blessed and good. Thus All!h makes clear the !y!t to you that you
may understand.

Eating from Ones Relatives Houses

Al-.a))!k said: Before the Prophets ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) mission, they used to
feel too embarrassed and too proud to eat with these people, lest they might have to
help them. So All!h revealed this #yah.

Linguistically:
!"#= !"#$%

and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and
constricted [Al-An#m, 125]

Meaning:
!"#= blame or restriction

118

Lesson / Benefits:

nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses,

Isnt this obvious? So why is it mentioned here?

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 fathers brothers, or the
houses of your fathers sisters, or the houses of your mothers brothers, or the houses
of your mothers sisters,

or (from that) whereof you hold keys

- Sa"d b. Jubayr and as-Suddi said, This refers to a peoples servants, whether a
slave or otherwise. There is nothing wrong with them eating from the food that
is stored with them, within reason.

- Al-Zuhri narrated from Urwah that #ishah (ra&yAll#hu anha) said, The
Muslims used to go out on military campaigns with the Messenger of All!h
($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) and they would give their keys to people they
trusted and say, We permit you to eat whatever you need. But they would say,
It is not permissible for us to eat, they have given us permission reluctantly and
we are only trustees. Then All!h revealed: (this verse).

or (from the house) of a friend...

There is no sin on you if you eat from their houses, as long as you know that this does
not upset them and they do not dislike it.

Why does it say !"#$%& and not !"#$%&'(?

119

No sin on you whether you eat together or apart

A man would also feel embarrassed and would refrain from eating alone until someone
else came along, but All!h made the matter easier for them and said: (the above verse)

but when you enter the houses, greet yourselves

Sa"d b. Jubayr, Al-%asan al-Ba+ri, Qat!dah and al-Zuhri said, This means greet one
another with sal!m.

= the verse is saying greet yourselves while what is intended is
greet each other.

- All!h is showing you that it is as if you are all one (closeness).
- When you offer greetings, they will respond in the like manner so it is as if you
give sal!m to yourself.

thus All!h makes clear the !y!t to you that you may understand...

When All!h mentioned what wise rulings and reasonable, well-constructed laws are
contained in this s"rah, He points out to His servants that He explains the #y#t to them
clearly so that they may ponder them and understand their meanings.
Verse 62

The believers are only those who believe in All!h and His Messenger; and when they
are with him on some common matter, they do not go away until they have asked his
permission. Verily, those who ask your permission, those are they who believe in All!h
120

and His Messenger. So if they ask your permission for some affairs of theirs, give
permission to whom you will of them, and ask All!h for their forgiveness. Truly, All!h is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This is another matter of etiquette to which All!h has guided His believing servants.
Just as He commanded them to seek permission when entering, He also commanded
them to seek permission when leaving

Then All!h commanded His Messenger ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam) to give permission
when someone asked for it, if he wanted to. He said:

give permission to whom you will of them, and ask All!h for their forgiveness
Abu D!w'd reported that Abu Hurayrah said, The Messenger of All!h said:

(When any of you joins a gathering, let him say sal#m, and when he wants to leave, let
him say sal#m. The former is not more important than the latter.) [Also recorded by al-
Tirmidhi and al-Nas!i; al-Tirmidhi said: "It is a %asan %ad!th.'']
Verse 63

Make not the calling of the Messenger (Mu)ammad) among you as your calling of one
another. All!h knows those of you who slip away under shelter (of some excuse without
taking the permission to Leave, from the Messenger ). and let those who oppose the
Messenger's (Mu)ammad) Commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of
worship, statements, etc.) (among the sects) beware, lest some fitnah (disbelief, trials,
afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful
torment be inflicted on them.

There are two ways to understand this verse:

1. It is deAling with the etiquette of addressing the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa
sallam)
121

Al-.a))!k said, reporting from Ibn Abb!s: They used to say, O Mu)ammad, or
O Abu al-Q!sim, but All!h forbade them to do that, as a sign of respect towards
His Prophet and told them to say, O Prophet of All!h, O Messenger of All!h.
[This was also the view of Muj!hid and Sa"d b. Jubayr]

2. It is talking about the du# of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam).
So the #yah would the read: do not think that if he prays against you it is like when
anyone else prays against you because his prayers will be answered, so beware lest he
prays against you and you will be doomed. [Ibn Abi %!tim recorded this from Ibn
Abb!s, Al-%asan al-Ba+ri and A,iyyah al-Awfi]

All!h knows those of you who slip away under shelter

Muq!til b. %ayy!n said, This refers to the hypocrites who used to find it too difficult to
listen to the khu,bah on Fridays, so they would hide behind some of the companions of
Mu)ammad and sneak out of the masjid.

The Prohibition of going against the Messenger's ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam)
Commandment

and let those beware who oppose the Messengers commandment

This means going against the commandment of the Prophet ($allall#hu alayhi wa sallam),
which is his way, methodology and Sunnah.

lest some fitnah should befall them

or a painful torment be inflicted on them...

Is the torment in this world or the next?

Imam A)mad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, The Messenger of All!h said:
122

The parable of me and you is as the example of a man who kindled a fire and when it
illuminated all around him, moths and other creatures started falling into the fire, and
he was trying to stop them but they overwhelmed him and still kept falling in. This is
the parable of me and you. I am trying to restrain you and keep you away from the fire,
but you overwhelm me and fall in. [Also narrated by al-Bukh!ri and Muslim]
Verse 64

Certainly, to All!h belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Surely, He knows
your condition and (He knows) the Day when they will be brought back to him. Then He
will inform them of what they did. And All!h is All-Knower of everything.

In the end, there is a Day when you are going to be brought back to All!h, and He
knows all the details. He knows what you neglected and what glance you stole.

= is said to get people to pay attention, something important is to be said. When
you start immediately you lose a few words. gets your attention.
The Heavens and the earth are there for containment; what is in it is more important.

indeed, He knows your condition

He knows and it is visible to Him, what you conceal and what you reveal.

the Day when they will be brought back to Him

123

Meaning the Day of Resurrection.

then He will inform them of what they did...
He will inform them of their major and minor sins, significant and insignificant. As
All!h says:

And the book (ones record) will be placed, and you will see the mujrim"n fearful of
that which is therein. They will say: Woe to us! What sort of book is this that leaves
neither a small thing nor a big thing, except that it has enumerated it! and they will
find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice.
[Al-Kahf, 49]

and All!h is All-Knower of everything

Beware of making All!h the least important observer!

124

Appendi x | Sl avery i n Isl am

People may come up to you and ask how Islam allows slavery. You cannot allow
anyone to shame or embarrass you that Islam allowed slavery for a very simple reason.
It is totally different.

In pre-Islamic times:
- Slavery was a common and accepted practice amongst the Arabs
- Slave trade was an important source of income

How could someone become a slave before Islam?
- Warfare
- Debt
- Kidnapping and raids. Zayd b. Harithah was kidnapped. He was the son of a
nobleman.
- Poverty and need

There were few ways to gain freedom from slavery before Islam. Islam eliminated a lot
of these. All!h limited the ways through which you could become a slave and made
many avenues to gain freedom.

All!h (sub%#nahu wa ta#la) said, There are three whose opponent I will be on the Day
of Resurrection, and whomever I oppose, I will defeatA man who sold a free man and
consumed his price. [Bukh!ri]

This text discouraged the way through which you could become a slave.

Three types of people will not have rewards for their prayer: a man who enslaves a
free person. [Abu D!w'd, ibn Majah]

Abolishing slavery: Islam wanted to gradually eliminate slavery. After Islam, only
warfare was left. Why keep slavery through warfare?
- Its only fair they do it to your prisoners
- If some prisoners are set free, they will only return to fight against you.

The problem is that we think that it was slavery as it was slavery in the Americas. We
share the same word, but it was a totally different concept.

Before Islam:
- Prisoners had no protection or rights; they would either be killed or enslaved.
- Islam brought two more options: unconditional release or ransom. The family of
the person or the person himself could pay the ransom and go free, or the person
could be let free for no reason. After Badr, if prisoners taught people how to read
and write, they were then set free.
125

There is no text in the Qur!n or Sunnah which enjoins taking others as slaves. There is
not even a weak %ad!th. There are dozens of texts urging people to free slaves.

Ways to freedom:
- Expiation for accidental killing
- Dhihaar (a forbidden form of divorce). This is when a man said, You are to me like
the back of my mother.
- Breaking vows
- Paying off the ransom
- Expiation for having intercourse during the day in Ramadan
- The Mukaatabah. According to the majority of scholars, you were obligated to give
a reasonable price for freedom if the slave asked. (Other scholars said it was
mustahab.)
- Allocating a portion of zak#h funds to freeing slaves. During the reign of Umar b.
Abdul-Aziz, the man assigned to distributing zak#h could not find a single person
to give zak#h to in Africa. He wrote a letter to Umar, and Umar replied to use the
extra money to free slaves
- Help the enslaved pay off the mukaatabah. The community takes part in setting the
person free.
- Discounting the mukaatabah.

Muslims are also encouraged in general terms to free slaves for the sake of All!h.

feed, for the love of All!h, the poor, the orphan, and the captive. [Al-Insaan, 8-9]

Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and set free the captives. [Bukh!ri]

Its NOT what you think!

Same Word, Di fferent Meani ng

The butler is the highest paid servant in the west. Who wins the highest paid butler
in Western society or the slave in Islam?
- Guaranteeing them food and clothing like that of their masters
They are your brothers whom All!h has put under your authority, so if All!h has
put a persons brother under his authority, let him feed him from what he eats and
clothe him from what he wears, and let him not overburden him with work, and if
he does overburden him with work, then let him help him. [Bukh!ri]

There is a narration that Ali (ra&yAll#hu anhu) was wearing tattered clothing and
his slave was wearing very nice clothing. He (ra&yAll#hu anhu) refused and said he
was an old man.

Who gets the point? The slave in Islam

126

- Cannot overburden him with work
They entered upon Salman al-Farisi when he was a governor in a city. They took
the wheat and would crush it between two heavy rocks until it became flour. He
was doing this difficult task and said, We already sent the slave on an errand, so I
am doing this so as not to overburden him.

Who gets the point? The slave in Islam

- Preserving their dignity
Whoever accuses his slave when is innocent of what he says will be flogged on the
Day of Resurrection unless he is as he said. [Bukh!ri]

Whoever slaps his slave or beats him, his expiation is to manumit him. [Muslim]

- Being fair towards slaves and treating hem kindly
- They can take precedence over free men in some matters. They could lead the
$al#h.

It is the same word but a totally different concept. The slaves would eat with them. He
eats the same quAlity food and eats with them. Umar (ra&yAll#hu anhu) walked by a
rich man who was eating while his slaves were standing and said, What is wrong with
some people who eat while their slaves are standing?

In the hearts of people, they didnt feel as if they were slaves. The Prophet ($allall#hu
alayhi wa sallam) forbade them from calling them slaves and taught them to say, This
is my boy/girl. Only All!h truly owns us.

The Resul ts

Sad b. Haashim al-KhaAlidi said, describing a slave of his, He is not a slave, rather he
is a son whom All!h has put under my care

Its true that the man is allowed to be intimate with the slave girl. This was not zina
because All!h said it is not. All!h tells us what is zina and what is not. What if the slave
girl didnt want to be intimate with the man? One thing we know for sure is that there
is no rape in Islam.

In warfare, the only way to become a slave is if the person is non-Muslim. If the person
genuinely becomes a Muslim after he is captured, is he freed? The scholars said that he
remains a slave. The minute they become Muslim, their right to gain their freedom is
superseded by the right of the mujahid to keep him as a slave. It doesnt remove the
right that was there before it and doesnt get canceled out. Almost all of the greater
scholars of Islam were servants. Nafi was the freed slave of Ibn Umar. Why is the
majority of great scholars non-Arab in the early generations? They were in close
proximity to the companions being under them.

Tafsīr Sūrat'L-Nūr (Confidential) (Hosna)

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