Surah 24. An-Nur

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-26 [3], 27-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-50 [6], 51-57 [7], 58-61 [8], 62-64 [9]

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Quran Text of Verse 62-6424. An-Nur Page 359اِنَّمَاOnlyالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَthe believersالَّذِیْنَ(are) those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖand His Messengerوَ اِذَاand whenكَانُوْاthey areمَعَهٗwith himعَلٰۤیforاَمْرٍa matterجَامِعٍ(of) collective actionلَّمْnotیَذْهَبُوْاthey goحَتّٰیuntilیَسْتَاْذِنُوْهُ ؕthey (have) asked his permissionاِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَسْتَاْذِنُوْنَكَask your permissionاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseالَّذِیْنَ[those who]یُؤْمِنُوْنَbelieveبِاللّٰهِin Allahوَ رَسُوْلِهٖ ۚand His MessengerفَاِذَاSo whenاسْتَاْذَنُوْكَthey ask your permissionلِبَعْضِfor someشَاْنِهِمْaffair of theirsفَاْذَنْthen give permissionلِّمَنْto whomشِئْتَyou willمِنْهُمْamong themوَ اسْتَغْفِرْand ask forgivenessلَهُمُfor themاللّٰهَ ؕ(of) AllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful لَا(Do) notتَجْعَلُوْاmakeدُعَآءَ(the) callingالرَّسُوْلِ(of) the Messengerبَیْنَكُمْamong youكَدُعَآءِas (the) callبَعْضِكُمْ(of) some of youبَعْضًا ؕ(to) othersقَدْVerilyیَعْلَمُAllah knowsاللّٰهُAllah knowsالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَتَسَلَّلُوْنَslip awayمِنْكُمْamong youلِوَاذًا ۚunder shelterفَلْیَحْذَرِSo let bewareالَّذِیْنَthose whoیُخَالِفُوْنَopposeعَنْ[from]اَمْرِهٖۤhis ordersاَنْlestتُصِیْبَهُمْbefalls themفِتْنَةٌa trialاَوْorیُصِیْبَهُمْbefalls themعَذَابٌa punishmentاَلِیْمٌ painful اَلَاۤNo doubt!اِنَّIndeedلِلّٰهِto Allah (belongs)مَاwhateverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthقَدْVerilyیَعْلَمُHe knowsمَاۤwhatاَنْتُمْyouعَلَیْهِ ؕ(are) on [it]وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayیُرْجَعُوْنَthey will be returnedاِلَیْهِto Himفَیُنَبِّئُهُمْthen He will inform themبِمَاof whatعَمِلُوْا ؕthey didوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahبِكُلِّof everyشَیْءٍthingعَلِیْمٌ۠(is) All-Knower

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Translation of Verse 62-64

(24:62) The true believers⁹⁷ are only those who sincerely believe in Allah and in His Messenger and who, whenever they are with him on some common errand,⁹⁸ they do not go away until they have asked leave of him. Verily those who ask leave of you, it is they who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger. So if they ask your leave in connection with some of their affairs,⁹⁹ give leave to those whom you will,¹⁰⁰ and ask Allah for forgiveness on their behalf.¹⁰¹ Surely Allah is Much Forgiving, Ever Merciful.

(24:63) (Muslims!) Do not make the calling of the Messenger among you as your calling one another.¹⁰² Allah knows well those of you who surreptitiously steal away, taking shelter behind one another. Let those who go against the order (of the Messenger) beware lest a trial or severe punishment afflict them.

(24:64) Lo! Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. He is well aware of your ways. And the Day when they will be returned to Him, He will tell them all what they did. Allah knows everything.

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Commentary

97. These final directives are intended to ensure the reinforcement of the inner cohesion and unity of the Muslim community.

98. This command is equally applicable to the Successors of the Prophet (peace be on him) and to the rulers of the Islamic State. Whenever Muslims are summoned to a collective cause, whether it be in times of peace or war, they should not fail to respond to it and they should not disperse without the permission of the ruler.

99. This is to warn the Muslims that seeking permission to withdraw from the Prophet's company without any genuine reason is altogether unlawful. Only when someone has a genuine need should he seek permission to leave.

100. Whether someone should be exempt from taking part in collective duties and be allowed to stay at home after having asked for it was at the discretion of the Prophet (peace be on him), and after him, it continues to be at the discretion of the heads of the Muslim community. If it is believed that the larger interests will suffer by granting such permission, the leader is fully entitled to refuse such permission. In this case a sincere believer should accept the decision ungrudgingly.

Second, one should not regard the Prophet's Prayer as ordinary Prayer. If he prays for someone while he is pleased with him, nothing can match this great favor and privilege. Conversely, if the Prophet (peace be on him) curses someone because he is displeased with him, this represents the very height of that person's misfortune.

Third, a person's calling the Messenger (peace be on him) should not be equated with the calling of any other person. One may call others by using their names in a loud voice. This should, however, not be done in the case of the

101. This constitutes another warning. If one resorts to false pretexts in order to obtain permission to leave, or if personal interests are accorded priority over collective interests, this amounts to a sin. Hence, when the Messenger (peace be on him) and his Successors granted people the leave they asked for, they added the following words to the permission: 'May God forgive you.'

102. The word used here is du 'a 'which denotes 'to call' as well as 'to pray'. In view of these different meanings, du'a al-Rasul might signify two things: (i) the Messenger's own act of calling or praying; and (ii) other people's act of calling the Messenger. This gives rise to three possible meanings of the verse, each of which is equally valid. First, one should not treat the Messenger's summons as an ordinary summons. If the Prophet (peace be on him) summons someone, it is a matter of extraordinary importance. One may not honor anyone else's summons but in the case of the Messenger, if a person does not respond to his summons or is constricted by it, then this amounts to risking one's faith.

Messenger (peace be on him). It is imperative that the utmost respect be shown him. For any impropriety in this regard might see the person liable be taken to task by God.

Although all three meanings are valid and are borne out by the words of the Qur'an, the first seems to be closer and more consistent with the spirit of the verse that follows.