فِیْ In بُیُوْتٍ houses اَذِنَ (which) Allah ordered اللّٰهُ (which) Allah ordered اَنْ that تُرْفَعَ they be raised وَ یُذْكَرَ and be mentioned فِیْهَا in them اسْمُهٗ ۙ His name یُسَبِّحُ Glorify لَهٗ [to] Him فِیْهَا in them بِالْغُدُوِّ in the mornings وَ الْاٰصَالِۙ and (in) the evenings 24. An-Nur Page 355 رِجَالٌ ۙ Men لَّا not تُلْهِیْهِمْ distracts them تِجَارَةٌ trade وَّ لَا and not بَیْعٌ sale عَنْ from ذِكْرِ (the) remembrance of Allah اللّٰهِ (the) remembrance of Allah وَ اِقَامِ and (from) establishing الصَّلٰوةِ the prayer وَ اِیْتَآءِ and giving الزَّكٰوةِ ۪ۙ zakah یَخَافُوْنَ They fear یَوْمًا a Day تَتَقَلَّبُ will turn about فِیْهِ therein الْقُلُوْبُ the hearts وَ الْاَبْصَارُۗۙ and the eyes لِیَجْزِیَهُمُ That Allah may reward them اللّٰهُ That Allah may reward them اَحْسَنَ (with the) best مَا (of) what عَمِلُوْا they did وَ یَزِیْدَهُمْ and increase them مِّنْ from فَضْلِهٖ ؕ His Bounty وَ اللّٰهُ And Allah یَرْزُقُ provides مَنْ whom یَّشَآءُ He wills بِغَیْرِ without حِسَابٍ measure
(24:36) (Those who are directed to this Light are found) in houses which Allah has allowed to be raised and wherein His name is to be remembered:68 in them people glorify Him in the morning and in the evening,
(24:37) people whom neither commerce nor striving after profit diverts them from remembering Allah, from establishing Prayer, and from paying Zakah; people who dread the Day on which all hearts will be overturned and eyes will be petrified;
(24:38) (people who do all this so) that Allah may reward them in accordance with the best that they did; indeed He will bestow upon them more out of His Bounty, for Allah grants whomsoever He wills beyond all measure.69
68. Some commentators of the Qur'an interpret the word 'houses' used in this verse to mean mosques. Accordingly, they interpret the words 'enjoined to be raised' to mean constructing mosques and holding them in high esteem. Other commentators of the Qur'an, however, consider these words to mean the houses of believers. As for the expression 'to be raised', this suggests that these houses are morally elevated.
The other part of the verse, where it says 'Allah has enjoined to be raised |houses| and wherein His names are remembered', fits in well with the interpretation of 'houses' as mosques. However, with a little reflection one realizes that this part of the verse supports the second interpretation as well. For the Shan'ah does not restrict God's worship only to those places designated for it where we may perform ritual worship only with the aid of the clergy. In Islam the ordinary house is also a place of worship like the mosque, and everyone may function within it as his own priest. Since this surah is full of directives aimed at elevating one's family and social life, the latter interpretation seems more plausible. This does not, however, rule out the former interpretation altogether. It seems appropriate, therefore, to consider the word 'houses' to signify both mosques and the houses of believers.
69. This sets forth the prerequisites for perceiving God's Light and benefiting from it. God's distribution of His bounties is not arbitrary. He bestows His Bounty, i.e. truth, in consideration of a person's worthiness, depending on whether he loves Him, holds Him in proper awe, has the desire to earn His reward, and is motivated by an urge to avoid His Wrath. Such persons are those who have not totally immersed themselves in worldly pursuits. Despite all their preoccupations, their hearts pulsate with remembrance of Him. Far from content with self-indulgence and moral degradation, such people strive to reach the heights which God directs them to. They do not aspire only to the benefits of this ephemeral world. Their eyes are rather set on the abiding rewards of the Hereafter. It is in consideration of these that God decides upon whom He bestows the ability to benefit from His Light. But once He decides this, His Munificence knows no bounds.