Daily Qur'an & Hadith 18 July 2013 (08 Ramadan al Mubarak 1434)

English Translation of Al-Quran

[24].Surah An-Nur [The Light]

Ayat 31. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, 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 Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.

[Tafseer]31. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband´s fathers, their sons, their husbands´ sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to drawattention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. The need for modesty is the same in both men and women. But on account of the differentiation of the sexes in nature, temperaments, and social life, a greater amount of privacy is required for women than for men, especially in the matter of dress and the uncovering of the bosom. Zinah means both natural beauty and artificial ornaments. I think both are implied here, but chiefly the former. The woman is asked not to make a display of her figure except to the following classes of people: (1) her husband, (2) her near relatives who would be living in the same house, and with whom a certain amount of negligee is permissible: (3) her women, i.e., her maidservants, who would be constantly in attendance on her: some Commentators include all believing women; it is not good form in a Muslim household for women to meet other women, except when they are properly dressed; (4) slaves, male and female, as they would be in constant attendance (but with the abolition of slavery this no longer applies); (5) old or infirm men-servants; and (6) infants or small children before they get a sense of sex. It is one of the tricks of showy or unchaste women to tinkle their ankle ornaments, to draw attention to themselves. While all these details of the purity and good form of domestic life are being brought to our attention, we are clearly reminded that the chief object we should hold in view is our spiritual welfare. All our brief life on this earth is a probation, and we must make our individual, domestic, and social life all contribute to our holiness, so that we can get the real success and bliss which is the aim of our spiritual Endeavour.   

English Translation of Hadith  

Hazrat Sahl bin Saad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) said, "People will continue to adhere to good as long as they hasten to break the Saum (fasting).''

[Al-Bukhari Book 04, Chapter 52, Hadith # 210]. 

Lesson : "Adhere to good'' here means welfare of the religion as well as that of this world. Breaking the Saum early does not mean that it is terminated before the prescribed time. What it really means is without any delay after the sunset. One should not delay it for the mere reason that the rigour one has gone through in the Saum should be enhanced further, as is done by some Sufi. There is no merit in such things because the real merit lies in following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH). Welfare of the Muslims will, therefore, come in the share of the Muslims because of their following the Prophet's Sunnah of breaking the Saum in the early moments of the prescribed time.