Surah An-Noor { Verses 27 - 33 }

27.  O you who believe Do not enter houses other than your own, until you have asked permission and saluted those in them: that is best for you, in order that you may heed (what is seemly).

 28.  If you find no one in the house, do not enter until permission is given to you: if you are asked to go back, go back: that makes for greater purity for yourselves: and Allah knows well all that you do.

 29.  It is no fault on your part to enter houses not used for living in, which serve some (other) use for you: and Allah has knowledge of what you reveal and what you conceal.

 30.  Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.

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 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 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 draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers You turn all together toward Allah, that you may attain Bliss.

 32.  Many those among you who are single, or the virtuous ones among your slaves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasses all, and He knows all things.

 33.  Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if you know any good in them; yes, give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to you. But do not force your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that you may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them).

The Hadith of the day

Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.''

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].


Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. Yet, its relevance with this chapter has prompted us to repeat it here. It lays emphasis on two points. First, if Allah gives wealth to a man, his sense of gratitude should be expressed in his spending it in good ways according to the Divine command. Second, if Allah has endowed somebody with knowledge and wisdom, he should be thankful to his Rubb by way of putting it into practice and by imparting it to others. It means one can aspire for knowledge and richness, provided one's motive is to benefit others. Envy is a bad quality which Muslims must shun. In this Hadith, however, envy (or Ghibtah) refers to the feeling of wishing to have what somebody else has or to be like somebody else without these blessings be taken away from the envied person.    Riyad-us-Saliheen (571)

The Hadith of the day

Abu Shuraih Al-Khuza`i (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (PBUH) said, "He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him be kind to his neighbour; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him show hospitality to his guest; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him either speak good or remain silent".
[Muslim].

   Riyad-us-Saliheen (309)