Surah Nur Ayat 61 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 61
There is not upon the blind [any] constraint nor upon the lame constraint nor upon the ill constraint nor upon yourselves when you eat from your [own] 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 father’s brothers or the houses of your father’s sisters or the houses of your mother’s brothers or the houses of your mother’s sisters or [from houses] whose keys you possess or [from the house] of your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately. But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon each other – a greeting from Allah, blessed and good. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses [of ordinance] that you may understand.
It is no fault in the blind nor in one born lame, nor in one afflicted with illness, nor in yourselves, that ye should eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, or your mothers, or your brothers, or your sisters, or your father’s brothers or your father’s sisters, or your mother’s brothers, or your mother’s sisters, or in houses of which the keys are in your possession, or in the house of a sincere friend of yours: there is no blame on you, whether ye eat in company or separately. But if ye enter houses, salute each other – a greeting of blessing and purity as from Allah. Thus does Allah make clear the signs to you: that ye may understand.
There is no harm if a blind or a lame or a sick person (takes a meal at another’s house): nor is there any harm for yourselves if you take meals at your own houses or at the houses of your fathers and grandfathers or at the houses of your mothers and grandmothers or at your brothers’ houses or at your sisters’ houses or at the houses of your paternal uncles or at the houses of your paternal aunts or at the houses of your maternal uncles or at the houses of your maternal aunts or from the houses whose keys are in your possession or at the houses of your friends. There is no harm if you take your meals together or separately; however, when you enter the houses, you should send greetings of peace on your people, for the prayer of greetings prescribed by Allah is blessed and pure. Thus Allah makes His Revelation’s clear to you. It is expected that you will use your common sense to grasp these.
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 father’s brothers, or the houses of your father’s sisters, or the houses of your mother’s brothers, or the houses of your mother’s sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from the house) 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 Allah (i.e. say: As-Salamu ‘Alaikum – peace be on you) blessed and good. Thus Allah makes clear the Ayat (these Verses or your religious symbols and signs, etc.) to you that you may understand.
No blame is there upon the blind nor any blame upon the lame nor any blame upon the sick nor on yourselves if ye 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 ye hold the keys, or (from the house) of a friend. No sin shall it be for you whether ye eat together or apart. But when ye enter houses, salute one another with a greeting from Allah, blessed and sweet. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations for you, that haply ye may understand.
It is no restriction upon the blind, and it is no restriction upon the lame, and it is no restriction upon the sick, nor upon yourselves, that you eat from your houses, or from your fathers’ houses, or your mothers’ houses, or your brother’s houses, or your sisters’ houses, or the houses of your paternal uncles, or the houses of your paternal aunts, or the houses of your maternal uncles, or the houses of your maternal aunts, or that of which you possess the keys, or of your friend. It is no fault in you that you eat all together or in diverse groups. So when you enter houses, salute one another (Literally: salute yourselves) with a greeting from the Providence of Allah, blessed and good. Thus Allah makes evident to you the signs that possibly you would consider.
No blame will be attached to the blind, the lame, the sick.Whether you eat in your own houses, or those of your fathers, your mothers, your brothers, your sisters, your paternal uncles, your paternal aunts, your maternal uncles, your maternal aunts, houses you have the keys for, or any of your friends’ houses, you will not be blamed: you will not be blamed whether you eat in company or separately. When you enter any house, greet one another with a greeting of blessing and goodness as enjoined by God. This is how God makes His messages clear to you so that you may understand.
اندھے پر، لنگڑے پر، بیمار پر اور خود تم پر (مطلقاً) کوئی حرج نہیں کہ تم اپنے گھروں سے کھالو یا اپنے باپوں کے گھروں سے یا اپنی ماؤں کے گھروں سے یا اپنے بھائیوں کے گھروں سے یا اپنی بہنوں کے گھروں سے یا اپنے چچاؤں کے گھروں سے یا اپنی پھوپھیوں کے گھروں سے یا اپنے ماموؤں کے گھروں سے یا اپنی خاﻻؤں کے گھروں سے یا ان گھروں سے جن کی کنجیوں کے تم مالک ہو یا اپنے دوستوں کے گھروں سے۔ تم پر اس میں بھی کوئی گناه نہیں کہ تم سب ساتھ بیٹھ کر کھانا کھاؤ یا الگ الگ پس جب تم گھروں میں جانے لگو تو اپنے گھر والوں کو سلام کرلیا کرو دعائے خیر ہے جو بابرکت اور پاکیزه ہے اللہ تعالیٰ کی طرف سے نازل شده، یوں ہی اللہ تعالیٰ کھول کھول کر تم سے اپنے احکام بیان فرما رہا ہے تاکہ تم سمجھ لو
Quran 24 Verse 61 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Nur ayat 61, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(24:61) There is no blame on the blind nor any blame on the lame nor any blame on the sick nor on yourselves that you eat in your own houses, or your fathers’ houses, or your mothers’ houses, or your brothers’ houses, or the houses of your sisters, or the houses of your fathers’ brothers or the houses of your fathers’ sisters, or in the houses of your mothers’ brothers, or in the houses of your mothers’ sisters or in the houses whose keys you possess, or the house of a friend.[95] There is no blame if you eat together or separately.[96] But when you enter such houses, greet each other with a salutation appointed by Allah, a salutation that is blessed and good. Thus, does Allah expound His signs to you in order that you will act with understanding.
95. Three things are necessary to understand this verse:
(a) The verse consists of two parts: the first part relates to the sick, the lame, the blind and other handicapped people, and the second part to the other People.
(b) The moral teachings of the Quran had so thoroughly changed the Arab mind that they had become highly sensitive with regard to the distinction between the lawful and the unlawful. According to Ibn Abbas, when Allah commanded them “not to devour one another’s property by unlawful ways” (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 29), the people became unduly cautious and would not eat freely at each other’s house; so much so that unless a formal invitation was extended, they considered it unlawful even to dine in the house of a relative or a friend.
(c) The mention of taking meals at your own houses only means to impress that taking meals at the house of a relative or a friend is just like taking meals at one’s own house, where no permission is required.
With these three things in mind, one can easily understand the meaning of the verse. It says that the handicapped person can have his meal anywhere and at any house in order to satisfy his hunger, because the society as a whole owes to him this privilege on account of his handicap. As for the other people, for them their own houses and the houses of the relatives mentioned in the verse are equally good for the purpose. No formal invitation or permission is needed to have the meals of their houses. In the absence of the master, if his wife or children offer something, it can be taken without hesitation. In this connection, it should be noted that the houses of one’s children are just like one’s own house, and the friends imply close friends.
96. In ancient Arabia, some tribes had the tradition that each member sat and ate separately. Eating together in one place was considered bad as some Hindus do even today. On the contrary, some other tribes considered it bad to eat alone individually; so much so that they would even go without food if they did not have company at meals. This verse means to abolish such customs and restrictions.
Ibn-Kathir
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 father’s brothers, or the houses of your father’s sisters, or the houses of your mother’s brothers, or the houses of your mother’s sisters, or (from that) whereof you hold keys, or (from the house) 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 Allah, blessed and good. Thus Allah makes clear the Ayat to you that you may understand.
What is referred to here is the fact that they used to feel too embarrassed to eat with the blind, because they could not see the food or where the best morsels were, so others might take the best pieces before they could. They felt too embarrassed to eat with the lame because they could not sit comfortably, and their companions might take advantage of them, and they felt embarrassed to eat with the sick because they might not eat as much as others. So they were afraid to eat with them lest they were unfair to them in some way. Then Allah revealed this Ayah, granting them a dispensation in this matter. This was the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr and Miqsam. Ad-Dahhak said: “Before the Prophet’s Mission, they used to feel too embarrassed and too proud to eat with these people, lest they might have to help them. So Allah revealed this Ayah.”
(nor any restriction on the lame,) `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Mujahid said: “A man would take a blind, lame or sick person to the house of his brother or sister or aunt, and those disabled people would feel ashamed of that and say, `they are taking us to other people’s houses.’ So this Ayah was revealed granting permission for that.” As-Suddi said: “A man would enter the house of his father or brother or son, and the lady of the house would bring him some food, but he would refrain from eating because the master of the house was not there, so Allah revealed:
(There is no restriction on the blind. ..)
(nor on yourselves, if you eat from your houses,) This is stated here although it is obvious, so that from this starting point the houses of others may be mentioned, and to make it clear that the ruling applies equally to what comes after. Sons’ houses are included in this even though they are not mentioned by name, and this is used as evidence by those who regard the son’s wealth as being like the father’s wealth. In the Musnad and the Sunan, it is reported through several routes that the Messenger of Allah said:
(You and your wealth belong to your father.)
(or the houses of your fathers, or the houses of your mothers,) until His statement;
(or (from that) whereof you hold keys,) This is obvious, and this is used as evidence by those who think that it is obligatory for relatives to spend on one another.
(or (from that) whereof you hold keys,) Sa`id bin Jubayr and As-Suddi said, “This refers to a people’s servants, whether a slave or otherwise. There is nothing wrong with them eating from the food that is stored with them, within reason.” Az-Zuhri narrated from `Urwah that `A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Muslims used to go out on military campaigns with the Messenger of Allah 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 Allah revealed:
(or (from that) whereof you hold keys).”
(or (from the house) of a friend.) means, there is no sin on you if you eat from their houses, so long as you know that this does not upset them and they do not dislike it.
(No sin on you whether you eat together or apart.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas concerning this Ayah, “When Allah revealed the Ayah:
(O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly) ﴿4: 29﴾, the Muslims said, `Allah has forbidden us to eat up our property among ourselves unjustly, and food is the best of property, so it is not permissible for anyone among us to eat at the house of anyone else.’ So the people stopped doing that. Then Allah revealed:
(There is no restriction on the blind,) until His statement;
(or (from the house) of a friend.) A man would also feel embarrassed and would refrain from eating alone until someone else came along, but Allah made the matter easier for them and said:
(No sin on you whether you eat together or apart.)” Qatadah said, “This was a clan of Banu Kinanah who during the Jahiliyyah thought that it was a source of shame for one of them to eat alone, to such an extent that a man might keep on driving his laden camel even though he was hungry, until he could find someone to eat and drink with him. Then Allah revealed:
(No sin on you whether you eat together or apart.) So this was a dispensation from Allah, allowing people to eat either alone or with others, even though eating with others is more blessed and is better. Imam Ahmad recorded from Wahshi bin Harb from his father from his grandfather that a man said to the Prophet , “We eat but we do not feel satisfied.” He said:
(Perhaps you are eating separately. Eat together and mention the Name of Allah, and He will bless the food for you.) It was also recorded by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah. Ibn Majah also recorded that Salim reported from his father from `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:
(Eat together and not separately, for the blessing is in being together.)
(But when you enter the houses, greet one another) Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah and Az-Zuhri said, “This means greet one another with Salam.” Ibn Jurayj said: Abu Az-Zubayr said, “I heard Jabir bin `Abdullah say, `When you enter upon your family, greet them with a greeting from Allah, blessed and good.’ He said, `I do not think it is anything but obligatory.”’ Ibn Jurayj said: “And Ziyad said that Ibn Tawus used to say: `When any one of you enters his house, let him say Salam.”’ Mujahid said: “And when you enter the Masjid, say: `Peace be upon the Messenger of Allah’; when you enter upon your families, greet them with Salam; and when you enter a house in which there is nobody, say: `As-Salamu `Alayna wa `Ala `Ibad-Allah-is-Salihin (peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah).’ This is what one is commanded to do, and it has been narrated to us that the angels will return his greeting.”
(Thus Allah makes clear the Ayat to you that you may understand.) When Allah mentioned what wise rulings and reasonable, well-constructed laws are contained in this Surah, He points out to His servants that He explains the Ayat to them clearly so that they may ponder them and understand their meanings.
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