English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 24: An-Nur — The Light (Revealed at Madinah: 9 sections, 64 verses)
Section 9 (Verses 24:62–24:64): Matters of State to take Precedence
Translation:
اِنَّمَا الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ وَ اِذَا کَانُوۡا مَعَہٗ عَلٰۤی اَمۡرٍ جَامِعٍ لَّمۡ یَذۡہَبُوۡا حَتّٰی یَسۡتَاۡذِنُوۡہُ ؕ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یَسۡتَاۡذِنُوۡنَکَ اُولٰٓئِکَ الَّذِیۡنَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ ۚ فَاِذَا اسۡتَاۡذَنُوۡکَ لِبَعۡضِ شَاۡنِہِمۡ فَاۡذَنۡ لِّمَنۡ شِئۡتَ مِنۡہُمۡ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَہُمُ اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۶۲﴾
24:62 Only those are believers who believe in Allah and His Messenger, and when they are with him on an important matter, they do not go away until they have asked permission from him. Surely they who ask permission from you, are they who believe in Allah and His Messenger; so when they ask permission from you for some affair of theirs, give permission to whom you will from among them, and ask forgiveness for them from Allah. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
لَا تَجۡعَلُوۡا دُعَآءَ الرَّسُوۡلِ بَیۡنَکُمۡ کَدُعَآءِ بَعۡضِکُمۡ بَعۡضًا ؕ قَدۡ یَعۡلَمُ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ یَتَسَلَّلُوۡنَ مِنۡکُمۡ لِوَاذًا ۚ فَلۡیَحۡذَرِ الَّذِیۡنَ یُخَالِفُوۡنَ عَنۡ اَمۡرِہٖۤ اَنۡ تُصِیۡبَہُمۡ فِتۡنَۃٌ اَوۡ یُصِیۡبَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۶۳﴾
24:63 Do not make the Messenger’s calling among you as your calling of one another.1 Allah indeed knows those who steal away from among you, concealing themselves. So those who go against his order should beware that a trial may afflict them or there may befall them a painful punishment.
اَلَاۤ اِنَّ لِلّٰہِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ قَدۡ یَعۡلَمُ مَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ عَلَیۡہِ ؕ وَ یَوۡمَ یُرۡجَعُوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِ فَیُنَبِّئُہُمۡ بِمَا عَمِلُوۡا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿٪۶۴﴾
24:64 Now surely Allah’s is whatever is in the heavens and the earth. He knows indeed your condition. And on the day when they are returned to Him, He will inform them of what they did. And Allah is Knower of all things.
Commentary:
- It does not mean how the Prophet is to be addressed, but in what manner his call is to be responded to. The context makes it clear. The previous verse states that none is to leave without the Prophet’s permission, when they are gathered together for some important matter requiring their presence, and the words that follow this passage are to the same effect. What is stated here is that the Prophet’s call to the believers is to be respected, and not to be treated as their calling of one another; because the Prophet’s call relates to some important affair affecting the welfare of the community, while their mutual calling of one another relates to their own private affairs. ↩