Surah An-Nis, akin to a radiant gem within the corpus of the Holy Qurn, encompasses a collection of divine rulings, each serving as a guiding light illuminating the individual and collective life paths of the faithful. This Surah, with a comprehensive perspective on jurisprudential, principled, and social issues, offers a solid framework for a devout existence. Verses 43 and 44 of this Surah, which form the subject of this treatise, meticulously and profoundly address the rules of purity, prayer, and the critique of religious and social deviations. This discourse, relying on scholarly lectures, endeavours to examine these verses analytically and within a scientific and coherent structure, inviting the reader to contemplate the profound Qurnic meanings and their application in contemporary life.
O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying, nor in a state of janbah (major ritual impurity), except while passing through (a place), until you have washed; and if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from relieving himself or you have touched women and you find no water, then perform tayammum with clean soil and wipe over your faces and your hands. Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.
Verse 43 of Surah An-Nis, like a comprehensive and conclusive law, stipulates rulings related to purity and prayer under diverse circumstances. This verse, by forbidding the performance of prayer in a state of intoxication, emphasises the necessity of awareness and sincerity in worship. The phrase لَا تَقْرَبُوا (do not approach) in this verse does not merely signify physical proximity but rather the act of engaging in worship. The Holy Qurn thus prevents the believers from entering the sacred precinct of prayer while their mind and heart lack conscious presence.
In this verse, although a person intoxicated may perform ablution and obtain apparent purity, such purity is invalid for prayer since intoxication hinders conscious intention and sincerity. If the intoxication is so severe as to incapacitate intention, even ablution becomes void, as intention is an essential pillar of purity. However, if the intoxication subsides, the prior ablution, if performed with proper intention, remains valid for prayer.
The phrase حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ (until you know what you say) stresses the necessity of awareness in prayer. From a psychological perspective, this condition underlines the importance of concentration and mindfulness in worship, without which prayer becomes a mechanical act. The distinction between مَا تَقُولُونَ (what you say) and مَا تَفْعَلُونَ (what you do) in this verse implies that ablution, as a physical act, may be performed during intoxication, but prayer, due to the requirement of conscious verbalisation, is forbidden.
The verse also addresses the state of janbah, forbidding entry into the mosque by a person in this state except as a passerby (عَابِرِي سَبِيلٍ). A passerby refers to one who traverses the mosque without stopping, like a breeze passing through foliage without delay. This ruling underscores the sanctity of the mosque and the necessity of maintaining purity within it.
The verse then outlines the rulings concerning tayammum, enumerating four conditions permitting it: illness, travel, relieving oneself, and sexual intercourse in the absence of water. Tayammum, like a key to unlocking the doors of worship in difficult circumstances, is performed with pure soil (صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا). Wiping the face and hands simplifies the purification process during exigencies. The jurisprudential difference between Sha and Sunn schools concerning the extent of hand wiping reflects divergent interpretations of the term أَيْدِيكُمْ.
The verse concludes with إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا (Indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving), emphasising the mercy and facilitation inherent in divine rulings, as though God, like a compassionate father, has eased the paths of worship for His servants.
Verse 43 of Surah An-Nis functions as an exact map, delineating rules of purity and prayer in varied circumstances. The prohibition of prayer in intoxication and janbah, alongside the permissibility of tayammum in absence of water, illustrates the religions flexibility in maintaining the servants connection with the Creator. These rulings address not only jurisprudential aspects but also the psychological and mystical dimensions of worship, guiding believers towards awareness, sincerity, and preservation of sanctity in worship.
Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They purchase error and intend that you should lose the way.
Verse 44 of Surah An-Nis, employing a tone of admonition, addresses the deviations of the People of the Book and, through the phrase أَلَمْ تَرَ (Have you not seen), holds up a clear mirror to their reprehensible conduct before the eyes of the believers. This address is not limited to the Prophet but extends to all believers, as if the Qurn invites everyone to reflect on religious deviations and their collective responsibility towards them.
The phrase أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ indicates the partial reception of divine guidance by the People of the Book. This reception, like a light acquired in darkness, has turned into a tool of misguidance rather than enlightenment. The expression يَشْتَرُونَ الضَّلَالَةَ (they purchase error) denotes a deliberate choice of misguidance, as if this group has commodified religion through hypocrisy and distortion for the purpose of commercial gain and deceit.
The phrase وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَضِلُّوا السَّبِيلَ (and they intend that you should lose the way) points to the intent to mislead others. This group has not only embarked upon the path of error themselves but acts like robbers of the path of truth, endeavouring to divert others from the straight path. Historically, this behaviour correlates with textual distortions and exploitation of religious positions for power and influence.
The verses reference to divine knowledge (وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَعْدَائِكُمْ) and Gods guardianship and support (كَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ نَصِيرًا) assures that the enemies of the believers shall fail against divine will. Gods guardianship is a spiritual canopy, and His support is a steadfast shield preserving the believers from deviations.
Verse 44 of Surah An-Nis, through an explicit critique of the People of the Books deviations, summons believers to vigilance against religious distortions and the efforts to mislead others. This verse, in a wakeful tone, reminds believers of their collective responsibility in preserving the path of truth and distancing themselves from error. Divine knowledge and support illuminate the believers path before their adversaries like a blazing torch.
The naming of Surah An-Nis, due to its rulings concerning women, inheritance, and marriage, signifies the Qurns special attention to the status of women within the religious system. This naming acts as a symbol of divine justice, emphasising the importance of eliminating discrimination and upholding womens rights. Nonetheless, in traditional societies, patriarchy, like a heavy shadow, deprived women of fundamental rights such as education and dignity.
Historically, cultural and social obstacles confined women in the straits of oppression and ignorance. Religious scholars occasionally justified these deprivations by citing fabricated narrations, such as claims of womens intellectual deficiency. These assertions, like invisible chains, kept women captive in ignorance and oppression. However, cultural transformations, especially during the Pahlavi era, with the expansion of education and the opening of schools, paved the way for womens emancipation from these bonds.
In contemporary times, feminism, as a
