Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page 54
Essence of the Holy Qur’ ā n 54 may prove conducive to good results. The subject is further developed and slander-mongering receives a severe reprimand. Because, if, on the basis of mere suspicion or the testimony of witnesses of doubtful integrity, haphazard aspersions are permitted to be cast on one another’s chastity, sexual immorality is likely to become widespread in the community and young people become prone to run away with the notion that there is no harm in indulging freely in sex. Next, believers are strongly enjoined to guard and preserve national morals and it is considered very essential for Muslims to develop watchfulness and extreme awareness about their protection and preservation. If vigilance is allowed to relax, deterioration in national morals is sure to ensue. But whereas it is true that sexual immorality, if permitted to spread unchecked, brings about the degradation and disintegration of a whole community, individuals suspected of stray acts of immorality should not be hunted down and crushed. As in every community there are to be found some persons of lax morals, such individuals may be treated with a certain indulgence. But at the same time a warning is held out to those who seek, by their continued pernicious activities, to create discord among Muslims and to indulge in abusive language and calumny that they will be punished in this world and in the next. God will expose their iniquities and sins and will bring upon them disgrace and humiliation. The S u rah then proceeds to observe that it is his careless acts that subject a man to suspicion and calumny and that most careless of all such acts is promiscuous intermingling between the sexes. In order to put a stop to such occasions as cause suspicion and lead to slander-mongering, the S u rah directs Muslims not to enter a house without having obtained prior permission. Further, it enjoins on Muslim men and women that if they happen to confront each other, they should restrain their looks and guard all avenues of sin and vice. As an additional safeguard, Muslim women are further enjoined not to display their beauty, natural as well as artificial, to those males as are outside the prohibited degrees of marriage (v. 32), except such parts of the body as it is not possible for them to cover, for instance, the build of the body or their stature. For this purpose, they should wear their head-coverings in such a manner as to cover their breasts. (For a detailed note on "Pardah" see v. 32). Another safeguard enjoined for the improvement and preservation of national morals is that widows should not be allowed to remain unmarried. It is further stated that steps should be taken to set free prisoners of war at the earliest occasion and a captive, who does not find it possible to earn his or her freedom immediately, may be allowed to pay the indemnity money in easy instalments. Towards its close the S u rah strongly urges Muslims to set right their family and national affairs and to be on their guard against promiscuous intermingling of the sexes. A special direction to be observed in this respect is that even prisoners of war serving as house servants and also minor children should not enter the private apartments of their masters or parents before dawn, at noon and after nightfall. At other times all members of the household are at liberty to move about the house freely. When, however, children reach their puberty, they