The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 274
CH. 23 AL-MU'MINŪN "who guard their 6. And chastity_2513 7. "Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then they are not to be blamed;2514 PT. 18 وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَفِظُونَ ) إِلَّا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ ® أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُوْ مِيْنَ "70:30. 70:31. of both, resulting in healthy economic those avenues through which evil adjustments. 2513. Important Words: (their chastity) is the plural of (farjun) which is derived from (faraja). means, he opened the thing so as to make a gap or breach. means, the pudendum or pudenda; the part or parts of a person which it is indecent to expose; or the external portion of the organs of generation of a man or a woman; an open, wide space; the part between the two sides of a valley, i. e. entrance; a frontier of access to a country (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: This verse refers to the fourth stage in the spiritual development of man. It indeed marks a very high stage. The lesson is writ large on the pages of history that many a nation has gone to rack and ruin because they abandoned themselves to immoral practices. Sexual morality plays a very important part in the building up of the national character of a people. Islam is very keen on this point. It regards the guarding of sexual chastity as one of the most sacred duties of a believer. It has closed the door to all those avenues which lead to moral laxity. The word signifies thoughts find access to the human heart. It covers all parts and organs of the body, i. e. eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet etc. Islam looks with extreme disfavour upon all those practices which are calculated to excite human passions and which are so popular in the west or among people enamoured of western ways of life. The verse marks a still higher stage in the spiritual development of man than the one mentioned in v. 5 above. It seems much easier to spend one's money and property in the way of God, to which reference has been made in the preceding verse, than to overcome one's carnal passions when they once get excited. Man has suffered more from the gratification of his sensual appetites than perhaps from any other evil. The curbing of carnal desires requires a greater mental discipline than the spending of wealth in good causes. 2188 2514. Important Words: what their right hands) ما ملكت أيمانهم يمين possess). is the plural of which is derived from. They say i. e. he came from the right means, God hand of the man. blessed such a one. means, good luck; the right