The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 358
CH. 24 AN-NŪR PT. 18 وَانْكِحُوا الْاَ يَا فى مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّلِحِينَ مِنْ And marry widows from. 33 among you, and your male عِبَادِكُمْ وَ اِمَا بِكُمْ إِنْ يَكُونُوا slaves and female slaves who فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ are fit for marriage. If they be poor, Allah will grant them means out of His bounty; and Allah is Bountiful, All- knowing. 2615 women wear on their hands, feet, ears, arms, necks, bosoms, etc. The expression, "except that which is apparent thereof," contains all those things which it is not possible for a woman to cover such as her voice, gait or stature and also certain parts of her body which remain uncovered according to her social status, her family traditions, her avocation and the customs of the society. The permission to keep certain parts of the body uncovered will be subject to certain variations. Thus the words, "they display not their beauty" will have different connotations with regard to women belonging to different sections and grades of society and the connotation will change with the change in the customs and modes of living and professions of the people. The words "and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may become known," show that public dancing which is so much in vogue in certain countries is definitely not allowed by Islam. This is the Islamic conception of "purdah. " According to it Muslim women may go out as often as it is legitimately necessary for them to do 2272 so, but their primary and principal functions are confined to their homes which are as important and serious, if not more, as the avocations of men are. If women take to men's avocations they seek to defy nature and nature does not allow its laws to be defied with impunity. If would be noticed that the incident about 'A'ishah which forms one of the principal subjects of this Surah sheds a flood of light on the form of "purdah" which Islam enjoins its followers to observe. According to tradition when Şafwan came to the place where ‘A'ishah was lying asleep with her face uncovered, he recognized her because he had seen her, as he himself afterwards said, before the verse about "purdah" was revealed (Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsir). 2615. Important Words: أيم widows) is the plural of) أيامي which means, he had no wife or he (ayyimun) which is derived from J lost his wife by her death and he did not marry. They say i. e. she became bereft of her husband by his death or by being slain and remained without marrying. I also means, she had no husband, said of a virgin and of one who is not a virgin.