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Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 189 (2:189)

ٱلْبَقَرَة

۞ يَسَْٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِىَ مَوَٰقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ ٱلْبِرُّ بِأَن …

Quran 2:189 is ayah 189 of Surah Al-Baqarah (“The Cow”), a Medinan surah of 286 ayahs. It is in Juz 2, on page 29 of the Madani Mushaf.

2:189
۞ يَسَْٔلُونَكَعَنِٱلْأَهِلَّةِ ۖقُلْهِىَمَوَٰقِيتُلِلنَّاسِوَٱلْحَجِّ ۗوَلَيْسَٱلْبِرُّبِأَنتَأْتُوا۟ٱلْبُيُوتَمِنظُهُورِهَاوَلَٰكِنَّٱلْبِرَّمَنِٱتَّقَىٰ ۗوَأْتُوا۟ٱلْبُيُوتَمِنْأَبْوَٰبِهَا ۚوَٱتَّقُوا۟ٱللَّهَلَعَلَّكُمْتُفْلِحُونَ١٨٩
yasalūnaka ʿani l-ahilati qul hiya mawāqītu lilnnāsi wal-ḥaji walaysa l-biru bi-an tatū l-buyūta min ẓuhūrihā walākinna l-bira mani ittaqā watū l-buyūta min abwābihā wa-ittaqū l-laha laʿallakum tuf'liḥūna

They ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the crescent moons. Say, "They are measurements of time for the people and for ḥajj [pilgrimage]." And it is not righteousness to enter houses from the back, but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allāh. And enter houses from their doors. And fear Allāh that you may succeed.(189)

Word by word

  1. ۞ يَسَْٔلُونَكَyasalūnakaThey ask you
  2. عَنِʿaniabout
  3. ٱلْأَهِلَّةِ ۖl-ahilatithe new moons
  4. قُلْqulSay
  5. هِىَhiyaThey
  6. مَوَٰقِيتُmawāqītu(are) indicators of periods
  7. لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsifor the people
  8. وَٱلْحَجِّ ۗwal-ḥajiand (for) the Hajj
  9. وَلَيْسَwalaysaAnd it is not
  10. ٱلْبِرُّl-biru[the] righteousness
  11. بِأَنbi-anthat
  12. تَأْتُوا۟tatūyou come
  13. ٱلْبُيُوتَl-buyūta(to) the houses
  14. مِنminfrom
  15. ظُهُورِهَاẓuhūrihātheir backs
  16. وَلَٰكِنَّwalākinna[and] but
  17. ٱلْبِرَّl-bira[the] righteous
  18. مَنِmani(is one) who
  19. ٱتَّقَىٰ ۗittaqāfears (Allah)
  20. وَأْتُوا۟watūAnd come
  21. ٱلْبُيُوتَl-buyūta(to) the houses
  22. مِنْminfrom
  23. أَبْوَٰبِهَا ۚabwābihātheir doors
  24. وَٱتَّقُوا۟wa-ittaqūAnd fear
  25. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  26. لَعَلَّكُمْlaʿallakumso that you may
  27. تُفْلِحُونَtuf'liḥūna(be) successful

Tafsir (commentary) of 2:189

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Crescent Moons

Al-`Awfi related that Ibn `Abbas said, "The people asked Allah's Messenger ﷺ about the crescent moons. Thereafter, this Ayah was revealed:

يَسْـَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِىَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ

(They ask you (O Muhammad) about the crescents. Say, "These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind...) so that they mark their acts of worship, the `Iddah (the period of time a divorced woman or a widow is required to wait before remarrying) of their women and the time of their Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)." `Abdur-Razzaq reported that Ibn `Umar narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:

«جَعَلَ اللهُ الْأَهِلَّةَ مَوَاقِيتَ لِلنَّاسِ، فَصُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَعُدُّوا ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا»

(Allah has made the crescents signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind. Hence, fast on seeing it (the crescent for Ramadan) and break the fast on seeing it (the crescent for Shawwal). If it (the crescent) was obscure to you then count thirty days (mark that month as thirty days).) WThis Hadith was also collected by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "The chain is Sahih, and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not recorded it."

Righteousness comes from Taqwa

Allah said:

وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُواْ الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَى وَأْتُواْ الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَبِهَا

(It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back, but Al-Birr is from Taqwa. So enter houses through their proper doors.)

Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara' said, "During the time of Jahiliyyah, they used to enter the house from the back upon assuming the Ihram. Thereafter, Allah revealed (the following Ayah):

وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُواْ الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَى وَأْتُواْ الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَبِهَا

(It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back but Al-Birr is from Taqwa. So enter houses through their proper doors.)

Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded the same Hadith from Al-Bara' but with the wording; "The Ansar used to enter their houses from the back when returning from a journey. Thereafter, this Ayah (2:189 above) was revealed..."

Al-Hasan said, "When some people during the time of Jahiliyyah would leave home to travel, and then decide not to travel, they would not enter the house from its door. Rather, they would climb over the back wall. Allah the Exalted said:

وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُواْ الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا

(It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness) that you enter the houses from the back,)."

Allah's statement:

وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

(...and have Taqwa of Allah that you may be successful.) Have Taqwa of Allah, means to do what He has commanded you and refrain from what He has forbidden for you,

لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

(that you may be successful.) tomorrow when you stand before Him and He thus rewards you perfectly.

Read the full Surah Al-Baqarah