THE WORD OF GOD

From The Scriptures

The Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between CE 610 and 632. It is a book that brings glad tidings to humankind, along with divine admonition, and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level.

Translated from Arabic and commentary by
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Stay in your homes and do not flaunt your charms as in the former times of ignorance. Attend to your prayers, pay the zakat and obey God and His Messenger. Women of the [Prophet’s] Household, God seeks only to remove all impurity from you, and to make you completely pure. Bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of the revelations of God and of wisdom. God is all pervading and all aware. (33: 33-34)

Here, addressing the Prophet’s consorts about correct behaviour, instruction is indirectly given to Muslim women as to how they should conduct themselves. Unlike worldly women, it should not be their aim to show off their charms and finery. Their attention should be entirely directed towards the worship of God. They should spend their wealth for the cause of God and their time in understanding the teachings of Islam. This style of life makes one pure and righteous and it is only the pure and righteous who are approved of by Almighty God.

Surely, for men and women who have surrendered [to God]— believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, charitable men and charitable women, fasting men and fasting women, men and women who guard their chastity, men and women who are ever mindful of God—God is ready with forgiveness and an immense reward. (33: 35)

This verse shows what Almighty God wishes a man or woman to be like. The ten virtues He would like them to possess are as follows: Islam (submission to God), faith in God, obedience, truthfulness, patience, sincerity, charity, fasting, chastity and remembrance of God. These ten virtues encompass all the aspects of the Islamic faith and Islamic character. Briefly speaking, one who hopes to receive God’s pardon, and His rewards should bow to His injunctions, thus showing his total belief in God. There should be no contradiction between his words and his deeds. He should stand firm, regardless of the circumstances.

The realization of God’s greatness should have made him modest, and he should consider the meeting of others’ needs as his own responsibility. He must fast regularly, and, in the context of sexual desires, he is chaste and pure. His days and nights are spent in the remembrance of God. Just as these qualities are required of men, so also are they required of women. Although their manifestation may in some respects be different, as far as the qualities themselves are concerned, they are the same for both. A human being, whether a woman or a man, will be considered acceptable to God only when he or she approaches God endowed with these ten qualities.