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سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)

آية 189

القرآن: يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Translation: They ask you about the crescent moons. Say, “They are timekeeping signs for the people and for Hajj.” And it is not righteousness to enter houses from their backs, but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah. And enter houses through their doors. And fear Allah that you may succeed.

Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):

Maududi explains that this verse serves a dual purpose: it provides a practical ruling while also imparting a profound spiritual lesson to correct a prevalent pre-Islamic superstition.

1. Answering the Practical Question:

· The Query: Some people asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the purpose of the crescent moons (al-ahillah)—the visible phases of the moon that mark the beginning of each lunar month.
· The Divine Response: The answer is that they are “timekeeping signs for the people and for Hajj.”
· For the people: The lunar calendar regulates the timing of all acts of worship: the fast of Ramadan begins and ends with the sighting of the moon, as do the two Eids (al-Fitr and al-Adha). The months of Sha’ban, Dhul-Hijjah, etc., are all determined by this system.
· For Hajj: The timing of the Hajj pilgrimage is fixed in the month of Dhul-Hijjah based on the lunar calendar.

2. Correcting a Superstition and Teaching a Principle:

· The Pre-Islamic Practice: The pagan Arabs, during the state of ritual consecration for Hajj (Ihram), would not enter their houses through the door if they needed something after departing for Hajj. Considering themselves in a “sacred state,” they would tear openings in the backs of their houses to enter, believing this to be an act of piety.
· The Correction: The Quran categorically rejects this: “And it is not righteousness to enter houses from their backs.” This odd practice, though done with a religious intention, had no basis in divine law and was mere superstition.
· The General Principle: The verse then establishes a universal rule: “but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah (ittaqa).” True piety is not found in bizarre, self-invented rituals, but in genuine God-consciousness and obedience to His actual commandments.
· The Metaphorical Command: “And enter houses through their doors.” On a literal level, it means to use the proper, intended entrance. Metaphorically, as Maududi elaborates, it means:
· For matters of life and religion, follow the correct, prescribed, and straightforward path. Do not seek complicated, invented shortcuts or detours.
· Just as a house has a door for entry, every objective in life has a proper, lawful means to achieve it. Pursue your goals through those legitimate means.
· In the context of the question about moons: do not get lost in speculative or superstitious meanings; understand them as the practical, divine signs they are meant to be.

3. The Ultimate Goal:
   The verse concludes with the overarching command: “And fear Allah that you may succeed.” Success (al-falah)—in this world and the next—is guaranteed not by hollow rituals, but by true Taqwa: following God’s clear guidance and avoiding the innovations and superstitions that He has not sanctioned.

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Core Summary from Maududi’s Tafheem:

This verse teaches several critical lessons:

1. Purpose of the Lunar Calendar: It is a divine system for regulating worship, not an object of superstitious speculation.
2. Rejection of Invented Rituals: Piety is not demonstrated through strange, self-imposed hardships or rituals that have no basis in revelation.
3. The Essence of Righteousness: True righteousness lies in God-consciousness (Taqwa), not in outward shows of austerity.
4. The Principle of the “Door”: In all affairs—spiritual and worldly—one must take the straightforward, legitimate, and prescribed path. Success comes from following divine guidance in its intended form.