سُوْرَةُ النِّسَآءِ
Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 43
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنتُمْ سُكَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَعْلَمُوا۟ مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَا جُنُبًا إِلَّا عَابِرِى سَبِيلٍ حَتَّىٰ تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا ﴿43﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you who believe! Approach not As-Salât (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter, nor when you are in a state of Janâba ,(i.e. in a state of sexual impurity and have not yet taken a bath) except when travelling on the road (without enough water, or just passing through a mosque), till you wash your whole body. And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (Tayammum). Truly, Allâh is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe[d]
لَا
lā
(Do) not
تَقْرَبُوا۟
taqrabū
go near
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
l-ṣalata
the prayer
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
while you
سُكَـٰرَىٰ
sukārā
(are) intoxicated
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
تَعْلَمُوا۟
taʿlamū
you know
مَا
mā
what
تَقُولُونَ
taqūlūna
you are saying
وَلَا
walā
and not
جُنُبًا
junuban
(when you are) impure
إِلَّا
illā
except
عَابِرِى
ʿābirī
(when) passing
سَبِيلٍ
sabīlin
(through) a way
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
تَغْتَسِلُوا۟ ۚ
taghtasilū
you have bathed
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
كُنتُم
kuntum
you are
مَّرْضَىٰٓ
marḍā
ill
أَوْ
aw
or
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
سَفَرٍ
safarin
a journey
أَوْ
aw
or
جَآءَ
jāa
came
أَحَدٌۭ
aḥadun
one
مِّنكُم
minkum
of you
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْغَآئِطِ
l-ghāiṭi
the toilet
أَوْ
aw
or
لَـٰمَسْتُمُ
lāmastumu
you have touched
ٱلنِّسَآءَ
l-nisāa
the women
فَلَمْ
falam
and not
تَجِدُوا۟
tajidū
you find
مَآءًۭ
māan
water
فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟
fatayammamū
then do tayammum
صَعِيدًۭا
ṣaʿīdan
(with) earth
طَيِّبًۭا
ṭayyiban
clean
فَٱمْسَحُوا۟
fa-im'saḥū
and wipe (with it)
بِوُجُوهِكُمْ
biwujūhikum
your faces
وَأَيْدِيكُمْ ۗ
wa-aydīkum
and your hands
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
كَانَ
kāna
is
عَفُوًّا
ʿafuwwan
Oft-Pardoning
غَفُورًا
ghafūran
Oft-Forgiving
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
43. 1 This command was given at a time when the prohibition of alcohol had not yet been revealed. Thus, after drinking alcohol at a feast, when they stood for prayer, the imam recited the words of the Quran incorrectly due to intoxication (for details see Tirmidhi, Tafsir Surah An-Nisa), upon which this verse was revealed that you should not pray while in a state of intoxication. In other words, at that time, drinking alcohol was only prohibited near the time of prayer. The absolute prohibition and ruling of its being forbidden was revealed after this. (This is the second conditional ruling regarding alcohol.)
43. 2 That is, do not pray in a state of impurity either. Because purity is very necessary for prayer.
43. 3 This does not mean that in the state of travel, if water is not found, you should pray while in a state of major impurity (as some have said). Rather, according to the majority of scholars, its meaning is that in a state of major impurity, do not sit inside the mosque. However, if there is a need to pass through the mosque, you may do so. Some of the companions’ houses were such that they had to pass through Masjid Nabawi in any case. This concession was given with them in mind (Ibn Kathir). Otherwise, the ruling for the traveler is coming ahead.
43. 4 (1) By sick is meant one who fears harm or worsening of illness by performing ablution, (2) Traveler is general, whether the journey is long or short. If water is not available, permission is given to perform tayammum. In the absence of water, this permission is also available to the resident. But since such a need generally arose for the sick and the traveler, the permission was specifically mentioned for them. (3) One who comes after relieving himself, (4) and one who has had intercourse with his wife, they too are permitted to perform tayammum and pray if water is not available. The method of tayammum is that both hands are struck once on the earth, then both hands are wiped up to the wrist on each other (not up to the elbows), and also wiped on the face. قال فی التیمم : (ضربۃ للوجہ والکفین) (Musnad Ahmad. Ammar ؓ Vol 4, page 263) The Prophet ﷺ said regarding tayammum that it is to strike once for both palms and the face. (صعیدا طیبا) means pure earth. It does not mean everything that comes out of the earth, as some think. The hadith further clarifies this (جعلت ترب تھا لنا طھورا اذا لم نجد الماء) (Sahih Muslim. Kitab al-Masajid) When we do not find water, the earth’s soil has been made a means of purification for us.
43. 2 That is, do not pray in a state of impurity either. Because purity is very necessary for prayer.
43. 3 This does not mean that in the state of travel, if water is not found, you should pray while in a state of major impurity (as some have said). Rather, according to the majority of scholars, its meaning is that in a state of major impurity, do not sit inside the mosque. However, if there is a need to pass through the mosque, you may do so. Some of the companions’ houses were such that they had to pass through Masjid Nabawi in any case. This concession was given with them in mind (Ibn Kathir). Otherwise, the ruling for the traveler is coming ahead.
43. 4 (1) By sick is meant one who fears harm or worsening of illness by performing ablution, (2) Traveler is general, whether the journey is long or short. If water is not available, permission is given to perform tayammum. In the absence of water, this permission is also available to the resident. But since such a need generally arose for the sick and the traveler, the permission was specifically mentioned for them. (3) One who comes after relieving himself, (4) and one who has had intercourse with his wife, they too are permitted to perform tayammum and pray if water is not available. The method of tayammum is that both hands are struck once on the earth, then both hands are wiped up to the wrist on each other (not up to the elbows), and also wiped on the face. قال فی التیمم : (ضربۃ للوجہ والکفین) (Musnad Ahmad. Ammar ؓ Vol 4, page 263) The Prophet ﷺ said regarding tayammum that it is to strike once for both palms and the face. (صعیدا طیبا) means pure earth. It does not mean everything that comes out of the earth, as some think. The hadith further clarifies this (جعلت ترب تھا لنا طھورا اذا لم نجد الماء) (Sahih Muslim. Kitab al-Masajid) When we do not find water, the earth’s soil has been made a means of purification for us.
